Chapter 101 Secret Technique

"Time to study! Learning is what I do best!" Lu Luo opened the handwritten Qi He secret technique, "Dust Devil," by Ludie. [Record of "Dust Devil" has commenced, gathering useful information for the host.] Because it was handwritten, there was no table of contents or anything similar. Perhaps because it was the only copy, the entire notebook was haphazardly organized, with ideas scattered randomly and additional content included from time to time. For example, it detailed the power exertion method for Qi He, the heat, pressure, and kinetic energy of steam, and how to combine them to execute a steam-powered punch. It was evident that Ludie had also faced challenges while creating this Secret Technique. "This is totally... an exclusive piece of work! That Ludie!" Lu Luo was suddenly moved, even though the entire book seemed incredibly disorganized. In an environment like the Fourth Ring of the Alliance, such a Secret Technique had to be considered extremely precious, a priceless treasure even. However touching, the book was genuinely chaotic. Fortunately, he had the Observer to help him collect all the information. Otherwise, it would have been quite a challenge for anyone else to understand it all. The Dust Devil technique is divided into three stages: Steam, Fog, and Dust Devil. During the Steam stage, one can create steam through the friction of their Qi He. Steam grants Qi He powerful pressure, momentum, and explosive force. Steam Qi He can greatly enhance the user’s attack attributes, with each Outburst producing high temperatures and humidity, along with a formidable impact. As you master the ability to produce increasingly stable steam, you can enter the second stage: Fog. In the Fog stage, one relies on their vast Qi He to create a foggy area. Within this area, the user can sense everything. In this state, the Qi He user can manipulate the fog, morphing it into various forms of attacks, such as gaseous needle strikes, gaseous shock swords, or even imitations of exotic beast dragons, and so on. Once the Fog is completely mastered, you reach the final stage: Dust Devil. Dust Devil is a state of complete fusion between the user and their Qi He, making the user akin to a demon in the mortal world. Every action carries demon-like destructive force, with continuous steam explosions and instantaneous bursts of fog Qi He, all performed in the Dust Devil form. The move Ludie used just now was Qi He - Dust Burst. "No wonder my Qi He was so potent before, yet I still only managed a draw against Fat Ding. Ding Peng’s Qi He state at that time must have been Steam! It fully enhanced the pressure and explosive force of his Qi He. The powerful kinetic energy of the steam brought a substantial change to Ding Peng’s attacks, magnifying their force severalfold. That’s why he still managed to draw with me, even when his Qi He quality was lower and under such dire circumstances! This is the difference between having a skill and not having one!" Lu Luo’s thinking was very broad, a benefit of the information explosion in the era of the Internet of Things. He knew well that if two people, both weighing 70 kilograms, fought, and one was a combat expert while the other was an ordinary person, the combat expert could easily dominate the ordinary person, possibly even taking on two or three opponents at once. This was the huge gap created by technique and skill. "The amplification from this Secret Technique is enormous! Ludie’s really got something special!" Lu Luo sat cross-legged on the hospital rooftop, unafraid of becoming nearsighted, and immersed himself in reading "Dust Devil" under the dim light. Ludie also detailed the cultivation process of Dust Devil in the book, all of which was valuable information for Lu Luo. The Observer could filter out useful information for him, allowing him to utilize these insights and avoid potential pitfalls. Lu Luo read until morning, his eyes sore, before finally finishing the not-particularly-thick manual. [Qi He usage skill "Dust Devil" has been recorded. Optimizing analysis for host is underway. Please be patient, as this may take some time...] Having experienced the previous enhancement with the Sixth Sequence, Lu Luo knew that optimizing Dust Devil might not go smoothly and could take a long time. So, for now, he prepared to return to school. A trip beyond the Wall was a ten-day affair, so he definitely needed to attend at least one class, punch the clock, and check in. Besides, with Qi Xinzhu’s situation, Lu Luo felt it necessary to find Han Shiyu at this time, no matter what. First, to drop by and greet Han Shiyu. Second, he wanted to ask about alchemy. He now had enough blood bags, and if he could make Red Potions himself, it would be a very profitable venture. Lu Luo had thought it through: once he had enough money, he would go treasure hunting in the Siping District Market again, then spend heavily on cultivation to break through to the Second Qi He, reaching the Second Tier. 