Lord of Prayer - Chapter 250 181: Aspiration of the Blue Clouds

Half an hour later, the overwhelming sense of depression slowly receded.

‘The side effects last for half an hour. That’s acceptable; it’s not too long.’

Having more or less mastered the use of Emotional Outburst, Zhou Chen once again entered a state of Meditation to conserve his energy for the night’s operation.

Ever since advancing to Tier Two: Sea of Silver, he had been continuously consolidating his Sea of Spirit. His Spiritual Power, Essence Capacity, and the might of his Extraordinary Abilities were all steadily increasing.

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「Hong City Star Gathering.」

BANG!

With a tremendous crash, the heavy machine used to test punching power was sent flying by a single punch from Li Xiye. It screeched across the floor, sliding back several meters before coming to a stop and leaving black scuff marks on the polished surface.

“Sorry, so sorry…” Li Xiye hurriedly apologized to the researchers. She then noticed that their eyes were all lit up, completely unconcerned with the damaged equipment. Instead, they were staring in amazement at the data displayed on a tablet.

“Such incredible punching power! Is she really a newly awakened Ascender?”

“She hasn’t gone through the Extraordinary Development Stage. There’s no way she could land a punch that heavy with her own strength. It has to be her Extraordinary Ability…”

“This kind of Ability is incredibly rare. The amount of Power she can unleash depends entirely on the Ascender’s personal will. In a state of extreme Anger, she could even shatter the body of a member of the Blood Race.”

“Her potential is limitless! As she develops as an Ascender, her Power will certainly grow even stronger.”

The researchers chattered excitedly amongst themselves and quickly led Li Xiye to the next test.

Power, speed, explosive power, Endurance, Spiritual Power, Willpower…

After numerous detailed tests, a comprehensive report was finally generated.

“Without a doubt, she’s a talent with S-Level comprehensive potential!”

Hearing the researcher’s words, Li Xiye couldn’t help but feel a little smug. ‘I’m actually an S-Level talent! This means my Extraordinary Ability is outstanding.’

‘I know a little about the Extraordinary Realm,’ she thought. ‘The Extraordinary Abilities that Ascenders awaken aren’t always good. Some are just awkward and useless. Compared to them, I’m really lucky. This is definitely something to be thankful for.’

“Let’s give your Ability a name. We have a list of suggestions here.”

The researcher handed her a tablet. On it was a list of names for Extraordinary Abilities, ranging from the brutally simple to the highly artistic.

An Ability that could emit both cold and warm air was called “Central Air.”

A Passive Ability that turned summer beverages cold and winter beverages hot in one’s mouth was called “Warm in Winter, Cool in Summer.”

An Ability to accurately predict when a task would be completed was called “Precision Clockwork.”

An Ability to summon a large number of autumn leaves was called “Lonely Beauty of Autumn Leaves.”

In addition, they had thoughtfully provided three recommended names:

“Streets of Rage,” “Unrivaled Ambition,” and “Aspiration of the Blue Clouds.”

“Hmm… I’ll go with ‘Aspiration of the Blue Clouds.’ It feels like a good match for the blue electric arcs that appear when I activate the Ability.” Li Xiye was quite fond of the name; it sounded very impressive.

‘Unrivaled Ambition also sounded pretty good, and it was just as impressive. But Aspiration of the Blue Clouds fit the Ability better. As for Streets of Rage… it sounded like something a delinquent girl would choose. Not stylish enough, so I’ll pass.’

After completing a series of procedures, she officially registered with the Star Association as a new Ascender. She was granted a two-month rookie protection period, during which she could purchase nutrient solutions from the Star Association at a ten percent discount and study the lore of the Extraordinary Realm for free.

After completing her rookie training, she could also apply to take part in one field mission to gain experience and earn merit points.

Li Xiye had no intention of relying on the Li Family’s resources. She knew all too well what that would lead to: being completely bound to the family, unable to ever break free. Unless she could become a High Tier Ascender, years from now she would only follow in the footsteps of Xia Lan and her other relatives, forced into an arranged marriage.

