Chapter 156: Chapter 146: Mind Lock The poster’s username was "Moon Key," the same as the thread’s title. The content inside was just as cryptic.
"Through the Crystal Ball, I have seen today’s powerhouses, and tomorrow’s hysterics. A psychic punishment will make people understand that the price of rushing for success is one too terrible to bear..."
’What the hell is this supposed to mean?’
Guan Tong couldn’t find any useful information, only a vague guess: this "Moon Key" was likely an Ascender with some kind of prophetic ability or item. They had seen something of the future, a future where those who used this hidden rule would suffer dire consequences.
Below the post, some people responded with jokes, while others expressed their belief in the warning.
"Nice, the forum mystic niche has finally been filled."
"I was just wondering about this. With so many people in the world, and so many who study the occult, someone had to have gotten a prophecy-type ability, right?"
"OP, you’re a good person. Can you prophesize which rule I’ll die on?"
"The OP’s Prophecy makes sense. I’ve studied the rules quite a bit. If a rule involves people plundering from each other, the plunderers always pay a price."
"Such a huge boost to your Psychic Power cap? That’s a dream come true. What price could there possibly be?"
"Just look at the ones who left comments for the guy who posted the list, demanding updates. They sure didn’t think there was a price."
Guan Tong read a few pages, his heart growing uneasy.
’If there really is some hidden price, I’m definitely going to get hit by it. After all, I’m the one who actually snatched more than thirty first-place titles.’
Still, he had his doubts. If the hidden price was so great, then what was the point of this hidden rule in the first place?
’...Forget it. Whether there’s a hidden price or not, there’s no point in worrying too much before it shows itself.’
Guan Tong didn’t want to scare himself. After getting a handle on the public’s reaction, he shut down the computer and went to rest.
The eighth rule had only lasted for half a month, but in that short time, he had traveled all over and experienced the most combat of anyone under the rule. He was physically and mentally exhausted.
What he wanted most right now was to rest well for a few days.
Compared to others, he was one of the few who paid extra attention to his mental state. He often performed self-counseling by blocking out external information and engaging in self-directed Q&As.
Since the Apocalypse Rules first descended, a large number of people—including many powerhouses in the eyes of ordinary folk—hadn’t died to external forces, but had chosen to end their own lives.
Many of them had been under too much pressure. Their mental health suffered, and with no way to relieve it, they eventually resorted to extreme measures.
Guan Tong had lived alone for a long time, which made him prone to depression. The pressure of the rules, on top of eliminating all those people at the base—even if it was an act of rooting out evil—still took a psychological toll.
So, for the next little while, Guan Tong ignored the outside world, focusing on resting, taking walks, playing with Coal Ball, and continuing to practice his Psychic Power Flow cultivation.
At first, Guan Tong didn’t think anything was wrong. On the contrary, he could clearly feel his body improving every day: he was stronger, had more stamina, and was in better spirits. This was undoubtedly the enhancement brought about by the massive increase in his Psychic Power.
But on the eighth day, when he casually opened his Terminal Panel to check, he noticed something was amiss.
The problem was with his Psychic Power.
[Psychic Power: 309 (309) (2570)]
Guan Tong remembered very clearly. On the day the eighth rule ended, his Psychic Power cap was 309.
According to his previous average growth rate of one point every seven to eight days, his cap should have been 310 by now.
’Why is it still 309? I haven’t slacked on my cultivation this week...’
Guan Tong found it a little strange, but he didn’t pay it too much mind, thinking he might have just relaxed a bit more these past few days.
But when another day passed, the ninth day, he saw his cap still hadn’t increased.
That made him unable to sit still. A terrifying thought surfaced in his mind.
’Could it be that the price for using the eighth hidden rule is that your Psychic Power cap stops growing?’
’If that’s true, it’s horrifying...’
Natural growth was slow, averaging only about four points a month, but the rate of growth was supposed to increase. And over time, on the scale of years, the growth was still substantial.
But was it worth it to trade a halt in natural growth for a one-time surge? No... the "surge" was relative. For an Ascender who snatched many first-place spots, it was a surge. But what about those who only took a few, or even just one?
As soon as Guan Tong realized this, he immediately turned on his computer and logged into the Ascender’s Home website.
Sure enough, many organizations and individuals had already discovered this. The chat area was flooded with threads discussing the matter.
"Why has my Psychic Power cap stopped increasing? I followed the official recommendation and have been repeating the drain-and-recover process until I’m bone dry every single day!"
"I heard that the Psychic Power caps of Ascenders who took first-place spots from others have all stopped growing naturally. Is that true or false?"
"Really? If so, that’s great! Serves them right for snatching first place from others! They should be the ones to pay for the Psychic Power everyone else lost!"
"AHAHAHAHAHA! No reason, I just feel like laughing."
"It’s not like they lost out. Natural growth is so slow, how long would it take to match this one-time surge? I heard the max increase was a few hundred points. Even if natural growth stops, that’s probably acceptable."
"I agree, if you snatched a lot, it’s not a loss... The unluckiest ones are probably those who only snatched one or two first-place spots, right?"
"What are you talking about, ’not a loss’? Don’t forget, the rate of natural growth increases! Even if you got a few hundred points this time, if it never goes up again, you’ll eventually be surpassed!"
"I have a feeling the Fire Thief is pulling the rug out from under us..."
"The authorities just updated the white paper. They mentioned this situation and have tentatively named it the ’Mind Lock.’ They say they’re currently looking for a way to lift the restriction."
Reading these posts, Guan Tong saw that it was just as he’d judged. Everyone who had used the eighth hidden rule was now experiencing a halt in the natural growth of their Psychic Power cap.
The authorities had even given it the special name "Mind Lock."