# Master of the Stars - Weight Loss Expert - Ongoing 101 To 403

of theStars-WeightLossExpert Master

Master of the Stars - Weight Loss Expert

Master of the Stars - Weight Loss Expert - Ongoing 101 To 403

Origin: http://samlib.ru/c/chernij_a_w/masterofthestars-weightlossexpert-ongoing101to403.shtml

Создан: 03/03/2020, изменен: 03/03/2020, 3416k

Стихотворение: Foreign+Translat

Series: @Other

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## Master of the Stars

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Description Master of the Stars

Description

It is the turn of the century and humanity has ignorantly stepped into the starry space to lay themselves bare under the eyes of gods. The young man Luo Nan bears the sins of his forefathers. He walks out of a laboratory and is seen holding burning notes up high, his feet treading on the bones of gods. A myriad of living beings are formatted in writing. Universes are added and deleted in the star records. Know now… All living beings be ready for me. Believe with certainty… For my mind is a universe. The Lord of the Stars 星辰之主

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Chapter 101: Fairchild (Part 1/2)

Chapter 101: Fairchild (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

"No no no. They shouldn't know who I am." Guo Ju wanted to control his nervous thoughts and he did his utmost to remain calm. He wanted to turn his gaze away if he had the chance but doing so would be really suspicious.

His only choice was to feign an expression of surprise or perhaps he should mix in a little bit of anger as well? However, the sparkling white before his eyes was the indelible source of his fear. He did his best to endure it for a second but all secondary thoughts were soon dispelled clean from his mind. He could only look over with trembling fear as he stiffly took in the information before his eyes.

Guo Ju saw the tall and sturdy figure beneath the white robes. A bit further up the body was the deep and clear silhouette of a western face. The skin was a healthy tan color. This was not enough information to identify the person.

However, when Guo Ju's gaze rested on the side of this person's face, he saw flat scarlet red skin and flesh at the location where an ear ought to be. Guo Ju's eyes contracted entirely, as if they were pricked by a needle.

Even though Guo Ju could only see one side of the face, Guo Ju was certain that the other side would be the same.

"Truth bless... Oh damn, never mind!" Guo Ju could not endure it any longer. He turned his gaze to avoid further stimulation but this action was meaningless.

For in this very moment, he felt his calves spasm and he felt a cold chill blow across his neck. The sensation turned fiery in the blink of an eye, it felt like his skin and flesh were splitting from being roasted.

Guo Ju withdrew, pretending not to notice the person coming in. However, Xue Weilun could not do the same. This fellow's sudden appearance was suspicious no matter how he looked at him, especially with those bizarre clothes. The man had to at least explain how he had gotten past the defensive perimeter arranged by the special police and had suddenly appeared within the room.

Xue Weilun placed his hand to the side of his weapons holster and was just about to interrogate the man when the sounds of a series of bodies falling to the ground could be heard coming from outside. The heavily armed special police equipped in exoskeleton armors had collapsed seemingly simultaneously.

Xue Weilun's reactions could not be described as slow during this time. He instantly pulled out his gun and opened fire. The hand railgun designed for the special police forces exploded out with fatal bullets but the end result was just a large hole blasted through the door frame. The angle of deviation was enormous, exceeding the realm of common sense.

Xue Weilun knew what had happened. An incorporeal bullet had penetrated his brain the instant he pulled the trigger. An intense jolt had caused him to lose control over his body. He tried to recover as he stumbled a step forward but ultimately, his control over his body had become completely weak. It would be very hard for him to recover in a short time frame.

Every single attack had happened on the incorporeal and formless mental plane. The enemy was powerful and possessed an extraordinary strength. Normal people were powerless against him.

This man had cleared out the space in a few short minutes before he walked inside with leisure.

Luo Nan saw that the pupils of this man were dark gray, giving off a feeling of desolation and callousness. However, the fierce means displayed by this man increased the tension and uncertainty of the situation to its limits.

Of course, Luo Nan also noticed the lack of ears on the side of this man's face. With this sort of appearance, along with his tyrannical strength, this man must certainly be well-known in the world of ability users.

At this time, Cat Eyes also saw this man's figure clearly. She moaned in the encrypted channel.

"Big trouble now! It’s Fairchild!"

"Fairchild? Of the Order of Justice?"

"Yes. The Ears of Truth. The mad believer of the Order of Justice!"

Luo Nan was not blind. "That Guo Ju. He has responsibilities with the Order of Justice. Why does he have that sort of expression when one of his own is here?"

"Humph, it is already quite admirable for him to not cry out for his mommy the moment that the 'secular side' meets the 'truth side', when shallow believers meet mad believers, or when the 'exchangers' meets the 'executioners'."

The Order of Justice was like any other large-scale organization. It was hard for internal strife to not appear, especially for religious groups where equal importance was placed on holy worship and concepts of faith. It was easy for something to go awry without the quelling of a powerful ‘god’.

The holy object of the Order of Justice was the Scales of Truth that split things distinctly into black and white. Within this order, the 'secular side' and the 'truth side' were just like opposite sides of a scale. One was black. One was white. They were split into two.

The two were as their name implied. One referred to the disorderly secular world. The other referred to pure truth.

The truth side was displeased with the secular side performing an unbalanced holy exchange. They believed that exchanging money, lust and dirty desires for the bestowment of the divine power of truth was grave blaspheme.

The secular side scoffed at the harsh doctrine of the truth side, believing it too far exceed the realm of reality.

The truth side of this order had begun a purification project at an unknown time. They executed punishment on those who performed excessive holy exchanges.

The hatred between the two factions had been gradually accumulating and the so-called punishments had grown more and more vicious. Several Truth Executioners were born from this situation. Fairchild was one of the famous ones.

He might not be the most powerful but his customary Truth Mirror punishment caused people to pale just from hearing its description. Its basic concept was as follows: The sinner must die under the same circumstances caused by whatever ability gained through the secular exchange.

Luo Nan somewhat understood the situation now. It was no wonder that Fairchild ignored Huang Bingzhen's dying state. Looking at things now, Fairchild basically wanted Huang Bingzhen to die via soul annihilation.

From the perspective of the truth side, it was quite disgusting for there to be people such as Huang Bingzhen living in this world!

The problem was that Luo Nan had destroyed Fairchild's intentions.

Fairchild did not come to cause Luo Nan troubles immediately. He was following his duty as part of the purification project. He still had a target he needed to resolve.

Not too far away ahead of Fairchild, Guo Ju did his utmost to calm down but it was useless. His entire body was shivering with fear because he was well aware that the tall and large man standing behind him was seeking his life. This was a matter as simple as breathing for Fairchild.

Fairchild walked to Guo Ju's side and sized him up a few times. His lips opened to utter in a deep booming voice. It was a sound that seemed to directly strike the heart from the eardrums. "You don't need to worry just based on yourself for now. You didn't break away from the real purpose of the exchange with the results of exchanging for a secular item using a secular price... But who gave you the right to engage in blaspheming the truth?"

"I..." Guo Ju opened his mouth since he wanted to speak, yet he was unable to find an appropriate reason for his behavior. He did not have even an ounce of the courage he displayed before. The color of his face grew all the more paler as it neared transparency. What seeped out from within was entirely despair.

Everyone else in the room was shocked speechless for a time. No one had ever expected that Guo Ju would fear Fairchild to this degree.

The reputation and power this Executioner held within the Order of Justice was just more than one could imagine.

"Seems like things aren't good."

Cat Eyes communicated with Luo Nan and He Yueyin through the encrypted channel. She inevitably complained about Luo Nan. "It would have been better to let that fellow Huang Bingzhen die. He's clearly scum... Oh right, what did they do to attract the Ears of Truth?"

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Chapter 101: Fairchild (Part 2/2)

Chapter 101: Fairchild (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Cat Eyes must have forgotten that she had praised Luo Nan for adopting this stance. As for her current question, Luo Nan knew the answer to it.

Luo Nan swept his gaze across the ground where Xue Weilun had fallen. He sighed a breath of relief as he confirmed that Uncle Xue had only received a mental attack and was not in any fatal danger.

Luo Nan's gaze then fell onto the three scrapped robots. He pondered whether or not the special storage unit was still retrievable. The ‘Faith Product’ inside was installed for the sake of Huang Bingzhen, Guo Ju, and similar people. It was also the cause of today's matter.

The unconscious Huang Bingzhen was blessed. The awake Guo Ju was stuck in a complete tragedy.

Guo Ju's body was just like a shaking sieve right now as he gazed stiffly forwards. Fairchild stood behind him and whenever Fairchild asked a question, Guo Ju would answer. Not a single thought of whether or not his life could be saved crossed his mind. Fairchild's voice was like a fist that endlessly clenched and squeezed out everything inside Guo Ju's head. As for what would be left behind, only Truth would know.

Thanks to Guo Ju, Fairchild's attention still remained elsewhere. Luo Nan and Cat Eyes had the chance of respite.

Cat Eyes yelled into the encrypted channel, "Where's everyone else?"

The encrypted channel began to flood with messages. A fellow named Red Fox, who was dispatched after Cat Eyes, arrived at the scene. He had already started to give up and retreat. "Fairchild? If I go in its a free kill for him. There's no point even if Kitty's there. Do we have any other comrades who want to go die?"

Bamboo Pole, who Luo Nan had worked together with once before, had also been one of the people dispatched. "(Fox + Cat) x 2 is still a freebie for him. You guys actually still have enough life in you to send out information. It really is quite astonishing."

Another person called Papercut divulged some practical information. "I've personally witnessed this earless man in action. He took on the master of the Metal Storm head on. The Shield of Truth is simply broken. Are you sure you're still alive?"

Bamboo Pole concluded. "Be smart about it. First, kneel. Make it easier for this dude of the Order of Justice to kill you. Make it a swift death..."

At this time, He Yueyin transmitted more detailed information. "Though Fairchild is an All-Rounder type ability user, he's still the strongest in his power of faith. He is one of the few mad believers who is able to receive the holy force of the Scales of Truth and form the Shield of Truth. He becomes unyielding and unshakable for at least ninety minutes, gaining defensive ability on the level of an Extraordinary.”

Cat Eyes's eyes twitched just reading all of this. "Hey, this information is useless. First, tell us how to deal with him?"

"To all those dispatched for the operation and have yet to arrive on the scene, change your destination to the neighboring Haipu Hotel on Yulan Block."

"... What's the meaning of this?"

He Yueyin responded calmly. "Fairchild has a tendency to go hysterical while executing his purification work. Currently, there is no one who is a match for him among the deployed personnel. They will just cause unnecessary stimulation for Fairchild. Thus, we must redeploy and avoid tactics that add oil to the fire. I've already informed the Society. Powerful supporters will be simultaneously engaging in negotiations."

"It's better to negotiate. This person may engage in great slaughter within the Order but he keeps a low profile on the outside."

Bamboo Pole proposed the following. " Kitty share your perspective with us. Let's put our heads together and make a plan. We haven't engaged in direct confrontation yet. If we can reason with him and give each other some leeway, then things would be for the best."

Luo Nan was unable to participate in this kind of conversation. After all, the target of this operation was no longer the Human-Faced Arachnid. There was a more immediate trouble in the form of Fairchild.

But he was not being completely idle right now since Fairchild had his eyes on him constantly in a way others would find hard to comprehend.

Luo Nan was on the receiving end. He had to endure it.

At last, Guo Ju's calamity had ended. Fairchild approached from behind his back, no longer paying any mind to Guo Ju.

Only now did Guo Ju bend his knees. His entire body kneeled softly to the ground. He watched Fairchild from behind in a daze. Fairchild swaggered within a dazzling white light. Finally, Guo Ju's head struck the ground as he lost consciousness.

"Good news!"

"There's a way out!"

"You have to hold on."

Several pieces of information appeared in the encrypted channel. Guo Ju's narrow, difficult, and lucky escape instantly gave the members of the Society some hope. Today, this Ears of Truth did not seem to have an especially intense killing intent.

However, several people soon felt baffled. They had been watching from Cat Eyes' shared perspective and had noticed something. Fairchild's gaze deviated from their direction by a minute angle. It gave them a feeling of discomfort from just watching it.

"Kitty, who are you looking at?"

"Mr. Luo." Cat Eyes replied simply.

Only now did several people realize that Luo Nan, the person who had begun the operation and had everyone gathered, had yet to speak for a long time since everyone started coming into the channel.

"Hey hey, he's still alive right?"

Bamboo Pole, who had once worked with Luo Nan, had a deeper understanding of Luo Nan than the others.

From Bamboo Pole's perspective, Luo Nan was a professional in his field, being a psychic. At the same time, Luo Nan was an extremely young and inexperienced student. His psychic drawings were astonishing, but he did not display any particular talent in handling affairs. On the night they worked together, every one of their actions was planned by Bamboo Pole and He Yueyin. Occasionally, Luo Nan would reveal something extraordinary like the time when Cat Eyes had courted disaster with him.

This was to be expected though, now that he thought about it. If a 16 years old high school student—who immersed himself in self logic as a psychic most of the time—was able to coordinate social conversations, handle affairs, and do all kinds of things, they would not be a genius but a monster.

Bamboo Pole had very practical concerns. Would this half grown kid be able to endure facing against the number one executioner of the Order of Justice?

Not only did this require courage, it also required intelligence, experience, training, and even a little bit of luck.

Luo Nan had yet to respond. Everyone in the encrypted channel was unsure if he had noticed these messages.

"Kitty, what's up with your partner?"

"Mmm, he has a lot of pressure."

Cat Eyes shifted her gaze as she replied, letting everyone in the encrypted channel see Luo Nan's appearance.

His appearance was just as Cat Eyes had described. Luo Nan's body and his face were clearly a bit frozen. His expression appeared lifeless; his gaze stared straight ahead, meeting with Fairchild's gray pupils.

Both of them were expressionless but Fairchild's body language was lively. His body was in harmony from top to bottom, revealing calmness, callousness, and might.

As for Luo Nan, the muscles of his entire body were completely paralyzed. Anyone could see his tenseness and pressure.

"Hey, hurry up and wake up. Breathe and relax!"

"He can't hear you."

"We're screwed. He's completely suppressed."

"It's already quite decent for him to meet Fairchild's gaze. How old is he?"

"Fairchild won't give a damn about his age. That Huang Bingzhen isn't that much older than him!"

Within this fuss, some people were baffled. "Why is he concentrated on Luo Nan? What is Fairchild thinking? Is he able to tell that Luo Nan is a psychic?"

"Their order is absolutely not lacking in psychics. They were founded on them in the first place…"

Waves and waves of information streamed through the encrypted channel. Some people used text. Some people used speech. Some simply used their thoughts. It was a mess of different methods of communication that formed a chaotic soup.

But then in the next instant, all the chaos froze. Fairchild had opened his mouth. His deep voice clearly circulated within the enclosed room.

"Chains… Not bad."

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Chapter 102: Debating the Truth (Part 1/2)

Chapter 102: Debating the Truth (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

"What chains?"

Of the people participating in the encrypted channel, only He Yueyin had somewhat of an understanding. Everyone else was completely lost.

Cat Eyes had once experienced them before. She knew what they were but it was extremely complicated for her to explain it to them clearly. She could only simply say, "It's a skill Mr. Luo uses on the mental plane."

This explanation actually mixed up the nature and technique of Luo Nan's ability but no one was able to point this out.

Luckily, Fairchild possessed his own view only. He was not able to receive the information from the encrypted channel. He spoke calmly in his deep and low voice, "Looking at your chains is like looking at an airtight prison. The rules, regulations, restrictions, controls…your prison possesses a feeling of orderliness that makes one pleasantly surprised. I really like it."

This kind of evaluation in this kind of form was really unexpected. It was both admiration and idle gossip. Additionally, it gradually eased the tension that was previously in the air.

This was a good beginning.

However, there was still a problem. Everyone was able to tell that Luo Nan was not experienced at handling such situations—his responses were extremely slow. He had missed his best chance to talk. He did not respond at all while facing Fairchild directly even when the sound of Fairchild's voice faded away. He maintained his silence from beginning to end.

From the perspective of the observers, the alleviation of the atmosphere barely lasted for two seconds before turning back to being awkward and stiff.

The encrypted channel was in a hubbub. "He wasted his chance!"

Cat Eyes was able to feel things clearer since she was next to him. She was a bit worried so she stepped forward, wanting to replace Luo Nan in the conversation.

She made a step, half blocking Luo Nan, and suddenly stopped. The words she had formed in her mouth could not be spoken for some reason. Her aura also became a bit weaker.

She spoke with great difficulty, changing some of her words unconsciously. "Mr. Fairchild, we believe this is all a misunderstanding. We were chasing a Human-Faced Arachnid when we encountered this dirty secular exchange. We were also putting a stop to it…"

Fairchild continued to be expressionless, he did not even glance at Cat Eyes. He just responded with some admonishing words. "The Truth stands at the forefront, the secular will give way in face of its superior strength."

Cat Eyes’ mouth gaped but she suddenly had nothing to say. There was a more direct cause besides Fairchild's callous words. She had suddenly discovered that there was a more dangerous and direct undercurrent beneath the awkward and stiff atmosphere.

The dark undercurrent flowed on the mental plane. It laid in a deep region that Cat Eyes found hard to perceive. When Fairchild opened his mouth, a mental attack set off an enormous wave, allowing Cat Eyes to get a true peek at what was going on.

The sound of the rattling dark chains fed back information continuously, bringing a scent filled with vicious danger. From this, Cat Eyes was able to confirm that Luo Nan and Fairchild were still engaged in an incorporeal contest by her side. She had actually been completely ignorant of it!

Cat Eyes did not know when this contest had begun, how long it had been or when it had started. But at this moment, she truly felt that she was an outsider… And a blind one at that.

Bamboo Pole discovered that something was off from within the encrypted channel. "Standing at the forefront? Fairchild really seems to view Luo Nan in a favorable light?"

Cat Eyes did not respond. She was still recovering from the attack.

In the end, Bamboo Pole did not understand the situation. He could only randomly guess. "This can't go on. Fairchild has already brought out his stance. If he doesn't get a response right now, or a response that doesn't reach his expectations, who knows what he will do. How is Mr. Psychic's achievements in research and theory? Soul studies and philosophy? Who's more of an expert?"

"Also, skills shouldn't be involved in a conversation such as this. At Fairchild's level, he is able to differentiate between lies and truth. Regular speech is fine, just say what comes to mind…"

"I'll try."

Luo Nan's sudden response stunned everyone in the encrypted channel.

Actually, Luo Nan had constantly been paying attention to the information from the encrypted channel. He was extremely clear on what Bamboo Pole and Red Fox were discussing and their worries.

Indeed, Luo Nan and Fairchild were still probing each other in their confrontation on the mental plane. They communicated in a special way but this did not mean that Luo Nan was content in communicating in this way.

He did not really feel too well because he was using his soul strength continuously. The pressure his body was taking on was gradually accumulating. Achiness, pain, stiffness… Various negative influences were transmitted throughout his whole body by his nervous system. The information was gradually fed back to form a vicious and increasing loop.

If everything could be satisfied using simple words to communicate, why should he take on these unnecessary risks?

However, Luo Nan did not know what to say. His brain spun round and round but no matter how much he cranked, he was unable to find the perfect means for a response.

He also knew that communication between two people could never be perfect. After all, fear and pressure were taking over. Stalling for time had its limits.

Bamboo Pole's reminder more or less gave him a direction. What did he want to say the most when facing Fairchild's evaluation?

Luo Nan stared unwaveringly at Fairchild's callous and calm face. Several seconds passed before he took in a deep breath and spoke softly, "Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Fairchild."

"It's over!" The channel was in a clamor. Cries that he was done for happened over and over. If Luo Nan had responded this way in the first instance, things would have been fine. But to wait until now to thank him, how long did that make his reaction time be?

The channel was in a mess so He Yueyin, who had not spoken in some time, directly cleared it. She did not need to do this for Luo Nan had already given up on referring to the channel. He just said what he wanted to say.

"This is one of the results of my grandpa's research. I call it 'My heart’s a prison'. A prison's prison. It's erected on the basis of Formatting Theory…"

His grandfather's achievements, his grandfather's Formatting Theory were the only things he could talk nonstop about like an unceasing torrent in this world. After all, he had spent five years of blood, sweat, and tears researching it.

However, Fairchild did not talk to him to listen to a popular science version of an explanation. A couple of sentences later, Fairchild cut straight to the chase. He began to talk formally. "It has a marvelous operational method, forming special structures and functions. This is great. However, it has done a terrible job of tempering your body. Is this because it lacks a system?"

This was Fairchild's criticism towards My heart’s a prison. Luo Nan knew that Fairchild was absolutely correct. However, in this moment, he felt he needed to reciprocate. "Mr. Fairchild, your mental storm also lacks orderliness and a feeling of tempo…"

The people participating in the encrypted channel lost their voices when these words were spoken. They couldn't even say, "He's done for." Where did his boldness come from?

The people in the channel finally reacted with a series of warnings.

"Calm down. You need to calm down!"

"Hold on for now. Fairchild doesn't have any bad intentions."

"You must not start a contention and make things worse for yourself."

Unfortunately, Luo Nan no longer paid any attention whatsoever to the suggestions from the encrypted channel. He continued with his words and said.

"Why is your mental storm like this?"

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Chapter 102: Debating the Truth (Part 2/2)

Chapter 102: Debating the Truth (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan had thought of Rui Wen when he had opened his mouth.

On that night, Rui Wen had broken the encirclement of Deep Blue Walkers. She possessed the power to seamless shift between the material plane and the mental plane to form absolutely powerful bursts of strength. She also possessed an unmatched ability to change tempos. Luo Nan could never forget this in his life.

Luo Nan had yet to truly experience Fairchild's true strength but Rui Wen was above Fairchild just based on tempo harmonization.

Fairchild lacked a merged-as-one tempo. This made the pressure that Fairchild gave off in their confrontation on the mental plane intermittent and fleeting. It was hard for the mental storm attack to reach the level of Rui Wen's explosive power. Fairchild's tempo was even lacking when compared to Elder Mo Lun's of the Bloodflame Order.

However, was the gap between Fairchild and the two that obvious? Even without comparing Rui Wen, a young girl, why was it that he felt this Ears of Truth possessed an aura greater than that of Mo Lun?

This was what Luo Nan was puzzling over. If he were to purely use speech to express himself, he would touch upon various contexts and secrets. Even if he used over 100 sentences or 1000 sentences, he still might not be able to express himself clearly. Instead, he just used two or three sentences.

Then, Fairchild just simply replied. "Why?"

He had simply repeated one of Luo Nan's words. Then he took a step forward, causing the entire room to practically shiver in this moment.

This was not an illusion. The equipment, the furnishings, and the human bodies that were standing, sitting, kneeling, and lying down jolted a bit. The three wrecked robots made squeaky shaking sounds.

A dazzling halo emitted a glow from Fairchild's body. The lights defused from his chest outwards to instantly covered his entire body and illuminate the entire room. Every corner was without shadow. Every detail could be seen.

And at this moment, the encrypted channel exploded with information.

"Ah, ah, ah. It's the Shield of Truth!"

"He's gone hysterical. One word and he's off."

"He's really courted death. He's screwed…"

"The negotiations? Back him up?"

"Kitty run fast. Run fast!"

Cat Eyes unconsciously took a step backwards but in the end, she did not make any further steps. This was because Luo Nan, who was in front of her, did not make a single movement when facing against Fairchild's terrifying pressure. At most he coughed twice.

The pressure that Luo Nan faced was far greater. However, it was on the mental plane so he could manage it. He squinted his eyes slightly and watched the dazzling lighting and sound coming from Fairchild's body.

It was inevitable for the surrounding area to be influenced by Fairchild's aura when unleashed. The shaking was not limited to the room. It seemed that the entirety of Frost River Reality was shaking.

Was Fairchild going to make his move? Luo Nan did not think so.

At this moment, all that appeared before his eyes was an operational structure of energy and information erected upon a fleshly body as a foundation. It was limited by the material plane. This structure could not be directly observed like those built on the mental plane. The details and the like were unable to be clearly seen. Yet, most of its principles were transparently displayed.

The material plane and the mental plane pressed and squeezed against each other. They mutually interfered with each other to form a vortex that could exist simultaneously on both the mental and material planes, spinning together to form a dynamic yet stable framework. Fairchild's mind and human body were merged as one within this framework. They supported each other and mutually affected each other.

This was Fairchild's response.

Perhaps it was hard for Fairchild to achieve Rui Wen's tempo of body and soul merging, of harmonized unification. Despite this, the state of his body and soul was erected as a stable and powerful structure. It gave one the feeling of a nuclear reactor containing an enormous power. Within this, the mental and the material interfered with each other and intense collisions occurred at every operation. It was precise and harmonic. It was perfection.

Luo Nan was dumbstruck for a time. He only understood the level of Fairchild's power just now. Additionally, this power far exceeded what Luo Nan had seen in any other person.

If he had not seen this with his own eyes, he would have never imagined that an ordinary human could actually contain such an astonishing energy within their body.

In the end, the storm set off on the mental plane was only the overflowing radiating heat of this nuclear reactor.

Likewise, Fairchild's answer, if translated into words, would require 1000 sentences to be described thoroughly. The step he had taken now made things utterly clear.

The basis of these two's conversation was their confrontation on the mental plane. The dark chains and the mental storm. One attacked and one defended. They were striking each other at all times, probing each other.

Everything they did was just to reveal a bit of their conversation. Using words to repeat what they had said. Compared to their exchanges on the material plane, perhaps what occurred on the mental plane stuck closer to their real intentions.

Luo Nan was forced to admit that he was perfect for this type of communication. It was simple and direct. It saved many meaningless words. Moreover, he did not need to display a certain attitude. All of his intentions were displayed clearly within the mutual attacking and probing on the mental plane.

There was only one problem. This kind of communication method was very tiresome. Luo Nan's soul could bear it but this did not mean his body could.

As such, he tried to use words this time. First, he wanted to apologize for his mistake in judgment towards Fairchild's mental storm. "Apologies…however, I don't feel that my grandfather's theory is not systematic. The state that is manifested has its problems in only the method chosen. I am lacking in depth of understanding due to inexperience."

Nothing else really mattered besides one point, and that was Fairchild's evaluation— he had called the Formatting Theory unsystematic. It made Luo Nan very discontent.

The format of ‘My heart's a prison’ was the result of systematic research. It was only that Luo Nan had chosen an unorthodox method…He had taken psychotropic drugs to gradually reconstruct the format of his nervous system in order to obtain his abilities in the end.

In this process, he had neglected the issue with his body. And also, he did not have a true understanding of the nature of the operational structure of energy and information during his previous five years.

He was convinced that if he had time, if he could start over, he would be able to harmonize his body and soul much better. At the very least, the unbalance he had currently would not have occurred.

While justifying himself, Luo Nan pointed to his own body and pointed to Fairchild's body with a gesture. He used clairvoyance to observe his own cranial nerves, spinal nerve structure, and nodes, which he had polished for a near week. If he had given these regions extra stimulation and tempering during these last five years, then perhaps the results would have been completely different.

"Damn, the hell is he doing?"

"Is this an apology or is this an explanation?"

"What is his grandfather's theory? Does anyone know?"

Within the encrypted channel, the group of zealous people were all looking stupefied. Luo Nan's disconnected phrases and gestures were bizarre no matter who looked at them. He was incomprehensible.

They all speculated, but if they were the ones up there, they would certainly have dropped the ball. But in Luo Nan's case, it seemed that Fairchild had yet to make a move… Not only did he not make a move, his dark gray eyes were cast upon Luo Nan's body in seemingly utter concentration.

The heck was this? Communication between a nut job and a mad believer?

Huh, they were surprisingly in tune with each other!

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Chapter 103: Giant Vortex (1/2)

Chapter 103: Giant Vortex (1/2)

Translator: Strivon

It was already 8 o'clock in the evening. The drizzling sky rain was unending. Bamboo Pole opened his umbrella and walked briskly yet calmy onto the street.

An enchanting and beautiful woman quickly walked past him on the roadside. She complained to her companion in front of her in a low voice. Besides this irksome autumn rain, there had also been a light earthquake recently.

Bamboo Pole continued looking all the way until the enchanting and beautiful women had faded into the stream of people. If he did not have a mission tonight, he would not mind having "a chance encounter" with this beautiful woman.

As for how he would start hitting on her, there was no harm in saying: Actually, it wasn't an earthquake just now. Just two brothers with mental illnesses having a fervent conversation…

Fairchild's voice came sounding over through the HexaEar, "Your order is reflected upon your soul. My order is reflected upon my body. Each of us has only perfected one side of the problem while trying to fix our flaw on the other side."

"The difference lies in the fact that I can continue to seek a resolution. For instance, your chains… But you need to go through a challenging procedure in order to perform a systematic revision. The error lies in either the theory or in the choice, but neither will change the end result."

This was the longest Fairchild had spoken tonight. He gave off the feeling that he was being drawn in due to being on the same path. It was seriously funny and strange to Bamboo Pole when he heard Fairchild’s words… Wait a minute. Fairchild was implying that he was extremely interested in Luo Nan's ‘My heart's a prison’ format?

If nothing else, if these words were spread, it would make this Mr. Psychic and his Formatting Theory become greatly known, resounding in Xia City.

However, would things be that easy?

Bamboo Pole had his doubts. He walked into Yulan Hotel and took the elevator straight to the 89th floor. There was a restaurant on this floor and sitting at a desk facing the window was a young man wearing a red jacket. This young man waved to him.

"Hello mate. This is the best location and it only costs 20 credits."

Bamboo Pole's lips twitched as he walked over and sat down. "The best location is a block away. Kitty will be glad to swap with you."

With that said, he was able to clearly see the triangular amusement center two kilometers away by looking through the glass window wet from the rain.

Red Fox’s lips split into a grin; his expression was strange. "It felt great just now when the three buildings shook… The spaceship's about to take off."

Frost River Reality had a very interesting layout. As a whole, its structure spanned three individual buildings, with each occupying several stories. They were painted in two interweaving colors, space black and silver white. They looked like a giant triangular spaceship stuck within the city, it looked like it would be able to fly into space at any time.

Several minutes ago, Fairchild had released his Shield of Truth. It was an exaggeration to say that the buildings were shaking. Nonetheless, the intense stress radiating into the surrounding area had spanned across the material and mental planes to cover a wide space.

Bamboo Pole encountered several people who thought that it was an earthquake while walking over here. A rough estimation would yield a range with a radius exceeding three kilometers. Fairchild's monstrous aura seriously overflowed the skies.

However, Luo Nan and Cat Eyes were not really affected even though they were right in front of Fairchild. Perhaps, Fairchild was really treating them favorably.

Bamboo Pole was one of the technical staff; he wasn't like Red Fox. Once Red Fox was on call, he had nothing to do. As soon as Bamboo Pole sat down, he took out a folded screen, which he always kept always by his side. He then began to work.

He performed two or three operations and entered into the monitoring system of Frost River Reality and its surrounding buildings. Logically speaking, this was very hard to do even if he was proficient with electronics. However, the Society had always possessed a share of Frost River Reality. They had quite a few of the relevant privileges. He relied on the temporary privileges provided by He Yueyin in order to do this, which made things a bit easier for him.

Over 1000 monitoring feeds were switching back and forth on the flexible screen. Only an ability user with super dynamic eyesight like Bamboo Pole would be able to grasp the crucial information within.

Red Fox took a few glances at the flexible screen and he was completely lost. "What is the point of doing these things now? Fairchild is abnormal. That radius of three kilometers means that he has thirty square kilometers of area control. On the contrary, he might be the ones monitoring us."

Bamboo Pole did not lift his head. He continued to filter the images with his eyes. "That is way too exaggerated. The Shield of Truth’s resonance range and control range are different. It has a proportion of ten to one, so it is very difficult to deal with. After all, it is a cultivation that fuses the body and soul. How can it be the same as mental senses?"

"Oh, I actually forgot. You are an expert on Secret Orders." Red Fox let out a relaxed breath. The ‘earthquake’ just now really caused him a dramatic increase in stress. He felt a lot better now.

"Do not relax too early. Fairchild was never the type of person to keep a high profile. He actually let out the Shield of Truth without the slightest hesitation just now, covering thirty kilometers. He must have another objective."

"And what is that objective?"

"I do not know for now. Oh, there's an opening…tsk, there's trouble!"

After endlessly cleaning up the monitoring feed, some people's images grew more and more distinct. Bamboo Pole took these images and uploaded them to the Psychic Wave Network. He copied the marking and pasted it into the encrypted channel, letting all those who were part of the operation see.

"Kitty pay attention! The Order of Justice's secular side can't endure any longer. The Knights of Equity has already sent at least two small squads of ten people total. At least half of them have entered the scene…"

Red Fox stared at the screen in astonishment. "Wow, do you see that guitar case? I'll use some points from this operation to make a bet. That is absolutely a large-caliber sniper weapon. Otherwise, it wouldn't pose a threat to Fairchild. They've already started to hold sniper positions. I'm running out of patience!"

An explosion of information flooded the encrypted channel once more.

"Strange, previously, the secular side would stick their heads in the sand like ostriches when they were discontent. Why the difference now?"

"Are they starting a religious war?"

"The Order of Justice is splitting? Now that is good news!"

"The problem is that we are caught in the crossfire!"

He Yueyin's order cut through the hubbub. "Bamboo Pole, Yulan Hotel is the best sniper point of the surrounding blocks. It has to be brought under our monitoring. Avoid direct conflict with the people of the Order by all means."

"Understood… However, I am not a combatant." This was not a situation where temporary privileges could be used. Bamboo Pole would inevitably have to run on to the control room.

He stood up and just when he was about to move, Red Fox slapped his thigh. "Look, who is that?… Zhang Yingying! That girl is participating in the operation? The heck is she going in for?"

Bamboo Pole, after a moment of being stunned, adjusted the monitoring screen. He saw Zhang Yingying and a tall, beautiful women wearing a jacket walk shoulder to shoulder into Frost River Reality. The two had their arms hooked together. They chatted and laughed as they walked. They appeared very intimate and were very eye-catching.

However, the jacket wearing women's extrasensory perception was sharp. Her gaze suddenly faced the monitoring cam, meeting face to face with those observing her.

Her hazel pupils were bright, beautiful, and moving. But that expression and her empty smile brought some indescribably deep meanings.

Bamboo Pole inexplicably felt that this woman was very familiar but he was unable to think of who she was in this short while.

Before this thought could finish, Red Fox gave him another push. "Look!"

From their perspective, they just so happened to see a low altitude flying shuttle pass in the skies above Frost River Reality. With the fuzzy rain as a backdrop, He Yueyin's slender and tall figure fell in freefall.

"…she even made us go on standby!"

"This isn't the main point. The main point is, will Frost River Reality still exist when this is all over?"

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Chapter 103: Giant Vortex (2/2)

Chapter 103: Giant Vortex (2/2)

Translator: Strivon

There were some differences between Frost River Reality now and in ordinary times.

The most popular time in Frost River Reality was normally around 8 PM at night. At first glance, there was a hoard of people in the reception hall. However, most of these people were departing or were loitering around to take looks.

There had been a brawl, an earthquake, police intervention, and the arrival of a few batches of special forces. In addition, there was an ambulance sending people off. No matter how bold the players were, they all had some concerns.

The employees of the amusement center did not really do anything towards this. A group of supervisors followed the police's request for cooperation, as discussed between Xue Weilun and Frost River Reality’s manager, Yin Le. They did not hold any expectations towards tonight's profits. They just let the police rummage around.

This was precisely the scene that Zhang Yingying encountered when she entered Frost River Reality. She could not help but sigh. "If that earthquake monster makes an attack here, everyone in the reception hall will be exterminated. This flock of ignorant and lamentable people… So what does it matter if we break the law on purpose?"

Bai Xinyan shrugged. "One must take into account trustworthiness and moral values. For instance, doctors have a responsibility towards their patients till the very end."

Zhang Yingying reached out her hand to touch Bai Xinyan's face. "Los Angeles sure has amazing plastic surgery techniques. Your skin must be ten times thicker than before?"

Bai Xinyan's eyes rolled. Her mouth turned as she sought to bite Zhang Yingying's finger.

Zhang Yingying backed off while giggling. Just when she was about to speak some more, her eardrums slightly vibrated. The HexaEar transmitted. "Hello, don't waste too much time. How can you make us great masters wait?"

"Bamboo Pole you peeping Tom!" Zhang Yingying hissed. "You must be the one who was controlling the surveillance cams just now."

"I'm monitoring! Besides executing my task, I also need to avoid capturing you guys on camera. Anyways, that hostile aura is super distinct. Don't you guys feel it?"

"Are you talking about the earthquake monster? Of course, we know. However, right now, I'm keeping a guest company and bringing her to meet a person. White Salt has a patient here."

"White Salt?"

Bamboo Pole's voice suddenly spiked up an octave. "Are you sure? Is she the one wearing the tan jacket next to you? Tsk tsk. It's been several years and her style has suddenly changed. I still have an impression of her wearing a white researchers gown in my heart… Does she have a boyfriend yet?"

Zhang Yingying rolled her eyes and another message cut through their communications. "Hello, Mrs. Zhang."

"Secretary He, Vice President He!" Zhang Yingying clearly elongated her tone when she saw the communications number displayed. Zhang Yingying did not have the least bit of a good impression towards this new acquaintance who had exposed her weak nature and pressured her to go training at the bottom of the sea.

Zhang Yingying noticed that Bamboo Pole had disconnected the instant the new communications cut through. She had a rough idea towards why—one does not visit a temple without a cause; there was always an ulterior motive. This contact was probably related to the mission that Bamboo Pole had just mentioned. Humph, He Yueyin was really putting on airs.

However, He Yueyin had no intentions of trying to regain friendly relations. She directly informed Zhang Yingying of the current situation. Since time was of the essence, she did not include too many details. She just introduced the important points. Only now did Zhang Yingying learn the identity of the earthquake monster just now.

"Luo Nan is in direct confrontation with Fairchild? Is he seeking his own death?"

"It looks likes Fairchild won't harm him for now, but what will happen next? It is very likely that he will be drawn into the conflict between the truth side and the secular side of the Order of Justice. We need a few reinforcement points right now, to be prepared for accidents… Can you join?"

Zhang Yingying was speechless for some time. She had introduced this kid with great potential into the Society. Why was it that now it seemed that Luo Nan had become a troublemaker that specialized in getting involved with matters over and over?

She did not think it over too long. She glanced at Bai Xinyan. "It's no problem for me to join but I have a friend…"

"Bai Xinyan?"

"Huh, you know her?"

Bai Xinyan raised an eyebrow when she saw Zhang Yingying cast her gaze at her. In the next moment, her wristband vibrated. She saw who it was and immediately burst into a smile.

"Hello, sis. It's been a long time. How are you doing?"

Zhang Yingying's eyes bulged open. She wanted to open her mouth and ask but she saw that Bai Xinyan and He Yueyin were chatting enjoyably and freely. Zhang Yingying could only gesture repeatedly with her hands for some time. She was trying to convey.

"How do you know her?"

Bai Xinyan just blinked her eyes toward Zhang Yingying. Then she gave He Yueyin a definite reply: "…Not a problem. No matter what, I'm at least half part of the society. And it has been a long time since I've come back to Xia City. I don't know what's the level of the people here. It is good for me to have a chance of close observation."

However, she did not completely comply with He Yueyin's plans. She hesitated for a moment and said, "Do you have any tactics that are more proactive? Right now, the situation is very messy. The most important issue is to clarify just who is our friend and who is our enemy."

This dialogue was not kept hidden from people. The participating members of the operation, such as Bamboo Pole, were able to hear it through He Yueyin's channel. They had the same feeling.

This operation was a hunting operation with a Human-Faced Arachnid as their target but it had changed into a battle encounter with Fairchild, the Ears of Truth. Immediately after, it had turned into an inner conflict of the Order of Justice.

The continuous shifts of conflicts made people at a loss for what to do… They really only came here to surround and hunt a Human-Faced Arachnid.

Unfortunately, strong characters appeared one after another with continuously increasing might. The situation had turned into a giant vortex. The momentum grew more and more ferocious. It looked like the situation was headed in no direction at all. They only acted as support and reinforcements, yet the pressure was enormous.

In fact, right now there were already people who had completely given up and turned tail. Red Fox never had a strong desire to fight. "Right now, the Order of Justice is having an internal catfight. It isn't appropriate for us to participate, right? Secret Orders are composed mostly of madmen. If a full-blown war is ignited between the Society and this order, who will take responsibility?"

When there's one, there are two. Immediately, there was someone named Metal Box giving Red Box a ‘like’. This Metal Box had yet to arrive at Yulan Hotel, but he did not want to come anyway. "The Society's mission briefing talked about a Human-Faced Arachnid. Where the hell is this damn Human-Faced Arachnid? I just see Fairchild. How will the points be divided and calculated when the mission is over? This mission is far too unreasonable…"

The Wilderness Explorers Society was never an organization that possessed powerful binding clauses. Additionally, it was hard to truly expect strict obedience from a group of ability users. For example, in the last operation that targeted a Human-Faced Arachnid, Black Beetle did not follow a single one of He Yueyin’s words. He just withdrew and experienced no repercussions afterwards.

Moreover, this operation was turning more and more chaotic. People had an excuse to quit and get away from it.

With these words from Red Fox and Metal Box, even Bamboo Pole was emotionally affected for a moment. This was despite the fact that he had a bit of a friendship with Luo Nan through joint combat. Now, what about the others?

Zhang Yingying just entered the encrypted channel and saw this scene that seemed to be on the edge of collapse. She was stupefied for a moment. She turned to look at Bai Xinyan, not knowing what to say.

Bai Xinyan still had a sweet smile just as before.

That is about right. She was not a member of the society. She did not have a HexaEar. She was unable to see the changes within the encrypted channel. Right now, she was even waiting for He Yueyin's reply.

However, before He Yueyin could reply, a surging wave was conducted outwards from Frost River Reality's internal activity area. "Attack! Terrorist attack! Area A's special forces were ambushed in the room. The bunch of them died…"

The information that was transmitted was not particularly clear. However, a young man and a young woman had just met up in front of Frost River Reality's entrance. The pair found it hard to talk to each other and they were particularly susceptible to this information. After a moment of shock, the young man rushed inside the reception hall without saying any words. The young woman was unable to stop him. She shrieked.

"Xue Lei!"

This shriek was like a fuse suddenly set aflame. In addition, the young man's powerful figure burst through the crowd, bringing chaos. The crowd in the reception hall exploded a second later.

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Chapter 104: Balancing (1/2)

Chapter 104: Balancing (1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Within the room of Area A, Cat Eyes spat out a nervous breath, forcing herself to shift her attention away from the mess within the encrypted channel. But when her gaze changed directions within the room, it still fell onto the two people that were continuing to communicate with each other. She still felt that the big quarrel within the encrypted channel was a much happier place to be.

When the entire situation was mixed into a rotten mess by the stormy vortex, the eye of the storm centered on certain people. These people were still completely unaware.

Disregard Fairchild—he was one of the most powerful ability users in Xia City. He could enter the ranks of Extraordinary.

As for the other person, just why!?

Before this thought could finish, Cat Eyes saw Luo Nan unconsciously take a step forward, closing the distance between him and Fairchild to be within three steps. They were so close that it seemed that they could reach out and touch each other… Actually, Luo Nan really did reach out with his hand.

His hand waved out at an angle and it looked like it grazed the top of Fairchild's head. Fairchild did not bat an eye. Instead, he maintained that completely serious and focused look.

Luo Nan withdrew his hand and spread it out. "This is waste heat you have here."

"I agree with this description."

"It’s waste heat. How can you control it?"

"I am precisely facing this issue."

"My issue with my fleshly body requires a dangerous procedure to resolve it but it can still be done in theory. Your issue is fundamentally based on an error with logic. How can you possibly resolve it?"

Cat Eyes could not help but caress her forehead. She felt that the train of thoughts between Luo Nan and Fairchild had already entered a level that outsiders could not understand. And their words were trending deeper and deeper into abstraction.

Luo Nan did not about care what others thought. Everything was fine as long as he and the person he was facing—Fairchild—understood as well.

Ever since Luo Nan had wanted to expound on whether or not Formatting Theory was systematic, Luo Nan had tried to use words to substitute the exchange on the mental plane. He still had some influence from it and he was convinced that he was best suited to this sort of communication method.

Luo Nan and Fairchild revolved around the core that was the structure and order of the mental and material planes. Continuously deeper discussions led to the rules of the mental plane. The order of the material plane. The interference and influences between the two. Body and soul merging and tempo changing. And more…

Many things were involved and Luo Nan only understood half of it. Either that or he knew how things were but not why they were so. However, no matter what sort of thoughts and questions he tossed out, Fairchild was able to understand and respond. Fairchild used the near-perfect Shield of Truth state to give the most direct examples.

Likewise, Fairchild's self-explanatory state was able to draw resonance and insight within Luo Nan. Luo Nan stood on the theoretical foundation of Formatting Theory. He combined self-practice with the exquisite demonstration he observed on that night between Rui Wen and Jack. He was able to put forth things that could make Fairchild's eyes glisten, like soul configuration, body and soul merging, soul breathing, and so on.

Luo Nan’s muddled and chaotic thoughts gradually became clarified through these course of events. The most notable clarification was in the field of mutual interference between the material and mental planes. Some things were apparently right but actually wrong, so they were rooted out completely. His mind was clear, unprecedentedly clear.

In comparison, the pressure his body was facing was really nothing.

However, as these two clarified their reasonings, an unseen vague contradiction appeared.

The contradiction mainly occurred with Fairchild.

When this Ears of Truth saw the ‘My heart's a prison’ Format and the advantages of soul breathing, he gave great praise to the orderliness that they brought to the mental plane. However, no matter how much he wanted to achieve these things, they were not something that could be achieved by observation alone.

The structure of Fairchild's body and soul could be seen as a nuclear reactor. It was a powerful structural system that had its foundation mainly established on the material plane, therefore its main area of effect would also lie on the material plane. This was reflected in his powerful physique and extraordinary levels of defensive ability.

This was a powerful structural system. It possessed high degrees of order and was relatively sealed off. The mutual effects between the body and the soul would find it hard to break free from their respective positions, no matter the side. Because this was so, Fairchild was able to obtain the powerful force of a strong fleshly body and simultaneously have a limitation on the development on the mental plane.

The storm he formed on the mental plane was only the recycling of the spillover heat of his nuclear reactor.

Luo Nan was able to place himself on par with Fairchild but he could take out Rui Wen as an example and do a comparison.

Rui Wen's body and soul merging pursued the seamless shifting between multiple planes. She could rapidly jump between the different frequencies of the material and the mental. She possessed adaptability, improvisation, and explosive power that were inconceivable.

Fairchild was fixed to a single level, a single frequency. He took his structure and refined it to the peak, slowly expanding its range of influence.

Luo Nan was able to take note of the merits and drawbacks of these two different methods. He could only say that if Rui Wen and Fairchild were to swap places last Sunday night, the particle cannon that was fired at the artificial lake in the park may not have had an effect.

However, rewind a little bit more. If Fairchild was in the situation of being sent into unconsciousness by the controlling pulse to his brain, it would have been very hard for him to wake up by himself. He could only get trampled on.

Of course, if one wanted to make Fairchild go unconscious with the pulse, it would be better and more straightforward to just roast his brain.

From Luo Nan's level of understanding, Fairchild had enough power. His nuclear reactor, the structural system that was formed from the secret cultivation technique—the Shield of Truth that came from the Order of Justice—had already exceeded all imagination in terms of firmness and stability.

However, this was far from perfect in Fairchild's perspective. "The goal of cultivation is to explore the Truth. We need to observe the world in a more comprehensive manner to discover the deeply hidden marvels of the world, to make the order of the world definite… Nothing is more important than observation. Observation is how humanity understands the world. Giving order to the world is the most crucial ability!

"Currently, I have already reached the limits of what I can probe at the level I can access. My current structural system is limiting my observational ability. I am unable to increase the depth of it and I am having a hard time making progress. This is completely unacceptable…"

Then do you know that there is someone staring at your steel-like body with a salivating mouth?

Luo Nan understood what Fairchild was pursuing but Luo Nan did not believe that he was headed in the right direction. "The reason why your observation is limited is because of your structural system itself… I call it the high degree of order with Self-Format. Right now, your Self-Format is constantly influencing and disturbing your external surroundings.

"Your Self-Format absorbs negative entropy, causing an increase in entropy to appear with the Heaven and Earth Format of the external world and generating waste heat. It is normal for there to be disorder and a lack of tempo. The fact that you are able to make use of your format isn't really proof that you're able to cast free from this format and start anew. It just shows that your expansion of the controlling range of your Self-Format endlessly warps the Heaven and Earth Format, the format of the world. Through this, you influence the mental plane from the material plane. As for me, I do the complete opposite. I influence the material plane from the mental plane."

From this perspective, Cat Eyes' judgment that Fairchild was an All-Rounder type was incorrect. Fairchild intrinsically was still on the material plane. He was a physical enhancement type from head to tail. However, he was powerful to the peak. He was able to form an astonishing interfering force on the mental plane.

Luo Nan thought of when he had understood soul breathing and had a dramatic increase in soul strength. He was able to interfere from the mental plane to the material plane to form an aureola, a shadow image, and bizarre forms. This too ought to be a manifestation of waste heat.

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Chapter 104: Balancing (2/2)

Chapter 104: Balancing (2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Theory and practice confirmed one another, allowing Luo Nan to feel his mind grow clearer and clearer without obstruction. He stopped caring about whether or not he was wrong; he just spoke his mind. He took all the thoughts within his mind and through words and demonstrations on the mental plane, he displayed it all down to the bone.

"For a Self-Format that's mentally focused, one only needs to concentrate on the rationality of the operational structure of energy and information, on whether or not it is efficient. Changes and revisions can be done at any time but when it comes to the fleshly body, changing it is extremely difficult. It is like an inspiring illusion of a designer. The designer could bring out a refined rendering but there would always be a distance from a practical application."

"For a Self-Format that's materially focused, one needs to consider the paths of the inner organs, blood, nerves, muscle, bones, and so on. The precision required even includes aspects like cells and biomacromolecules.… This is like the work of an architect. Every kind of material has to be given sufficient consideration. Every single structure needs to be practical."

Luo Nan did not say these things without thinking. These were the subtleties that were embodied in Fairchild's demonstration just before. The micro level fine structural composition moved and amazed Luo Nan with its perfection, even if it was just the tip of the iceberg.

"Observation is the vocation of the mentally enhanced. Observation is used to experience and understand the operational laws of all of the world's living beings and try to predict a more refined and effective operational structure of energy and information. Oh, it could be called 'configuring'. One seeks to form a perfect pre-configuration."

Luo Nan felt more and more that the word ‘configuration’ that Jack had mentioned was really concise and marvelous. He could not help but use the word once more. "For a physically enhanced, one should focus on the practical reconstruction of the configuration in order to manifest control power and alteration ability towards the material plane… However, you use a materially focused ability to do work that is mentally focused. Obviously, this is very hard to do successfully. This defies the material laws!"

Fairchild let Luo Nan talk and demonstrate without end. Even though there were many things that were banal within Luo Nan's words, even though Luo Nan was repeating things over and over, Fairchild listened quietly from beginning to end. This was because he knew that Luo Nan was not trying to lecture him or prove something. Luo Nan was just combing through his own understanding once more.

This lasted until Luo Nan clarified the distinction between the mentally focused and the materially focused. Fairchild then asked simply, "Why can't one balance the two and attend to both?"

"Balance?" Luo Nan suddenly stopped and was a bit lost in thought. "Yes? Why can't it be balanced? It is clearly possible…"

Fairchild mentioned this without thinking. However, Luo Nan had a real life example.

Rui Wen who was still in a coma. Even though she had a slender figure, she was a young girl who possessed inconceivable abilities. Her short few minutes of slaughtering attacks were the most brilliant of demonstrations given to Luo Nan.

Luo Nan had once believed that the two different methods of Rui Wen and Fairchild each had their own merits but right now he suddenly discovered that Rui Wen's configuration of body and soul merging was the greatest refined model in revealing the effects of having the mental and the material plane in equilibrium.

From Luo Nan's current level understanding, it was nearly perfect.

"This is enough!"

Cat Eyes' had reached the limits of her patience during Luo Nan's idleness. It was a complete disaster within the Society's encrypted channel. Metal Box had withdrawn from the operation and Red Box and Papercut were also on the verge of quitting. The situation that He Yueyin let unfold had long since turned different from the powerful style she exhibited before.

Cat Eyes was one of the people trapped in a dangerous situation waiting to be rescued. Naturally, she felt upset. And right at this time, this dude—Luo Nan—was still speaking dialogue that turned back and forth from suddenly being enigmatic to being cliché… Fairchild could bear it but she could not.

Cat Eyes simply smacked Luo Nan on the back. "Nobody's getting anything done on the outside… Huh?"

Luo Nan fell straight forward when he was hit by Cat Eyes' palm. Luckily, Cat Eyes had quick reactions and managed to grab onto his shoulder. Otherwise, he would've fallen headfirst next to Fairchild's foot.

Remember, Cat Eyes had shared her perspective. Not a bit of Luo Nan situation could be hidden from the encrypted channel.

He Yueyin's cold voice cut across, "What's going on?"

Zhang Yingying exclaimed in astonishment, "Heartbreaker Palm! You!"

Cat Eyes was flabbergasted. God knows what happened. Luo Nan, this kid, had a critical imbalance between his body and soul but this was not enough to make him this weak!

Fairchild had a different reaction to Cat Eyes's blank response. He was not surprised at all. He just shifted his gaze towards an area above with no object in sight.

Over there, Luo Nan responded awkwardly. During his selfless demonstration on the mental plane, he had actually subconsciously let his soul pull some distance from his fleshly body. This one accident caused his soul to leave his body.

Luckily, he had cut deep into the mental plane. Fairchild, who had been constantly communicating with him, was able to lock onto his position.

Going into the out-of-body state was not that bad. However, his fleshly body had to suffer the consequences later on.. Luo Nan sighed and was about to head back to his body when Fairchild's thoughts cut across, continuing the previous dialogue just as before.

"Balancing isn't a compromise, rather it is a revision that is purer. Have you had a taste of it before? Merging with the rays of Truth is like sleeping within a womb. Every breath links together the inner and outer world. It is truly breathing out the old and breathing in the new, getting rid of filth and bringing in purity..."

Fairchild had made a description that was a bit abstract and confusing but his sincere emotions fused with the storm on the mental plane, allowing Luo Nan to have a blurry personal experience.

"We can give it a shot. Come help me."

Anyone else would have been confused by Fairchild's expression of words. Luo Nan, however, was able to understand without any difficulty. Intense curiosity suddenly overflowed from his mind, causing him to forget the fact that he was still in an out-of-body state. The dark chains then shook to strike Fairchild's mental storm.

Luo Nan's dark chains constantly remained on guard amidst their direct exchange no matter how long it was. However, the attacker and the defender were intentionally switched this time around.

The dark chains pressed down on the mental storm for the first time, pressing into Fairchild's controlling range. The power of the ‘My heart’s a prison’ format was instantly used, taking the orderliness that this format possessed and sending it into the depths of Fairchild's layer of waste heat, the mental storm.

Luo Nan was increasing his hold in a way, like when he did so against Rui Wen and Ink.

In an instant, Luo Nan's consciousness briefly cut into Fairchild's range of mental senses. A three-hundred meter radius area was brought into his clairvoyance.

The resulting cross-section covered a vast space of 300,000 square meters. The entirety of Frost River Reality was covered. A high-speed flow of energy and information rapidly converged with a bang. They went through a special configuration that filtered and analyzed the energy and information, arranged them into levels, and made them distinct and concise.

Fairchild closed his eyes as he quietly took in this wonderful experience... The marvels of this experience were not as simple as experiencing an all-encompassing perception.

Observation brought with it order, and order is the Truth.

At the same time, observation brought with it pressure.

For Luo Nan, receiving the information from Fairchild's mental senses was like taking the hits of a giant flail revolving at high-speeds; his entire soul was trembling violently. Though Fairchild's range of senses was inferior to his, Fairchild's level and depth of understanding far exceeded Luo Nan’s. It was like a super-rich nutrient, and it gave Luo Nan difficulties that were beyond his capabilities.

If Luo Nan was not in his out-of-body state and was in his fleshly body, then he would have vomited blood. However, in his out-of-body state, Luo Nan was able to feel the strength of his soul have some clear growth under Fairchild's stimulation and he was unable to suppress it.

"What the heck are you up to this time?"

An emotion like a bitter laugh surfaced in Luo Nan's heart as Fairchild made a sudden step towards Luo Nan. The snow-white gown fluttered to reveal a fist that had been concealed inside. The fist launched straight out, smashing into the chest of Luo Nan's unconscious body.

A radiance like liquid mercury circulated and surged between the tip of Fairchild's fist and Luo Nan's chest.

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Chapter 105: Sniper Power (1/2)

Chapter 105: Sniper Power (1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Cat Eyes was like a giant cat with puffed up fur the instant Fairchild unleashed his fist. She pounced forth.

A powerful jolt was transmitted from Luo Nan's body the moment she supported him by the shoulder with her hand. She felt like she had been electrocuted and her hand was flung off. Her entire body then took the attack.

However, her touching Luo Nan was not the most key factor for her intense response.

In this instant, it did not matter whether it was within the encrypted channel or her intrinsic senses. Intense warning signals were sent shooting everywhere. What was troublesome was that the warning signals and stimulation had many firing points going off in different directions, different intensities, and different distances. Together, they built a giant net of danger that made one's scalp go numb. Cat Eyes' split second decision skills were now tested to their limits.

However, Fairchild's single fist wiped out at least ninety percent of her options off the table. Only a single viable path was laid bare before her eyes.

Luo Nan's unconscious body was flung even faster than Cat Eyes' hand. His body flew into the air and smashed into the wall behind with a loud bang. A quicksilver-like radiating glow permeated Luo Nan's entire body with its illumination the instant he collided. The glow then faded without a trace.

Luo Nan's body lost all strength and fell, sticking to the base of the wall and sitting on the ground.

Cat Eyes moved backward to arrive at Luo Nan's side. However, she did not bring him up. Instead, she pressed against his neck, pushed him down, and got down beside him.

The instant she completed these series of actions, two thuds sounded out from the sound-proof wall of the room. Several adults were blown away by the explosion of wall-insulation, drywall, and other particles of building materials through the wall. A cloud of turbid smoke and dust hung in the air, covering more than half of the room.

However, the dark red curves of ballistic trajectories soon cut this cloud of dust into bits and pieces. Special rounds bombarded one after another against the ground and walls to explode in sequence. They broke apart the smokescreen as the sound of powerful lightning interweaved together. The interior of the room was transformed into a sheet of ruins in an instant.

As one could imagine, if Luo Nan had remained in his previous position, he would have turned into swiss cheese in the blink of an eye.

Someone else was also within the scope of danger, Xue Weilun, or Officer Xue. He had taken Fairchild's mental storm attack earlier on and had sat dazed on the ground. He was in the middle of recovering with all his might when the torrent of bullets came pelting down. Fragments and dust had flown through the air, enveloping him within.

When the wave of attacks arrived upon Xue Weilun, he did not receive any fatal damage due to the exoskeleton armor he was wearing. Instead, he was completely awakened from the dazed state of his soul. He performed a few tactical movements by instinct and ducked into the corner at breakneck speed. In the end, he managed to avoid the brunt of the attack.

The others in the room were not as fortunate. The two police officers, who had tried to drag Luo Nan and Cat Eyes earlier on, had been background characters for quite some time. However, this wave of attacks caused them to fall instantly. It was unknown whether they were dead or alive.

Guo Ju, who had been kneeling unconscious all this time, was the worst of the bunch to be hit by the wave of attacks. Large caliber sniper rounds had struck his back and the upper half of his body had been smashed to smithereens. Flesh and blood sprayed everywhere. He could not be more dead than he was now.

The astringent smell of blood assailed them, combined with a boiling killing intent that was like an invisible roasting flame. The sensations assaulted Cat Eyes's perception, forcing her to shear them endlessly layer by layer. Only in doing so was she able to eliminate these interferences and grasp the crucial information.

But the problem was that the enemy knew very well the absolute power and unparalleled defenses of Fairchild's Shield of Truth. Long ranged firepower may have low effectiveness but it was still the only option. No one would want to get near within a hundred meters of Fairchild.

This left Cat Eyes with no chance to display her long-range perception ability.

The original target of the hail of fire was the Ears of Truth, Fairchild. He withdrew his fist upon striking Luo Nan and blasting him away. He did not adopt any particular combat stance. Instead, the aura with a luster like quicksilver enveloped his body, circulating him and looking very thick. No matter the projectile, all the rounds lost their kinetic energy right before this inconceivable aura. The powerful sounds and lightning of the rounds were also blocked by the aura.

It was a marvel that defied the laws of physics. Cat Eyes could feel a slight chill seep through the cracks of her teeth. She felt a deep sense of unfathomness.

Fairchild's display was of high luminosity and thus attracted most of the firepower. Cat Eyes and Officer Xue now had a chance to catch their breaths.

The sounds of miserable shrieking, crying, and moaning was endlessly heard. Though several of the players of Frost River Reality had left the site after the series of incidents, there were still a few people remaining. They might have fainted or they were just onlookers but these people did not evacuate immediately.

Two snipers of the Knights of Equity had opened fire and two ballistic trajectories of bullets had cut through the area, turning the region into hell on earth.

The degree the room was ruined far exceeded the chaotic and miserable outside. Aside from the shock bullets from the very beginning, with their explosions reaching 170 decibels, no one had uttered a sound from beginning to end.

For some people, it was too late. For some people, the situation made no sense. There was also Cat Eyes. She caught two big breaths, took all her emotions, and poured it into the encrypted channel.

"How can you all make it so easy for the Order of Justice to deploy two sniper positions!?"

Bamboo Pole revealed a helpless expression. "We didn't even know if we were going to make a move. What could we have done? Also, who could have possibly imagined that the Order of Justice would cause this big of a mess? Internal strife should be handled in a special manner."

He sighed and continued providing information on the immediate situation. "Right now, the Order of Justice is sending people inside without end. Aside from going inside Frost River Reality, a portion of their people have gone to the top floors of the surrounding three buildings. My ability to monitor those regions have been blocked. I don't know what they're doing. I just sent a request to the Society for commandeering a satellite or an atmospheric monitoring balloon. However, it may be too slow to meet our pressing needs."

The wavering Red Fox had been by Bamboo Pole's side all this time. He supplemented with his own complaints. "The Order of Justice already has people stationed where we are at right now. I don't know when but they're coming to take over the control room! Damn! Everything's going downhill. Where are the negotiators of the Society?"

He Yueyin's response was simple. "The three First Oblatums of the Order of Justice have cut off communications. We are unable to contact them."

Zhang Yingying tsked twice. "From my recollection, those First Oblatums are all of the secular side. What a coincidence. There are three buildings surrounding us. One First Oblatum for each building..."

A strange silence suddenly emerged within the encrypted channel. A full two seconds passed before Zhang Yingying whistled. "Yep. Secret Orders are filled with lunatics. We shouldn't need to pick a side in their civil war right?"

He Yueyin skipped over this topic. "Verify Mr. Luo's state."

"He's still not dead yet," replied Cat Eyes unhappily. She looked over Luo Nan's face a few times and added, "His eyelids are moving. If he's not pretending to be asleep, his brain is in a state of low-conscious activity. Perhaps he is trying to understand that iron fist of love from Fairchild? Damnit, I'm just guessing over here!"

Cat Eyes's answer represented the views of nearly everyone in the encrypted channel. They might have been surprised by Fairchild's fist strike, but they were not worried about Luo Nan's safety. This was probably the power of a dialogue between a nutjob and a mad believer. Their means of conversation could not be held to common sense, so those in the encrypted channel should not engage in further absurd speculations, less they also became infected by mental illnesses...

Cat Eyes's brows shot up at this time. She keenly sensed a change in the outside world. "The attack is over. Did you guys make a move?"

"Not at all." Zhang Yingying expressed her innocence.

However, He Yueyin did not reply. In the end, it was Bamboo Pole who made a confirmation. "Secretary He got rid of one. For the other sniper, a buff lad has rushed in the fray. He looks very familiar. Oh, I remember now. It was the little fellow who held off Black Wolf at the Limestone Water Village. It seems that Mr. Luo's classmate has arrived. Is he really not an ability user?"

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Chapter 105: Sniper Power (2/2)

Chapter 105: Sniper Power (2/2)

Translator: Strivon

"I think the kid's last name is Xue. He's probably the disciple of that martial arts master. He sure has guts." Zhang Yingying failed to protect Luo Nan on the night at Water Village Pub but this young man had made up for her mistake. She had a rather deep impression of him.

Bamboo Pole expressed his approval as well but he soon added, "Isn't he a bit hot-headed? He's also lacking in combat experience. He's not even able to lift his head due to the suppressive fire on him..."

"Zhang Yingying go support him," ordered He Yueyin directly.

Zhang Yingying shrugged, "Sorry, you and I don't have that great of a relationship."

Those words fell on deaf ears as He Yueyin continued to give orders. "Upon destroying the sniper point, advance counterclockwise along the perimeter and clear out all opposing personnel carrying loaded weapons. There is no need to pay attention to the enemies who are purely ability users. Bamboo Pole will coordinate with you."

"Hello!?"

He Yueyin no longer paid attention to Zhang Yingying. She gave out order after order. "Bamboo Pole, first establish a communications link for White Salt. Give her secondary level rights to the encrypted channel and then mark out all enemy personnel carrying loaded weapons. Do your best to get it all on video for archiving purposes."

Bamboo Pole understood He Yueyin's intentions. "What a good plan. The city government and the military have just pointed their long ranged weaponry over here. They are using weapons of high destructive power as a warning to all parties. We are all good citizens of the city, right..?Let's make it clear!"

The communications link with Bai Xinyan was established while Bamboo Pole was talking. Bai Xinyan's wristband then vibrated and a large quantity of information came flooding into her wristband.

Bai Xinyan laughed as she conscientiously combed through the information with a lowered head. At the same time, she gave Zhang Yingying a wave with her other hand. This young lady was full of discontent but she could only look towards the sky and roll her eyes before turning stealthily to go to the location indicated by Bamboo Pole.

He Yueyin's manner of speaking grew a bit politer as she said, "White Salt. You're in charge of getting your patient, Mr. Nan, out of there. Is that alright?"

Bai Xinyan responded with all smiles. "It is a doctor's duty to help the dying and save the injured. However, are you sure that Fairchild would like us getting involved?"

He Yueyin returned to a manner of speaking that was completely cold. "This has nothing to do with him."

