Starting as a prodigy wanting milk? A world-destroying deception in the opposite direction.

Shen Zhen calmed down and tried hard to recall the state of mind at that time, recreating the oppressive feeling brought by the Illusionary Desire Demon and the despair of being on the verge of death.

He carefully summoned an extremely faint trace of despairing mental energy.

This wisp of psychic power, carrying a chilling, deathly aura, slowly merged into the torrent of ordinary psychic power that was attacking the barrier.

This is completely different from the previous attack using psychic powers.

An attack is an outward release, while breaking through a barrier is an inward breakthrough, a deeper tempering and expansion of one's own meridians and sea of ​​consciousness, and the degree of danger is incomparable.

Shen Zhen was well aware of the danger and dared not be careless in the slightest.

He held his breath and focused intently on the movement of that wisp of gray-black energy in his meridians using the method of internal vision.

At first, wherever it passed, the originally gentle torrent of mental energy suddenly became restless, and a needle-like stinging pain came from the meridians.

Shen Zhen endured the discomfort and used her strong willpower to restrain the two forces.

The goal is not simply to mix them, but to achieve a subtle synergy under the common objective of breaching barriers.

Shen Zhen guided its unparalleled penetrating properties, aiming at a single point of that tough barrier, and concentrated its attack!

"laugh!"

"laugh!"

"laugh!"

The subtle sound seemed to resonate deep within his soul, and the barrier that had confined him for so many days actually loosened a little!

Does it really work?!

But what followed was even more intense pain and a sense of impending doom, as if one's mind was about to be frozen and dragged into endless darkness.

Negative emotions were amplified: the image of the mother's sacrifice, Lu Renjia's falling figure, the black-robed man's mocking sneer...

A variety of illusions came one after another.

"I will protect... I will protect..."

Shen Zhen held fast to the last sliver of clarity in his mind. His sister Shen Xuan's smiling face, his father Shen Zhenglan's expectant gaze, and the figures of his companions from the Jingxie Division fighting side by side were like lighthouses in the darkness, becoming his anchors against the erosion of despair.

He is not embracing despair, but using the power of despair to fulfill his vow to protect!

This delicate balance requires extreme focus and a strong will.

He dared not act rashly, and slowly increased the proportion of his despairing mental energy.

From a single thread to a single strand, the rhythm was carefully controlled.

This is an extremely agonizing process, like walking a tightrope over a bottomless abyss. Every increase in strength is accompanied by more intense pain and the risk of losing control.

His body trembled violently, and faint gray-black lines appeared and disappeared under his skin. Cold sweat had already soaked through his clothes, and a trickle of blood even spilled from the corner of his mouth.

I don't know how much time passed.

When the ratio of that desperate psychic power to ordinary psychic power reaches a dangerous critical point—

"Snap!"

A clear, shattering sound, originating from the depths of the soul, rang out.

That tough barrier has finally been completely breached!

In an instant.

The surging mental power, like a flood bursting its banks, rushed into a wider and more solid world!

The previously somewhat weak mental energy became solid and pure at a visible speed, and the total amount increased several times over!

After the excruciating pain, the meridians were rapidly repaired and widened by the newly generated mental energy, which incorporated a trace of despair, making them more resilient.

Shen Zhen slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and bright, a faint gray glint flashing by in an instant, and his aura became increasingly profound and restrained.

He successfully broke through to the late stage of the first tier!

Moreover, he gained a deeper understanding and control over the unique despairing mental force within his body.

It is no longer just a means of attack, but can also be initially applied to his own breakthrough and cultivation, which undoubtedly opened a new door for him.

The news quickly spread among familiar colleagues.

Lei Lie patted his shoulder heavily, his voice booming:

"Good lad! You've only been quiet for a few days, and you've broken through again! At this speed, are you riding a flying sword? Back in my day, it took me a whole year to grind from the mid-stage to the late-stage!"

A hint of surprise flashed across Han Yan's cold eyes, and she nodded slightly: "Congratulations."

Zhao Huaijin, Li Qingyan, Zhou Shi, and others were deeply moved.

They had only recently broken through to the mid-stage of the first rank and were feeling their progress was rapid, but they never expected Shen Zhen to leave them far behind again.