「...」 In Han Shiyu’s dorm room, two women with exceptionally curvy figures sat at opposite ends of the bed. Due to the Constitutions of Transcendents, even though it was very cold, both were lightly dressed, wearing only simple underwear. The two were sitting together, talking about Lu Luo. "Do you mean you spent these ten days being scolded?" Qi Xinzhu hugged her knees, almost burying her face in her chest, her voice somewhat downcast. "Yeah, pretty much," Han Shiyu replied, shaking her head. She felt rather helpless about Qi Xinzhu’s current demeanor. "And, Senior Sister, I feel he’s not quite the ’bearer of dawn’ you spoke of." Her junior sister’s talent and aptitude were among the top in the Alliance, and she was a Grade S Sequence Healer to boot. In terms of abilities, there was absolutely no issue. Unfortunately, her emotional intelligence was low, and she didn’t understand the ways of the world, especially those of the Fourth Ring. Lu Luo, however, was a very sensible person. Although young, he gave off the impression of someone with extraordinary experience. "Xinzhu, I had you follow Lu Luo, not to pull him into the Church. If he were so easily convinced to join, I wouldn’t have sent you." "Then why did you have me follow him? He’s so odd-tempered. Sometimes, he really makes me angry." Qi Xinzhu’s mind flashed back to the scene where Lu Luo had called her brain-dead. "You’re still missing something. Once you get a little closer to the dawn, you’ll understand why I wanted you to be with him." "Ah, alright. It always comes back to that. I don’t feel like I’m far from the dawn. So, what should I do now? Continue with classes?" "You certainly can’t keep wasting time like this. When Lu Luo comes to see me, I’ll arrange for you two to go train with Qiao Xing." "Lord Qiao Xing! Really?" Qi Xinzhu was surprised, then hesitated. "Are you sure Lu Luo will come to find you? And even if he does, what’s the point? With Lord Qiao Xing’s temperament, would he really teach someone outside the Church? I remember that although he’s very amicable, he strictly follows the holy rules. The holy rules don’t allow the Church’s abilities to be taught to non-believers." "I’ll notify Qiao Xing. You don’t need to worry too much about whether he’s willing to teach Lu Luo or not. As for Lu Luo, he’ll definitely come to find me. He’s a very sensible person, and that’s precisely where you differ from him. Lu Luo has his own set of principles. Although he’s unwilling to join the Dawn Church, he’s willing to humble himself and seek any reasonable opportunity to grow stronger, at any cost. The Church’s Secret Techniques are the most powerful in the entire Alliance. Besides, I’ve already discussed Martial Arts training with him before. Given such an opportunity, Lu Luo definitely won’t pass it up." "I see! Alright then." Although Qi Xinzhu sounded reluctant, the image of Lu Luo decimating four opponents with his ring blade and then dragging her away involuntarily brought a slight smirk to her face. She thought she had hidden it well, but Han Shiyu, watching from the side, saw everything. Han Shiyu silently sighed for Qi Xinzhu. Naïve girl. I hope she won’t get sold by Lu Luo and then end up happily counting his money for him. 「...」 