After a moment's pause, He Yueyin spoke to Bamboo Pole. "Help me establish another communications line."

The two sniper points were no longer suitable locations, resulting in the Knights of Equity having a lot of their follow-up tactics forcibly severed. It was not an easy task to find a suitable location within the complicated interior of the amusement center.

An unusual moment of peace actually appeared within the ramshackled room. There were only four survivors inside and the one who did not understand the situation the most was likely Xue Weilun. In any case, this diligent police officer had the most misgivings right now.

His gaze and his equipment scanned from the other three people within the room and his unconscious underlings outside. The concentrated wave of fire just now had mainly targeted the interior of the room. The special police outside had protection with their exoskeleton armor and their vital signs were relatively stable at this time. All of this information appeared in his command data.

Xue Weilun ought to be happy but when he saw the battered body of Guo Ju and the two regular police officers who were too late to be saved, his emotions grew complicated and he could not calm down.

In the end, his gaze fell to the center of the room, resting upon the white-gowned man who had been calm all this time. This was the man who had brought upon these series of disaster, yet this man viewed them as if they were nothing. The concentrated shrapnel was merely the drizzle of an autumn's night from this man's perspective. The drizzle touched his body with its moisture but he did not get wet.

This kind of monster should not exist in the ordinary world of man. This monster, with his immense pressure, stood on a slope that was levels high above. He could run over the bewildered and the weak like a flood and cause terrifying injuries.

It was rare for Xue Weilun to be emotional but at this time a static noise came through his transmitter. A voice containing hesitation emerged out from it. "... We can patch the comms this way? It can't be that easy to break into the data link of the police, right?"

Though the radio distance was far and the signal was intermittent, Xue Weilun was able to tell who it was without a doubt. His heart instantly clenched up. "Leister! Is that you?"

"Hello? Dad, are you really okay? I'm with my friend Nanster right now. Everything is fine."

On the other side of the call, Xue Lei did his best to make his voice appear calm. However, there was a problem; a father knows his son the best. Xue Weilun was able to sense and infer things from the minute sounds of breathing from his son. More so, there was a gaping hole in his son's faux words that ‘everything is fine’ and this hole was clearly placed in front of him.

Xue Weilun's mind spun as he seethed with anger. "You entered the site? Are you counting on your Three-Legged Cat Martial Arts? I never should have sent you to that dojo in the first place. Don't you know what kind of situation this place is in right now!?"

However, how could it possible for Xue Weilun to worry about other things in this moment of desperation? His roaring voice rushed out from his armor and resounded within the ruined room.

Separated by a distance of several hundred meters, Xue Lei could only shrink back as his old man lectured him in a torrent of abuse. Next to Xue Lei, Zhang Yingying laughed in great delight... It did not matter who was out of luck, she would always find pleasure in it.

"Xue Lei, are you listening to me? Get the f**k out of here right now..!"

Xue Weilun's roars swept and spilled out all around the broken room—not even an echo was produced. However, Luo Nan, who had been pressed to the ground by Cat Eyes, twitched twice with his eyelids. He then opened his eyes.

"Oh, Leister's here now?"

"You're awake?" Cat Eyes was a bit astonished, "I thought you were going to play dead until the situation is over."

Playing dead? Cat Eyes was obviously mocking him. Luo Nan could only laugh in response but soon he discovered that he and Cat Eyes were lying shoulder to shoulder next to each other. They were extremely close. Close enough to smell each other's breaths. It was more or less embarrassing.

Luo Nan turned over and sat up. Just this one movement caused fine sounds to creak from the flesh and bones of his entire body. His body was stiff but soon it relaxed. He stretched his neck, his expression rather subtle.

Cat Eyes remained prone on the ground. She asked with a frown, "Hellooo, aren't you scared of being blasted in the head by a gun?"

"They haven't been cleared out yet? The remaining long distance snipers are withdrawing."

Cat Eyes felt that their current positions were far too awkward. Upon hearing Luo Nan's irrefutable words and pondering for a moment, she just simply sprung up and shot a cold eye at Luo Nan. "Do you know the situation?"

"Generally," said Luo Nan freely, his gaze never leaving Xue Weilun who was to the side. This father was angry to the point of stomping his feet.

No matter how calm and steady this Uncle Xue was, he too would have this sort of appearance when seeing his child in danger. Viewing such interactions was really quite interesting.

"You're really taking things leisurely."

Cat Eyes' furrowed brows furrowed even tighter. Luo Nan really gave off this sort of change upon awakening. It seemed that his characteristic of being a nut-job had strengthened. At any time, he could sink into trains of thought that outsiders had no chance of understanding.

The problem was, though you may be a nut-job, not everyone else was a mad believer like Fairchild!

The instant Cat Eyes thought this, the mad believer Fairchild finally made a move after standing calmly all this time. He leaned and walked two steps, attracting everyone's gazes in an instant.

Even Xue Weilun put lecturing his child on pause when he saw this. He watched Fairchild with rapt attention.

The three multi-function robots, which Fairchild had trampled out of operation, blocked the front of Fairchild. By now, these robots had already been baptized by the hail of special bullets. They were complete scrap now and even their system self-test function had been stalled.

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Chapter 106: Words of Krait (Part 1/2)

Chapter 106: Words of Krait (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Fairchild stood in front of the three piles of scrap, sweeping his gaze across them. The partially warped metal structures, then seemed to be sliced by an incorporeal blade. They split one by one.

When the three piles of scraps crumbled apart, the figure of a person was unexpectedly shown.

It was Huang Bingzhen. While this brother was unconscious, he had been pressed down by the stretcher and blocked by the robots. There had been absolutely no trace of his existence. He had actually survived the hail-fire of bullets just now; he was just injured by the shrapnel. He just so happened to wake up from the pain at this time and he started to moan for help.

Fairchild reached out his hand. Of course, this action had nothing to do with Huang Bingzhen. In the next moment, a metal box shot up noiselessly among the pile of metal components and fell into Fairchild's hand.

"Is that the storage unit containing the Human-Faced Arachnid?" Cat Eyes's gaze scanned the metal box. It was hard for her to correlate the image of that arachnid with this box.

The dead and damned Guo Ju had been quite detailed in describing the course of events during his confession to Fairchild. Cat Eyes, with her long-range perception, naturally did not miss it.

Stowed away in that metal box was the barest core of the object that sparked today's events... It was the raw source and key information that could construct the Human-Faced Arachnid. All one needed was to use a special method of reconstruction with this box and a Human-Faced Arachnid would pop out of it in minutes. Even if this arachnid was an imitation, it could pass as the genuine article and possessed formidable might and capabilities.

The display before Fairchild had been like a farce because the pilot of this Human-Faced Arachnid had been Huang Bingzhen. Huang Bingzhen was moaning in agony on the ground right now in a very clumsy manner.

Fairchild quietly sized up the metal box with extreme and serious attention. He was so intense that everyone else present was subconsciously holding their breaths. They feared disturbing this person. They feared causing a situation.

A voice then suddenly rang out at this time, "Fairchild, don't you even feel an ounce of regret when facing this masterpiece?"

Everyone else in the room ate a sudden shock. Cat Eyes was worse off; she felt a shiver run down her spine.

The voice had been transmitted into the room in a very bizarre manner.It emerged out of nothing within this ramshackled room. The voice was low, feeble, and tapered. The words came out in a low hiss, as if spat out by a snake. Though the voice carried this special characteristic, Cat Eyes was unable to sense anything about it at all. The voice had rung clearly within her ear but she was unable to grasp any clues from it. Her so-called long-range perception had turned into a mere decoration.

Within the encrypted channel, He Yueyin then uploaded some information.

"The Secretbound First Oblatum. The Words of Krait."

In this moment, all those with an understanding of the organizational structure of the Order of Justice in the encrypted channel shivered with fear.

The Order of Justice was a world-scale secret order. They took equivalent exchange as their core doctrine and made oaths upon it. They—especially their secular side faction—valued their doctrine to a degree impossible to imagine for ordinary people. Many core secrets and esoterica relied on strict, callous oaths to be maintained.

The witnesses to these oaths, ranked from low to high, were the Clearsworn, the Secretbound, and the Mindseer. They were also executors and punishers. They were the axis of power of this entire order's system.

Though the Secretbound First Oblatum was ranked in the middle of the First Oblatums, this priest had a status that was higher than the other duties in the Order of Justice by an entire level. The Secretbound was a high ranking member, a diplomatic officer of secrets. The Order of Justice may be a secret order on a world-scale but there were only a hundred or so Secretbounds in total. On average, each metropolis only contained one or two of them.

As such, every Secretbound First Oblatum oversaw a region. They were in charge of enormous power. In terms of political status, the Society would need to take the leader of their Xia City Branch, Ouyang Chen, to match in reciprocity.

But further thought proved the emergence of a Secretbound to be no surprise; this was a wrestling of power between high levels of the Order of Justice. The Ears of Truth Fairchild had an impressive reputation for his strength on the world level. He was infinitely close to the realm of an Extraordinary.

Looking at the situation from this perspective, the events so far in Frost River Reality were nothing more than a show of extravagance. Those that would come to suffer would be the innocent civilians in the bloodbath and the misfortunate tiny ability users of the Society.

"Damn it! I'm done here!"

Red Fox could not hold back from expressing his discontent within the encrypted channel. "This isn't a problem on the level of a city fire. It's a battle between gods! Normally, it would be too late to hide but we actually bumped into this with eyes wide open..!"

No one in the Society responded for a time but that was because Fairchild spoke in response to the Secretbound, "Though this piece of work is quite refined, it is still a toy that satisfies the blasphemer's sinful desires. I don't see the qualifications for it to be called a 'masterpiece'."

The Secretbound First Oblatum used the mystic technique of the Words of Krait to laugh softly. As for his whereabouts, not a single person knew.

"Oh Fairchild, I need to remind you of something once again. Your logic can be placed upon the two sides of the Scales of Truth in a perfect exchange. Is this your reasoning? This holy object, this sacrificial vessel, can sustain our Order, but it is also a giant toy that satisfies the sinful desires of our believers?"

Fairchild's expression did not change. This was not the first time that such debates had occurred. He understood extremely well that it was meaningless to use words to retort. "An Weng, you just need to understand one thing; this object won't return to your hands. Your laughable 'holy exchange' will ultimately be reduced to a senseless dream."

"So, you have chosen to cooperate with the ability user society?"

The moment An Weng uttered these words, all the members of the Society sharing Cat Eyes' perspective felt a shock run through their mind. Despite this, Fairchild did not really react. These kind of words were tantamount to the most serious of accusations. One misstep would spark a clash between these two world-scale organizations, the Order of Justice and the ability user society.

Unfortunately, Fairchild was disinclined to explain anything. "I'm just cleaning up the believers that desecrate the truth."

A subtle jolt ran through the room when these words were let loose. The quicksilver-like aura upon Fairchild's body rippled and all information circulating within the channel were shredded to pieces as the Words of Krait were blocked.

Fairchild then lowered his arm to take the metal box with the white sleeves of his robe. No one knew what he was going to do with it later on.

However, this series of dialog caused an uproar to occur within the encrypted channel.

Red Fox was the most emotional. He directly let out a shriek. "We've been done in good this time! Fairchild is too heartless, taking advantage of the situation for his own benefit. Screw your 'cleaning up'! Screw your cooperation! Can't you talk clearly!?"

Zhang Yingying had entered the channel a bit late and she had not really paid much detail to the chat history. She was ignorant of the situation and watched the chaotic scene with enjoyment. "That metal box must be very crucial. Hopefully, we won't have to fight for it with a lot of effort..."

"The Human-Faced Arachnid is stored within this box and Guo Ju was supposed to retrieve it. Though I listened to his explanation, he said something about downloading?"

Bamboo Pole was a technical member, so he was more concerned with the technical issues. He asked Cat Eyes, "What did Guo Ju say earlier?"

Cat Eyes had begun sharing her perspective in the middle of Fairchild's and Guo Ju's dialog exchange. Most of the people within the encrypted channel did not receive the complete information. Naturally, they were still confused.

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Chapter 106: Words of Krait (Part 2/2)

Chapter 106: Words of Krait (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Cat Eyes felt an incoming headache. Complicated theory was involved and Guo Ju had been in a muddled state of mind; some aspects were spoken quite vaguely. There were many parts of it that were incomprehensible. She could only simply say.

"Apparently this was the most successful experiment that the secular side has made in regards to the Human-Faced Arachnid. If they continued their research, their ultimate target would be mass-production? Is this right?"

"..."

"Hellooo, I'm asking you." Cat Eyes gave Luo Nan a prod.

Luo Nan was a bit surprised. "You're asking me?"

"Who else can I ask? This is the matter that Fairchild seeks to resolve. You and he were chatting so delightfully. Did you clarify the matter?"

"This matter was of no value to our discussion."

Luo Nan shook his head with sincerity. The conversation he and Fairchild had was mainly in the field of the mutual interference between the mental and material planes. The Human-Faced Arachnid Exoskeleton Armor was a construct that purely existed on the mental plane and it was a simple model at that. It could not even be considered to be a soul configuration. What was there worth discussing?

Cat Eyes could not refrain from rolling her eyes. So it turned out that this guy was still in his nut-job mode.

Red Fox was highly anxious all this time and had long since had grievances. He could not hold back from letting out several dozen tsks within the encrypted channel before sneering bitterly. "Mr. Luo. Master Luo. Our group of people is braving the great danger of a vicious conflict with the Order of Justice to give you support. Are you saying that we're doing this for the sake of something that is 'not worth discussing'? Alright then! You sir are really something! It's fine for me to not be at your beck and call then!"

Red Fox walked away with his hands swinging upon speaking these words. Next to him, Bamboo Pole saw that things were going down a bad direction and grabbed Red Fox. "Wait! Calm down! Luo Nan didn't speak clearly. The topics that he and Fairchild discussed were more abstract; they didn't necessarily touch upon this matter..."

"And you understand the abstract topics they talked about? Is it for this that we followed him, hand and foot? I said early on that today's mission never had a clear objective from the very start. Our duties aren't clear. Our group of people came here in a fluster based on the directions of a nutjob. I haven't seen a Human-Faced Arachnid in this operation yet. Instead, we got ourselves stuck in the middle of the Order of Justice's internal strife. And the result? Their main leaders didn't even make a move yet and we've gathered our people brazenly to wipe the area with great toil and effort. He he, he's the henchman of the Order of Justice, the Vanguard of Civil War. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Red Fox anger exploded. If he was not involved in this incident, he would have laugh away instead, taking Luo Nan's and Fairchild's exchange as a joke.

However, Red Fox and Bamboo Pole were in the control room of Yulan Hotel right now and they had left a bit of a trail. The Knights of Equity were here to seize a sniping position. Sooner or later, they would come slaughtering inside. It would be hard to avoid conflict. Red Fox would have been fine if Luo Nan had truly explained the course of events clearly, said words of apologies, and added a word of thanks. However, Luo Nan only said that these things ‘weren't worth discussing’. How insensible could this kid be!?

Moreover, Red Fox had a deeper concern. "The Society has yet to issue a clear statement as of yet. Expert reinforcements have not arrived. There's no trace of coordination. If we really do discuss this matter with the Order of Justice, what value do we have? Are we the first wave of cannon fodder? Or are we being set up to be the fall guys?"

Bamboo Pole continued to try and persuade Red Fox. "You're overthinking it. President Ouyang is not that kind of person..."

"Everyone has a dark side, you just haven't seen his! Or, do you think that this situation can be contained within the scope of Xia City? Everyone, brother and sisters, y'all still haven't figured it out? The situation is already catastrophically enormous! These secret orders are experts in these topics of faith. They make a big fuss over minor issues. They will always believe themselves to be politically correct. Right now, we don't even have proof that we're not aiding Fairchild. Or don't tell me that we're going to send them our conversation log to prove our own innocence?"

It was now He Yueyin's turn to try and persuade him. "Red Fox..."

"I'm talking with Boss Nan right now. You can go shut up, secretary!" Red Fox grew angrier the more he thought about things. He did not give face to anyone. He scolded whoever dared to speak.

The state of the encrypted channel turned very awkward when these words were spoken. Red Fox clearly demonstrated that the only person he wanted to talk to was Luo Nan. Anyone else who opened their mouths would just be pouring oil onto the fire.

Luo Nan had been lost in thought for a few moments before discovering that he had turned into Red Fox's target. He really was not that insensible. He just did not really think things over too much. He had spoken too bluntly—that was all.

The Faith Product, which he had dubbed the Human-Faced Arachnid Exoskeleton Armor, was essentially a simplified model of a soul configuration. Having seen the on-site demonstration with Huang Bingzhen and having his Wraith Sign as a true reference, Luo Nan could very well create his own Human-Faced Arachnid Exoskeleton Armor. All he needed to do was to collect enough negative emotions. This was not hard to do. It was not that big of a deal.

On the other hand, this was not Fairchild's realm of expertise. If they really discussed this topic, Fairchild would not have as clear of an understanding as Luo Nan. Luo Nan felt that he was quite wronged for a time.

But on the other-other hand, the report warning about the Human-Faced Arachnid was made recklessly. Additionally, he had ignored He Yueyin's instructions by directly entering the site of the incident. This led to the continuous change and escalation of the situation. Indeed, he had made mistakes prior.

Though Red Fox had complained constantly about the many changes in the mission objective, he still followed along from beginning to end. Right now, he was about to be involved in a frontal clash with the Order of Justice. Things were extremely dangerous for him. He really did have a basis for his anger.

Luo Nan did not mind making apologies nor did he mind saying a few buttery words. However, the current context was quite complicated. He really did not know what response would be the most appropriate.

He looked at the person closest to him, Cat Eyes. Cat Eyes was holding her arms to her chest and had a callous and reproaching appearance that said, "Looking at your awkwardness makes me feel great." However, Cat Eyes had her right arm sticking out to the side. Two fingers stuck up from them and then hooked downwards a few times. Her meaning was to have Luo Nan lower his head and admit his mistakes.

She was constantly sharing her perspective, so she used a method that was covert to make it hard for others to discover what she was doing. However, this sort of signal was far too vague.

At this time, two friends transmitted messages through the HexaEar's personal interface to Luo Nan simultaneously. One friend was He Yueyin. The other was actually Zhang Yingying.

"Apologize to Red Fox. Try communicating with Fairchild and clear up the matter with the Human-Faced Arachnid."

"Speak a few words to Fairchild. Do some formalities. Red Fox has made many complaints. Just give him a way out and things will be fine."

The content of the two messages was different but the meaning was the same. Both sought to teach Luo Nan ways to alleviate the situation. He Yueyin's method followed her style. However, Zhang Yingying's words came as a bit of a surprise to Luo Nan.

What Luo Nan wanted was none other than these concrete instructions. He let out a breath of relief and responded obediently within the encrypted channel. "I'm sorry, Red Fox. I didn't really think things over just now. Let me talk with Fairchild once more..."

Luo Nan was also mulling things over as he spoke. Though Red Fox had spat out a pile of angry words and some of its content was quite understandable. The biggest problem that their group of society members faced right now was their unclear status with the Order of Justice's internal strife. They were subject to critique, and they did not have any substantial proof to their own innocence.

Luo Nan even went to a level deeper in thought. He already understood the Human-Faced Arachnid's configuration but he had nothing to support his words. There was not enough proof if the Society wanted to negotiate with the Order of Justice behind the scenes. The only true conclusive proof was naturally that metal box within Fairchild's hand.

Luo Nan more or less had an understanding of Fairchild's nature. At most, Fairchild would do a verification of the storage unit. After that, it was highly probable for Fairchild to simply destroy the unit. That would be really quite the waste.

Luo Nan's mind was clear. He spoke to Fairchild. "Mr. Fairchild, if you're not going to use that storage unit... Why don't you leave it with us for verification and safekeeping?"

Cat Eyes: "?"

He Yueyin: "..."

Zhang Yingying: "!"

Red Fox: "F**K! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

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Chapter 107: The Shield of Truth (Part 1/2)

Chapter 107: The Shield of Truth (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Red Fox was not the only one exploding with anger when Luo Nan let these words out of his mouth; everyone in the encrypted channel was exploding with anger.

"You all saw it! You all saw it!" Red Fox was drained of all his energy by the time he finished reproaching Luo Nan. His roaring turned into a moan. "I knew all along that this bastard was a complete weasel..."

"A true idiot."

Zhang Yingying smacked her face with her palm and felt too embarrassed to face anyone. She was unable to meet Xue Lei’s eyes, even though he was looking at her as if he were looking at a lunatic. Just how naive was she? She actually believed that this kid, who was completely serious in being hired as an office worker, would be able to fix this matter!

Though Bamboo Pole believed himself to possess the calmness and collectedness of a technical worker, he could not but help say, "In the future, it would be better to not let him speak and just have him draw his psychic drawings..."

Truthfully speaking, Luo Nan's words just now made everyone speechless.

If this was a request, it was too presumptuous... After all, Fairchild had made his stance very clear towards Secretbound First Oblatum An Weng. The metal box was a crucial object that Fairchild would not even negotiate with An Weng over. Why would he give it to you, Luo Nan? One bad move and Fairchild would become hostile.

If Luo Nan was negotiating, well he was being absurd... Right now, what the Order of Justice's secular side eyed was none other than this metal box. This group of people would engage in open slaughter without the slightest hesitation, even if it was in the middle of a bustling city center! They possessed that kind of resolution and determination. This metal box was something that burned and scalded the possessor's hands yet you want it? What kind of mental disease do you have?

Actually, Luo Nan felt that his own words were a bit odd after they had left his mouth. He saw the reactions in the encrypted channel and feared that he had made yet another mistake.

However, Fairchild had already turned to look at him. They locked gazes and after some brief thought, Fairchild nodded. "If you want it... here."

Fairchild tossed the metal box over upon speaking. He was direct and efficient.

"Don't catch it!"

"Can you not be so precarious!?"

"Look! This is what it means to push the boat with the current, to take advantage of the situation!"

The encrypted channel was filled with voices of fussing. However, Luo Nan could not just slap the metal box back to Fairchild. He reached out with his hand instinctively and five fingers touched the metal box. The box still retained a bit of heat when it entered his hands, it was like the residue heat of a high-speed, high-operation instrument.

At this very moment, half of the people in the encrypted channel howled in grief and the other half maintained their silence. This sort of atmosphere was simply like the end of the world.

How could he be so stupid to do such a thing? How can he be so stupid beyond saving?

Nevertheless, Luo Nan was a bit annoyed. He was able to accept criticism and he was willing to admit that his level of social skills was not very high but did it validate this damn atmosphere? They acted like the sun was going to explode in the next instant!

This metal box played such an important role in this entire course of events thus far. This should have been obvious to everyone from the moment Guo Ju began his confession to Fairchild!

He took a breath and let out some information in the encrypted channel. "Isn't this storage unit the Order of Justice's research? The conclusive proof of the experimental Human-Faced Arachnid?"

"Yoho? Master Luo feels like he's been wronged?"

Red Fox gave a cold laugh. "Conclusive proof? Based on an external component of a robot? Based on a one-sided speech of a dead man? Or is it the cryptic exchange between Fairchild and the Secretbound First Oblatum? Master Luo let me teach you something. The Words of Krait is the Order of Justice's Secretbound Gateway Technique. There exists no instruments capable of recording and saving it!"

Luo Nan was baffled. He continued to speak in the encrypted channel. "The Society intervened early on. We used various monitoring, perspective sharing, video archiving... Everything was done well. The entire plot progression is clear and complete..."

"In this day and age, it is too easy to pass fakes as the real thing. Your ability user society intervened early on. You must have planned things early on." Red Fox imitated what the Order of Justice would say, stopping Luo Nan in his tracks.

Luo Nan was at a loss. He did not know what to say. But he still was not willing to concede. He ground his teeth and used his thoughts as a pen to draw a simplified 2D composition within the encrypted channel.

Though Luo Nan believed it was simple, it was a refined composition formed from crisscrossing and weaving lines of diagrams pieced together. It was drawn in an instant in order to have those in the encrypted channel quiet down a bit.

Red Fox was a bit dumbstruck. "What's the meaning of this? Are you trying to charm me with a drawing?"

Upon finishing drawing this composition with haste, Luo Nan used the marking function of the Psychic Wave Network in the form of an eye-striking red pen. He delineated several dozen red circles upon the 2D composition in the span of a single breath.

“This is the energy and information structure stored within the storage unit. A simplified reconstruction technique is included as well. Much of the details involved are special patterns that appear repeatedly... Aren’t these patterns solely used by the Order of Justice?"

In fact, many of these structures had appeared within Fairchild's Shield of Truth configuration. They acted as super key nodes in its application. Luo Nan only dared to be so confident because he had seen this.

"These patterns act as the inner core structure of the storage unit. It is a unique process, a unique method. Chasing back this trail binds all sorts of informational evidence. Don't tell me that you're so passive that you won’t be able to form an iron case out of it?"

Red Fox was defeated by this technical train of thought. He did not know how to respond for a time.

Next to him, Bamboo Pole looked at the composition with rapt attention. He muttered lowly, "I don't know if these are processes unique to the Order of Justice. But I've looked at some material of the Order of Justice's inner rituals and there really are similar structural arrangements. These just a little bit morphed... These here are used for storage?"

Bamboo Pole was not only a remarkable hacker, he was also an expert in the research of secret orders. In the case of Bamboo Pole, he really did carry quite the degree of credibility.

Due to this composition, the attention of this group of people became a bit scattered. Zhang Yingying spoke with surprise. "This is the internal structure of the metal box? How has your sensing precision improved so fast?"

"If this is indeed the inner structure of the storage unit and it is indeed the result of mental sensing, then converting the volume of the metal box itself... That means that the precision of his mental senses should be approaching the micron level."

Since she had entered the encrypted channel, Bai Xinyan had been silent until now. This was the first time she had spoken and she spoke with a dull tone. "Student Luo Nan. You're carrying an excessive burden based on your physical condition."

Luo Nan recalled that she used to call him ‘Mr. Luo’. Was he being downgraded now? After a moment of shock he said, "My body's fine. I just believe that we have sufficient evidence to explain the facts, that we can make an iron-hard case!"

Red Fox was postponed by the continuous interruption of several people. He saw that Luo Nan was still stubborn in his views and directly confronted him. "A case? What case are you making? Whose case are you handling? Who's going to file this case? A case between the Society and this secret order isn't just a case; it's an open clash of contention! It's total war!"

"Master Luo, the ability user society may be supporting you and our number of members may be enormous but we're a very loose organization. A single impromptu operation can send a lot of people running off and quitting. Also, you're facing the Order of Justice. They have millions of devout believers. They are a world-scale secret order with Extraordinaries by the handful. Do you know how serious this is?"

"Moreover, there's a saying in this world, 'This is one thing. That is another.' The Society can put the Order of Justice in a jam by saying that they're breeding Human-Faced Arachnids; it's not a problem. But in regards to the Order of Justice, it is out of the question to involve yourself with their internal affairs! This is f**king politics. This is f**king reality!"

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Chapter 107: The Shield of Truth (Part 2/2)

Chapter 107: The Shield of Truth (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

This series of frigid irony and scorching satire was sent over. However, Red Fox had made a novice-like error during his torrent of words. He had used the HexaEar as a standard telephone. All thoughts of telepathic communication were completely forgotten. He just directly roared with his voice.

Red Fox's mood was not alleviated after his roaring. Instead, he grew even more hot-tempered. He smashed his fist atop the control console and cursed, "Retard!" He still continued to feel irritable, so he pulled against his red jacket and cursed, "Weasel!"

Bamboo Pole shook his head, no longer uttering words into the encrypted channel. He just simply spoke to Red Fox to mollify him. "Though he may be addressed as 'Mister', he's still a kid. And... Xia City is not the same as Hu City."

Red Fox's expression turned even uglier when he heard the words ‘Hu City’. He shot an ice-cold glance towards Bamboo Pole. "The only thing different is the distance. Back then, I ran out of Hu City like a dog. Here, I am now at Xia City, where I don't want to die like a dog. I don't want to be thrown into the dump by others."

Bamboo Pole shrugged. He no longer tried to persuade Red Fox since some not-so-friendly faces had shown up in the monitoring system. These faces were heading over to the control room, over to them. Bamboo Pole sighed and asked within the encrypted channel. "Trouble has come as expected. What should we do?"

He Yueyin asked him, "Can you confirm what weapons the enemy currently possess?"

Bamboo Pole understood He Yueyin's meaning. She was not asking for them to immediately barricade the door from these people, she was asking what sort of plans the order had in Yulan Hotel, what deployment they had prepared against Fairchild... Ah, she was more stubborn than he had expected.

"A big fellow. Their main combat weapon is certainly a big fellow."

Bamboo Pole multitasked. He switched repeatedly between the monitoring screens and confirmed his target; they were already starting to set up. "It's very likely a sniper weapon. To the best of my knowledge, many secret orders are researching supernatural versions of sniper artillery cannons. Against a single target, this toy can be several times more powerful than a particle cannon. Of course, I have my doubts on whether or not it will be effective against the Shield of Truth."

He Yueyin was not superfluous. She just simply responded, "Retreat. Head towards the predetermined reinforcement point."

Red Fox sneered off to the side. He gestured with his hand implying. "You see, I knew it."

The corner of Bamboo Pole's mouth twitched. You're the one shouting ‘master!’ with the Order of Justice on our doorstep. And now that we are retreating, you slap me on the face. Bamboo Pole felt quite displeased.

In the end, Bamboo Pole did not say anything. He packed up his equipment from the control room in five seconds and walked out with Red Fox. The control room was on a floor close to the roof. This floor was not used for accommodations. It was absolutely empty and utterly quiet.

Red Fox felt uneasy. He muttered, "It's way too late to retreat now. He Yueyin and the others caught the order's snipers off guard at Frost River Reality. Now, the order will be prepared to ambush us from all sides... Oh crap!"

Ahead, the door to the fire escape was heaved open but Bamboo Pole and Red Fox were smart. Without even seeing a trace of a person, they knew that people were coming with bad intentions. They glanced at each other, turned around, and ran.

The fine electric hum of gauss rifles reverberated behind them in the empty floor and were exceptional at instilling fear into their souls.

"I'm not part of the d*mn combat personnel!" Bamboo Pole cursed. But before cursing, he had pressed a special button on the flexible screen in his hands. The floor's fire alarm went off and several heat-blocking walls came falling down.

Electromagnetic projectiles shot out from weapon barrels, only to bombard against the layer of transparent walls. They pierced through but the walls caused their trajectories to deviate.

At the same time, a door opened up to the side. Bamboo Pole shouted, "Over here!" Red Fox and Bamboo Pole then rammed their way inside. They made their way through the room as fast as the could; they did not hesitate in the slightest. They traversed through a large open window and jumped into the night sky at an altitude of nearly a thousand meters.

After performing this suicidal action, it was as if their feet had stepped onto blazing wheels. They slid down the vertical glass walls of the hotel at astonishing speeds.

Bamboo Pole controlled his balance with some difficulty. He chuckled. "No wonder the Society has 'rapid descension from high stories' as their final exam question for their junior training class. It's very useful."

Red Fox gnashed his teeth in anger. "Master Luo should have his name changed to Weasel."

The chaotic situation at Yulan Hotel was naturally shown in the encrypted channel. Red Fox had the most complaints about Luo Nan but he could not afford to be distracted right now. Luo Nan was relieved from being targeted by him yet his mood did not turn for the better.

Red Fox's words were like a blade that cut the heart rather than the skin.

Luo Nan was silent as he was baptized by Red Fox's political and realistic views. This did not mean that Luo Nan felt that Red Fox was wrong. On the contrary, Luo Nan felt that the more Red Fox argued, the more his loathing become unearthed from the depths of his heart.

In the end, Red Fox's focus clearly shifted from Luo Nan to politics and realism. Luo Nan was only a tool he used as a target for his mockery and scorn.

Things were really just as Red Fox had said. While the Human-Faced Arachnids were wreaking havoc in Xia City, the Order of Justice was studying this supernatural creature, engaging in sinister research. In fact, there was irrefutable evidence of this. But in the end, if they could get off easy and pressure with counter charges... What would be the point of going after them?

The validity of Red Fox's words could be seen in the reactions of those in the encrypted channel and from Luo Nan's personal experience. Luo Nan's experience with the Bloodflame Order was an excellent example. Mo Lun brought along a Human-Faced Arachnid for grazing and had made a move against members of the Society. In the end, the Society left the matter unsettled.

Back then, Luo Nan's Wraith Sign was masquerading as the Bloodflame Order’s Human-Face Arachnid like a dove occupying a magpie's nest. Luo Nan did not really think much about the Society's lack of action but now that he thought about it, were not things just as Red Fox was saying?

Politics? Reality?

Luo Nan would not find it strange at all if this sort of thing were to occur in regular society; he held a bit of a pessimistic view towards the hearts of normal people after all.

But here he had the enormous ability user organization that was greatly detached from the normal world. Why were they also like this?

Luo Nan had even wanted to promote and develop his grandfather's Formatting Theory within the Society to great brilliance. If there was not much difference between here and normal, secular societies, then how could he possibly guarantee that his grandfather's theory would not fall once again to its death?

Disappointment. Major disappointment!

This feeling of extreme disappointment was Luo Nan's current state of mind. He did not feel like talking and just tossed the warm metal box back and forth in his hand. He wanted some peace and quiet, if it was possible...

However, how would there be a chance for some peace and quiet right now?

While his mood was churning around with the tossing of the metal box, he felt with great clarity some extremely obscure force upon the mental plane. It formed a region of turmoil. It felt extremely negative, like a sheet of gloomy clouds and it covered most of the pulsations given off by the force of life.

Luo Nan could feel the malice rippling from the void. This must be the real way the secular side of the Order of Justice did things.

Luo Nan ceased the movements of his hands as the dark cloud pressed down. He lifted his head and just so happened to meet Fairchild's eyes straight on. At first glance, those gray pupils looked like the hazy layers of the dark cloud. However, those pupils also contained resolution and willpower. They pierced the cloud layer with their positive light, making it hard to look directly into Fairchild's eyes.

Fairchild did not know the cause for Luo Nan being lost in thought. His gaze still remained fallen upon the metal box that Luo Nan was tossing around. A moment passed and he suddenly spoke.

"We have yet to touch upon the entirety of the Truth and I have been brimming with anticipation towards its real form but due to this intolerable interference... The Truth has not shown itself fully; the goal we're pursuing has been desecrated. However, I can ensure one thing and that is this ground has been erected as the domain of Truth."

The quicksilver-like aura exuding from his body circulated as his voice undulated with syllables, subtly suffusing the ground with its illumination. The cloudy light proliferated outwards.

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Chapter 108: Observing Powers (Part 1/2)

Chapter 108: Observing Powers (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

The dark cloud of the mental plane covered the entirety of the surrounding area. It endlessly stirred and transformed as it tried to invade Fairchild's domain. However, as it pressed and warped against the domain, traces of the dark cloud's essence emerged. It transformed into a swaying and sinister deep chant that appeared on the material plane.

"The Words of Krait!" Cat Eyes reached out to pull Luo Nan back. Her expression was grave, as though she had been confronted by a formidable foe.

The Society had managed to block off the sniper points, causing the Knights of Equity to retreat temporarily. Now, the secular side revealed their methods once more. This time, they had given up traditional means of long-ranged attacks and utilized supernatural powers directly.

However, this sound was of a different frequency compared to the sound First Oblatum An Weng used as pure conversation. This hissing chant was filled with dark and chilling power. More than half of the lighting in the room had been extinguished by the hail of bullets, and the darkness of the room grew all the more deeper and heavier when this chanting sound manifested into existence. The little bit of remaining light radiated in messy trails of grotesque and mottled colors, causing the room to seem warped and twisted.

In comparison, the radiance of Fairchild's Shield of Truth was finite in filling the room. However. A radiance was still released in the area established by Fairchild. It was pure and clear and no matter how much the chanting sound stirred and pressed, not an ounce of it could permeate through.

Luo Nan's gaze concentrated on the sheet of pure, clear radiance. He whispered hoarsely, "This erected ground truly is the domain of Truth..."

"Wait until you make it back alive before becoming religious, kay." Cat Eyes gave Luo Nan a pull, hinting at him to pay attention to the contents of the encrypted channel. He Yueyin had already given the order to retreat.

Luo Nan did not move. It would not be that easy for them to leave in the current circumstances even if they wanted to.

Rays of light that came in from the world outside the door were severed and blocked. Two rapping sounds could be heard as someone knocked against the door frame. The force used was quite considerable for the entire room seemed to shake twice. However, the one who came did not exert this much strength deliberately.

He was not wearing an exoskeleton armor but his height exceeded two meters. He stood in front of the door and had to duck down to avoid hitting the lintel. He was even half-naked, his chest exposing a pitch-black skin that shined like oil. Tough fascia joined his brick-like muscles and they rippled along with his breathing. He was like a black tiger ready to pounce. Based on physique alone, he looked even brawnier than Fairchild, whom was already extremely tall and muscular.

He ignored the gazes of everyone else in the room and solely faced the radiating aura coming from Fairchild. He grinned and laughed, revealing snow-white teeth. "Mr. Fairchild. It's been a long time. Oh, you probably don't remember me..."

"Baze," Fairchild spoke this name with a whisper.

"Much thanks, Mr. Fairchild. You still have an impression of me."

This black and brawny man called Baze had spoken each syllable of ‘Mr. Fairchild’ in a gentle and courteous manner. It really did not match his appearance. "I've always been very grateful for the teachings you gave me when I first entered the Order. You taught me the progression of cultivation and told me the importance of control... What a pity. In the end, I still chose to go down a different road. I feel that aggressive and rough methods are better suited for me. Power has not left my side in doing so."

Luo Nan felt a dangerous tension emerge from this black and brawny Baze when he performed this ‘master and disciple reunion’ show. Luo Nan could not refrain from asking.

"Who are you?"

"Black Tiger Baze of the Knights of Equity. Deputy Head of the Xia City Division."

Cat Eyes straightened the crooked cap on her head and subconsciously loosened her muscle fibers to be agiler for the bitter battle ahead. It was not strange at all for a fellow like Baze to appear in a high-level internal strife of the Order of Justice. But fear in reality was ultimately different than the pressure in theory.

She needed to give Luo Nan a good lesson, since he was lacking in common sense. At the same time, she needed to give herself a reminder. "A freak who has broken through to become an Awakened based purely on the power of his gifted fleshly body. Yet I've also heard rumors that he was only able to obtain his ability through the Order of Justice's Life and Death Ritual. Well in any case, if one were to select the top ten people with the strongest fleshly bodies, then Crag Burst would barely be at the tail end. Senior Giant Arm and Senior Zong Ji of the Society would be ranked roughly in the middle due to their burst strength and technical ability. However, this Baze is certainly in the top three."

Luo Nan went, "Oh." He now had a clearer understanding of Baze's strength.

He had seen Crag Burst's and Giant Arm's abilities before. Crag Burst was able to walk away without a scratch under the impact of a high-explosive incendiary. As for Mr. Giant Arm, he was more of a pure martial artist. The power of his fist could pierce through an armored vehicle and he was able to forcefully hold down the exoskeleton armored Jack. Indeed, Mr. Giant Arm possessed inconceivable skills. If a true fight were to arise, Luo Nan did not know what sort of style Mr. Giant Arm would exhibit.

On the basis of his fleshly body, Baze exceeded these two in power. His strength was great as one could well imagine.

At this time, He Yueyin released some information into the encrypted channel. "Pay attention. Though the strength of Baze's fleshly body is formidable, what he has always relied on has never been his fleshly body."

As for what Baze had always relied on... Well, he had already begun to reveal it as he blocked the exit to the room. He took a deep breath and his head tilted down slightly. Upon the oily sheen of his pitch-black skin, there were lit streaks and streaks of tattoo structures. It was as if an invisible being was writing twisted scripts upon his body.

The surrounding illumination warped even further. Looking up, one could see that each script seemed to ignite with flame, then etch themselves deep into his body, and burned through the void. The Words of Krait answered with its hiss. The sound of a snake's tongue was now like the sound of flesh burning.

He Yueyin updated them with more information. "Baze is a Human Body Weapon of the Order of Justice. Through him, the First Oblatum can fully display their power lying in the mental plane. "

"So this sort of method exists." Luo Nan's breadth of knowledge had increased. This was an application he had never thought of before. For a pure mentally enhanced ability user, this was quite a decent transformation to use. It could be assumed that the Human Body Weapon component to this transformation would not be that easy to cultivate.

Luo Nan thought to himself for a bit but then Cat Eyes glared at him from the side. "The heck are you thinking about!?"

"... Nothing much." Luo Nan did not speak what was on his mind. Things would have been better for Cat Eyes if she did not say anything. Her speaking had invoked a certain train of thought in Luo Nan. If he increased his control over Ink, Rui Wen, and even Cat Eyes, in a certain sense, wouldn't this be the same type of method that the First Oblatum was using? Though his method would be a bit more passive.

Baze strode in with heavy steps as several thoughts flashed in Luo Nan's mind. His brawny body entered the darkness and squeezed into the room. The muscles of his body rippled regularly and the strange script that covered him seemed to come alive. Every step seemed to paint an otherworldly and bewitching picture. He was like a flame radiating with darkness, ready to pounce.

The dark flames crossed with an area of Fairchild's aura. Black and white rays of light fused to form a warped ashy gray layer in an instant. Baze lifted his head, revealing pupils like burning coal. His mouth split into a grin.

"Fairchild! The Truth does not obey your fancies!"

His voice oozed with a bizarre noise. There was another voice in there out of harmony. There was a bizarre existence that was talking in sync with Baze.

Fairchild only had a single sentence as a response in the face of this.

"F**k off!"

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Chapter 108: Observing Powers (Part 2/2)

Chapter 108: Observing Powers (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Fairchild's snow-white robe fluttered and the liquid quicksilver aura rippled. The just-formed gray layer was torn asunder and Baze and his overwhelming assault was thrown off the ground and was forced to fly backward.

"Truth Mirror!" The members of the Society, who had the leisure to watch Cat Eyes' shared perspective, flooded the channel with this term.

Fairchild practically did not exert any effort in that instant. Instead, it was the ultimate technique of the Shield of Truth that forcefully bounced Baze's attack back and made Baze take on the full force. Just by looking at the power of the surging dark flame attack of Baze, one would wonder just how incredible the shield was to be able to reflect practically all of it back.

This was a very classical method that Fairchild used in his judgment and executions. Though he had never personally given this move a formal name, the circle of ability users had long since called it the Truth Mirror. Its reputation was resounding.

Luo Nan could see things far clearer than the others. Baze's technique was not purely on the material plane or a technique used for physical purposes. It was a technique that interfered between the material and the mental plane to form a structural force. Luo Nan was even able to capture the entire process. Explosions of intense ripples instantly split and fused between the mental and material planes, before it converged to the material plane. There they formed an enormous attack.

However, Baze's mental plane remained stable, even after he had actively guided and transformed the energy. The attack power on the material plane had become strong, yet the destructiveness towards the mental plane had been dissipated away. This allowed the domain of the Words of Krait to remain stable.

From this point of view, Baze was not a bit lacking when compared to Fairchild.

The two people's powers were cutting and transforming back and forth between the material and the mental planes. The hardest thing about this method was to achieve the transformation technique of interference between planes. It did not matter whether it was Fairchild or Baze, both of them achieved this through a structure that interfered between the body and the soul. They had inhumanly brawny bodies and staunch willpower and this was the basis for realizing this sort of transformation.

It would be very hard for Luo Nan to realize a similar transformation model in his life.

However, the fact that Luo Nan was able to pry the marvels of these mysteries wide open was quite an inconceivable matter. Not a single person in the encrypted channel had voiced any opinions on the deep level of mechanics displayed before them. Next to him, Cat Eyes' mental senses were not even able to get close to Baze's and Fairchild's war zone. If she forced it, it was extremely likely for her to suffer recoil.

Part of the reason why Luo Nan was able to do this so easily was because of the exchange he just had with Fairchild; it lay in the domain where the mental and the material plane mutually interfered, so his thought process on this was clear. But another part of the reason was what he could faintly perceive. It seemed that his mental senses were a bit out of the ordinary.

The soul strength he was able to achieve from cultivating in Formatting Theory and the depth of his clairvoyance was superior to that of the other experienced ability users like Cat Eyes and Mr. Bai with their perception and forte in soul studies. At the very least, Luo Nan's clairvoyance had never been locked on or been detected successfully by others. Additionally, after he gained a clear understanding of the marvels of soul breathing, he was able to seamlessly shift and transform between the shallow and deep levels of the mental plane. Most observers would find him unfathomable.

In this way, Luo Nan's special clairvoyance sensing was able to extract and parse great quantities of deep information from phenomenon that ordinary people would see as normal. He then fed the information back to his soul configuration where they converge into a special experience. This experience was the key requirement for the endless strengthening of his soul.

Fairchild had once said that there was nothing more important than observation. This was indeed a truth, at least for a mentally enhanced individual.

Luo Nan had come to finally experience for himself the superiorities of this most crucial of abilities—observation. Anyhow, before this, he had always considered this ability as a burden...

Upon blasting Baze away, Fairchild walked out the room with large strides. The quicksilver-like aura surrounding his body was a special characteristic of the operation of energy within his body and soul interference structure. Many special structural details inside were only truly revealed in combat. The sight of this enchanted Luo Nan.

It was because of this that Luo Nan had a particularly sharp response when this structure was hit by Baze's attack. Fairchild had only walked a few steps of distance before a bad feeling of danger suddenly sprouted in Luo Nan's heart. He shouted, "Careful!"

This warning was not directed towards Fairchild.

The enemy knew quite well where Fairchild's weakness lay, hoping to endlessly accumulate their superiority on the mental plane and break the structural operation of Fairchild's Shield of Truth. However, Fairchild never gave the enemy the opportunity. The area he controlled was as stable as a boulder. Even though on the mental plane he could only manifest a layer of water, he let this turbid water surge to the skies and tower unmovingly.

However, the Words of Krait was a gateway technique that seemed to be able to extract power from the suffering of living beings in the user's surroundings and rapidly transform it for the user. When the Words of Krait was activated at full force, every single living being in the surroundings became its fulcrum.

Ultimately, Luo Nan's warning was issued a beat too late. The moment the words left his mouth, the hissing of the Words of Krait exploded in volume. The warped darkness within the room did not break its focus from Fairchild or lessen. Instead, the darkness increased in weight. The mental plane, the plane that the Words of Krait affected, was being rapidly diffused and permeated with this darkness, covering an enormous piece of area.

Cat Eyes groaned. She had her mental senses out by habit and it was like being bitten by a viper. Her five senses and consciousness all received the attack. The moment of pain was simply like having her skull forcefully pressed into a lake of venom. The pain was so much that her body went weak and soft.

In the encrypted channel, He Yueyin assigned a member. "White Salt!"

"I know. I'll be there soon," said Bai Xinyan in agreement. Soon, her voice faded away. Her strength should be above average, but she could not be counted on for a short time.

Luckily, the chains deep within Cat Eyes's body and soul vibrated and rattled, counteracting much of the attack and eliminating a lot of the pain.

Cat Eyes could not refrain from gnashing her teeth. She cast an ice-cold glance at Luo Nan but she still reached out her hand and pulled him to retreat.

"Over here."

No matter what, she did not dare to head out from the main exit. Fortunately, the sniper fire from before had pierced through the soundproof walls, giving them different routes to chose from.

Luo Nan even wanted to watch the fight between Fairchild and Baze but he knew that putting himself in life or death danger was really insensible.

He cast another glance outside the door and he could no longer see Fairchild's figure. There was a problem though. Luo Nan saw Xue Weilun instead! Xue Weilun scrambled to the exit and began grabbing the few unconscious special forces and dragging them inside.

"Uncle Xue!"

"You guys go ahead and leave first."

In any event, Xue Weilun could not abandon his subordinates and flee by himself but there had been seven special police officers attacked by Fairchild. There was a limit to how many people he could carry even with the aid of his exoskeleton armor and he could not just pile seven living bodies atop of each other and heave them all over.

Most importantly, Xue Weilun did not understand the black magic involved in these fights. Right now, the Words of Krait's layer of influence was endlessly probing outwards on the mental plane. Cat Eyes had already suffered from it and soon, the Words of Krait would affect normal people.

Xue Weilun possessed willpower that was extremely strong for a normal person but there was still a large discrepancy when compared to an ability user. When the time came, he would be wiped out like his subordinates, possibly even more miserably.

Cat Eyes hissed as she pressed her hand against her aching head. They were too helpless in this situation. If Officer Xue did not talk to his son through Zhang Yingying's channel, she would walk away right now with ease. However, that one event made it impossible and inexcusable for her to feign ignorance right now.

"We will need to make two trips at least for seven people." Cat Eyes made a rapid judgment and ordered Luo Nan, "Make your way out first, meet up with White Salt."

She turned around to help Xue Weilun upon speaking but Luo Nan pulled her to a stop. "Hold on!"

Luo Nan's body began to exude a faint glow as these words left his mouth.

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Chapter 109: Destruction (Part 1/2)

Chapter 109: Destruction (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Cat Eyes' pupils shrank as she sensed that Luo Nan was utilizing his soul strength. To be able to display this effect showed just how exceptional Luo Nan's soul strength was.

Before she entered this operation, He Yueyin had emphasised to Cat Eyes that Luo Nan was currently undergoing treatment due to a critical imbalance between his body and soul. As such, Luo Nan was not allowed to utilize his ability too excessively. Otherwise, the strength of his soul would cause critical harm to his nervous system.

Luo Nan had already courted death once before but the dangers of the mental conversation back then between the nutjob and the mad believer had been neglected. This time, Cat Eyes was able to sense it. Several regions of Luo Nan's nervous system were involved now and there were clearly some subtle warping and morphing within them.

But what the hell was this aura?

If Cat Eyes could see it, that would mean that everyone else in the encrypted channel could see it too. Bai Xinyan, who was rushing over, drew out a long sigh. "Doctors with such headstrong patients find themselves in quite the dilemma."

He Yueyin's strict and serious voice cut through. "Mr. Luo, I ask that you do not overuse your ability, so as to avoid unexpected consequences."

These words were quite serious and served as a reminder for Cat Eyes. She grabbed Luo Nan's shoulder to put a stop to it. However, with a rattle of the chains seated deep within her body and soul, her entire self quivered a bit from inside out. It was as if she had been electrocuted and her hand froze by the time it extended halfway to Luo Nan. In the end, she was unable to move a single inch.

It finally came!

Cat Eyes's heart was pounding but soon her heart was filled with vexation. This was what she feared the most after the operation at Limestone Water Village Pub last week. She had impinged on Luo Nan with her mental senses while he was making his psychic drawing and had suffered a counterattack. She had become the recipient of Luo Nan's unfathomable ability and had incorporeal chains pierce through her body and soul. She was imprisoned by this ability.

In the following week, however, Luo Nan did not make any strange moves. The chains' existence had gradually become undetectable but this only haunted her more. In today's operation, their close proximity did not spur any undue activity with Luo Nan. Instead, Luo Nan had helped her in a few crises through these chains.

Just when Cat Eyes began to believe that she had misunderstood Luo Nan, the true nature of Luo Nan's technique was exposed in this crucial moment. Right now, she was basically like a cat with a chained leash! If her master did not want her to move, then her neck would be reigned in by the chains, no matter her struggles.

Cat Eyes glared at Luo Nan with killing intent. This was not an exaggeration. She wanted to pounce on him and snap his throat with a bite.

He can just f**k off and die for using his soul strength against her!

At this very moment, the sound of an astonished Xue Weilun was heard.

Cat Eyes had her long-range perception ability. She did not need to turn her head; she could already see it. A figure had manifested upon each of the bodies of the seven special police officers. It was the size of a fist and its form... It was a tetrahedron with an inscribed sphere and an outer scribed sphere. That's right. It was the avatar that Luo Nan had used in the encrypted channel.

Cat Eyes was a bit shocked. Her anger stagnated a bit. Just looking at this scene, she could tell that this was an anomaly that was formed from power on the mental plane interfering with the material plane.

According to theories in soul studies, the effectiveness of the mutual interference between the mental and material planes was inversely proportional to the entropy. In other words, the fact that a symbol was manifested means that the efficiency and the order were high. The more orderly it was, the more efficient the soul strength became at affecting the material plane and the stronger the control ability became.

Most notably was the fact that Luo Nan was attending to seven bodies with a single mind and caused seven figures to manifest the symbol simultaneously. Even though each figure was exactly the same, even if each figure was just for appearance purposes...

Before her train of thought could end, Cat Eyes was able to sense the bodies of the unconscious special police officers tremble one by one. These were clear signs that these officers were regaining consciousness.

In the end, Cat Eyes could not refrain from turning and looking at the scene with bulging eyes. Xue Weilun had a moment of astonishment before ultimately realizing the cause for the change. He turned and looked over.

Luo Nan let out a long breath. He did not make any fancy movements but the seven figures rippled simultaneously. In answer, minute vibrations came into being on the mental and the material planes.

It was as if a muffled buzz was ringing in Cat Eyes' ears. In that instant, the constant hissing sound of the Words of Krait turned indistinct, only to never recover back.

Then came the groaning sound of a special police officer. Once one officer sat up by instinct, then came another. The special police officers sat up one by one from the ground and turned over. They were still befuddled but this sort of magical awakening left Cat Eyes and Xue Weilun stupefied.

It was not just these two, Zhang Yingying in the encrypted channel went, "Eh?" She felt some indescribable emotions, so she simply tossed out a series of stupefied emojis, flooding the channel like mad.

"Ohohoho. Who was the one who gave him such a huge power up this week? Did a certain secretary and he engage in 'dual cultivation'? This progress is illogical. This technique..."

Before she could finish off the rest of her message, she was muted by a certain secretary. However, the meaning behind Zhang Yingying's words were the thoughts of the majority.

Xue Weilun was fine. In any case, he would just have capable experts explain fields he did not understand. But for the professionals of the Society, the hardest part was explaining things in layman's terms.

It must be known that it was easier to destroy than it was to create. In this case, 'destroying' was Fairchild knocking these clear-headed people unconscious and 'creating' was Luo Nan instantly awakening these unconscious people. From disorder to order. From high entropy to low entropy. The difficulties between the two were incomparable.

In the end, how did Luo Nan accomplish this?

Red Fox and Bamboo Pole made it to the reinforcement point and met up with Papercut. Breathing unsteadily, they gasped for breath and they nearly choked to death when they heard what Luo Nan had done. After two coughs, they guessed, "Fairchild knocked these special police officers out. Did Fairchild give Luo Nan the technique to save them?"

"You think Fairchild is that bored?" said the person who was really bored. Papercut was using a piece of paper to file his nails. He had yet to do anything in the operation as of yet.

There were no clear indicators for why the special police officers had awakened beside the projected figures half submerged in the chests of their exoskeleton armors.

"Just look at his avatar. It's exactly the same as these seven figures. Oh right, he mentioned something about his grandfather's Formatting Theory before. Are these things related to that? What is that theory?"

Formatting Theory? An imaginative idea that has long since been washed away by reality... It truly has been ages since it was last heard.

Bai Xinyan walked freely in the empty amusement center. The message history of the encrypted channel had been loaded in her wristband and was being replayed back to her retina as the keywords were being searched. The term ‘Formatting Theory’ that Papercut was suspicious of just so happened to be the same term that she was looking up. She shrugged her shoulders and broke into laughter.

The seven figures attracted nearly everyone's attention. Bai Xinyan was not an exception. However, the angle she focused on was a bit different than the others.

A tetrahedron with an inscribed sphere and an outer scribed sphere. This was a typical figure in a standard geometry course. The appearance of such a figure now made everyone astonished. However, Bai Xinyan had long since searched through internal publications and found it used in the context of a different practice. And there, it was in circumstances far more exciting than now.

Soon Bai Xinyan was able to retrieve some information. She linked this with her previous knowledge and said, "Luo Nan, Scout. Looks like you're still a psychic! That obsolete theory has been dug out with new worth by the Luo Family, right when they're facing self-destruction!"

Bai Xinyan blinked her eyes, cutting off the endlessly scrolling information projected on her retina. With both hands in the pockets of her jacket, she pursed her lips and continued walking at a brisk yet calm pace.

"Looking at Luo Nan's circumstances, it seems he's just a step away from ultimate destruction. Now, wouldn't that be quite the waste?"

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Chapter 109: Destruction (Part 2/2)

Chapter 109: Destruction (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

"Doctors have professional ethics. Proper ethics!"

Bai Xinyan's lips curved into a teasing smile as she stopped following her current train of thoughts. She had already obtained many gains today. Right now, she needed to do something else—to play the role of a qualified doctor. As such, she placed her attention into acting with the appropriate conduct.

She replayed the video from Cat Eyes' shared perspective several times. Cat Eyes had her eyes fixed on Luo Nan for quite a period of time. From the video, Bai Xinyan could see the minute twitching of Luo Nan's cheeks and forehead, regions concentrated with nerves. She could also see the dilation and contraction of his pupils. She could not see below his neck and shoulders but things should be similar there. These were signs of his nervous system being intensely stimulated.

And at the same time, a faint aura that was quite eye-catching burst from inside Luo Nan's body to the outside. Its power filled and supported the concentration of his neurons. This aura eliminated as much of the destructive power possible. It was able to eliminate the destructive power caused by the intense stimulation of soul strength.

Thinking about it, this was the fundamental reason behind Luo Nan’s capacity to use his soul strength without any worries... For the time being, it stopped the destructive path he trod and allowed him to make it past.

Fortune!

Bai Xinyan used a doctor's insight to make this judgment. Soon, she spoke in the encrypted channel. "Student Luo Nan, your current state is fine. Is it due to that punch by Fairchild?"

"Yep, it was because of his punch just now." Luo Nan did not want people to haphazardly guess around like it was a game show, so he borrowed this opportunity given by Bai Xinyan to make a clear response.

Bai Xinyan evaluated, "Your current indications are quite similar to Fairchild's Shield of Truth. He must have blessed you. Near Los Angeles, I've encountered high ranking squad leaders of the Order of Justice open up territory in the Wilderness. All of their cultists in a hundred meter radius received the Shield of Truth blessing. With it, most of them could take on the first attack of a mutant ranked C or below. It is an extremely effective blessing."

"That's right... One of the effects of the order's Paladin Aura is an increase to defense." Zhang Yingying's mute time was not that long. As an experienced gamer, she soon spoke in gaming terms. "However, these buffs are only temporary."

"Yes, it is temporary." Luo Nan responded plainly but the facts were not that simple.

He Yueyin felt a bit of an incoming headache on when she faced the lack of urgency from these idle chatters. She asked Bai Xinyan directly, "White Salt, report your current location."

"I'm forty meters away from them. Yup, I see people already. It’s as if Student Luo Nan's face is glowing. He looks like he's doing great."

Bai Xinyan came to a stop as she gazed past the soundproof wall. The room was on the verge of collapse. The lighting was dusky and a large difference in luminosity was formed with her current location. However, this did not really affect her.

She waved her hand in greeting toward the few people within the room.

He Yueyin gave another order. "Everyone in the room, rendezvous with White Salt. Retreat according to the designated route."

A clear evacuation route immediately appeared within the encrypted channel. At the same time, the route map also appeared in Officer Xue's command data link. He was stunned for a moment but he still issued the route map to his subordinates and asked them to act in accordance with the provided directions.

"Move move move!"

Bamboo Pole was now the one who urged everyone on. He continued to be responsible and diligent and refreshed the encrypted channel with new information. "They're just about to finish calibrating their sniper artillery cannon. Its range covers the entirety of Frost River Reality. Who knows? The gunner might have a mental hiccup, ignore Fairchild, deviate the muzzle ever so slightly, and provide corpses which only mops can collect!"

"Screw off!... I'm talking to you!" Cat Eyes was in a horrible mood. She resisted the malicious impulse to tear Luo Nan's throat to shreds and pushed him hard, indicating that he should leave first.

Right now, Luo Nan could sense the intentions behind Cat Eyes's mood. He was not superfluous. He ran a few steps and jumped through the broken soundproof wall and made it outside.

He turned back to see Xue Weilun's subordinates, the special police officers. They were well trained and experienced. They soon flung away their meaningless state of confusion and followed their training. They withdrew in an orderly fashion and used the available cover, performing their standard tactical maneuvers... Though their actions might not be effective.

"This is an example of professional ethics." expressed Bai Xinyan in understanding towards the special police officers.

Luo Nan's gaze flitted across the face of this beautiful and laid-back woman. He looked down and murmured in greeting. "Ms. Bai, hello. This is the first time we've met."

"I have somewhat of an understanding of you, Student Luo Nan." Bai Xinyan winked at him in a very cordial manner. She looked easy to get along with.

However, Luo Nan could not forget the 2-Hour Assignment in Frost River Waterway she had assigned him earlier today. Needless to say, there was also the Burner Simulator, the hidden secret of Frost River Waterway.

So Luo Nan was wary toward this beautiful lady.

It was because of these thoughts that Luo Nan switched his gaze over to the several special police officer's bodies. Each of them still had a ‘projection’ of the visualization diagram on the chest regions of their exoskeleton armor. It had yet to dissipate.

It had to be stated that the visualization diagram was very high profile. If Luo Nan did not revoke it and news of this scene got out, then some people—at least those on Yan Yongbo's side—may take negative actions against him.

Luo Nan had already considered whether or not to revoke these diagrams but then a deafening explosion pierced his ears. The battle between Fairchild and Baze had entered an extremely intense state. Frost River Reality's high-end immersive experience region rapidly turned into a sheet of ruins.

Fairchild had held an unshakable advantage on the material plane so far but the range of the Words of Krait continued to endlessly expand.

The Words of Krait was far too overpowered; it kept on searching for people to drain from. Even Cat Eyes had been targeted by it. After some thought, Luo Nan did not revoke his buffs—the visualization diagrams. Instead, he added one more for Xue Weilun as a precaution.

Bai Xinyan observed all of this with great interest and asked, "This skill of yours is like our family's Old Bai's Bestowed Awakening technique. It doesn't just wake the target up; it seems like there’s the scent of something high-end integrated in there. This power seems rigorous. Is this a skill from Formatting Theory?"

Your family's Old Bai?

Luo Nan was stupefied for a moment, before he realized that Bai Xinyan referred to her father, Mr. Bai. The way she addressed him gave off the impression that this father and daughter pair did not get along.

At the same time, Luo Nan very much admired Bai Xinyan's power of insight. Indeed, Luo Nan had utilized the visualization diagram and the tempo of soul breathing to bestow buffs into everyone's bodies. Bai Xinyan had given an extremely appropriate description of his skill.

This kind of woman really gave off quite the pressure.

As Luo Nan grew unwilling to converse too much with Bai Xinyan, a shriek came out from within the crowd of congregated people. The shriek was sharp and shivery. It was simply a cry that seemed to be from the pain of having one's heart dug out from the chest... Oh, this might not be an exaggeration.

The several special police officers who had just evacuated from the room rushed to place down the body they carried. That person had injured his back and was curled up in a ball. His face was warped and his mouth gaped wide but he was unable to let out any sounds whatsoever. Only tears, snivel, and cold sweat could flow across his face.

It was Huang Bingzhen. It was unknown whether this guy was lucky or unfortunate but in the end, he had been carried out by the special police officers due to their professional ethics. Although Huang Bingzhen was alive, his current appearance made it look like he was better off dead.

Bai Xinyan was the only one of the bunch with medical qualifications. She just gave him a quick scan with her eyes and shook her head. "The Words of Krait... He's already a 'snake hive' now and could be said to be a kind of 'human weapon'. Who knows... That First Oblatum might be sizing us up right now by using him as a medium."

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Chapter 110: The Truth Gate (Part 1/2)

Chapter 110: The Truth Gate (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

The night fell with uninterrupted rain. The rain never seemed to stop and it only grew in intensity. Sticking to the edges of the roof of high rises, fine screens of rain and smoke could be seen. The rain and the smudgy city lights covered everywhere the eye could see aside from the rooftops themselves.

Three buildings acted as pillars that surrounded Frost River Reality. Although their rooftops were still wet and moist, not a drizzle of rain could be seen falling down above one's head. There was an incorporeal screen that divided the rooftops of these three buildings from the autumn rain of Xia City.

Only twenty or so minutes had passed like this before dozens of people bustled about on each of the rooftops. Some hauled equipment. Some drafted diagrams on the floor. They came and went, giving off a sense of extreme urgency.

An Weng left the people to their own devices when it came to the deployment. He just stood quietly at the edge of the building. He had a small withered body and wore the robes of an Oblatum, even though these clothes did not fit his body. The winds were strong atop this building that was nearly a kilometer in height. Any loose clothing would likely be blown away.

Despite the wind, he stood very steadily. The shadow of his hood covered his face but within his turbid pupils was pierced by a faint light. The light shined upon the interweaving spotlights of the triangular rooftop platform of Frost River Reality below. The red and blue lights of the police cars surrounding the area looked like fancy decorations. It was all quite dazzling to the eyes.

A tide of people streamed endlessly out from the emergency exits under the blotchy lighting, diffusing all around. They then acted in accordance to the stupid herd mentality and surrounded the outside in a congregated mass. They swarmed endlessly around like a mass of insects blocked off by water.

At the base of each and every one of these three high-rises were crowds of people pressing against the glass walls. They used all sorts of filming devices and turned on spectator mode. They took all the emotions of panic, fright, and excitement and magnified them. The emotions transformed into a murky cloud that was hard to see with the naked eye, merging into the autumn rain and the curtain of night.

Though An Weng's droopy eyelids seemed to cover his eyes, he gazed at the boiling miasmic smoke of opaque emotions with great interest. He gave off a subtle feeling that he could watch the scene unfold for not minutes but for the entire night and not tire. There was more though. There was something even more interesting within the murky miasmic cloud.

"...Who knows, that First Oblatum might be sizing us up right now by using him as a medium." This dialog that had occurred inside Frost River Reality was transmitted to An Weng as clear as day.

An Weng burst out with laughter. It was just as this young lady had said. Through this 'snake hive', he had used mental clairvoyance to scan every one of the faces within the room. He focused on sizing up two of them. One was the young jacket wearing lady who had pointed out the 'snake hive'. The other one was the youngster who had received the Shield of Truth blessing from Fairchild.

"They're both impressive people." His lips wriggled as he made this evaluation.

The jacket wearing young lady possessed impressive insight, knowledge, and experience. The depths of her abilities were hard to guess. He was actually unable to decode the pertaining psychic waves cast via the 'snake hive'. He just knew that she was at least a B-rank in terms of combat ability.

As for the youngster...

He had been scanning and rendering the scene using the 'snake hive' and psychic waves but before his previous thought could finish, the scene had suddenly turned blurry and distorted. Then it completely collapsed. It was clear. The 'snake hive' that he established had been destroyed.

