Chapter 3

3. Overlord Aura

On the playground of Zhonghai University, amidst the chirping of various insects in spring, Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi began their warm-up exercises; many figures were running at a steady pace on the track.

"Do you always come this early?" When Liu Hao asked this, he already knew the answer; it was more about setting a goal for himself.

"Yes, it gives me a sense of urgency!" Zheng Zhi, with his high IQ, had already figured out the issues that Liu Hao analyzed yesterday.

"Right! It's not that simple!" Liu Hao nodded and replied, then turned to ask again, "Is there any other news? I remember your father was in the military, right? Don't say anything if you can't!"

"Sure! There's nothing I can't say, and the school will likely notify everyone soon," Zheng Zhi said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "The country seems to want some universities to participate; your divine attribute reaching the second stage gives you a good chance!"

Liu Hao was slightly stunned, but he didn't ask further, just listened quietly.

"The rumors on the internet about people from other dimensions entering Earth are true. It's like a large net, and some bugs can always find their way through the holes. Similarly, we can find some of these holes to enter. In the past, only the military could go in and out, but now they plan to open some slots to certain universities, and Zhonghai University has some spots.

The selection criteria are that one attribute must reach the second stage, ranked from highest to lowest. The exact number of spots is unclear, but it will likely be around mid-next month."

Zheng Zhi's words were light, but Liu Hao felt incredibly fortunate. He knew that if he hadn't shown his attribute panel today, Zheng Zhi wouldn't have told him. Similarly, if he spread the news, he would lose Zheng Zhi as a friend.

Zheng Zhi wouldn't have paused slightly if the school was really about to issue a notice.

Liu Hao didn't ask further, and the conversation ended there. He didn't think about whether he had the qualifications to choose which dimension to enter; it was completely unreliable. The military allocating spots to universities, and only certain universities, clearly indicated a test or inspection. It also meant that cultivation would be more widely promoted.

As they jogged around the playground, Liu Hao began to adjust his breathing. The breathing techniques were the same, but the rhythm was crucial. Fortunately, Zheng Zhi was there to give occasional pointers. After two laps, Liu Hao had found his rhythm, with each step and the height of his steps becoming consistent. He also marveled at the benefits of muscle memory.

After ten laps, Zheng Zhi greeted Liu Hao and increased his speed. Liu Hao didn't follow, deciding to maintain his current rhythm for a while.

Once he found his rhythm, Liu Hao didn't let his mind wander. His focus was entirely on controlling his breathing. Time passed, and he lost track of how many laps he had run. His body felt fine, and he could continue without feeling fatigued.

After more than an hour, Liu Hao slowed down at Zheng Zhi's call, started to hydrate, and rested for fifteen minutes before switching to another form of exercise: boxing!

In the Dragon Nation, there are two types of boxing that almost everyone knows: Tai Chi and Taizu Changquan. One is soft, the other is hard. Some people practice both, saying they complement each other, while others choose one, believing that specialization is better than versatility.

Previously, Liu Hao belonged to the former group, or the "dabbling" school, where he knew a little of everything. He was at the beginner level for both, far from mastering them.

Practicing Taizu Changquan with Zheng Zhi, Liu Hao felt a lot of pressure. As the son of a military man, Zheng Zhi had reached the proficient level in Taizu Changquan. Every move he made exuded a mysterious aura, and just standing opposite him was intimidating. The psychological suggestion that his opponent's boxing was powerful was deeply ingrained, making Liu Hao feel that hitting him would be like splashing water, while being hit by him would cause internal injuries. It was a question of fear.

After practicing Taizu Changquan once, Liu Hao stopped and focused on Zheng Zhi's movements, memorizing each technique and the force behind it.

At this point, the power of his divine attribute began to take effect. He felt that his analysis was correct and that it should be done this way. After watching Zheng Zhi once, he closed his eyes and replayed the movements, feeling that he had completely memorized them.

Liu Hao didn't overthink it. After all, he had practiced Taizu Changquan for many years, and with his high IQ, he was confident that his previous lack of progress was due to his lack of seriousness. Once he focused, achieving this level was only natural.

On his second round of Taizu Changquan, Liu Hao felt much more comfortable. He wasn't sure about the aura, but he felt that his strength had increased, and his movements were more powerful. A few poses were still not quite right.

Without hesitation, he continued practicing, fully focused, and completely forgetting about Zheng Zhi's presence.

Zheng Zhi, proficient in Taizu Changquan, noticed Liu Hao's progress. From just being a beginner, after a dozen rounds, Liu Hao had advanced to a higher level, and his movements became more fluid and powerful.

In the Dragon Nation, martial arts or skills are divided into five levels: beginner, intermediate, proficient, advanced, and perfect.

The beginner level is more of a stepping stone for learners. If we exclude the beginner level, the other levels can be called basic, intermediate, advanced, and perfect.

However, excluding the beginner level doesn't make sense. For simple martial arts or skills, it might seem unnecessary, but for more complex ones, the beginner stage is crucial. It represents the learner's compatibility with the skill. If you can't pass the beginner stage, you should give up.

After practicing Taizu Changquan for another dozen rounds, Liu Hao's sense of improvement began to fade. To confirm it wasn't his imagination, he practiced one more round and realized he had fully absorbed his observations. With a reference point, he couldn't miss this opportunity.