The next day, Lu Luo returned to the academy with his student ID to process his reinstatement at the academic affairs office. These procedures sounded very troublesome, and Lu Luo found them annoying, but he had to do them nonetheless because they were the rules. Following the rules would afford him ample time and a legitimate student identity, protecting him from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals’ attention for two years. "Returning from a scientific expedition? Lu Luo, from the biology department?" "Yes, Officer," Lu Luo replied. "You actually went outside the Wall? For ten days? You didn’t mutate, did you? What if you turned into an Exotic Species? The newspapers say the incidence of Exotic Species events has been quite high recently. Your situation is rather alarming." The academic affairs officer was an extremely obese woman. Logically, with the Wasteland’s limited resources and food, it should be difficult for someone to become that fat. Yet, this woman’s figure was shockingly large; under 1.6 meters tall, she probably weighed over 300 pounds. Lu Luo looked at her, constantly wondering to himself, Even if she ate pig feed, she couldn’t get this fat, right? "Uh, Officer, if there was a chance I could turn into an Exotic Species, the Wall Guardians would have definitely caught me and wouldn’t have let me get this far," he said. "Is that so? That seems to make sense." The heavyset woman meticulously checked Lu Luo’s identification, photo, and documents, then returned all the materials to him. "Not bad, not bad. Professor Han Shiyu’s dispatched student, on a biomedical agent research project. Not only good-looking but also young and promising! Take your student ID and go back. Remember to catch up on the lessons you’ve missed." "Okay, thank you, Officer." Lu Luo took his student ID, grinned, and returned to the university campus. That went smoothly. Maybe this is the preferential treatment for an honor student. 「...」 Having returned to campus, Lu Luo met Gu Fangyi at the classroom door. Gu Fangyi had returned the previous night and had already completed his paperwork. Zhou Kai had skipped class. It couldn’t be helped; Circle Studio’s business was too demanding, and he rarely attended classes unless absolutely necessary. Lu Luo had already spoken to Han Shiyu about this, asking her to be lenient with Zhou Kai’s grades. Han Shiyu had agreed, promising that, regardless of the circumstances, she would ensure the three of them received at least a passing grade, but only for her medical and pharmaceutical courses. Zhou Kai carried a heavy burden. Compared to him, Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi actually had it a bit easier. You Xiaoqi and Ding Peng handled the high-end business, so unless things got extraordinarily busy, Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi didn’t need to get involved. That’s why they had the opportunity to wander so leisurely through the school corridors, taking in the less-than-scenic views of East Ring University and its utterly featureless gray, white, and red buildings. As the two walked through the corridors, Lu Luo noticed people around them pointing and whispering. His enhanced hearing, a result of his improved physical Constitution, allowed him to clearly discern their conversations. Only then did he realize they weren’t discussing him but Gu Fangyi. The gossipers included both men and women, and the content was somewhat strange. "That guy over there with the cold face, that’s Gu Fangyi from Dormitory 2, right?" "That’s him, the Black-Skinned Bully of Dormitory 2. He’s vicious. You definitely don’t want to mess with someone like him." "You heard about what happened last night, right?" "Yeah, I heard. That guy single-handedly beat up the three brothers from Dormitory 2. I heard the second oldest got the crap beaten out of him and is now lying in the infirmary. What a bully!" "That vicious? Then why do they call him ’Black-Skinned’?" "I heard he’s a strange one. Everything he uses is black—his bedsheets, pillow, even his toothbrush. That’s why everyone in Dormitory 2 calls him the Black-Skinned Bully!" Black-Skinned Bully! I never thought Little Gu would have such a characteristic nickname! Lu Luo walked, covering his mouth, but he couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. HEE HEE HEE! HA HA! "What’s so funny?" Gu Fangyi asked, a bit puzzled. "Black-Skinned Bully! Heh heh!" Little Gu’s face turned red. The nickname was too embarrassing, but since everyone called him that, he couldn’t just beat them all up, could he? "Is it really that funny?" "So, the first thing you did after your breakthrough was beat them up? I didn’t realize you were so vengeful." "An eye for an eye. That’s the motto of our Circle Studio," Gu Fangyi stated righteously. "Hmm, that does make some sense. But that nickname, Black-Skinned Bully... HEE HEE HEE!" As