After a moment of brief shock, An Weng's shriveled lips split apart to expose a gap that was like a black hole. It was a smile. "To be able to interfere with the Words of Krait's operation, to not even give up an inch... His soul strength is impressive, he has ample spirit, and he has power. Excellent, excellent."

The three buildings were arranged in a triangular formation. As An Weng observed and evaluated Luo Nan and Cat Eyes, a person who wore black-robes appeared on the rooftops of each of the other two buildings. They stood in the middle of their respective rooftop landing pads.

These two also wore the clothing of First Oblatums, but they did not dare to be like An Weng. They did not leave their positions to go looking around. Instead, they commanded their surrounding personnel with extreme seriousness. Whether it was the drafting or the transporting of the equipment, they checked the deployment with great care. The needed to ensure that nothing would go wrong.

As their arrangements grew all the more ready, the minds of these two First Oblatums became more and more uneasy. First Oblatums were senior members of the order. They engaged in the intense study of scholarly knowledge, and they knew about Fairchild quite well. They were naturally able to determine their odds of success in the conflict that would follow.

Separated by space, these two chatted for a bit. But in the end, they could not refrain from going to the mental plane. This plane was imperceivable by their subordinates and they used it to seek guidance from An Weng. One of them was in charge of communications. He was the First Oblatum just below An Weng, First Oblatum Zheng Xiao.

"An Weng, we have deployed our troops quite quickly. However, this plan was made quickly. It is far too rushed. It will be hard for it to be fully effective! Though we have our coordinated spell formation, according to our current estimations, the odds of killing Fairchild do not exceed thirty percent. It is far too dangerous. Why don't we plan some more..."

An Weng did not respond immediately. He extended two hands that were just muscle, bone, and liver spots. His hands were filled with a sense of age and decay. They were even trembling a bit. His thumbs, which he could not extend straight anymore, parted with his forefingers and touched to form a triangle. He tried to contain all of Frost River Reality inside.

"Why do we need to kill Fairchild?"

"Huh?"

"Why do we need to kill Fairchild?"

An Weng asked once again, "You all actually didn't have any doubts from the beginning of the operation until now? Or do you think that Fairchild is our complete enemy just because he has ruined many of our matters over these past two years in Xia City? That any operation with him as our target is inevitable and expected?"

The two First Oblatums were a bit flabbergasted. You were the one who mentioned getting rid of Fairchild. Now you are resenting the fact that we have not held suspicions, that we have not spoken up, that we have not wondered what there is to personally gain from all this?

Luckily, Zheng Xiao had worked with An Weng for many years, so he knew An Weng's temperament. He responded in the same tone as An Weng, "An Weng, actually we are feeling apprehensive. Fairchild is quite the major character, after all. He is the backbone force of the truth side and he holds the most promise of becoming an Extraordinary. If we make a mistake, there will be no holds barred between the secular side and the truth side. This is what we are trying to avoid…"

"The scales have two ends. The two ends just keep their distance. They should not interfere with each other and should mind their own business."

An Weng made minute adjustments to the frame of the viewpoint formed from his fingers. He locked onto Fairchild's position. "Therefore, Fairchild isn't on the truth side. He is on the extreme side. He is a paranoid executioner. There has never been a place for him in the order."

Zheng Xiao felt a jolt run through his heart. "So we are going to eliminate him?"

An Weng's words implied that they were not the only ones demanding to have Fairchild dealt with. There was a more complicated and callous plot going on in the background.

"However, if things are as you say, we should wait for a better opportunity, for an easier plan…"

An Weng responded dully, "Let us talk about the odds. Fairchild is powerful. Any schemes, with someone this powerful as a target, will not have a probability of success exceeding fifty percent. We could go into deeper, more detailed planning. But most of it will be down to luck. Today our luck is good. The terrain, information, energy, and pretext are all complete. Why not try it?"

"Try it?" Zheng Xiao laughed bitterly, "If we are not successful, I fear that the consequences will be too difficult to bear."

There would be endless troubles if this tiger does not die. If they really did infuriate Fairchild and attract his mad vengeance, these First Oblatums of the secular side might have to sleep with their eyes opened from then on. One would go crazy under those circumstances.

"What sort of consequences can there be?" An Weng made two light coughs. He turned around and walked slowly towards the spell formation area. Deployment was complete. "The Gate of Truth is about to open. That paranoid madman may still be alive against Baze but can he afford to be distracted?"

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Chapter 110: The Truth Gate (Part 2/2)

Chapter 110: The Truth Gate (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Zheng Xiao was speechless for a time. He came back to reality when An Weng got into position and the spell formations atop the three buildings began to calibrate and operate.

An Weng, are you amused sir?

If this was true, news of the imminent opening of the Gate of Truth would soon begin circulating within the Order of Justice. It was said that through this mystical gate, one could see this order's holy entity, the true body of The Scales of Truth. The gate opens the way to the paramount authority, allowing supreme knowledge to be obtained.

Zheng Xiao was the First Oblatum in charge of missionary matters in the region. This concept was the product of brainwashing spread by the preaching of their priests. They used the recent earthquake in Xia City and borrowed a few words from the order's doctrine to create these rumors. They claimed that the Gate of Truth was located near Xia City. The days of several earthquakes that had happened one after another was an interacting reaction; the holy entity was coming unceasingly closer to the material world.

Priests of the Order of Justice's secular side had to spread similar talk every year. They had to recruit believers and expand the influence of their order. Strange sights were not surprising for Zheng Xiao.

Their order just so happened to seize new ground in analyzing and exploiting the Human-Faced Arachnid. Their research was making great progress. Soon, they would push out new Faith Products. Zheng Xiao wanted to ride this momentum, so he did not set many restrictions on the rumors spread by their priests.

These rumors were such nonsense. An Weng was chasing the wind and clutching at shadows. He could not really believe these rumors, right? They could not possibly bind down Fairchild's hands and legs with this?

"The old man is out of his mind!" The other First Oblatum, An Chengli, messaged Zheng Xiao through a private channel.

Zheng Xiao did not go along with him. An Chengli's words may not have been polite but this was just how An Weng's grand-nephew was. Normally, An Chengli put on a bright face and relied on his family elders to forge alliances with others. Who knows what sort of context was going on in the background.

Moreover, Zheng Xiao did not believe that there was a problem with An Weng's mind.

An Weng may be a Secretbound First Oblatum but his seniority exceeded that of ninety percent of Mindseer First Oblatums. He could have been more but he was already at an old age when he had received the revelations from the holy entity. His fleshly body could not bear it and limited his success.

Even though things were this way, every priest and cardinal in the order had to greet An Weng when they saw him, and this included even the great Archoblatum. With the passage of time, An Weng’s original name had long since been forgotten.

An Weng had never disgraced the honorific Weng, which meant an elderly wise man. An Weng may be a centenarian old man with an utterly decrepit body but his understanding of the current state of affairs was clear and deep. His understanding exceeded that of these Clearsworn First Oblatums.

At the very least, Zheng Xiao felt inferior to this old man. He was forced to think a layer deeper. Were there deeper meanings within An Weng's words?

Zheng Xiao recalled some pertinent records in his memories. According to the order's holy scriptures, the opening of the Gate of Truth marked the start of the transformation of the world. Last time it happened, mutants engulfed the globe. The earth's ecology was completely altered and the shackles that locked the hidden potential of humanity were destroyed. The earth had received a revelation.

He had no doubts that the next time the gate of truth opened, humanity and the world would be transformed once again. As for whether prosperity or destruction laid in the future, none of that was stated explicitly within the holy scriptures.

No matter what direction the transformation, this was a matter that shook the world. If this information turned out to be true, the upper levels of their order would have exploded with commotion. The order's Holy Cardinals, Mindseer First Oblatums, Great First Oblatums, and even the elusive and mystical Archoblatum would get involved. They would clear their calendars and gather at Xia City. Xia City was now a turbulent place, of rising winds and scudding clouds. But the current situation was not that crazy. It was not possible for this to be true, right?

Oh, hold on! If it's the Gate of Truth, if Xia City was really going through turbulent developments, what sort of benefits could the Order of Justice obtain? If things really did turn big like the so-called butterfly effect, the government, the army, the ability user society, and the major financial powers may get involved. The Order of Justice was not going to wait and split the gains with all these powers, right?

Zheng Xiao suddenly shivered when his thoughts reached this point. His entire body was trembling unconsciously, even though he was wearing thick black robes. This was not a symptom of fear. It was brought on by sudden feelings of excitement and stress.

"An Weng, sir, are you saying that the Gate of Truth is actually real?"

"Is it real? Is it fake?" An Chengli was curious about what Zheng Xiao was talking about. He could not help but interject. "Why hasn't there been any news about this from up top?"

Even if there was news, it would not be given down to members on their level.

Zheng Xiao had always harbored some suspicions. He believed that An Weng had called him here for a reason. Was it because An Weng knew that his greatest strength was his self-awareness? Did An Weng call him here to form a team with An Chengli, a young First Oblatum who’s ambitions exceeded his abilities?

Although An Chengli had many faults, he was not stupid. He asked with a rapid fire of words, "An Weng, does the great Archoblatum have a holy command? If the Gate of Truth is really going to open soon, do we have the time and place yet? Is today's matter just a pretext?"

That is true. Could it all be just a pretext?

Zheng Xiao was unable to make a definite sense of things for a time. It seemed that they really were using the conflict with Fairchild and the internal strife of their order as a facade to cover up their true intentions. This way, the powerful members of the secular side and the truth side of the Order of Justice could amass in Xia City without suspicion. They could form an absolute advantage over the other powers... Then what was today's deployment all about?

Once in awhile, An Chengli made an excellent partner, especially when his brain was in high gear. He scrambled to speak out Zheng Xiao's suspicions, "If things are really this way, then we are to be stagehands for this play?"

"Fairchild is quite the fitting character. How credible do you think this pretext is?" An Weng had answered only one question, yet it spelled out many matters quite clearly.

Zheng Xiao and An Chengli were both silent. They needed more time to digest all of this.

The rain fell harder and harder into the night. Though the drizzle was blocked off by the top of the rooftops, they could still hear the low splattering sound of falling raindrops.

An Weng did not give these two much time to think. Soon, their mental domains trembled as black light and white lines interweaved to form the classical structure of a balance scale. It manifested in the deep void that ordinary people would find hard to see and it declared its existence towards these two people.

The black and white plates on each side were each connected by three chains of their respective colors. The frame in the center allowed the two sides to serve as foils for one another. The base below was thick and heavy. There was nothing else to the structure besides the aforementioned parts. It was concise and simple.

This was none other than the projection of the Scales of Truth. It acted as the paramount holy entity of their order. No matter the place, the time, or the circumstances, all must be respectful towards it. The two First Oblatums bowed and recited scriptures in silence, thus temporarily clearing the distracting thoughts from their minds.

Right now, the Scales of Truth were not in a balanced state. It was as if there was something heavy on the white plate, which caused it to sink all the way to the bottom. The black plate on the other side was raised high up. It gave off the sense that it could topple over at any moment.

This unbalanced state was the original indicator of their order's powerful mantra. Everything they were doing was for the sake of bringing this unbalanced state back to a balanced state. This process would bring them mystical powers that were unimaginable.

However, this time there were some oddities with the state of the Scales of Truth. The white plate, which was pressed far down, appeared to be completely empty. At the very least, not a single object could be seen on it. On the other side, there was a tiny snake atop the raised black plate. It was as thin as a chopstick and its body was coiled up in a circle. Its mouth bitted its tail and murky clouds churned around it.

This tiny ouroboros snake was the manifestation of the Words of Krait. It symbolized the negative force of suffering they presently controlled within Frost River Reality. It was something they needed to endlessly adjust to achieve balance with the scales. It was the only weight they could manipulate.

However, if they looked at the state of imbalance, it seemed that this weight was not enough.

"It appears that the Words of Krait's operation is not running smoothly." Actually, Zheng Xiao wanted to ask what sort of offering was placed on the white scales, for the truth side.

An Chengli asked, "The Krait's absorption is being interfered with. Are the ability users inside Frost River Reality up to some mischief?"

An Weng did not express an opinion. "Let us take a look then."

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Chapter 111: Inquisitor (Part 1/2)

Chapter 111: Inquisitor (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

When An Weng gave this command, it did not matter whether it was An Chengli or Zheng Xiao. They both drew their minds back and returned to their respective positions. Installation of the equipment atop the three buildings had been completed at this time. They began to start up simultaneously.

A special three-dimensional projector held the necessary core functions. A rainbow colored light was instantly cast and it interweaved to form a structure of countless changing layers. Such a complicated spell formation would normally require a couple hours to be deployed but it was able to appear instantly through projection.

The scattered rays all went through a special process to carry a fixed amount of energy. If an ordinary person were to be irradiated by the light, they would probably be burned on the spot. However, with the control of the three First Oblatums, not a single bit of these rays' energy was wasted. They all converged into every foundational structure of the spell formation and fused all sorts of flavors of light together.

It was as if each of these First Oblatums was wrapped in a cocoon of light. Fundamental magic runes were arranged in order in the inner layer of the light-cocoon. They formed a single chain-like structure that revolved and spiraled. This was the foundation for the inner ring.

Atop this foundation, countless arcs radiated out to intertwine with multi-pointed stars on the outer layer. They linked together marvelously to form dozens of independent gear-like structures of various sizes. The teeth of these gears bit together one by one. It was like an enormous machine. It rumbled as it started up and buzzed as it operated.

The surface of the sphere surrounding it all was composed of dozens of hundreds of spell circles. A darkish gray light circulated like rapidly flowing turbid waters. It flowed like a gurgling river and it seemed that the river could overflow at any time. Though there was this danger, powerful tension could be obtained from this.

Practically the exact same spell formation was formed atop the three buildings. They formed the edges of an invisible equilateral triangular structure.

This structure's name was Evolution Field. It was erected by the three First Oblatums working together, so they all got to share in its marvels. Of course, An Weng, as the Secretbound First Oblatum, possessed the highest privileges. He held the lead position.

Additionally, right in the middle of the Evolution Field was the projection of the Scales of Truth that was in an unbalanced state.

Though the Scales of Truth had yet to enter the material plane, all the surrounding believers within the material plane knelt down on their knees. These priests and knights paid their respects according to their order's etiquette. Their devotion and reverence converged into the spell formation and transformed into a confluence of special energy and information, increasing the activity of the formation.

The magical spell formation was now in operation. The surrounding area gradually came under its control. The most explicit change was the effect upon their range of senses.

None of the three First Oblatums were great at mental sensing. They needed to use the Words of Krait to make a ‘snake hive’ in order to understand the detailed situation within Frost River Reality; it only had a range of one kilometer in a straight line after all. Alternatively, they could use a human weapon such as Baze as a fulcrum. These were the only two methods they could use.

However, the information from Frost River Reality was being collected through the Evolution Field shared by the three right now. It did not matter how numerous or complicated the information was. The plethora of chaos was being filtered and gathered within the triangular structure. In the end, the information was formed and cast to the souls of the three First Oblatums.

The image went from blurry to clear and it covered a range of over a hundred square meters. Every living being appeared within this image. Additionally, under the effects of some special mechanism, the image automatically focused, centered on the most important characters, and marked them out.

There was not much to say about the target's status.

It was a half-grown kid who looked to be around fifteen years old. He was dressed casually and he looked like a student who had come to Frost River Reality for some weekend fun. Anyone picked out from the people in his vicinity would yield a member of society quite a few years older.

Yet this group of cautious people encircled this young man so that he was in the center. Some did this unconsciously. Some did this consciously. Most notably, there were the eight tall and brawny special police officers equipped with exoskeleton armor. They held their guns and shields and they naturally formed a defensive formation. Their appearance was like they were escorting a high level official.

"So is he the one?" Zheng Xiao and An Chengli were a bit surprised.

An Weng maintained his silence.

This was not the limit of the information gathering and analysis of their Evolution Field. Special symbols internal to the order were scattered down to the image. Every target in the room who the First Oblatums needed to be concerned with were marked as clear as day in an eye striking fashion.

The three First Oblatums saw something astonishing upon each of these people and it was no different from one person to another. The same form existed upon each of their chests. The same combinational structure.

"A tetrahedron with an innerscribed sphere and an outerscribed sphere... This is the Archetype Format."An Chengli was a Clearsworn First Oblatum, after all. He was familiar with the extraordinary theories of each major power. He obviously would not forget the Archetype Formatting Theory that was currently scorching the world.

Zheng Xiao hesitated for a moment but he still made a correction. "The Archetype Format is a standard way of enhancing the fleshly body. However, the current situation seems to be the product of interfering with the material plane from the mental plane."

An Chengli gasped and wanted to speak but An Weng's thoughts were transmitted clearly before he could speak. "The operation of the Words of Krait is congested and the reason is this young man. He is the most direct cause. He doesn't have many years on him, yet he already possesses considerable soul strength. And the operation of his powers is meticulous. He naturally belongs to the side of order, not chaos. Plus, he received Fairchild's Shield of Truth blessing not too long ago."

"Fairchild?"

"The Shield of Truth!"

Zheng Xiao and An Chengli both ate a sudden shock. "What's his relationship with Fairchild?"

"Who cares about their relationship."

An Weng continued to have thoughts of indifference. "The only thing we need to know is just how much more powerful is this young man's blessing and the tetrahedron structure are after receiving the blessing from Fairchild. No matter where he goes, the powers of chaos and order will have their limits... Do we have information about this young man?"

Naturally, the Order of Justice had spies in the ability user society. Though they might not have access to top secret information, they could access basic resources. It was inevitable for them to find information on this young man. It did not take long for the three First Oblatums to get to know this young man.

An Weng did not hide his special attitude towards this young man. "Luo Nan. A new member of the Society. A young man with boundless prospects. A young man with little background... His powers come from talent. If we had encountered him earlier on, drew him into the order, and given him careful training, perhaps he might have been a contestant for 'Saint'."

Zheng Xiao's heart shuddered. An Chengli had strived for the title Saint back in the day. He was not successful, so he returned to Xia City in silence. He became a Clearsworn First Oblatum but he was always brooding over his failure. Why did An Weng mention such things...

Separated by a hundred meters of the night sky, he was unable to see An Chengli's expression. Next, An Weng gave an order.

"Chengli."

"An Weng."

"The secular side is not the secular world. What we do is formulate rules for the secular world. So when we engage, we need to find reasons to. We also need to make our stance clear."

"An Weng!" Zheng Xiao could hear something ominous from those words. He could not refrain from speaking.

However, An Chengli was already struck to the core by his grandfather An Weng's words. The stage had been set. He responded practically instantly, "An Weng, command me sir!"

"We need to make it clear to people of the world that the Order of Justice is different from the scattered ability user society, that we are different to those politicians that believe in trickery. We have our doctrine and we absolutely will not compromise... They will need to pay the price for their reckless meddling with the internal affairs of our order!"

"Right now, you are the inquisitor. Make the verdict then."

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Chapter 111: Inquisitor (Part 2/2)

Chapter 111: Inquisitor (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan had a bad feeling ever since they left the room.

They had embarked after they rendezvoused with Bai Xinyan. Their route was none other than the area swept by the sniper bullet trajectories not so long ago. The amusement center was completely empty and all they saw was a complete mess. The helmets and equipment were on the ground everywhere, tossed by customers who lost their minds in fear. Occasionally, they would happen upon human corpses blasted by the high-energy rounds.

The automatic sprinkles had activated above; it now rained both inside and outside the amusement center. The water mixed with the flesh and the blood to form a paste-like substance and the faint red bloody water flowed beneath their feet. Their group, who had been stuck in the room for quite a while, found the current situation hard to imagine.

At the very least, Luo Nan never expected this. He never expected to see this scene in Frost River Reality.

At this time, he had to repeat meaningless words endlessly. "Yes, don't worry. I'm fine. I'm really fine. I'm with the special forces. It is very safe here. Don't worry..."

He was talking to Mo Qiu, his older cousin whose legs had turned to jello from the shock and was waiting outside. Mo Qiu did not stop Luo Nan from leading Officer Xue into Frost River Reality. He had thought that Luo Nan was trying to get on this police officer's good side, to make it easier to plea for leniency for Mo Peng and the others' sake. After all, they had been taken into custody for being involved in a brawl. But how was he to know that a terrorist attack would happen in the amusement center just a dozen minutes later? There was news that the special forces were knocked out. Then came the explosive sounds of gunshots. Frost River Reality had exploded with chaos.

Mo Qiu and the others had been brought outside by the chaotic tide of people. He wanted to contact Luo Nan but his call went to voicemail. Mo Qiu was scared out of his mind for Luo Nan. He thought about calling again but in these special circumstances, repeated calls would bring Luo Nan troubles. It was an impossible situation and it tormented him until he practically went mad.

In the end, Luo Nan noticed the missed call on his wristband while he evacuated from the room. He called back and let Mo Qiu's stomach filled with fires of torment settle down. The relieving of stress would inevitably make one be a bit chatty. Luo Nan used a patient tone to lessen Mo Qiu's worries. From their conversation, he was able to partially grasp the situation outside.

After the so-called terrorist attack hit, the police set up a blockade line surrounding Frost River Reality and they evacuated the civilians nearby. Everyone believed that the police would rush in at godspeed and control the situation within Frost River Reality. But no one ever expected the police to hesitate outside, even after amassing several hundred personnel. They just dispatched a few combat robots and other unmanned machinery inside. These robots would rescue a few civilians from time to time or retrieve a few corpses. Aside from this, they really did not do anything besides draw resentment from the civilians.

Luo Nan heard how the police was handling things. He nodded. "Well, this is the way they should do things..."

Currently, Frost River Reality was enveloped by the Order of Justice's Words of Krait power. All living beings within its range would likely be reduced to ‘snake hives’. They would help the enemy. The police methods were clearly directed.

Mo Qiu did not understand. "Nanster?"

Luo Nan was unable to explain such things to Mo Qiu. He could only say. "Mo Peng and the others have already been brought to the station right? It's safe there. Third brother, you, Senior Sister Xiaolin, and Senior Sister Tian should leave quickly. You guys should go far far away. I heard some internal information. These terrorists probably have weapons of great destruction..."

"What!?"

"Don't talk nonsense." Xue Weilun heard Luo Nan speak without thinking and put a stop to it at once.

Luo Nan waved a hand towards him in apology. He then continued talking with Mo Qiu. "I'm with the special forces. I'll probably evacuate from a different direction. Don't be concerned about me. Just be concerned about getting far away from here... Also, don't talk about this matter with our family for now."

"You think you can hide it from them?" Mo Qiu laughed bitterly. "The media of the entire world have their cameras focused on you guys."

"..."

Luo Nan ended the call with Mo Qiu. His brain could not help but imagine what Mo Qiu said about the rescue and corpse retrieval situation with the police. The indescribably bad feeling invaded his mind once more and forced him to sigh with worry.

Xue Weilun saw that Luo Nan had ended his call. He walked up to him and gave him a few reminders. "Luo Nan. You may be an expert but your family members are not. They may not be able to handle things. You can't guarantee that he won't spread information outside and be manipulated by others..."

Luo Nan just wanted to emphasize to Mo Qiu the importance of getting far away asap. He was referring to the Words of Krait when he talked about weapons of great destruction. It was not too far from the truth. However, Xue Weilun was an elder. Having heard these words from Xue Weilun, Luo Nan went along obediently.

Xue Weilun only said such things because of his professional habits. He saw how Luo Nan had manifested the tetrahedron figures to protect their bodies. He saw Luo Nan's mystical power. He automatically associated the identity of this young man with that of an expert. He naturally had worries of his own.

Now he saw that Luo Nan was able to maintain a respectful attitude towards his elders. Luo Nan possessed impressive discipline. His original solid impression of Luo Nan being a drug abuser was diluted by quite a bit. At the same time, he now had somewhat of a good impression of Luo Nan.

Xue Weilun also did not want to label his son's friend with any stereotypes. The suspicions he had once harbored were resolved all at once. He reached out with his hand to swipe twice at the ghostly tetrahedron figure on his chest. The air rippled with subtle waves visible to the naked eye. The figure warped and morphed a bit but was soon restored to its original state.

"This figure... It can guard against those mental attacks, right? How long can it be maintained for? What is its name?"

"Format Pyramid, so my grandfather calls it." Luo Nan laughed. "It's a bit of an exaggeration to say that it can guard against mental attacks. It can only prevent disturbances on the mental plane. For a direct attack, it can only act as a cushion to give one time to react."

As he spoke, he looked at the tetrahedron figures on the chest of the surrounding group of people. Each one of them was protected by the Format Pyramid buff and this made Luo Nan quite happy. His voice was bright and clear. "As for how long it lasts... Things will be fine as long as I'm standing here."

"Student Luo Nan. Are you sure that 'you' are fine?"

Before Luo Nan could finish speaking, someone else besides him spoke. She spoke with an emphasis on the second 'you'. There were some implications in her words. The speaker was none other than Bai Xinyan.

As their party made their way according to the evacuation route, this doctor of medicine had her head down and was looking at her wristband the entire time. It seemed that she was looking at some data. Her concentration made it so that she was practically blind to her surroundings. She had barely spoken at all today and it seemed that the words she did speak were quite undermining.

"Doctor Bai..." Luo Nan could only squeeze out these words before suddenly going speechless. Bai Xinyan had gotten close to him, reached out with her arm, and seized him by the shoulders in a half-pressing, half-hugging sort of way. She just walked forward with Luo Nan in this dubious position, attracting side-long glances from the people nearby.

Luo Nan understood clearly that Bai Xinyan did not have ‘those’ intentions but her arm held him tight and her body pressed tightly against his. He felt an indescribable softness against his back and his body subconsciously stiffened up.

"Light tactile sense: normal."

"Huh?"

After that, not only did Bai Xinyan have his shoulders in her embrace, she used her other hand to lightly turn his neck and examine his carotid artery. The warmth of her fingers invaded Luo Nan's skin as his veins and nerves pulsed. This information was fed to Bai Xinyan through her finger.

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Chapter 112: A New Direction (Part 1/2)

Chapter 112: A New Direction (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

"Hellooo, are you going to take a bite out of him next?" Zhang Yingying could not refrain from shouting. Cat Eyes was sharing her perspective, after all. Bai Xinyan and Luo Nan could not hide any shady business. The members of the Society within the encrypted channel could see it all as clear as day.

Ultimately, Luo Nan was a thin-skinned individual. He heard what was said and wanted to struggle free but then Bai Xinyan's finger did something interesting as it pressed lightly against his neck. It changed instantly back and forth from being hot to being cold. The rate of change was quite fast. Luo Nan had tempered himself in the Frost River Waterway not too long ago. The warm and cold sensory receptors of his skin were extremely sensitive, so sensitive that he might not be able to distinguish between the receptors.

The stimulation came clearly in this sharp contrasting manner, which caused him to be unable to hold back from trembling. At this moment, Bai Xinyan's other hand that rested on his shoulder began to exert force. It was fine in the beginning, being just pure pressure, but it changed later. Though Luo Nan had the Shield of Truth buff, he could feel his muscles, bones, and skin undulate beneath Bai Xinyan's fingers. The sensation of pain assaulted him, causing him to crease his brows.

"Dr. Bai... Hey!" Luo Nan's entire body almost jumped. This was because Bai Xinyan's fingers, which used to lay on his neck, had suddenly slid down his collar to touch his chest.

"Wow!"

Cries of shock and astonishment rang throughout the encrypted channel. Normally, special police forces would advance with vigilance and attentiveness but even they could not help but look in distraction.

Bai Xinyan was a beautiful woman who could make anyone's heart rate increase but Luo Nan was unable to bear this sequence of events. His right shoulder was pressed down and he had no strength in his arm. He could only raise his left hand to push through his clothes against Bai Xinyan's slender hand, which had already slid down to his chest.

However, when his arm curved up, his elbow hit Bai Xinyan's body behind him. It seemed that he had hit someplace inappropriate.

Luo Nan's body froze up but at the same time, Bai Xinyan's melodious laugh rang by his ears. "No issues with pressure sense, pain sense, and temperature sense. No anomalies can be seen with the biological senses. Reflexive movement, motion, and sense of balance are quite accurate. Pretty good~"

Bai Xinyan nonchalantly pulled a distance away from Luo Nan as she spoke. She acted as if nothing had happened.

Luo Nan realized that Bai Xinyan had done some functional tests on him. However, she did this out of the blue, what was the meaning of this?

"I was looking at some data and I found out a few things. Those who receive the Shield of Truth’s blessing will have a substantial increase in their defensive ability but if they're buffed for a long time, dislocation to bones, damage to nerves, and other symptoms may appear. Researchers believe that this is due to the power of the Shield of Truth. As it reinforces the structure of the human body, it also causes distortion or the feeling of numbness in the target, making it impossible to accurately grasp the limits of the body... But looking at Student Luo Nan now, it looks like you haven't had any of these symptoms appear. Was Fairchild's iron fist of love more refined than normal?"

Voices went ‘ohhhhh’ in the encrypted channel as they realized what was going on. However, just how many of them could really understand this explanation?

Luo Nan recovered from his embarrassment and was forced to admire Bai Xinyan's judgment. It seemed to match up completely with his current circumstances. She just overlooked one thing; the impact the blessing had on Luo Nan himself.

When Fairchild had landed his fist on Luo Nan, the power of the mutual interference between the mental and the material was injected into Luo Nan. It covered his entire body. The blessing was inconceivably exquisite. It seemed to permeate every cell of Luo Nan's body.

When this thick power permeated within, the millions of millions of basic building blocks of Luo Nan's body began to strengthen layer upon layer. They also subtly warped and dislocated. It was the same as casting certain powerful basic structures of the Shield of Truth into Luo Nan's body. His body now had a dramatic increase in how much it could bear.

Bai Xinyan's judgment was correct up until this point but those who received this blessing normally would not receive it down to the cellular level. Fairchild had given him preferential treatment.

However, there was a reason why Fairchild had acted so exquisitely. He just strengthened Luo Nan on a basic level, giving Luo Nan room to regulate and control this power.

Any other person would freeze for some time when facing the exquisite structure of the Shield of Truth, so it would be quite decent for them to be able to follow established instructions. In Luo Nan's case, he had only received Fairchild's demonstration recently. He was not clear on the subtle details. However, he could not be clearer on the basic concepts.

Therefore, things came to him quite naturally when he unleashed his soul strength. With his soul configuration as a reference, he boldly utilized these basic structures to combine them with his ‘My heart’s a prison’ format, which was the materialization of his visualization and five years of psychotropics. His format had undergone a second degree of change, erecting an outline of a configuration which was better suited for him.

Luo Nan continued to tweak the outline of his soul configuration even now to make it more harmonious and coherent. Naturally, such refined work would not appear in Bai Xinyan's data.

Unfortunately, such a calibration was only temporary. The blessing of the Shield of Truth only lasted for a short time. Once its effects were gone, Luo Nan's body would return to its original state.

This was more or less what Bai Xinyan had said.

He now understood Bai Xinyan's previous intentions but the way she did things left Luo Nan brooding. The warmth on his face had yet to dissipate. To hide it, he spoke a bit louder.

"I already said that I'm fine..."

"It was me. I requested White Salt to examine you. Don't blame her Mr. Luo." He Yueyin was the one to answer him, and she did not do so in the encrypted channel. Her words came directly in the form of sound waves.

Luo Nan was a bit startled. He lifted his head and looked forward to see He Yueyin. She was still dressed in her professional attire. She stood in the hazy mist that was sprayed from sprinklers on the ceiling and gave a slight bow in their direction.

Though she was covered by the mist, her body remained completely dry. It was as if there was an incorporeal force that surrounded her body, isolating her from being contaminated by external matter. Her gaze pierced through the mist and reached over. It was then that Luo Nan could clearly sense a layer of thin haze masking what had been her clear, bright eyes.

This female secretary constantly gave him help altruistically. It was hard for Luo Nan to be angry at her. He shook his head but He Yueyin spoke before he could speak.

"The next mission will be more troublesome. However, if Luo Nan's endurance is temporarily stronger after receiving the Shield of Truth’s blessing and he can bring out his complete ability, then it will make the operation much easier."

"Luo Nan's eyes lit up but before he could inquire in greater detail, Zhang Yingying displayed even more excitement in the encrypted channel. "Ohoho, is it time for him to draw some scribbles? Wait for me! I'll be there soon!"

"..."

"Hey, it looks like you didn't bring your black notebook? Do you need me to find you pen, paper, a flexible screen, or something and bring it over for you?I'm right next to a department store, you know. Leister, go! Take two of any high-end brands you find."

Leister, who was with her, was obviously embarrassed. It took a while for him to respond faintly with a mere sentence. "Am I really doing this?"

Luo Nan was baffled as well. It seemed that Zhang Yingying was even more excited than him. What the heck was this?

However, He Yueyin denied Zhang Yingying's conjecture. "No. What I need now is Mr. Luo's ability to make long-range attacks and his all-encompassing perception."

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Chapter 112: A New Direction (Part 2/2)

Chapter 112: A New Direction (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

"All-encompassing perception? Kitty, a certain someone's going to replace you!" Zhang Yingying buzzed and made a racket quite delightedly.

Luo Nan's identity as Scout and his participation in the Society's operations were kept secret. There were no direct leaks. However, within the Society, it was impossible to block rain and wind completely. At the very least, it was impossible to hide it from people as persistent as Zhang Yingying. She was not surprised that Luo Nan possessed this kind of ability. His identity as Scout was all but directly laid bare.

Though He Yueyin vigorously advocated for applying classification levels, it seemed that she had taken the initiative to blur the boundary between Luo Nan and Scout. It was unusual, to say the least.

Zhang Yingying absolutely would not let this chance escape her grasp. She immediately gave He Yueyin a private message. "Hello! You're knowingly breaking the rules!"

This time, He Yueyin had no response whatsoever.

Luo Nan was a bit surprised but he was more concerned about the request that He Yueyin had raised. In fact, this secretary just explicitly assigned him a priority mission, not one that was protective and limited. This was the first time she had done such a thing. Luo Nan was eager to give it a shot.

He Yueyin spoke neutrally, "Bamboo Pole. Report Frost River Reality's current situation."

"Alright." Bamboo Pole responded in a lazy voice, "In accordance with the secretary's request, I will distribute an image to everyone then."

As he spoke, a complete real-time dynamic map was released in the encrypted channel. It was altered from Frost River Reality's elevation structural drawing. The result was semi-translucent. It was very clear and intuitive to look at.

"Over here in Frost River Reality, Secretary, Yingying, and Student Xue Lei have already cleared out the area. Both the military and the police's combat robots have also entered the site. Most of the space has already been swept clean. However, there are some areas where they found it impossible to take under their control... By searching the monitoring system, I've found that the Order of Justice still has five to seven gunners. They are mostly concentrated around the border between Area A and Area B and they control the external passageways. Also, Baze and the other Human Weapons are protecting them. He's the red dot on the dynamic map."

Luo Nan looked at the map with rapt attention. He took the initiative to ask, "How many are there like Baze?"

"Cough. Boss Nan, there is only one Human Weapon like Baze. If there were two, then you guys wouldn't have left that room alive."

Bamboo Pole had to correct Luo Nan's mistaken thought. "However, there are slightly shoddier Human Weapons. They are none other than the Oblatum Knights of the Knights of Equity. There's only a small squad of them in Xia City. There are nine in total, including Baze. Since their goal is to get rid of Fairchild, either all of them or at least more than half of them have been dispatched. They are waiting on the fringe of the battle area between Fairchild and Baze. Despite this, there is a problem. Even though these Oblatum Knights haven't fused their power with that of a First Oblatum, intrinsically they're equal to a C+ Rank or higher ability user. It will be very difficult for us to discover their existence just using the monitoring system."

"In other words, I am to find out where all these people are, right?" Luo Nan did not really feel that this task was that difficult. However, there was one thing he did not understand. "Just how amazing are C+ Rank ability users...?"

Bamboo Pole gave him a point of reference. "The Secretary was evaluated at C+ when she entered the society. It's probably the peak level of the Awakened stage."

Luo Nan swallowed a mouthful of shock. He had seen He Yueyin in action several times. Her callous and swift tempo made one feel like they were facing a thick steel wall. She was someone who could kill with a single blow. Now, all of a sudden there were eight or nine characters with as much strength as He Yueyin.

"Of course, the highest score possible in the Society's entrance evaluation is a rank of C+. I, myself, believe that the Secretary should be able to reach B with her strength. I've heard that Boss Nan got an entrance evaluation of E+. You were also seriously underrated."

"Uhm, thank you." Luo Nan gave a word of thanks to Bamboo Pole. However, he was still unclear just how a C+ Rank was measured in the end.The only ones who were more clueless were dreadfully only Xue Weilun and the surrounding special police officers.

Bamboo Pole directly switched to a different material of reference. "Take Yingying for example then. Her strength was only ranked at C, yet her 'White Rainbow' can reach a rank of C+ in offensive power.

An image of Zhang Yingying flashed in Luo Nan's mind. He exhaled. "That's not too bad..."

"Hey Luo, do you dare stick your dog head out to try it on?" Zhang Yingying's furious voice came from far away. Her snow-white long legs swung as she stomped over. Her imposing air pressured the surrounding special police forces to disperse one after another, making a pathway for her.

Luo Nan went, ‘hic!’ and figured out that his mouth had shot off a bit too quickly. Though his impression of Zhang Yingying was very complicated, she had good intentions for him tonight. She had sent him a private message telling him how to fix the situation with Red Fox being angry. She also offered to bring pen, paper, and a flexible screen. Her mannerisms were great but this description really did not fit her.

"Father! You're fine, right?"

Xue Lei followed closely behind Zhang Yingying. He saw his father and was super excited. He rushed forward but was smacked in the head by the metal fist of the exoskeleton armor suit. His tall and brawny figure became shorter by a half.

When he saw how his friend had come to an end, Luo Nan became truly worried about the fate of his own head. He was also worried about incurring Zhang Yingying's wrath with her white rainbow; she might recreate a parhelion with him as a victim. He hastily raised his wristband to indicate his apologies. "I'm very sorry! Oh, Yingying. Your White Rainbow... It feels much sharper."

Zhang Yingying sneered. "Now you're kissing butt? It's too late!"

Luo Nan shrugged with hands unfolded. He felt helpless. It was extremely pitiable; he really was telling the truth. He had just cast a glance over to Zhang Yingying and saw the river cloud belt circulating around her body. He had never seen it so bright, lustrous, and pure before. It was as if there was living water snaking and circulating upon her body. It reflected with a cold aura.

Because of this change, he had nearly blurted out and revealed the fact that he could directly observe Zhang Yingying's White Rainbow. He was able to guess that Zhang Yingying must have made a breakthrough in her ability over this past week. Only then would such a distinct change be present.

Such progress answered one of his questions. People were anxious in the Society.

Luckily at this time, Xue Lei could not stand the lecturing his father was giving him. He came over dejected and depressed as he sought refuge, his actions serving as indirect protection for Luo Nan. He gave Luo Nan a hearty embrace. "Nanster. Thank you so much. I heard everything from Father. Good thing that you were there!"

"Actually, Uncle also looked after me all this time."

The two got along well together and they were friends of the same age who stuck together through thick and thin. Luo Nan naturally treated him differently. He patted Xue Lei's muscular shoulder and spoke with some emotion, " Uncle was right. Leister, you really shouldn't have come inside. How were things over with Senior Sister Xiaolin?"

"You're not someone of this world." Xue Lei stepped two paces back after his hug. He revealed a dejected face. "Those were her exact words...sigh"

Xue Lei still had more to say but he turned his head and saw that there were all sorts of people in their surroundings. He could only reveal a wry smile in the end. It did not matter how much he could try distinguishing himself from Xiaolin's words. The facts before him were ironclad proof and he felt powerless in front of them.

Bamboo Pole then coughed a few times in the encrypted channel to get everyone's attention. "Everyone, that's just about enough small talk for now. I still haven't finished explaining the situation over here yet..."

Next to Bamboo Pole was Red Fox. Red Fox recovered his spirits at this time. "Hey! The heck are you talking about all this for? You still want to recklessly engage with the Order of Justice's secular side? You want to risk life and limb with Fairchild? Can't you see that there's the giant evacuation route that you can take? You're still not sick of that hellhole yet?"

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Chapter 113: Dumb Teammate (Part 1/2)

Chapter 113: Dumb Teammate (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Red Fox smashed down with rapid-fire questions but Bamboo Pole lectured beside him, explaining in calm and even-tempered manner. "Well, we're not helping Fairchild exactly. You see, there are still innocent civilians within Frost River Reality. My initial estimation places the numbers at a hundred, with all of them being in Area A. They are divided into twenty clusters, with each of them containing two to seven people."

As Luo Nan listened attentively, Zhang Yingying came over to him, unwilling to forgive him. Bai Xinyan tried to hold her back by the shoulders but it was no use. "Hey! You said you could feel a sharp change. Were you telling the truth?"

"It's true," replied Luo Nan without hesitation.

"Baseless talk. Who would believe you? Yea! So, draw me another portrait!"

"Eh?" In the time before Luo Nan could react, Zhang Yingying had stuffed a thin notebook into his hands. As she did this, she prodded a pencil into one of his hands as well. She was actually quite considerate; the pencil was already sharpened and it nearly pierced his skin.

It was really quite difficult to find paper notebooks and similar consumer articles in places like this amusement center. The things Zhang Yingying had stuffed into his hands must be game related merchandise. There should be showy game related icons and decorations on the borders, covers, and inner layers.

Luo Nan was speechless for a time. He was able to get a fan from his sketched drawings? Moreover, his fan was actually this unfathomable and odd woman, Zhang Yingying?

Bai Xinyan was quite baffled. "Are you saying that you really like his drawings?"

Zhang Yingying was beaming with smiles. Not a trace of anger could be seen. "He's a psychic! He can trace back the past. He can know the future. He can see what others can't see. My boss explained to me that my sense toward White Rainbow is far too subjective. I need more references from different perspectives. His drawings are simple and open. I can save a lot of effort with them."

Luo Nan could only smile wryly in regards to her reasoning. He opened the notebook but looked at the ceiling above. The sprinklers were going off, soaking Luo Nan's hair. The water scattered onto the notebook and soon a page was soaked as well.

Zhang Yingying rolled her eyes in response. She pressed him. "Do it when things are over! You will give it to me tomorrow!"

"Will there be one for me?" Bai Xinyan came to join in on the action. Luo Nan always maintained a bit of vigilance toward this woman. He could only tilt his head and laugh, adopting an introverted and shy appearance.

However, his attention was soon drawn in by Bamboo Pole's explanation.

"The presence of the hundred civilians is really a big headache. The Knights of Equity currently do not plan to capture and hold people hostage. However, they're not making any signs of letting people go freely outside."

Bamboo Pole then played a video. It showed that there were gunmen guarding the exit passageways. When a civilian tried to escape, the gunman would shoot their legs and let them scream and moan on the ground. It was utterly cruel.

Xue Lei growled next to Luo Nan. He really did not like the scene. He could not hold back from muttering, "This is not a hostage situation..?"

"They're just establishing snake hives with them."

Bamboo Pole adjusted to a different monitoring screen to let everyone see the specifics of the current situation. Those who tried to escape were shot in the legs to generate pain and fear. Together, those emotions formed the best medium for the Words of Krait. The suffering of the civilians was increased by several folds but they were not allowed to faint. They could only struggle and scream, allowing the incorporeal viper to come in and out of their bodies. Soon, they were on their last breaths

The screams and struggles had another effect; they broadcasted out enormous quantities of negative psychic waves. The trapped civilians, who were not that harmed, were dominated by emotions of terror and panic. The radiation of negative emotions and psychic waves allowed the snake hives to spread and propagate.

"The more concentrated and the larger the number of snake hives, the easier it is for the Order of Justice's First Oblatum to display their abilities. Their limiting distance becomes smaller as well. According to previous information, it is standard to have three snake hives for a Human Weapon like Baze to output at full power. If more Oblatum Knights are to be added, the number of snake hives needs to be doubled at least... Now that I mention it, you guys made the correct choice in bringing that rich kid out of there. Boss Nan's Format Pyramid is also very awesome."

Bamboo Pole was talking about Huang Bingzhen, who had fainted once again. Right now, his body was buffed by Luo Nan's Format Pyramid, so the effects of the snake hive were suppressed.

Though Luo Nan was praised, he was not that happy. The cruel mental torment in the monitoring feed was still displayed. Xue Lei could not stand looking at it and Luo Nan could not stand it either. Such a scene continued to spark the terrible feeling he had before. It made him feel unwell from inside out.

At this moment, Red Fox gave another roasting. "The program has been changed once again! Now we're doing a gargantuan rescue mission? I say, is infantilism contagious? Just having one brat over here is enough!"

Luo Nan felt really horrible. He was attacked for no reason. He was vexed and just as he was about to take a breath of air to calm down, he felt a slight pain in his fingers. It turned out that he had subconsciously squeezed his hand, breaking the sharp tip of the pencil and lodging the tip into his finger.

Zhang Yingying spoke out in the encrypted channel. "Hey! Hey! Fox-dog! That's enough of your mumbo jumbo! The Order of Justice couldn't have scared you this bad."

Red Fox's views had never changed all this time. He never thought that Zhang Yingying and even Bamboo Pole would say that he was a turncoat! Red Fox was in a bad mood from top to bottom. His fury hailed down as a torrent of words.

"Pardon me, I'm really not scared of the Order of Justice. I'm just scared by this dumbf**k teammate. The Order of Justice is going around unbridled and they are one of the three major secret orders. To accomplish what you want, to continue on, anyone would be helpless and that includes me. But this brat is different. He doesn't even know the common sense of picking your battles! He wants to make things big! Human-Faced Arachnid, Fairchild, Words of Krait, he set them all off! You guys aren't scared of losing your face when playing with explosives with him? And you say I'm scared to the point of imploding my pants!? Look at these innocent civilians, aren't they imploding?"

Zhang Yingying suddenly exploded with fury. "FOX-DOG! DON'T YOU GO TOO FAR!"

Red Fox's words were far too reproaching and hurtful. There was a moment when Luo Nan forgot to breathe. He just subconsciously removed the pencil nib from his finger, letting the nib fall into the shallow waters beneath.

A profound and exquisite perception inexplicably locked onto the entire process of this tiny object falling down. The process included the nib tumbling and turning, the moment it entered the water, and even the resulting fine ripples.

Luo Nan used this method to distract himself, to experience a moment of serenity. But when his attention came back, the burning, scalding heat in his chest became all the more unbearable.

He wanted to go along with this burning emotion and roar in defiance. He wanted to rebuke Red Fox's irrational behavior. However, he did not utter a single word in the end. His expression was calm and relaxed, he took the range of his mental senses, which he had restricted down to a ten meter radius in caution and released it outward layer by layer.

Ten meters. Twenty meters. Fifty Meters... Soon, the range of his mental senses exceeded that of Cat Eyes and it continued to expand.

As the range of his mental senses rapidly expanded, the rate of information pouring in grew exponentially. The information was fed back to him but it was not like that of a simple soul configuration. He could realize and facilitate a conversation with this energy and information. The energy and information had to follow the functional mechanisms of the human body's nervous system. Through special neurotransmitters and various forms of stimulants, the energy and information could be transmitted with order. They advanced under the process, step by step, to ultimately merge into the central hub of his brain. They assembled and combined into a complete, all-encompassing scene. This entire process tested the body's ability to receive information and energy to an ultimate degree.

In a few breaths time, various details and information of the scene in Frost River Reality Area A rushed in like the swelled wave of the ocean. Luo Nan was bombarded head on and a rumble could actually be heard.

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Chapter 113: Dumb Teammate (Part 2/2)

Chapter 113: Dumb Teammate (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

In this very moment, it was as if Luo Nan had been smacked head on by an enormous wave. The space between his ears rumbled and stars dazzled his eyes. Even his skin was a bit numb. However, his current level of endurance was different from before. His mental plane was stable from the beginning to the end and it ebbed along with the impact of the flow of information. The stimulations of light, color, sound, cold, heat, and pain were split and filtered, causing the scene of the external world to gradually grow clear and bright.

In the next few seconds, Luo Nan took a deep breath with his abundance of energy. He divided a strand of his mind to compare the flow of information with the elevation structural diagram that Bamboo Pole provided. He performed a second filtering and categorization with his own sensing area.

Doing this amongst the assaulting flow of chaotic information was not easy. Within his spellbound state, Luo Nan could hear Xue Lei curse, "The f**k is this guy?" He also heard Red Fox's sneer within the encrypted channel.

"I'm overdoing it? Secretary, do you dare to vow and declare that the true intentions of this laughable big rescue mission isn't to wipe the butt of your boss?"

Luo Nan's eyes remained closed. Whether or not He Yueyin had a response, Luo Nan would not pay further attention to the encrypted channel. He just concentrated on his fixed train of thought to filter the information he sensed. Practically by the time Red Fox had finished speaking, several spurred emotions and their corresponding information continued to refresh on Luo Nan’s mental plane.

He used the private message function of the encrypted channel to send some information to Bamboo Pole, who was in charge of intelligence work. Bamboo Pole did not respond immediately. It took a full five seconds for him to respond with a stupefied emoticon.

Luo Nan let out a drawn out breath upon doing all this. He suddenly felt some pain on his back. It was Zhang Yingying. She had smacked him and shouted, "Pump yourself up!" Then she faced Red Fox and scolded him right back.

"By your logic, you’re grumbling around because you’re doing cleanup work for the Order of Justice? That the people they dispatched, their take over of the site, and the shots they fired are all because Luo Nan forced them to? Ha! These words sound very familiar to me. Back in the day, you ran out of Hu City like a dying dog. It looks like you're using the same excuse right now... Back then you didn't even dare fart a word. This time you have a chance. Are you taking the time to crap out this stinky performance to toss to others?"

Over at the reinforcement point, Red Fox exploded with anger upon being uncovered by Zhang Yingying. He made a most basic mistake by opening his mouth and directly howling into the channel, "Isn't your back hurting from standing so much and being a hypocrite!? Do you want to make a bet!? What kind of face do you think headquarters will make after this is over!? Wait, you don't need to wait long. Just check the news tomorrow! Let's see what kind of attitude Xia City's government and military will have!"

"Well I bet you'll pucker up your butt and run just like before!"

Zhang Yingying spat in contempt. "If you have the guts, just go howl at headquarters, go howl at Xia City's government! A blade drawn in anger will be strong if drawn by the brave. A blade drawn in anger will be weak if drawn by a coward... Didn't you learn this in elementary school? I can teach you for free, you know!"

"Yingying."

It was probably because she could feel that the team's atmosphere was on the verge of collapse that He Yueyin opened her mouth at last to stop Zhang Yingying from speaking further.

However, by now Zhang Yingying was exploding with anger. She was unable to control herself as she stabbed back. "I'm sorry, I don't really know you. Don't talk to me so intimately. I don't want to repeat myself a third time... Oh right, someone wanted you to make a vow, Secretary He. Don't shrink away just because you lack the means. Weren't you so critical and strict last week? What happened to your incomparably imposing aura of never being wrong?"

These two did not need to use the encrypted channel to engage in their dialog. They were engaging in a battle of words right in each other's faces. This was much more direct than using the encrypted channel. The others cast a sidelong glances at them.

Under the collective gazes of the crowd, He Yueyin's expression possessed neither happiness nor anger. She answered in an undisturbed tone, "I need to correct one of your misunderstandings. Mr. Luo isn't weak. What he can do, the things he can do, are much more than what you all are disputing about... Right now, an adjustment is being made due to new information and intelligence. I ask everyone to receive it attentively."

"Hello!?"

"Ha!"

It need not matter whether it was Zhang Yingying or Red Fox who responded in colorful, emotional tones to He Yueyin forcefully changing the topic, they had one thing in common. They were resentful.

Just by saying, ‘Mr. Luo’, He Yueyin took the focus and shifted it onto Luo Nan. Bamboo Pole had to cough a few times to try to capture all their attention. However, this yielded no results. Feeling helpless, he could only release a map.

"Alright, I think it's better for you guys to look at these on your own. I'll just mention one thing. The data just now was for reference only. From now on, all intelligence regarding the inside of Frost River Reality will be refreshed constantly. Always refer to the newest map!"

As he spoke, two dynamic maps emerged in the encrypted channel. They were largely the same but they had some minor differences. One was labeled ‘old’ and the other was labeled ‘new’.

These two images were both concise and clear. Red dots represented the enemy. Green dots represented the trapped civilians that were scattered around. The two images looked mostly similar but careful inspection would reveal differences between the old and new maps in the number of red and green dots. There were at least ten percent more dots on the new one, a scale of about a dozen people.

The additional ten percent was largely made up of red dots, the enemy.

"You changed the monitoring style?" Cat Eyes' unique, sharp and bright voice sounded out. "The new people who have shown up, they're all Oblatum Knights?"

Over at the reinforcement point, Bamboo Pole saw that a sneer still remained on Red Fox. He sighed. "Don't ask me. This has nothing to do with me."

His words were unclear but this vague response was the clearest indication of his thoughts. After all, He Yueyin had long since mentioned the matter about Luo Nan and his all-encompassing perception. And she also just mentioned it indirectly when she corrected Zhang Yingying for her ‘misunderstanding’...

"You're a funny guy!" Red Fox still wanted to maintain that cold and reproaching attitude but Bamboo Pole just shrugged with unfolded hands. Not a sound came from Cat Eyes. It seemed like she had fallen into deep thought.

The sneer on Red Fox's face gradually stiffened. Then it was as if he woke up a bit. His skin started to twitch and convulse.

Before he could speak, Zhang Yingying went "Ah ha!". Her mouth split into a grin and she gave another good smack to Luo Nan’s back: "Excellent. This hard worker has a decisive victory over a certain someone shooting his mouth. Talking sh*t with thousands of words can never compare to actually doing something calmly... However, Kitty will really lose her job at this rate! Haha!"

By speaking these words, Zhang Yingying felt a slip of the tongue herself. She rushed to shut her self up but Cat Eyes had woken up from her deep thoughts. She was next to Luo Nan. Her eyes slightly tilted over, revealing squinting eyes. The intent coming out from them was like a blade just tempered by fire and it sought to slash Luo Nan's face.

She might have considered this fellow to be a hidden boss early on. However, Luo Nan revealed his ability in the field she was best at. This caused her heart to be directly provoked with great intensity.

Complete dominance? This is not funny at all!

Cat Eyes glared at Luo Nan like she wanted to kill him. She tried to see through his true nature but she was unable to obtain anything substantial, just like in her previous failed experience. She could only resort to words.

"I won't talk about the other places but here... Are you sure there are people? How did you do this?"

Cat Eyes was pointing at some location in the surroundings of Area A's arena block. The red dots were displayed quite clearly on the new map but there were no traces of them on the old map.

Cat Eyes should be able to sense this region for it was at the edge of the range of her long-range perception. However, in truth, she was not able to perceive the existences of the enemies here.

There were not many chances for Red Fox to vent. Red Fox practically chased Cat Eyes' tail as he hoarsely spoke, "Kitty is absolutely correct. Are you sure there are people? Can you guarantee that you are accurate, that you aren't improvising....?"

"You shut the hell up!"

"Did you shoot away your brain? Daring to shoot your mouth off like that?"

Cat Eyes and Zhang Yingying spoke at practically the same time. The length of their speech and their moods were different but they left Red Fox choked on the spot. At this very moment, from Red Fox's perspective, it did not matter whether it was at Frost River Reality, at the reinforcement point, or in the virtual encrypted channel. They had all sunk into a silence that made it hard for him to take, it was till the point of suffocating.

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Chapter 114: Imploded (Part 1/2)

Chapter 114: Imploded (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Cat Eyes was silent after venting with her yell. She stood there, at a loss. Fortunately, Zhang Yingying had taken over the show. She laughed and patted Luo Nan’s back and she used her height advantage to stroke his head. She gave Luo Nan a good praising but was slapped away by him displeasedly.

Zhang Yingying did not get mad. On the contrary, she was now very excited. She was the one who made the recommendation for Luo Nan to enter the Society. Whatever Luo Nan accomplished added color and luster to her reputation... At least, this was what she believed.

She did not doubt the authenticity of the information Luo Nan had supplied. It had nothing to do with his abilities. She trusted in the honest personality of this greenhorn and still maturing high school student, nothing more.

"Hey hey! Now it's time to give the final word. Speak speak! Why can't Kitty see them and why can you?"

Luo Nan thought for a moment but he opened his mouth in the end. "That one there is a corpse."

"Huh?" Zhang Yingying was a bit shocked. It was not only her, there were not many people around them who were immediately able to understand Luo Nan's words.

Zhang Yingying did her best to understand. She tried to come up with an explanation. "So you are saying that the Oblatum Knight over there is disguised as a corpse, causing Bamboo Pole and Cat Eyes to miss it?"

Luo Nan nodded.

"This is too..."

Zhang Yingying was simply speechless. Luo Nan was able to see a corpse fifty meters away in such a complicated environment. This was quite amazing but this was a pretty bad reason! Wasn't this like thinking that something was valuable and amazing but then the truth revealed it to be worthless?

She did not mean to reject Luo Nan's explanation but she could not refrain from asking Cat Eyes to seek proof. "So what is it? Hey, Kitty?"

Kitty only reacted when she heard her name. She answered with great effort. "There really is a corpse over there."

She was quite dispirited. She did not have any doubts in her mind.

Bamboo Pole released an image from the monitoring system into the encrypted channel. Indeed, there was a corpse over there. It had a rather plump figure. It looked like a typical overweight person commonly seen in the city. It looked as if the corpse had been done in by a bullet. It was prone on the ground and did not move at all. A giant puddle of blood seeped beneath it. Just looking at the amount of blood, it was very likely that this person was dead.

Everyone who saw the video was dumbfounded. No matter how one looked at it, whether vertically or horizontally, it was without a doubt a corpse. There were no traces that this was an Oblatum Knight in disguise.

"Oh..."

Within the encrypted channel, Red Fox's hoarse voice trembled with laughter. "Are you saying this fatty is an Oblatum Knight? That's such a joke. Those who've seen the data on the Order of Justice raise your hands. Which one of the nine Oblatum Knights of Xia City has this corpse's face?"

For a time, no one responded.

Red Fox suddenly raised the volume of his voice. "Perhaps, Boss Nan believes that we must be vigilant towards any human-shaped object? Then according to your logic, every single corpse in Frost River Reality has the potential of being an Oblatum Knight... Who's going to do the verification? Are we just going to rely on those dots you placed on the map? How laughable!"

Red Fox's throat was torn by the time he finished. He truly believed that he was not mistaken, that he did nothing wrong. Right now, he was a bit more resolute than before. The reason why the situation was so awkward was ultimately because it revolved around Luo Nan, this infantile trash, and his surrounding female white knights. These women were protecting him in a completely biased manner.

He had already wanted to turn around and leave more than once. He wanted to break away from this cursed operation, but he didn’t deserve to be called a coward over this. He still had pent up frustrations from over many years of leaving Hu City and coming to Xia City. His manner of speaking was influenced by his frustrations, people had attacked back when he spoke and he was beat down quite badly. The further frustrations made him want to argue things clearly.

Bamboo Pole looked at his expression. He felt unwell for Red Fox and wanted to mediate. He reached out and placed his hand on Red Fox's shoulder. "Red Fox, listen to me..."

"This includes you!"

Red Fox slapped Bamboo Pole's hand away with force. He glared at Bamboo Pole with bloodshot eyes. "Do you have sh*t for brains? To believe word for word what a little baby says? Do you not care if it is right or wrong? Do you just clap like a monkey towards a newly processed dynamic map?"

Bamboo Pole sighed. He shrugged. "Red Fox, you need to cool down and think..."

"I'll cool you, you rentboy!"

Red Fox gave Bamboo Pole a big thumbs... down. He took a big breath and straightened his red jacket with both his hands. This red jacket represented his name and reputation. His lips split as he burst out laughing. "How about this! You guys don't have to do anything. I'll just go by myself. Let's make a bet and see if that really is an Oblatum Knight!"

Bamboo Pole was shocked as he suddenly realized the meaning behind Red Fox's words. He reached out his hand to grab Red Fox but Bamboo Pole was not a combat member. How could he prevail over Red Fox, who had the reputation of City Hunter? He grabbed nothing but air with those hands.

"Stop him." Bamboo Pole called out to Papercut but Papercut was a mentally enhanced ability user. He was not that much better than Bamboo Pole.

Red Fox's body flickered and he appeared in the shopping center, another reinforcement point. Soon he blended into the bustling streets with large flows of people. By the time Bamboo Pole and Papercut rushed over, their line of sight was already blurred by the screen of rain. It was impossible to see a trace of Red Fox.

Didn't you guys say that all I can do is shoot my mouth? I'll show you what I can do!

Red Fox's lips were fixed into a sneer. He walked with large strides toward the most chaotic area of the city, downtown.

"Red Fox, don't do something meaningless!"

"Irrational people like to roll around and cause a crazy scene, right?"

Two messages came into the encrypted channel. The first came from He Yueyin. The later naturally came from Zhang Yingying.

The two had spoken at nearly the same time, upon which He Yueyin gave a piercing glare that was unprecedentedly strict. Though Zhang Yingying always had a lively personality, she was instantly stifled by that glare.

Zhang Yingying wanted to counterattack but Bai Xinyan spoke in her ear, "Hey, you can't push people too far!"

Zhang Yingying's mouth gaped but no sound came out. Now that Bai Xinyan had mentioned it, Zhang Yingying realized that Red Fox's behavior was a bit abnormal. At the very least, Red Fox had a bit of a ‘nothing to lose’ air about him.

Were things this serious?

At this time, Red Fox's hoarse voice entered the encrypted channel. "Then explain things more clearly, Mrs. Secretary. Explain it to me clearly. Where is the meaning? Where is the meaning behind this damned night?"

Red Fox continued to make the basic mistake of communication by sound waves instead of psychic waves. But he did not care about the strange gazes cast towards him by the pedestrians around. After a good round of cursing, he mocked with his hoarse voice. "Since there's no meaning to this at all, then what I'm doing isn't bad."

He quickened his pace as he let his words hang in the air. The distance between the reinforcement point and Frost River Reality was closer than Frost River Reality and Yulan Hotel. In the instant he had spoken, he had given strength to his legs and saw the ‘triangular spaceship’ in the distance. This was Frost River Reality; it was surrounded by spotlights and police lights.

Waves and waves of people were evacuating from Frost River Reality ahead. Their paces varied between urgent and slow. Their expressions switched back and forth between palpitating with fear, panic, excitement, and curiosity.

Red Fox did not dodge or move out of the way. He collided head on into the flow of people. With both hands in his pocket, he used a most relaxed way to go against the stream. His arms and shoulders bumped into people over and over but it did not cause him the slightest impact.

Mm. A very familiar feeling. These ignorant faces are no different than those of Hu City.

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Chapter 114: Imploded (Part 2/2)

Chapter 114: Imploded (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

The sneer fixed on Red Fox's lips seemed to be carved by a knife. This was the arc his lips were the most used to. Absurd feelings of deja vu assaulted him over and over, causing him to be restless as he recalled some memories. It seemed like ages ago. The city was similar. The night was similar. The flow of people was similar. He was similar...

However, back then there was not a triangular spaceship. There were only targets fleeing in panic, targets doing their best to hide.

Oh, he remembered now. It was quite the perfect operation.

He had a group of friends and peers who were outstanding just like him. They used ten days and ten nights to execute the perfect operation down to every link. All that was left was for him, the City Hunter, to execute the final blow.

Not a single innocent civilian was harmed in the busiest area of the city and the target was killed easily... The target was a preacher in name. He killed women and children as sacrifices for his demonic god. He was a Mad Believer.

Filthy blood had splashed onto Red Fox's jacket, just like an accidental spillage of champagne. In that moment, every single one of the participants was jubilant at their success. Most of them were youngsters who had just entered the Society, just taken the entrance evaluation. The number of Awakened among them were few but through strict planning and excellent execution, they were able to slowly grind away at their target's advantages. They created a favorable situation for themselves and they finally accomplished a perfect kill on the Mad Believer with the strength of B- Rank.

Then what? Then what happened?

The Order caused wanton destruction in Hu City in the name of revenge. A list of the participant's names for the operation was leaked and they were pursued and slaughtered one by one down the list. In a short few days, over half of the youngsters who had participated in the operation had died.

In the meantime, what did the Society do?

Headquarters rebuked them with an evaluation that said, "An operation where the consequences were never considered at all." The branch gave them ‘Getaway Tickets’, which was pretty much the same as being exiled. They were banished far far away by those who they thought were their comrades.

As the lucky few who survived, they ran out from Hu City like dogs. They hid in the wilderness and scattered in every direction like the rays of a star. If they were to try to contact each other now, nine out of ten of them would not respond. Their locations were unknown. Whether they were dead or alive was also unknown.

What the hell kind of ending was this!?

The stream of people split just ahead of Red Fox. Countless blurry faces streamed past his shoulders on each side, giving him a sense of deja vu. His mind entered a wonderful state of tranquility, to the point that he was able to crack some jokes.

"856 meters away from the target. ETA 90 seconds. Raise your bets everyone! Whoever bets against me, I'll bet even higher!"

The encrypted channel was just a sheet of silence. It was just like the night he fled from Hu City. The corner of Red Fox's mouth twitched as he recalled these memories. In the end, his mouth settled into his standard sneering smile.

Red Fox arrived at the outer perimeter of Frost River Reality. There were crowds here, standing and watching. They billowed out from the police cordon when it was set, falling back unwillingly. Some media reporting crew could not get good spots. They tried to squeeze against the flow to get closer to the scene of the incident.

Cameras flashed atop the three buildings surrounding Frost River Reality, the flashes looking like the flickering of stars. Occasionally, they would flicker simultaneously, casting a deathly white light in this area.

It made quite the perfect graveyard.

As Red Fox was about to cut into a thicker stream of people, some new information came slipping into the encrypted channel. The sender was He Yueyin.

"We shouldn't be placing our attention on that corpse."

Red Fox was distracted for a moment, having heard her words. His brain spun its gears a few revolutions before he ultimately laughed. "I knew it all along. I knew it all along... Going to check an Oblatum Knight. Going to check a corpse. This is simply the crappiest joke of all!"

"Hey!" At Frost River Reality, Zhang Yingying glared at He Yueyin with both her eyes and raised her hand and pointed straight at He Yueyin. She wanted to berate He Yueyin but she subconsciously shifted her gaze onto Luo Nan.

Luo Nan's expression was still relaxed as he stood solemn and silent. He lacked the ease of one who held the pearl of wisdom but he also lacked the panic of a swindler whose ruse was seen through.

