Chapter 10: Breakthrough—The Third Talent!
Hiding in his room, immersed in his studies to nurture his spirit and vitality, he could clearly witness his growth step by step—it was truly intoxicating. “Mushroom broth lets me live comfortably, allowing the little amber swallowtail to continue supporting me.”
Yet, reality’s troubles always arrived unexpectedly.
Liu Jun, who was deeply engrossed in studying the classics during his seclusion, received a message at noon from Si Anhe, saying she planned to make a home visit.
By all logic, it should not have come so soon.
In fact, she shouldn’t have come at all, since he had only taken ten days off.
His original plan was to extend his leave by another ten days and only then be summoned.
Why break the usual protocol?
It wasn’t until Liu Jun heard the other end say, “I’m going to Xu Changsheng’s for a home visit, and I’ll drop by your place on the way,” that he realized he was being dragged into it.
Well, he wasn’t exactly terrified.
In terms of cultivation level, Si Anhe, as a teacher, was only at the tenth tier of the Rain Realm—just two minor levels above him.
Essentially, she was a graduate of Rehe High School’s thirteenth class, now working diligently in Rehe City, earning resources and preparing to break through to the third stage like many others.
Moreover...
He opened the pot of mushroom broth with eager anticipation, inside floating three freshly spawned mushrooms.
The first was the Gifted Mushroom Number One.
Its appearance was that of an invisible, flat, transparent bubble mushroom.
“Silent Disappearance”: You can blend seamlessly with your surroundings, making it difficult for ordinary people to detect your presence.
That day, the world seemed normal, yet the entire city had quietly become overgrown with mushrooms.
Without breaking the barriers of the heart, how can one see the mushrooms of the world?
...
The second was the Gifted Mushroom Number Two.
A sorrowful mushroom, weeping tears like rain.
“Deep Emotion, Short Life”: When you become extremely emotional, you unleash potential, but the side effect is a reduction in lifespan.
If you ignite the fungal sea of the world with an all-out strike at the cost of mass extinction, it will be earth-shattering—the world will witness the rise of a colossal mushroom.
...
The third was the Gifted Mushroom Number Three.
A plump mushroom brain shaped like a butterfly, with its left and right wings resembling the human left and right brain.
“Intermediate Intelligence”: Possesses the wisdom of a normal living being.
...
“These three talents are quite valuable,” Liu Jun thought to himself.
Silent Disappearance was a low-symptom, advanced talent.
Its practicality was nearly maxed out.
It belonged to the essential developmental skills—just one glance and Liu Jun decided that the third talent was meant for him!
The second mushroom talent, Deep Emotion, Short Life, was interesting!
For his own use, it was merely a burst-type survival skill.
But if this talent continued to grow, expanding throughout the entire fungal colony, causing them to burn away their lifespan in a collective self-sacrifice?
Holding such a devastating giant mushroom would grant him the authority to negotiate with the world.
It was the nuclear weapon of the mushroom race.
Especially if combined with other toxic mushrooms, the power would inevitably rise, exploding outward like a super-dirty bomb.
Yet, this made Liu Jun feel increasingly uneasy—he was truly heading toward a path of nuclear devastation.
This golden finger was originally designed for combat against humans.
Through destruction and war, infection and plague, amassing vast resources and steadily snowballing.
If he began infecting others, just wiping out a single civilian neighborhood could instantly fill several progress bars and generate a flood of mushroom talents...
War-fueled growth was the main storyline of the plague planet.
But Liu Jun really didn’t want to court death!
He looked at the next talent.
Intermediate Intelligence, an advancement from low intelligence.
After a brief thought, Liu Jun chose Silent Disappearance.
After all, Intermediate Intelligence was best reserved for the amber swallowtail inside.
He wanted to see if it could merge and evolve with the second talent mushroom.
With a splash, after decisively selecting Silent Disappearance, the transparent mushroom from the broth merged into his body.
A subtle wave stirred his spirit and soul, integrating rapidly into his physical form, retreating inward and becoming concealed.
He quietly sensed his body and discovered a significant difference:
“In this state, it’s truly difficult for scanning to detect fluctuations in my consciousness.”
The next moment, his figure shifted, transforming into a mushroom.
Then his entire body began to petrify, like the unremarkable rotten wood by the roadside, turning into the material of wooden furniture.
Could this ability be activated at will?
Liu Jun’s eyes brightened with interest.
Was this a disguise as wood?
This skill was highly practical in combat!
Instantly, he imagined a potential strategy: if he were pursued, he could transform into a piece of roadside wood or wooden furniture—tables, chairs, stools—hiding his aura and soul, making it highly unlikely for others to detect him.
Yes, mushroom invisibility!
Provided the level gap wasn’t too vast.
This would largely solve his safety concerns.
Moreover, the very next second, another novel idea struck him: perhaps this concealment ability could also be used to make money!
[Name: Liu Jun]
[Species: Fungus]
[Realm: First Tier of the Thunder Realm, Mind Master]
[Talent: Low Consumption, Low Symptoms, Silent Disappearance]
[Mushroom Broth: Low Intelligence, Dust with the Light, Clear Day Breeze, Bright Moon Spirit, Deep Emotion Short Life, Intermediate Intelligence]
Third stage of the Thunder Realm.
This was the greatest surprise!
Thunder Realm—mind like a thunderclap.
He had already carved out a place for himself in this city, fulfilling the ultimate dream passed down from his ancestors.
The second surprise was that the mushroom broth contained two more newly floating gifted mushrooms, like divine treasures added during the butterfly era.
Originally, Liu Jun planned to inspect the broth further, but then he received Si Anhe’s message saying she was already downstairs.
No time to procrastinate.
Liu Jun tidied his room, ensuring everything was in order before heading to the living room and then downstairs.
Outside, a fine drizzle fell. Rehe City rarely saw sunny days; heavy industry consumed so much water that the industrial discharge from Rehe Heavy Industries could cause a constant light rain over the city.
A woman in a black uniform stood waiting, holding an umbrella.
“You...” she glanced at Liu Jun, sensing something different but unable to pinpoint what.
“Hello, teacher,” Liu Jun greeted her.
“Come upstairs,” Si Anhe said softly.
In the living room.
Liu Jun handed Si Anhe two cans of energy drinks.
She glanced at him, “You haven’t given up studying these days, have you?”
“No, I read carefully last night, reviewed the book Amber Swallowtail, and even made a breakthrough.”
Just as Liu Jun was about to open a drink, Si Anhe snatched it away.
“Drinking junk drinks and claiming you haven’t been lazy?”
She took the drink, grabbed an empty cup from the table, went to the window, reached out to collect some rainwater, then turned back and said:
“Drink this, nature’s gift, this city’s blessing, heavenly dew. You’re really wasting resources.”
“I just visited Xu Changsheng’s place—do you know what he’s doing? Drinking water! Chugging it down, even using rainwater to cook. I saw he even made a distiller to concentrate rainwater—that’s what it means to learn from shame and strive for progress!”
Xu Changsheng was that intense?
Liu Jun was surprised, took the cup, and sipped silently.
It was sour and rusty, mixed with pharmaceutical waste from the factory—it was the taste of home.
“Good. Only those who endure hardship can enjoy happiness.”
Si Anhe nodded with satisfaction, then opened a can of functional drink herself.
“I endured enough hardship back then. Now I don’t need this anymore, because it would accelerate my aging.”