"Energy density conversion?" Old Mo's eyes flickered with surprise. "You've actually mastered such a technique?"
Rowan didn't answer. Instead, seizing the moment, he thrust his right hand forward. The layer of flame shielding him erupted violently, breaking into countless tiny shards of fire that shot toward Old Mo like a hail of bullets.
This time, Old Mo was caught off guard. Though his reflexes were lightning fast and he leapt back, several of the fiery fragments still struck his left arm and right shoulder, scorching his clothes and leaving several blackened holes.
"Not bad, kid. You've got some skill," Old Mo said with a faint smile, showing no sign of pain. "Looks like I'll have to take this seriously."
He spoke, and his aura deepened instantly, becoming as unfathomable as a bottomless well. Slowly, he raised both hands, palms facing one another, forming a seemingly ordinary transparent sphere. Yet everyone could feel the terrifying energy contained within that orb.
"Is that… an advanced application of the Energy Primordium?" Lin Qi exclaimed. "Old Mo has materialized the Energy Primordium itself!"
From the stands, an elder jumped to his feet. "Everyone, be careful! If that energy sphere explodes, it could destroy at least half of this training ground!"
Old Mo seemed to sense the crowd's concern and gave a faint smile. "Don't worry. I'll control its range."
He gently pushed the transparent energy sphere, and it drifted toward Rowan. Its movement was slow, even leisurely, yet no one would underestimate it. This was not an attack that could be taken lightly.
Rowan's expression darkened. He could feel the immense energy contained within the sphere. This was beyond anything he had faced before.
"What do I do? I can't just tank it, and dodging…," Rowan thought rapidly, scanning the arena for any possible escape routes.
But the sphere seemed to lock onto his aura. No matter how he moved, it adjusted its course, always heading straight for him. The closer it got, the faster it seemed to accelerate.
"No choice," Rowan gritted his teeth. "Time to try that untested technique."
He drew a deep breath and formed intricate hand seals at his chest. The fire-element energy coursing through him began to flow in a strange, rhythmic pattern. For the past two weeks, under Lin Qi's guidance, Rowan had been practicing a high-level technique called Elemental Resonance. Its core principle was to resonate with another's energy through specific vibration frequencies, allowing one to influence or even control the flow of the opponent's energy.
"He's planning to use Elemental Resonance against the Energy Primordium?" Lin Qi's eyes flickered with worry. "That's extremely risky. Resonance works with same-source energies, but the Energy Primordium is the origin of all elements. Its vibration frequency is entirely different."
Old Mo seemed to notice Rowan's intention as well, his eyes glinting with appreciation. "Courageous, young man. But are you certain you can control energy at this level?"
Rowan did not answer. His focus was entirely on adjusting the vibration frequency of his energy. He could feel the air trembling as the transparent sphere drew nearer, subtle ripples of energy undulating across the arena.
"It's coming," Rowan murmured to himself, completing the final hand seal.
The moment the sphere reached him, Rowan thrust his hands forward and shouted, "Flame Resonance!"
A river of deep red fire surged from his palms, colliding directly with the transparent sphere. The energies met midair with a violent reaction. Blinding light illuminated the entire training ground, and the arena's edge shields flashed red in response to the powerful energy waves.
Spectators squinted or shielded their eyes. When the light finally dimmed, they were stunned to see both Rowan and Old Mo still standing, while the collision had created a three-meter-wide vortex of swirling energy, shimmering with multicolored light.
"He… did it?" Luo Feng's voice trembled. "He actually resisted the Energy Primordium using Elemental Resonance?"
Lin Qi's expression was equally astonished. "More than that. It seems he triggered a special energy reaction. That vortex isn't just a clash it's two energies transforming into one another!"
Rowan concentrated on controlling his fire energy, attempting to maintain a stable resonance with the Energy Primordium within the sphere. This required extreme precision; any misstep could result in a catastrophic energy backlash.
To everyone's surprise, Old Mo didn't intensify his energy output or change his attack. Instead, he displayed astonishment and admiration, even consciously releasing some energy to ease Rowan's burden.
"Interesting… very interesting," Old Mo muttered, his eyes gleaming. "I didn't expect to see such understanding and control of energy in someone so young."
Just as the delicate balance seemed about to stabilize, an unexpected twist occurred. Old Mo's face suddenly tightened with pain as he clutched his chest. The control over the Energy Primordium wavered, causing the transparent sphere to swell, its energy flow becoming erratic.
"Watch out!" Lin Qi shouted. "Old Mo's old injury is acting up! The energy is about to go out of control!"
Panic erupted in the stands, with many spectators scrambling to safety.
Rowan sensed the danger but did not retreat. He clenched his teeth, pouring all his energy into stabilizing the spiraling vortex.
"Are you insane? Step back!" Old Mo shouted through the pain. "You can't control an out-of-control Energy Primordium with your abilities!"
Rowan ignored him, fully concentrating on the energy. On the planet of Thunder, the planetary consciousness had taught him an essential truth: all energy is fundamentally interconnected; differences lie only in vibration frequency and flow. With the right "harmony," any energy could theoretically be converted into another.
"My master said the ultimate goal of Elemental Resonance is Elemental Symbiosis," Rowan thought. "To merge different energy forms into a completely new energy."
