Master of the Stars

Luo Nan ran in front. His breathing was smooth. On the other hand, Crag Burst was tearing verbally at the bad egg who had taught him how to save data from the Psychic Wave Network. The two were communicating via the HexaEar, but Crag Burst was stirred by intense emotions. He howled,

"You said that saving was safe! What the hell is going on!?

"A virus? The Martial Empress is bored enough to use a ball-breaking virus? Oh right, she doesn’t have balls...."

Crag Burst’s voice had gone low near the end, but soon it stormed back up. "You’re saying that you don’t know? You told me that using your encoder to save data—oh, of course it’s yours. What else would I use it for? D*mn, you whiner!"

Though Crag Burst spoke like this, his face split in a huge grin. His emotions quickly changed. "Oh yeah! I heard that you have a super high-end super high capacity data storage. So it turned to ash just like that? Well, that’s a pity!"

Crag Burst laughed loudly as he ended the call. He felt that there was always someone to take the fall to the bottom of a pit, just that this one was skinnier by a bit. He impatiently explained what happened to Luo Nan, "It’s Bamboo Pole. Man, that guy. This time he really suffered a serious injury. Well, you reap what you sow! Ha ha!"

Luo Nan had never experienced a restlessness on that level before. He had never seen it with the old veterans like Crag Burst and Bamboo Pole. He just followed the topic and asked, "Is it hard to transfer data from the Psychic Wave Network to the Internet?"

"That’s what I heard, but all we need to know is how to use the tools. Bamboo Pole wrote some software that’s quite easy to use. Of course, this time around he had failed."

"Is the conversation pure information? Or is there interference between the mental and material planes? Is there coupling?"

"Don’t. Let’s not talk about this. You can just ask Bamboo Pole later." Crag Burst immediately put this topic to a halt. He was not interested in pure theory at all, especially from Luo Nan, who was infamous even outside their circle. If he were to listen to Luo Nan talk about theory this early, he would have to go drinking five pints of alcohol, and the entire day would be wasted.

Crag Burst was defeated, and Luo Nan was truly a little sorry about it. Right now, Luo Nan was extremely interested in everything that could possibly involve format conversion, interference, coupling, and similar phenomena and theories. The breakthrough he had two days ago allowed him to open a giant door. Inside overflowed with precious treasures. But the amount of treasures was so much that he had yet to finish combing through them completely. He needed to continue his efforts.

The morning run had barely started. Luo Nan thought for a bit and switched topics. "I still haven’t thanked you."

Crag Burst waved his hand. "Please. This sort of task is easy and convenient. Plus, I get some points for this. It was your Secretary that arranged things so closely."

"I’m not talking about this. I’m talking about the factor analysis of victory and defeat. The mentality one should have when facing an enemy. What you’ve taught me has been truly very useful. It helped me a great deal."

"I just talked a little about my experience. To be able to use it means that we have a tacit understanding of each other." Crag Burst rubbed his large bald head. He was quite proud, giving Luo Nan another thumbs up. "You’re also quite amazing to be able to find a concept that suits you this quickly. Oh right, I heard Zhang Yingying say that you call it coupling?"

"To be exact, it’s Formatting Theory. Coupling is just an application, a way of applying the theory to reality." Luo Nan knew that Crag Burst didn’t want to listen to theories and didn’t say too much.

According to Crag Burst’s advice, one must possess an irrevocable conviction when facing an enemy. And this conviction was established upon one’s most irreplaceable factor for victory.

Luo Nan chose Formatting Theory without much hesitation.

Only a set of laws and rules erected upon this theoretical foundation could fuse into the irreplaceable elements of his blood. It was none other than Formatting Theory that brought him inconceivable experiences. The theory took the magic of the dark side of the world and displayed it for him. It allowed him to know what he hadn’t known. It allowed him to see what he hadn’t seen. It took the authority of some laws and rules and sent it to his hands.

