Visualization, in essence, was the practice of using one's thoughts to simulate the five senses until they could be summoned and withdrawn at will; when thought arose spontaneously from the heart, the technique reached completeness.
Yet the five senses belonged to the domain of second-rank psychic superhumans.
In the old Taoist's words, having a consciousness body—an outer form—in the first rank, attaining the five senses in the second rank, and forming an inner landscape in the third rank were all natural progressions. Much like the transition from an infant to a youth, and from a youth to an adult, it was all simply following the course of nature.
What Lu Zhao needed to do was "train." He had to develop the five senses while still in the first rank. Only then could he unlock the true inner form—the five viscera spirits—in the second rank. With the five viscera spirits, he could construct an inner landscape, and with an inner landscape, he could cast an ethereal terrace in the third rank.
Finally came Foundation Establishment, the true first step across the threshold into transcendence.
Each step was interlocked with the next; missing a single one made Foundation Establishment impossible.
If such methods followed a strict sequence, and the academies did not teach them, did that mean no one could ever achieve Foundation Establishment?
Or did the Martial Marquises never establish their foundation at all?
"Right now, I need to refine the five senses into my consciousness body before I can be considered dual-cultivating both inner and outer in the first rank."
Lu Zhao felt as though he were back in high school. With a clear path forward, he was filled with boundless drive.
What people feared most was not hardship, but the absence of an avenue for advancement.
Enduring the soreness lingering in his body, he stood up and pulled a bottle of life supplement from the small refrigerator, only to discover there were only six bottles left.
"This month's quota won't be issued until the tenth, and when it arrives, it's barely enough for five days."
Lu Zhao felt a slight headache coming on.
Ideally, he needed three bottles of life supplement a day, yet his monthly free quota was only eleven bottles.
He had to pay out of pocket for the remaining thirty low-grade bottles, costing fifteen thousand in total, and even that only lasted ten days.
"It seems I must secure this year's excellence commendation to increase my supplement quota. I didn't dare dream of it before, but now I should fight for it."
A trace of sharp aggression flickered in Lu Zhao's phoenix eyes.
In the past, he hadn't thought about it that much, but now he could no longer afford to simply let the days drift by idly.
The annual excellence evaluation took place in early June, rewarding outstanding cadres with an extra quota of life supplements.
Different units had different numbers of slots; Ant Ridge border defense station had only one. In the past, Lü Jinshan would never have allowed him to take it, but now Lu Zhao felt it was within reach.
The Federation's excellence evaluation was conducted through an election. Superhuman prowess amplified personal influence, which in some respects fostered a form of democracy.
Junior officers and civilian officials all had voting rights, with higher positions carrying more votes.
If all the frontline junior officers voted for him, and with Old Zhang—a field officer—in his corner, it was practically a sure thing.
"For the next few days, I'll have to make do with one bottle a day."
Lu Zhao slowly sipped the life supplement down to the last drop, then sat cross-legged on the floor, refining qi into essence.
At ten in the morning, he pricked his fingertip with the blood tester. It showed a life force of 37.
Due to the lack of sufficient resources, the growth of his life force was not constant: at most it rose by 0.15 a day, at least by 0.08, averaging about three points per month.
As for the modern system of life-force development, his teacher had not given him many pointers, merely telling him to cultivate as usual.
The path of nature cultivation had no fixed formula. His teacher had imparted a method called Visualization, which projected the soul onto the physical body to simulate the five senses.
To see a hundred meters without the eyes; to hear the rustle of insects without the ears; to distinguish a hundred aromas without the nose; to savor a hundred flavors without the mouth—where spirit and form held perception, thought could reach.
The eyes, nose, mouth, and ears were relatively easy to master, but touch was a formidable threshold that had stumped countless practitioners.
Among them, taste was the easiest. By visualizing whatever one ate, it would become an instinct over time.
Lu Zhao visualized the life supplement, and a faint, bitter medicinal taste welled up in his mouth.
It was fleeting, lasting only half a second, though the aftertaste lingered faintly across his taste buds.
***
At eleven o'clock, Lu Zhao headed out punctually to the mess hall.
Carrying three kilograms of food, he cast his gaze toward his usual corner. He had barely taken two steps when—
"Brother Lu, over here!"
