"Please follow the instructions to practice the first stage of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art..." the luminous figure commanded mechanically again.

"No training!" Qin Fen flatly refused the light figure's order. Ancient martial arts were not something one could just casually practice; one mistake could lead to death by overexertion. Given this bizarre situation, he couldn't be sure if this whole thing wasn't just a hallucination his subconscious concocted because he desperately wanted to become stronger.

Although Qin Fen only practiced the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art (Long Xiang Ban Ruo Gong), he had reviewed the methods for several other techniques. This thing called Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art had a circulation route somewhat similar to the Golden Bell Shield (Jin Zhong Zhao), and another section resembled the lightness skill circulation route of the Heavenly Fowl Technique (Tian Qin Gong).

Similar! Only similar! The more Qin Fen looked, the more hesitant he became to practice. The free martial arts officially released by the authorities actually showed faint shadows in this technique named Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art, yet there were so many undeniable differences.

It must be that I’ve seen those martial arts manuals over the years, entertaining the arrogant notion of creating a system that fused thirty free techniques into one, resulting in this insane dream tonight...

"The practitioner resists training; switching to passive cultivation method..."

Before Qin Fen could even grasp what a passive cultivation method entailed, the light figure before him instantly disintegrated into motes of light.

These motes of light swarmed over Qin Fen like locusts, instantly plunging into his body where they rapidly coalesced.

"What is this..."

Qin Fen suddenly realized that he had lost control of his own body. The light points attached to him forcibly mobilized the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art internal energy within him, compelling it to circulate according to the extremely complex patterns of that art.

Resist... fail... resist again... fail again...

Qin Fen felt genuine fear creeping in. He wanted desperately to wake up from this strange dream, but there was absolutely no way to stir himself. Even when he strained his teeth to bite his own tongue, hoping the pain would shock him awake, he instead heard the light figure's mechanical voice:

"Step one: Before the Foundation Forging Chapter (Zhu Ji Pian) is complete, the Host will not awaken. Please cease your pointless actions."

Host? Damn it all! Qin Fen cursed internally. He should have accepted Lin Liqiang's invitation for that free dinner. If he had passed out under those circumstances, his friends could have at least tried to figure something out.

"Please clear your mind. Excessive emotional fluctuation will only slow down progress. There is a five percent chance of cultivation failure..."

Failure? Qin Fen’s spirit instantly ignited. If he could just cause the cultivation to fail, he would be free!

"Cultivation failure will lead to physical paralysis..."

Qin Fen didn't hear the consequences the light figure listed afterward; this single point was enough to chill him to the bone, making him abandon all thought of resistance.

Resistance means death; perhaps by not resisting, this bizarre Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art wouldn't actually kill him. He'd take the gamble—no more resistance! He would practice exactly as instructed!

Having made up his mind, Qin Fen quickly immersed himself in the cultivation guided by the light figure...

"Mental concentration speed is top-tier... potential calculation needs to be increased... malleability is extremely strong..." The light figure’s analytical voice sounded again. Qin Fen, deep in the practice of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art, did not hear the evaluation the light figure offered.

Channeling energy... channeling energy... circulating the art... circulating the art...

Qin Fen was completely absorbed in practicing the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art. This version, far more complex than the original, was exponentially harder to practice. It felt like using the power within his body to push a massive stone forward, inch by agonizing inch.

But, for some inexplicable reason, Qin Fen discovered that right at the start of practicing this exceedingly difficult technique, he had completely fallen in love with it. Instinctively, he felt that this must be the true method of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art.

One complete circulation cycle for Qin Fen took immeasurably longer than the time it took the light figure to complete one.

When the first full cycle was complete, Qin Fen snapped out of his meditative trance only to find his entire body drenched in sweat, feeling as if he had just been hauled out of a swimming pool.

Was this truly a dream? Qin Fen doubted it. Could a dream produce the sensation of being exhausted to the point of death?

"Please perform the second cycle..."

"Second cycle?" Qin Fen stared in shock at the light figure opposite him. Even with his superior willpower and endurance, there were still limits. After that single cycle, he didn't even have the strength to lift his arm, yet he was being ordered to perform a second one.

"Fatigue is the best catalyst for improvement; please do not waste it."

Qin Fen nodded faintly. He admitted that much; he had always trained using that principle over the years.

But he also knew the importance of knowing when to stop. Over-training could easily lead to death from overexertion; excessive diligence was not always a good thing.

"The practitioner refuses; activating passive mode..."

"No need!" Qin Fen blurted out immediately. That previous state of forced possession felt like having hundreds of steel needles stuck into his body; he had no desire to experience that torture again.

Unable to best the light figure, Qin Fen resigned himself to fate, sitting cross-legged once more, and began circulating the strange Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art again.

Outside the dreamscape, Qin Fen lay prone on his bed, his entire musculature subtly twitching. Sweat poured endlessly from his pores, yet there was no sign of dehydration whatsoever.

The sun rose again, illuminating the earth, but Qin Fen remained sprawled on his bed without the slightest sign of waking up.

"Alright! I've completed three cycles now, is that enough?"

Qin Fen floated in the ethereal space, astonished even by himself. He had fully expected to collapse before completing the second cycle, yet he had somehow managed the third.

Of course, all of this had been accomplished under the light figure's relentless coercion.

Qin Fen had never considered himself lazy; Lin Liqiang and Inzarota shared that view. Qin Fen, just like his name suggested, was exceptionally diligent.

Yet, this level of diligence was deemed lazy in the eyes of the light figure, a concept Qin Fen found extremely difficult to accept.

"Very good. Practitioner, proceed to the fourth cycle..." The light figure’s unchanging voice rang out once more.

Qin Fen was truly enraged. He had no idea how long he had been trapped in this bizarre space, but judging by the length of the completed cycles, dawn must have broken by now.

ps: Midnight update, summoning recommendations votes for the new day~~~ Summoning, summoning! Come on! Recommendation votes! Collect if you like it!