Although the Li Family had suffered heavy casualties this time—even losing an Ascender with the death of Elder Li—their business operations were completely unaffected. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” was a philosophy shared by many of the great families.

Like other family enterprises, the Li Family’s core members were scattered across the World. The recent deaths were only a few people from the main branch; their vacant positions would be filled by others soon enough.

The family was still the same family.

Even as an Ascender, she was still insignificant in the face of the family.

Only by refusing to use any of the family’s resources could she sever ties and free herself from their future control.

Li Xiye yearned for freedom and naturally didn’t want her life controlled by her family, pushed into an arranged marriage like Xia Lan and other relatives. In such alliances, an Ascender was far more valuable than any ordinary family member.

Thinking of Xia Lan, Li Xiye couldn’t help but sigh. Sister Lan had decided to honor the marriage contract after all. In three days, she would leave Hong City for America to meet her fiancé, and it wouldn’t be long before they were officially married.

In the words of some of the old bastards in the family, “Xia Lan may have almost died, but she’s alive and well now, isn’t she? So the marriage contract can’t be canceled. We must proceed with the alliance and establish a cooperative relationship with their family.”

It was cold, and it was pragmatic.

“Miss Li Xiye,” a researcher said, “your physical examination is complete. You may go home. If you run into any trouble, you can contact us; the Special Operations Team is on call twenty-four hours a day. If you’d like to train at the Star Association, you can just book a session through the app.”

“Thank you.”

After leaving the research department, Li Xiye returned to her hospital room to pack her belongings. Just then, someone knocked on the door. She turned and saw He Qingsong, her best friend’s younger brother.

“Sister Li, I heard you awakened too?” He Qingsong asked.

“I did. How is your sister doing?”

“Her mental state is improving. She’s gradually recovering with the help of a therapist, and combined with medication, we’re optimistic her psychological trauma can be healed within six months.”

He Qingsong said, “There’s a gathering for new Ascenders tonight. Sister Li, would you like to come?”

“A gathering? Sure.” Li Xiye was also curious to meet the other new Ascenders.

After a brief chat, He Qingsong left. Li Xiye stared out the window at the darkening sky, lost in thought.

‘I wonder where Zhou Chen went…’

‘I wonder if I’ll ever see him again…’

‘I hope he comes back…’

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7:55 p.m.

The black market antique shop.

Wearing a steel mask, Zhou Chen sat quietly in the warehouse, awaiting Mandala’s arrival.

Three minutes later, a woman in a hooded cloak, her face hidden behind a pure white mask, walked in. It was Mandala.

Xia Bo, who was standing nearby, immediately brought over a map and spread it out on the table.

“Speak. Where is the entrance to the Blood Race’s stronghold?” Mandala said coldly.

Just as Zhou Chen was about to speak, the hairs all over his body stood on end. A dreadful chill shot up his spine from the soles of his feet. The air grew icy, seeming to freeze solid. Someone was watching him from the shadows with cold indifference, unleashing a ferocious killing intent. The powerful aura was so oppressive he could barely breathe.

“Is that the Grand Steward?” Zhou Chen asked with a strained smile, forcing himself to endure the bone-chilling killing intent.

‘He’s clearly trying to intimidate me,’ Zhou Chen thought. ‘Showing off his terrifying power, letting me know he could kill me easily. A warning not to try any funny business.’

The Grand Steward didn’t reveal himself. Mandala sneered, “Good. As long as you understand. Cooperate, and don’t get any clever ideas. We’ll give you your reward when this is all over.”

‘So professional,’ Zhou Chen grumbled internally while gasping for breath. “Could the Grand Steward please restrain himself a bit? Your power is too overwhelming. I can barely move.”

The prickling, ferocious killing intent instantly dissipated, vanishing without a trace.

“Get me a pen.”

Xia Bo quickly handed him a black marker.

Zhou Chen uncapped the pen and drew a circle on the map.

“The abandoned Love Hospital is the Blood Race’s stronghold. As for the secret passage to get inside… I’ll show you when we’re at the scene.”