After holding back for a long time, Zhao Huaijin finally said, with a hint of sourness but also an undeniable sense of admiration:

"I just thought I could catch up with you, but you've already surged ahead again. How am I supposed to catch up now?"

Li Qingyan calmly replied:

"Captain Shen is exceptionally talented and works incredibly hard; we need to work even harder."

Chen Xi and Qi Xuejian were also genuinely happy for Shen Zhen.

Upon learning this, Shen Zhenglan simply patted his son's shoulder gently, his eyes filled with a complex mix of relief and barely perceptible emotions, which ultimately culminated in a single sentence:

"When one first reaches a certain level, it is especially important to consolidate one's position and avoid arrogance and impatience."

What pleased Shen Zhenglan even more was that his daughter Shen Xuan's cultivation had finally made a breakthrough. She successfully sensed and absorbed the first wisp of spiritual dust in the world and officially stepped into the threshold of becoming a Spiritual Protector.

Although it was only the early stage of the first rank, the joy overshadowed the somber mood of the past few days.

The Shen family is truly blessed with double happiness.

Shen Zhen followed his advice and spent several days patiently stabilizing his newly achieved breakthrough.

He then asked his father to teach him the Aggressive Spell.

Shen Zhenglan had long intended to do so, and naturally shared all his knowledge with him.

Based on Shen Zhen's mental strength characteristics, he carefully selected and taught him two practical spells.

The first technique is the [Blazing Sun Formation], a spell that combines offense and defense, and is a small-scale formation.

As Shen Zhenglan demonstrated, he said:

"This spell is based on masculine mental power and can condense a small array like the blazing sun."

It can both trap and subdue the enemy. You have mastered the power of despair, and can add a touch of coldness to it, creating a power that intertwines ice and fire.

Shen Zhenglan taught another spell called "Shadow Strike," which emphasizes instantaneous bursts and dashes.

It can split the caster's body like a shadow, launching multiple attacks on the enemy in a very short time. Its speed is so fast that it is impossible to defend against.

When casting a spell, one must concentrate one's mental energy at a high level and release it instantly, forming an attack trajectory like a ripple.

It is specifically designed to break through various protective auras and mental barriers, aiming for a single, fatal blow with unparalleled ferocity.

Shen Zhen learned extremely quickly, and he tried to incorporate a trace of the characteristics of despair into it.

When practicing the [Blazing Sun Formation], the formation, in addition to being scorching hot, also possesses a bone-chilling penetrating power; when using [Shadow Strike], the speed and penetrating power increase dramatically, leaving behind an imperceptible gray-black afterimage.

After several days of arduous practice, Shen Zhen's power in these two spells was almost catching up with 70% of Shen Zhenglan's skill!

Practice [Shadow Strike] once.

The aftershocks got out of control and inadvertently swept across a corner of the courtyard's rockery.

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, the upper half of the artificial hill instantly turned to dust, and the lower half was also covered with cracks, with rubble flying everywhere!

Startled, Shen Xuan, who had come to observe, gasped and stepped back, patting her chest and scolding:

"Brother! If you keep practicing like this, you're really going to tear our yard down!"

Aunt Wang, who came out after hearing the noise, stared in disbelief at the chaotic scene. After a long while, she murmured:

"This...this power is terrifying..."

Shen Zhenglan stood to one side with his hands behind his back, his expression calm as usual, but a hint of undisguised shock flashed deep in his eyes.

Shen Zhen had just broken through to the late stage of the first rank, and his understanding and control of these two spirit-soothing spells were far from proficient.

Yet, by virtue of its unique psychic properties, it can amplify the power of its spells to such an extent!

This goes beyond mere innate talent; it completely overturned his understanding of mental power cultivation.

However, knowing that this matter was of great importance, he did not show it on his face, but instead gave Shen Zhen more detailed instructions on how to precisely control his power and achieve complete control.

After several more days of dedicated practice and Shen Zhenglan's careful guidance, Shen Zhen finally gradually mastered the mysteries of these two Mind-Soothing Incantations.

Although he is still far from being a master, he is already able to apply his skills skillfully in actual combat.

Just as Shen Zhen was focusing on cultivation and consolidating his strength.

Inside the main temple, a meeting concerning his future destiny was being held in the solemn council hall.