Red Fox chuckled. "Mrs. Secretary, so you're saying that you're folding your hand and admitting defeat? Have you sought your boss's opinion before saying these words?... Mr. Luo. Boss Luo. Aren't you going to say anything?"

It was as if Luo Nan did not hear a word. He had no reaction whatsoever.

Zhang Yingying could not hold herself back but Bai Xinyan reined her in by the neck. It was an intimate action but because of it, Zhang Yingying could not speak another word.

Red Fox's smile grew when he did not hear a response. His voice grew hoarser. "Okay, that's great! Your ability to wipe butt and faces is truly amazing! Is there any point in doing any of this? Is it to smack my face? Or is it to let this Weasel wriggle out of this?

He Yueyin spoke calmly, "Isn't this what you wanted?"

Red Fox was simply dumbfounded. "Are you joking?"

He Yueyin sighed a bit secretly. "This has nothing to do with jokes. I'm just trying to bring your attention back to the plane of reality. For instance, you have a misunderstanding, an error in logic."

"Unreasonable!"

At this time, Red Fox truly had an impulse to smash the HexaEar into pieces. However, a familiar voice then sounded in his ear.

"...If we really do discuss this matter with the Order of Justice, what value do we have? Are we the first wave of cannon fodder? Or are we being set up to be the fall guys?"

What's this?

"You guys haven't seen the true nature of Headquarters... The situation is already catastrophically enormous! These secret orders are experts in these topics of faith. They make a big fuss over minor issues. Moreover, Headquarters will always do what is politically correct!"

Red Fox understood at last that this was his own voice he was hearing, words he had once spoken. They were just abbreviated through editing; the original meaning behind them was not changed. He could only sneer in response. "What's wrong? You want to write me up to HQ? Go ahead! They did a number on me back in the day. I have experienced it once; a few more times is nothing to me!"

He Yueyin continued to play the audio, which had been prepared recently. The next paragraph had a closer timestamp. It was the start of Red Fox tearing into everyone else.

"... Human-Faced Arachnid, Fairchild, Words of Krait, he set them all off! You guys aren't scared of losing your face when playing with explosives with him? And you say I'm scared to the point of imploding my pants!? Look at these innocent civilians, aren't they imploding?"

This dialog suddenly entered Red Fox's ear right when he began to mull over his counter argument. Blood suddenly burst and his face swelled. The sound waves vibrated against his eardrum and his own mocking and caustic tone was like a flat file. It pressed deep into his mind and started grinding back and forth.

He was in pain and irritated. He wanted to open his mouth to speak, but all that echoed through his head was inexplicably that "imploding, imploding". It pressed down on him with realness and he was not even able to spit out half a word.

Only now did He Yueyin's voice enter his ear. "My code name is Secretary. Luo Nan isn't my boss. Of everyone currently here, there is no one who has known him for more than two weeks."

"Luo Nan is a rookie who just recently entered the Society. Whether it be in the normal, secular world or the 'inside world', he is very much lacking in life experience. The potential for his mistakes to bring trouble far exceeds that of everyone else. Especially his ability to make situations big.

"However, whether it be me, Yingying, Bamboo Pole... We several people are all leading him, protecting him, helping him. Is this bad? He won't be cannon fodder. He won't be the fall guy. He won't be the victim of politics. This kind of result is attainable in our loose Society. Are you displeased? Are you disappointed? Especially you, who came out of Hu City..."

"Don't you dare play the emotional card with me!"

The words ‘Hu City’ were like a scorching brand that pressed forcefully against Red Fox's chest. Because of it, he could not refrain from screaming, "Your bullsh*t Society is at best just a death list! You all are listed one by one. And one by one you all will be crossed off! Crossed off! You..."

"Oh my, this list you speak of. Am I on it?"

The voice suddenly rang out behind his head. He was so startled that his scalp started to go numb. Even though Red Fox was at the height of his emotions, instinct still aided him in evading with a roll. He pulled some distance and only then did he turn to look back.

In this very moment, he was stupefied on the spot.

It was a lean middle-aged man. He wore a well-ironed tuxedo, one that would normally only be worn for formal dinner parties. His eyes were half covered by classical glasses and he had a smile that caused the skin around his eyes to ripple with shallow creases and lines.

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Chapter 115: Ouyang Chen (Part 1/2)

Chapter 115: Ouyang Chen (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

"Good evening, Red Fox."

"Good, good evening." Red Fox's mouth responded instinctively. Actually, he had been dumbstruck for a full five seconds before he came to with great difficulty. He bowed and said, "President. Sir... you've arrived?"

This middle age man behind him was none other than the president of the Wilderness Explorers Society's Xia City Branch. He was the nominal leader of all the ability users in the city—Ouyang Chen.

Practically everyone of the Xia City Branch knew where to find this President with the nickname ‘The Gentleman of the Lab’. Just go to the branch's office, the Shanding Tri-Towers and knock on the laboratory located on the thirteenth floor. He will be there nine times out of ten.

After the HexaEar was introduced to the world and the Psychic Wave Network was gradually completed, Ouyang Chen held several job responsibilities simultaneously. He was the Lead Engineer, the Chief Operating Officer, the Project Manager, and several other positions. He spent entire days calibrating the network, resolving bugs, and increasing the quality of service through in-depth research. There were many who suspected that Ouyang Chen never even took a single step outside the office for the 365 days in a year and the 24 hours in a day.

He wore the same tuxedo for many years without change. He had only shown himself in front of a crowd a few times for rare formal meetings and nothing more.

Because Red Fox knew all this about the President, Red Fox's brain was filled with confusion when he saw Ouyang Chen appear outside Frost River Reality. Additionally, the President’s initial words. What was the meaning behind them?

Ouyang Chen wore a faint smile like this was a chance encounter while crossing an intersection. He waved at Red Fox. "I interrupted you all in the middle of your chat. That was rude of me."

Having heard his words, Red Fox immediately looked at the encrypted channel. However, there were not any eye-catching indicators of there being any super admins in the channel. Ouyang Chen was not currently in the encrypted channel. But switching his trains of thought, the entire Psychic Wave Network was single-handedly constructed by Ouyang Chen. He had supervisor privileges toward all official operations coordinated by the Society. It was quite normal for him to have seen their contention.

Those words just then, had he seen them all?

Red Fox was a bit dazed but he could feel his burning fury of emotions miraculously start to plummet ever since Ouyang Chen had arrived. All that remained in the pit of his heart was a faint warmth.

He Yueyin's voice continued to be transmitted through the HexaEar. "... I don't want to give you the impression that I'm being emotional. I just hope to relay the facts. The metropolises of the world are nominally under the jurisdiction of the united government. In truth, the metropolises are in half-independent states. Every metropolis had a different ecology. This applies to the normal, secular world, and the inner world is no different. There isn't a true unified order and logic. I really don't like these kinds of circumstances but the resulting facts are as follows: No matter what Headquarter's verdict is, no matter what outcome you had in Hu City, it is meaningless to apply them to Xia City."

Red Fox did not have a stable mind right now. Most of her words had entered one ear and left the other. Red Fox's reaction towards Ouyang Chen's appearance was quite an intense one, even though Ouyang Chen had not entered the encrypted channel. However, it seemed like those over at Frost River Reality had not received any news of his arrival at all.

There was not any puzzlement, shock, or greetings, it was completely dead on that front! It was as if they were completely unaware of Ouyang Chen's arrival. Or perhaps this President Ouyang Chen only existed in his world!

Could it be? Was this Ouyang Chen an illusion?

Red Fox's consciousness grew even more fuddled. He could not refrain from looking once again at Ouyang Chen. The President appeared clearly and distinctly and he even raised his hand in indication. Ouyang Chen wanted him to listen earnestly.

Some highly sensitive vocabulary pierced his eardrum from He Yueyin right at this time. "I'm not too clear on what a 'death list' is but I believe that the core-most Self-Logic of an Awakened can't be distorted by external threats."

President Ouyang, the man who had proposed the Three Levels of Logic Theory, was right next to him. Red Fox obviously knew the meaning of Self-Logic. It was when an ability user influences the external world, enabling one's own strength to have its effects truly displayed.

Distorted? This was not a good word at all in this context!

First, he had been smacked in the face by his own words. Then he had a fright from Ouyang Chen's appearance. The current Red Fox was not in the mood to get into a tangle. He just sneered and was ready to tell the others of Ouyang Chen's arrival when...

"Aren't the people around here quite stupid?" Ouyang Chen asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Red Fox heard his words and subconsciously twisted his head and looked all around. He observed the surrounding people coming and going restlessly but he did not know how he should answer Ouyang Chen.

Ouyang Chen reached out with his right hand and his arm slightly swayed. It was like he was marking a rhythm as he drew a triangle high up in the sky. Then he suddenly changed the topic. "The three First Oblatums of the Order of Justice stand at the three corners of a triangle. Their Evolution Field envelopes the area, acting as the initial step in their magic spell. Among them is one Secretbound First Oblatum and two Clearsworn First Oblatums. Their strength in order from high to low is B+, C+, and C+. According to the Evolution Spell Theory, their practical range of control has the triangle as their innermost nucleus. Their range of control has a maximum median radius of 3.2 times that of the nucleus to cover a vast area.”

Red Fox felt like an idiot. He was completely unable to follow Ouyang Chen's train of thought.

"Let us translate the range to something more concrete. These three buildings, including Frost River Reality and the adjacent two blocks, are all within the direct lock-on range of the magic spell. All the people here, standing and watching and all those people in the adjacent blocks are in life-threatening danger. Isn't it quite stupid of them to still remain in the area?"

Ouyang Chen looked gravely around him. He no longer had a smile on his face and a calm and cold gaze could be seen behind those glasses. Such an image was the usual appearance of the Gentleman of the Lab.

Red Fox was more familiar with this image but it made him more nervous. He hesitated before replying, "Is it because that they're ignorant about the danger?"

"Pretty much, but that answer isn't sufficient." Ouyang Chen reached out with his hand and pointed outward. It was as if he had stirred the surface of a body of water. His hand streaked across the pushing and rushing flow of people and fine ripples diffused through this medium.

Red Fox's eyes bulged wide in an instant. In this very moment, he finally discovered the oddities of the flock of people in their surroundings... No this was wrong. The issue laid in himself and Ouyang Chen.

The two were clearly standing within a stream of people, yet every one of these people ignored them!

Even if these people's attentions were gathered on Frost River Reality, bumping into people was unavoidable in such a crowded stream. However, in their current situation, not a single person made contact with them. The people went around them, went between them and even went through them. It was as if Red Fox and Ouyang Chen had turned into formless ghosts. Their bodies lay in the world of reality, existing along with the surrounding stream of people yet an insurmountable distance was pulled between them.

Then Red Fox saw something quite clearly in the encrypted channel. The clock in the corner of the interface. How the heck did it stop!

"T-This is...."

"Reality projection, spacial manipulation, or whatever you want to call it but I'm used to calling it 'Logic World'." Ouyang Chen reached out, pointed at his temples and added, "It is the world interpreted by my logic."

Was this none other than the power of the Extraordinaries?

In face of this inconceivable power, Red Fox lost all thoughts of courage. He could only bow in defeat. "President sir, enlighten me."

Ouyang Chen did not believe that Red Fox was being rude, so he explained using terms like he was teaching a high-level course in the Society. "It is because these people are ignorant to our logic, ignorant towards the logic of the inner world... The scope of thought for ordinary people are mostly limited to their sights, so they are unable to see the danger. Some people may consider thoughts of whether or not they are in range of guns, explosives, and so on, but this isn't enough. To truly avoid troubles, they need to go at least two blocks away. This is the scope of danger that they can't imagine."

Ouyang Chen's explanation was undoubtedly true.

As Red Fox nodded, Ouyang Chen inexplicably changed topics once again. "Though they may be stupid, you're not too clear on things yourself. In a certain sense, you are as stupid as them. No, you're even more stupid! Why is that?"

"..."

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Chapter 115: Ouyang Chen (Part 2/2)

Chapter 115: Ouyang Chen (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Red Fox was just like a bad student who had been called upon by his teacher. He gaped speechlessly with a bewildered expression.

Ouyang Chen entered his strict-teacher mode. The cold and clear gaze behind his glasses made Red Fox tense nerves shudder. Now came a second question.

"What is the logic of the inner world?"

Red Fox’s mouth gaped but not a word came out. In fact, he had long since spoken out the thoughts in his mind when he was rebuking Luo Nan. Was there a difference? It's all about politics, reality, and compromise...

But spitting these opinions in front of Ouyang Chen was a very difficult thing to do.

Ouyang Chen was not hoping for a response. He just answered directly, "The logic of the inner world is decided by destructive capability. The scope of extraordinary powers' destructive capability is what determines the boundaries of the logic for the inner world."

Red Fox became hoarse but he was unable to refute these words.

"When compared to normal people, the number of ability users is quite small. However, we possess powerful destructive capabilities. We have formed societies and orders, casting organizations all over the world. In turn, we have allowed destructive potential to cover the globe. All that is needed is our will and we can directly influence everyone's lives or deaths on this planet. Normal, secular society has been warped and twisted by us in this manner. Ultimately, this is a sort of extortion logic."

"Uh, president..." Red Fox had turned into someone who suffered from a communication disorder. He had no idea how to express his opinions.

Ouyang Chen's lips hooked into a faint smile. "I'll switch to better sounding words then. We can call it the logic of the strong, for the strongest destructive powers are erected upon the various paths of the strong’s Self-Logic, upon this foundation."

"In our current situation, there is not a single destructive power of the strong that is able to cover the entire world. Ultimately, we still have limits. We have to divide the world. Therefore, the strong are axles of the inner world and they radiate out circles of influence big and small. The customary method of exchange in the inner world all depends on the circles of the strong. Contention, compromise, and exchange arise within this circle."

"The strong are the root of logic for the inner world. Everything else, the conflicts, compromise, trickeries, politics, are all just for show and formality. Then comes the next question. Who are the strong?"

The gears in Red Fox's brain finally began to operate when faced with this third question. Ouyang Chen pointed at the rooftops of the three large buildings surrounding Frost River Reality. "Three First Oblatums are acting together. They do not care for the price and can let those skyscrapers collapse for all they care. Are they strong?"

Red Fox answered cautiously, "That depends on who you compare them with."

"Excellent!"

"Huh?" As far as Red Fox could recall, this was the first time Ouyang Chen gave him approval since they met but what did this president approve of?

Ouyang Chen adjusted his glasses, his gaze unprecedentedly cold and raw. "Finally, you know that power and strength are all relative. I can give a few supplementary words. When the strong face off, the strong brings out a base stacked with real and material achievements and accomplishments. So, who, where, and what are you facing?"

Red Fox's heart suddenly throbbed. He was stupefied on the spot.

Facing... Who am I facing?

Dim and scattered memories formed together like a cloud. Red Fox had a vague recollection of the time when he first arrived in Xia City. Now that he thought about it, it was really quite strange. He had suffered such a bitter lesson, yet he continued to entrust himself in this damnable Society?

Yes, it was because of the resources and benefits of the Society. It was because he needed to train hard and quickly improve himself. Then he would return to Hu City and exact vengeance with pleasure. But day after day and year after year had passed. How could he forget? When did he forget? For what reason did he forget? It seemed like he forgot these things too...

Was it because of the limits of his talent? Or the fact that he practically did not make an inch of progress? Was it because of the passage of time? Healing the harm to his heart?

No, ultimately, it was as He Yueyin had said. His Self-Logic had been distorted by the logic he detested the most. The word ‘imploding’. Wasn't it none other than the most habitual word of that trash from headquarters?

"Distorted?" Red Fox pulled out his arms and looked at his hands. He saw the slow changes that had been occurred over the years to the structure of his body and he felt his body be so unfamiliar to him.

Ouyang Chen's voice entered his ear. "Don't let your mind wander. Let us continue discussing what it means to be 'strong'... Oh, this relates to why you're 'stupid'."

The upheaval in Red Fox's mind was shattered. His mental frustrations were lessened. But his thoughts grew all the more chaotic. He lifted his head blankly and looked at this president, who had just given him an awakening blow.

"Whether it is in comparison or facing off, an example is needed. You say, who do you think is the strongest here at the present?"

"Obviously it's the president..." Red Fox did not know whether to laugh or cry but he responded without the slightest hesitation.

Ouyang Chen was currently the one and only Extraordinary officially registered in the Xia City branch of the Society. He stood at the apex that was the pyramid of humanity. He was super strong. Though Secretbound First Oblatum An Weng of the Order of Justice may be someone powerful enough to make one's expression change when his name was heard, he was far from being placed as an equal with Ouyang Chen.

The extraordinaries had an agreement in place to restrict their actions. If Ouyang Chen were to completely ignore these restrictions and make a move with determination, the three First Oblatums of the secular side would need to risk their lives to summon their holy entity. They would need to kneel down on their knees and ask Fairchild to change sides and give them a hand. However, there still would not be the possibility of another confrontation; the battle would be decisive.

Ouyang Chen was quite blunt. He nodded in acknowledgment. "Then who's next... Just talk about the people on our side."

"The Secretary?" Red Fox replied quite swiftly.

Ouyang Chen did not comment. "Then who's next?"

Red Fox slowly mulled over his answer. "Then comes me, Yingying, Kitty, Papercut, Bamboo Pole... I'm not familiar with Bai Xinyan."

Ouyang Chen laughed but he did not appear to express an opinion. Then an accurate perspective drawing of a building appeared before them. It was none other than Frost River Reality. The figures of several people were projected within it; they were He Yueyin and the other members of the Society. Their sizes might have been small but they were life-like.

"What about him?" The person that Ouyang Chen was pointing at none was other than the teenager whom Red Fox had skipped over, inadvertently or otherwise—Luo Nan.

Red Fox sneered, "Him? He's not even an Awakened."

"Yep, he has yet to awaken."

Ouyang Chen nodded and sighed. He then muttered, "Ordinary people are bright. I alone am muddled. Ordinary people are pure. I alone am smothered."

Red Fox's ability regarding classic prose was quite shallow. He was all confused hearing this. He could only raise his hand in surrender. "President..."

Ouyang Chen did not mean to give Red Fox a hard time. He laughed and said: "Classical texts are not my specialty either. These words, from my understanding, mean the following: Everyone's energy is finite. When one establishes high level logic, it is hard to deal with the numerous and chaotic logic of the normal, secular world separately. When one forms a high level logic, the logic of the normal, secular world becomes completely meaningless. Therefore, intelligent people of the normal, secular world will find themselves muddled in the dark; they become like children, young and clumsy."

"The further the distance between high level logic and normal logic, the more intense the ratio between the two. Once it reaches a certain level, one may even find themselves unable to connect with normal logic and run in the opposite direction. There is an old saying, ‘The bright way seems dim. The forward way seems backward. The straight way seems crooked’."

Ouyang Chen gazed attentively at the exquisite projection, his pupils growing serene and distant. "At a higher level. At a stronger face off. How would it be possible to know the hardships within when using the eyes of ordinary people, using their ways of assessment? Furthermore, he is still a novice... Everything has to start from scratch."

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Chapter 116: Observing the Constellations (Part 1/2)

Chapter 116: Observing the Constellations (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

In Frost River Reality Area A, at the border where the private room areas and the public arena intersected, a group of people looked at each other in dismay. He Yueyin had stopped talking because Red Fox had oddly entered a state of silence. No matter what they did, he did not respond at all. The fierce emotions he had before was like a bonfire that had burned out, vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"She's okay at giving orders but her ability to talk heart to heart is quite average in my opinion," Zhang Yingying whispered to Bai Xinyan, acting as quite the typical armchair expert.

Bai Xinyan tightened her grasp on Zhang Yingying's neck to shut her up.

He Yueyin was as quiet as ever. Her eyes looked downcast as she muttered to herself.

On a large street, Bamboo Pole quickly made his way toward Frost River Reality. At the same time, he utilized the surrounding monitoring cameras to lock onto Red Fox's image after a few swivels. The angle of the image was not good but he was still able to see Red Fox with his eye-catching red jacket. Red Fox stood like a stump in the middle of a stream of people. He appeared still and spellbound. It was unknown what thoughts were running through his mind.

Bamboo Pole let out a sigh of relief. "It is good that he hasn't directly charged inside. Those words were actually effective..."

Papercut strove hard to catch up with Bamboo Pole's pace, his subtly plump body swaying back and forth. He tried suggesting. "Can we check the corpse's head to make sure?"

The two specifically avoided using the encrypted channel so as to avoid provoking Red Fox.

Bamboo Pole thought about it. He shook his head. "It's too dangerous."

According to the new dynamic map provided by Luo Nan, the corpse marked as an Oblatum Knight was the closest enemy from He Yueyin and the others. However, the various Oblatum Knights were not too far away from each other.

Right now, the situation in Frost River Reality Area A was like a bizarre game of Chinese chess. The river dividing the rival territories was the border between the private room area and the public arena. It separated the Society and the Order of Justice into two sides on this chessboard.

The Society may have laid out their rooks, knights, and cannons, but they had not really made a move. On the other side, the enemy's king and bishops were rolled into one mass but their other pieces were readily available. Their formation was rigid and tight. Normally rooks, knights, cannons, and pawns were used to grind at the enemy king's preparations in a game. However, if the Society were to cross the river into enemy territory in real life, then there would be a lot of pressure for the Society to bear.

Papercut could only shrug helplessly after hearing Bamboo Pole's explanation. "Bad things will happen if we go check. Bad things will happen if we don't check. Isn't this madness!? If so, Boss Luo should say some words to clarify things, right?"

Originally, Papercut was not on any side in the dispute between Red Fox and Luo Nan but Red Fox's intense and decisive reaction had more or less evoked a few sympathetic thoughts within Papercut. At the same time, Luo Nan's long period of silence made Papercut feel a bit dissatisfied.

Though Luo Nan was still a teenager, he needed to display sufficient professional accomplishments and teamwork ability. After all, he had entered this circle of ability users and was participating in their operations. This was especially true in dangerous times such as now. A single ‘weasel’ could kill off their entire team with just a thought. As a teammate, who would not be wary of Luo Nan? Although Red Fox’s reaction was drastic, his words held some truth to them.

Papercut cast a glance at the encrypted channel. He then saw a young, infantile face quite unexpectedly. He did not know what was going on. Cat Eyes, who was sharing her perspective, had her sights fixed on Luo Nan's face for quite some time.

This young and inexperienced looking high school student had been silent since the contention started. He was not emotionally moved at all, whether it be by mocking words or actions of support. Upon further inspection, Luo Nan should still be focused on his all-encompassing senses. His eyes were vacant and his gaze ethereal. His attention was not on the matter with Red Fox.

Luo Nan's actions could be praised for being responsible and diligent, undisturbed by either praise or humiliation. However, his actions could also be criticized for being too arrogant and reclusive, selfish and cold-blooded!

Kids these days...

Papercut leaned toward the latter with his views but he was ultimately more moderate than Red Fox. In the end, he just sent Cat Eyes a private message. "Hey, Kitty. Do you know what's up with him?"

Cat Eyes did not respond to him instantly. Her perspective did not change at all either... Was she entranced and just watching?

Papercut felt helpless. He could only send another message. "Is there a way to verify the Order's methods without provoking them?"

The instant he sent this message, he inexplicably recalled the Society's mid-level training course, ‘Teamwork’. The famous instructor had concluded, “When the common messaging channel in the team becomes idle and private messages become prevalent, the breakup of the team becomes close at hand."

Papercut frowned and he looked at Luo Nan's avatar inside the encrypted channel. He felt even more horrible. At this moment, Cat Eyes' perspective swayed. It seemed like there was also someone was beckoning to her on the side.

"Kitty, what do you say?" Inside Frost River Reality, Zhang Yingying could not hold her self back any longer. She forcefully pried Bai Xinyan's arm a bit from her throat and called out to Cat Eyes.

Papercut was not the only one to have felt the horrible team atmosphere right now. Zhang Yingying had stood staunchly by Luo Nan's side but her mind was extremely clear. Luo Nan was the focal point of the conflict but the way this kid handled things was closed off. It was extremely inappropriate.

Right now, acting as the mysterious quiet guy is not popular anymore! Everyone likes cheery extroverted men!

But Luo Nan, this brother, really could not be wakened up. Bai Xinyan, who possessed the perspective of a doctor, recommended Zhang Yingying to not disturb Luo Nan while he was engaging in his mental senses. This was to avoid mishaps from occurring.

As for He Yueyin, this senior staff member who gave the impression of being callous and intelligent was quite reserved tonight for some unknown reason. She did not speak what was on her mind and kept her thoughts hidden. The target this time was vague. Things were completely different than last week's mission with the Human-Faced Arachnid. It appeared that He Yueyin had yet to truly clarify what their mission was so far and this made Red Fox angry to the point of his brain exploding.

Zhang Yingying could only helplessly consult with Cat Eyes, who held the most expertise in this core issue. If Cat Eyes could understand Luo Nan's intentions and help explain things or perhaps testify for him, then this tight knot of a problem would likely loosen up.

Cat Eyes did not respond right after she was beckoned. There was a lag of two seconds before she suddenly turned her head in a fashion that was just like she had been startled awake. Such an action gave Zhang Yingying a fright. "You're fine, right?"

"I'm fine." Cat Eyes reached out her hand and straightened her flat-brimmed cap, which had been crooked up until now. The shadow that fell from the brim covered half her cheeks. "What did you say just now?"

Zhang Yingying looked at her dubiously and said, "I'm talking about verifying things. Red Fox is unwilling to forgive Luo Nan and Luo Nan, this fellow, is so passive that you won't even get a fart out of him even if you smack him a couple times. Do you have a way to verify what he's saying is correct?... something more dependable?"

On the other side, Papercut nodded in hidden agreement. His thoughts were the same as Zhang Yingying's. But soon he saw that Cat Eyes did not have an answer. Instead, her gaze shifted once again back to Luo Nan's face. Her gaze was a bit deviated at first but then it sprung back. It was as if that young and infantile face possessed some sort of inconceivable magnetic-like force.

She was enchanted by his rhythm!

Papercut could not hold back from cursing in his mind. Yet at this very moment, Cat Eyes' vision suddenly concentrated with a high degree of focus. It was to the point that her entire field of vision became blurred.

There was only one thing clear. They were slowly lifting up, right in the center of the interface where Cat Eyes' shared perspective could be seen. They were pupils that were somewhat bright and mottled.

They were Luo Nan's pupils.

This character, who was the focal point of the contention, seemed to have finally heard everyone's doubts and dissatisfactions at last. At least for now, he had walked out from his enclosed logic and had finally interacted with the external world.

The target of Luo Nan's gaze was Cat Eyes. Since Papercut was following Cat Eyes' shared perspective, it was the same as looking through Cat Eyes' eyes and locking gazes with Luo Nan.

Well, ‘locking gazes’ was not precisely correct. It should be described as a one-sided observation...

For some inexplicable reason, Papercut felt a cold shiver run suddenly run through his body when his gaze locked with Luo Nan's pupils, which were far from being described as clear. In this very moment, the rain which fell endlessly from the sky grew colder by several degrees and this coldness seeped down to the bones.

The faint cry of Bamboo Pole's voice entered his ear. "Those eyes are like a demon's..."

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Chapter 116: Observing Constellations (Part 2/2)

Chapter 116: Observing Constellations (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

There were many people who had noticed the aberration within Luo Nan's eyes but Cat Eyes felt an intensity that was ten times stronger than anyone else.

It must be known that she was the one who had faced Luo Nan directly. Moreover, she was the unlucky fool who had received Luo Nan's torment early on.

Right now, there were chains locking her body and soul deathly tight, and a demonic look now appeared from within Luo Nan's turbid eyes. From the outside to the inside. From the inside to the outside. She fell fully into them.

The most frightening aspect of all this was the fact that she had no idea how Luo Nan did this. She did not have a shred of a clue. It was like a figment of her imagination but the trembling deep within her body and soul contained realness and substance.

Cat Eyes' breathing stagnated for about half a second. It was within this half a second period that memories were evoked of last week at Limestone Water Village Pub, that time when she became the victim of Luo Nan's demonic ritual. Fear had surged forth like the turbulent tide. The boiling emotions were seemingly able to drown her at any time. It was so much that she had the impulse to turn tail and run.

Cat Eyes' feet did not move. Actually, her entire body was frozen.

In this moment, she saw Luo Nan raise his right hand. His five fingers spread slightly open and then curved. His forefinger subtly straightened a bit, as if he was drawing something subconsciously. It also seemed that he was going to directly probe her!

As Luo Nan's arm moved forward, Cat Eyes could clearly feel her eyebrows slightly quiver... However, the tips of Luo Nan's fingers had yet to touch her. His arm had yet to extend completely, so there was still some distance between his fingers and Cat Eyes' cap. Luo Nan just tapped once from far away, the orientation coinciding with the space between Cat Eyes's brows.

With the tap of the finger came a downward stroke. It happened right after, no maybe even simultaneously. Cat Eyes's face, throat, shoulders, chest, abdomen, and even her legs burst with tremors in various areas one after another. Luo Nan's finger traveled down in a single action like a shadow following a body. He instantly traced over Cat Eyes, seemingly delineating the outline of an extremely simple figure.

Cat Eyes did not make a single move. She could not move, giving Luo Nan free rein.

This really offended Zhang Yingying who was on the side. The meaning behind Luo Nan's abnormal actions did not matter. It had increased the divide between him and the others. It made matters even worse. She immediately bellowed, "Hey! Have you gone mad!?"

Luo Nan turned his head upon hearing her voice, his gaze locking with Zhang Yingying's for the first time in a while. He reached out his hand and tapped with his finger through empty space.

Zhang Yingying was fuming; she could not move her upper body. Filled with hate and resentment for Luo Nan's behavior, Zhang Yingying forcefully kicked with her legs. She wanted to give this kid, who had fallen into a possessed state, a good teaching.

But her beautiful, slender, and snow-white legs could only lift up half way before tremors started to spread from various points on her upper body. Zhang Yingying knew that things were serious now. She went, "HEY!" and could not refrain from squirming even though Bai Xinyan had a hold on her neck. Zhang Yingying wanted to stop these inexplicable tremors and itchings. She raised one of her long legs up but it weakened and fell back down.

No matter how much Zhang Yingying tried to dodge, Luo Nan's probing finger was able to accurately match up with the tremor points on her body. Another outline was delineated in an instant. It was so fast that Bai Xinyan did not have time to release her arm and give Zhang Yingying her freedom.

Zhang Yingying was furious now but then something happened the instant Luo Nan's finger stopped in its place. Zhang Yingying's White Rainbow, which was constantly flowing and coiling around her body, oddly gave off a faint cry. The cry resonated with the tremor points on her body. Her power that she spent several hard days to purify seemed to become even more refined and clear.

She was captured by this sudden amazement.

Only Zhang Yingying knew of the changes that had occurred in her body. However, Luo Nan's otherworldly and freakish display had quite the impact on He Yueyin, who had been calm and cool-headed all this time. She could only look with bulging eyes at Luo Nan's actions and was no longer muttering to herself in thought.

Luo Nan retrieved his hand upon completing the drawing of Zhang Yingying's outline. From his perspective, he had done enough.

Luo Nan closed his eyes as he no longer needed to use his fleshly eyes. Bright starlight lit within the area covered by his mental senses.

Cat Eyes was located in that position but what he saw was not Cat Eyes. Instead, there were glittering starlights coming from ten points. There were connecting lines between these points and together they formed a simple structure. The same thing occurred at Zhang Yingying's position, though the structure there was a bit more concise.

These were like the basic compositional forms that people often used to mark the starry night; these were constellations. And the number of these constellations was endlessly increasing within Luo Nan's range of mental senses.

Although the Shield of Truth blessing from Fairchild was temporary, it was ultimately able to allow Luo Nan to understand something. He was able to understand what he could ultimately do with his current level of soul strength, provided he had a resilient enough body capable of enduring it.

The merged body and soul state had many limitations compared to the pure out-of-body state. However, there were many advantages unattainable in soul form. The most direct difference was precisely reflected within the mutual interference between the mental and material planes.

The outline of a configuration for a body and soul merging was the backbone for a high efficiency conversion of energy and information. Though this causes an explosive increase in pressure toward the fleshly body, the harm and consumption of the resulting mutual interference was lowered by over fifty percent at minimum.

In other words, the quality of Luo Nan's soul strength interfering with reality had increased by over twofold in an instant. Moreover, the disturbances he had to overcome during this process was greatly reduced as well. One of the more visible effects was a sharp increase to his mental precision.

Luo Nan had always been particularly sensitive toward energy and information, so there was not much to say in that aspect. In regards to the material plane, the embodiment of his precision could be measured by the display of his limits in applying mental clairvoyance on his body. Before, his limits of mental clairvoyance were approximately one tenth of a millimeter when observing his own body. When observing things outside his body, his limits were on the millimeter level. Here, he could only observe things with a rough estimation; it was not particularly meticulous.

However, the limits of his external precision had now easily broken through the tenth millimeter realm. The quality of the resolution had exceeded what was achievable by the naked eye. Although there was still a heavenly distance between this and a precision observation instrument on the nanometer level, this represented that everything within the range of his mental clairvoyance could be seen as if he himself was personally there. No matter the shadow, no matter the corner, it did not depend on the intensity of lighting at all. Everything could be perceived completely. Additionally, if Luo Nan focused his energy and shrunk the range, the resolution would be increased to another level. The possibilities were endless.

A sharp increase in precision was certainly good but the first thing this change brought for Luo Nan was inconvenience. It brought large quantities of useless details and garbage information.

There was floating dust, crawling insects, the dirt by the edge of walls, and of course, the background hum of electric currents. There were the jumbled sounds of humans breathing and the sound of rain hitting the rooftop of the amusement center. The information of various locations outside was included. There were the temperature variations, the exchange of air currents, and so on. The details, which were once hard to notice, all interweaved and mixed together. They packed into Luo Nan.

The information stimulated him with several layers and several angles. It would naturally be fed to the structure of his body and soul. However, the processing rate was destined to be limited by the speed of his neurotransmitters. This was the limitation of the material plane. Not everything big and small could be processed. Some information had to be rejected.

It must be stated that a blurry sort of mechanism of discerning had been formed in the human body through several hundred thousand years of evolution. The mechanism worked by focusing on the overall characteristics of a given object, rather than on excessive detail. The pressure brought on by discerning excessive detail was thereby avoided.

However, the current problem that Luo Nan was facing laid in the sudden increase of his sensing precision. What had been blurry overall characteristics was now divided into great quantities of clear details. The boundary between these two distinctions had been broken.

The clearer the details, the larger the quantity of information and the greater the consumption of analytic resources. This directly influenced the upper limit of Luo Nan receiving this information. It also limited his sensing range.

Therefore, Luo Nan had to redefine this boundary. He looked deeper into these various details for more extensive connections. He endlessly combined similar characteristics to form overall concepts better suited for his current circumstances. He interweaved and constructed orderly structures that were distinctly vivid. He started from the very beginning. He was becoming cognizant of the world all anew.

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Chapter 117: Unfurling the Star River (Part 1/2)

Chapter 117: Unfurling the Star River (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Such an old world. How could it be interpreted anew?

Luo Nan was faced with this challenge the instant he unleashed his all-encompassing sensing. He had to concentrate his full attention to analyze various basic elements of information. He had to arrange these elements in order once again. An ancient buddhist master had once spoken of three realms of zen. In the first realm, one sees a mountain as a mountain and one sees water as water; one sees things with eyes of innocence. However, there was a moment in time where Luo Nan had reached the second realm. Here, one sees a mountain as not a mountain and one sees water as not water. What was seen on the surface was superficial, fake like an illusion. Everything possessed unwritten rules hidden behind a mask of falseness. Luo Nan had gained a new understanding of the world where a mountain was not purely a mountain and water was not purely water.

Living people and living emotions were all broken down and analyzed. Take for instance Cat Eyes. Luo Nan knew she was in fear the instant he made contact with her. In this living example, Luo Nan broke down the fear into her breathing, her heart rate, her pupils, her flesh, and even her hormone secretion. All kinds of micro-level details of change were similarly broken down and analyzed. Then Luo Nan reconstructed the fear from the beginning... He wanted to find more concise, more innate special compositions sufficient to describe all sorts of people in all sorts of states.

If it was anyone else faced this large quantity of details and materials, they would probably be knocked stupid on the spot. Their minds would not be able to recover their original functionality. In this case, they would be no different than becoming mentally disabled.

Luo Nan was knocked stupid in the beginning. The range of his mental senses had a radius extending approximately eighty meters. It covered the entirety of Area A and Luo Nan had nearly collapsed. It was like an internet virus. Great quantities of detailed information came flooding into the various sensors of his body over a short period of time. The information congested his neural network. This intense stimulation over a short period of time caused a serious inhibition to his nerve activity. Luo Nan was aware that his functions were atrophying substantially. His IQ would soon drop quite a bit.

Fortunately, Luo Nan had the Shield of Truth’s blessing, which revealed its effects. His nervous system and even his entire fleshly body had been substantially increased in terms of resilience and regeneration ability. This allowed him to push through the initial assault of garbage information.

Afterward, Luo Nan made a crucial decision. For now, he would give up on everything that existed purely on the material plane. He would only pay attention to the mutual interference between the mental plane and the material plane... In other words, the realm of life.

Luo Nan made this decision right around the time Red Fox reproached that He Yueyin was ‘wiping his butt’ for him. At the time, Luo Nan just wanted to accomplish He Yueyin's mission in the most outstanding way. He wanted to shut Red Fox's dirty mouth in a single breath. According to the needs of the mission, the most crucial thing was to find the concealed Oblatum Knights of the Order of Justice.

Luo Nan's decision was one that was made driven by the circumstances. However, it was because of this reason that Luo Nan was unexpectedly able to break through a bottleneck with his train of thought.

The number of constellations was endlessly increasing. Let alone Cat Eyes and Zhang Yingying, everybody in his surroundings, including He Yueyin, Bai Xinyan, Xue Weilun, and Xue Lei, were under the clairvoyance of Luo Nan's mental senses. They were all transforming into constellations.

Zhang Yingying and Cat Eyes' constellations were practically abstract symbols. Compared to those two, the images of the others looked more like rough sketches that were made through quick tracing. Their lines were irregular. The star dots obstructed each other. They seemed there but not there. They had a bit of an indeterminate flavor to them.

Luo Nan called these Life Sketches. This was his new interpretation of this old world.

The world of reality was something he could still overlook for now. Luo Nan let himself experience and comb through the marvels of these Life Sketches. However, Luo Nan was defenseless. Someone grabbed him by the collar and said, "Kid, you're acting like a hooligan. What the hell are you up to!?"

Only Zhang Yingying could be so direct. She had finally broken free of Bai Xinyan's control and had charged up to retaliate. In the blink of an eye, she asked Cat Eyes, "Kitty, are you alright?"

Cat Eyes did not speak; her eyes remained downcast. The shadow of her flat-brimmed cap blocked half her face. Her expression was not a happy one no matter how one looked.

"Hey! I say, have you guys had enough?" Papercut could not hold back his words within the encrypted channel. "Now is not the time to be flirting around, right?"

These words were directed at Zhang Yingying but halfway through, Luo Nan's pair of motley colored pupils oddly came to mind for Papercut. He shivered once more and instinctively felt that this fellow with a demonic gaze should not be ignored.

The gears of his mind spun and he got straight to the point and said, "Boss Luo, I ask of nothing else but can you say some words of explanation? Even if you have no proof, having justification is fine!"

Papercut and Bamboo Pole were just outside of Frost River Reality at this time and had managed to lock onto Red Fox's position. There was another reason behind Papercut's words. He wanted to use the dialog within the encrypted channel to get Red Fox's attention.

Papercut did not even expect Luo Nan to answer. He just wanted Red Fox to look at Luo Nan's pupils. One would be stunned no matter what... Hey! Cat Eyes! The heck are you looking at the floor for!

At this moment that was filled with great pressure, something concealed stealthy above began to buzz and suddenly came smearing across Papercut's head. He lifted his head and saw a flying drone the length of half an arm. It streaked across the rainy night sky and pierced into the reception hall of Frost River Reality.

"It's painted a deep-space gray. Is it the army's or the space force's?" Papercut looked at where the drone came from and was a bit baffled. However, he did not think about it too much because a completely new image had suddenly popped up within the encrypted channel.

It was a live stream. It was captured from up high, looking down inside Frost River Reality. It looked like there was even a bit of a sway to it. Papercut immediately thought of the military drone just now.

The surveyed scene produced by the military drone had entered the encrypted channel of the Society. What was going on?

Before he could understand things, the image was partitioned as it joined the rest of the surveillance screens of Frost River Reality itself. Here, one could see the drone captured on camera. From this perspective, an eye-catching military emblem could be seen on the body of the drone.

The drone continued to streak past several cameras as it flew nimbly and unhindered within Frost River Reality. Its built-in camera captured the most crucial area, Area A. Then the camera zoomed in and reduced its scope. It soon locked onto its true target.

The fat corpse that Luo Nan had declared to be an Oblatum Knight appeared dead center within the camera. Then the image partitioned again and another live stream recording appeared. It captured the fat corpse from a different angle.

"What's going on?"

"She's playing for keeps!"

Papercut and Bamboo Pole expressed their shock totally differently. Papercut turned his head in stupefaction only to see Bamboo Pole raise three fingers in indication.

Papercut and Bamboo Fox were now about a meter away from Red Fox. It really seemed that Red Fox was lost in a trance. He was unaware of everything.

Papercut threw away his distracting thoughts and no longer paid attention to the streaming videos in the encrypted channel. He counted to three under Bamboo Pole's direction and suddenly pounced. He reached out with his hand to grab Red Fox's left shoulder as Bamboo Pole grabbed onto Red Fox's left shoulder.

The two held him tightly to make sure Red Fox would not break free. However, they felt something odd when they made their move. A strange sensation that was empty yet real came out of nowhere.

Well whatever. Red Fox was under their control now. Red Fox was clearly a bit out of it but he did not struggle.

Papercut found things quite odd. Did Red Fox come around, or did...

With this strange feeling in mind, he brought his attention back to the encrypted channel. The gunmen of the Order of Justice had discovered this military drone, this troublesome intruder, and had raised their guns to fire on the spot. The military drone performed evasive maneuvers but the gunmen had a high degree of implicit understanding with each other. Their lines of fire crossed and the drone was blasted from the air by the electromagnetic rounds. The bird's eye view stream instantly went dark.

However, the surveillance streams within the room were still active. Papercut saw that the drone also opened fire at the same time as the gunmen with its own allocated weapon. The drone's target was not a gunman but the fat corpse sprawled on the ground.

"A verification by the military?"

Before Papercut could finish processing this thought, the fat corpse exploded apart in the next second. Globs of flesh and bone burst and splattered, piercing the walls nearby and leaving holes in the ground. Its penetration power was incomparable.

Then there was something that made one's eyes go crazy. A thin figure shot out from the splatter of misty blood and instantly appeared on the surveillance screen.

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Chapter 117: Unfurling the Star River (Part 2/2)

Chapter 117: Unfurling the Star River (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

"Holy hell!"

Papercut's startled cry represented the inner thoughts of absolutely everyone in the encrypted channel.

Though this thin figure had moved quickly, none of the people within the encrypted channel had missed it with their eyes and ears. The sudden change was seen clearly. A thin person had clearly burst out from the exploded corpse.

The surveillance screens were switching between feeds quite quickly. They switched continuously across areas but they were only able to catch fleeting shadows of the figure. This situation continued for around five seconds before the feed turned dark. From this point on, all of the surveillance cameras were done for.

Papercut rushed to ask Bamboo Pole, "What's going on?"

Bamboo Pole was helpless. "Don't ask me. First, someone just directly took over the surveillance system using the highest privileges through official channels...Then the Order of Justice probably destroyed the cameras physically. Well, I've done my job. I can pull out now."

Everyone ignored Bamboo Pole's bad joke as their minds were still flickering with the scene from earlier. A figure had leaped out from an exploding corpse.

Undoubtedly, the debate from earlier was now concluded.

However, it was extremely quiet inside the encrypted channel. Whether it be the party involved, Luo Nan, or the viper, Zhang Yingying, no one spoke a word. They were clearly considering Red Fox's mood.

It was good of them to do so but Bamboo Pole and Papercut still decided to hold onto Red Fox tighter after glancing at each other. They wanted to prevent Red Fox from doing anything irrational in case he took it too hard.

"The police are here," Red Fox spoke this sentence coldly. Their actions were too conspicuous. They stood out from the stream of people and they looked like civilians catching a thief with their arms restraining Red Fox. The police officers who were controlling social order at the site had discovered them. They approached with their hands on their guns.

Let alone police officers, Papercut did not dare to let go if even an emperor came over because he did not know how to convince Red Fox to cooperate. In the end, Bamboo Pole spoke with psychological methods in mind, "Real strong men accept it when they lose in a bet."

"Do with me what you will." Red Fox was surprisingly frank, causing Bamboo Pole and Papercut to look at each other in surprise. They felt an incoming headache since Red Fox was being so calm right now. They were unable to judge him.

With just a shake of his shoulders, Red Fox slipped free from their grasp. He did not do anything else, though. He just calmly spoke, "That fellow is Ghost Thunder. I've met him once."

"Shoot! So it's actually a big shot!" Papercut understood now as easily as it took to tear a piece of paper.

Ghost Thunder was one of the most famous of the Oblatum Knights of Xia City's Order of Justice. This fellow's most famous ability was to turn most matter into terrifying explosives through contact with his hand. It synergized quite well with his excellent movement speed. Whether it be in an all-out assault or in a stealthy assassination, he was a character that brought terror to people.

After the military drone had inexplicably verified the corpse, the drone had spurred the terrifying character to show himself. No one knew who Ghost Thunder would have as his next target.

"The military has good timing," Bamboo Pole muttered under his breath but he soon felt that was something off. Someone had a strange reaction when the military drone had entered Frost River Reality. He turned to face Bamboo Pole. "What did you say just now? Play for keeps? Who was playing for keeps?"

Bamboo Pole did not answer him immediately. He first sent a message in the encrypted channel. "We've met up with Red Fox. You guys be careful. It's Ghost Thunder!"

"Now, no one should have any objections toward the validity of Mr. Luo's all-encompassing sensing ability."

He Yueyin was the one who spoke. She was in a situation where Zhang Yingying had apprehension toward her. No one ever expected that He Yueyin, the person in charge of the mission, would have no fear of making things big by speaking so bluntly.

Papercut thought, "Crap," and instinctively grabbed Red Fox. However, Red Fox did not budge at all and remained completely expressionless.

Could it be that Red Fox had truly accepted his loss? Or did someone drug him?

Papercut withdrew his hand in embarrassment. In the encrypted channel, He Yueyin had yet to understand the situation with Ghost Thunder. After raising the topic of Luo Nan's all-encompassing sensing, she gave out orders. "Starting from now, all communications need to be done via the encrypted channel. Mr. Luo. Cat Eyes. Confirm the radius of your all-encompassing perception’s current range."

"55 meters." Cat Eyes responded bluntly. This number was ten percent higher than her normal performance.

"80 meters." The inhibition of Luo Nan's nerve activity had faded away by now and Luo Nan had broken free from having a deaf ear to the external world. He had heard He Yueyin then hesitated before he reported a relatively conservative number.

Since Luo Nan was not certain the needs of her mission at this time, he chose to exercise caution. This number was the limit when balancing living bodies with purely the material plane. He was a bit stronger than Cat Eyes in this aspect but there was quite the difference if compared to the last operation where he reached a sensing radius of 500 meters.

Sure enough, He Yueyin was a bit surprised. "80 meters?"

Luo Nan was just about to explain when Zhang Yingying revealed her violation of accessing classified information. "Gee, remember the report said 500 meters, right? However, Luo Nan was in an abnormal soul-attached state at the time. Right now his body and soul are merged as one, yet he is able to maintain 16% of his sensing radius. The Shield of Truth is this useful?"

Luo Nan blinked. This number was acceptable? He could not refrain from asking, "Is 16% normal?"

"What a noob!" Zhang Yingying curled her lips in disdain but she explained, "The sensing range is affected in the body and soul merged state due to the limitations of the material plane. A mentally enhanced ability user will find the difference to be huge when compared to mental forms like the attached soul state, out-of-body state, and so on. Typically, it is normal to have the sensing range in a merged body and soul to be between 8% and 10% of a pure mental form."

"In turn, for a perception specialist like Kitty, things will change when she reaches the Architect level. Kitty will be able to enter the out-of-body state whenever she wishes and she will have an explosive increase in her sensing range. A ten-fold or even a twenty-fold increase is possible. By then, you won't amount to much."

Cat Eyes did not comment on Zhang Yingying's praise. She lacked all reactions completely.

Luo Nan slowly nodded. He now had a rough understanding of his own level of power. Zhang Yingying's reasoning was correct. The Shield of Truth blessing was a vital support to the range of his current sensing. An 80 meter radius of sensing was the result of relying on a fleshly body with powerful resilience.

However, Zhang Yingying had used the wrong number. 16% was not the sensing range he was able to maintain. It was 10% or maybe even lower.

Last time, when his soul left his body, his Wraith Sign had strengthened twice with two consecutive sacrificial rituals back in Jack's arena with Rui Wen. The range of his mental senses had reached 800 meters at the time. Additionally, his Wraith Sign had a successful hunt yesterday, causing his soul strength to shoot up once again. The upper limits of his sensing range had probably increased as well but he did not dare to try it out.

Currently, Luo Nan's natural sensing range was only around 10 meters. Using an upper limit of 800 meters to calculate, a ratio of only 1.2% was preserved. This was lower than the typical lower bound of 8 percent by six to sevenfold. It was simply tragic. The degree of imbalance with his body and soul had already reached such a stage.

Increasing the strength of the fleshly body was not something that could be accomplished over the course of a single day. Urgency would not change anything. However, Luo Nan had reason to believe that his ratio of sensing range would not remain hovering around the 1% when the effects of the Shield of Truth were to fade away. He believed that this ratio would increase substantially.

As for how much it would increase, Luo Nan would need to look at his Life Sketches and see whether or not he could find new interpretations that were rationally consistent with this old world. This currently seemed like a feasible direction to take:

Draw a sketch. Extract a configuration. Use the most basic of dots and lines to portray an approximate yet clear-cut outline. This was the Life Sketch.

When the sketch was simplified to the extreme, living spirits were portrayed one after another, formed from concise dots and lines like with Cat Eyes and Zhang Yingying. They became like constellations on the star charts that were used in ancient times. They jumbled out everywhere in the deep abyss of space and revolved and moved around Luo Nan as he acted as the core.

And this star atlas was expanding endlessly deeper and wider. Its current scope already spanned over a hundred meters. It completely enveloped Area A of Frost River Reality.

Luo Nan was about to engross himself within these marvelous changes when He Yueyin's orders appeared within the encrypted channel. "I want the locations of all the gunmen of the Order. Dispose of them in the shortest time possible."

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Chapter 118: Within the Darkness (Part 1/2)

Chapter 118: Within the Darkness (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

This was probably the most clear-cut order He Yueyin had given out tonight in this operation. She had even stickied her orders as written words within the encrypted channel.

Current mission objective: Dispose of all gunmen of the Order. Prioritize non-ability users. The area spans Frost River Reality and its surrounding connected buildings. Luo Nan is executor number one. Cat Eyes is executor number two. Everyone else, guard and safely transport Luo Nan and Cat Eyes to ensure that their mental senses cover the entirety of the area spanning Frost River Reality and its surrounding connected buildings. Leave no stone unturned.

The heck was this?

It was an extremely clear objective but not many people understood He Yueyin's intentions. If she wanted to dispose of the enemy, what about the Order's Oblatum Knights? What about An Weng and the other First Oblatums of the secular side? Those were the big shots. It was true that the secular side currently had their full attention on Fairchild but He Yueyin could not truly believe that the Order would let them easily take out their gunmen like in a target practice, right?

It was really impossible to tell what He Yueyin was thinking! Papercut turned to look at Bamboo Pole. "You've been on a mission with the Secretary before. Was her style the same?"

Papercut had spoken quite tactfully. There was a hidden meaning behind his words. He Yueyin was the commander of an elite military Deep Blue Walker squad, but suddenly she became quite unreasonable?

Bamboo Pole did not speak. He just laughed and wriggled his ears and reminded Papercut that He Yueyin's orders were already in effect. All communications must be done through the encrypted channel as established by the HexaEar.

As the commander, He Yueyin had cleared the content within the encrypted channel upon issuing these official orders. Only feedback regarding the situation with the execution of the mission could be made. The meaning was clear: From now on, everyone just work on the mission at hand. Do not whine blindly.

Next, He Yueyin issued orders that were even more concrete in detail. "Luo Nan, Cat Eyes, and Xue Lei will form the inner circle. Xue Weilun and the other special forces will execute a closed-ring defense in accordance with their standard mobilization procedures. White Salt, Yingying, and I will be in the outer circle as mutual support. We will advance in this protective formation in the ten o'clock direction... Refer to the newest marked map for the latest information in real-time!"

Outside of Frost River Reality, Papercut, who possessed some basic tactical experience, felt as if his scalp was frying when He Yueyin’s orders were issued.

There was nothing much to be said about their travel route. The ‘river’ dividing the battlefield, also know as the boundary between the private room area and the public arena, was at a sixty degree angle from their current position, the ten o-clock direction. Their objective was extremely clear. Luo Nan was to display his all-encompassing perception to his utmost and cover all the enemies of Area A. This would allow them to pull a distance to react. This was quite the proper choice.

However, there was a problem with their formation. The special forces’ closed-ring defense was a tactical formation used in close-combat riot control. Its appropriate application was in situations where numerous thugs were attacking from all sides without long-range weapons. The objective was to protect those within the closed-ring.

Yet He Yueyin and the others were facing cold-blooded gunmen of the Order. There was also the pressure from the big shot Ghost Thunder. The Order possessed many methods of long-ranged attacks. What if a high-incendiary exploded at the dead center of their group? How would they deal with that?

T-T-This... What the heck was He Yueyin thinking?

While Papercut was dumbstruck, Bamboo Pole gestured toward him somewhat impatiently, alluding to Red Fox. Bamboo Pole was hinting that even Red Fox was able to restrain himself, so you should be able to as well.

Currently, Bamboo Pole was the one who provided basic technical support of the marked map. This was his area of expertise. After he appeased Papercut in order to avoid any mishaps, he took the initiative to ask within the encrypted channel, "Boss Nan, can you confirm whether or not the information conversion of the marked map is operating as normal?"

Perhaps Luo Nan was not used to it since he took three seconds to respond, "...normal."

Papercut scratched his head. The assumption could be made that quite a few of his companions participating in this operation had the same sentiments toward Luo Nan right now. Although no one doubted Luo Nan's sensing ability, Luo Nan was certainly far too crappy at doing purely practical work!

Bamboo Pole was quite patient. He explained one step at a time. "I've already sent out control privileges in order to ensure a prompt refreshing. Right now, you are the first controller. The Secretary and Kitty can mark the route and place flags. Have you played the classic minesweeper game? It's like that. Let's have you refresh the marked map into the encrypted channel using telepathic control mode."

"Oh, sure."

It took a full two seconds but the marked map was finally reset within the encrypted channel. The foundation of the image was still the elevation map of Frost River Reality and red and green dots still densely covered the map. Those who were part of the contention before noticed that the previous location of the fat corpse no longer had a red dot in its place. It appeared that the map's content and details had been refreshed.

Bamboo Pole gestured with an OK sign toward Papercut and Red Fox and winked. His intentions were that this little fellow was still redeemable.

Red Fox responded with indifference and Papercut just smiled wryly. Papercut felt that he was perfectly substituting for the role that Red Fox had previously played. No matter how one looked at it, no matter how awkward it was, he was being far too neurotic, right?

Papercut tried to return to his calm state from earlier but before Bamboo Pole could even finish his gesture, half of the sixteen or so enemies marked with red dots on the map were wiped away in the span of a single breath!

"What the heck?" It was a miracle that Papercut did not pass out. "Did he make a mistake?"

He Yueyin was marking their travel route on the map at this time but then the extending blue arrow clearly stopped. It seemed that she too was stunned by this sudden scene.

The encrypted channel was silent for a time but Luo Nan soon broke the silence with his voice. He sounded clearly a bit shaky but he was doing his best to sound confident and experienced, kind of like a soldier making a report.

"Seven gunmen have been wiped out completely."

He Yueyin: "..."

Cat Eyes: "?"

Bamboo Pole: "!"

Papercut shouted, "What the hell?"

As for Red Fox, he smashed his fists together to create a crisp bang.

Zhang Yingying, who was hopping around full of life for the fierce battle ahead, nearly sprained her ankle when Luo Nan provided them with this information. She hurriedly leaned against Bai Xinyan for support, turned around, and blurted,

"Are you joking?"

By now, numerous people had varied reactions. The motionless dots on the marked maps suddenly burst with activity.

Luo Nan continued to provide new information and Cat Eyes supplemented for him with a hoarse voice. "An Oblatum Knight is charging towards us from the three o'clock direction... He's gone! It's very likely to be Ghost Thunder! There are more behind us! Three, no, four in total!"

An incorporeal rhythm seemed to explode in the atmosphere. What had once been a stagnant situation suddenly become like a plane stalling at high altitudes. Practically everyone felt dizzy to the point of absurdity.

He Yueyin displayed her first class mental fortitude at this time. She did not speak any nonsense and just issued orders. "Yingying, go in stealth toward the ten o'clock direction. White Salt and I will protect our right flank. Move!"

Yet the instant her words dropped down, everyone's vision darkened.

The crowd standing around and watching outside of Frost River Reality let out startled cries at the same time. At this very moment, the focus of the crowd's gaze, the triangular spaceship that was Frost River Reality, had its power supply completely cut off. The instant darkness contrasted with the spotlights outside and made the inside of the amusement center appear even darker.

It only took two seconds for the startled cries to grow even more chaotic. The darkness no longer covered just Frost River Reality. It spread to its three conjoined buildings at inconceivable speeds like an infection.

The radiance of a myriad of camera flashes had never been as deathly white and as harsh as it was now.

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Chapter 118: Within the Darkness (Part 2/2)

Chapter 118: Within the Darkness (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Darkness had suddenly descended on Frost River Reality like a cleaving curtain covering one's head. Theoretically speaking, neither the ability users possessing supernatural powers or the special forces equipped with exoskeleton armor should be affected by this darkness. But when this darkness arrived, the atmosphere became filled with evil thoughts and killing intent. Such sensations floating in the air might have been a fabrication. However, the restless and negative psychic pressure was substantial and real.

The members of the Society were not certain about the range that the darkness covered but they were able to directly experience the flavor of urgency and mania within the darkness.

The more things were like this, the more they needed to stay steadfast.

He Yueyin had the gun-toting and shield wielding special forces deployed in such a way that Luo Nan was surrounded by them. He was in the center. Their movements were not that fast. Maintaining the formation was the number one priority.

Ghost Thunder and the other Oblatum Knights assaulted them with an all-out effort. The distance between the two sides suddenly shrank.

Every Oblatum Knight was equal to a C+ Rank Awakened. They were limitlessly close to the Architect level. Looking at them as a whole, they followed the same consistent logic of their order in their rigorous cultivation. The power they possessed was much more concentrated than that of even a focused ability user. Their power was direct and tyrannical. Moreover, they had a natural tacit understanding in regards to cooperation and coordination with each other.

Four Oblatum Knights placed their attention on the Society's squad as their fierce intent intertwined with each other and merged with the darkness. It was like the noiseless howl of a vicious evil beast of the void.

The Format Pyramid upon the bodies of Xue Weilun and the several special police officers began to sway at this moment. The pyramids were like candle flames swaying in the wind, nearly going out. The entirety of the attack then followed the flow of energy and information, going toward Luo Nan. They exploded over and over like firecrackers on Luo Nan's mental plane.

The attack on his mental plane disturbed the structure of his body and soul. Luo Nan's feet trembled and then Cat Eyes and Xue Lei held him up by his arms. They moved while carrying him.

Cat Eyes did not utter a word but Xue Lei whispered, "Nanster, you okay?"

Luo Nan shook his head. The enemy had responded in quite the decisive manner. They changed the direction of their assault in the first instance to match with the changes in the power outage. They utilized the darkness to unleash powerful attacks. Their actions were filled with the taste of being premeditated.

The uncomfortable feeling appeared once more, the same feeling he could always faintly discern ever since they left the private room. But this time, the feeling of unclearness and fuzziness lessened. The constellations, which were constantly revolving and traveling within his mental senses, were clearly revealing something.

Luo Nan used a completely different perspective to analyze the subtle hidden information in the dark and the gloom. The most essential purpose of drawing the Life Sketches was to pull new interpretations of the world in a dimension that was best suited for him. It was to install an axis. It was to establish a standard.

It was because of this that something marvelous would happen each time he drew a Life Sketch. As he pieced together the wonderful constellations, great quantities of noisy information collided with him like a swarm of bees. They circled within the surroundings of each constellation and there were mutual influences. The information was slowed down by the constellations, giving Luo Nan time to comb through them and pick his choice.

Such methods were quite rough. The big and small details fed back to him when compared to being in an out-of-body state were much more difficult to capture. He would certainly lose several meaningful details. At the same time, a lot of redundancy would remain. Yet it was an effective method of interpretation in the end. It was the most practical method that was best suited for Luo Nan.

It did not matter what sort of hidden tricks the enemy used. As long as they were employed against Luo Nan to be sensed by him, he would naturally gain new interpretations from his star atlas. These interpretations were then integrated into Luo Nan's standards and rules. This allowed him to ultimately trace things back to its root and lock onto his target.

The original information was fuzzy but after the hurricane-like assault by the four Oblatum Knights and the onset of the omen of danger appeared within Luo Nan's mind, the information grew in clarity.

In his eyes, the darkness was the deep background that was the void of space. Dozens of constellations and thousands of stars spiraled and roamed about. They were rapidly drawing closer to each other and were going to collide. What had once been a relatively static star atlas suddenly lit with unprecedentedly dazzling life force. It formed quite the interesting contrast with the restless negative psychic pressure on the plane of reality.

The Life Sketch of each person was not the same as one another and this difference was manifested within the form of their constellation. Some were simple. Some were complicated. Some were clear. Some were fuzzy. Those that were clear like Zhang Yingying's and Cat Eyes' were of those he had a deep understanding prior. For instance, He Yueyin and Bai Xinyan. They had powerful strengths and had configurations that were profound and exquisite. With his current level of analysis, there were naturally more constellations that were blurry and ambiguous.

The four Oblatum Knights with Ghost Thunder as their leader possessed staunch strength and deep hostile intent. It would be much more difficult to draw them clearly. From Luo Nan's mental senses, the four Oblatum Knights, one in front and three in the back, were like four masses of nebulae exploding within deep space. They came leaping at his face.

The collision on the star atlas level was faster by a beat than what the events on the plane of reality. When the fuzzy chaotic mass of the two sides collided, the nodes and lines that were previously unclear changed. The blurring fog was cleaned and their clarity was sharpened substantially.

As the star atlas changed, He Yueyin, who was protecting their flank, issued an order. "White Salt, shield us!"

The ceiling amidst the sheet of darkness burst and exploded as her voice fell. Boarding materials used for decorative purposes shattered into pieces amidst the explosion and turned into shrapnel that came flying from all sides. The special forces were well trained and experienced. They raised their shields and blocked the space above. The ring of debris pelting their shields rang for a time with some loud sounds of pounding mixed in. The minute splitting of the structure of their shields suffering damage could be heard as well.

The blast shields could guard those in the inner ring but they could not extend their protection to the three women, He Yueyin, Bai Xinyan, and Zhang Yingying who were roaming outside.

Zhang Yingying was alright. She made two quick steps and evaded to the side. However, the remaining two women were caught in the range of the explosion of debris and their reactions were entirely different.

Bai Xinyan did not vary her movement speed at all but a wave of coldness burst from her body to sweep across the empty space. No matter the debris, no matter the explosion, it was all instantly frozen. They were even stripped of their corresponding kinetic energy. They rustled like snow as they floated to the ground. Such a science defying marvel nearly caused the eyes of the special forces to explode out from their sockets. Only then did they understand what He Yueyin meant when she told White Salt to ‘shield us’.

He Yueyin responded differently as the cold wave flooded the darkness. She pressed closer instead of retreating. With her first step, her figure could still be seen. With her second step, her figure blurred and warped. By her third step, her figure had disappeared completely. All that remained was a brilliant arc of light that sliced through the darkness. The arc of light traveled over thirty meters before anyone realized its existence... Currently, the four Oblatum Knights were at distances that were less than forty meters away on average!

Clearly, He Yueyin attack slayed the enemy in the front of the assault formation. Her attack was slowed by a bit, so she ran the risk of mortal danger from the enemy's combined assault from all sides.

Yet the arc of light traveled far too fast, leaving no time for anyone to be concerned with the matter. The radiant arc of light suddenly flashed and extinguished.

Practically not a sound could be heard when the arc of light flashed and perished, yet a certain constellation collapsed into pieces within the star atlas of Luo Nan's senses. The constellation darkened and faded away.

Even those with the keenest of ears were able to barely hear the spurting of blood within the darkness.

Xue Lei drew in a breath of shock to the side. "A kill in less than ten paces!"

Cat Eyes voice was also dry and hoarse in the encrypted channel. "Confirmed kill on Ghost Thunder."

A sheet of silence hung in the encrypted channel. It lasted until He Yueyin issued new orders. "Accelerate toward the 12 o'clock direction."

Zhang Yingying did not utter a word when the orders were issued. She changed course and increased her speed. As the team merged with the fringe of the darkness, He Yueyin's figure appeared. She continued to guard the flank, acting as if nothing had happened at all.

If there was a change, it would probably be reflected in the glance of her eyes toward those in the center of the team formation. The target of the gaze was not Luo Nan but the speechless Xue Lei.

Xue Lei remembered He Yueyin’s order to keep all communications within the encrypted channel. He immediately tightened his lips as all the hairs on his body raised.

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Chapter 119: Three Dark Clouds (Part 1/2)

Chapter 119: Three Dark Clouds (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan paid no mind to the subtle changes around him. His complete attention was placed upon the changes of his star atlas. When He Yueyin instantly slayed Ghost Thunder in one strike, the blurry, unclear nebula around Ghost Thunder was cleaved apart as well.

Ghost Thunder's constellation had turned clear at the last moment before he died. Though the constellation soon darkened and faded away, the structural laws within gave Luo Nan an excellent reference point for analyzing the other Oblatum Knights of this order.

Luo Nan's star atlas became much clearer in the blink of an eye. Accordingly, the obscure, unclear external force that was pressing down from the skies became all the more revealed.