Lu Luo snickered, he heard more whispers, and this time, they were about him. "Who’s that next to the bully? Haven’t seen him around much." "Dunno. Walking so close to a bully, looking so handsome, yet smiling so humbly... This brother, I guess it’s tough for him..." "No need to guess. He’s definitely succumbed to the vile power of the Black-Skinned Bully. So young, truly pitiful." The more Lu Luo listened, the darker his face grew. If you say I’m handsome, I’ll generously admit it, because that’s a fact. But when you say I’m smiling humbly, I’m not convinced. Is my smile really humble? And what does ’succumbed to the vile power of the Black-Skinned Bully’ even mean? "These guys, always talking nonsense. No, I have to teach them a lesson today." Lu Luo was about to roll up his sleeves when Gu Fangyi immediately hugged him from behind to stop him from acting rashly. "Cool it, Big Bro Luo!" But the hug from behind looked rather ambiguous. "Whoa, hugging in broad daylight? And from behind, no less!" "Gu Fangyi, that bully, is really going too far. That handsome young guy is truly pitiable." "Those who are pitied often have their own detestable flaws. Who knows what that guy is like in private." The gossip grew more outrageous, and Lu Luo completely lost his cool. "These people are too much! How dare they slander me like this! Today, I’m going to teach them a lesson." "Big Bro Luo, Big Bro Luo, let it go, let it go! You hit too hard." And so, the two of them bickered all the way to the classroom, intending to attend a random class just to have an attendance record. It was a medical class, and it was quite boring. Lu Luo wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Because the usual medical class professor, Han Shiyu, was in the infirmary treating the injured, a veteran teacher was substituting. In the Wasteland Alliance, there was a significant gap between teachers and professors. Teachers had to undergo a three-tier evaluation. Only those who achieved the title of senior teacher and had made academic breakthroughs and specialized in a field could be called professors. This veteran teacher only held an intermediate teacher title. Furthermore, he spoke in a droning monotone and had a rigid teaching style. Students accustomed to Han Shiyu’s teaching methods naturally found it hard to accept. Feeling very sleepy, and having not rested properly for a long time, Lu Luo simply laid his head on the desk and fell asleep. Lu Luo didn’t know how long he had slept when he felt Gu Fangyi nudging him. "Big Bro Luo, Big Bro Luo, the teacher’s calling you!" "Huh?" Lu Luo raised his head, somewhat bewildered. "You! Yes, you! The student sleeping! Stand up!" The old teacher was clearly losing his temper. Lu Luo sized him up and then reminded himself to stay calm. He’s so old; if he stumbled, got hurt, and something serious happened, Lu Luo wouldn’t know how to explain it. Lu Luo slowly stood up. "Teacher." "Don’t you understand respect for your elders and the path of learning? Don’t you know the rules of Alliance University? You all are truly the worst class I’ve ever taught!" Lu Luo, still groggy from sleep, instinctively started being sarcastic. "The worst class? Perhaps not, Teacher. If you keep teaching for a few more years, you might achieve a new milestone: encountering an even worse one." An even worse one? The classroom was silent for a few seconds, then erupted in laughter. "You dare to talk back? I’m teaching here, and you’re sleeping! And you, and you, all of you! You all look like you’re about to fall asleep? Don’t want to study anymore, is that it? If you don’t study, you won’t graduate. What then? Plan to become street rascals when you grow up? Or go out beyond the Wall to scavenge?" Lu Luo fell silent for a moment, then glanced at what the old teacher had written on the blackboard. Han Shiyu had covered all of it thoroughly, and her teaching was much better. So, Lu Luo said earnestly, "Teacher, I think what you’re teaching is useless." This time, the old teacher also fell silent. An expression of bitter disappointment appeared on his face as he slammed the chalk down fiercely. "I won’t allow you to speak about yourself that way!" The teacher teaches students. You are a student. You yourself said what the teacher teaches is useless. Therefore, you = useless. The entire class was stunned. Lu Luo himself was also stunned.