F-class thief? Sorry, I can steal anything.

Chapter 148 Foundation Building of the Heart Palace, Two Clone Processes in Parallel

Inside the dune cave.

Luo Tian was so angry at Chen Yifan's "taken-for-granted" expression that he felt like his lungs were about to explode.

"No, I mean, your scheme is so blatantly obvious, I could practically hear it all the way back at Longdu University!"

"I! The future God of Creation! I will personally clear the obstacles for you, you reckless brute who only knows how to fight and kill, break the seal, and crack the code!"

"That's like chewing up your food and feeding it to you!"

"Now, I will impart to you the teachings of other religions."

"That's a heretical path, brother!"

"All I asked is for you to help me pay off that paltry 300 million yuan 'student loan' and, incidentally, invest in a future great scientific research project, and you actually want a 'gift' from me?"

Luo Tian pointed to the materials that Chen Yifan had scrambled into his territory in the box, his voice trembling, his heart aching so much he could hardly breathe.

"Look! Void Crystal! The top-tier main material for crafting spatial equipment!"

"High-concentration psionic crystals! The heart fuel of my dreamlike 'Unit-01'!"

"And these priceless spatial skill books! They're all mine! Mine!"

Chen Yifan ignored his wailing.

He slowly and methodically put those extremely valuable space-related skill books into his storage ring, then stood up and patted Luo Tian on the shoulder.

"Luo Tian".

"what?"

Luo Tian looked wary and shrank back.

"I'm warning you, call me master!"

"Don't worry about the details," Chen Yifan said sincerely. "What I'm trying to say is, you're right."

"Professional matters should be left to professionals."

"At least you still have some conscience." Luo Tian snorted, his expression softening slightly.

"so……"

Chen Yifan then changed the subject.

"I really have no experience with paying off debts, as I've never been in debt before."

"How about I introduce you to a few professional teams?"

"I know a few loan sharks, and their debt collection methods are very professional."

Luo Tian's face instantly fell into a "囧" shape.

He understood.

Talking about feelings and ideals with Chen Yifan is like casting pearls before swine.

This guy's shamelessness and ruthlessness are on par with mine!

"Fine, fine! I give up!"

Luo Tian raised his hands in surrender, watching with a pained expression as Chen Yifan took away every single one of the rare materials.

"Take the things! But we have a deal: I'll teach you the inheritance, and you... you have to pay off the debt!"

"From now on, you'll have to cover all my research funding!"

He hurriedly added, as if afraid that Chen Yifan might change his mind.

"Consider it my technical expertise as equity! I, the future god of creation! You, my greatest creation! This investment is a guaranteed profit for you!"

"Can."

Chen Yifan agreed very readily this time.

Money can always be earned back as long as you're alive.

However, Luo Tian possesses knowledge of "heretical" doctrines.

Especially after confirming that they do not have a "mental lock".

It is a priceless treasure that cannot be bought with any amount of money.

Chen Yifan agreed.

Luo Tian immediately perked up. He cleared his throat and forced himself to adopt a serious demeanor befitting a teacher.

"Ahem! Now that you have joined my lineage, I will impart your first lesson today!"

He carefully took out the "Heart of Divine Wisdom" pendant from his personal clothing.

The pendant is made entirely of an unidentified metal, exuding a rustic, mechanical beauty.

The central core emitted a faint glow in the dim light.

"Our lineage is vast and profound, but its foundation lies in spiritual strength."

"Mental strength is the lever that breaks the rules, the cornerstone of creating greatness."

"Your advantage lies in the fact that your mental strength has already reached a considerable level and is unshackled. But your disadvantage lies in the fact that your mental strength is like a pile of loose sand or a flood, having quantity but no substance."

Luo Tian spoke eloquently, his eyes gleaming with an almost sacred light.

"Therefore, the first lesson for beginners is called 'Foundation Building of the Heart Palace'."

"What you need to do is build a stable 'heart palace' in your mental space."

As he spoke, he transformed an extremely weak but highly refined spiritual force through the [Heart of Divine Mechanism] into a stream of information, which he then slowly pointed towards Chen Yifan's brow.

"This is the method of [Heart Palace Foundation Building]. I have removed all the dross and kept only the most core framework."

"You'll understand it for yourself. Remember, haste makes waste. You must lay a solid foundation, even if it takes three to five years..."

Luo Tian's words came to an abrupt halt halfway through.

His expression froze.

Chen Yifan's breathing and heartbeat dropped to an inhuman frequency in an instant.

It wasn't a near-death experience.

It is the most dangerous and terrifying state of enlightenment recorded in the tradition—"sitting in oblivion"!

Once you fall into this state, you will be forever lost in the mental realm, becoming a living dead, or what is known as a vegetative state.

"Hold!"