Luo Nan was able to tell that this force on his star atlas and the assault formation of the four Oblatum Knights affected each other and were related. But something happened when Ghost Thunder, who was at the head of the formation, was slayed in a single blow. The force, which was still being deployed, was struck into complete turmoil and had lost its order. After a few moments of struggle, it eventually and inevitably dispersed.

"Aye! This is bad!"

Luo Nan's worries were now placed over yonder. The force possessed a considerable amount of power and was directed on the mental plane. To have a high efficiency of effectiveness on the material plane, it would need to seek a suitable interference point to cut into. Therefore, it had not been able to truly make its move all this time. It just circulated and spiraled around, accumulating in power to strike a blow like thunder. Evoking one's sense of judgment would yield a conclusion; this charge up technique was a thousandfold in magnitude than the special case with Huang Bingzhen, who had been stuffed all the way into the corner.

Clearly, the winds of fate had turned against this force. It had barely found an opportunity to interfere and fully display its marvels through the four Oblatum Knights but He Yueyin had struck out with a terrifying blow. She slayed the Oblatum Knight's weak point in one move. This caused a dreadful whiplash to happen, which then caused the accumulated force to be stopped and crumble. It dispersed all around.

The dispersion of the considerable force was unimportant but it did form an interference with the overall situation of Frost River Reality. The special forces that surrounded Luo Nan were clearly wearing exoskeleton armors with temperature controls but they all shivered one after another. They had received the eroding effect of this dispersed force.

However, the Format Pyramids, which had been badly damaged to the point of being nearly extinguished, lit up once more on their chests. They were perfectly restored and were able to expel this ineffable cold chill cleanly away.

"This is quite the fast reaction time." Bai Xinyan lightly praised in the channel. She then took the chance to ask. "There aren't any problems with your body, right? Are you keeping an eye on the lasting time of the Shield of Truth’s blessing?"

"Shouldn't be any problems," Luo Nan replied casually. Most of his attention was still on his star atlas.

The repair of the Format Pyramid blessing was not due to his fast reactions. It was due to his efforts to maintain the star atlas he had drawn with great difficulty.

Why was Luo Nan concerned with the enemy? It was because the effects from the dispersion of the force were super annoying. Frost River Reality became a sheet of chaos within the next few seconds. The trapped civilians captured by terror within the darkness were the most susceptible. This force that overflowed with negative psychic waves, caused all those without mental defenses to fall apart.

For a time, screams and cries resounded within Area A. The situation was incomparably more miserable than when the gunmen had wreaked havoc with their sadistic actions.

The unsteady hearts of the people influenced the Life Sketches. Luo Nan was mulling over whether to give all those within the range of his mental senses some sort of blessing but it was too late in the end. The devastating negative psychic waves quelled and staked the souls of nearly a hundred people. Handling the situation was beyond the scope of his ability.

It was unavoidable for the star atlas to shake intensely. Luo Nan could feel every constellation trembling. Several of them were displaced and their manifested structures were warping. This wasted at least half of Luo Nan's efforts thus far.

"Damn it!" Luo Nan could not refrain from cursing.

"The hell is going on over there!?" Xue Lei shot a few glances at He Yueyin. At last, he could not hold refrain from whispering to her. Right now, miserable cries and shrieks flooded their ears. He was unable to take the atmosphere. He would rather have a few powerful foes pop out of nowhere and stake his life in battle.

He Yueyin's divine blade technique had struck fear into the hearts of the enemy. In addition, the force which powered the enemy up had collapsed. The few Oblatum Knights hesitated to make a move, allowing the team of Society members to smoothly advance.

Luo Nan shook his head to try and shake away the anxiety in his heart. He released some information in the encrypted channel in order to comfort Xue Lei and to report on the situation he was observing. "There really isn't much to say. Just that there was someone up to some trouble. Secretary He slayed him in a single strike, causing a whiplash and their power to go out of control. However, it won't cause any substantial damage."

There were no more than three people within the entire team who truly understood Luo Nan's words from inside out. However, there was no one who doubted his words after he displayed brilliant performances one after another. They were actually affected by Luo Nan's train of thought, conjecturing and pondering a lot more.

Cat Eyes also made a report at this time. "My sensing range is being affected. Currently, its radius is 40... 38 meters."

"Mr. Luo?" He Yueyin immediately looked for Luo Nan to confirm.

Luo Nan did a general scan. Though his star atlas had yet to stop shaking completely, the range of his senses was not greatly influenced. The positions of each Oblatum Knight was all in the palm of his hand. He immediately said, "Things are alright on my end."

Zhang Yingying interjected. "How much is 'alright'?"

"80 meters." Luo Nan reported the same number as he did previously. Actually, his sensing radius for the plane of life had already broken through 120 meters. Moreover, it continued to expand in a leisurely manner.

Oh, hold on. Did I get something mixed up?

As Luo Nan's thoughts suddenly deviated, Zhang Yingying continued to speak with emotion, "Aberrant! The more I look at it now, the more I feel that your all-encompassing senses are abnormal. Why is it that you can always see what others can't? Is it because you're infused with psychic powers?"

"He's on a higher level. His viewpoint is different." To the side, Cat Eyes gave a direct assessment of Luo Nan, an action that was rarely seen from her. Her assessment was the result of her continuous observations of Luo Nan.

"The direction of application is different." Bai Xinyan also joined in the discussion. " Cat Eyes' long-range perception is a technique that works closely with her body. Student Luo Nan's sensing ability seems to be a purer, more concentrated observation. Of course, this means it’s easier for his ability to fall apart..."

"Correct, the direction is different," Luo Nan responded suddenly, "Cat Eyes needs to perform a timely response to all changes in the range of her perception. Every single detail needs to be clarified. I, on the other hand, don't need to consider other problems. I just need to make choices with the precision, range, and levels in accordance with the observation needs."

"..."

It was impossible to continue with this discussion!

Zhang Yingying tilted her head and she rolled her eyes. “This is the most aberrant thing of all, okay!? So you can change the frequency of your mental senses as you wish? There are those who have trained arduously and polished cautiously in order to find a most suitable soul frequency for them. Those countless ability users are fixed in the mentally enhanced focus. You'll make them go out of their minds if they hear of this!”

The discussion within the encrypted channel had abruptly stopped.

Luo Nan was not aware that he had suddenly ended the topic. It could even be said that his heart was filled with ease and delight. Indeed, communication was the best way to solve problems. If it was not, he would now be making large crazy strides in the wrong direction!

"Too thin! Too narrow!"

A problem occurred with the direction of his concentration while he was drawing his Life Sketches. There were parts standing out that possessed details that were most difficult to carve. He was unable to use his finite mind to resolve these near-inexhaustibly deep configurations.

Behold, even though the star atlas was in disorder and was in endless turmoil, every Oblatum Knight and every trapped civilian was unable to break away from his clairvoyance. The obscure and unclear force was also ultimately locked on by his observations.

This was not because of how meticulously he carved out these sketches. It was because of the compositional whole of the area under the control of his senses. He observed the broad outline. He knew the flow of direction. And that was enough!

He did not dig deep into the details and instead, he looked at the overall situation. He went and used his clairvoyance upon the entirety of what he could access in the region where the mental plane and material plane interfered mutually. He observed the plane of life in its entirety.

In fact, doing this was much simpler than he had imagined!

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Chapter 119: Three Dark Clouds (Part 2/2)

Chapter 119: Three Dark Clouds (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

To know the whole, one must first see. One must simply see.

His old methods of clairvoyance were unable to break free from the stereotypes of the old interpretations of the world. He had followed the old conventions obediently as he expanded his domain. He had taken into account the endurance and processing power of his body when it came to receiving large quantities of information.

However, after switching to new interpretations, all he had to do was draw! These drawings were casual whole impressions reproduced from his senses and memory. All he needed was to grasp one or two characteristics of living movement so it was fine to synthesize them through concise strokes.

This was the difference between sketching and speed-sketching. This was the difference between meticulous brushwork and freehand brushwork.

Luo Nan generalized his Life Sketches into two components, speed-sketching, and configuration. Speed-sketching should be done first and foremost. This was the core where the whole of his ideas resided. This was the true direction of application.

Before the whole composition could be confirmed, carved details, no matter how true, would likely be warped and absurd when looked at with the whole. Just like with the out-of-place disorder with his star atlas.

"The whole! The whole!"

Luo Nan emphasized to himself in a hypnotic manner. He closed his eyes then reopened them. Then he closed them again. By doing this, he was able to forget his old observational methods. His thoughts and consciousness were able to expand outward and reach new heights. He was able to go further beyond and to broaden magnificently.

Right now, the range of his clairvoyance was like the contraction and expansion of a heart, like the rise and fall of a tide. It contracted. It expanded. It swelled. It receded. The changing frequency was growing faster and faster. The changing spectrum was growing larger and larger. It was truly like a great river bursting through a dam; it flooded all around, flowing freely. It was like the shattering of an iron mold; stereotypes and conventions no longer existed.

There was an instant when Luo Nan felt his body and soul about to be scattered into the void. It lasted until his dark chains trembled. The power of his ‘My heart’s a prison’ format appeared and only then was he able to draw himself in.

At the same time, the range of Luo Nan's mental senses was restored to the apex value of when he was in his out-of-body state. It reached eight hundred meters and after a few breaths of time, the radius exceeded one kilometer. It was expanding endlessly. The entirety of Frost River Reality, including the three buildings supporting this indoor amusement center, and even the surrounding area was within the range of his mental clairvoyance.

Fuzzy constellations appeared one after another. They represented everyone in Frost River Reality. It was not just the few who were near Luo Nan. It included Frost River Reality, Baze, seven Oblatum Knights, nearly a hundred trapped civilians. They represented people outside of Frost River Reality. It included the police officers above the three buildings supporting Frost River Reality. It included the thousands of civilians crowded around and watching. They were all totally integrated into Luo Nan's star atlas.

Stars bright like diamonds formed this constellation system. There were also shadows that were hard to see with the naked eye and there were also hazy and turbid dark clouds.

The shadows were the building construction, furniture, equipment, decorations, and other useless dead ends. The dark clouds were living outlines of people who were hard to analyze within a short period of time.

Though Luo Nan lacked the ability to depict them, the contrast between motion and static, inanimate objects and living beings, awareness and unawareness evoked a marvelous and exquisitely consistent relationship.

Brightness and shadows interweaved. Light and darkness matched together. Emptiness and substance alternated... Under each other's influences, each and every constellation, shadow, and dark cloud had their boundaries with each other be gradually blurred. They weaved amongst each other, strewn at random. However, their trajectories were clear with rules and laws behind them. In the end, they formed an endlessly snaking star river of splendor. The river unfurled itself.

It was without a doubt that this was the most profound and magnificent scene Luo Nan had ever drawn in his life. It possessed a nearly inexhaustible amount of layers and marvels.

If he had the chance, Luo Nan really wanted to mesmerize himself within these layers to ponder and savor over every detail. But today, he would not immerse himself within. He just used an independent, separated, detached, and wonderful point of view to capture and draw the compositional outline of this star river scene.

As a whole, it was quite appropriate to describe what he perceived as a ‘star river’.

It was as if Luo Nan was standing at the dead center of an enormous galaxy. The starlight was sparse in the area he occupied but surrounding him were three enormous and bright spiral arms unfolding out. They accurately represented the number of living beings in Frost River Reality and the three buildings it was connected to.

However, there was also a hazy dark cloud entrenched at the end of each of the three spiral arms. The three dark clouds obstructed the starlight. They even interlinked channels between the dark clouds. The channels drew out a region of turbid darkness that pressed heavily atop the star river. The darkness even permeated within. It was hard to see their true identities.

It was without a doubt that the three dark clouds represented the positions of the First Oblatums of the secular side in the Order of Justice. Looking at the current situation, it seemed that his previous judgment was true.

Three First Oblatums. They were all here.

Well, he had found the most important targets of this night.

The expansion of Luo Nan's mental senses was still continuing. This lasted until the limit of its distance broke through two kilometers. Only then did the expansion rate begin to attenuate.

The enormous star river scene had already covered three bustling blocks of the city. The highest elevation it reached was to the high altitude traffic layers. The lowest it penetrated was to the enormous underground sewage system of the city. The Life Sketches that represented living beings were in the tens of thousands. The number of stars was nearly impossible to count.

Of course, from Luo Nan's perspective, the pure void or inanimate objects were the meaningless regions of shadows. They were meaningless unless he chose to expend a lot of his energy, change his observation methods, and meticulously use his clairvoyance.

Luo Nan felt pressure once again at this time. There was a mutual influence between the stars; they were affecting each other. An enormous tension was ultimately formed within the depths of the star river and far too much redundant information was formed as well.

The gigantic dimensions of the river had naturally increased the amount of information he received and the planar area he could access. Though he did not actively sense them, the enormous plane of life confined to Xia City was like the myriad of galaxies of deep space. Their lights radiated over.

After a moment of consideration, Luo Nan actively reduced the radius of his sensing to be 1500 meters. He continued to shrink the range until it reached approximately a kilometer. This was to precisely have the whole building complex of Frost River Reality and its connected buildings incorporated within. Things were going steady so far and there was enough tolerance for error.

The dazzling star river flowed silently, light splintered, and shadows shifted. A fuzzy and subtle relationship was maintained with the faint starlight projection from further away.

Upon fixing his clairvoyance range, his spreading power was retracted and his sense of detail grew even sharper. They affected each other and began to fine tune one another. Inharmonious nuances were spontaneously influenced, allowing Luo Nan to tear through the chaotic masses without the need for direct observation.

However, the dark clouds located on top of the three buildings remained thick and solid. It was hard to observe through them... Well, at least two of the clouds were like this.

The last cloud had accumulated quite the surplus of mass. Thick could not even describe it, yet why did Luo Nan get a sense of familiarity from it?

Luo Nan had a plan in mind. He withdrew his mind for now and he tried to put his hands in his pockets due to habit. He was completely focused and had forgotten that his arms were being gripped by Xue Lei and Cat Eyes. When his hands did not move as he expected, his forearms swung down and were flung a bit too far. His hand smacked into a place that was quite buxom and elastic. There was a faint sound.

Cat Eyes instantly turned to look at him at this very moment. Though they were in the darkness and the brim of Cat Eyes' hat covered her eyes with dark shadows, her gaze flashed with an aura as cold as ever before. The sting from her gaze forced Luo Nan to squint.

However, the most important thing was to fish out the object from his pockets. It was true that his hand was touching the cloth of some pants but its pockets did not belong to him. Luo Nan tried to move his hand away, rubbing the surface a few times but he was unable to move his arms where he wanted to. He could only face Cat Eyes and say,

"Let go for a moment. I need to get something from my pockets."

At this moment, Luo Nan seemed to feel Cat Eyes' grip on his arm grow a bit stronger but in the end, she let go without saying much.

Luo Nan was finally able to put his hands into his pockets and take out the metal box with the downloaded Human-Faced Arachnid Exoskeleton Armor. He weighed it in his hands.

Cat Eyes' hand noiselessly stuck back to his upper arm at this very moment. She maintained her hold over him and spoke with a barely audible whisper, "Do you need help?"

Luo Nan looked at Cat Eyes again. Her gaze was still clear and cold but the vague silhouette of her mouth was in an unreadable curve within this dusky darkness. Her lips hooked slightly into a very contradicting smile but there was a sense of a never seen before novelty to it. He had the impulse to take up a pen and draw just by looking at her.

Luo Nan blinked his eyes but he nodded after a short while. "Okay. Can you help me break open this box?"

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Chapter 120: Too Unsightly (Part 1/2)

Chapter 120: Too Unsightly (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

"Break it open?" A cold glow could be seen in Cat Eyes' narrow eyes. She was skeptical. "Weren't you going to use it as evidence?"

Luo Nan blinked once again but since he had drafted a mental outline beforehand, he said, "Well, I suspect that this toy has been messed around with. The enemy is using it to set up something like a snake hive; they're tracking and locking onto our positions..."

Several people cast glances of shock the moment Luo Nan uttered these words. These words violated He Yueyin's request to use the encrypted channel for all communications. The words came out from his mouth and entered everyone's ears but they were not concerned about this violation.

"Is that true?" Zhang Yingying turned in curiosity.

"Think back to when He Yueyin slayed Ghost Thunder in a single move and affected their plans. If she hadn't killed Ghost Thunder, they might have already made the final step to have their plans come to fruition... Or at least, that's the way I feel about things."

Luo Nan relied on the bit of information he raised to blurt out some baseless words. He had thrown all logic out the window by the end of it. Regardless, there really were people who believed in his words.

Zhang Yingying asked with bulging eyes, "Then why aren't we getting rid of it asap?"

"Don't we need to destroy it first?"

"Humph, Fairchild gave this to you. What if he sets out to punish you later on..."

"You think so?"

Luo Nan's expression of amazement defeated all of the others.

Zhang Yingying waved her hand. "Forget it. Since you've said such words, just watch me!"

A clearly light cry rang in everyone's ears as her voice fell. It was like the vibration of wind chimes and it was quite pleasing to the heart.

There was a slight jolt in Luo Nan's hand and he saw the rather thick metal box split noiselessly into two halves. A faint spark flashed before it disappeared without a trace.

The box split between his thumb and forefinger and a cold air seeped into his skin. It was as if an incorporeal sharp blade had sliced against his skin.

"Hey!" Luo Nan could not refrain from glaring at Zhang Yingying with bulging eyes. If the cut had been just a bit lower, his hand would have likely been amputated on the spot!

"Don't mention it!" Zhang Yingying waved her hand as she laughed cheerily. "You're still not getting rid of it?"

"It should be fine." Luo Nan had nothing to say to Zhang Yingying. But after blurting out a few words, something came to mind. He added, "We don't know who is the First Oblatum that has made their move. It looks like this First Oblatum is on quite the ordinary level. Subsequent changes were completely terminated the instant Ghost Thunder died."

Zhang Yingying could not hold back from rolling her eyes. No matter how ordinary the enemy was, they were at least a Clearsworn First Oblatum, okay? Clearsworn First Oblatums are calculated to be at the C+ Rank, an overwhelming power that could crush everyone here except for He Yueyin and Bai Xinyan.

Just as her words were about to leave her mouth, a dull voice sounded out from the flank. "There are three First Oblatums in Xia City for the Order of Justice. It's said that An Chengli is likely to be the most egotistical one out of them. He is the youngest. He depends on the power of his elders quite a bit. An Weng is his granduncle."

"An Chengli?" He Yueyin shot Zhang Yingying a cold glance just as she wanted to interrupt. She tapped her ears. Clearly, He Yueyin was reminding everyone not to violate the mission needs by chatting with their mouths open.

"Some people sure can get away with double standards... Well the boss is the boss!" Zhang Yingying posted a big thumbs up icon in the encrypted channel. The taste of sarcasm was overflowing in her words.

This all came as quite the surprise to Luo Nan, causing him to stare dumbstruck at He Yueyin. No one should have been able to understand the purpose of his words just now but she had flawlessly gone along with him. It seemed that An Chengli was truly the First Oblatum in question. The effects of her words were god knows how many times better than what he could have done...

He Yueyin turned her gaze over and gave Luo Nan a slight nod.

Luo Nan did not have the time to think deeply about her actions. His heart stirred and although his eyes looked at He Yueyin. The dark cloud that he had locked onto within the splendorous star river on the mental plane had lost its original stability. Right now, it was surging and raging.

Its aura was astonishing but it could not exceed the display of the other two majestic and solid dark clouds. Moreover, streams and streams of turbid darkness split from this dark cloud. The streams charged toward Frost River Reality and permeated within.

Though the dark cloud was still spiraling and accumulating power, Luo Nan felt a cold chill. The enemy's target was over here and their malice was clear. There was a distinct feeling of fury and impatience to it all.

These emotional flavors emerged clearly within Luo Nan's clairvoyance.

This matter was urgent. Luo Nan tossed away the split box and he dispersed his mind into the dark atmosphere around him.

The raw materials required to produce a Human-Faced Arachnid were stowed away in the metal box. It was like the toner of a printer. It was useless if you took it out by itself; it would only dirty one's hands. But when matched in a complete set with a computer and a printer, complicated clear scripts and characters could be formed.

Within the entirety of Xia City, Luo Nan was probably the best person to form a complete set with these raw materials. At the very least, the current situation showed that Luo Nan's studies and understanding toward the Human-Faced Arachnid was deeper than that of the Order of Justice.

The ‘toner’ was drifting through the air in scatter bits. With none of the others aware of it at all, Luo Nan gathered this toner using his soul strength. He kneaded it a few times but he still felt it was awkward to work with. His consciousness sunk into the external neuron and he activated the Format Pyramid interface. Through this interface, he was able to link up with the Wraith Sign located several dozens of kilometers away.

He did not need this fellow to do much. He just needed the Wraith Sign to wait there like a good boy to act as a model for him.

Something unexpected happened when he took over the Wraith Sign through the Format Pyramid system. The star river clairvoyance system he had just established received additional information from the Wraith Sign's side.

The range of Luo Nan's clairvoyance could not possibly reach that far but the response was exactly the same as it was normally. The increase in dimensions made the receiving information become much richer.

The Wraith Sign was not a living being. Deep within its structure was a mass of chaos. There was nothing to it that could be described as a Life Sketch. Yet an obscure shadow was formed with this chaotic mass of a structure under the starlight and control of the Format Pyramid system. This shadow was mapped over to Luo Nan through long distances.

The strength of this simple projection was far too small. It could not be used for much but it acted as an excellent template.

Originally, Luo Nan just wanted to look at the Wraith Sign's structure in order to make a slavish copy. He just wanted to make a low grade imitation like drawing a dipper using a gourd as a model. But since this projection was here, he just simply tossed the raw material within it.

This way, the result would legitimately be a high-level imitation product, right?

However, it was not that easy to reproduce the Human-Faced Arachnid. Huang Bingzhen had followed the Order's ways to gather the so-called raw materials required but these raw materials were of the lowest quality. Right now, the Wraith Sign was not even inclined to shoot a glance at such impure materials. No matter how good of an imitation that would be formed, it would just be an imitation after all. Its functions would be simplified and its power would be quite average.

However, Luo Nan felt that this would be sufficient.

Soon, a Human-Faced Arachnid that was closer in its form to its initial state, the Burning Wraith, floated in the air. The efficiency of the Order's methods was quite bad. There was no one here who could see this Human-Faced Arachnid, save for Luo Nan.

The mental plane was a structure that was deep and endless, containing many levels. It was like a cascade of dark curtains and it was the best place to conceal one's self from the Human-Faced Arachnid's perspective. It was extremely difficult to access the deep levels of the mental plane, even for Cat Eyes who was an expert at perception or powerful ability users like He Yueyin and Bai Xinyan.

However, Luo Nan was able to probe to the deep levels of the mental plane with his mental senses from the very beginning. He was completely different from the others. Perhaps the reason was due to his mental senses being purely used for ‘observation’?

Under the control of Luo Nan's consciousness, the low-configuration version Human-Faced Arachnid noiselessly submerged into the void. It soon followed one of the three spiral arms of the star river and arrived at the fringe of the raging dark cloud.

Within the dark cloud, lustrous rays of emotion continued to shine.

Luo Nan thought back to the events of last week, back to when he faced Jack. The Wraith Sign had pulled out a deep and impressive trick; this fellow had emulated and transformed into a piece of information and a bit of emotion. It seeped into Jack's thought process and advanced layer by layer all the way until it reached the depths of Jack's soul.

It was obvious that the Human-Faced Arachnid possessed a similar instinct. Luo Nan was not asking much of this low-configuration version. He just needed it to go inside and transmit information out to him.

The Human-Faced Arachnid flickered outside the dark cloud. It faced the rays of emotion within the cloud and dived in.

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Chapter Synopsis:

Luo Nan explains that the enemy is likely using the metal box to track their movements, which is why he wants to destroy it. Zhang Yingying happily slices the box in half with her ability. Luo Nan openly taunts the First Oblatum An Chengli and He Yueyin catches on and taunts as well by speaking without using the encrypted channel.

Luo Nan turns his attention to the mental plane. Sure enough, he could feel the enemy's fury quite clearly. He then takes the contents of the metal box, the raw material used to make a Human-Faced Arachnid, to make a high-level imitation of his Wraith Sign. Luo Nan sends the new Human-Faced Arachnid into the dark cloud that surrounds the furious First Oblatum. He seeks to have this arachnid to transmit information back to him from within the cloud.

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Chapter 120: Too Unsightly (Part 2/2)

Chapter 120: Too Unsightly (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Things were out of Luo Nan's hands after the High-Imitation Low-Configuration Human-Faced Arachnid entered the dark cloud. With the human body's level of processing information, watching it was fine but manipulating it was extremely difficult. What he did just now was the equivalent of tossing out a wiretapping bug into the dark cloud. Whether or not he would be able to receive results more or less depended on a bit of luck.

The spiral arm of the dark cloud was smeared with the complicated cluster of emotions, looking like a swaying poisonous mushroom. It still remained unclear but Luo Nan could feel that there were some differences now. He needed to keep on waiting.

Luo Nan was not pinning his hopes onto the Human-Faced Arachnid. He withdrew his attention and focused back on Frost River Reality.

The battle between Fairchild and Baze was not that noisy. There were many times when Luo Nan had completely forgotten about their existances. It was hard to imagine these two powerful ability users skilled in physical techniques doing things in this way.

However, Luo Nan could not forget about them even if he wanted after he erected his Star River Clairvoyance System. This was because the brightest cluster of stars was situated there.

This was a very interesting phenomenon; the most eye-catching constellation of the Life Sketches drawn by Luo Nan was the constellation that belonged to Fairchild.

Originally, it was impossible for Luo Nan to successfully analyze Fairchild due to his super powerful strength but he had exposed the marvels of his body interacting and interfering with the mental and the material planes. He was grand and imposing, not really concealing anything. Therefore, Luo Nan's Life Sketch of Fairchild was clear and distinct.

Simplifying Fairchild's constellation down to Cat Eyes' degree of simplicity was obviously impossible. The structure of Fairchild's constellation was complicated, lit with the dots of several stars but because of this, the stars of this constellation combined together to cause an astonishing degree of presence and luminosity within the splendid star river of Luo Nan's senses.

Because of Fairchild, the eight Oblatum Knight, including Baze, had their constellations affected. The nebula dust that enveloped their bodies was torn apart bit by bit and exposed some deeper mysteries.

Luo Nan pondered. It seemed that through this phenomenon, he could get a peek at the common origin between the Order of Justice's First Oblatums and Oblatum Knights. He just needed a bit more time.

However, He Yueyin issued new orders at this time within the encrypted channel. "Head fifty meters toward the one o'clock direction. Exit through passageway number three."

Luo Nan and the others had been advancing forward all this time. They only discovered now that they had unwittingly arrived at one of the exits to Frost River Reality. It was a passageway that connected to one of the buildings that supported Frost River Reality. Through here, they could enter the connected building B. In other words, they had already slipped past much of the dangerous regions in Frost River Reality.

Zhang Yingying, who was paving the way as the vanguard, could not hold back from speaking in the channel, "Hellooo, don't we still need to rescue about a hundred people?"

He Yueyin responded, "The mission targets are the gunmen of the Order."

"Luo Nan has already wiped them out already, okay!?"

"There are at least a dozen or so gunmen left in the three buildings. From our current intelligence, the Order still has three or four squads, excluding the First Oblatums and the Oblatum Knights, that haven't been contained yet. There is a sniper team confirmed at Yulan Hotel. There are also mobile units still present in the surrounding three buildings."

Zhang Yingying was baffled by a problem for a long time before so she could not help but ask, "What's the point of getting rid of the gunmen? The First Oblatums and the Oblatum Knights are the big shots..."

"Leaving the gunmen alone will lead to more civilian causalities."

"Hellooo, are you saying that a Secretbound First Oblatum and two Clearsworn First Oblatums are less dangerous than a few gunmen?"

"Looking at the current situation, yes."

A few rounds of back and forth happened and this led to Zhang Yingying becoming extremely dissatisfied with He Yueyin's answer. She was about to muster more energy to grill her further when Red Fox, who had not spoken in the encrypted channel for quite a while, suddenly interrupted,

"Before becoming an Extraordinary, a mentally enhanced ability user is quite limited in direct interference with the material plane. The lethal power of a mental storm isn't necessarily greater than that of a metal bullet. Moreover, the ‘weapons’ of the First Oblatums are currently being pinned down by Fairchild in Frost River Reality. This leads to a substantial offset to the First Oblatums' mental powers..."

He Yueyin continued after Red Fox. "There are currently at least thirty to fifty thousand civilians within the three buildings. If these people were to be enslaved by fear, crowd stampedes may occur and the consequences would be unimaginably catastrophic. All the gunmen would need to do is to pull the trigger to set this off... we can't afford to pay this price."

Everyone was forced to admit that their words had some truth in them. However, these two people had slapped each other's faces not too long ago, yet now they were echoing one another? This caused very conflicting emotions to be born in the others who held various stances during the contention.

Luo Nan was a bit embarrassed. Compared to He Yueyin's and Red Fox's train of thoughts, his thought process contained some assumptions. Even if he managed to draw Life Sketches of the First Oblatum and resolve the situation with them, it seemed that his actions would be of little help.

So should he adjust things and go look for the gunmen?

However, the demands that such an action would place on the precision of his senses was much greater than before. Luo Nan felt that he might not have the ability to do this.

As Luo Nan thought about his problems, Zhang Yingying thoughts were of a more practical nature. "To sift through these three buildings would take until the end of time, right?"

"He Yueyin responded as if she had expected the question, "We're just responsible for building B. Building A and C will be handled by the military."

The encrypted channel was immediately thrown into a state of shock. Papercut asked, "The military? The military is personally making a move? Oh right, there was that drone a while ago..."

Zhang Yingying shouted, "Like I said! How could it be a coincidence!? You were the one who gave the order to verify that the corpse was Ghost Thunder, right? Did you use some personal contacts?"

He Yueyin had a strong military background. This was not a secret in the Society. However, she had not shown much of her personal network since she entered her society, besides her military accomplishments. This sudden mention caught people off guard.

He Yueyin did not respond immediately when faced with this question.

Zhang Yingying would not let her escape. "Helloo, won't bringing the military into this complicate things... Secretary He?"

He Yueyin responded two seconds later, "It's an official collaboration."

"What?"

He Yueyin moved on from this topic. She simply said, "Enter building B in thirty seconds. Red Fox, Bamboo Pole, Papercut, remain responsible for Yulan. Pay heed, we need to resolve the situation with the gunmen within five minutes."

A countdown interface appeared within the encrypted channel after He Yueyin issued these orders. The current time remaining was 295 seconds.

The sudden inclusion of this element made everyone freeze in shock.

When Papercut was faced with this unreasonable task, he spoke out in shock, "We don't even have the time to run back from there to Yulan Hotel!"

In Papercut's moment of doubt, Red Fox did not speak a word and instead turned around and left. Bamboo Pole gave Papercut a yank and increased his speed to catch up to Red Fox. It was as if Papercut had awoken from a dream. He pushed off with his feet and asked for clarification, "What happens if we can't accomplish it in five minutes?"

"We make an emergency action plan after 285 seconds. We can't predict what changes will occur by then... Move faster!"

He Yueyin urged the team to move faster and issued the operational procedures one after another. "The special forces will form a second squad. Upon entering building B, they will act as the vanguard, clearing the way and maintaining order. As for everyone else, Mr. Luo, Yingying, and White Salt will form a team upon entering the floor; they will head down. Cat Eyes and I will form a team and head up. We will quickly search and handle the gunmen as we make contact with them. 270 seconds later, regardless of whether this task is completed, immediately perform rapid descension from the building and get out of the range of the building complex!"

She matched the timer interface perfectly every time she mentioned the remaining seconds. She notified everyone to deploy themselves in teams and that time was being endlessly consumed.

As the group of people took in the amount of time remaining, He Yueyin spoke specifically to Luo Nan, "Mr. Luo, you need to concentrate your energy. You can't afford to be distracted."

Luo Nan was stunned for a moment, having understood the meaning behind her words. It was at this time he ‘heard’ some information with his ears. It was spoken seemingly regretfully but also mockingly.

"... How unsightly!"

So I'm out on travel for a few days. Releases will be sporadic, but still five days a week.

Chapter Synopsis:

Luo Nan views thing on his star atlas and can see Fairchild's and Baze extremely clearly upon it due to the radiance they emit. The light of Fairchild's constellation helps him see through the nebula dust around the Oblatum Knights and find the link between the knights and the First Oblatums.

He Yueyin expands on their mission to wipe out the gunmen of the Order, stating that leaving the gunmen alive will lead to more civilian casualties. They are responsible for building B while building A and C will be handled by the military in an official collaboration. He Yueyin sets the time limit to five minutes, much to everyone's surprise.

He Yueyin warns Luo Nan not to be distracted, but he "hears" someone say, "How unsightly!"

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Chapter 121: Two Worlds (Part 1/2)

Chapter 121: Two Worlds (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan's mind suddenly jerked. This information had come out of nowhere. It did not come from anyone in the team and it did not seem to be directed to anyone at the time. It filled the air and resounded in his mind just like that.

He froze in a state of stupefaction but then realized that this was the result of the progress made by the Human-Faced Arachnid. He used his clairvoyance on the dark cloud connected to the spiral arm of the star river. He could clearly feel the dark cloud decrease in density. More and more fuzzy starlight radiated out along with some energy and information. The energy and information were converted and analyzed through the Human-Faced Arachnid.

Those words did not seem to be a part of a real-time dialog exchange. Instead, it was more like the intense thoughts of someone's mind. These thoughts produced and spurred a continuous stream of information for a time.

It looked like the person within the dark cloud was in quite a bad mood.

Luo Nan tilted his head and looked up. Through the metal frames and the transparent glass ceiling, he was able to see the outline of the high rise covered in pitch-black darkness; no light was able to escape. It was vaguely like the dark cloud within his senses.

In fact, their party of people was charging toward one of the dark clouds and it was the one containing endlessly changing rays of emotion that Luo Nan was focused on. The target who he dubbed the poisonous mushroom.

What a coincidence... Luo Nan's gaze locked onto a corner of the rooftop. His naked eye could not see where the edges began but he was able to see it on the mental plane. The malicious intent concealed deep within the atmosphere grew clearer and clearer as they drew closer and closer.

Though He Yueyin had warned him not to get distracted, what if the First Oblatum was trying to interfere with them?

Luo Nan sent a message within the encrypted channel. "It seems like someone has his eyes on us. It's that egotistical fellow."

He Yueyin's response brimmed with the taste of this being a matter of course. "As long as we're inside one of the three buildings, we will catch the eye of at least one First Oblatum. Don't bother with them. Don't get distracted."

This was the second time that He Yueyin warned him.

Luo Nan feet practically did not touch the ground anymore. He was being carried by Xue Lei and Cat Eyes. As they rushed down the connecting passageway, Xue Lei whispered into his ear, "She didn't mention me at all!"

"You're certainly going to follow your dad..."

Before Luo Nan could finish talking, He Yueyin suddenly opened her mouth and asked, "Xue Lei has already 'obtained his sign', right?"

"I achieved something small over the past two days... Huh?" Xue Lei was suddenly shocked. He turned and said, "How did you know?"

He Yueyin did not respond. She issued further orders in the encrypted channel. "Xue Lei group with Mr. Luo. Follow the time requirements. Whether or not the mission is completed successfully, we must all leave the range of the buildings at godspeed."

Before Xue Lei could even react and just as Xue Weilun was about to talk after recovering from the sudden shock, a new message scrolled through the encrypted channel. "Hello Sister, it looks likes your standard for distributing people is based on being an Awakened. Does the Society have a particular purpose for this deployment?"

Bai Xinyan was the one who sent the message but He Yueyin did not respond whatsoever.

Xue Weilun's words were blocked by the lines of Bai Xinyan's message.

In the face of this totally unknown context, the worst thing he could do as a special police officer and as a father was to guess around wildly in speculation.

Their party of people entered the floor of building B at this time. The special forces' formation dispersed automatically and Cat Eyes and He Yueyin separated out from the team to stand together.

Zhang Yingying pulled Bai Xinyan toward her and grabbed onto Luo Nan and Xue Lei as well. "Do you know why you need to concentrate?"

The two high school students shook their heads.

"The following moments are certain to be extremely intensive."

Zhang Yingying winked and was about to add more but then she saw Xue Weilun walk over. She shut her mouth and walked with Bai Xinyan to the side. Luo Nan hurriedly made room and gave the father and son some time to talk.

Only, the exchange between the Xue father and son was far more straightforward than they could possibly imagine. The two were both magnificent men. They gave each other a hearty hug. The thick exoskeleton armors between did nothing to block their feelings.

"Do your best."

"Be careful."

The time was continuing its countdown, so they did not have much time to talk. Their words lingered in the air as the glass wall next to the exit was smashed into pieces. Glass shards flew and fell before a whistling gale entered through the hole.

Zhang Yingying cast a glance downward. "The gradient is fine. It’s not the straight vertical type."

In this very instant, Xue Lei was able to feel the tension in his father's embrace. He split his mouth into a smile and broke free. "Rest easy, things will be fine."

Zhang Yingying turned to look. "Has Xue Lei rapidly descended from high buildings before?"

Xue Lei maintained a confident smile. "My master taught me the Ape Traversal Technique before. I've also learned a bit of extreme parkour. I've done it before at high floors but not for long distances."

"Excellent!" Zhang Yingying gave him a big thumbs up. "Having Luo Nan be such a burden will cause White Salt and I to squander away quite a bit of our energy for him. You need to look out for yourself. Now is the time for martial artists to crush the mentally enhanced."

A couple of figures flickered next to Zhang Yingying as she was halfway through her words. He Yueyin and Cat Eyes jumped up shoulder to shoulder practically simultaneously. They faced the wild gale and jumped into the dark void. Their figures flipped and they flew vertically up. He Yueyin just left a single message in the encrypted channel.

"Time is of the essence."

They had no chance whatsoever for careful planning and preparation due to the time constraints. The habitual actions from normal times determined one’s effectiveness in this sort of situation. Right now, the building was without power. The elevator was out of operation. Yet they had to complete the entire journey within four and a half minutes. To follow the methods of the Society would be to rely on the skill of the ability users in rapid ascension or descension.

He Yueyin did not choose to have Luo Nan ascend. This fellow's terrible physical skills were the number one reason for her decision.

Zhang Yingying shrugged. She was not that worried. She knew from the moment He Yueyin planned the mission that the mission intensity was changed to be much easier.

The concrete action plan was naturally issued into the encrypted channel. "Luo Nan's sensing radius is 80 meters. B building's width is approximately 150 meters. It's fine to just circle your way in a spiral route. If things go smoothly, all you need is 100 seconds to get to Fudong Main Street."

Luo Nan was astonished. "I won't be able to lock onto the gunmen in that amount of time..."

"The viewpoint from the lower floors with their terrain is useless. The likelihood of there being gunmen is far too small. The Secretary just wants us to retreat. Are you ready yet? I'll go first with the big dude."

Xue Lei suddenly shivered. The confident smile on his face stiffened a bit but regardless of this, he could not let the others, especially his father, see his reaction. He could not let the others get distracted in worry for him.

He muttered to himself a few times a chant personally passed onto him by his master, "Transform the polarities, by the laws of the Way." He started to pump himself up. "I am different from normal people! I really am different!"

Chen Xiaolin's face oddly flashed in his mind only to disappear like the popping of a soap bubble. The gale of darkness had eroded his physical sensations but now the yin-yang fluctuations within his body were restored once more to a warm state. In addition, his remaining bit of doubt and hesitation were dissolved to nothingness.

Xue Lei grew even more certain that he was born for this kind of situation. He turned slightly to lock eyes with Luo Nan, the friend who had drawn him into this wonderful world and the two bumped fists.

"Let's go!"

Xue Lei yelled as he jumped into the darkness of the void outside and Zhang Yingying jumped out at practically the same time as him. The last one to come out was Bai Xinyan; she held onto Luo Nan's waist with a single arm.

Xue Weilun followed two close steps behind them. He reached out with his head to look down and was able to see his son. Xue Lei was keener than any ape or monkey. His long arms just smacked against the glass wall a few times to push off and he slid in an arc. He flew all the way down as if he was riding a skateboard.

Soon, their figures were lost into the night.

Xue Weilun was lost in thought when a large gale suddenly swept over him in a pressing chill. He felt something and he lowered his head to look at the Format Pyramid on his chest. The mark was faintly distorting and rippling. It was unknown if it was due to Luo Nan leaving.

Chapter Synopsis:

The words Luo Nan heard comes from the thoughts of one of the First Oblatums. This First Oblatum is quite dissatisfied. Luo Nan warns the team that the egotistical First Oblatum, An Chengli, has his eyes on them. It is likely that Luo Nan was able to hear the words due to the low-configuration high-imitation human-faced arachnid he tossed into the dark cloud in the previous chapter.

He Yueyin warns him not to get distracted by the First Oblatum and just focus on their mission of eliminating as many gunmen as possible in their limited five-minute time frame and escape from the building.

Xue Lei wonders what his task is, as everyone else on the team was given a task. He Yueyin asks if he has obtained his 'sign', presumed to have something to do with the martial arts he trains in. Xue Lei confirms and He Yueyin assigns him to be with Luo Nan to move down the building.

Xue Lei says good bye to his father. He Yueyin and Cat Eyes go up the building. Xue Lei pumps himself up as he jumps out to slide on the side of the building to descend down along with Zhang Yingying, Bai Xinyan, and Luo Nan.

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Chapter 122: Two Worlds (Part 2/2)

Chapter 122: Two Worlds (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

At the center of the platform atop building B, the gear-like graphic structure hummed in operation, establishing a refined and marvelous formation. Rays knit closely together like a cocoon of light, wrapping An Chengli within.

Within this shielding layer, An Chengli openly revealed a face that was green with emotion as he ground his teeth. His mind was currently completely occupied with the large building below him, on those damned members of the Society. The mere thought of them made his chest feel like it was on fire.

As a Clearsworn, he was a mentally enhanced ability user in a certain sense. Yet mental sensing was never his forte. He had to use the Evolution Field in order to lock onto the targets located several hundred meters away, separated by several dozen floors of reinforced concrete.

However, just by having his consciousness exist for a moment within the Evolution Field, he could hear An Weng's evaluation of him. It seemed formless as it tangled in his thoughts.

"How unsightly."

An Weng's words had always been faint and subtle, worthy of mulling over. But this time, the most superficial meaning behind it made An Chengli feel like he had been smacked fiercely in the face, leaving his face stiff like wood.

He stood in the middle of the spell formation, but he felt like he was a prisoner held in a cage. The gazes cast by the surrounding people had become extremely bizarre.

Actually, the surrounding priests and knights of the Order were far from the level of being able to access the information from the Evolution Field. It was very hard for them to know what the First Oblatums were doing and what they were communicating within.

But An Chengli still felt horrible. He felt that An Weng’s words were spreading far and wide. Along with those words, his performance as Inquisitor and the job assigned to him by An Weng spread as well... The situation was quite different from what he had initially imagined.

He never imagined that this little kid called Luo Nan would be such a thorn in his side.

Regardless of anything else, Luo Nan's soul strength was truly extremely solid. Most importantly, Luo Nan had a self-developed system, the so-called Format Pyramid. It looked unreal and illusionary, but it was like an annoying screen. It acted as a cushion against penetrating forces on the mental plane. An Weng had tried time and again to act against it, but he was never able to break it with each attack. He could only continue to accumulate power.

An Chengli hesitated like this for a long time. He bided his time until the military ‘activated’ Ghost Thunder, allowing An Chengli to borrow this chance to use the Oblatum Knight as a medium. That would be his chance to kill the enemy. However, how could he possibly imagine that Ghost Thunder would be killed in a single stroke by that damned Secretary before he could use his accumulated power? Not only that, An Chengli suffered a whiplash from Ghost Thunder’s death. The turmoil it caused his soul had yet to recover even now.

The most damnable thing of all was the ridiculing way Luo Nan and the Secretary had called him out... Especially since they had blindly picked him in this one-sided situation.

Utter shame and humiliation!

If news of this got out, then he, An Chengli, would become an eternal laughingstock in Xia City and even the Order of Justice! No one would want to get involved with him!

All An Chengli wanted in this very moment was to exact vengeance.

The members of the Society had already crossed the connecting passageway to enter Building B... Building B, that's great! He was at Building B!

The three connected buildings had heights of approximately 700 meters. They slanted down toward Frost River Reality that was in the center of their connected areas. When Luo Nan's party arrived, the straight line distance between An Chengli and Luo Nan shrank to 400 meters. Luo Nan's party had even split up!

A golden opportunity bestowed by the heavens!

An Chengli began to siphon power from the Evolution Field, but An Weng's thoughts cut through just as he started, seizing all privileges toward the Evolution Field. The projection of the Scales of Truth was in the center of their triangular formation and this projection forcefully sucked in the attention of each First Oblatum.

Atop this classical hanging balance scale, the white plate was raised a bit higher than before, while the black plate had dropped a bit lower. The unbalanced state seemed to have been amended somewhat. The coiling and swiveling state of the Krait atop the black plate was more lively than before, showing that the ritual was making great progress.

An Chengli was startled at first when he was deprived of his privileges, but his face grew feverish when he saw this scene.

Arguably, An Weng's ultimate goal of appointing An Chengli to try Luo Nan was to destroy the order formed by Luo Nan. It was to release the elements of pain and chaos in order to restore equilibrium to the Scales of Truth. Great progress had been made, An Chengli should be happy.

However, there was a problem. Just how much did he contribute to it?

After the Secretary had slayed Ghost Thunder in a single stroke, the majority of An Chengli's accumulated power had dissipated into nothingness. He might have caused those unfortunate civilians trapped in Frost River Reality to be scared out of their minds, but the chaotic element from those hundred or so people was simply negligible!

What truly affected the balance of the scales were the civilians' panic due to the power outage of the three buildings. Moreover, An Weng had realized all of this by issuing orders to their mobile units. He did not use any extraordinary powers.

When An Chengli compared himself to An Weng, he felt like a fool.

However, An Weng was not very satisfied with the current situation. "It's still lacking. Perhaps the underlying mass I placed on the truth side is far too heavy... The situation still needs to be remedied."

Zheng Xiao was atop another building. He wanted to ask just what in the world was the underlying mass that An Weng had placed on the truth side?

But at this very moment, An Chengli expressed himself impatiently in his eagerness to redeem his pride and dignity. "Leave the job to me, An Weng. This time, I will dispose of this batch of people from the Society for sure..."

"You only have one chance, child."

An Weng's telepathic thought felt gentle yet firm, but only those familiar with him would know of the callousness that lay hidden in the deepest depths. It was like the bottom of the iceberg hidden by the seas. "When one mends the pen after the sheep are lost, what is mended isn't the flock of sheep, but the fence. What we should solely focus on is order! Nothing else!"

As he spoke, the image under the projection of the Scales of Truth rapidly switched to the crowds of people densely packed together. These people were scattered in various locations around the three connected buildings. They were anxious and worried due to the sudden darkness.

But with the passage of time, the human instinct to adapt to any environment displayed its effects. In this modern society with its convenient and efficient information systems, a high degree of law and order was displayed as well.

As the government broadcasted information targeted toward the trapped civilians, giving them instructions to disperse and evacuate, the people's emotions of panic gradually receded. Over ten thousand civilians withdrew through fire escape passageways and emergency evacuation exits in an orderly fashion.

Modern metropolises often had connections of high-altitude escalators and transportation belts between their high-rise commercial buildings. It was like the spiraling and extending vines within forests of the old. It made the evacuation work of the current pressing situation much easier. People flooded out from these passageways like ants. Surprisingly, the overall process went smoothly due to the appropriate deployment of information.

However, this was a factor in the unbalanced state of the Scales of Truth and the state was growing increasingly unbalanced.

Just looking at the height of the white plate, one could see that it had lowered once more. Let alone Zheng Xiao, even An Chengli, who had not been focused on the Scales of Truth, could not help but divide some of his attention back.

Their spell ritual would fail if they could not transform the scales from an unbalanced state to a balanced state. In this case, the three First Oblatums would receive a heavy whiplash that would be far more disastrous than the one caused by the Secretary killing Ghost Thunder a while ago.

"One order. One world."

An Weng let out a light sigh. "I like order. Order is the brightest path to the Truth. But sometimes we need to discard the inferior portions and swap them with superior portions. We need to use the inferior world as stepping stones to get to the superior world..."

"An Weng!" Zheng Xiao felt more and more than something was wrong. Back when An Weng sought to have the power cut from the three buildings, he believed An Weng's actions to be quite inappropriate. But did An Weng's words not indicate that he wanted to do something a step more extreme?

A more extreme step. Now what kind of step could it be?

An Weng response was as clear as always. "Disorder always comes before order. Birth of life always accompanies destruction."

His telepathic words hung in the air as a dazzling radiance exploded within Frost River Reality. The shock wave instantly flattened one side of the glass walls. Shards and fragments filled the sky, fluttering around. Streaks of seven-to-eight humanoid shadows dispersed apart within the radiance, shooting toward the three connected buildings.

In mutual response to this unforeseen event, several guns sprayed with their fire atop the three buildings, tearing away the calm darkness.

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Chapter Synopsis:

It is now the First Oblatums' perspective. An Chengli is furious for his failure to deal with Luo Nan and for An Weng's evaluation of him being unsightly. His plan was indeed to use Ghost Thunder as a medium with his accumulated power, but He Yueyin had slain him before he could do anything. Then Luo Nan and the Secretary had even called him out. He was humiliated.

An Chengli begins to siphon power from the Evolution Field to exact vengeance on Luo Nan, but An Weng takes away all his privileges. The First Oblatums attentions turn towards the Scales of Truth for the unbalanced state is becoming more balanced. An Weng seeks to cause more chaos to make the Scales of Truth more balanced. The civilians are evacuating in an orderly fashion, increasing the unbalanced state.

An Weng goes extremest as he has the seven-to-eight humanoid shadows, presumed to be Oblatum Knights, disperse from Frost River Reality to the surrounding three buildings. He then has the gunmen shoot into the night, presumably at the civilians.

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Chapter 122: The Bounds of Logic (Part 1/2)

Chapter 122: The Bounds of Logic (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

"An Weng!"

Zheng Xiao's mind shook violently as he was swept by emotions of panic and fright. He wanted to face An Weng and bellow, “We've completely crossed the line!”

Everything that happened could be explained by the bitter battle with Fairchild, where it was impossible to attend to the civilians; one could even use it as an angle of attack. It was quite common for enemies, that is Fairchild, to choose battlefields that were not their side’s expertise. However, if one stubbornly stuck to their guns, that is An Weng, and rips apart the baseline that was the government and society with blind terrorist attacks and great escalations, how would they be different to the vagrant organizations of the wilderness?

If they really provoked the Star Alliance and even the local factions of power, many different parties would join together and send punitive forces against them. It would be hard to be exonerated even with the help of the First Oblatum Division.

"An Weng!"

An Chengli was also struck with panic that went down to his soul. His train of thought was no different from Zheng Xiao’s and it was even a layer deeper. In the case of a future investigation into their actions of attacking the civilians, the decrepit An Weng would not care with his level of seniority and the Oblatum Knights were just following orders. As for the gunmen, they might not even come out with their lives. In the end, the ones who would bear responsibility would be An Chengli and Zheng Xiao!

The terrible expression on his face was likely turning even uglier.

Well, regardless of how uncomfortable Zheng Xiao and An Chengli were with the situation, it was impossible for a detonated state to return to zero.

As the gunfire splattered wildly around the darkness, the true terror that was the Oblatum Knights accelerated and pushed off from the triangular spaceship that was Frost River Reality. They leaped through the air, their targets being the surrounding three buildings.

Intense light exploded behind them, entwining with the chaotic red and blue lights of the police. It heralded the spectacle of chaos that was to follow.

This was by no means a diversion or an enlargement of the battlefield. The Oblatum Knights were simply causing destruction, likely of the wanton nature.

"Baze!"

An Chengli believed that he and Baze had a bit of a friendship going on, so he could not help but contact Baze. He wanted to ascertain just what sort of plans An Weng had in mind. He knew that his actions were meaningless but if he could not clarify this point, he would simply suffocate.

However, Baze did not have a response whatsoever. As An Chengli tried calling over and over again as his scalp grew numb. It was as if his consciousness had suddenly fallen into ice. He was unable to send out any telepathic thoughts.

"Baze is much busier than you right now. Why don't you do something more meaningful, like keeping quiet?"

An Weng's thoughts circulated within the Evolution Field. He had become the master of it all, leaving An Chengli to shrink into a corner like a decorative pillar.

The thoughts of these few people entwined only for a brief moment. Right now, several people's eyes were branded with the gunfire splattering within the large buildings.

However, the trajectory of bullets came tearing through the night from a different direction. The bullets pierced the glass walls, ripping the figures of the gunmen to shreds. All that remained atop Building B was the lingering sound of gunfire.

The Evolution Field faithfully transmitted these changes back to the First Oblatums, forming an image.

"The Secretary!"

An Chengli saw this enemy who he had just tangled with. A similar situation occurred with Building A and Building C. Snipers and even strike bots had instantly slaughtered their gunmen over there. He did not know if they were from the military or the police.

There was no one who could pull the triggers on their guns a second time.

The brainwashed gunmen were disposable. It was quite normal for them to die, but this abandonment of life proved a fact that was most terrible.

This was a joint operation between the government, the military, and the ability user Society. Perhaps at some location where they could not see, the military had dispatched their commando unit. Perhaps their Deep Blue Walkers were on the way!

"An Weng, the situation is big now!" An Chengli could not refrain from roaring.

But at this time, an intense shiver ran through his body.

The element of chaos was rapidly increasing, causing the projection of the Scales of Truth to grow even more balanced. It instantly crossed a crucial node, causing the power of this holy entity to be sent toward the three First Oblatums who were maintaining this spell.

The Evolution Field advanced in functionality. The telepathic thoughts of the three First Oblatum converged together in a certain sense. An Chengli still did not have any privileges, but his perception became more sensitive at the very least.

He could sense the Krait absorbing more and more chaos element atop the black plate. That thing was actually growing.

However, there existed a disturbance.

It was as if there was some incorporeal sieve existing under the night sky. Someone was trying to gather the shards of chaos within this region to give this region a unique ‘order’.

The Evolution Field continued to switch its image. It swept once again across the members of the Society, including the Secretary who An Chengli no longer paid attention to and Luo Nan who was about to land on the ground.

An Chengli noticed that this teenager just so happened to lift his head and cast his gaze toward the sky. His stunned expression was utterly clear; he must have been startled by the intense change in the situation.

There was a problem though. The direction of Luo Nan's gaze did not seem to intersect with the Oblatum Knights who were soaring at the heights of Frost River Reality. Instead, Luo Nan's gaze was focused on someplace even higher.

"It's him! It's that kid!" blurted An Chengli. Actually, An Chengli did not know whether Luo Nan was the cause of the disturbance, but he already had the thought to have someone else kill the kid. Just this thought was enough to make him express this judgment.

An Weng did not respond. The image switched once more, and this image proved that An Weng placed no importance toward An Chengli's judgment.

The image was a bird's eye view of Frost River Reality. This enormous triangular spaceship had become a tattered pancake with holes everywhere. This was the aftermath of Baze's and Fairchild's battle.

The spread out seven Oblatum Knights had all leaped away from this place. They had already crashed into the glass walls of the surrounding buildings.

The skies above Frost River Reality were empty; there was absolutely nothing.

But soon, the image integrated with information shook violently and inexplicably. Marvelous waves rippled out from that location and were even bursting forth from within the Evolution Field.

His intuition was not wrong!

An Chengli's eyelids spasmed for a bit. Minute distortions appeared outside his body in the spell formation constructed by high-energy beams of light. And accordingly, something that should not be there was born in what had once been a water-like flowing operation of energy. A vortex had been formed out of thin air.

It was only at this very moment where the operation of the spell formation nearly went off course.

In this moment of his daze, the Evolution Field switched images once again. The image was focused on the first Oblatum Knight to charge into the buildings surrounding Frost River Reality.

An Chengli recalled that this fellow's name was Flying Shark. Within the Oblatum Knights, Flying Shark possessed a first-class speed in water and in air. His impact power was very strong and his killing nature ran deep.

An explosion rang out. The enormous glass wall was forcefully smashed into pieces by the collision. This fellow had certainly locked in his direction before pushing off. There were a couple dozen of civilians who had not fled in time within this area of glass.

Shards of glass flew through the air, each fragment infused with Flying Shark's extraordinary strength. The group of unlucky civilians departed from this world in a manner akin to being blasted in the face by a shotgun.

"The first wave!"

An Chengli had foreseen this bloodbath of a scene.

But what appeared within the Evolution Field was not the splatter of blood and flesh nor the miserable shrieks of anguish. There were only streaks and streaks of warping light dissipating away. Then there was nothingness.

"Where...Where are the people?"

There was a moment when An Chengli's train of thought stagnated. A short delay later, the glass walls shattered to pieces one after another. Oblatum Knights landed inside the building one by one, but what they faced was an unexplainable nothingness.

Within the entire building, at each location that the eyes could reach, not a single person could be seen.

The Krait appeared to be frozen within the projection of the Scales of Truth. Then it dissolved into the smoke within the plate. The black plate rose up until it reached the peak, and in accordance, the white plate on the other side was heavily lowered.

The unbalanced state had returned to zero.

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Chapter Synopsis:

Zheng Xiao and An Chengli watch as An Weng exacerbate the situation by having the gunmen fire wildly into the darkness and having the Oblatum Knights charge to the connected three buildings.

An Chengli can't do anything as all privileges of the Evolution Field have been taken away from him. He tries to call out to Baze to no avail.

The Krait increases in mass atop the black plate atop the Scales of Truth. However, its process is being disturbed. Someone is trying to gather the chaos within the region to give it order. Luo Nan is the likely culprit of this.

The first of the Oblatum Knights, Flying Shark, lands in one of the buildings and a bloodbath is to be expected. However, not a person can be seen. Only streaks of light warping away remain. The rest of the Oblatum Knights land, but they face nothingness.

An Chengli is bewildered and the Krait disappears atop the Scales of Truth. The unbalanced state had stopped its trend of becoming balanced and has been reset to become totally unbalanced.

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Chapter 122: The Bounds of Logic (Part 2/2)

Chapter 122: The Bounds of Logic (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

By the time the shock wave swept across one side of Fudong Main Street, Luo Nan and the others had just stepped onto a side street of Fudong Main Street.

Things were just as Zhang Yingying had expected. There were not any gunmen on the lower floors, so their journey down was leisurely and cheery. The total time they used did not exceed 100 seconds. They even had some idle time to think things over. They borrowed the shadow of the building to come quietly down, so they were not too conspicuous to normal people.

However, the activities of the Oblatum Knights above Frost River Reality made their cautious actions seem like a joke.

"What in the world are they up to?"

Thought Zhang Yingying when she saw the shock wave that exploded out from Frost River Reality and the figures flying out from it. Even her imaginative train of thought was unable to fathom it.

Several gunmen perished soon after opening fire. They were disposed of efficiently and neatly. There was nothing odd about this. They were not worth a fart when compared to the Oblatum Knights.

"I wish we knew that this would happen earlier. We even held ourselves back. It would have been better to just make a move! I'm positive that An Weng has some brain damage... TZZ!"

Zhang Yingying suddenly placed her hands on her ears as she winced in great pain.

Half of Luo Nan's brain had been knocked stupid a bit earlier than her. It was perhaps the most severe case of tinnitus he ever had in his life. The sudden bang made him suspect that there was someone opening fire by his ears.

He covered his ears as well and he could not refrain from grimacing with gritted teeth.

"What is going on?" Xue Lei had been enjoying the experience of successfully descending from high altitudes when he was given a fright by Luo Nan's bitter reaction.

Bai Xinyan glanced at the two and lowered her head to look at her wristband. She then shrugged. "There's a problem with the encrypted channel."

The countdown number was fixed at 97 seconds on the display of her wristband. It no longer budged at all.

"The Psychic Wave Network has crashed." Zhang Yingying staved off the initial blast and gave her ears a light pat. She had a baffled expression. "It has been a long time since this problem has occurred. Is the President doing some sort of extreme testing? Is this part of the mission..."

She suddenly became speechless halfway through her words.

At this time, Bai Xinyan's gaze was cast to the end of the side-road. Xue Lei hesitated a bit and uncertainly raised his head to look. In the end, Luo Nan shook free from the tinnitus state with great difficulty and blurted words that were most crucial.

"Where is everyone?"

It was at this very instant that the lustrous star river of Luo Nan's clairvoyance had its lights extinguished without a sound, becoming a sheet of nothingness. All that was left was a few dozen stars and nebula dust that were even harder to see into.

The contrast was so intense that it made Luo Nan simply stupefied on the spot. Zhang Yingying grabbed onto his arm at this time, ensuring that the two were a bit closer. She then locked gazes with Bai Xinyan with a glance and their small group started walking cautiously out from the side road.

The rain had yet to stop at this time. The police lights were lit, the street lights were lit, and a public transportation vehicle sped across the street; the lights inside were on as well. Only the connected building structure behind them was a sheet of pitch-black darkness. The contrast between light and darkness was intense.

But it did not matter whether it was bright or dark, for not even a trace of a human could be seen as far as their eyes could reach. The entire street. The entire building complex. Even the blurry city beneath the rain was completely empty. There was not even a hint of a human.

It seemed that the strong still existed, namely the Oblatum Knights that had crashed into the glass walls of the buildings just now. There was also Fairchild and Baze; sudden explosive shock waves were produced with open savageness. Last of all, there were those atop the large buildings, the First Oblatums and their underlings located in their respective dark clouds.

These people appeared within the plane of Luo Nan's mental clairvoyance in the form of constellations and nebula dust. The star river, when compared to its broadening and lustrousness from before, was so sparse that it made one very shocked.

"Oh dear, I made a bit of a mistake."

A voice inexplicably came through. Suddenly, a rich background noise returned to the world.

A ripple seemed to streak across the space before Luo Nan's eyes. He went, ‘Ah’. It was as if an electric current had run through his entire body. The sight before him was a flurry as concentrated starlight and deep darkness transformed back and forth several times in the void. Then it stabilized and his lustrous star river was restored to its ‘normal state’. However, there were some subtle differences.

Densely packed streams of people appeared out of nowhere on the plane of reality. They rubbed against each other's shoulders and followed in each other's footsteps as they made their way with haste. They submerged Luo Nan's team of four people within. Most of the people were keeping far away from this region. Occasionally, they would turn around and look at the pitch-black buildings. Expressions of bewilderment and apprehension appeared on their faces.

This was the scene that should be in reality, but the things that happened a moment ago, what was that about?

"Hey, do you guys see it yet? Those Oblatum Knights... They're gone." Zhang Yingying's voice suddenly turned into a whisper, it was a bit hoarse.

"Including Fairchild and Baze." Bai Xinyan's gaze was cast toward Frost River Reality. The dangerous shock waves from the battle over there had oddly disappeared. Not a trace remained. All that was left was the ramshackled outer walls of the building.

Luo Nan mentally added, "It even includes the three First Oblatums atop the buildings. They're on the other side."

Bai Xinyan muttered to herself in thought for a few seconds before whispering, "It's like the legendary power of spatial manipulation, spatial rifting. A section of space and time is cut out and duplicated. Or perhaps it’s a 'projection' of the world... I've only heard in rumors that some Extraordinaries who call themselves gods possess this sort of nearly incomprehensible space-time ability."

"Spacial rifting?" Zhang Yingying knew of this famous term quite well, but mostly in fantasy works. She could only shrug helplessly. " Right now, the only Extraordinary out in the open in the entire metropolis is the President... Eh?"

The two beauties, each with their own special characteristics, locked gazes. Zhang Yingying touched the lobe of her ear subconsciously. The encrypted channel had yet to be restored. The mess with the Psychic Wave Network still remained. However, all they wanted to do was understand the situation. They could use their wristbands, old technology.

Zhang Yingying began to make a call; she wanted to clarify things.

"A rift?"

Luo Nan stood by the side. He naturally heard the dialog between these two women. He blinked and his consciousness flowed, diffusing through the void.

The lustrous star river of his clairvoyance remained just as it had been before. There appeared to be no anomalies. However, after having that experience just now, having no anomalies was the biggest anomaly of all.

The Oblatum Knights, Fairchild, the three First Oblatums and other characters of the Order of Justice were all engulfed within the spatial rift the moment it appeared. These people no longer existed in the plane of reality.

Regardless of whether or not it was the President as they guessed, this change should have appeared within Luo Nan's mental senses. It should be like when they first entered into the spatial rift; the instant change in his senses should have been the same.

But the current situation was different. Regardless of it being Fairchild's magnificent and dazzling constellation, Baze and the other eight Oblatum Knight's nebula dust, and the dark clouds manifested by the three First Oblatums, they all continued to exist on Luo Nan's star atlas. There was just an additional ‘layer’ to them that was hard to explain.

There was a reason for this. Though Luo Nan's body had come out from the spatial rift, a portion of his consciousness still remained within the spatial rift. This portion continued to do the work that was a walk in the park for him.

Observing!

Luo Nan was using his clairvoyance on two different worlds at the same time. They were independent of one another and overlapped with each other. A whole new dimension was opened in what could be seen as a 3D structure. This sort of heaven-defying experience was a feeling that could only be grasped intuitively and it could not be conveyed through words. It was infinitely strange yet wonderful beyond compare.

Most notable was that these two viewpoints appeared to be completely identical. When the vastly different worlds folded upon each other in reality, Luo Nan gained a new perspective of observation. It was enough to make what had once been a chaotic unclear mass of dust clouds much clearer. Though it was still hard to extract a constellation-like Life Sketch from them, it was possible to draw an approximate outline. When compared to a dust cloud, such a drawing would have a higher degree of identification.

By now, the dark clouds that affected his observations were gradually being diluted and were dispersing. The true identity of the three First Oblatums of the Order of Justice was coming out into the open. Soon, Luo Nan was able to find the highest ranked among them.

He was an old man wearing loose robes. He stood in the center of the landing pad of Building A. He had a withered figure and was quite elderly. Needless to say, this was An Weng.

Though An Weng was trapped in the spatial rift, he had no thoughts of worry. He just spoke emotionally with a subtle smile, "Normal people can't do such things. Only the extraordinary can. Ouyang, I really am just a useless old man compared to you."

"I'm not worthy of such praise, An Weng."

As they spoke, a middle-aged man dressed in a tuxedo appeared on the rooftop where An Weng was located. His clothes were as if he was attending a dinner party. They were a dozen or so meters away from each other, and this middle-aged man gave a slight bow to the centenarian An Weng, showing some etiquette.