Understanding his mother’s Coupling Theory in a timely manner was even more fortunate for him. By relying on the heart lantern of the eyes orifice, a technique imparted to him by Xiu Shenyu, Luo Nan was able to manifest the intrinsic application of Formatting Theory into reality. Luo Nan had the full right to use an arrogant tone to talk down to ability users on the level of Black Beetle and say the following words:

You can’t see what I can see.

You don’t know what I know.

You can’t compare to what I command.

You are unable to reach where I’m at!

Honestly speaking, the feeling was quite a good one.

Luo Nan’s lips split into laughter. The heat flowing in his blood seemed to increase in temperature.

To the side, Crag Burst pondered some things before grunting a few times. He opened his mouth to say, "It’s great that you’ve been able to find a conviction, but it’s not enough to just look at the case of victory. You also need to look at the case of defeat. This world doesn’t have anyone who can win forever. I heard that even President Ouyang was defeated so bad in his younger years that he doubted his life. That’s when you’re truly put to the test."

Luo Nan turned his head to glance at Crag Burst. He nodded. "I am prepared for that."

"Just a bit of mental preparation is absolutely not enough!"

Crag Burst gave advice from the perspective of someone experienced, "No matter how calm someone is, in times of victory, it is hard to completely dig out the flaws in one’s self. But after suffering a crushing defeat, mistakes will be suddenly magnified, and it is extremely hard to maintain a normal state of mind. Therefore, one must have guts and fortitude to be able to be tempered and forged time and time again. In the end, the existing structure may even be completely smashed to bits, and only then, can one forge a piece of good steel.... The most taboo thing to do is to teeter left and right, to be in self-denial."

"I know what you’re saying," Luo Nan continued with a subtle smile, the warm breath between his mouth and nose remaining smooth and long, "but you can relax. I have no other choice but to get stronger."

Actually, the blow of failure had arrived early on. The Luo Family’s current state over three generations was the clearest embodiment of it.

His grandfather, his mother... and perhaps even his father. All his blood relations squeezed their blood into Formatting Theory. As the successor, even if Formatting Theory looked like a high-speed out-of-control sports car, Luo Nan was destined to be the driver and reviser until he crashed.

Therefore, currently, Luo Nan didn’t use Formatting Theory to defeat the formidable convictions of his powerful enemies. Only an awareness of coexistence and mutual death remained when it came to Formatting Theory.

Luckily, signs existed on the road ahead thanks to the existence of coupling and Gear. The light was still there. Hope was still there.

After the smile, Luo Nan originally wanted to say more, but in the end, he didn’t speak. His feet didn’t stop as he headed forward with a head held high. The morning rays were gradually exposed from behind the garden walls of the uneven courtyards in the residential area. Even if tall buildings stood in great numbers, the outline of the clear sky shone very clearly.

Luo Nan jogged a few circles around the area with Crag Burst before returning back home. Even though today was Sunday, everyone at home had plans. They didn’t sleep in. Even Mo Peng lay on the sofa in the living room, making half a yawn. He was playing games to pass the time, and he didn’t even see Luo Nan enter the house.

Uncle Mo Haihang was busy in the kitchen. As long as he had the time, he always insisted on cooking to prevent the entire family from experiencing the torment from eating food produced by the AI housekeeper or his aunt.

As for Aunt Luo Shuqing, she just set out the tableware. Now and then she would command the AI housekeeper to tidy up some housework and the like.

Luo Nan said a few words of greeting and went upstairs to shower. Luo Shuqing just nodded, not saying much. Her character made it difficult to speak cheerily. She glanced over and saw Mo Peng playing games. She coldly said,

"Come over and help."

Mo Peng looked up, startled. He saw his mother’s face and didn’t even dare to let out a fart. He threw away the console in his hand and went to act like a good boy.

The family atmosphere was a bit stifled. This continued until it was time to eat. It stayed like this.

It wasn’t strange for this to happen. Yesterday, on Saturday, the family went back to the medical treatment center to visit Grandpa Luo Yuandao. But this trip was different from the last. They practically had no chance to have direct contact with Luo Yuandao.