A noticeably warm shout rang out, instantly quieting the slightly bustling mess hall. Many eyes had already been fixed on Lu Zhao, and now everyone turned to look.
Their gazes also converged on the man who had called out to him. It was not Zhang Like, but Liao Lang, commander of the Duty Company.
At that moment, he was sitting with Liang Chao, commander of the Mobile Company—also a first lieutenant—along with several other junior officers at the most prominent table in the mess hall.
This was usually the tacit gathering spot for the border defense station's officer corps.
In the station mess hall, everyone from the station chief down to the lowest private was treated without distinction. Yet under a Federation where life-force development was tied to rank, officers naturally formed their own circle, and ordinary soldiers rarely disturbed them.
Lu Zhao paused for a beat, then walked over and took a seat.
Beaming, Liao Lang took the initiative to introduce them. "Liao Lang, commander of the Duty Company. And this is Liang Chao, commander of the Mobile Company."
Liang Chao also smiled and nodded at Lu Zhao.
As a reinforced combined-arms battalion, Ant Ridge border defense station numbered around a thousand personnel, divided into four companies: Duty, Mobile, Support, and Logistics.
Lu Zhao served as the leader of the Duty Company's reinforced platoon, an outpost commander on the frontline, holding equal rank with the two of them.
"Lu Zhao."
He shook hands with both of them. Liao Lang said, "Detachment Leader Zhang already gave me instructions. If the reinforced platoon needs anything going forward, you can come straight to me. Platoon Leader Lu, you have priority requisition for our Duty Company's personnel and equipment."
Lu Zhao keenly noticed the eager looks from everyone present.
It was likely not just because he had saved them; he had helped eliminate enemies in the past as well.
"Much appreciated," Lu Zhao replied succinctly, then lowered his head to eat. He ate swiftly yet without coarseness, carrying the brisk efficiency characteristic of a soldier—much like a recruit fresh out of basic training, still strictly observing every minute regulation.
The others were not surprised by this; Lu Zhao had always been somewhat aloof.
Yet there was one thing everyone was certain of: as a comrade, he was their sturdiest shield.
Starting two years ago, whenever an emergency arose, Zhang Like would call Lu Zhao. Eventually, whenever the subordinate companies ran into trouble, they would also reach out to Lu Zhao through Zhang Like.
As long as they heard Lu Zhao was on the scene, they could calmly light a cigarette even when facing armed drug smugglers.
A small place like Ant Ridge could not produce the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, but it had Erlang Shen himself standing guard.
Five minutes later, Lu Zhao had cleaned his tray completely. He stood up and said, "I'm finished. Please enjoy your meal."
Liao Lang hastily reminded him, "There's a celebration banquet tonight—don't forget to come!"
"Understood," Lu Zhao replied, then turned and left the mess hall.
A wave of drowsiness washed over him once more, yet he still could not sleep normally. As usual, he remained in that state of mind: "dead, but not yet cold."
***
Main administrative building, lobby.
Lu Zhao walked into the somewhat noisy lobby. Civilian staff and passing soldiers instinctively made way for him.
"Officer Lu!"
A female voice filled with excitement and cheer called out to him. It seemed an unusual number of people were looking for him today.
Lu Zhao turned and saw the young female clerk he had met in the server room yesterday jogging toward him. Clutching a stack of documents, she radiated the green freshness of someone newly entered into society.
Unable to conceal her emotions, her gaze was practically glued to him.
Handing the documents to him, she said in high spirits, "These are reassignment orders from the Personnel Bureau. Congratulations on your promotion!"
Lu Zhao took the documents; there were two in total.
The first was an officer rank promotion, issued by the superior prefectural Personnel Bureau.
[...Comrade Lu Zhao is hereby appointed to the rank of Captain, effective June 5, 3242.]
The second was an internal reassignment order within the border defense station.
[Order Regarding the Duty Reassignment of Comrade Lu Zhao]
[Comrade Lu Zhao is relieved of his post as leader of the reinforced platoon of the Border Defense Duty Battalion, and is appointed as the border defense station's operations and training staff officer.]
[Rank promoted from First Lieutenant to Captain.]
Chapter 35