"This world I have established is called 'Logic'. Though there are quite a few inconsistencies with it. Any idea can form an experiment. Any result can be obtained from a laboratory. All as long as a few iterations are done. Since today I have this chance, I ask An Weng and all my guests for some valuable criticism."

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Chapter Synopsis:

It is now Luo Nan's group's perspective. They make their way down the building to a side street when suddenly a loud ringing happens in their ears. There appears to be a problem with the Psychic Wave Network. The group then finds themselves alone in the city. Only the strong remain, namely the powerful members of the Order and the Society.

President Ouyang Chen realizes he had made a mistake and the ability user society members return to reality. Luo Nan sees the crowds of civilians once again.

This ability of Ouyang Chen is called spatial rifting. The members of the Order no longer exist on the plane of reality. They are now trapped in Ouyang's rift. However, Luo Nan can still observe what is going on there, part of his consciousness still remained within.

The perspective shifts to An Weng and Ouyang. Ouyang states that he calls his world 'Logic'.

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Chapter 123: Demon Claw (Part 1/2)

Chapter 123: Demon Claw (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Ouyang? President Ouyang Chen!

Luo Nan finally understood the meaning behind He Yueyin's orders. No wonder she paid no heed at all to the strong members of the Order. She had been waiting for this all along.

Luo Nan had never seen Ouyang Chen in person, but his great fame was like thunder piercing the ear. After all, the president of this branch was an instructor on Inner Logic Theory, he invented the HexaEar, and established the Psychic Wave Network. The Ouyang Chen he saw in such a way today was quite consistent with the image he had imagined. Ouyang Chen did not feel a bit unfamiliar at all.

An Weng and Ouyang Chen were even more familiar with one another. They had both been in Xia City for many years, keeping each other in check and balance. The two had dealt with each other before. They dealt with each other more often than their respective members and believers.

This centenarian old man lifted his head and looked up into the night sky, which was no different than it was before. He whispered, "Logic World. I remember. You've discussed such similar concepts with me before."

"It was just a consultation." Ouyang Chen remained humble and low-key.

"But I rejected it." An Weng recollected those times and became rather emotional, ecclesiastics and researchers were the same; they both headed toward the truth. "However, our kind won't place the holy entity onto the experiment table. We will always have a forbidden region we cannot enter. Whether it be due to reverence or fear, we ultimately need to avoid it. We are different from researchers in this way. You all trample into the realm of the divine as you wish."

Ouyang Chen listened to An Weng quietly and did not refute. He just stood there as an Extraordinary, causing all those besides An Weng on the landing pad to feel restless and anxious.

In fact, the dialog between An Weng and Ouyang Chen was broadcasted to the other two First Oblatums through the Evolution Field. Regardless of Zheng Xiao or An Chengli, their instant reaction was no different from swallowing a live bomb.

Zheng Xiao closed his eyes while An Chengli groaned, "This fellow came out from his laboratory... It must be because we crossed the line. Oh, hell!"

An Weng smiled and said, "Ouyang, my children don't really understand you; they don't understand your work."

Ouyang Chen's gaze flitted from the complicated lines of light outside An Weng's body as he lifted his head to look at the sky just like An Weng had done. He appeared thoughtful but he did not answer An Weng immediately.

An Weng soon retracted his gaze and analyzed Ouyang Chen's actions like an old friend, like an elder. "You were never an inventor. You're a theoretical researcher. Once you've grasped a question, you will revolve around it. You will conduct research, all the way until you form an entire system that has value. One example is when you established your Psychic Wave Network. Other people only saw that it granted convenience, but I know that you're researching the soul. You are researching mental power, researching the existing nature of the mental plane in regards to the material plane. You want to understand clearly the power that distorts reality. You want to understand where it comes from..."

Ouyang Chen observed the old man's mottled face with great attention. He calmly replied, "This is what I've been chasing after all this time. According to the teachings of your Order, it is the source of the world's transformation."

"Oh, yes. The opening of the Gate of Truth!"

An Weng said this key vocabulary with such ease, causing the other two First Oblatums' scalps to go numb. So this old fellow really had this plan to use the fierce conflict with Fairchild as a facade to cover their true intentions?

"I feel like we're all a joke!" Zheng Xiao and An Chengli used a private line to communicate with each other, "There's certainly something wrong with the old man's brain capacity. Or perhaps he didn't even consider us at all. We should think of something..."

Zheng Xiao suddenly could not hear him. The private line was inexplicably severed and at the same time, an utterly ice-cold telepathic thought cut through his nerves to slowly grind against him.

An Chengli was even worse off.

Zheng Xiao closed his eyes and opened them again. It was without a doubt that the old man knew of the existence of the private channel between him and An Chengli all along. The old man had just kept one eye closed and let them whine all this time.

Perhaps, Zheng Xiao should be thankful. Even though this was a private conversation, he never spoke ill of An Weng due to his caution and wariness. However, now Zheng Xiao was worried that this old man was reviving old grievances. It was incomprehensible. Why did An Weng suddenly put on an open attitude and come clean with his plan?

It was as if demons and gods were at work. For some odd reason, Zheng Xiao's attention shifted toward the core of the Evolution Field, toward the projection of the Scales of Truth.

The unbalanced state still persisted but Zheng Xiao noticed something with the white plate. Though it originally had been lowered all the way to the bottom, it had lifted up a bit at an unknown time. The Krait had manifested again on the black plate and had started to regain vitality.

So, where in the world was the chaos element causing this?

When it seemed that Zheng Xiao had understood something in his trance, the pressure on the mental plane escalated in intensity. It was ice-cold and heavy, making his train of thought unable to advance a step further.

Then the dialog between An Weng and Ouyang Chen bizarrely became warm like a spring breeze, "Well regardless, I can sense your success. Ouyang, you're trying to redefine the rules of the material plane!"

Ouyang Chen shook his head lightly. "If there really is such a form, I hope it is reproducible. But so far all I can do is pinch out a specious model, a minor copy."

"At the very least, here is a battlefield where one can go at it freely; it’s enough to lessen the effects toward the normal world. Look Fairchild and them are fighting it out quite delightfully..."

As An Weng spoke, Frost River Reality was no longer able to bear the explosive battle of the two powerful ability users going all out. Frost River Reality was severed from its connection to Building A, and half of its structure hung toward the ground.

The figures of Fairchild and Baze flew out at practically the same time as they crashed into Building A. Even more powerful shockwaves blasted out, causing the glass walls of several dozen floors around them to shatter. The shards fell like rain and the entire building seemed to be shaking.

If this really was the plane of reality, the series of explosive strikes would dreadfully lead to civilian casualties in the hundreds and thousands. But now the building was empty of people. It did not really matter even if the building was demolished.

The only people to be concerned about were the Order's cultists on top of the building.

The battle between Fairchild and Baze grew more and more intense, but although An Weng was the one to mention their battle, his gaze mostly remained rested on Ouyang Chen. He observed him with rapt attention.

"An Weng?"

"It really is quite a decent design." An Weng stared fixed on Ouyang Chen as he gave a slight nod. "You've maintained a very high level of independency. At most, you've borrowed the objects currently existing in the material plane. The energy consumption isn't too much and the pressure you need to bear isn't too great... It's hard to imagine that this is a defective work."

Ouyang Chen smiled in response. "Since the possibility of overloading and collapse is very small, An Weng, you don't need to think further in this direction."

Ouyang Chen words hit the nail on the head when it came to An Weng's thoughts, leaving An Weng to just laugh. "Ouyang, since you're fully aware that this is an unsuccessful work, why don't you continue to do more research? Why don't you stay in your lab and focus wholeheartedly on it? Why don't you overlook the distractions of society and let it continue the way it always has..."

"An Weng, I came here in accordance with the way things always have been."

Ouyang Chen was very serious when he faced the old man in front of him. "Right now, I am in accordance with the most representative nature of the world. Here, I am nominally the only Extraordinary of Xia City. This city is proclaimed to be of my rule and it will meet all my experimental demands."

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Chapter 123: Demon Claw (Part 2/2)

Chapter 123: Demon Claw (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

The platform was quiet for a few seconds before An Weng began to shake his head. "Ouyang, Ouyang, your current appearance is far from the appearance you have when you succeed with an experiment. You're lacking persuasive power."

Ouyang Chen maintained eye contact. "An Weng, not a hint of sincerity can be heard in any of your words aside from those involving doctrines."

An Weng's shriveled lips split apart, revealing a slit between his unusually clean and white teeth. A low, hoarse voice bubbled forth, "This amounts to nothing. The world does not move in accordance to our dialog. The decisive element does not lie in truth or lies, but in fixed facts. Ouyang, Xia City no longer revolves around the whims of you and I the moment you erected the Logic World... Do you want to make a bet?"

Ouyang Chen truly considered An Weng's question seriously, but he just sighed silently in the end. "All I've done is section off the channel that gathers elements of chaos, nothing more... I believe your First Oblatums have already abandoned the idea of sacrificing themselves."

An Weng did not react to these words, but the other two First Oblatums atop their respective buildings shrank a bit; it was as if they were hit on the head by a bat.

Zheng Xiao was speechless. He had the premonition long ago; he just suppressed it, that was all. He became more awake and the shock of it all was lessened quite a bit.

An Chengli was the one who had been truly knocked awake. He spoke, losing his voice, "What? Self-sacrifice…?"

As his words hung in the air, An Chengli's thoughts cut through into the Evolution Field. He had never been a fool, but the several setbacks within this short period of time had caused his mind to be not as clear, nothing else. After being ‘warned’ by Ouyang Chen, he looked at the changes with the projection of the Scales of Truth. The key point that he had once neglected manifested itself clearly at last.

"The two worlds are isolated and I am within the spatial rift. There aren't any terrified civilians, so where is the chaos element coming from? How could I have forgotten this simplest logic of all?"

An Chengli's gaze swept to his underlings who had vacant expressions. An Chengli then looked at the structured lines of light outside his body and a cold sweat dripped down him. He wanted to reach out with his hand, but then he discovered that he was restrained by An Weng as a means of punishment. He was not even able to move a single finger an inch.

Yet at the same time, the power he had accumulated within his body linked closely together with the lines of light outside him. His power was being siphoned away layer by layer, flowing into the Evolution Field.

This was a spell, so energy consumption was necessary. In addition, An Chengli had suffered a whiplash earlier on. He felt weaker than normal, so he was not as sensitive to the loss of his body's energy.

It was because of this that he did not realize that energy was being siphoned from him during this period of time. Additionally, the amount of energy far exceeded what was necessary to maintain the spell. More than half of the power that he had accumulated for many years had been siphoned away without his knowledge. It was without a doubt that this power was all transformed into the mass atop the Scales of Truth. It was to correct the Scales of Truth's damned unbalanced state.

An Chengli already had over half of his power drained away, but the siphoning speed was getting worse and worse!

An Chengli could not refrain from cursing, "Old man, You've gone mad!"

As he let loose his curse, light and shadow fluctuated between the three buildings. The Evolution Field field was turning tangible from its previous incorporeal state. It had manifested within the void to declare its existence to all.

The rest of the magical symbols and diagrams did not amount to much as all their gazes were focused on the center of the enormous scales. There existed a black plate and a white plate. One raised, one lowered. The critical unbalanced state was revealed to everyone's eyes.

One could see that the layout of having the white plate lowered and the black plate raised still remained, but there was an opposing trend. The white plate was slowly rising while the black plate was slowly sinking. The difference in mass between the two sides was gradually leveling out.

Of course, the price came from An Chengli, Zheng Xiao, and even An Weng. Their energy was being siphoned away.

"Why did you choose me!? Why did you choose me!?"

An Chengli was unwilling to sacrifice himself for this spell. Though the three certainly would share the cost, the current trend would make him the first to fall. Why?

It must be known that he was An Weng's grandnephew. He was the youngest and he had the highest prospects. Though he was not as strong as An Weng, he must be stronger than Zheng Xiao by a bit, right? It could not be because he had failed as an Inquisitor at disposing Luo Nan, right?

As he struggled with all his might, Zheng Xiao's thought cut into the Evolution Field, "An Weng, just who did you choose as the underlying mass?"

A shiver suddenly ran through An Chengli like he was waking from a dream.

That's right, who was the underlying mass? The underlying mass had yet to reveal itself on the white plate but it determined the upper limit for the element of chaos. If that mass was less than the total power of the three First Oblatums, then he could still be saved...

This thought was released and the Evolution Field switched images. What appeared was a certain location within the building.

The region had been flattened by the shock wave of the clash. Fairchild remained spotless in his white robes, without even a speck of dust. And Baze, who was more muscular than Fairchild, looked like a raging rhino. He charged at high speeds, flinging his body to fly. He crashed through the glass wall to fall to the bottom of the building.

This height was not enough to kill Baze but it would be hard for Baze to get in a tangle with Fairchild anytime soon. As for the other Oblatum Knights, without Baze acting as a meat shield, it was meaningless for them to charge up to Fairchild.

Fairchild lifted his head and looked up. The Evolution Field just so happened to give him a close-up shot.

Fairchild had clearly sensed that the Evolution Field was ‘paying attention’ to him. His gray pupils swiveled to face the dusky void outside the building.

Then his figure suddenly shot up in the next moment. He climbed out of the window, stood on the side of the building, and flew up vertically. The height of several dozen floors would not take him much time at all; it would be easy for him to reach the rooftop.

"The Truth is above me!"

Regardless of the furious An Chengli or the calm Zheng Xiao, after clarifying An Weng's intentions, the two First Oblatum felt like they were suffocating. An uncontrollable despair swept their hearts and souls.

It was Fairchild. The strong who was a hair under the level of Extraordinary. He was the underlying mass that An Weng had found!

An Weng was the most powerful of the three First Oblatums but he was already old and withered. No matter how strong his mental power was, his fleshly body was on the verge of collapse. The remaining two First Oblatums did not even equal one An Weng when added together.

Just purely considering the energy of their essence and blood, even if there were two An Wengs, would that be enough to match the Ears of Truth—Fairchild?

Obviously... It was not.

Since this was the case, it would be impossible to gather enough chaos element from them. The unbalanced state of the Scales of Truth would truly engulf them completely. Moreover, the first one to fall would be An Chengli!

"No, NO!"

An Chengli's mind was unstable as his energy was being siphoned even faster. He tried calling out to his underlings and there truly were a few loyal believers who wanted to rush over to help when they saw his crazed appearance.

However, they could only make it halfway across before An Weng sighed. His hands extended out from his spacious robes. His thumbs and forefingers touched to form a triangle. His other six fingers clasped each other, forming a seal-art corresponding to the Evolution Field.

"Being stupid doesn't matter. Being exposed completely bare really makes one helpless."

An Chengli's mouth gaped open. His eyeballs were practically bulging out. It happened right when his eyeballs were about to detach from their sockets. The Evolution Field's defensive mechanism—which had been concealed all this time—activated soundlessly. The structured lines of light crossed and intersected through An Chengli's loyal believers.

Flames of deep darkness exploded as it ignited forth. From the outside to the inside. From the inside to the outside. It burned through these people completely. They were not granted a swift death. The shrieked miserably, their hands waving and their feet stomping. All their fear and despair was fused into this flame and shone into the eyes of their peers, penetrating down to the depths of their hearts.

The Evolution Field displayed this scene with great clarity. The glowing flames leaped and soared but it was as if a coldness had frozen everything over. The Order's multitude of cultists, priests, and knights were all frozen in shock on the spot.

An Weng did not say it explicitly, but the meaning behind his actions were extremely clear.

Adding the three First Oblatums would not yield enough chaos element to match Fairchild. But if drastic measures were taken, if more people were burnt as offerings, then there would be enough.

The plates of the projection of the Scales of Truth continued to move in a steady manner as the element of chaos continued to be amassed. But in the end, should they be hoping that the process would go slower? Or faster?

An Chengli was truly at a loss for what to do in this moment.

He followed the instincts of a First Oblatum and prayed toward the Order's holy entity. However, with An Weng in between them like a dark cloud over his head, what he received was just the emptiness of despair.

Who's going to save me? As long as I make it out alive, anyone is fine with me...

An Chengli could no longer move his body and his consciousness gradually froze. There was only a little bit of consciousness that grasped at life; it still existed within the fear and despair. It was like a flickering flame that continued to struggle.

The ice-cold darkness descended upon him slowly and his flame of hope gradually sank, growing fainter and fainter. But when this flame was pressed into the depths of his soul, when this hope let out its final glow, it shone with a bizarre shadow that was seemingly familiar.

Another intense shiver ran through An Chengli. The mental connection had yet to fully surface when arthropod limbs—which were more akin to sharp blades—pierced the depths of his soul. They bent, squeezed tight, and ground against each other.

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Chapter 124: Two Arachnids (Part 1/2)

Chapter 124: Two Arachnids (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

An Weng maintained the special triangular hand seal and dark flames ignited from the triangular cavity. The flames spread to the palms, to the arms. They gradually covered the chest, reaching all the way to the head.

These flames burned not like coal but in a more economical fashion. Essence energy was extracted bit by bit and was ignited to display 120% of its original energy.

An Weng burned and it was no different with Zheng Xiao. With An Chengli taking the brunt of it, Zheng Xiao was able to keep calm for now. But the calmer he was, the less he understood. Therefore, he asked An Weng via the Evolution Field.

"Why are we going this far? Aren't we just paving the way for the push of massive forces into Xia City for the Order? It can't be? Are we going to these extremes to be credible? Do we need to sacrifice the lives of several First Oblatums?"

An Weng's answer, however, was elusive and vague, "The child Cheng Li... Only when one hides behind him does one's mind become clear."

"..."

"He spoke of the Gate of Truth and asked the when and the where. That was the correct thing to do. Clarifying concrete information is an intrinsic thing to do. But what the Order lacks right now is concrete information."

"So An Weng, you want to verify it? Everything you're doing right now is, in fact, to seek out this thing that might not exist as of yet? Ultimately speaking, this means that the Order hasn't gotten confirmation at all, right?"

It was practically impossible for Zheng Xiao to keep his emotions under control. Regardless of who had discovered it, he had found out that his own life would likely be wasted on a meaningless guess. It was very hard for him to keep his cool. This, this was wrong. No matter how things were turning out, he still treasured his own life. It was just that their actions were aimless; a miracle would not occur. He was not willing to have his last bit of hope destroyed!

It was as if An Weng had read his thoughts. "We aren't doing these things aimlessly. Do you remember the Human-Faced Arachnid? Its origin... That company, which uses money to mask their sketchy behavior, wanted to use the Human-Faced Arachnid to make drugs? What are they thinking!"

"Quantum Corporation and the Gate of Truth?" Zheng Xiao was speechless for a time. He found it difficult to link these two elements together, they were as incongruous as an ox’s head and a horse’s mouth.

However, An Weng believed it with conviction. His will was incomparably firm. "The first opportunity was seized away from us, so now we must seize the opportunity back without the slightest hesitation. The Gate of Truth can only be accessed by us, the qualified. The authority of the Truth is destined to be wielded by our hands!"

"..."

Zheng Xiao suddenly understood why he was never able to rise to the next rank. Perhaps the hundred who stood at the peak of the entire Order were all paranoid madmen like An Weng!

He was about to give up on the conversation but then a thought throbbed unwillingly from the bottom of his heart.

"An Weng!"

And at this time, the centenarian he faced use the most First Oblatum way to speak to him, "Pray then, child. Pray that the Gate of Truth is in Xia City. Or pray as the scriptures say. Beneath thick clouds lies islands covered with boiling magma, while Demons bound in chains fly within clouds... Order binds disorder. Disorder consumes order... Perhaps, we will search to the ends of the clouds and find powerful demons and as described in the holy scriptures, the demons will traverse space. For they come to replace us, to replace our positions..."

"Screw your demons! Screw your scriptures!"

Each of the three First Oblatums could hear any conversation within the Evolution Field. Perhaps it was due to being stimulated by certain information but An Chengli miraculously had a bit of sanity restored to him. He had used his thoughts to let loose this roar.

But in the blink of an eye, a storm of crazed emotions came blowing. An Chengli's little bit of thought was like a thin thread that could break at any time. It moaned within the storm.

"He's more persistent than I expected. How excellent!"

An Weng was extremely satisfied with his grandnephew's reaction. As for Zheng Xiao, his heart went completely cold. He reacted as well by throwing his consciousness into the core of the Evolution Field.

Unbeknown to him, the two ends of the Scales of Truth had formed a straight horizontal line parallel to the three corners of the Evolution Field. The life force of the three First Oblatums, eight Oblatum Knights, several dozens of priests and knights were all seeped with hearts of terror and craze. These emotions fused together to form elements of chaos. The quantity was notable under An Chengli's massive output, causing a rarely seen equilibrium to form with Fairchild at this very moment.

Zheng Xiao opened his mouth but no words came out. His thoughts cast his last message, "We're still in the spatial rift..."

An Weng's response was like a placebo; comforting but meaningless. "Child, you need to understand one more thing. This is an opportunity, a wonderful opportunity."

As the old man's thoughts clarified things, Zheng Xiao suddenly felt a shudder run through his body and soul. The three-dimensional structure erected within the Evolution Field, the projection of the Scales of Truth and its fulcrums the three First Oblatums, began to tremble and warp.

The entwining effect of energy was far too complicated and it was hard to observe. But it ultimately formed outward wave motions that instantly swept across the material plane of the Logic World.

Zheng Xiao could ‘see’ Ouyang Chen at this time. This man, who was the number one expert in theory within Xia City, was frowning. His gaze was cast toward the manifested projection of the Scales of Truth.

An Weng did not need to have the Evolution Field switch images to be able to view this scene. All Zheng Xiao needed to do was to send information back via the spreading and scanning waves.

Zheng Xiao had collected even more information than just images pertaining to Ouyang Chen. For instance, he had an approximate understanding of the ‘boundary’ of the Logic World. It was the area of the building complex consisting of the three connected buildings. It was approximately just over a kilometer in radius.

And so he arrived at a question: What sort of experimental testing was Ouyang Chen conducting if they were sealed inside from start to finish?

Before he could come up with an answer, something happened with the frequency of the waves that were being directed by the Scales of Truth... It could basically be described as a subtle change that occurred with them and the waves accordingly cut into the mental plane.

According to the ancient writings of the Order, the mental plane was like an unbounded ocean. It was incomparably vast and incomparably deep. Man's mental consciousness was like a fishling. Some people could only slosh about within the shallow regions of the sea. Some people could swim ten thousand meters deep.

Of course, this was merely an analogy. It was exceedingly different to reality. Regardless, entering the deep sea was an extremely difficult task. The Order's ancient writings pertaining to cultivation approximately divides the mental plane into different regions, shallow, middle, deep, abyssal, and absolute. Five regions. As a Clearsworn First Oblatum, Zheng Xiao could only slosh about at the border to the middle region even in his peak state.

However, now his body and soul shook with stimulation due to the rapidly changing frequency of the waves. It was as if he was warped and distorted into an ugly devilish fish. He suddenly penetrated downward, entering deeper into regions of the deep sea that he had never tasted. Here, he was under the pressure of a terrifying amount of information.

Zheng Xiao moaned. All he could feel was an intense morphing of the flesh and bones of his entire body. His soul was soon deformed beyond recognition. The extreme pressure brought him extreme pain for within it came an abundance of information. However, he lacked the energy to even receive this information, let alone comprehend it.

Perhaps An Weng could do it. Could he really do it though?

Zheng Xiao could vaguely sense the others through the Evolution Field. An Weng was absolutely not having an easy time right now. Every change in frequency to the waves as led by the holy entity was an absolute torment to the centenarian old man's body. Irreversible damage was being caused to An Weng.

This was a verification. A verification where life was the price... Oh?

Zheng Xiao was not too sure; he thought he had heard something. Regardless, he could clearly feel something seep into the Evolution Field at this very moment. A slender and faint shadow flitted across the surroundings of the Scales of Truth. It moved in a winding and turning orbit, its insect-like limbs caused one to feel not only puzzlement but extreme palpitation.

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Chapter 124: Two Arachnids (Part 2/2)

Chapter 124: Two Arachnids (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Zheng Xiao ultimately had a clear head. A relevant and explicit thought soon emerged in his mind. "You released Number 3!"

Originally, he did not have the energy to converse with An Weng, but his mind underwent a surge of stimulation when he saw what was going on. He had actually squeezed out the last bit of his energy.

An Weng did not respond, likely because he could not afford the time to. For at this moment, the sound of an explosion could be heard and half of Building A's roof suddenly collapsed. The glaring light that shone through was like a miniature sun. It came soaring up from below.

Fairchild strode out from within the pulsing waves of light. He advanced quickly toward the burning An Weng behind the spell formation.

Twenty meters away, Ouyang Chen was gently shaking his head.

Such a subtle action did not escape Fairchild. He turned to look, his gray eyes staring fixedly at this Extraordinary, who could already be considered a spectator. Fairchild’s deep voice seemed to be able to shake the entire air atop the roof.

"Do you still believe we're in a laboratory?"

"In a certain sense, yes," Ouyang Chen calmly admitted. "This Logic World is my laboratory."

"Well that's quite unfortunate! You put a fellow even crazier than you in here. Your experiment is doomed to be a gigantic mess."

Fairchild's footsteps did not stop. In the time he took to talk, he rammed his way into the automatic defensive circle of the Evolution Field. The dark flames burned around his body but not a single spark was able to penetrate the white light that surrounded him.

The priests and knights could have stopped him but they were people submerged in terror and fear. It was impossible for them to muster up enough courage to step forth.

Fairchild arrived at the perimeter of the spell formation unimpeded. His movements remained efficient and swift. He reached out his hand and crushed the cocoon structure of light like smashing an egg. Fragments of light filled the sky.

Like this, one of the three pillars of the Evolution Field—the most important one of all—was crushed.

In response, the two First Oblatums atop buildings B and C shrieked practically simultaneously. It was as if a power surge was running through their bodies, electrocuting them. The structure of light around their bodies distorted and collapsed.

Zheng Xiao faired slightly better than the others. He had noticed Fairchild charging through the roof in time and had mentally prepared himself. Though the whiplash was agonizing, it ultimately was not fatal.

But on the other rooftop, An Chengli—who was no longer aware of his body—was not as fortunate. He already bore heavy pressure from being forced into the deep regions of the mental plane and the force of the whiplash from the collapse of a pillar of the Evolution Field beat down instantly into his fleshly body.

Before his blood could even spray from his body, his body transformed into a burning torch. The tearing of his flesh and the pain of being burned incinerated An Chengli's willpower to ashes. He fell to his knees and then collapsed to the ground. A howl of agony boiled from him, growing weaker and weaker with time.

And atop Building A, the dark flames around An Weng's body exploded out to cover half a meter. The intensity of the burning had increased by who knows how many times. His clothes and his withered body all ignited with flames. The light of the flame glowed through his body and through the flamelight one could even see the emptiness behind him.

But An Weng just stood there calmly. He maintained the triangular seal-art that was linked with the Evolution Field. He just lifted his head slightly. His eyes which were still turbid within the flame locked with Fairchild's gray eyes.

His mouth opened slightly the instant they crossed gazes. He uttered with a weak voice that came from his scorched throat, "Those who yearn for the truth will find themselves on the two sides of the scales."

"But not at the mercy of chaos."

Fairchild made another step, his fist striking directly at An Weng's head. Under the force of the fist and the flames burning within the body, the old man's skull was instantly turned into a splatter of fire.

One blow, one kill. Fairchild's expression did not even change a hair for he knew that there was not too much significance behind his actions.

His fist twisted a bit before he pulled it back and an invisible shock wave was set off on the material plane. The wave collided with the mental plane and penetrated it deeply. However, the wave was still slowed and a certain formless shadow leaped out from An Weng's burning husk to hide into the depths of the void.

Fairchild lifted his head and his gaze faced the center of the triangle formed from the three buildings, the void right above Frost River Reality. There, the manifestation of the Scales of Truth's projection was erected within rippling waves of light.

The Evolution Field could completely collapse at any time, having lost a pillar. But the projection of the Evolution Field appeared to be as stable as before. This was not merely a marvel of this holy entity; a new power was supporting it.

Zheng Xiao could no longer keep himself standing atop Building C. He collapsed, sitting on the ground with the body he could barely control. He stared blankly at the projection.

Such a malevolent image could only turn uglier within the warping waves of the Evolution Field. The insect limbs, which had only occasionally streaked by, appeared before his eyes under this serious warping. Of course, it was no longer an insect. It was a wraith distinct to the eyes.

The fine limbs slashed within the rippling light and this monster's body, a fusion of man and arachnid, climbed the base of the Scales of Truth. Its six demonic eyes flickered and gleamed. And no one knew just who it had its attention on.

"Number 3," Zheng Xiao murmured.

Number 3 was a Human-Faced Arachnid.

The Order of Justice was one of the first to identify the Human-Faced Arachnid, to capture and utilize the Human-Faced Arachnid's power. With accurate information, they relied on the first mover's advantage to capture a total of five Human-Faced Arachnid clones within the past dozens of days. They named them numbers one through five in order. They performed research and testing on the Human-Faced Arachnids. Four of the Human-Faced Arachnid clones consumed each other. One specimen was sent to the Archoblatum. In the end, all that was left was Number 3, always kept by An Weng's side. No one knew that An Weng's plans for it would be like this.

Number 3, who had hidden itself until now, actually appeared due to Fairchild smashing An Weng's skull. Moreover, a step earlier, it threw itself into the Evolution Field that was on the verge of collapse.

Right in the moment of Zheng Xiao's dazed state, his thoughts that led the Evolution Field linked up with a mass of restless and chaotic energy.

Human-Faced Arachnid, Number 3!

Zheng Xiao instinctively wanted to use techniques to control the Human-Faced Arachnid and ensure authoritative control but past the mass of chaotic energy he touched a facet that was crystal clear. The conscious information was like light rippling waves and its frequency was so very familiar.

Zheng Xiao's blood ran cold.

"...An Weng?"

Number 3 did not respond but Zheng Xiao could see its six demonic eyes and its ugly head turn toward a different direction.

The rooftop of Building B. An Chengli was located over there.

In the next moment, the facet which he could feel from Number 3 suddenly disappeared.

Before Zheng Xiao could rely on his mental perception—which he had yet to completely withdraw from the mental plane—to lock onto the location of this facet, Number 3 had rammed its way into the depths of the mental plane. Its target was clear. It instantly made its way over the rooftop of Building B and its sharp limbs pierced down.

Before the attack could land on its target, a different wraith soared from An Chengli's destroyed body, which had nearly burned to nothing by now. The wraith leaped into the void.

Zheng Xiao saw it clearly; it was another Human-Faced Arachnid!

"A secret stash from the spoils of war."

A consciousness suddenly appeared and it was extremely clear. Though Zheng Xiao had some mental preparations, he was still so shocked that he nearly blurted.

"An Weng!"

During this flash of consciousness, two monster heads collided in the depths of the mental plane. It seemed that victory and defeat were instantly decided.

Number 3, who could be called An Weng, used the mouth pincers of an arachnid from nightmares to mangle half the body of ‘the spoil of war’. He then took a vicious bite, engulfing his food all the way down his throat.

The last thing to be chewed was the head of the Human-Faced Arachnid, which looked no different to any other Human-Faced Arachnid. The two heads were connected together, then one of them ate the other.

This vicious scene of cannibalism performed by the Human-Faced Arachnid was never as nauseating as it was now.

At the very least, Zheng Xiao could not believe it. "Is that really An Weng?"

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Chapter 125: Chains From the Void (Part 1/2)

Chapter 125: Chains From the Void (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Zheng Xiao's judgment should be correct, regardless of An Weng's actions. The Human-Faced Arachnid that appeared from An Chengli's body was highly likely to be a spoil of war stashed by An Chengli during a previous Human-Faced Arachnid hunting operation.

It appeared that An Chengli had not raised it that well since it did not really help him much. Instead, it even turned on him, stabbing him at the worst of times.

It was without a doubt that Mr. Spoil of War had absorbed An Chengli's ‘nutrients’, but there was still an innate difference between it and Number 3, who had consumed much of its kind.

Mr. Spoil of War probably felt the difference between it and Number 3 and had its heart set on fleeing. But before it could make a single step, its nutrients sprayed out as it turned into a part of Number 3.

Zheng Xiao sensed the entire Human-Faced Arachnid consuming process fairly clearly. This was not a nice experience at all. He just sensed it, so how must it feel for An Weng?

Number 3's actions fit its ugly exterior and savage instincts quite well. However, if there was an An Weng in there as well, then the significance of its actions were now completely different.

From Zheng Xiao's perspective, perhaps An Weng would act a dozen fold more vicious sometime in the future. However, An Weng would not use such rough methods like that of a low-intelligence beast.

"An Weng, An Weng?"

"Child. Are you alright?"

The words that Zheng Xiao wanted to say were stolen out of his mouth, leaving Zheng Xiao nearly speechless. But the pressing situation forced him to try talking. "An Weng, I can't stand it anymore. You don't need to..."

Zheng Xiao meant that he wished to have his consciousness freed from the deep regions of the mental plane. He wished to be no longer bound to the Evolution Field and the Human-Faced Arachnid.

But An Weng's response brought with it despair. "Child, you're important. You're very important."

The Evolution Field completely collapsed the moment their thoughts crossed, but Zheng Xiao was unable to withdraw his projected thoughts. The situation was like a tough string. One end was connected to himself. The other end was being pulled by Number 3 and An Weng. He drifted in the endless void like a kite.

This sort of sensation was actually not unfamiliar to him.

The Order of Justice had grasped the means to control the Human-Faced Arachnids long ago. During their experiments, several First Oblatums acted as the controllers. The sensation was quite complex, like a combination of walking a dog and flying a kite. Sometimes, the attached-soul state phenomenon would appear when one was like an incarnation of a Human-Faced Arachnid, roaming about in the depths of the void.

Due to the discovery of this phenomenon, An Weng specially developed an application for it. It was the Faith Product that he supplied to large clients... It was the source of all the chaos tonight. It was the Human-Faced Arachnid Exoskeleton Armor.

However, now it looked like there was a deeper reason for An Weng to push the development of his little invention with such urgency. Perhaps, he had long imagined that there would be a day when he would ‘ride’ a genuine Human-Faced Arachnid and dive into the deepest depths of the mental plane?

Zheng Xiao was part of several days of experiments. He was very clear about the ‘dive depth’ of the Human-Faced Arachnid on the mental plane. The depth far exceeded the limits of First Oblatums.

There were five different depths on the mental plane: the shallow zone, the middle zone, the deep zone, the abyssal region, and the absolute realm. They were also known as ‘Three Zones, One Region, One Realm.’ Those who were not Extraordinaries would find it hard to enter the latter two levels unless they were powerful mentally specialized B rank ability users.

Zheng Xiao's limit was the middle zone while An Weng could only stop at the deep zone, even with his profound accomplishments in the cultivation of the mind. He would need the blessing of their holy entity to enter the deeper areas and he would need to pay a considerable price.

But from the perspective of the Human-Faced Arachnid, staying in the deep zone was the most natural thing to do. They could enter the abyssal region any time they wanted and could even reach the depths of the absolute realm. These areas were completely disconnected from the material plane. Any instrument that was purely physical would find it impossible to observe their existences.

These Darksider life forms followed their instincts completely. It could be said that they lacked intelligence. It was because of this that they would actively go the shallow zone due to the allure of food and react to the emotions and consciousness of humans. Only when this happened did people have the chance to capture them.

Yes, when the Human-Faced Arachnid interfered with an external object, the depth at which it could hide was affected. The degree it was affected was related to the diving depth of its target on the mental plane.

The closer their two depths, the less the Human-Faced Arachnid was affected.

Zheng Xiao had an approximate understanding of the decisive methods that An Weng had employed. Perhaps, An Weng could reduce the effects of the interference to the very minimum by utilizing the Human-Faced Arachnid's innate gifts. In this way, An Weng sought to find the Gate of Truth that was hidden away in the depths of the endless void.

An Weng had already made his move. The marvelous probing waves of the Evolution Field was transformed through the Human-Faced Arachnid and cut deeper into the mental plane.

Zheng Xiao was not too clear about the concrete details of the probing process. After all, he was a ‘kite string’. Nonetheless, there was one thing he could not understand at all.

Why did An Weng need to go look in the mental plane? Was the Gate of Truth just an illusory spirit?

It was within this moment of puzzlement that An Weng spontaneously had his thoughts converged with Zheng Xiao. "What a pity, child. It is impossible for me to pass to you what I am currently experiencing. You don't understand just how interesting this experience is. All I can tell you is that you shouldn't use the popular-science-like analogies of the Order to guess at the truth. The structure of the mental plane and the way the two planes interfere with each other is much more interesting than you can possibly imagine. Of course, we need to give much thanks to Ouyang and give much thanks to his laboratory..."

Atop of building A, Fairchild turned to look at Ouyang Chen, who had just walked over to his side. "How long are you going to let your laboratory corrupt An Weng for?"

Ouyang Chen loosened his bow tie to get into a more comfortable state. However, he also increased his concentration at the same time. He drew out a drawn breath and said softly, "It is good to reinforce buildings when earthquakes are due, but it is impossible to reinforce a city. We need to have its energy be released, and sometimes we take the initiative to set it off... This is what my laboratory is doing."

Fairchild sneered, "You and An Weng must chat away at times."

"We have in the past." Ouyang Chen did not deny it. He then asked back, "Mr. Fairchild, aren't you going to say something more?"

"I know absolutely nothing about An Weng's plans."

"I'm referring to the matter with the Human-Faced Arachnid."

"Human-Faced Arachnid?"

"This Darksider life form is much more marvelous than we imagined. Quantum Corporation has their own theories and the Society's research yields different theories. Of course, there's also the Order of Justice... Within the ancient scriptures of the Order of Justice, does the Human-Faced Arachnid have a place?"

Fairchild sunk into thought. He had to recollect some memories and consider his options.

But further development of the situation did not give him much time. An Weng controlled the Number 3 that floated in the depths of the void. It switched frequencies the fifth time and this time there was a subtle difference. An Weng was uncertain about what he saw, so he cast his consciousness over in utter concentration.

However, a more substantial change occurred within Number 3. It occurred within the depths of the Human-Faced Arachnid's intrinsic mass of chaos.

A rattling vibration rang forth that was like the sound of chains shaking.

The erratic shaking did not seem to follow any rule, but the sound itself could be perceived and distinguished; it was incompatible with the chaotic nature of the Human-Faced Arachnid.

What was perceived was order.

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Chapter 125: Chains From the Void (Part 2/2)

Chapter 125: Chains From the Void (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

An Weng was never one to reject order, but he demanded for order to be under his control.

Right now, he had focused all of his energy on controlling the probing process. He was completely unable to attend to the internals of the Human-Faced Arachnid... And even if he could, it would be useless!

An Weng had once tried to filter through the chaos within the Human-Faced Arachnid to create a complete model. However, he had failed against his expectations. This was because chaos was the nature of the Human-Faced Arachnid; it could not be altered.

As such, he had to use the kite-line that was Zheng Xiao to endure the chaos within the Human-Faced Arachnid and maintain his basic intellect. Otherwise, he would be completely suppressed by the Human-Faced Arachnid's instincts.

But now, An Weng actually sensed the power of order within the Human-Faced Arachnid. He never once doubted the results of his own research, so the answer became clear to him.

An external power had made its way inside!

There was no doubt about it. This power came from Mr. Spoil of War! This power had already been crushed to pieces by the devouring force of the Human-Faced Arachnid, but it had somehow reassembled itself.

Chaos once shattered would only become more chaotic. There was only one explanation that this power was able to restore itself. Its chaos was just a disguise. It was just a clever emulation.

This made An Weng think of the Faith Product he had developed not too long ago. The Faith Product was merely a reflection of his train of thought. He originally wanted to carefully sort through and gather much more information. However, Fairchild's appearance destroyed his initial plans.

From that moment onward, the situation grew more and more outrageous. The situation now had long since been unrecognizable.

Though the simple recollection of memory was meaningless, the clear context of details was able to help one sort through their thought process. Tracing back from this train of thought, An Weng finally confirmed that a mistake had appeared in his previous judgment.

The Human-Faced Arachnid he consumed was not a spoil of war. It was an imitated product; perhaps it was one of the Faith Products he had made. As far as he knew, that little toy had changed owners today. It had made its way to the hands of a certain teenager...

From the taste of what he had consumed, this little toy was more advanced than his original version. It was to the extent that it could pass off as the real deal. This did not surprise An Weng. However, this teenager possessed some kind of inconceivable power of order. Additionally, through some special ability, this teenager stagnated the changes with the unbalanced state of the Scales of Truth time and time again.

Ouyang Chen should be expressing his thanks to this teenager, otherwise, he might not have had the time to erect his Logic World.

However, An Weng also recalled that this teenager should have been isolated from the Logic World...

Of course, this mystical little fellow made people furious!

With his attention deviating in direction, An Weng's efforts of probing the mental plane was all wasted; he lost the sensing trail that could have led him to the Gate of Truth. Yet An Weng did not let fury and related emotions take over him. Instead, he cast the probing waves in the complete opposite direction.

An Weng did a self-examination toward his Human-Faced Arachnid, locking onto the element of order incompatible with the chaos and pushing it back... If he did not get rid of the interfering element, all the searching and probing would be useless.

The vibrating sound of shaking chains increased in clarity and its corresponding information continued to join and assemble. In the end, dark chains were formed, twisting, bending, and extending. It pierced the chaos housed within Number 3 and shot out countlessly linked barbs in all directions. These barbs seeped everywhere within the Human-Faced Arachnid.

The situation was now much more troublesome than An Weng had initially judged.

In this form, the power of order declared its invasion toward the Human-Faced Arachnid. The end of the chains was long; it extended deeply into the depths of the mental plane. It was without a doubt that the mystical boy was connected at the other end.

Wasn't his name Luo Nan?

An Weng's thoughts coiled and knotted, forming an incorporeal chant. He had seen Luo Nan's basic information before, so locking onto Luo Nan's aura through the Evolution Field was more than enough for a Secretbound First Oblatum.

A highly fatal secret curse was gradually forming. The next time An Weng locked onto Luo Nan, he would unleash his curse without the slightest hesitation. The barrier between the mental and the material would be forcefully destroyed and all his worries would be resolved.

This was not the smartest way to go about things but it was the most direct. Even though this would put him in a dangerously weak state as a soul parasitically attached within the Human-Faced Arachnid, he was going for it.

An Weng's mind followed along the chains. With the aid of the Human-Faced Arachnid, the sealed and chaotic structure of the Logic World's space did not hinder him at all. In the process, An Weng accidentally affected the plane of reality but now a new change was occurring to the situation.

He had an approximate recollection of Luo Nan's last location before the Logic World was erected. He locked onto that direction and scanned the plane of reality. An Weng was confident that he would lock onto his target in two seconds.

The probing waves were able to smoothly cut out of the Logic World. It was hard for Ouyang Chen to restrict the probing power of the Human-Faced Arachnid. However, in the next moment, the external information that came over was not the scenery of the metropolis. Instead, it was a starry sky that made one dazed and lost; it was just that strange.

An Went was dazed for just a moment before he soon woke up. The starry sky was the projection of someone's consciousness.

He had made contact with Luo Nan. This boy seemed to be short of live combat experience. There were practically no counter detection measures on the exchange of the mental plane.

In an instant, the two sides were engaging in combat with short-reach weapons... short eh?

An Weng was just about to unleash his deadly curse but he had no choice but to stop. He never imagined that the scene of this person's consciousness would be this vast and grand. Indeed, though the power within was near non-existent, this sort of manifestation was an inconceivable accomplishment.

This was merely the reconstruction of Luo Nan's perception. An Weng needed to trace back to the source and find the core of Luo Nan's consciousness.

Yet behind this scene of a starry sky were the auras of countless living beings. They appeared here as stars and together they established a hazy and vast structure.

Moreover, the scene that was formed from Luo Nan's observations and perception could not described as just vast. Luo Nan fully utilized the mental plane and this included the Logic World's reality. Though the starry sky was smooth and uniform, if one looked at the whole, it was actually filled with complicated and warped details. It was like a labyrinth.

As for Luo Nan's core consciousness, it was hidden behind layers and layers of curtains. It was difficult to discern its location.

If Luo Nan had created this starry sky structure by force, An Weng could collide against different sides to find his target via feedback. However, within this realm of pure perception, the more he looked, the easier it was for Luo Nan to lead him by the nose.

In addition, from the perspective of a Human-Faced Arachnid, this environment was like a pot of soup with a smell that pervaded everywhere. The Human-Faced Arachnid began to get restless from an instinctual great terror. This spread An Weng's power thin.

An Weng made a quick decision. He gave up probing on the plane of reality to stop wasting time... There were still the chains.

The power of the dark chains continued to increase, restraining the chaotic nature of the Human-Faced Arachnid. It made Number 3 feel uneasy, so An Weng simply strengthened this instinct of Number 3 and had it search by following the chains backward.

In any case, the master of these chains had to undoubtedly be Luo Nan.... Huh?

Number 3's probing suddenly halted. An enormous sense of oppression came at this very moment. It was like a storm of flames that came screaming from the end of the chains. The sudden increase in external pressure heated the chaotic essence of the Human-Faced Arachnid into a pot of boiling oil.

If the Human-Faced Arachnid possessed awareness, the boiling of its instinct would surely cause it to scream loudly.

It would scream danger, danger!

This common yet different terrifying force came crashing down. Number 3's combat instincts were pressed to its limits. A battle through space exploded out in an instant.

In the face of the Human-Faced Arachnid's boiling instinct, An Weng's control ability plummeted to the minimum. He became like a small boat that was rocking up and down within a sea of lava. He could capsize at any moment.

The situation was once again out of his control.

He suddenly understood. Luo Nan absolutely was not on the other end of the chains. Instead, it was another damned Human-Faced Arachnid... And an extremely powerful one at that!

How could this be?

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Chapter 126: Colosseum (Part 1/2)

Chapter 126: Colosseum (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

The sense of distance was instantly made clear. The two Human-Faced Arachnids were far away from each other, the distance far exceeding the normal sensing limits of Human-Faced Arachnids.

In other words, they should not have made contact with each other. Then what was going on? Was this Human-Faced Arachnid targeting Number 3 specifically, targeting him for doom?

Before An Weng could understand the root cause for the change, the clash between the Human-Faced Arachnids reached a fiery hot state.

The hazy starry sky was filled with the powerful pressure of hostility. Number 3's body was being forcefully distorted. Every action was being resisted by a force that was both material and incorporeal. It was because of this that the chaos energy within Number 3 began to circulate at high speeds. It was like a boiler that was crushing and burning all the fuel within, providing Number 3 with an even more powerful internal energy.

For An Weng, this was simply a disaster. He had given up his fleshly body and placed his soul within Number 3's body, realizing a partial fusion. However, they had ultimately yet to merge completely as one. A portion still remained independent and it was the most critical portion—the intelligent portion.

After Number 3 started the 'boiler', a tenth of the mass of An Weng's soul was soon evaporated. Many memories and resources were instantly erased, causing An Weng to be slightly dazed. He stayed like this until Zheng Xiao was affected as well, letting out a miserable shriek. Only then did An Weng suddenly come to.

Even the kite-string was about to be severed. How could these chains be so strong?

As self-deprecating thoughts flashed in his mind, An Weng forced himself to forget the imminent threat. He poured his power into Number 3 to try to control it and struggle free from the chains.

The dark chains were the sole channel that connected the two Human-Faced Arachnids; it was also the main battlefield where the Human-Faced Arachnids clashed. If An Weng wanted to destroy this situation, the most effective method would be to sever the chains.

With An Weng's aid, Number 3's power was suddenly raised to the next level. Its eight limbs waved in the void as it did its utmost to thrash and try to withdraw backward.

The dark chains straightened, perfectly taut. A pulling and clashing force activated simultaneously upon the chains, causing the chains' vibrations to increase in intensity. The vibrations converged as one before ultimately becoming a sharp hum like that of a rubber band on the verge of snapping.

Just missing a bit more. Just missing a bit more...

The more intense the clash between the Human-Faced Arachnids, the more awful the inner pressure of Number 3's boiler became. The mass of An Weng's soul was continually eroded but he had to continue to accelerate this process to ensure Number 3's power output.

This was the stupidest consumption of his soul of all, but thanks to these pressing matters, An Weng had no choice.

In this moment, An Weng felt like he and the dark chains were like two fizzling and burning fuses. They were waiting to see who would be the first to burn out, ignite the bomb, and explode into pieces.

"The Truth is above!"

"Hum!"

The prayer and the vibrations occurred simultaneously and another clash exploded on the chains. The powerful assault of energy broke through the limits of the dark chains at last, causing the chains to lost its special structure as it shattered and dispersed with a hum.

Number 3's body suddenly stopped as the chains broke.

However, An Weng was not happy at all.

By now, the mass of his soul had shrunk to two-thirds of its peak. An enormous quantity of memory of resources was burnt to ash. Even with his resolute will, he experienced a moment of daze.

There was more. In the final stage of the clash, An Weng no longer had the energy to maintain things elsewhere. Zheng Xiao, the kite-string, was severed.

Number 3 floated within the hazy starry sky. The striking starlight filled everywhere, but there were no clear trails remaining. It was as if Number 3 had lost its way within the starry sky; it had lost its bearings.

An Weng took a slow breath and sorted through the great mess of his soul. In addition, he tried to strengthen his control over Number 3.

However, something occurred right when he was gradually permeating and spreading into Number 3's chaotic region with his soul mass; the inner pressure of Number 3's boiler plummeted quickly and an explosion was ignited.

A pain like that of a poisonous flame assaulted An Weng; he forcefully endured it, maintaining a bit of clarity. However, his mind still sunk heavily down.

Number 3 slowly turned its body around. It became restless again by instinct. Moreover, this restlessness was even more intensive than during the bitter battle just before.

At this moment, An Weng heard a low and fine sound. It was like the background noise that always existed in the metropolis. It was not really noticeable but it was everywhere. Looking into this noise would yield an abundance of miscellaneous information.

Additionally, within this subtle noise that people found hard to ignore was a river that was shadowy like it was dirty. It flowed noiselessly. A massive and ugly body floated out from within. The body spread its limbs, its demonic eyes flickered, and it instantly appeared next to Number 3. By the time the entirety of its stooped body floated above the shadowy waters, it directly faced Number 3.

From Number 3's perspective, this Human-Faced Arachnid that An Weng had locked onto was clearly a factor bigger than Number 3 itself. Its figure was more realistic and more solid; it gave off a pressure that assaulted one's face. It caused Number 3's restlessness to grow harder to control.

Number 3's instinct was to escape but it still remained within the 'star realm'.

This had nothing to do with courage. It was because of the incorporeal power of order that was embedded within this hazy starry sky, causing this realm to act as a bizarre prison. Even if this realm was boundless and vast, Number 3 was locked firmly inside. The only ending that was left was the decision between victory and defeat, between life and death.

It was those mysterious chains...

Although it appeared to have shattered, it had actually transformed from the material into the incorporeal. It used an even more inconceivable form to establish order. It revealed a power of constraint that was even more inescapable.

An Weng came to a clear understanding of this just now. The Human-Faced Arachnids had already engaged in another round of combat.

Human-Faced Arachnids were not like intelligent life forms. They did not speak any nonsense. They were just propelled by their instincts and the two sides began crossing blades once again. Loud rumbles rang forth as they collided.

Just a single clash and Number 3's left mandible was forcefully chomped and consumed by the massive Human-Faced Arachnid's stomach. At the same time, Number 3's sharp limb pierced the human-body portion of the massive Human-Faced Arachnid. The wound gurgled as it ignited and bloody flames sprayed everywhere.

The two Human-Faced Arachnids let out noiseless roars of pain at the same time, but the direct wrestling-like fight did not change a bit. It was as if they had returned to the Colosseum of the ancient times. The most bloody of forms were used to please the spectators.

And so, just who should they be pleasing in this moment?

An Weng strove to maintain his train of thoughts with the Human-Faced Arachnid as it clashed. The change with the chains showed an exquisite shifting of the power of order. This was not a change that was made spontaneously. This change existed within the framework that encompasses this starry sky.

Who did this framework belong to?

An Weng knew the answer but in this hazy starry sky, even a shrewd person like him would find it hard to lock onto the man behind the scenes in a short period of time.

Unless...

Number 3's body shook violently once more. It was always at a complete disadvantage during the wrestling. Right now, half its ugly face had been chomped away by its powerful foe. It was missing half of its six demonic eyes and its aura suddenly grew weak.

There would not be a chance of victory if things continued this way.

An Weng used a mere tenth of a second to make a final decision. He did not spend much more time on the corresponding choice as well.

A dark ball appeared in the inner clairvoyance of his mind, in the mass of his soul. It was covered densely with strange markings. This was the deadly secret curse that he had formed when he sought to kill Luo Nan as fast as possible.

Without even the slightest of hesitation, An Weng crushed the ball with his soul strength, causing the secret curse to burst and shatter. The deadly negative energy swept through the mass of his soul.

The pain of his mind was indescribable by words, but similar ways could be used to vent his feelings. An Weng's intent surged and he roared explosively on the mental plane.

“LUO NAN!”

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Chapter 126: Colosseum (Part 2/2)

Chapter 126: Colosseum (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Incorporeal waves swept the starry sky, spreading far and wide.

Only An Weng knew the true purpose contained within these waves. With just an additional expansion, only pure energy was revealed and the waves pushed outward. Under the effects of this power, the lights of the stars that filled the sky became like candles within a storm; they flickered, on the verge of extinguishing.

Actually, not one of these stars could be put out. Though this hazy star river was a projection of Luo Nan's perception, its information was purely scenic.

What An Weng did was purify the probing waves so that he could follow the path of projection. He took key information and directed it back, injecting it into the material plane.

The power from the Scales of Truth and the information of the deadly secret curse merged together with the instinct of the Human-Faced Arachnid. The resulting penetrating nature of the waves was incomparable. Whether it was the Logic World or the scene of Luo Nan's consciousness, they were both unable to block the probing waves. The waves pushed onward layer by layer and soon An Weng reaped some results.

On the material plane, within the metropolis. The flames of life flickered. There was not any substantial damage, but the scope of influence contained information that was like the crazy talk of delusions. The waves flowed, spreading to countless tens of thousands of people.

Most of the information would be unconsciously filtered, while a small portion would form a relatively clear awareness in people. Though the information was lacking a counterpart, causing people to naturally disregard it, there still remained a finite portion of information that would make contact with those possessing keener perception. Those that were familiar with it—like Luo Nan—would respond by instinct and An Weng would get feedback.

Though it was limited, it was already enough!

"Nanster, is someone calling out to you?" Xue Lei looked around, but he was unable to see where this feeling was coming from. He was rather puzzled for a time.

Luo Nan went, "Oh", but did not answer. He remained looking up at the sky.

The autumn rain ran through the night with no end in sight. The power over at Frost River Reality had yet to be restored. The evacuation work of the trapped civilians was approaching its end. The sounds of people grew thinner and thinner; the curtain of night appeared pitch-black over yonder, while the silhouette of the buildings looked murky.

The cleanup work of the surrounding area was more or less complete. Yulan Hotel's sniper point was confirmed to be cleared of hostile forces. The members of the Society were all on Yulan Block. This area now served as the command center of the government and the military. It was also the place where new information was the most abundant.

Military warships slowly entered the airspace above, representing the military's full involvement with the matter. The warships hovered above the city area in a rarely seen sight. It drew the gazes of several civilians in the area, their fingers pointing all around.

Luo Nan also gazed upward but his eyes were directed to the area of Frost River Reality. The marvels of the Logic World was embodied within the group of pitch-black skyscrapers. It existed behind the void, where the naked eye could not reach.

Xue Lei did not take not receiving an answer personally. He copied Luo Nan and raised his head to look at the group of connected buildings far in the distance. Despite this, no matter how he looked, he was unable to see why. He could only shake his head. "The ways of this current world are truly bizarre. A single man has the power to pinch out a section of space to do as he pleases! No wonder my master says, "In the way of martial arts, if one can't adapt and improve the self, then one will wake up the next day and be wiped out...."

And staring in the same direction as them were all the members of the Society.

The vast majority of onlookers were still grasping with the sudden disappearance of the great number of terrorists. Luo Nan's group had clearer answers privy to them.

Papercut's eyes were wide as saucers as he looked in concentration. He mumbled, "So President Ouyang had his eyes on them all along... Logic World, eh? I never heard even a smidgen of news about this in the Society. He sure cheated some people into some good misery."

"He's just taking advantage of the situation, nothing more."

Red Fox was the only member of the Society that had made direct contact with Ouyang Chen tonight. He more or less had the responsibility to explain things. He flashed a glance at Logic World and sneered, "To enforce rules upon others, wouldn't one need to show off might as powerful as thunder? The Logic World has been erected and the explosive power is sufficient. I really want to see the faces of those in the Order."

As he spoke, Red Fox rested his gaze upon Luo Nan's face. Ouyang Chen had given Luo Nan an evaluation of 'the bright way seems dim', and Luo Nan had shown practical results time and time again. However, when his gaze landed on such an introverted and infantile face, he could not help but size him up.

"Do you see anything?"

"..." Luo Nan looked into the sky, giving no response whatsoever.

To the side, Xue Lei coughed to catch Luo Nan's attention, but he still did not respond. Xue Lei could only poke at him with his hand.

Only then did Luo Nan come to, like waking from a dream. He glanced around. Right now, He Yueyin was acting as the full representative of the Society. She engaged in communications with the government and the military. She was so busy that she walked off and disappeared. Bamboo Pole, as the technical member, followed her. Zhang Yingying and Bai Xinyan walked over to the military medical vehicle; it was unknown what they were up to. Cat Eyes appeared to be very tired. She found a place to idle away... Only Xue Lei was left by Luo Nan's side, while the direction of Red Fox's gaze spelled his intentions clearly.

A fierce contention had occurred between Red Fox and Luo Nan not too long ago, so it was hard for them to avoid awkwardness when meeting again. Luo Nan lacked the experience to resolve such an atmosphere. Xue Lei could not really help him, so Luo Nan could only blink.

"What did you say just now?"

Red Fox did not get angry. He just reached out with his hand and pointed toward Frost River Reality. "You're proficient at mental perception. You can see things clearer than I. Do you see a doorway of any sort? Can you answer me?"

"..."

"Are you not looking?"

"No, I saw a little bit of something earlier."

Though he answered in a business-like fashion, Luo Nan had adjusted socially. He thought for a bit and answered, "It is a sort of refined structure that interferes mutually with the material and the mental planes. It is like the Shield of Truth. Yet it is also very different from the Shield of Truth."

"This... really is different." When facing Luo Nan's confusing logic, Red Fox found it hard to continue the conversation. He could only force a laugh and say, "Extraordinary powers manifest themselves in such a way."

His response counted as giving Luo Nan face. He did not say the word 'nonsense'.

Luo Nan was silent for a time, but this was not because he was stumped by Red Fox. Instead, it was what his clairvoyance had yielded him; it was far too complicated to be described by words. In addition, the results of his clairvoyance was a sort of amendment to his past knowledge.

According to his past understandings, the mental plane was a sort of deep and multi-layered structure. It was like countless curtains stacked atop one another. Each layer was distinct, and the closer the layer was to the material plane, the thicker the curtain. The bottom most portion was merged with the material plane. Here, the mental plane and the material plane interfered with each other. The degree of which was fixed and depended on the amount of energy.

Therefore, the mutual interference of the mental and material planes occurred upon every person. However, normal people could only produce tiny amounts of interference and was pretty much negligible. On the other hand, the effects of interference were much clearer in the case of ability users.

The Shield of Truth was the most powerful method of interference that Luo Nan had ever seen. It was also the clearest and explicit method. He believed it to be the benchmark for the application of interference between the mental and material planes.

As for Rui Wen, the merging of the fleshly body and the spiritual soul as one was a different sort of state. It was like comparing apples and oranges.

However, the interference state of the Logic World broke Luo Nan's understanding that had formed not too long ago. Under the senses of his clairvoyance, the many layers of curtains that formed the mental plane unfurled. There was no longer the sense of layers. Instead, the layers overlapped, distorted, and even tore. Some layers that were at a considerable distance from the material plane were forcefully coalesced together. It was to the point that even the lower layer of the curtain also had an interference effect come about. They all tangled together into one mass.

This was the third state of the relationship between the mental plane and the material plane that Luo Nan had ever seen. It was also the most complicated state.

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Chapter 127: Change in the Turbid Clouds (Part 1/2)

Chapter 127: Change in the Turbid Clouds (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Through this complex method of interference between the mental plane and the material plane, Ouyang Chen realized a 'peeling' of the material plane. The virtual and the real both appeared, establishing a spatial rift that was like the real world.

The rules and laws were within the rift. However, the delicacies were not as easy as constructing skyscrapers. The deeper details would only tax the mind to the extent that the gains did not outweigh the losses. Luo Nan just observed the general outline. He did not continue to be entangled within.

To explain such things to Red Fox would involve far too much information. Quite a bit of it was of Luo Nan's individual understanding. He lacked confidence in expressing himself with words, so he did not talk for a time.

He heard the sound of a car come extremely close to him while he pondered about how to respond. Luo Nan was about to check it out when his neck suddenly tightened. Someone was pulling his collar, dragging him. His back collided with the car.

"Don't waste time. Get in the car now!" Zhang Yingying emerged from the vehicle, urging Luo Nan with impatience. She had brought over a military medical vehicle. The space in the back was sealed and rather large. It could load several dozen people without any problems.

"What's so pressing?"

Luo Nan thought that another mission was given to them and he did not bicker with Zhang Yingying. Instead, he nodded to Red Fox and entered the vehicle first. Xue Lei, Red Fox, and the others followed behind him. They went in one by one. However, everyone soon became a bit dumbstruck.

The scene inside was a bit different from what everyone had imagined. The space was relatively narrow for various equipment and instruments were packed densely within. When the few people went inside, the space became a bit cramped.

"To the hospital."

Bai Xinyan had taken off her jacket and changed into the white gown of a doctor. She even wore sterilized gloves on her hands. She was dressed all out.

Luo Nan stared stupidly while Zhang Yingying next to him took off his clothes. She pulled off his outer garments and lifted his undergarments.

"Woooow," spoke Xue Lei with emotion.

Luo Nan's face soared in temperature with these many people in the car. "HEY!"

Zhang Yingying outright ignored him. Her fingers crawled under Luo Nan's undergarments and she touched the contours of the muscles of his back and waist quite impudently. "Though this body is F-Rank, a candidate for disability, he isn't that thin and weak."

Her soft and smooth fingers slid around. They felt warm, but they made Luo Nan quiver and shudder. He had forgotten the words that he was going to say.

"Looking at his body fat percentage, his body is still lacking compared to those of his age. However, it is nothing compared to his soul strength... Stay still!"

Bai Xinyan yelled at the squirming and struggling Luo Nan and stuck the electrical leads of some device to various locations on Luo Nan's body. Now it was quite awkward for Luo Nan to move even if he wanted to. As he was forced to obediently let Zhang Yingying take off his upper clothes, he asked with helplessness, "What the hell are you all doing?"

"You must feel great showing yourself off. You've turned into an incinerator in the blink of an eye. Don't worry, I'll reduce your fever for you!" Zhang Yingying was acting as an ad hoc nurse. She was quite amused as she jabbed and poked Luo Nan's body with her fingers. She played around quite delightfully.

Bai Xinyan saw how Luo Nan's body temperature was rising and she stopped Zhang Yingying from teasing him. She then began to calibrate her instrument and at the same time, she explained, "No one knows when the effects of the Shield of Truth will disappear. Right now, the growth rate of your soul strength is quite dangerous. One misstep and your soul strength will overtake your body. There won't even be the chance to save you. Therefore, we need to keep you under observation for 24 hours... No matter how good the equipment here is, there's nothing like the peace of mind of being at a hospital."

Luo Nan smiled bitterly. "It can't be that serious, can it?"

"We're just being prepared for the worst case scenario." There was a de-emphasis in Bai Xinyan's tone, but her mind was set. The troubles in the future were certainly going to be large. A bit of this could already be seen based on the way the previous two generations of the Luo family had left society.

In addition, Luo Nan's current troubles were not limited to just the imbalance between his body and soul.

As Bai Xinyan's words hung in the air, Red Fox frowned. He unconsciously extended his hand and pressed against his ear. His gaze turned toward Luo Nan.

Xue Lei saw his actions to the side and said, "Hey! Did you hear something too…?"

Red Fox motioned for Xue Lei to keep quiet; then he made a few gestures to Papercut. "After the Logic World was erected, the Psychic Wave Network entered a frozen state. Even now, it has yet to be restored. Communicating secretly between us is now way less convenient than before."

Papercut read his gestures and soon nodded. He closed his eyes to sense for a moment and his expression turned grave. "Soul calling?"

"Yep, soul calling," said Bai Xinyan as she let out a rarely heard sigh. "I don't know what disaster your boss Luo has provoked now. An Weng is clearly stuck in the Logic World; his situation is dire. However, An Weng doesn't care about the damage to himself. He still tries to lock onto Luo Nan's position. In addition, he has already succeeded, more or less."

Within the vehicle, all their gazes were cast onto Luo Nan. The latter had nothing to say. With all those leads connected to his body, he could only act as a puppet to be moved about by others.

The door to the vehicle opened at this very moment. Cat Eyes, who had been idling away and lost, entered the vehicle as well. Then Bai Xinyan said, "Sister He and Bamboo Pole will move with the military. Right now, all our people are accounted for. There's no need to delay... No matter who we're facing, our number one priority is to create distance."

The car accelerated as she spoke and soon the building complex of Frost River Reality was tossed to the background. This was the same as withdrawing from the battlefield.

Two minutes passed with several people exchanging glances. "We should be out of the range of the soul calling."

The group let out sighs of relief. They could finally disregard the intermittent callings within their ears. Right now, the military medical vehicle was already over a straight line distance of ten kilometers from Frost River Reality. As a Secretbound First Oblatum, it would be difficult for An Weng to contact Luo Nan at these distances. In addition, An Weng was isolated within the Logic World.

However, Luo Nan was not particularly optimistic... He was not hopeful that a moving vehicle would be able to remove the pressure from An Weng.

This thing known as 'distance' was not that significant to the current An Weng, to Luo Nan.

The twisted and tangled state of the multi-layered curtains of the Logic World caused distortions to appear in the distance of the mental plane. In a situation where the distance did not change on the material plane, there appeared a deviation between two points on the mental plane.

It was like the overused example of space folding. Take space to be like a piece of paper. There are two ends that are away from each other and there was originally a great distance separating them. However, they would become within reach when the paper folds and the two ends came together.

In regards to this sort of special structural pattern, Luo Nan could do more than just observe. In fact, after An Weng had driven his Human-Faced Arachnid to consume the high-imitation Human-Faced Arachnid in An Chengli's body, Luo Nan immediately discovered a hole and a chance.