The medical treatment center said that the degeneration of the old man’s central nervous system had become increasingly severe, further worsening his case with schizophrenia. This made him very emotionally unstable, and his condition continued to deteriorate. If this were to continue, the old man’s mind and body would likely rapidly collapse with no possibility of salvation.

Though this outcome was something that could be predicted long ago, it was still very difficult to accept when it happened before their eyes.

Most especially for Luo Shuqing. She was the only relative yesterday who was allowed a short visit. After personally witnessing her father’s situation, her mood plunged into an extreme low. The course of a night didn’t improve her mood much at all.

Because of this, the table was unusually silent during breakfast time.

Luo Nan immersed himself in his meal. There were thin slices of beef paired with congee, and more then ten pieces of meat were in his bowl of congee. The bowl was thick and steamy, wrapped in the fragrance of meat. It was a good dish. Luo Nan used the biggest bowl out of the family, and his speed was the fastest as well. He was on his third bowl, and not even ten minutes had passed.

"Don’t slurp down your food. It’s hot. It’ll burn you." Only a thin layer had gone down Luo Shuqing’s throat from her bowl. She had no appetite. She just looked at the other people eating, and she finally looked at Luo Nan and lectured him.

Luo Nan merely grunted. His head was still buried in his bowl. He continued to slurp the golden congee into his mouth, eating boldly and forcefully. His appetite had always been astonishing, and after he began cultivating in the eyes orifice with Gym Master Xiu, his appetite even increased.

It wasn’t that Luo Nan was apathetic toward the deterioration in his grandfather’s condition. He had experienced much over these past few days, especially teetering on the edge between life and death. This made it so that some other feeling lingered in his heart.

There were many different kinds of attitudes one could have when facing a loved one in pain. The most common ones seen in this word was filled with sorrow and helplessness. These didn’t suit him.

Seeing her nephew stuff his head eating food, Luo Shuqing didn’t get angry. She just asked her husband, "Did Luo Nan get a bit more meat on his bones?"

Mo Haihang was able to guess that his wife felt that something was wrong with Luo Nan’s mood. He tried to adjust, grunting, then saying, "Old Mo, report some data. What is Luo Nan’s weight?"

Old Mo was none other than the AI housekeeper. It had a grasp of the entire family’s body data and health stats. A very magnetizing baritone voice sounded out, "Mr. Luo Nan was weighed on October 28th at 52.6 kilograms. His BMI is valued at 18.8."

"This is fine." Mo Haihang nodded to Luo Nan. "You have a bit more meat on you recently. Your countenance is of a healthy color, though it is still a bit pale."

Luo Shuqing was slightly gratified by this. Her lips hooked into a little smile. "Being in the hospital too long can destroy someone. It looks like learning these martial arts was the correct choice. Later, have the little fatty go too."

Mo Peng was shot dead while eating. He immediately went wide-eyed in an expression of innocence.

Luo Nan swallowed down a piece of meat and helped him out, "Gym Master Xiu is moving his gym soon. The gym will be suspending its business."

Luo Shuqing frowned. "Then what will happen to you?"

"I haven’t been going as much now, just going occasionally for a bit of guidance. The gym master only accepted me because of Leister. Such a thing isn’t likely to happen again. Two days ago, Xie Junping wanted to join in on the fun, but he was rejected." Luo Nan said nothing but the truth. At most, he exaggerated a bit.

Luo Shuqing stared at Mo Peng with an expression of enmity. "Back then I let you accompany him in training, but you found an excuse not to. Now, there are no more chances. Just look at your belly.... The Mo Family, the Luo Family, never had someone with your body type!"

Mo Peng’s purity of blood was suddenly questioned. He was groggy, but he couldn’t refrain from retorting, "I’m still developing, okay? How can I be skinny at this height? Ignoring everything else, if I turn out shorter than Mo Ya, then can I go blaming you all for being biased?"

"Mo Ya?" Luo Shuqing laughed out of nowhere. "Are you talking about that unfilial girl who ran away from home? Then don’t you worry. When she gets back, I’ll break her leg!"