Liu Hao stopped and began observing Zheng Zhi's movements again, comparing them with his own. He felt that he had no significant errors, and the few differences he noticed were dismissed because everyone's height and weight are different, and copying exactly would be counterproductive.

After a few more rounds, Liu Hao felt he might be hitting a plateau. This surprised him, as he had just advanced from beginner to intermediate. How could he be on the verge of reaching the proficient level so quickly?

"Accumulated effort leading to a breakthrough? It must be! I've been practicing for at least ten years, so it's time for a breakthrough. What am I lacking compared to Zheng Zhi? The stance is fine; it must be the aura."

Liu Hao compared the two, and it seemed to be the "aura" that was the issue. But how do you understand "aura"? What do the books say?

Liu Hao thought about it. The textbooks explained "aura" in detail, summarizing it as adding one's will to the skill.

But this seemed too abstract. Various explanations were available online, but few were practical. For example, Liu Hao remembered that adding one's determination to the boxing could create an aura, but this wouldn't apply to Tai Chi.

"Or perhaps the aura is different for each type of boxing?"

Taizu Changquan, supposedly invented by Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, who was likely a troublemaker at the time. What kind of aura could he have had? It can't be that he had an imperial aura just because he became an emperor later.

"One-way determination? Ruthlessness? Beat to a pulp? Overlord aura?"

Liu Hao shook his head. The first three essentially meant not fearing the opponent and going all out, without considering defense. This seemed to fit Taizu Changquan, which had no defensive moves.

As for the overlord aura, it had some connection to the "I am the supreme being" concept in Buddhism, which could also apply to the overlord aura in "One Piece."

Taking a deep breath, Liu Hao stood still, closed his eyes, and needed to hypnotize himself. Honestly, he had never been in a real fight in his two lifetimes. Whether it was determination or supremacy, it was just theory to him.

But how to hypnotize himself? He thought about it for a long time but still had no concept of one-way determination. Should he find someone to practice with? This might be a solution, as he would get a feel for it after a few fights. Without practice, it was just theoretical.

This solution didn't work. What about "I am the supreme being"? There was no way to test this, but Liu Hao felt it shouldn't be abandoned. "One Piece" was right in front of him, and the overlord aura in it was incredibly powerful. The one-in-a-million talent and the potential to become a king were impressive, and clearing out minor enemies was cool.

Becoming a king or a ruler was too distant for a civilian in a peaceful era. It wasn't just a matter of thinking. Liu Hao felt frustrated. This couldn't be the case!

He had already been reborn and reincarnated. Was he going to stay at the bottom? That would be unjust!

Moreover, he had first-hand information, which was invaluable. He would definitely rise and become one in a million, a king. This wasn't a question of possibility but inevitability.

In this process, people would follow him, whether for profit or other reasons. As he rose, many would climb with him. Even if he had no desires, they would push him up, just like Zhao Kuangyin's coup and coronation.

"I am the supreme being!"

With this thought, Liu Hao opened his eyes, stepped forward, and punched. An indescribable aura enveloped him, binding him. With each punch, the aura became lighter, and by the last move, he involuntarily shouted.

"Ha!"

The sound echoed across the quiet playground, spreading throughout Zhonghai University, waking many people from their sleep. But it quickly became silent, and even the insects stopped chirping.

Liu Hao didn't notice these changes. He didn't realize that a large area of the playground had fallen, and Zheng Zhi had been pushed back several meters, his mind becoming hazy and then dark.

"Overlord aura!"

Liu Hao didn't know he had awakened the overlord aura from "One Piece" or how to use it. After the last punch, his mind went blank, and his body felt like it had reached its limit, frozen in the last move.

After a while, Liu Hao regained consciousness, feeling sore all over, as if every inch of his skin had been hammered. He finally regained control of his body but was stunned when he looked around.

The entire playground was down, and he was the only one standing. The insects had stopped chirping.

"Did I really awaken the legendary overlord aura?"

"Should I try again?"

Liu Hao overestimated himself. He turned red in the face but got no reaction.

"Is it me? Or not me? Or someone else? Forget it, let's wake Zheng Zhi and ask."

"Do you know what happened?"

Zheng Zhi didn't know about the overlord aura and couldn't imagine why he suddenly fainted. He only remembered feeling a heavy pressure and then losing consciousness.

"I remember hearing a 'Ha' sound!"

Looking at Zheng Zhi's suspicious gaze,

"I just woke up a little earlier than you!"

Liu Hao couldn't confirm if he had awakened the overlord aura, and his frustrated expression made Zheng Zhi doubt him less.

"This must be a mental technique! It affected the entire playground, but the exact range is unclear. Cultivation looks very powerful!"

Zheng Zhi's IQ kicked in, and he began to analyze.

"Should we wake the others on the playground? I think they will find the answer even if we don't investigate."

Liu Hao also wanted to know if he had awakened the overlord aura. By finding the range, they could pinpoint the center. If the center was on the playground, it would be 100% him.

If it was him, even if he couldn't use it now, at least he wouldn't fear others' overlord aura.

With this interruption, the others on the playground lost their motivation to continue exercising. They gathered to discuss, and without Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi's prompting, they were eager to investigate. Being Zhonghai University students, they were all intelligent, and the first idea was to determine the range. Tasks were quickly assigned, and everyone set off in different directions.

Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi took a task and headed towards the school gate. The first checkpoint was the security room, where two security guards had fallen.

Further ahead, a few breakfast shop owners had also fainted, fortunately with no customers around to get burned.