Through the dark chains, Luo Nan established a connection between the Order of Justice's Human-Faced Arachnid and the Wraith Sign hidden far away in the Bloodflame Order. He utilized the special characteristics of the Logic World. He took advantage of the opportunity and built a colosseum. Or perhaps, one could call it an altar.

Using the Format Pyramid as the foundation, Luo Nan erected the framework of the altar. Luo Nan was quite familiar with this action, so it was effortless.

There was only one thing different this time. It was the 'span'.

Luo Nan could make use of the Logic World and An Weng could do the same as well. This was because the Logic World existed within the seriously distorted mental plane. An Weng's evil intentions could not be blocked. Things were quite dangerous when An Weng began his assault with his evil intent. The projection of the Scales of Truth emerged in Luo Nan's mind. The most notable aspects were the unstable black and white plates moving up and down.

A seemingly familiar voice seeped into his heart.

"Those who yearn for the Truth will find themselves on the two sides of the scales."

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Chapter 127: Change in the Turbid Clouds (Part 2/2)

Chapter 127: Change in the Turbid Clouds (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan felt quite an intricate sensation.

When he had erected the framework of the altar, he was able to transcend past that world. He was not directly influenced by being the sacrificer and received only benefits... All this was possible as long as he could support it.

However, now the projection of the Scales of Truth entered as An Weng's evil intent came attacking over. That feeling of supremacy was offended and the altar's framework he was supporting faced erosion and collision by external forces.

He had never encountered this kind of situation before.

However, this was natural now that he thought about it. The Scales of Truth was the paramount holy entity of the Order of Justice. It could act as a sacrificial vessel and could be regarded as another altar frame. An Weng had made his way upon one of the plates, becoming a sacrifice of the Scales of Truth. One thing was being used for two things, possessing dissimilar purposes and different natures. A clash was inevitable.

In addition, An Weng was not just having the two frameworks collide together. His penetrating evil intent had locked onto his target. He clearly wanted to pull Luo Nan into the depths of the maelstrom!

It seemed that An Weng had succeeded.

Luo Nan tried to wash his mind of the Scales of Truth but it was useless. The thing grew clearer and clearer, especially the side with the white plate. There seemed to be a possessed force that drew in his mind, giving him no chance to escape.

Looking deeply into the source of this power yielded what seemed to be a structural pattern that was vaguely like that of the Shield of Truth. His body grew tense from inside out. It was as if he was bound by incorporeal threads.

Luo Nan struggled in his discomfort, but he never expected the instrument connected to his body to ring in alarm. The collective gazes of everyone in the vehicle became focused on him.

Zhang Yingying, the ad hoc nurse, immediately raised her hands up high in the air. "I didn't do nothin'!"

"Even if you wanted to, you couldn't have caused this to happen."

Through an AR display, Bai Xinyan integrated the data of the instrument and various numbers were arranged and displayed. The laymen who saw the display were all blinking crazily. However, everyone was able to see sudden minute fluctuations appear on a near-level frequency graph.

"There has been a change in the strength of the fleshly body, though the scope is quite small." Bai Xinyan's gaze swiveled over, flitting past Luo Nan's face. "There hasn't been a crack on the Shield of Truth, right?"

"About this... I'm not sure."

Luo Nan scratched his cheeks with his hands; he was a bit embarrassed. Though the matter was hidden and he could not speak of the details, he was not a resolute and courageous boy. Instead, he took on the attitude of uncertainty.

Bai Xinyan raised an eyebrow, but she did not say anything. Zhang Yingying had already smacked Luo Nan’s shoulders. "You're not sure? What do you mean, not sure?"

"The problem isn't on my end..."

Actually, it was!

Luo Nan got himself in this deep and was forced to admit to himself that things had gotten big now.

Right now, Luo Nan could sense an enormous 'heat source' existing by his side. He was familiar with this feeling of order. It was undoubtedly Fairchild.

Luo Nan combined the situation in the Logic World with the fragments of An Chengli's memory that he had received from the high-imitation Human-Faced Arachnid to produce a conclusion. He did not know whether to laugh or cry from his conclusion.

Perhaps, he and Fairchild were the same. An Weng had acted first and asked questions later against them, sending them to become the underlying mass atop the Scales of Truth... Had Luo Nan been placed upon the altar to become one of the sacrifices?

This was truly an example of irony.

The sense of supremacy that always came when erecting the altar's frame caused Luo Nan to lose accuracy in his conclusions. When An Weng exhausted his soul and forced his way over, Luo Nan had believed that his Wraith Sign held the upper hand. Luo Nan's behavior of being engrossed in the thrill of the hunt was too careless.

After making it past the dangerous situation of near destruction, An Weng immediately used decisive methods to give Luo Nan a good lesson.

If Luo Nan's conjecture was correct, An Weng had captured the link where Fairchild blessed him with the Shield of Truth. An Weng used incomprehensible and arcane techniques of the Order to achieve success in one move.

Moreover, the matter would not end here. Right now, it seemed that Luo Nan had already replaced Fairchild, Ouyang Chen, and similar characters. Luo Nan had become An Weng's number one target to deal with. Luo Nan's ability to draw enmity caused even himself to feel helpless.

The most vital matter was to naturally have the situation get back on track. Whether it be President Ouyang or Fairchild, weren't these two being idle for too long?

"Perhaps An Weng is focusing and pressuring Fairchild and Luo Nan got involved as a result?" Everyone in the vehicle could obviously see that Fairchild had given Luo Nan a blessing. Papercut frowned as he guessed this, all of a sudden going on this train of thought.

Red Fox spoke in a low voice, "It's also possible that he's being directly targeted like striking a cow with a mountain in the way."

Zhang Yingying gave Red Fox a thumbs up in great approval. "That's right... Then we need to take defensive measures!"

"We are in no condition to do so right now."

Bai Xinyan shook her head. She lifted her wristband to make a call. Soon, she was connected. "Sister He, about the matter with your boss stirring up trouble. Even being separated by the Logic World can't stop An Weng. I propose to push President Ouyang to resolve this matter asap!"

Luo Nan's head hung down, having lost the face to meet others in the eyes for a time. However, he ultimately would not distract himself in social matters for too long. He also could not count on the help of others. His mind soon concentrated upon the altar frames.

Luo Nan could not relax for even a moment when it came to An Weng, even if it appeared that the old man was rapidly growing weaker.

"There's not much time left." An Weng was clear about his own state.

Within the colosseum, half of Number 3's limbs had been chomped and consumed. It appeared spiritless and it lacked the strength to fight back.

The mass of An Weng's soul trembled and shrank. All that remained was half of the mass at its peak. Though this was all that was left, the two maelstroms of altar frames tore at each other with the colosseum being second to the Scales of Truth. The Scales of Truth was the major aspect.

Since Luo Nan was placed upon the scales...he could only be placed on the truth side. An Weng had been catching up to that mass but Luo Nan's mass was absolutely abnormal. The combined mass of he and Fairchild's caused the projection of the Scales of Truth to instantly slip toward the unbalanced state.

In such a dangerous moment, An Weng's mind grew even more callous and firm. Though it was clearly an illusion, the projection of the Scales of Truth seemed to possess the majesticness of a true holy entity, the essence of immortality.

An Weng could withstand the ignition of his soul for a short period time... He could even obtain a stronger tension and realize even more excellent results.

"BANG!"

It was as if a bowstring was plucked with great force. The probing waves swept deep through space the instant the vibration sounded. It was far more tyrannical and penetrating than the last time.

In this instant, it did not matter whether it was the Logic World or the hazy starry sky, they were both practically transparent to him. His consciousness spread freely to every nook and cranny, to every level.

A layer of cloud and mist accompanied the transparency. It was what the probing waves accessed on the material plane. It was the phenomenon formed from mutual interference.

The cloudy mist seemed to grow denser, and it soon caused the night sky of the Logic World to become a bit dirty.

"BANG!" Another sound vibrated, broadcasting out; the visibility within the Logic World plummeted once more. It was as if a thick fog had rolled in and the three large buildings were practically warping.

"Ouyang!" Fairchild had a bit of his telepathic senses focused on the projection of the Scales of Truth. He could indirectly touch An Weng's current state. Fairchild felt a bad omen come over An Weng and he warned Ouyang Chen.

Before Ouyang Chen could respond, electric fire suddenly leaped from the upper layers of the hazy mist. The arc stabbed their eyes and it came smashing down like a redwood that was felled.

Why was 'smashing' the word to describe it?

Because in the blink of an eye, the bolt of light twisted and coiled. Behind its powerful glow was a turbid and solid shadow with the appearance of a clenched fist. The chaotic electric arcs coming from it were the fist's fluttering hairs. Looking at the whole, it was simply the giant arm of a monstrous beast and the arm came rumbling down.

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Chapter 128: Shadow Realm (Part 1/2)

Chapter 128: Shadow Realm (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

When the giant arm came smashing down, it seemed like the verisimilitudinous night sky of the Logic World collapsed. Space warped and shook; fine ripples could be clearly perceived. The ripples washed over everyone's skin, causing most of them to shiver and shudder.

A corresponding chill emerged from the bottom of everyone's hearts as huge distortions suddenly appeared in the projection of the Scales of Truth at the center of the three buildings. Its luminance dimmed and the giant shadow arm swallowed it completely.

The phantasmal projection clearly could not stop the arm at all. The shadowy giant arm bound in flaring electricity came rushing straight down, directly striking the rooftop of Frost River Reality.

The arm showed no signs of slowing down during this time. Even though particularly strong shockwaves could not be seen, an acidic corrosive power seemed to run straight to the bottom of the building. A fracture that ran for over thirty meters split open the buildings in the blink of an eye. Then, rippling lines of reverberations spread in all directions from the fracture.

The entirety of Frost River Reality crumbled and collapsed, and only now could the terrifying explosion be heard. Regardless if they were facing Frost River Reality, the glass walls of the three surrounding skyscrapers were nearly completely destroyed.

The electric flames around the giant arm were like a liquid as it splashed out. The bolts of electricity were like countless living snakes. They pierced into the surrounding three buildings and soared wantonly.

Baze—who had been knocked to the ground floor by Fairchild—crawled up. He had just so happened to be right under Frost River Reality. He watched Frost River Reality crumble and collapse and he felt the pressure from the electric flames. Without saying a word, he rammed his way into one of the skyscrapers, rolled in an evasive maneuver, and managed to dodge the electric flames in the end.

He had responded quickly and his luck was good as well, but the others were not able to be like him. One Oblatum Knight was struck with misfortune head on. He was located on the side of a building facing Frost River Reality and the chaotic spray of electric flames surrounded him. There was no escape.

As the electric arcs struck his body. He sought to rely on the extraordinary powers gained from bitter cultivation to withstand it. However, an unimaginable force acted upon his sturdy torso in an instant. His limbs twisted substantially and it was like a pair of demonic hands were kneading his body into a ball. He was kneaded into a mangled meatball and he rolled chaotically on the destroyed floor of the building.

The most frightening thing of all was that this Oblatum Knight was not spared a quick death. Smothered screeches sounded from the meatball again and again, the sound full of misery and despair.

Even the face of the powerful Baze turned dark green from he saw such a scene. He rammed his way deeper into the large building without even looking back. The further away he was from the electric flames, the better.

"That's not lightning... At the very least, it’s not pure lightning."

Luo Nan could approximately see the source of this wave of lightning. It was the same as the mist produced by An Weng's probing waves. It came from a violent interference between the mental and material planes.

This sort of interference completely lacked rules and patterns. It was chaotic and berserk. The final result was both this chaos and the powerful ionization effect of lightning.

Nevertheless, the spray of lightning covered nearly a kilometer in diameter. Just how astonishing was the intensity of the soul strength that acted upon the material plane? Using Luo Nan himself as a standard, was it about ten thousand times more powerful? Or a million times more powerful?

This was not realistic! Even the feeling Luo Nan got from the enigmatic and unfathomable President Ouyang Chen was far from matching this sort of intensity. There must be some special method being applied.

Luo Nan's attention was forcefully drawn in. However, the region was destined to lack a good target for him to observe.

The terrifying force within the shadow did not merely cause destruction on the material plane. An assault blasted out on the mental plane just a hair later. It was like the magma spray of an erupting volcano. It pelted down in a torrent.

Luo Nan was in a pure observation mode. Its effect made it so that he did not receive a direct attack. However, in the Starry Colosseum, the Human-Faced Arachnids engaging in their life or death battle did not fair as well. They let out miserable hisses at the same time as flames burst from their bodies.

According to the information that the Wraith Sign was transmitting back, the roasting assault of the giant shadow arm had a relationship with the chaotic core of the Human-Faced Arachnid. It was simply like that of a torch meeting oil. The two were even separated by a distance when the arachnid ignited.

As for the other Human-Faced Arachnid, Number 3, it was burned transparent. Its human portion was burned into vapor and turned into a mist of energy. Then, its human portion was absorbed and consumed by the endlessly expanding shadow

The two arachnids were entangled upon the altar. Wraith Sign could sense a bit of Number 3's state. The information from its senses was instantly refreshed with changes, allowing Luo Nan to understand with greater clarity.

There was something more real existing behind the terrifying shadow. Perhaps it was a powerful and hungry demon. The thing probably had not truly entered the Logic World but its powerful strength allowed it to clearly manifest its vicious and ruthless nature before everyone's eyes.

The 'curtain' of the mental plane wobbled and undulated. It was being twisted and warped, making it hard for Luo Nan to distinguish the real aspect and location of the demon. He could only make a situational guess.

This demon was like a gluttonous old cat. It stood ashore and reached out with its paw to stir the waters. It hoped to catch some delicious fishlings and eat its fill.

Who was it that attracted this 'old cat'?

It was without a doubt the unpredictable An Weng located within the burning Number 3. Looking through the Wraith Sign's senses, it seemed that An Weng was in a pretty good mood.

As far as Luo Nan knew, An Weng's soul was within the burning flames of Number 3. He was withering up without end, yet he was in a delighted mood. His emotions were sprayed wantonly out from his soul while he was surrounded by flames. If he still possessed a fleshly body, it would be the same as bellowing out in great laughter.

And he should be laughing!

He had waited for over sixty years for the transformation of the world, for the era of magical and holy powers. He had been in the Order of Justice for forty years, and his faith had never wavered all this time. It was just unfortunate that he was encumbered by the old age of his body. No matter how much he understood theories and concepts, the slightest mistake would always bring him a great disaster. He was always blocked from entering a higher level and never even had the chance to fight for it.

However, as the giant shadow arm came rumbling down at this moment, the incorporeal barrier that was always above his head finally opened up a crack.

Looking ahead, perhaps his chances were still slim. But ultimately, it was a chance. Moreover, this chance was already close at hand.

The shadow swallowed up part of the starry sky and Luo Nan was unable to make an effective analysis of its form. From An Weng's perspective, this was the greatest sign of all. He no longer needed to distinguish the direction. He drove Number 3, who was nearly exhausted of power, to leave the battlefield and leap in the direction of the shadow.

Under the threat of being completely burned to nothingness, Wraith Sign did not pursue Number 3. The current altar frame had turned into a messy soup after countless disturbances. It was incapable of stopping An Weng.

As for the demon behind the shadow, it kindly accepted the food that charged directly into its jaws.

However, this was not enough to satiate it. The demon certainly had an excellent appetite. After the demon had launched its initial attack, it discovered that there was not anything that could threaten its life. The congealing shadow began to spread as it entered into a 'net mode'. It targeted the rest. It targeted everyone!

Everyone in the Logic World had become its target.

The demon was driven by its desire for chaos. It would chase after what it found to be most delicious. If everything was tasty, then it would eat everything.

The mist produced from the probing waves that interfered with the material plane had yet to dissipate. The dark shadow flooded its way in, turning the mist into boiling dark clouds that oppressed the Logic World.

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Chapter 128: Shadow Realm (Part 2/2)

Chapter 128: Shadow Realm (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

The quicksilver-like radiance from Fairchild's body interlocked with the dark clouds of turbid mist that came pouncing at him. The two forces collided and it all seemed fine at first, but then the giant shadow arm smashed through Frost River Reality. Its momentum did not end there and the arm pounded into the ground.

The shockwave blasted across and the three skyscrapers could be seen swaying. Transverse waves and longitudinal waves were tangent to each other and the power became even more intense. The rooftop of the skyscraper beneath Fairchild's feet was like a cloth being torn asunder. Long fractures suddenly spread, splitting in all directions. Anyone could tell that the building was about to collapse.

Having experienced this level of power, Fairchild knew that he was no match for it. However, he remained expressionless. He just cast his gaze at Ouyang Chen. "You've been a spectator for this long. Was it to wait for this?"

"Yea... But it’s still not enough." Ouyang Chen lifted his head to look up at the source of danger hidden in the background. It had appeared at last.

The giant shadow arm had already manifested as a pitch-black pillar that ran through heaven and earth. It was like an orbital elevator that ran from outer space to an endpoint stopping at the ground. However, it was still hard to determine where its other end laid.

The dark clouds of turbid mist spun and flew around the pillar, forming a vortex of distortion. There was also mist at its base that billowed outward. Though lightning did not flash within, a terrifying power could be sensed hidden inside.

The following change in the situation was no longer something that could be resolved by spectating.

Ouyang Chen had already begun to make a move. He did not appear to do anything special; ripples just manifested outside his body and swept outward. The ripples were unstoppable. The dark clouds of turbid mist surrounding the giant shadow arm were split open and the ripples directly assaulted the shadow body itself, causing it to tremble endlessly.

The demon in the background seemed to sense the threat. A sudden burst of electric flame gushed from the dark clouds of turbid mist to cleave down toward Ouyang Chen's head.

Ouyang Chen neither ducked nor dodged. His expression did not change at all. He just looked like he was opening his mouth as he breathed in, swallowing the lightning directly into his body. A crackling glow throbbed around his body, but it was quelled by the ripples he produced.

Ouyang Chen responded in quite the effortless manner in this exchange of blows. However, he then frowned. "This taste is filled only with greed and impatience."

Fairchild asked, "Is it an Extraordinary?"

"It doesn't possess an extraordinary thought process. It’s formed of pure chaos and disorder. It’s more like a Human-Faced Arachnid."

Ouyang Chen's gaze flitted from the giant pillar to the shadow arm, to the circulating and spiraling cloudy mist. He sighed and said, "However, it’s at the peak of chaos. It actually has the existence of a 'domain'... In this sense, it’s not wrong to say that it is an Extraordinary."

The so-called shadow pillar was a region of high-interference between the mental and material planes. The dark clouds of turbid mist that surrounded it were similar, but the degree of interference was at an inferior level. The further away from the shadow pillar, the more the degree of interference dropped.

Based on its ability, the demon was completely able to envelop the entirety of the Logic World with its might. However, its outstanding instincts allowed it to distinguish between levels of intensity. It used the strongest interference to warp a section of material space and wielded this warped space as a weapon, clashing it violently with the outside world.

It was just like a lever. It used a relatively small amount of energy to leverage a power far beyond its normal limits. The dark clouds of turbid mist. The soaring electric flame. These were all produced in this fashion. This was a high level skill. This was one of the applications of an Extraordinary's 'domain'.

Ouyang Chen was not too pressured by this. Enemies on the side of chaos, even if they possess the ability of the Extraordinaries, were not worthy of too much of his attention.

There was no reason or logic that could be described in chaos itself. Even if something could be analyzed from chaos, the end result would just be a shallow idea. It could only be used to fool an amateur. Even if Ouyang Chen wanted to research it, he would need to find the overall mechanism that formed this power of disorder. This would be a time consuming process.

His target was An Weng and his intentions had not changed even in the last minute.

Ouyang Chen began to rise a bit; his toes left the ground by several inches. He just levitated in the air without anything to support him. When one reached the level of Extraordinary, even if one did not have the natural ability to fly, one could create an environment that allowed flight. This was done through the mutual interference between the mental and material planes.

This was also another application of the 'domain'.

No matter where Ouyang Chen went, the substance-like ripples eliminated both the cloudy mist and electric flame alike. The ripples appeared to move unimpeded, unhindered, and the spreading ripples appeared brighter at the forefront. It shone with its illumination.

What had once been a well-blended shadow pillar was now a bit more transparent. The forefront of the ripples that constantly followed rules and patterns were slightly distorted.

The 'domains' of the demon and Ouyang Chen had collided.

The atmosphere in the Logic World suddenly grew tense. The entire area was shaking. The rooftop of Building A was already on the verge of collapse from the clash between Fairchild and the dark clouds of turbid mist. Now, it finally collapsed. The helpless and blank priests and knights fell screaming in quite a miserable manner.

Fairchild did not have the ability to levitate so he could not avoid falling down from the ashy and turbid mist. Fairchild spat out a shout and his quicksilver aura cleared the surrounded area. He raised his head and looked up.

However, what he saw was not Ouyang Chen nor the demon who had yet to reveal itself. What he saw was clearly a Human-Faced Arachnid struggling endlessly within the shadow.

When the 'domains' collided, traces of the Darksider lifeform submerged in the shadow pillar was revealed.

Number 3! This Human-Faced Arachnid had just escaped into the depths of the mental plane. When one tried to probe the deep sea for it, one would find it hard to trace. It was strange and baffling. However, it appeared again at this very moment. Its demonic body was ravaged and unwhole. It appeared weak and lifeless. Its entire body was aflame. And most importantly, it had lost the special ability to roam in the depths of the mental plane.

Did the assault of the shadow pillow hit Number 3 head on based on sheer coincidence? Or was there a different reason?

Fairchild could see Number 3 struggling inside the shadow, but it did not look like it was struggling to escape. Instead, it seemed to be charging deeper inside. Fairchild could not refrain from being suspicious. Was An Weng really still controlling the Human-Faced Arachnid from the inside? Acting in such a way inside the dark depths of the demon's shadow was simply suicide!

Floating in the air, Ouyang Chen was able to see things clearer than Fairchild. He was familiar with An Weng and knew that the old man was not someone who did things roughly. Even if An Weng was overtaken by emotion, he would certainly have a fundamental reason for his actions.

The clash between 'domains' grew more intense. Ouyang Chen used this as a pretext to look through the shadow. He could vaguely see something glimmering and sparkling from the center of the shadow pillar.

Ouyang Chen had found the reason!

Ouyang Chen soon determined that the glimmer was the projection of the Scales of Truth. It actually did not collapse during the initial assault. Instead, it was embedded in the depths of the shadow, and its form was the same as ever before.

Of course, there were still changes that could be described. Atop the black plate was the Krait that controlled the elements of chaos. Right now, it was coiled into a ball and was at its last breaths of life. The mist formed from the elements of chaos had already dissolved completely into the shadow surrounding it. It seemed that next, the Krait itself would soon dissolve into the shadow as well.

Under Ouyang Chen's rapt attention, Human-Faced Arachnid Number 3 was doing its utmost to close the distance between it and the projection of the Scales of Truth. The distance between it and the Krait. The interior of the shadow possessed a terrifying heat and a corrosive nature, endlessly dissolving Number 3. However, Number 3 did not cower in the slightest.

There was not that much distance between the two. With a body that was nearly burned to nothingness, with struggling movements that disregarded the cost, Number made contact with the edge of the Scales of Truth projection at last. It pounced at the black plate in quite a desperate manner. Meanwhile, its malevolent and deformed mandibles opened up to swallow the Krait atop the plate in one bite!

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Chapter 129: A Great Exchange (Part 1/2)

Chapter 129: A Great Exchange (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Number 3 suddenly went stiff when the Krait entered its stomach. The raging flames around Number 3 seemed to burn even more violently. Within the blaze, it seemed that its demonic body was nearly burned into nothingness. Its remnants pushed off to collide with the black plate. There was still a bit of the arachnid left to burn as the blaze exploded, turning it completely into scattered ashes. Ashes and sparks dropped onto the plate.

Had An Weng turned into scattered ash and smoke? Ouyang Chen and Fairchild did not see things this way.

It was just as they had expected. As the ash dropped onto the plate, the exhausted mist of chaos element began to gurgle and sputter. It rolled and billowed, increasing in scale.

Then, long limbs suddenly stabbed out from the turbid mist. They waved a few times and the ugly figure of a Human-Faced Arachnid stood up from within the mist. It had six dazzlingly-colored pupils and eight limbs. The flames that once burned upon it had disappeared. It seemed to be back at full power, though its size was much smaller than before.

It used to be the same size as the projection of the Scales of Truth. Now, it had shrunk by several folds and was around the same size as the Krait it had just eaten.

"He took the place of the Krait and severed the link, reintegrating the chaos element anew... This is outside of my expectations. It’s understandable though. This is indeed An Weng's style."

As Ouyang Chen sighed, the chaos element was saved from dissipation by being integrated under the Human-Faced Arachnid's control. The Human-Faced Arachnid was transformed. It became even more efficient, so much so that it could absorb from the darkness of the shadow pillar instead of being absorbed itself. It could continue to grow stronger.

It was quite logical for An Weng to devour the Krait and substitute himself for it, but there were many intricacies of the form that was the Krait. It was an extremely well-developed system of the Order of Justice and the best choice in controlling the chaos element.

Though the Human-Faced Arachnid was possibly on a higher level of power than the Krait, there were bound to be issues when linking with the Order of Justice's existing system.

Only someone as experienced and as powerful as An Weng could have adjusted, made a viable alternative for the Krait, and succeeded in such a short period of time.

The most exquisite part was not the rebirth of the Human-Faced Arachnid. It was the integration with the projection of the Scales of Truth. The miniature form was not Number 3's body. It was Number 3's projection coming from within the Scales of Truth system.

The true Number 3 had already merged into the projection of the Scales of Truth. It was hard to separate them. To do so would mean mutual annihilation, the utter destruction of the Scales of Truth's projection.

This was a problem on another level.

Ouyang Chen did not slow down his advancement. He continued to approach the shadow pillar, analyzing and clearing the area close to him, allowing others to see the situation inside.

There were a few people who had the leisure to be concerned about this, but Zheng Xiao was one of them. This First Oblatum remained calm headed all this time, but in face of the constantly changing situation, there were many times where his brain simply crashed. It was only when Number 3 devoured the Krait did he truly get startled awake.

Zheng Xiao hugged his stomach. There was a mechanism that converted and connected his energy to the Krait, so his heart had nearly stopped when the Krait was devoured. Instead, his heart instantly pumped wildly in compensation. He was considered one of the fortunate ones. The surrounding priests and knights were all collapsed on the ground; they were completely unaware of how much the skyscraper was wobbling beneath their feet. Zheng Xiao did not know just how many could still be awoken.

He lifted his head up with a blank expression, looking into the depths of the shadow. Under the dual illumination of the projection of the Scales of Truth and Ouyang Chen with his ripples, the insides of the shadow were being peeled layer by layer. A portion of it had directly evaporated, while another portion of it had dissolved into the turbid mist of chaos element.

It could be confirmed with a fair amount of confidence that the projection of the Scales of Truth was utilizing the darkness of the shadow to rapidly expand the mass of the chaos element on the secular side. This was a highly efficient process... as seen from the situation with the scales right now.

The projection of the Scales of Truth faced a change due to the unbalanced state once again. However, the black plate was the one that continued to sink down this time. This showed that the masses on the two sides were beginning to invert in quantity.

Zheng Xiao had a vague recollection of this current phenomenon. This was the default state set by An Weng when he started up the Evolution Field. An Weng had even told him that perhaps a demon, as described in the holy scriptures, would take their place and contend against Fairchild, who seemed nigh undefeatable at the time.

Now it seemed that the demon had truly come. Moreover, its terrifying power far exceeded that of the Ears of Truth.

"Beneath thick clouds lies islands covered with boiling magma, while Demons bound in chains fly within the clouds..."

Was this the verification that An Weng sought?

He could not see the islands or the chains right now, but there were clouds and there was a demon. Half of the holy scriptures had been verified. Then, cautiously speaking, did this mean that the Gate of Truth truly existed in Xia City?

Zheng Xiao's cheeks twitched a bit. If they had come here tonight to just verify things, then their mission would be a complete success. They could leave with their accomplishment.

However, it seemed that the current An Weng had no thoughts of leaving in mind!

"Becoming a sacrificial vessel. Stealing the sky and substituting the sun in open deceit. According to the ritual procedures of the Order, An Weng, you want to..."

At this time, Zheng Xiao had just reasoned out a general outline. It was atop the white plate that was steadily rising. It was built from the Evolution Field and existed behind the Scales of Truth. It showed its form for the first time.

Becoming the weak side, what was atop the white plate was no longer qualified to remain anonymous.

What first appeared was the structure of a kite-shaped shield. A quicksilver aura circulated around it. This was the projection of the Shield of Truth and it undoubtedly represented Fairchild.

Zheng Xiao cast his gaze toward Building A, but his sight was blocked by the dark clouds of turbid mist. He could not see anything. He was unable to tell just what sort of mood Fairchild was in right now.

But then came a change that exceeded everyone's imaginations.

As soon as the projection of the kite shield appeared in its entirety, light and shadow manifested itself on the white plate once more. This time, the form was much more concise. It was a composite structure. It was a tetrahedron with an inscribed sphere and a circumscribed sphere.

"The Format Pyramid!"

Zheng Xiao's brain nearly crashed again. This Luo Nan... When in the world did he get on the scales?

The Scales of Truth was not something you could get on just by wanting to. The converting and transforming process was very complex. An extremely tight-knit system foundation and energy linking mechanism was needed.

Only An Weng could engage in a similar operation. Considering the time, did this not mean that Number 3 had come into contact with Luo Nan when it fled into the void in its moment of distress?

Well, it did not matter how much mass Luo Nan took up. The side of the white plate that bore their weight clearly did not match the overflowing abundance of chaos element on the other side.

The mass held by An Weng was not lacking at all; it was far too much. He could easily allocate the mass on his side. All he needed to do was withstand the pressure coming from the shadow of the demon in the background. Then, he could endlessly reap more mass from the shadow. This advantage was a hard one to break.

To this end, An Weng then added the final pen stroke to his plan.

Atop the black plate, the Human-Faced Arachnid opened its mouth and sucked in. It swallowed the surrounding turbid mist into its stomach. It was unknown how An Weng converted the mist, but what had once been scales in a constant slanted state actually began to level out.

The scales swung. The white and black plates moved up and down. The Human-Faced Arachnid swallowed clouds and puffed out mist. Clearly, it was calibrating its mass, searching for the point of equilibrium.

Things were too easy with this much mass available!

The white and black plates appeared level to each other once more, satisfying the conditions of the Order's holy entity. It was like a ripe, plump seed buried in the void.

A vague prayer incantation could be heard, acting as rain and fertilizer. The watering had a sequence to it and it lasted until the seed germinated. Branches and leaves sprouted to form a complicated structure of nature, to form a holy space of miracles!

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Chapter 129: A Great Exchange (Part 2/2)

Chapter 129: A Great Exchange (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

"What happened?"

Luo Nan had been chasing An Weng with his mental senses and was observing the Logic World all this time. He understood some portions of the changing situation, while other portions were half understood. When the giant cocoon of light appeared, he had a faint understanding that the situation had reached its most crucial node. However, with his limited level of understanding, his thought process was stuck here at an impasse. It was difficult for it to continue.

He could only continue to raise the precision of his senses and observe earnestly. Even though the efficiency of this sensing method was far more wasteful than his recently learned Life Sketches by a ten-to-a-hundred fold, he felt his actions were necessary.

At this time, an indescribable light was revealed from within the projection of the Scales of Truth. One would not be able to tell why there was this light just from perceiving it, but under this light, the black and white plates of the Scales of Truth lost their countenance in an instant.

Black was no longer black. White was no longer white. Some crucial element seemed to be drawn away from them, yet it also seemed to mix together. There was no distinction between them.

It was then that this indescribable light noiselessly established a region within the shadow pillar. Its shape was like the cocoon of light that enveloped the three First Oblatums in the beginning with the Evolution Field. It was just tenfolds larger.

The Scales of Truth resided in the middle of the cocoon of light. Its light intertwined with shadow to form countless lines of various thicknesses. At first, the lines appeared to be like ruffled branches that were growing endlessly longer, some of which twined around the two plates. Thin branches spiraled and pierced the projection of the masses atop the plates. Neither the projection of Human-Faced Arachnid Number 3, the kite shield, nor the Format Pyramid were spared.

A change occurred simultaneously in the three projected figures because of this. Light and shadow warped and the structures dissolved into thin air.

"The holy space. An extraordinary exchange."

The ripples coming from Ouyang Chen's body cascaded upon themselves, canceling the shadow pillar’s resistance. Step by step, Ouyang Chen made his way toward to the cocoon of light. The ends of the ripples made contact with the surroundings of the cocoon of light, undulating up and down. The tempo of Ouyang Chen's ripples was not slow, but when he saw the growth of the cocoon of light and the changes to his ripples, Ouyang Chen was forced to frown.

"Changing from a small exchange using secular objects to a great exchange of the extraordinary realm... An Weng, you really do things in quite a remarkable fashion. However, you're borrowing the power of the Scales of Truth to do this. Did your Archoblatum approve of such a thing?"

No response came from the cocoon of light, but Luo Nan felt his heart beat a little faster for some reason.

Exchange?

He understood a bit more now. The two sides of the scales. The Human-Faced Arachnid versus him and Fairchild. Was there an exchange going on between them?

No, that was wrong.

After all, the two altar frames were still entangled. An Weng, by placing Luo Nan on the Scales of Truth, had bound the two frames to form a close relationship.

Luo Nan could vaguely sense the border of the two sides of the scales. Chaos and order were becoming blurred. There was not a relationship of exchange between the two sides. It was more like a sort of blending where they formed an indescribable existence together. This existence was used as a foundation to allow for endless growth and development.

As for the exchange... It occurred on a more mystical and mysterious plane. He could not precisely perceive it for now.

But as the exchange reached the most critical point, it did not matter if it was the Human-Faced Arachnid, Fairchild, or Luo Nan, they all could not avoid being affected. Majorly affected!

The rooftop of Building A had nearly collapsed into nothingness. In the middle of the ruin of dust and smoke, Fairchild raised both his hands and concentrated energy into his gaze. At first, it seemed that the quicksilver radiance circulating around his body had darkened a bit, but he remained expressionless.

Luo Nan was startled for an instant when he saw this scene. His heart suddenly pulsated faster.

This was bad! If even Fairchild was affected, what could he do? Problems were sure to arise with his main body... The Format Pyramid structure was dissolving atop the Scales of Truth, which was an ominous sign.

"Hiss..."

Luo Nan's attention swung back to his main body and he gasped in shock. However, his gasp was interrupted midway. Ever since An Weng had pulled him on the altar frame that was the Scales of Truth, Luo Nan was unable to struggle free from a binding sensation. Now, this binding sensation was far more intense. His blood and energy was blocked and impeded, so much so that many parts of his limbs grew numb. Luo Nan's ability to control his body was drastically lowered.

In contrast, it was as if the sensations of parts of his inner organs were reversed. These parts used to lack sensory nerves, but now a feeling of pain spread through his entire being. It caused Luo Nan's many organs to twitch and spasm. His entire body even began to shake and he went into a fever.

On the AR display, at least eight graphs appeared with a blood-red color that indicated critical danger. The whispering conversations in the vehicle were instantly wiped clean. All that was left were the repeated beeps of the alarm instruments interwoven into one.

"Visceral dysfunction. Hold him steady..."

Bai Xinyan gave out this order, but it soon became obsolete. This was because a lava-like heat came pouring from Luo Nan's head. It was as if his brain was boiling. It was as if someone had punched him hard. His mind was dazed. His consciousness was blurry. His mental senses lost their precision and the scene he saw with his clairvoyance became fuzzy.

The base that was his mind was being raided!

Luo Nan strove to clear his mind, hoping to restore a clear head. Even if his thoughts were just a pile of mush, he knew that this was An Weng. An Weng had used the Scales of Truth and the enormous cocoon of light he had just erected as a channel.

That old man. He had directly struck Luo Nan's Achilles' heel in an instant.

No! This could not go on!

Luo Nan felt the incorporeal net around his body rapidly tightening. Right now, his body was bound and unmovable and it was cutting off his source of power. It was going to completely seal all changes within his body and soul. If that happened, he would truly be waiting for death.

The incident happened too suddenly. Luo Nan did not have the time to think about anything else. As the incorporeal net was about to close, Luo Nan relied completely on his quick-witted instincts to visualize the Format Pyramid. He ordered the Wraith Sign to pull. Through the sounds of shaking chains, his soul was hoisted from his body and he crossed into the depths of the mental plane in a single step.

The incorporeal net closed, but it was a step too late.

The instant Luo Nan entered the out-of-body state, he could clearly hear cracking sounds like that of branches endlessly snapping. There was also the existence of a substantial resistance. Luckily, he was relying on an external power, the Wraith Sign, for his out-of-body state. His method was pretty rough for breaking directly into the depths of the mental plane. If he was not this rough, he might not have been able to succeed in one go.

Now, Luo Nan's mind suddenly grew clear upon the separation of his body and soul; his mental senses stabilized. The most miraculous thing was the sensation of pain in his main body. Much of it was instantly eliminated.

Yes. An Weng had seized the blessing of the Shield of Truth to do his work. Luo Nan, by forcing himself into the out-of-body state, had shattered the method powered by the interference between the mental and material planes. Luo Nan had shed himself of the shackles and was no longer bound.

However, everything could not be perfect. Although Luo Nan had dodged a disaster, he had lost control over his main body. Before his body could be laid flat, his body fell backward straight into Zhang Yingying's bosom. It was no longer conscious.

The inside of the vehicle was a bunch of bustle and chaos. Looking at the situation, it seemed that Luo Nan was going to die...

Luo Nan was unable to change what would happen to his body next. Though he had destroyed An Weng's plans, Luo Nan had still yet to separate himself from the maelstrom. As long as the clash of altar frames still existed, as long as the Scales of Truth and the Format Pyramid were still entangled, it was impossible for him to truly stay out of it.

Now, Luo Nan's escape and its outcome were directly shown in the projection of the Scales of Truth, within the so-called holy space.

There, the Format Pyramid still existed on the white plate, but it was much fainter than before. More importantly, the trend of it being warped and dissolved was reversing. It was being restored.

This kind of change was not big or small, but it directly disturbed the state of equilibrium where chaos and order were being blended together. Within the cocoon of light, the growth of the branches stopped and some of the branches even instantly withered.

This was nothing more than the rise and the fall.

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Chapter 130: Inhuman (Part 1/2)

Chapter 130: Inhuman (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

"Oh dang!"

Zheng Xiao stumbled as he let out a long sigh. Everyone could see the changes going on in the holy space—in the cocoon of light—as long as they were focused on it. The details of the changes inside could not escape Zheng Xiao.

He was well aware that An Weng had screwed him over. However, they were both members of the Order placed upon the scales, so he was unconsciously biased toward An Weng. Zheng Xiao was a Clearsworn First Oblatum; he was very familiar with their scriptures. He knew just how precious the holy space represented by the cocoon of light was.

When they had set up the Evolution Field, they used external equipment to arrange the spell formation. Looking deeply into the spell formation, one could see that it was an imitation pieced together by machines. However, upon realizing an exquisite equilibrium, the current holy space had naturally achieved a domain that came from the holy entity.

When the holy space was erected, the underlying masses—chaos and order—that formed the equilibrium with the scales all became sacrificial offerings for the exchange. An exchange that stepped into the extraordinary realm.

This was the true road to heaven! The step to the extraordinary!

The Order viewed the holy space as a womb to nurture the holy spirit. As long as the sacrifices atop the Scales of Truth could provide enough energy, even an Extraordinary could be manifested out of thin air. At the very least, every generation of the Archoblatum was the result of a great exchange via the holy space. It represented the blessing of the holy entity and its supreme authority.

It was because the Order of Justice relied on this inconceivable power that they were able to maintain a steady increase in the number of powerful members in their order. They were able to do this for the past forty years and this allowed them to spread their doctrines all over the globe. In this way, they became one of the top three secret orders in the world.

An Weng went into deep thought. Right now, his fleshly body was completely destroyed. There was a seventy to eighty percent chance that his soul was going to reconstruct his fleshly body using this method. The most common use of the great exchange was to produce the body of the holy spirit.

If An Weng was successful, then the Order would gain another Extraordinary in their ranks. Although tonight's price was very steep, it would still be worth it. However, there were flaws in the process tonight. The root of the problem was that even if a body was formed, it would not be 'extraordinary'. It would be a huge loss.

The branches continued to wither. Though there were some branches that continued to grow to compensate, it was impossible to eliminate the phenomenon of the withered branches in a short period of time.

There was something even more deadly. This delay allowed Ouyang Chen to break through the last obstacle of the shadow pillar. He stood right outside the cocoon of light and was within touching distance.

Though the holy space was boundlessly magical, the barrier it possessed was not strong. It was incapable of stopping the strike of an Extraordinary.

Zheng Xiao closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

"An Weng, are you there?" An odd greeting was heard for some reason.

Zheng Xiao suddenly opened his eyes in shock, but all he saw was Ouyang Chen standing outside the cocoon of light. Ouyang Chen reached out his hand and lightly tapped the shell of the cocoon of light. He was like a guest paying a visit—courteous and polite. Though his voice was a bit loud, spreading out several hundred meters, it was just as clear and as distinct as before.

Inside the cocoon of light was a sheet of silence. There was no response.

Ouyang Chen muttered to himself in thought upon seeing this. He increased the force of his knocking fingers, stressing the outer layer of the cocoon of light. As his strength increased, the outer shell of the cocoon of light clearly subsided. Its texture was obvious. It was like the membrane of a peeled living egg. Light could shine through it and it could be punctured easily by a finger.

Of course, the holy space was not an egg. Under Ouyang Chen's external stimulation, the holy space responded in a manner that exceeded everyone's expectations.

The cocoon of light twitched and pulsated as if it was a living creature. It was like an enormous heart with branches of veins piercing out and extending everywhere. What had once been thin shadows amassed together from the surroundings. The shadows made contact with the branches of veins; it was as if the branches of veins were coursing with living blood. They turned alive in an instant, pouncing forth layer by layer, shielding the cocoon of light, and driving the shadows further away.

At the same time, the Logic World rumbled and shook. The giant shadow pillar that had smashed into the ground pulled up and was being withdrawn upward. The dark clouds of turbid mist churned like waves. It assaulted the senses directly, causing one's heart to feel smothered.

"This..." Zheng Xiao was a bit stupefied. A different thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. "I was wrong! An Weng isn't forming the body of the holy spirit! He's repeating his previous method. He wants to control, to control..."

It was like controlling the Human-Faced Arachnid. An Weng clearly wanted to have the shadow pillar—the demon in the background—be the host for his parasitic soul! He wants to realize complete control over the demon!

However, the consequences of having Luo Nan escape revealed itself in this moment.

Thunder exploded in rumbles. This was the roar of the shadow demon in the background. Luo Nan did not reverse An Weng's plans, but he had caused an instantaneous change. He reduced the upper limit of An Weng's control power.

The shadow pillar was pulled up halfway when a buzzing crackling could be heard. The deep dark shadow clouds diffused in all directions, filling the entirety of the Logic World.

No one could avoid it and this was no different than receiving an attack from the demon.

Zheng Xiao's face went green. He summoned his last bit energy to instantly cast an incantation. A transparent barrier was erected around his body. It blocked the first wave of the dark shadow clouds of erosion.

However, not everyone was as fortunate as him. All the Order's priests and knights on the rooftops were suddenly ignited by the dark flames when the dark mist enveloped them. The flames seemed toxic and corrosive; a few breathes later, they were all burnt to ashes.

These people died in this wretched manner, but they were unconscious from earlier. At least, they did not die painfully. The Oblatum Knights, however, were the most miserable ones of all.

The Oblatum Knights did not care too much about the corrosive attack of the dark shadow clouds. What they faced was not an external threat. It was the shackles planted deep within their body and soul over the past several years.

They were vessels for the First Oblatums' mana and this was also their source of power. Right now, An Weng's power was going through this channel to give them a blessing... One that was completely uncontrollable. The power of the demon was rebelling and it was far above the limits that they could endure.

Muffled explosions could be heard as dirty flowers of blood bloomed in various corners of the buildings. Several Oblatum Knights exploded one after another. And thus, the Order of Justice's elite troops in Xia City were nearly all wiped out in this instant.

After the six muffled explosions rang out, Baze, who had nearly climbed his way to the rooftop of Building A, suddenly froze in place. His muscular body abruptly expanded to twice its usual size and his muscles and bones creaked grotesquely.

He ascended to the crumbled rooftop of ruin amidst his spasms. It looked like he could explode any moment. But in the end, his powerful genetics and the strength of his fleshly body allowed him to endure it.

Baze strove to open his mouth. What had once been snow white teeth were now completely stained with blood. He roared from the bottom of his throat.

"FAIRCHILD!"

Fairchild stood at the other side of the rooftop. He heard Baze's roar and turned around. Baze's eyeballs were nearly bulging out from their sockets and he was already half blind. However, he miraculously locked onto Fairchild's location. He let out another roar and charged over.

With just two steps, Baze had crossed a distance of several dozen meters and his fist exploded out. Fairchild's darkened quicksilver aura sprayed and the Shield of Truth broke. Fairchild's well-built body was sent flying and Baze chased after him at an even faster speed. He pummeled Fairchild with one blow after another.

"DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!"

His howls were filled with murderous intent; he was venting the extreme pain he felt. Then later, he simply tore off his mask. "KILL ME KILL ME KILL ME KILL ME! COME AND KILL ME!"

Baze’s twisting muscles were like living snakes swimming beneath his skin. It gave him enormous strength, but this strength was engraved with pain and despair.

Baze knew that he would die, but he wanted to die in a way that allowed him some dignity!

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Chapter 130: Inhuman (Part 2/2)

Chapter 130: Inhuman (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Fairchild did not utter a single word, while he maintained a purely defensive guard. Baze had broke his Shield of Truth, so he no longer possessed a near-absolute defense ability. Baze had forcefully broken the limits of his defenses. His fists were more terrifying than any ax or hammer; they shredded Fairchild's robes and flesh endlessly and created a thin layer of bloody mist.

Though Baze possessed such an impetus, he still failed to fell Fairchild so far. Though the power of chaos endlessly battered and eroded against Fairchild, there existed a fundamental order to him all this time. There was not a tangible form that could match it.

Baze sent another fist that exploded down and forcefully blasted Fairchild's guarding arm open. The fist’s power pierced through his chest and entered his lungs. The crushing blow was so powerful that Fairchild's chest appeared a bit caved in.

However, Fairchild did not shirk or flee. He used a flexible arm to put Baze into a joint lock, and the two instantly entered a skin-to-skin close melee that was more dangerous than ever before.

Their two skulls smashed together, which instantly covered their faces with flowing blood. During this process, Fairchild smashed Baze’s sinister teeth in.

Fairchild still had Baze's elbow in a joint lock. He used the power of Baze's momentum to forcefully pull the latter into a twisting throw and smashed Baze hard onto the rubble. But not even a second later, Baze flipped Fairchild into the air with his inexhaustible brute force.

These two people were beasts in human form. Their powers were just that terrifying. The floor of the ruins could not handle the strength of their clash, and it caved in. This force even brought along the steel support beams.

Their two figures fell, and the rubble pelted their faces from above. However, even within the narrowest of spaces, they did not stop at all. They continued to pummel each other's face, chest, and ribs.

The shockwaves from their clashes blew the rubble and steel beams away, and the two did not get buried. However, they had already spat out blood before they could fall to the ground.

Fairchild disregarded the extent of his injuries, as he remained as callous as steel from start to finish. He bided his time and waited for an opportunity. Finally, the moment came when Baze let out two bombardments without the slightest reservations.

Fairchild endured another heavy blow to his injured chest. He paid this price to capture the interval when Baze overexerted his strength. Then, Fairchild utilized his joint-manipulation skills. He forcefully dislocated Baze's left elbow and used a heavy headbutt to smash Baze's right shoulder.

After all this, both of Baze’s arms were broken.

Though Baze was in this condition, he was still like a crazed tiger. He completely ignored his shattered shoulder and dislocated joints, as he pounced up to continue this deadly engagement.

However, his movements rapidly declined. He could no longer manage moving as he did before. Fairchild pulled some distance between them and let loose a chain of punches. He connected with Baze's chin, ears, and other vital points to shake Baze's brain in its skull. While he was dazed, Fairchild let loose a heavy kick to Baze's stomach and knocked the wind out of his body.

"Kaboom!"

Baze flew backward and smashed a warped and deformed pillar in half. A lot of rubble fell down and covered his entire body. In the end, he struggled up with great difficulty, roaring and snarling as usual. The pure savagery of chaos had enveloped this man—the physically strongest of Xia City—and it tortured him to the point of inhumanity.

Fairchild took a bit of time to gasp for breath and adjust his breathing. Then, he said, "Help!"

His voice was deep and low and was unable to reach far. When he spoke, shadow clouds saturated the air around him in a twenty meter radius. There was no one alive in the area aside from Baze.

Fairchild's voice hung in the air for a mere two seconds before his chest lit with a faint glow. The tetrahedron of the Format Pyramid was half embedded in his chest. It helped to restore Fairchild’s blood and energy, and it relieved the pain of his injuries.

Fairchild used his hand to reset the broken ribs inside his body. He started to bleed because some of the ribs had pierced his internal organs. However, such injuries were far from fatal to him. He was powerful; a step away from being an Extraordinary. After he reset his broken bones, his internal organs’ self-regeneration ability started. He could now maintain at least fifty to sixty percent of his combat power.

Of course, the standard used was one without the blessing of the Shield of Truth.

"Him as well." Fairchild pointed at Baze.

"Are you sure?" Luo Nan's consciousness cut through from the mental plane. Just now, Fairchild had used the impression of order he received from Luo Nan back when they had demonstrated their abilities to each other. This allowed them to make contact and also showed that Luo Nan's existence in the Logic World was not a mystery to the powerful such as Fairchild.

"He can still be saved," Fairchild responded indifferently. "I believe you can do it."

Okaay, all the pressure was tossed on Luo Nan in a mere sentence. Of course, Fairchild knew that his answer was unsatisfactory. He said in follow up, "Within the Order of Xia City, there are a few members with promise aside from An Weng. They are none other than him and Zheng Xiao... They need to be left with a bit of energy."

Uh, that's right. Luo Nan had nearly forgotten, and he would have if Fairchild did not mention it. Fairchild was a member of the Order of Justice. Though he was an executioner of the truth side, and was incompatible with the secular side like fire and water, he was a mad believer of the Order.

The situation was disastrous with the Order of Justice suffering heavy casualties. It was hard to figure out Fairchild's current feelings. However, when one thought about it, Fairchild was probably far from happy.

"What about An Weng…?"

Luo Nan's mind grew clear before he finished his words. Now was not the time to deliberate over 'leaving them with a bit of energy'.

The shadow pillar rose endlessly. An Weng's plot and methods were abundantly clear. The demon in the background was far too powerful. It seemed that the Scales of Truth and the holy space together could truly allow An Weng to create a miracle and control the demon. When that happened, everyone in the Logic World would be purged clean.

"You're overthinking it." Fairchild's response was simple. "The battle between Extraordinaries won't ever enter your hands."

This big truth was quite normal, which made Luo Nan speechless. He silently sighed and no longer wasted time on words as he gave Baze the Format Pyramid blessing.

Things did not go as smoothly for Baze as they did with Fairchild. The effects were not instantaneous, as this dark and muscular man’s body was a gigantic mess inside. External and internal injuries were second to what was truly troublesome—his body had been forcefully injected with the chaos element.

This was a rough exchange of power. It was simply like taking the chaotic nature of the Human-Faced Arachnid and forcefully shoving it into the human body to replace all its functions.

Just the fact that Baze had not exploded on the spot showed the incredible strength of his body.

Knowing the cause was useless. After the series of crazed attacks, the chaotic nature had already fused deeply with Baze. He was like a cup of water contaminated with ink. He would not return to his original state no matter how much Luo Nan cleansed him.

Moreover, the amount of ink exceeded the cup of water itself.

To call this a terminal illness would be quite apt.

Luo Nan switched to his clairvoyance type sensing. He observed Baze with his Life Sketch method. It was already impossible to draw a constellation of Baze. If Luo Nan had to draw, he could only make out the umbra of a dark cloud like that of the Human-Faced Arachnid.

In a certain sense, Baze could no longer be considered human. He was more like a demon, as he possessed a chaotic nature. Moreover, this nature continued to penetrate and replace Baze's original functions.

He should have died much earlier, but he was still alive for some reason.

His powerful fleshly body had fused together with the utterly collapsed foundation within to form this extremely special case.

However, he was doomed. It would be difficult for him to last long.

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Chapter 131: Not Really a Demon (Part 1/2)

Chapter 131: Not Really a Demon (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan used his mental senses to scan Baze from inside out. The more he looked, the greater the pressure became. The more he looked, the more uncertain he grew. He cursed An Weng in his mind for a time.

This freaking An Weng. He does not want to take responsibility and just screws over his own subordinate... Fine then. An Weng was not paying any attention to things on this end, as he was obsessed with working on the demon in the background.

"You can save him," Fairchild repeated these same words. His faith in Luo Nan far exceeded Luo Nan's faith in himself.

"How can I save him?" Luo Nan did not need to beat around the bush when he talked with Fairchild. He responded unhappily, "His heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney... none of them are functioning. All his bodily functions are a complete mess, all for the sake of amassing a most explosive power..."

Suddenly, Luo Nan’s words trailed off when he reached this point. Conversations on the mental plane allowed dialog to convey information at an efficiency that far exceeded normal physical speech.

Fairchild understood Luo Nan's difficulties and problems, and Luo Nan understood Fairchild's reasoning. Then, Luo Nan used even simpler and precise words to express his thoughts.

"You want me to erect an order frame upon him and bind him?"

"That's right." Fairchild's thought process was rough because it originated from the time he received the feeling of order on the mental plane in Frost River Reality with Luo Nan. He let Luo Nan speak the final few words to clinch the point, just like before. He praised Luo Nan, "An order frame... It's a good description."

Of course, it was good. This was what An Weng was doing right now.

Yes, and there was Luo Nan as well.

Having experienced the clash with An Weng on the altar frames, Luo Nan had some new understandings about matters he previously found unclear.

The altar and the sacrificial ritual represented a sort of order. Though the nature of the demon was chaos, a certain order controlled it. Chaos required a large frame, otherwise, the chaos would be completely meaningless.

The Human-Faced Arachnid was an excellent example of this concept. The Wraith Sign’s many successes with the sacrificial ritual were living proofs. The existence of this chaos could exist within a high level of order. This was the only explanation for why a Darksider life form—which could only rely on instinct to move—could use highly efficient methods to make correct decisions most of the time.

Right now, Baze was a demon in human form. Though there were parts that were a bit incongruous with this description, he was essentially no different from a demon. It was naturally very difficult to restore him to a human-like state. However, if the goal was just to maintain his current state... It was a step toward being feasible.

Luo Nan mulled things over for a little bit and said, "If you don't mind him being in this state, perhaps I can keep him alive. However, his fundamental nature will be completely changed this way. Is there a point?"

Fairchild gave a slight nod and looked down at the Baze that gasped for breath. This fellow's organs had long since twisted, which caused him immeasurable pain. Dirt and blood stained his dark face. His mouth was no exception, and he looked as hideous as a demon.

Baze felt Fairchild’s eyes on him and locked gazes with half bulging eyes. Then, Baze's pupils dilated, as he was no longer able to focus them. He looked even more terrifying now. Moreover, the skin that bore this terrifying and hideous face rapidly turned dark and gray. Baze's ability to struggle was diminishing, and he grew stiffer and stiffer. It looked like the flames of his life could extinguish at any time.

In regards to life, the nature of chaos was infinitely close to death.

Conversely, if one possessed life, one's nature might not necessarily be of pure chaos. There would always be a glimmer of hope.

"Go on then," Fairchild responded as such.

Luo Nan ended the conversation, and the radiance of the Format Pyramid in Baze's chest grew brighter and brighter. It represented Luo Nan's order as it formed an influence upon Baze.

However, just the blessing of the Format Pyramid was not enough. The addition of a more direct and efficient method was required.

Luo Nan needed to refer to some things, but then his consciousness had that awful experience with the altar frames. The information that came from the depths of the mental plane distracted his consciousness for a moment, which made his mind wander a bit.

An Weng appeared to have gained a new level of control power over the demon in the background. Ouyang Chen was completely dispelled from the shadow pillow, which rapidly left the Logic World.

"Focus!"

Fairchild admonished Luo Nan. He meant that Luo Nan should not get involved, and he should not get close.

Luo Nan understood what Fairchild meant. However, the altar frames were entangled. It was not something he could stay out of even if he wanted to.

In fact, when Luo Nan exerted influence on Baze, his entanglement with An Weng floated once again to the surface.

An Weng had not been paying attention to Baze. However, the chaotic nature that Luo Nan was dealing with when he erected the order frame was none other than the portion stripped from the demon that An Weng was trying to control. If Luo Nan were to trace back to the source of this chaos nature, he would not be able to avoid making contact with An Weng's Scales of Truth frame. Instantly, this hidden relationship poked out as clear as day.

An Weng and Luo Nan met once again, but this was no happy chance meeting. It was the collision of two order frames on a higher level. A clash and a chase.

Oh, there was also President Ouyang Chen. He had joined in on the fun with his mental senses.

This was the first time that Luo Nan had sensed the existence of the President so clearly. However, Ouyang Chen's existence soon turned fuzzy.

This was because Ouyang Chen was 'further' away.

A good example would be a diving competition. Luo Nan and An Weng both had clear directions, so they headed directly to the destination. Ouyang Chen's diving depth was on par with them, but he was not familiar with the underwater environment. He wasted a lot of energy, as he tried to find his target. Luo Nan and An Weng left him behind with their cheat-like abilities. In the end, Ouyang Chen had gotten lost. Needless to say, things were worse for other people.

After Ouyang Chen dropped out from the competition, An Weng took the energy he had focused on Ouyang Chen and placed most of it on Luo Nan. He scanned Luo Nan over and over and paid extreme attention to the latter.

It was no mystery why An Weng was acting this way. Right now, the holy space had permeated within the center of the shadow pillar and An Weng’s attempts to control the demon had yet to succeed completely. Luo Nan had traced upriver through Baze's chaos element and arrived over yonder.

The magnitude the two occupied was no different in terms of internal, external, and level. Then the problem came: two frames. Two elemental types. Two directions. There was only one demon in the background; who would it listen to?

It did not want to listen to either of them!

Restless roar permeated the Logic World through the countless curtains of the mental plane. The power of fury catalyzed the shadow clouds into maelstroms that seemed to contain substance. They eroded and ripped apart everything that they covered. Dust filled the sky as far as the eyes could see, and the three buildings began to shake even harder.

Such a reaction allowed Luo Nan to be a step more confident in his understandings. The demon in the background might be stronger than the Human-Faced Arachnid by a thousandfold, but the two were the same in nature.

This fellow's reaction was practically a carbon copy of the reaction of the burning wraith, which was the predecessor of the Wraith Sign back on the warship a dozen or so days ago. They were both completely helpless when faced with this situation.

Only a order frame of a higher level could achieve the powerful instinct nurtured within their chaos. It was currently in great pain from the attacks to its order frame, but it would be in far less pain if it got captured.

Right now, An Weng was tracing through the concrete layers of the order frame to get a feel for its structure. He made a matching emulation of the order frame to realize control over the demon. He had a clear direction. The holy space had likely indicated this direction to him.

However, Luo Nan had his own direction as well!

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Chapter 131: Not Really a Demon (Part 2/2)

Chapter 131: Not Really a Demon (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

A light vibration rang through space. Luo Nan had the living case of the Human-Faced Arachnid before him. It was impossible for Luo Nan to not make the mental connection with his dark chains.

A dozen or so days ago, Luo Nan had established his format and entered the level of 'My heart’s a prison'. Since then, Luo Nan had made rapid progress, and even he felt that this speed was incredible. However, he deeply understood that the embodiment of his greatest abilities had always been the Format Pyramid and the dark chains.

This was the precious treasure that his grandfather left to him. Everything and everything had developed from here.

Luo Nan had yet to understand all the mysteries within even now. He could only describe himself as having dispelled his doubts over some fundamental principles.

This was truly a frame!

The changes in the altar frame proved this. The so-called dark chains were very much like an instantiation of some high-level order frame.

Luo Nan could not understand it. How did his grandfather transform this order frame into drugs, breathing, and visualizations? How could this order frame be branded into the practitioner's body in this manner, and allow them to master this high level technique?

However, the application was the most important thing right now.

Luo Nan had the feeling that the directional nature of his dark chains was in no way inferior to what An Weng possessed. It seemed that Luo Nan could still dive deeper and follow An Weng for some more.

But was that necessary? He thought back to when Bai Xinyan and the others had ridiculed him and when Fairchild had admonished him. He also remembered all the previous lessons from his rash behavior time and time again... Was he making a mistake?

He stopped overthinking things, and the dark chains manifested. They pierced from the depths of the void to penetrate Baze's forehead.

This was not the first time that Luo Nan had used the dark chains to bring someone back to life, but it was certainly the first time he had a clear target of order. Luo Nan paid no attention to the concrete circulation of blood and energy. Instead, he solely focused on the order frame that acted on the chaotic nature within.

Though the order frame could be described as acting on the chaotic nature, this was an elevated description.

Interfering with the material plane had never been Luo Nan's area of expertise. His current developmental path was already shifting toward pure observation. He had largely given up on trying to affect the material plane. In exchange, he gained an outstanding performance in mental sensing.

It was impossible for Luo Nan to turn Baze into a marionette he could control. It was also impossible for Luo Nan to force Baze onto a new path of order.

He merely guided Baze through the fog of chaos. He clearly saw just how much the chaos element had ravaged Baze. So, Luo Nan used the higher level of the new order to comb through the structure of Baze's body and soul. This procedure thereby mitigated the damage from the chaos.

The problem was that Baze had lost basic control over himself. Even if Luo Nan placed a clearcut solution before him, it was hard for him to follow it. Luo Nan had anticipated this early on and led Baze.

Now they reached the final fork in the road.

Luo Nan gave Fairchild a final reminder. "This is my order frame... Mine!"

Fairchild definitely understood the deeper meaning behind Luo Nan's words. However, Fairchild did not speak. He simply knelt down and struck Baze's chest with a heavy blow.

Baze spat out a mouthful of blood that splashed onto Fairchild’s entire face. Fairchild appeared unaffected, as he sent out another blow. This time the paralyzed Baze, who was on the ground, straightened up on his own accord. He cut off Fairchild's fist halfway with his chest.

The two locked eyes at this moment and Fairchild tilted his chin slightly upward. "Follow him if you want to live."

Baze gasped for breath. The erosion from and the symbiosis with the chaos element continued to bring him pain. It twisted each vein in his body inside out. Every muscle was spasming. Within this sheet of chaos, nothing remained of the accustomed functional order of the human body. It was impossible to restore.

If he wanted to live, he would need to find a new order that would allow life to continue on within this sheet of ruin. He could not possibly accomplish this in a short period of time... However, Luo Nan was demonstrating some possibility of life for him.

Baze had no choice but to obey.

He closed his eyes and his breathing grew even more chaotic at first. Then, his breathing suddenly broke off. It took a few seconds before he continued breathing again. And so, this process repeated. At the same time, the muscles, bones, veins, and internal organs of his body were all squirming in a frenzy. They matched his breathing tempo.

This repeated itself five times. That is, it failed five times before Baze roared crazily. The back of his head struck the floor of the ruins madly, and loud bangs rang out. His body was struggling and spasming like crazy. His veins were bulging all over his skin. This all formed an ugly and hideous scene.

Seconds ticked by and the shadow pillar spurred the dark clouds of turbid mist and ravaged the building layer by layer. Portions of the structure collapsed from time to time, and the large building grew all the more unstable.

Some of the dark clouds of turbid mist came rolling in. Obviously, it could not harm Fairchild, and it could not do anything to Luo Nan. However, it was inexplicably attracted to Baze; it pounced on his body, as he roared madly. It permeated in and out of his nostrils and mouth, as if some kind of exchange was taking place.

Fairchild did not move at all. He calmly watched everything unfold.

"Gasp!"

Baze drew in an audible long breath. He exerted himself and breathed in all the mist that surrounded his body in two short seconds. He struggled in pain and swelled a bit; suddenly, the size of his body was fixed. Then, he fell paralyzed again on the ground and gasped for breath. His chest was clearly moving up and down, his breathing entering the rate of normal people.

This represented that Baze had found a new life order within the chaos and disorder.

Although, this outcome might not be a satisfactory one.

Baze opened his eyes and his ice-cold eyes looked toward the night sky without focus. His malevolent and fierce intent was like a flame beneath a layer of ice. It was weak, but it existed tenaciously.

Luo Nan knew that this dude's gaze was directed toward him. But what could he do about it?

An interesting change had appeared in the Format Pyramid structure. Baze's figure quietly appeared on the 'office worker' level. This was the result of reconstructing Baze's body and soul structure according to order with the aid of the dark chains.

Luo Nan had already stated this clearly to Fairchild by saying that this was 'his' order frame.

Fairchild had agreed tacitly, but Baze did not necessarily accept it... Fine, he was certain that Baze was seriously rejecting it.

Luo Nah had placed Baze at the office worker level within the Format Pyramid, so he was under a binding power. Luo Nan did not have many examples of this, but he could make weak comparisons. The Wraith Sign was in the technician level, and it was very obedient. Cat Eyes was in the student level, and she was unruly and obstinate. As for Baze on the office worker level...

The dark chains suddenly shook with life. Baze's body suddenly convulsed within the rattling vibrations. A certain 'hook', which had long since warped and deformed, shattered with a bang.

In an instant, obscure waves penetrated space and came over. This event shocked and startled Luo Nan, but he was in no position to cry out with his mind. He absolutely could not react in time. This was An Weng's consciousness and it came slashing across space. It was like a longsword recently pulled out of the forge. It brought along an intense burning sensation.

The 'hook' was certainly the means An Weng used to control Oblatum Knights such as Baze. Even if An Weng had abandoned Baze, it was hard for An Weng to not be disturbed in the face of this change.

However, An Weng's intense reaction was not as simple as that of 'losing a single Baze'.

Luo Nan had realized a 'control' over Baze. He had erected a binding order upon Baze's chaotic nature. In a certain sense, this was tantamount to controlling a portion of the power of the demon in the background. Though An Weng had abandoned this portion, An Weng felt threatened.

He could liken this to An Weng trying to control the mainland. An Weng’s attempts had turned everything on its head, but he had yet to obtain his desired outcome. Luo Nan was to the side. However, Luo Nan was able to control a small island detached from the mainland due to a volcanic earthquake first.