With that in mind, Rowan shifted strategy. Instead of resisting the unstable sphere, he synchronized his energy vibrations with it. This was exceedingly dangerous; failure meant being blasted by uncontrolled energy, with potentially fatal consequences.
"What is he doing?" Luo Feng asked, panic in his voice. "Why isn't he retreating?"
Lin Qi's eyes widened, a mix of awe and fear. "He's attempting Elemental Symbiosis! The advanced form of Elemental Resonance. It fuses different energies into one. But it's incredibly risky. One miscalculation could backfire, causing severe injury or death!"
Rowan's fire energy began reacting with the transparent Energy Primordium in an extraordinary way. The flames shifted from pure red to a translucent orange-red, resembling the Primordium's transparency while still retaining the essence of fire.
Old Mo's surprise softened his pained expression. "This young man… attempting Elemental Symbiosis? Doesn't he know how dangerous that is?"
Against all odds, the once-unstable vortex stabilized, shrinking into a basketball-sized orange-red energy sphere suspended between Rowan and Old Mo.
The sphere retained the Primordium's stability and cohesion while exuding the vitality and dynamism of fire. Two fundamentally incompatible energies had merged into a completely new form.
"He did it?" Luo Feng whispered in disbelief. "He actually achieved Elemental Symbiosis?"
Lin Qi's face reflected shock and admiration. "This level of energy control… even some cosmic-level elites might not manage this. His potential exceeds all our expectations."
Rowan's forehead was slick with sweat, his face pale from exhaustion, yet his eyes remained steadfast as he maintained control over the sphere.
Old Mo recovered from his initial shock and smiled appreciatively. Slowly raising his right hand, he assisted Rowan in controlling the sphere, reducing the young man's strain.
"You've impressed me, kid," Old Mo said sincerely. "To master Elemental Symbiosis at your age… even among countless geniuses I've seen, you're exceptional."
Rowan smiled faintly, still exerting effort but now able to control the sphere with relative ease. "Thank you, elder. This was my first attempt at the technique; success required a lot of luck."
Old Mo shook his head. "No, this isn't luck. This is profound understanding of energy and extremely precise control. Your experiences on the Thunder planet have elevated your comprehension to a new level."
Together, they guided the orange-red sphere to the center of the arena, gradually dispersing it into countless glowing particles that drifted through the air, forming a spectacular display.
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers. The duel had been breathtaking, witnessing a rare energy phenomenon a truly unforgettable experience.
But as the energy completely dissipated, Old Mo suddenly staggered, his body threatening to collapse.
Rowan reacted instantly, stepping forward to support him. "Elder, are you alright?"
Old Mo steadied himself with a pained smile. "Nothing serious. Just an old injury flaring up. Decades ago, during a mission… never fully healed. Whenever I expend large amounts of energy, it reacts."
Rowan helped Old Mo to a bench, gesturing for him to rest. Lin Qi and others rushed over, concerned.
"Don't make a fuss," Old Mo waved them off. "Just an old wound. Rest a bit and I'll be fine."
Yet Rowan noticed Old Mo's left hand trembled slightly, and a faint energy fluctuation at his chest hinted at internal disorder caused by the lingering injury.
"Elder," Rowan hesitated before speaking, "I learned some healing techniques on Earth, specifically for energy-induced internal injuries. If you don't mind, I can try to help you."
Old Mo's eyes widened. "Earth has such techniques?"
Rowan nodded. "Yes. There's a branch of martial arts called Internal Boxing, focusing on regulating and circulating energy within the body. Some methods can help restore disrupted energy flows."
Lin Qi added, "Earth martial arts may not be advanced overall compared to other civilizations, but in specialized areas especially precise control of internal energy they have unique insights. Some techniques surpass mainstream interstellar medical technology."
Old Mo considered for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Let me see what Earth martial arts can do."
Rowan guided him to lie on the bench, placing his hands just above Old Mo's chest. Closing his eyes, he began sensing the energy flows inside Old Mo's body.
"There are three blocked energy circuits, mainly in the heart and lungs," Rowan murmured. "Also, an old injury in your left shoulder. It's healed externally, but the internal energy flow hasn't fully recovered."
Old Mo stared, astonished. "You can detect my internal energy this accurately? Even the Empire's most advanced medical instruments can't do this."
Rowan focused entirely on the task. His hands hovered above Old Mo's chest, fingertips occasionally pressing lightly on precise points. Each touch sent subtle waves of energy flowing into Old Mo's body.
After about ten minutes, Rowan drew a deep breath, slowly retracting his hands and opening his eyes. "The primary treatment is complete. The three blockages are cleared, and the left shoulder injury has received initial restoration. Full recovery will require periodic conditioning."
Old Mo slowly sat up, moving his left shoulder and showing genuine astonishment and joy. "Incredible! A decades-old injury… actually improved. You're not only exceptional in combat but your healing methods are unique as well!"
Lin Qi nodded approvingly. "Earth martial arts have amazing therapeutic techniques. I've studied various civilizations' martial systems and paid close attention to Earth's meridian theory and internal energy concepts. Their wisdom goes far beyond surface-level techniques."
Old Mo stood and solemnly bowed to Rowan. "Thank you for the treatment, young man. I'll remember this favor."