Luo Tian was terrified and immediately formed a hand seal, sending a ray of white light from between his eyebrows into Chen Yifan's brow in an attempt to wake him up.

next second.

He "saw" it.

Deep within Chen Yifan's mental space.

A foundation, in a brutal and violent way, yet perfectly in accordance with all the principles of mechanics and energy, was formed with a roar!

If what Luo Tian gave him was a set of exquisite architectural blueprints for a "one-bedroom, one-living room" apartment.

So, in the state of "sitting in oblivion", Chen Yifan unknowingly transformed it into a construction blueprint for a "ten-thousand-meter foundation"!

"You...you..."

Luo Tian opened his eyes, pointed at Chen Yifan, his lips trembling, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"What's wrong?"

Chen Yifan was forcibly awakened by Luo Tian.

At that moment, he felt his mind was clearer than ever before.

The whole world appears to have become "high-definition," as if it has been upgraded from 480P to 8K.

Is this what they call "Foundation Building of the Heart Palace"?

It doesn't seem too difficult...

With eyes closed and then open again, the foundation is already laid?

"monster……"

Luo Tian finally managed to squeeze out two words through gritted teeth.

The way he looked at Chen Yifan was as if he were looking at a monster in human skin.

He himself spent a full three years laying the foundation, aided by the [Heart of Divine Mechanism].

Finally, a month ago, the foundation was completed.

But now, this guy...

In just a few minutes.

This is no longer the work of a genius.

This is divine retribution!

Chen Yifan felt a secret thrill at the sight of Luo Tian's worldview being shattered.

Because starting today.

This marks a new chapter in his dual-track career.

……

Two days later.

As the Lingneng High-Speed ​​Railway entered Jiangcheng, the city's skyline came into view outside the window.

Chen Yifan got off the bus at the station and rejoined the crowd.

As for Luo Tian, ​​fearing being found by debt collectors, he had already slipped away at the previous stop.

In the end, all the materials hidden in the Qilin Group's black box were given to Luo Tian.

The hustle and bustle of the city filled my ears, completely isolating me from the bloodshed and sandstorms of that deadly Gobi Desert.

Chen Yifan hailed a taxi, leaned against the window, and watched the street scene rushing past outside, but his mind was still immersed in his own gains.

[Foundation Building for the Heart Palace]

His originally scattered spiritual energy was sorted out, purified, and condensed, transforming into a vast and boundless white jade platform that floated in the center of the spiritual space.

As long as the foundation of the mind remains, the spirit will endure forever.

He finally understood.

Luo Tian, ​​including the "Holy Cult" group.

The reason they must rely on "heretical artifacts" to unleash their power is because they were born with two locks on the [World Engine]—a genetic lock and a mental lock.

Their souls and bodies are both original products of this world.

Therefore, they need a "physical cheat" like the [Divine Mind] as a key.

To forcibly pry open that "mental lock"

Only then can one briefly connect to the power system of "heretical paths".

This process will inevitably trigger alarms and carries extremely high risks.

And he...

A subtle, unnoticed smile curved the corners of Chen Yifan's lips.

He doesn't have a mental lock.

His soul is a true "outsider" to this world.

This means that he doesn't need a "key" at all.

The door leading to the "heretical path" was, for him, always ajar.

Once you master the method, such as [Foundation Building of the Heart Palace], you can directly push open the door and use your spiritual power to attract and unleash the power of external paths!

Moreover, since there is no "lock picking" action, the "antivirus program" of the [World Engine] will not even notice him.

This is his deepest secret, a true "invisible cheat code".

but……

Abnormal energy fluctuations will still attract the attention of the [World Engine].

That's a story for another time.

He is still a long way from generating that kind of fluctuation.

Chen Yifan's mental energy gently brushed over the tightly wrapped item in his storage ring—[Agern's Gaze].

Luo Tian had no idea.

He also has heirlooms!

This thing could be his perfect excuse.

He opened his phone and saw the news and messages from his friends; everything was pretty much as he had expected.

The lone wolf takes the blame, the Holy Cult remains in hiding, and he remains perfectly concealed.

Now, it's time to go home.

Instead of going straight back, he went to the mall first, disguised himself as an ordinary person, and wandered around for several hours.

After confirming that no one was following them, they circled back to their own villa.

Standing in front of the villa, looking at the warm light shining from his own windows, Chen Yifan's nerves, which had been tense for several days, finally relaxed completely.

Inside the storage ring.

S-rank [Shadow Overlord Job Change Card]

SS-rank [The Deceitful Mask]

And that mysterious fragment of the key lies there quietly.

The gains from this adventure were enough to transform him and the entire team.

He strode forward, his steps light and quick.

However, the moment he stepped onto the first step...

A faint, yet chilling sensation suddenly came from behind him.

Chen Yifan stopped in his tracks.

"who!"