This was probably in the same vein.

Analogies could be used to describe reality, but they could not replace reality in the end. Luo Nan and An Weng's relationship were not that of an island and its mainland. There was not a vast body of water between them; there was not an ocean. There was only the distance of their senses, which was neither far nor near.

It was far too dangerous! If Luo Nan was An Weng, he would have probably thought this.

Moreover, there was another element that seeped into the fray.

The dark chains rang with their rattle, ringing non-stop.

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Chapter 132: Perhaps of the Truth (Part 1/2)

Chapter 132: Perhaps of the Truth (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan had grown accustomed to the sound of the vibrating dark chains. Of course, this was just his interpretation. There were no sounds on the mental plane. There was just the corresponding energy and information.

Before, the dark chains would spend most of their time hidden in the extreme depths of the mental plane. There was only a finite amount of time for outsiders to know of its existence. However, An Weng's current depth on the mental plane was in no way inferior to Luo Nan's. An Weng could sense the corresponding energy and information just as clearly.

Yes. An Weng must have heard it.

First, there was Baze; then, the vibrations came. It was unknown how An Weng interpreted this series of changes. However, Luo Nan had confirmed that An Weng paid extreme attention to these events. An Weng even temporarily halted his attempt to control the demon!

The heart of the holy space—the cocoon of light—was astonishingly calm. All movements had ceased. In accordance, An Weng's thoughts cleaved over once again in Luo Nan's direction. As the person involved, Luo Nan felt the burning sensation of the red-hot longsword. However, Fairchild felt it as well.

"Withdraw your senses! Don't provoke him!" Fairchild's logical decision made Luo Nan's speechless. However, Fairchild quickly recognized his mistake and frowned. He cast his gaze toward the shadow pillar, which was pulling up and leaving the sky.

No one was able to surmise An Weng's actions. As for the demon, though it was still wild, the chaotic energy and information it brought with it could be observed as background noise. This energy and information warped the depths of space but was relatively easy to filter out. Because of this, things became much easier in an instant. For a time, all that remained was the faint ringing of the dark chains. The rung grew clearer and resonated more.

Luo Nan felt a bit of pressure. He discovered that the source of the energy and information of the chains' cry seemed to come from more than one place, so it was not only himself. The dark chains shook within the warped depths of space and evoked a reverberation!

The energy and information were transmitted in a form completely different to sound waves and the like. They were ethereal. If one wanted to trace back to the source, one could only analyze the energy and information layer by layer to find clues and differentiate the direction.

Thinking about it, An Weng had discovered this point. So, that was why he had stopped his previous actions. He wanted to lessen the disturbances. But no matter the strength of the interference, it was still far too difficult from Luo Nan's perspective. His analytical abilities were far from reaching this degree. Luo Nan was at a loss for a time.

Uh, hold on, I'm an idiot!

Luo Nan cursed to himself. This cascaded series of unforeseen events had made his brain stupid. In reality, analyzing the energy and information was not that troublesome. The crucial information could completely be seen using the dark chains.

Luo Nan's refocused his attention on the dark chains. In a short few seconds, a light bulb lit up in his mind. He had called it a 'reverberation' just now, but this judgment was wrong.

The sound in the depths of space was not reverberating. It was resonating.

Let's borrow concepts from physics. The current state of the dark chains could be said to be vibrating at the same frequency of some object somewhere.

The chains influenced the object, and the object influenced the chains. The waves started off with a tiny amplitude but suddenly expanded. It made it so that the dark chains could not hide, but it also made clues appear about the thing hidden in deeper space.

"Rattle....ROAR!"

The demon roared. Ever since the dark chains reverberated on this level, the powerful demon clearly grew extremely furious. Its power, which was on the verge of leaving the Logic World, let loose an explosive blast as if it was venting its anger. All the buildings in the area crumbled and collapsed one after another and shrapnel flew through the air. Spectators like Fairchild, Baze, and Zheng Xiao all had to rush to take shelter to avoid being part of the disaster.

The attack of the demon naturally involved the mental plane. The corresponding blast there was also extremely powerful. If the demon could do it, it would certainly crush all these little fleas inside and outside its domain completely to death. Then, it would chew them up and swallow them.

However, it was not easy for the demon to do this.

Luo Nan was no longer a newbie that had trembled with fear when he faced the Human-Faced Arachnid's Siege Hammer attack. Right now, he could display a marvelous superiority in his sensing-mode of pure observation. By not mixing interference with the physical plane, Luo Nan was able to have his mental senses diffuse into the atmosphere. They were incorporeal and ethereal. They were everywhere at once. The demon's mental attack descended like a storm. Though it might have been warped and deformed for a time, the whiplash that Luo Nan received was minimal. He barely felt it.

In this situation, it did not matter if the buildings of the Logic World were destroyed or not. In the end, the Logic World was nothing more than a paper-cut silhouette that stood between the virtual and reality. The biggest problem was, just how much could the Logic World endure?

As the demon's power continued to blast out, a clear shaking appeared within the night sky. The frequency of its corresponding ripples distorted with an upheaval. The power was enough to potentially cause the Logic World to collapse.

When the buildings collapsed, Fairchild and Baze moved agilely. The injuries did not affect them, and they were able to avoid being caught in the fallout quite easily. However, when Fairchild saw the ripples in the void, his expression changed a bit.

"Withdraw," told Fairchild Luo Nan. However, neither Luo Nan or Baze moved.

After the construction of the Logic World, regardless of mental senses being able to enter at will, a living person whose body was on the material plane would not find it easy to leave the Logic World. They would need to obtain the permission of Ouyang Chen, who built it. Or they could forcefully break through the barrier of this space. This option would undoubtedly shake up the foundations of the Logic World and rapidly lead to the world’s collapse.

This was exactly what the demon was doing.

Normally, if Fairchild wanted to leave, he would send his greetings to Ouyang Chen and things would be fine. However, it was unknown just how much control Ouyang Chen had over his Logic World right now... The degree of damage that the Logic World had suffered already far exceeded its normal limits. It was like a scrapped machine. It did not matter how great its performance was in the past, once the key parts were damaged, it would be extremely difficult to start it up anew.

Alas, this point might not have been something Ouyang Chen had kept in mind when he started all this.

Luo Nan did not respond to Fairchild's call. He did not retreat. It was not Luo Nan being disobedient. Rather, it was because Luo Nan did not dare. Fairchild viewed the limits of the material plane, whereas Luo Nan saw the mental plane becoming even more chaotic.

In the material plane of the Logic World, the warped structure of space was still useable. However, in the mental plane, this sort of crucial structure had already begun to collapse. Warped curtains hung from the material plane and locked out one after another. They disconnected from each other and fluttered with elasticity, as they intertwined. They took the mental plane, especially its deep regions, and made it one tangled mess.

Luo Nan really did not dare to venture in there. From his clairvoyance, he could see that the stability of the Logic World had received irreversible damage from the demon's attacks. The attacks completely reduced the curtain structure of the mental plane into a labyrinth trap. It was like over a thousand tape lines had been pulled to the limits and interwoven together to form many bizarre loops.

If a soul body wanted to enter and exit, one mistake and the soul would be lost in the endless abyss of space. Even if one made it out alive, it would be unknown what godforsaken place they would appear at.

Of course, it would be fortunate if it were only hundreds of kilometers away. But what if it was ten-thousand kilometers? What if one emerged in the bottom of the ocean? In the vastness of outer space?

This was no laughing matter!

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Chapter 132: Perhaps of the Truth (Part 2/2)

Chapter 132: Perhaps of the Truth (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

The structure of the Logic World deformed within this warped space, to the point that it radiated energy and information. If this energy and information were analyzed, it would likely yield the crackling sound of collapse.

The situation grew all the more complicated within the mental plane. Though Luo Nan was not going to listen to Fairchild's proposal to leave quickly, he stopped extending his mental senses. He stopped going deeper into the mental plane. Instead, he tried to retract his senses.

Finally, Luo Nan saw that the demon was using the opportunity to 'vent' with attacks to escape suspicion. After it had caused the Logic World's structure to collapse, it occupied a plane of some already-disconnected curtains. Meanwhile, a tape line rapidly retracted. This curtain and this tape line, their relationship with the Logic World had been severed Then, it headed toward the depths of space.

An Weng was forced to make a choice, as he had solely focused on Luo Nan... Actually, his choice did not matter. The demon’s foundation of power had absorbed the cocoon of light and the heart. An Weng would certainly have to leave along with it.

An Weng's focus that was like a red-hot longsword had left at last.

Luo Nan could not help but relax a bit. However, he soon discovered that it was too early to relax.

The demon had left. An Weng had left. But the familiar yet strange vibration grew clearer and clearer. It caused the dark chains to oscillate a bit more intensely than normal.

The resonance still continued.

The dark chains were being affected by the distant information. Even if Luo Nan deliberately pulled some distance to stay out of it, there existed a resonance-type relationship. As long as he remained in this plane, his consciousness would be attracted. There would always be a constant desire to approach it.

Luo Nan's mind was in a bit of a trance. Some energy and information fragments were injected into his mind thanks to the attractive force. They turned into fuzzy images upon analysis. Luo Nan felt as if he was in a dream.

He felt uncertain about this sight because his analytic abilities were lacking. At this time, a different source on the mental plane transmitted vibrations over. Ouyang Chen had sent the information. The President had locked onto his level and position, and he was catching up through it.

This was the first time Luo Nan had experienced the mental senses of an Extraordinary. It miraculously lacked all pressure, and it only sent over pure information.

"Effective division of labor is more important than working overtime."

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Luo Nan’s mind jolted before he could truly understand what was going on. He felt an astonishing storm being set off on the mental plane. It was an enormous force with an unclear source, and It came blasting across.

The gale blew and light swayed. It covered an extremely vast range and level. It enveloped the star river scene which Luo Nan drew, which caused it to turn blurry in an instant.

The sudden onslaught of the storm would have affected Luo Nan further, but Ouyang Chen's telepathic thoughts were here. Ouyang Chen erected a defensive barrier out of nothing to block the follow-up attacks.

The mental plane had not been calm before. Now that it received this influence, its curtains and tape lines fluttered around everywhere. The numerous chaotic information flow drowned out the specific direction that An Weng and the demon headed, forever lost.

The unknown party used the storm to cover demons tracks! Luo Nan made this initial judgment at once. The sudden appearance of the storm came too coincidentally. It made one naturally doubt its purpose.

Who made the move? Was there a powerful member of the Order of Justice in Xia City who had yet to reveal themselves?

"President!"

"They should be here now."

Ouyang Chen knew all of Luo Nan thoughts through the communication on the mental plane. Ouyang Chen, on the other hand, lacked even basic emotional waves. After evaluating of the sudden change in the situation, he explained a bit of background for Luo Nan.

"An Weng... The target he is trying to control contains an important secret. Many people and many powers have an interest in it. I believe that our Society needs to seize this decisive opportunity. It would be best if we could lock onto the position of that demon."

This left Luo Nan dumbstruck. How could they possibly lock onto it?

The demon had caused quite a large amount of chaos when it destroyed the Logic World. Then, the mental storm appeared from somewhere, and the demon used the storm to sever its trail in a truly effective manner. Even if Ouyang Chen wanted to lock onto the demon’s position, there was not a lot of time...

Before Luo Nan could complete his thoughts, another change occurred in the void.

Suddenly, another force surged. It was like a high cliff that abruptly ascended into existence. It stood in the middle of the void and completely suppressed the gusts of the mental storm that came from some distance. In the midst of Luo Nan's daze, something had inexplicably and heavily quelled the chaotic terrain within the mental plain.

This ability of dynamic quelling was on a much higher level than that of pure destruction.

Though the cliff stood there quelling, there was a sort of overwhelmingly dangerous feeling emitted from it for some reason. It was not due to instability. It was because there was an even more powerful active nature within its majesticness.

Luo Nan had abundant experience with his mental senses, but this force simply gave off the feeling that said, "I do not come to the mountain. The mountain comes to me." This was the first time Luo Nan had ever experienced such an imposing force. In comparison, Fairchild was too pure and Ouyang Chen kept a low-profile the entire time. They were not as bright as this power, this unforgettable power.

Who was this? It looked like they were on the same side, but how come they did not make a move when the situation was more favorable?

Luo Nan hesitated internally. On, the other hand, this did not shock Ouyang Chen at all. He just sent out new telepathic thoughts over to Luo Nan, "I was left too far behind just then. My ability isn't sufficient to lock onto the demon's position from here. I need you to help confirm."

Ouyang Chen acknowledged this in an easy-going manner. Luo Nan's ability to trace with his senses on the mental plane exceeded Ouyang Chen. Ouyang Chen placed Luo Nan in an awkward position when he admitted this.

"I can't lock on!"

Right now, Luo Nan could only confirm that the demon was located in the extreme depths of the mental plane. The construction of the Logic World warped the curtains of the mental plane, which brought them close to the material plane. It was only in this way that this chance appeared before the demon.

Many curtains layered upon each other to form the mental plane. With the construction of the Logic World, this curtains tangled and merged together into a single mass. Now that the Logic World's structure had collapsed, the curtains were being set back into place. During this upheaval, the curtains interacted each other. It was simply like the scattered pages of a book dancing in the wind.

At this moment, it was very hard to find the location of the demon and An Weng. First, one had to find which layer of the mental plane they were in. Then, one had to find them on that layer. The difficulty was on the same level as trying to lock onto a single page of a book's scattered pages; then, trying to find a single typo within the densely packed characters.

Just the thought of the magnitude of this undertaking caused a chill to run down Luo Nan’s spine... Uh, actually he was in his soul form now. He did not have a spine.

Ouyang Chen clearly knew the difficulty of the matter. He did not intent on giving Luo Nan more pressure. "Just a general direction is fine. You can integrate with this image."

Pure information cut through once more, but this time, the quantity of it was large. It made Luo Nan a bit dizzy.

The information that came in was just as Ouyang Chen had described. It was similar to an image; it was just far more complicated. A unidirectional perspective or three-dimensional figure could not describe it. After Luo Nan analyzed it, it was as if someone had squeezed him into an immersion VR device. Luo Nan personally experienced the complicated nature and the abundant content of the image.

This was where the benefits of communicating on the mental plane laid. Soon, Luo Nan understood that this was the structural design drawing of the Logic World.

After sorting through the general outline, Luo Nan instantly felt that the structural patterns of the Logic World were like thick sponge mats. The mats gated off in all directions and were stacked three, four layers inside out for each side. Then, the layers pressed together from the outermost layer.

Luo Nan could represent the material plane, while the sponge mats represented the mental plane. Force was exerted on the high levels of the mental plane to forcefully warp the structure of the folded layers. This ripped apart the separation between extremely distant regions of the mental plane, which allowed them to directly interfere with the material plane.

This was probably how it worked. Luo Nan understood the basic principles of erecting the Logic World. Of course, actually doing so was another thing. It was absolutely not easy... It was not even worth thinking of attempting if one did not possess the strength of an Extraordinary.

Moreover, how many layers of sponge mats were there? Does the thickness of the mats pose an issue?

From what Luo Nan could tell with his own senses, the mental plane was a multi-layered structure, but it describing as thousands of layers of curtains would be more accurate. Especially since this feeling grew stronger the deeper he delved into the mental plane. No matter how the layers overlapped; no matter how they fluttered and shook.

Well, Ouyang Chen had sent the structural drawing of a simplified model for the Logic World. How much harder would calculating the distortion of several thousand layers be when compared to calculating the distortion of a few layers? Even if Ouyang Chen sent over the calculations, Luo Nan probably would be unable to receive such a mass of information.

Luo Nan had found a rational explanation, and his mind calmed down quite a bit. Though a small mistake would lead to a huge difference in the result even when he used the model, Ouyang Chen did not expect precision from him.

He thought about it broadly and telepathically drew a circle upon this image. He felt that this region was the most suitable location for the demon. He felt that this one circle would require him to comb through over a hundred 'curtains' to verify the demon's existence. If Luo Nan had the misfortune of the target 'curtain' to drift away during this time... Then the only ending would be all his efforts going down the drain.

After Luo Nan drew the circle, he felt that his solution was unreliable. However, Ouyang Chen was quite pleased with it. "The direction is quite convincing. We can give it a shot. If it doesn't work, we can do more research."

"But..."

When Luo Nan released this thought, the turmoil on the mental plane, which had lessened substantially, suddenly ignited once more. The enemy that had covered An Weng's trail with the mental storm attacked the 'quelling cliff' time and time again to no avail. The enemy switched to a different method and began to jump back and forth between various regions of the mental plane. Sometimes, the enemy even touched the material plane. Rolling clouds gave birth to waves that directly affected the existence of the Logic World.

Everyone could tell that the complete collapse of the Logic World was only a matter of time.

Ouyang Chen stopped wasting time speaking and did not consult Luo Nan for his opinion anymore. He took the bit of strength that he used to protect Luo Nan's mental senses and made a subtle change. He took Luo Nan and his mental senses that had stirred up quite a bit of trouble tonight and expelled him from the Logic World.

By the time Luo Nan came back to reality, he had found his soul body floating in the area of the building complex in the real world. Unlike the smashed state of Frost River Reality in the Logic World, it was unscathed in reality. It shrunk into the cover of darkness.

However, Luo Nan's star river scene turned more and more confusing.

It was only now that Luo Nan discovered the clash between the strong. It was not merely limited to the Logic World. Their power possessed a penetrating and stable nature that was astonishing; they forcefully broke through the barrier of the Logic World. The resulting shock waves passed onto this plane.

Even though Luo Nan could not evoke enough power with his mental senses, the structure of his Life Sketches received real effects. The pressure was mounting.

Without needing much thought, Luo Nan began to rapidly reduce his sensing range. From his perspective, he could do this in a single effort of will. However, he soon felt something wrong.

Life Sketches composed the scene of the star river, and Luo Nan drew it personally. This was not something that Luo Nan could withdraw from with will alone. He could not delete it with his will alone. The corresponding information was already deeply engraved in his mind, and this caused Luo Nan to receive real influences himself.

Energy and information exchanged on the mental plane. Expanding the range of one’s mental senses did not come with any difficulties. However, the instant Luo Nan retracted his mental senses, he compressed complicated information. They swept over his soul body.

Whether it be his soul or his main body dozens of kilometers away, they all shook violently.

Luo Nan was already familiar with this kind of feeling. Every time the altar frame completed a sacrificial ritual successfully, every time the Wraith Sign reaped some gains in a hunt, corresponding energy and information would always be fed back to Luo Nan.

His soul was becoming stronger. When this happened, troubles always followed like a shadow following a body. This time, the troubles seemed to be even bigger than before.

Before, the limits of his soul body's endurance had yet to be tested. This time, things were completely different. Before Luo Nan could retract the range of his senses by even a half, the feelings of swelling, rupturing, and dizziness magnified endlessly. A bad omen of a runaway effect appeared within the operation of the convergence of energy and information.

There was something even more deadly as well. The clash between the strong on the mental plane was stuffing a bunch of useful and useless energy and information into the equation.

His soul body had reached its limits! Or in other words, the operational structure of energy and information, also known as the Soul Configuration, had reached the cap of the amount of energy and information it could process.

There was a great amount of information. The lost of control and the disorder caused the boundaries between information to blur and mix together.

Which information was his self? Which information was his own consciousness?

Which information was his surrounding insignificant memories and impressions?

These things were all kneaded into one spot. They interfered with each other and affected each other. Soon, it seemed that his soul would stop working.

No, that absolutely could not happen!

Luo Nan knew that regardless of what happened next, he needed a buffer. He needed a way to discharge this flood... He could not think of anything else at this moment but the successes he had in the past.

The external neuron!

A lightning bolt cleaved through the sea of his mind and Luo Nan's physical body sprung up in the vehicle. It fell back down again and began exhibiting death convulsions.

The values of the medical monitoring instruments at the scene rose and fell sharply. The values did not go straight down. Instead, they bounced up and down and went off the charts. It was as if the instruments had entered strong magnetic field. The numbers they gave were no longer worth anything.

Everyone was startled and baffled in the vehicle, be it Bai Xinyan, Zhang Yingying, Xue Lei, Red Fox, Cat Eyes, or Papercut. At the same time, a static sound rang in the ears of several members of the Society. The Psychic Wave Network, which had ceased to operate for a while, began to restore communications. Only, the first wave of information transmitted over to them was bizarre.

Within rustling noise like the rise and fall of the tide came two voices in sharp opposition. Thoughts transformed into callous words. "The Order will purge all who desecrate the Holy Entity..."

"Then let's go to war!" The response was leisurely and calm, as if the previous words were just a breeze blowing past the ear. However, the information within along with the corresponding power and identity of the speaker made the members of the Society who had heard the messages look at each other in dismay.

Then, everybody cast their gazes near-simultaneously on a single person.

What the hell is your boss doing?

Zhang Yingying spread her hands in a helpless shrug. It was rare to see her speechless.

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Chapter 133: Intermediary (Part 1/2)

Chapter 133: Intermediary (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

"Chu chu! Chu chu!"

Xie Junping puckered his lips. His tongue sprung back and forth, as he produced an alluring sound. What a pity. He had made a great blunder. He had forgotten to use a microphone. The actions of his mouth were bound to be useless.

Luckily, the night vision camera in front was quite awesome. Colored light post-processed the dark green image. By the time it was transmitted to his eyes, the technology had nearly reconstructed the image perfectly. It was close to the real situation.

He could see a little plump brown critter in the dim corner of the tree hole. It stood on its hind legs, as Its front paws shook. Sharp teeth ground against each other within its flat and round mouth. The creature looked nervous and alert.

"That's right. Be a good boy and come to papa..."

Xie Junping's lips split into a grin, as he subtly moved his joystick. Then, he pressed a button. A spider-like bionic robotics platform finished locking onto the target. It shot out with a paralyzing needle.

The brown critter visibly trembled for an instant before its upright body fell forward.

"Bingo!"

Xie Junping loudly yelled and pulled hard on his joystick to command the robotic spider. The spider dashed down the flight of stairs, and its forward limbs reached out. Its sharp tips caused visible blue-white sparks. "Brown-haired mouse! Let your papa love you properly!"

The stab was perfect!

The stab had struck the target dead on before his eyes, but he had never expected the following to happen. The mouse’s tail, which made up two-thirds of the length of its entire body, whipped out. It knocked the electrically charged forelimbs of the spider askew without taking a hair of damage itself.

Then, its plump body shot straight up and it clung to the wall of the tree house. It turned horizontally and traversed the wall with five or six steps like an acrobat. After that, it dropped to the ground and repeated a few vertical jumps, dodging the metal net the robotic spider shot. It went down the flight of stairs and disappeared past a corner in the blink of an eye. It caused a faint splashing sound, as it jumped into the water.

"F***K YOU!"

Xie Junping temporary neglected his facade of a respectful person in his anger. He nearly smashed his controller to the ground, and he smacked his head hard a few times, which caused his immersion helmet to ring out with muffled vibrations.

There was not the time to be overly vexed. He yelled out, "Underwater view!" Soon, the scene switched to an underwater area that was dark, cloudy, and murky.

The automatically calibrated visual mode showed a relatively well-rendered scene thanks to the high-end underwater camera. The bloody-glow of the setting sun pierced through the jungle to diffuse across the surface of the shallow waters. The gleam of the reflective waves occasionally brushed across, as large black fish swam by. The water was full of life and everything felt within reach. It was as if Xie Junping had personally entered the water.

However, Xie Junping did not have the leisure to enjoy this underwater scene. He pushed his joystick forward and a motor silently started up. This was an expensive purchase, a small military unmanned underwater vehicle. It moved like a fish as it slipped quickly around.

He had lost his best opportunity with his meaningless emotional venting from earlier. The brown-haired mouse had dove out from below the sandbar and slipped past the UUV ahead and below. The brown-haired mouse had an unexpectedly great speed underwater.

Xie Junping had already stopped talking. He grit his teeth, as he activated the firing system. However, the target did something unexpected with its long tail. It knocked its tail into the thick layer of silt below the water and stirred up a great quantity of black mud to act as a screen. This action allowed it to escape from the firing system’s lock-on.

At this time, the robotic spider entered an autonomous mode and crashed into the water. This was an amphibious robot. Though it couldn't float on the surface, it could tread on the bottom of the water and chase slowly ahead.

"This looks to be more effective..."

Xie Junping rushed to switch the control modes, but could he do so in time? In the end, he simply said through gritted teeth, "Telepathic control mode!"

He immediately went to control the simpler machine, the small UUV. He combined the telepathic controls with the automatic cruising function, which let the UUV travel back and forth in the rubble. Then, Xie Junping endured the dizziness and strain from using his mind to do two things at once, as he controlled the robotic spider to pursue the critter.

Muddy waters sprang up all around him within the small lake of this wetland. His movements startled the fish and prawn within, and the birds and critters above the water. It was all quite chaotic.

Xie Junping roared five minutes later, and he threw the joystick hard.

"OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD."

A dark shadow came straight at Hu Huaying's face right when the freight elevator opened up. Luckily, Hu Huaying's reactions were quick. He dodged to the side and the unidentified flying object swept past his ear. Then, it smashed into the elevator's inner wall behind him.

Hu Huaying's scalp went numb when he heard the volume of noise the joystick made. He opened his mouth and wanted to curse at Xie Junping, but saw that Xie Junping was wearing a helmet. He saw Xie Junping try to pull off his helmet in a flustered and exasperated manner. This fellow nearly broke his own neck due to his heated mood.

Hu Huaying rolled his eyes. He did not scold Xie Junping, but he did not go help. He just crossed his arms over his chest and watched Xie Junping struggle.

Hu Huaying waited until Xie Junping took off his helmet and his other peripherals before mocking him. "Brother Ping, you're becoming more and more stingy now! Why don't you go to Frost River Reality. They have a full set of gear there. What's the point of using a joystick."

"I'm not playing games. I don't need a full set of gear!"

"If you're not playing games, what are you playing?"

"... You won't understand."

Xie Junping wanted to say something, but he hesitated. In the end, he just waved his hand with a helpless look. But there was a flame that burned within his eyes, which showed a will that had not weakened at all.

He breathed a few times and calmed himself down. "How goes the work with the societies?"

Hu Huaying shrugged and replied, "It seems that the Mystic Arts Research Society is really going to withdraw. They're going to transition to the next leadership ahead of time. Old Du wants to resign. I believe that we can take advantage of this situation. I heard that there has been a problem with their major financial backer; their financial backer may be removing funds."

Xie Junping frowned, as he put down his helmet. He waved toward Hu Huaying and indicated that they should not continue chatting in the central control room. They should go into the elevator and return to the surface.

As they entered the elevator, Xie Junping sent the deformed multi-function joystick flying with a kick. This action showed that his mood had yet to completely calm down.

"The Rainbow Fund backing the Construction Society is certainly much more stable."

"And why does that matter?"

Hu Huaying spread his hands in a shrug. "I don't really see a difference. The main thing is the fact that our Junior Nan has enemies everywhere. Li Xuecheng of the Construction Society is a pain and Hu Huaying of the Mystic Arts Research Society has yet to come out from the hospital. The kids of the Mystic Research Society are eager to start some action. They're getting ready for their revenge. From my perspective, it doesn't matter which of these societies Junior Nan joins; they're pretty much the same... What are Junior Nan's thoughts about this?"

Xie Junping did not immediately respond.

The elevator door opened and the two arrived at the tea room on the underground third floor of Gear. Xie Junping just chose a random recliner and threw himself on it. He just laid there without moving. He took a few breaths, as he faced the sky.

The sun had almost finished setting, as it released the last of its warmth for the day. In a timely manner, the AI Service Terminal delivered a cup of black tea at the perfect temperature. Xie Junping reached out to grab it, but he was lazy. He used his finger to hook onto the handle of the cup and his eyeballs swiveled to look all around the room. The layout was the same, and had not been frequented all this time. However, there were some subtle differences with this society building compared to two weeks ago.

A dozen or days had passed and he was the one who single-handedly managed things. This was the result.

A good amount of time passed before Xie Junping sighed. "I don't want to give this place up to anyone!"

"Huh?"

"Anyway, I don't want to give this place up to anyone." Xie Junping closed his eyes, as he lay on the recliner.

An evening wind blew through the jungle and entered through the window. It merged with the afterglow of the setting sun, which eliminated its chilliness. The wind spiraled lithely within the fifteen story atrium, and it seemed to carry with it a rhythmic whistle. The sound was detailed and exquisite.

His mood, which had been agitated all throughout the day, could be unconsciously cleansed and cleared in this place. All that was left was a wonderful tranquility... Well, all right. There was still that challenge with the brown-haired mouse.

Xie Junping's thoughts churned and his vision seemed to extend all the way to the withered tree of the sandbar. His vision combined as one with the robotic spider underwater and the small underwater unmanned vehicle.

The black mud stirred up during the underwater chase had already settled now. What would the next chase be like?

Thinking about these things brought quite the thrill. A light challenge is quite a wonderful thing... Ah, what?

Xie Junping suddenly went into a daze. How did the scene is his mind suddenly become this clear and realistic? It was just like the video sent from the underwater cameras.

He sat upright in an instant, but before he could consider this matter thoroughly, Hu Huaying started spewing the words of a drunkard. "My brother Ping! Right now we're talking about the situation with Junior Nan!"

"We can't change the situation no matter how much we think," replied Xie Junping without any thought. The bloody red glow outside the window drowned half of the jungle and the glow also wiped all traces of the bizarre thoughts he had just now.

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Chapter 133: Intermediary (Part 2/2)

Chapter 133: Intermediary (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

The rumbling cry of falling water resounded next to his ears. The crushed ice of a flowing river hit his face with a cutting force like blades.

The pain was a small matter. Luo Nan strove to fix his pace, but he never had the chance to, as he went against the flow of the ever-changing Frost River Waterway. The high-speed ice floes of the cold waters enveloped him, and his feet could barely reach the ground. Despite this, he continued to move forward.

In the span of a few breaths, Luo Nan felt a pressure assault the dome of his head. Suddenly, he withdrew his head as hard rock sliced across the water's surface and dangerously cut across his scalp.

Above the layer of water was a layer of rock. There was not enough room for Luo Nan to have his head above water. He did not have time to take a deep breath just now. After he rolled for a distance, a grave chilliness had seeped into his body. He lost the sensation of his limbs and even worse, he felt a smothering in his chest. The ill consequences of lacking a reserve of oxygen had appeared in this moment. His brain was becoming stupid, and he unconsciously opened his nose and mouth, which allowed cold water to pour in.

"Gargle gargle..."

The icy water forcefully ran in from his nose. Even an iron-muscled man would find this sensation unbearable, let alone Luo Nan. Luo Nan struggled with his hands and legs a few times. His vision was a sheet of darkness. Then, a dark red glow covered his vision with only a halo in the center that emitted light. This was the standard sight of a near-death state, and it took a while to recover from.

In the corner of his peripheral vision throbbed a numeral digit to the count of ten. The guide, Nina, indicated with her soft voice.

"You have completed the stage's objective."

The immersion helmet’s power was cut off, which expelled Luo Nan consciousness from the Reality Interface. He felt the dense and sticky nutrient solution gush and flow around him. He was unable to channel and control his soul strength, so he was relying on such methods to force it back in place. Such methods were very rough.

Luo Nan muttered the twenty-word secret mantra of 'My heart’s a prison' to himself. He utilized his chanting and breathing techniques to maintain a tranquil state of mind. In the depths of his mind, the chains vibrated a few times, and his soul strength oscillated as well. Then, it ultimately stabilized. However, waves and waves of his soul strength continued to seep downward. It was like a small waterfall that rushed down from a short cliff. It formed a sort of pressure toward him.

"Excellent. Your state is more stable now." Bai Xinyan's voice entered his ears, which represented the end of today's treatment. "We can allow visitors earlier today... Terrific, right?"

She had clearly directed her later words toward someone other than Luo Nan.

The water level of the nutrient solution continued to drop at this time. Luo Nan reached out with his hands to take off his helmet, as the blood red glow of the setting sun seeped through the window. The glow diffused against the outer wall of the medical treatment pod and blended together with the nutrient solution. It created a dazzling glow to the eyes.

Luckily, Luo Nan did not really use his eyes much these days. He just naturally knew the changes outside. He used a hand to knock against the inner wall of the pod and sent a message using the HexaEar in his ear.

"Sister He. Good afternoon."

"Shouldn't it be Secretary He?" Bai Xinyan was flipping through the monitoring records, as she casually said these words.

No one acknowledged Bai Xinyan. He Yueyin wore a succinct and sharp business suit. She stood outside the medical treatment pod. Though Luo Nan likely could not see her clearly, she still did her habitual slight bow.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Luo."

There was still some time before the complete removal of the nutrient solution. He Yueyin used the HexaEar to ask Luo Nan for the details of his current state.

Luo Nan answered with 'yes's and 'well's. Some things could not really be understood and some things could not be told in a way that could be understood. It had already been a week since the matter at Frost River Reality. Luo Nan's original plan to go back to school and study died in its womb. His planned discharge from the hospital was likely canceled, as he re-entered a twenty-four-hour monitoring state. In addition, Bai Xinyan became personally responsible for him.

From the way that things were handled, the Society's judgment toward the state of Luo Nan's body was quite a negative one.

However, Luo Nan did not believe things were that bad... Unfortunately, saying such things were useless.

He Yueyin also discovered that it was useless to ask Luo Nan. In the end, she had to find a professional. She looked at Bai Xinyan, who used her hand to swipe down a flexible interface.

"A gain value hovering around -17 to -25. This is an acceptable interval. And like I said before, he is in a more stable state now."

The so-called gain value was also known as the effect value. This quantified the degree of harmonization between the body and soul. Overall, the effect value reflected whether the method, the structure, and the degree of mutual interference between the mental plane and material plane were good or not.

A positive value showed that there were positive gains, positive effects.

A negative value showed that there were negative effects.

A zero value showed no increase or decrease.

In this standard, the higher the gain value, the better. It was quite normal for a typical ability user in normal circumstances to have an increase or decrease of one or two points. Over ten points was a bit abnormal.

Luo Nan's gain value was negative, and it broke through twenty points. His case was certainly much more serious. However, a normal person would typically have his gain value avalanche when they reached this degree.

Luo Nan’s gain value could still fluctuate up and down. It showed that he was relatively stable.

"How stable is he?"

"As long as there aren't any particularly intensive fluctuations in his emotions, as long as he doesn't do any intense exercise, and as long as he takes great care, he can still live a normal life without any issues. Actually, there's no point in being overly cautious. Being active, resting, and maintaining a good mood is better than anything else. I mean, I can't really stop him if he finds a beauty to roll in the hay with. As long as he's happy, you know?"

Luo Nan had just opened the medical treatment pod and heard up to this point. He was speechless for a time. In any case, he and Bai Xinyan were in frequent contact over these past few days. They had a relatively good understanding of each other's personalities, so Luo Nan was a bit hardened to such things. He could only pretend that he had not heard anything, as he looked down to find clothes to wear.

He Yueyin looked to the side and glared at Bai Xinyan with an eye. Bai Xinyan's smile remained just as before.

Luo Nan had come in and out of the medical treatment pod over the course of the past few days. He had become accustomed to exposing his chest, back, thighs, and so on. The thickness of his figurative skin was growing. He put on the patient robes in the blink of an eye, which concluded today's session.

He knew of his own situation. Right now, Luo Nan's interest was mostly placed elsewhere. "How's the situation outside? The Order of Justice hasn't dispatched people over, right?"

He Yueyin did not answer. Instead, it was Bai Xinyan who freely spoke. "You're not even placing such importance on your own injuries. It looks like you're hoping that things are going to get big?"

"..."

So, Bai Xinyan simply took matters into her own hands and gave Luo Nan a lesson. "Look, Student Luo Nan. The battle at Frost River Reality. The scramble over some object. The number of casualties. You need to know that it’s all meaningless. Right now, everyone's focus is on the Martial Empress becoming an Extraordinary. Her might can counterbalance the Order of Justice's Archoblatum summoned holy entity. This is more critical than anything else!"

"Extraordinary..." Luo Nan recalled the final stage of the clash that night. Two powerful forces shook and throbbed back and forth in their fierce battle across space. Even if most of the battle occurred on the mental plane, the powers had occasionally gushed into the material plane and had smashed the Logic World into bits and pieces.

He only found out later on that the person who had intervened and covered An Weng's trail was the Archoblatum of the Order of Justice. The Archoblatum had borrowed the power of the Scales of Truth to do so. The other person who had intervened was Zhang Yingying's boss. She was a legendary woman known as the Martial Empress.

"It is impossible to overestimate the significance of an Extraordinary."

Bai Xinyan explained in deeper detail, "Within any one of the powers across the globe, the Extraordinaries are the symbols of power and law. In recent years, the three individuals, Ouyang Chen, the Martial Empress, You Lao, form the iron triangle of the Society. They are the foundation that stabilized the Society within Xia City. Of the three of them, two have become Extraordinaries, causing a sharp increase in the Society's influence in Xia City. The Society's power is certainly worthy of debate."

"On the other hand, Quantum Corporation made Los Angeles their own. It has become a capitalistic paradise, while the Order of Justice has made Edmonton a holy kingdom. But upon closer inspection, one power is a company that clearly chases after the maximization of gains. The other power is an order with clear-cut doctrines. What does the Society bring to the table? A way of life?... Or perhaps the Society borrows a shell that is used in a different direction."

Bai Xinyan paused slightly, and her pupils swiveled to face He Yueyin. "I heard that General He is interested in running for mayor of Xia City after retiring from the military, is that right?"

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Chapter 134: The Limits of the Fleshly Body (Part 1/2)

Chapter 134: The Limits of the Fleshly Body (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

When Bai Xinyan said the words, ‘General He’, she most likely meant He Yueyin's father. He was a high ranking officer of Xia City's Coastal Defense Force. His name was He Bozheng.

Speaking of which, He Bozheng was Crag Burst's old superior. He Bozheng was pretty low key in the military, but he had a good reputation.

But the person with the most power in the He Family was He Yueyin's grandfather, Admiral He Chong. He was the brightest shining star out of all the officers during the third war. He served as the highest commanding officer directly under the Star Alliance and commanded the Space Frontier Fleet. He was your typical military big shot and had retired for many years. He had countless old friends in the military, and he held a majestic status.

He Bozheng was a rather commendable person. Alas, he was also in his father's shadow. Despite this, He Bozheng would hold a lot of promise if he really wanted to enter the political arena after retirement and become a candidate for the Xia City election.

Of course, the political aspects involved were quite complex. The link between politics and the ability user society was already something outside Luo Nan's knowledge. He used his head to think a bit and failed to grasp the main points completely. In the end, his throat began to itch and he began to cough.

He Yueyin had no interest in such topics from beginning to end. She acted like she was an outsider who had nothing to do with Bai Xinyan’s topic.

She saw Luo Nan coughing and brought a cup of water from the side. She casually and rationally switched the topic back to Luo Nan. "The damage to Mr. Luo's nervous system hasn't worsened, right?"

Bai Xinyan chuckled, as she swept her gaze across Luo Nan's face. "Honestly speaking, it's hard for there to be a clear improvement. I've spent far too much time helping him control the growth rate of his soul strength. The progress of his medical treatment is lagging behind greatly. We will need to increase our time together if this continues on... Student Luo Nan, are you sure you're not doing this on purpose?"

Luo Nan corrected her in earnest. "Frost River Waterway is the one keeping me company all the time."

In fact, there were no issues with Bai Xinyan's professional explanation. Luo Nan's biggest trouble right now was the out-of-control growth of his soul strength.

Drawing the Life Sketches, becoming cognizant of the order frames, the sacrificial hunts of the Wraith Sign, and so on. These events had pushed his soul strength to new heights time and time again.

Luo Nan had even discovered that his soul strength had grown all this time just from releasing his mental senses and achieving awareness with his clairvoyance. It was like the autumn rain striking a level lake. The rain was fine, but the lake had unknowingly risen to submerge the bridge that spanned it. It naturally caused the pressure toward his fleshly body to become bigger and bigger.

To treat this problem, Bai Xinyan had used the treatment method that was the Frost River Waterway. This could be considered a 'cage therapy'. It took Luo Nan's soul strength and confined it in a monotonous and repetitive environment. Then, difficult challenges were presented one after another to exhaust his soul strength over and over.

This method treated the symptoms but could not cure him. However, it was still passable for emergency treatment.

The problem stemmed from the fact that there were three versions of the Frost River Waterway in total.

One version was simplified for the public; it could be only used on an ordinary person.

One version is the one Bai Xinyan brought out. It was suitable for ability users. This was the Professional Guide Version that only an ability user could access.

The last version was the grand full version that Luo Nan had accessed with the external neuron.

The Professional Guide Version was quite decent, but Luo Nan had experienced the full version that included the elite cultivation methods of the Archetype Format. As such, returning to such a castrated version made Luo Nan feel quite a loss from the differences.

Additionally, Bai Xinyan was outside monitoring him during every run of the Frost River Waterway. The female doctorate was clearly involved with the research on the Archetype Format, so Luo Nan had always maintained vigilance, which made this week quite an arduous one for Luo Nan.

Taking advantage of He Yueyin's presence, Luo Nan expressed his thoughts once more. "Perhaps we can try to incorporate physical training. In the end, this is where the problem with my body and soul imbalance lies. Blindly exhausting my soul strength and not strengthening my fleshly body... This is really restricting me..."

"You have a way with words."

Bai Xinyan pursed her lips into a smile, and the gleam in her eyes seemed to circulate around. She examined Luo Nan up and down once again. "As a doctor, I certainly wish to have a treatment plan that can bring your case under permanent control. However, I need to emphasize the following. Any independent physical exercise you do will certainly involve 'volume'. In your situation, it would be best if you didn't have any hopes."

You think I'm going to wait for you and your research laboratory to 'modify' me? Luo Nan didn't say this out loud, but displeasure filled his heart.

Bai Xinyan's current treatment plan involved technological strengthening of Luo Nan's body from the inside out. Reportedly, the basic method was to use special nano-materials to mold the relevant neurons and inner organs. Regeneration and damage occurred simultaneously, which rapidly increased the endurance and resilience of the fleshly body.

Luo Nan did not especially reject this regeneration plan in the beginning. After all, Bai Xinyan worked at Clay Laboratory, the cutting edge research organization of neuroregeneration and neruostrengthening. Her academic adviser was none other than the principal investigator of the laboratory, Doctor Clay. He was the number one authority in this field.

However, after the matters at Frost River Reality, Luo Nan's vigilance toward Bai Xinyan grew heavier. He really did not want to entrust his own life to a laboratory that had an unclear relationship with Quantum Corporation. Especially since the amount of modification in the plan grew bigger and bigger with the growth of his soul strength. His plan was no longer a simple case of neuroregeneration. Even the man who had contacted Doctor Clay in the first place, Brother Octopus, was a bit unsure of this matter.

Luo Nan did not hide his thoughts deep enough, as Bai Xinyan had seen through him in a single glance. "It isn't rare for a patient to reject their doctor's treatment plan. It's actually a common occurrence when it comes to prescription medicine. In any case, we're not talking surgery here. Surgery would only make a big mess of things."

Her slender fingers drew a circle near her temples. She was clearly suspecting that someone was being a moron.

Luo Nan mumbled, "Then what is one's Self-Logic worth?"

"Oh, so Student Luo Nan wants to discuss about treatment principles toward ability users?"

Ten Luo Nans tied together would not be a match for Bai Xinyan in terms of professional knowledge. Naturally, he did not argue with her. He just lowered his head in silence.

Then, contrary to expectations, He Yueyin spoke, "There has always been unknown variables with Mr. Luo during Doctor Clay's arrival and even before the treatment plan was confirmed. A week ago, it was impossible for us to imagine that he would be in this situation."

Bai Xinyan raised her eyebrows. "That's true."

Luo Nan opened his mouth. He could not tell if He Yueyin was helping him out or stabbing him in the back...

He Yueyin did not give him much time to mull things over. She spoke directly to him, "Mr. Luo. I'm very happy to see that your condition has stabilized. As such, according to the training requirements of new members of the Society, the Society has decided to arrange a series of general knowledge study tasks for you. These tasks aren't too intense or difficult, but they require a fixed amount of concentration. I hope you can do some good preparations."

As He Yueyin spoke, she transmitted a study plan table through the HexaEar.

Luo Nan skimmed over the plan. It involved intellectual studies, skill training, mission practice, and so on. It looked quite standard. The teachers looked so very familiar for some reason though?

Listed in the first spot was He Yueyin. Her course was titled, ‘Ins and Outs of the Psychic Wave Network's World Order’.

Next was Crag Burst's ‘A Crash Course on Common Commands’, Bamboo Pole's ‘Notes on the Major Characters of the World’, and it even involved Red Fox's ‘Tracking and Anti-Tracking Drills’, as well as Papercut's ‘Soul Strength Activation Techniques, and so on...

The courses appeared to be more on the practical side, but the teachers were all people who Luo Nan had worked with in his few operations. Obviously, it was great to be familiar with them, to have met them, but it was like this for every single subject. This could not be a coincidence, right?

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Chapter 134: The Limits of the Fleshly Body (Part 2/2)

Chapter 134: The Limits of the Fleshly Body (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Bai Xinyan asked him with all smiles, "Aren't you familiar with all the teachers?"

Her guess was a bit godlike. Bai Xinyan certainly could not see the information on the Psychic Wave Network. How was she able to guess correctly?

Bai Xinyan winked, as she locked with Luo Nan's rarely seen startled gaze. "It's easy to guess. You're great at causing trouble. It will be easier for you to accept lessons from people who you have met before."

"..."

"I'm just kidding. The truth is that you've made an impression in the hearts of many. The Society isn't certain in their confidentiality, so they made this relatively closed circle of people for you. Unfortunately, you're such a troublemaker that I don't believe the Society's actions will be useful."

Luo Nan was embarrassed, but he was also secretly scared. This was mainly because of the word 'closed'. He subconsciously rummaged through the lesson table. It was certainly great to learn things, but to be closed off in this small circle was something he absolutely did not want.

In total, he had already spent two weeks holed up in the hospital. Sure, he could endure time in solitude, but to do research and be researched on were two different situations altogether.

He Yueyin seemed to have read his mind. "Taking the fact that Mr. Luo needs to go to school and has his studies, his training time should be primarily arranged at night. There won't be any conflicts."

When it came to it, He Yueyin's words were also a refutation to Bai Xinyan's 'closed' talk.

This was a wake-up call for Luo Nan. That's right, he had nearly forgotten about school. It was already the middle of October. The prime of his high-school life was actually going to be half dedicated to the hospital. It looked very likely that he was going to have to repeat a year or two...

He consulted Bai Xinyan, "According to my situation, when can I go back to school?"

"As long as you can keep going through the Frost River Waterway exercise ten times in the morning and evening, you can go back to school anytime." Bai Xinyan's answer was brisk and to the point, but she added a jab in the end, "I thought you deliberately feigned ignorance and that’s why you didn't mention it."

Luo Nan swore to himself that he would no longer speak with Bai Xinyan for the night.

He Yueyin looked at the time. "We can start now if it's convenient for Mr. Luo, is that fine?"

"Up to you guys."

"No problem."

Luo Nan and Bai Xinyan spoke over each other. They could not help but give each other dark looks, as they rolled eyes.

"You all get to it then." Bai Xinyan smiled. as she gathered up her equipment. After everything was tidied up, she waved goodbye. What a lithe and graceful action. Luo Nan maintained his guard against her in every way possible, but he was still forced to admit that her actions had a very feminine charm to them. They were quite pleasing to the eye.

Unexpectedly, in his moment of daze, Bai Xinyan's fine and slender fingers brushed against Luo Nan cheek. "Pay attention to the lesson. Don't get distracted... Oh right, it would be best if you wash up first."

Bai Xinyan walked out of the door; she twirled her fingers and laughed all the way.

Luo Nan lips were pulled back and his face was a bit red. He also had a headache. Then, He Yueyin's gaze came over, and he felt even more embarrassed and blurted,

"I'm going to go wash up now."

He wanted to smack his own mouth when the words left it.

He Yueyin was as calm as ever before. She softly said, "It's too obvious that you're wary."

Suddenly, Luo Nan froze.

"The more nervous you are, the more White Salt wants to tease you. That is just her personality. She's your standard cat."

This was the first time Luo Nan saw He Yueyin describing a person behind their back. In any case, was He Yueyin admonishing him or was she giving him emotional support?

"Everyone has their secrets, secrets only they would know... Mr. Luo's attitude is a correct one, it's just that there's room for adjustment. I hope that this period of training will bring about a change in you."

Having said this, He Yueyin raised her hand slightly and indicated to Luo Nan that he was free to go.

It seemed that He Yueyin was wary of Bai Xinyan as well.

After getting the okay, Luo Nan let out a hidden breath of relief. He thought about the lesson He Yueyin gave him, as he rushed into the shower. He scrubbed quickly and changed into normal clothes. After he refreshed himself, he obediently returned to listen to He Yueyin's lecture.

"We will start with the applications of the HexaEar."

Imparting knowledge covering the HexaEar and Psychic Wave Network was something that He Yueyin promised to do two weeks ago.

Before, Luo Nan had only obtained some basic knowledge from Zhang Yingying. He Yueyin's course was far more complete and rigorous. It might not be as fun, but practically speaking, it was far more effective than a so-called happy education.

As such, Luo Nan gained a clearer understanding of the six layers of communication with the HexaEar in a short period of time. He also did some intensive exercises of functions commonly used by members of the Society.

Of course, this was far from He Yueyin's teaching objective. This was evident from the name of her course. It was quite a holistic topic. The HexaEar and the Psychic Wave Network were just starting points. He needed to get to the end of the course to be able to truly use them.

He Yueyin's ability to grasp time was absolutely first class. The first lesson in the course took about forty minutes, ending just when the family visitation time was about to begin.

Luo Nan could see that tonight was quite a lively night, as he looked through the communication screen. His aunt, Ms. Luo Shuqing, was a woman who nothing could deter. She came to see him every day, and this time Xue Lei came along as well.

"And so we conclude here for today."

He Yueyin gave Luo Nan a nod and prepared to leave.

Luo Nan hesitated for a moment, but he still spoke, "Sister He."

"Yes?" He Yueyin stood beneath the last thread of light from the setting sun. It was hard to make out her face, which made her usual ramrod straight posture of confidence much more prominent to the eyes.

Luo Nan had suddenly realized that He Yueyin was in a context outside of official business; he could not imagine it. But the words had already left his mouth and retracting them would not be an easy thing to do. He could only summon the courage and say, "Sister He. Since my aunt and Xue Lei are both here, how about we all go out for dinner?"

Luo Nan was not just being polite. This was the matter that Luo Nan had pondered over for a long time—how to develop a personal relationship with He Yueyin... Uh, of course, he did not have those intentions. He just wanted to get closer to her.

In the end, it did not matter what the plans of the Society were or what He Yueyin's own conjecture was. Her family background was out of the ordinary, and she was quite capable and outstanding herself, being a retired military officer. Ever since Luo Nan met He Yueyin, He Yueyin brought out an attitude of a secretary and had helped him out.

This was by no means normal.

No matter how dark or bright Luo Nan's mood was, the rational part of his brain immediately warned him. "You must not get carried away!"

It was because Luo Nan felt this insecurity that he was trying to get him and He Yueyin to understand each other a bit more. At least they could be friends?

"There will be other chances in the future." He Yueyin made a predictable and polite response. Her expression was just as calm and unperturbed as usual. There were no visible traces of delight or anger.

She walked out of the hospital ward under Luo Nan's gaze and just so happened to meet Luo Shuqing head on.

Xue Lei, who had been cautiously talking with Luo Shuqing, was startled into a jump. This woman, who could kill in less than ten paces, had left a deep impression on him. After the matter at Frost River Reality, he had asked the master of his gym about her, and the master had acted very strangely.

Though he did not quite understand what part of He Yueyin made him feel this way, a bit of reverence always existed in his heart. He instinctively bowed.

"Secretary He."

He did not know the appropriate title to call her, but he had seen Zhang Yingying and the others call her this, so he just blurted it out.

He Yueyin did not mind. She gave a slight nod and bowed toward Luo Shuqing. "Mrs. Luo."

Luo Shuqing and He Yueyin had met each other a few times over this past week. All Luo Shuqing knew of He Yueyin was that she was a government employee from the police department. She was in charge of the investigation and forensics of Frost River Reality. Luo Shuqing smiled and greeted He Yueyin. Then, she politely created some distance. After all, nobody wanted their child repeatedly questioned. It was like turning from a victim into a suspect.

He Yueyin had no intention to chat with them. She simply took her leave.

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Chapter 135: Divine Yu Gym (Part 1/2)

Chapter 135: Divine Yu Gym (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Xue Lei enjoyed the VIP treatment as Luo Nan's friend with the host being Mrs. Luo Shuqing.

When Luo Shuqing sent Xue Lei home last time from the Limestone Water Village Pub, she had a rather favorable impression of this tall and burly boy with a mild temperament.

But the events at Frost River Reality had caused this boy’s status to soar in her mind.

That night, Luo Nan had been stranded in the middle of the conflict zone and was practically among the last batch evacuated people. By that time, he had already fainted and they sent him straight to the hospital. He could not completely conceal this sort of situation. When Luo Shuqing heard the news, she was said to have flown into a rage. She lectured everyone who was involved in the get together that night with a torrent of abuse—from Mo Qiu to Mo Peng. Explaining the matters that happened that night was a huge problem. The magnitude was so big that it scared Luo Nan, and he considered pretending to faint again.

In the end, it was Zhang Yingying who came up with the plan to use the Xue Family father and son duo to divert her attention. Their story was that Luo Nan had fainted from the trauma. Then, Xue Weilun and Xue Weilun had worked together to rescue him.

The father and son pair owed Luo Nan a favor. They were also people in the know, so they were good spokespeople. The nimble hands of a copywriter had weaved a brilliant image of Luo Nan, a zealous civilian helping the police, and removed all implications of Luo Nan being involved in a dangerous solo activity.

Because of this, Mo Haihang and Luo Shuqing had specifically invited Xue Lei's family for dinner. It was quite a coincidence. Xue Weilun was the backbone of the special forces. Mo Haihang was the technical expert of the SCA. They were both in the field of social privileges, law, and order. They had even worked together twice in the past and were not strangers.

The two had good impressions of each other during their previous two meetings and this time went just as well. The friendship between the two families was rapidly heating up; it just made Xue Lei quite tired. With Luo Shuqing present, the topic would inevitably change to the matters of that night and Xue Lei was fearful that he might slip something out and waste all his previous efforts. In the end, he and Luo Nan brought their heads together. They went mm, mm and yes, yes. It was unknown what they were saying.

Luo Nan saw just Xue Lei’s distressed state and began to cough. One cough came after another and he could not stop. Then, he used the acupressure technique that Mr. Bai had taught him, but the effects were not obvious.

Such a scene was quite normal for Luo Nan, but Luo Shuqing immediately became worried when she saw this. "You've been under treatment for nearly half a month. Why hasn't the coughing gone away? When did that Doctor Clay get here?"

She got up as she spoke and was going to massage Luo Nan's back to help his breathing. Xue Lei rushed to take the lead. "Aunt Qing, let me."

Xue Lei's large hand pressed against Luo Nan's back. As he massaged, he slowly increased the pressure. Luo Nan coughed, not from pain, but from a marvelous heat that permeated into his back and spread to his inner organs. It was as if vapor was rising to form clouds, filling his throat. It was like the moisture of warm water. His condition greatly improved for a time.

Luo Shuqing could no longer sit still. She had come over today because she still did not understand the treatment situation. She immediately said, "Leister, You and Nannan chat here for a bit. I'm going to take a stroll with Doctor Bai."

"Okay. It is best for you to go Aunt Qing. I will be here to keep Nanster company. Just rest easy." Xue Lei's tongue had gotten quite sweet after saying nearly a week's worth of lies.

Luo Shuqing gave the two a smile, as she hurried out the door.

After this adult left, Xue Lei was able to speak much more easily. He expressed his worries, as he massaged Luo Nan. "You can't keep coughing like this man. The gym master told me once. Breathing in, one can observe the inner organs, move a myriad of veins, and take in the soul. Breathing out, one can observe heaven and earth, know yin and yang, and visit the divine. It is the key valve in controlling the body and mind, in channeling the inner and the external.”

He only said half of what he wanted to say. Based on your supernatural ability and how bad your breathing tempo has become, how badly damaged is your body? Just how hard a task is it for you to recover?

Luo Nan could generally understand Xue Lei's intentions. Luo Nan could not do anything about his body with all its virtues. He could only chuckle in response to Xue Lei. In any case, an image had immediately appeared in his mind when Xue Lei told the half literary half vernacular words of his gym master. The image was that of an old man, of a sage who transcended the mortal realm.

As Xue Lei spoke, a thought he once had suddenly popped up again. "In your situation, learning breathing techniques should be quite useful for you. At the very least, it can adjust the state of your body... Nanster, why don't you come to our daoguan, our gym. I won't talk about our gym master because the most skilled of the disciples is none other than I!"

Xue Lei gave a big thumbs up, and he extended it before Luo Nan's eyes. He even wiggled it a few times.

Luo Nan was not doubtful at all of Xue Lei's words. The old gym master's ability was certainly worthy of praise for being able to start a gym, for being able to produce such a remarkable disciple, such a remarkable apprentice in Xue Lei.

Luo Nan was suddenly reminded of the fact that he had never asked Xue Lei about his gym even though they had known each other for so long. He did not know the name of Xue Lei’s daoguan and how he should address the gym master.

"Ah, our daoguan is called Divine Yu. It's that..."

"Divine Yu? As in the Great Yu who Controls the Waters? The Great Yu who made a system of irrigation canals which relieved flood water into the fields of ancient China and brought prosperity to the Chinese heartland?"

Luo Nan had blurted this without thinking and Xue Lei went, "Aha!". He lifted his hand and gave Luo Nan’s back a smack. The force was so much that snot and saliva almost flew out of Luo Nan. Xue Lei did not notice it though. Instead, he just shouted,

"Nanster, you're awesome!"

"Huh?"

"Every time I mention the name of my gym to others; they're all blind and deaf to it. They think it’s some yew woodshop! Man, I just want to knock their teeth in when that happens. But Nanster, you were able to tell its origins in an instant!"

It looked like Xue Lei was sick of hearing about yew woodshops.

Divine Yu, Divine Yew? Actually, it was quite easy to mix them up.

Luo Nan just feigned ignorance and laughed. "The Nine Tripod Cauldrons just came to mind. Yu received the metals of nine governors, casting nine cauldrons, which were all used to offer sacrifices to the gods and supernatural... After Yu the Great had finished taming the floods that once engulfed the land, he divided the land into the Nine Provinces and collected bronze tribute from each one. He used the metal to cast nine tripod cauldrons. With them, animals were boiled alive as ritual sacrifices... It is an early social structure with an overlapping format consisting of the world, society, and the self. It contains some meaning even today."

These words were idle writings in his grandfather's notebook. He had a very deep impression of them and had said them without thinking. "It's just a simple format from ancient times. In the end, it's hard to apply it in today's world."

Format? And an overlapping one at that? What kind of topic was this?

Xue Lei could only half understand what Luo Nan was saying. He was discovering all the more that this friend had a train of thought that was quite different from that of a normal person. This train of thought had caused Luo Nan to always be targeted or doubted. However, it was ultimately proof that Luo Nan’s unfathomable thoughts were useful. Greatly useful.

That night, Xue Lei stood by Luo Nan's side. He had seen how others doubted his friend. Then, he saw how his friend stirred up conflict and turned things around. He saw it all from beginning to end. He rode this rollercoaster with Luo Nan and the experience wiped his impression of Luo Nan completely clean again. Yet his congenial feeling toward Luo Nan did not lessen; it continued to increase.

After all, Xue Lei's gym master also spent the entire day saying stuff he couldn't fully understand. Luo Nan could probably have a good chat with his gym master because of their temperament. The two should get along quite well if they were to get together!

Xue Lei looked at Luo Nan once more after he had this thought. A gleam shone in his eyes and he put more energy into promoting his gym on the spot. "Our gym master's last name is Xiu, as in training or cultivation. His name is none other than the name of the gym, Divine Yu or Shenyu. He single-handedly founded this gym and the gym has always had a great reputation. The gym master hasn't really been promoting her business since he's helping people. Otherwise, our gym would be long since super popular..."

Xiu Shenyu? The name sounds very classical-martial-arts-esque. It was a very befitting name for a gym master.

Luo Nan's heart rate increased. It was not just because he was curious about this Gym Master Xiu. There were other aspects he was considering.

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Chapter 135: Divine Yu Gym (Part 2/2)

Chapter 135: Divine Yu Gym (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan could feel that his aunt was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow. They had hospitalized him for two consecutive weeks, so his aunt was easily frightened due to these past experiences. She was likely to increase her watch over him to the next level.

Furthermore, he had entered the Society, which brought up an entire set of annoyances. He also had to think of his studies. He would need a large amount of free time to handle all this. He absolutely couldn't be stuck at home like a caged bird, so he needed to find a passable excuse to avoid this.

Xue Lei's proposal today was an excellent excuse.

Divine Yu Gym was located in the River Wu District. Practicing martial arts was certainly something that required time. Perhaps, it would even need one to take morning lessons. It would be great if he could get this to happen. No matter how much his aunt wanted to keep a close eye on him, she wouldn't be so insensible to have him shuttle back and forth for half a day between districts. Wouldn't the apartment in Blue Bay be the perfect spot? Then, he wouldn't need to stay with his aunt.

Of course, in order to get this plan to work, he would need the help of others. Just Xue Lei may not be enough.

Who else could help him? Actually, Luo Nan did not have many options.

He lowered his head, swiped through his wristband and found the way to contact Bai Xinyan. He was just about to call. Suddenly, he recalled that his aunt went to go see Bai Xinyan. It would be super awkward if his plan was found out through his own voice over the phone.

A thought stirred in Luo Nan's mind, and he excused himself to the restroom. He walked a few steps and the star river scene was already projected in his mind.

Luo Nan restricted the range of his mental senses. Under this precondition, the physical range covered only a few of the adjacent floors. Yet, there were still several hundred Life Sketches pieced together within these floors. The starlight of nebulae intertwined to reveal many levels of information. Then, all Luo Nan did was pick the areas he was interested in. He heightened his sensing precision and applied his clairvoyance.

This sort of perspective was like a god's. It felt truly unmatched. But before Luo Nan could lock onto Bai Xinyan, he found another person instead.

How strange. He Yueyin was actually still here.

He Yueyin was walking within the building of Renai Hospital, as she headed toward Bai Xinyan's temporary office in Renai Hospital.

Bai Xinyan was a world-class expert on neuroregeneration. Moreover, she was a doctor of medicine and of philosophy at the Clay Laboratory. Even though she only had Luo Nan as her single patient, Renai Hospital treated her excellently. She was given a large office that was like a deluxe suite. During guard hours, she could come here to take naps. There was not anything to be picky about it except for its distance to Luo Nan's ward.

He Yueyin did not call out or anything. She simply walked in.

In the room, Bai Xinyan had already taken off her white doctor's gown. She was wearing a snow-white turtleneck sweater. It hugged her body, which made her face appear larger, but it did not make her look fat. Instead, it fully revealed her curves and accentuated her perfectly beautiful body. This sight caused one to yearn for her.

Right now, there was a rather handsome male doctor in the room as well. He stayed here to titularly talk about academics. He would find anything to speak of until their shift was over. Then, he would ask this free-spirited and hot female doctor out for dinner.

Bai Xinyan was quite patient. She held a cup of coffee and laughed, as she talked with him. This was a waste of time, but she was not agitated nor did she rush.

He Yueyin simply pushed the door open and entered and scared the male doctor. The male doctor was about to explode with rage, but he turned and was met with a pair of cold and clear pupils. His heart shuddered inexplicably, and he instinctively cowered a bit. "Is this your friend, Dr. Bai?"

Bai Xinyan nodded with a smile, as she raised the cup in her hand at the same time. The meaning was very clear.

The male doctor even wanted to introduce himself and get to know another beautiful woman. But there was a hint of embarrassment on his face, and he did not have any more courage. In the end, he shrunk away self-consciously.

Bai Xinyan sipped on her hot coffee. She had no intentions of courteously greeting He Yueyin. In any case, she would just be inviting rejection if she did so.

He Yueyin walked straight before Bai Xinyan and stood directly opposite of her. It seemed that He Yueyin was a bit shorter than Bai Xinyan in height, but her aura, which was callous and clear, evidently grew stronger.

"I called you over from across the ocean, from Los Angeles, not for you to do some happy-go-lucky treatment."

Bai Xinyan was the perfect example of a free-spirited woman. She was like the fleeting clouds and the warm breeze. She shifted her cup away and revealed a face of innocence. "So, you want me to drill your boss until he's weeping and crying? Would that satisfy you?"

"I know you White Salt. You also once said to me that every case of happy-go-lucky treatment is for dead people. That's what you said to me back in Los Angeles..."

Bai Xinyan burst out into laughter. She reached out to touch He Yueyin's cheek. "But you're alive and well! And you're so beautiful!"

He Yueyin pushed her hand aside. Her expression was calm. "You know the state of my body more than I."

"Alright, Mrs. Flirt! Yep, Sister He is most intimate after all. In any case, I want to tell you something. Doctors have the right to formulate plans for their patients; each and every plan is established based on the patient's personal situation. It doesn't matter if its happy-go-lucky treatment or active intervention. There are specific plans for dealing with specific conditions. This is the objective reality. There's nothing more to it."

Bai Xinyan swayed her coffee cup back and forth, as she let the black liquid inside swing as well. Yet, she did not spill a single drop. "From what I've observed of your boss’ situation, the current happy-go-lucky treatment is the best choice for him. As for whether or not things will go like you say, and if there will be variables appearing in the future... I look forward to it as well... Are you satisfied with my answer?"

"Even if it reaches the point of being incurable?"

Luo Nan perceived the entire confrontation between the two beauties absolutely clearly, but he did not act like someone in a soap-opera, like it was the end of the world, like life was not worth living.

Luo Nan merely shrugged in the restroom and sighed. "It seems that I have set up the external neuron successfully yet again."

This marvelous little device was able to bear the pressure of his soul strength, and it could hide itself perfectly. It was even able to avoid detection from the Ouyang Chen’s examinations, Bai Xinyan, and other people, which caused errors of judgment... Unfortunately, the external neuron made him appear overly naive and optimistic.

In fact, things were not as everyone else believed. Luo Nan really did know the seriousness of the state of his own body. In his understanding, he had a far more pessimistic judgment toward the degree of imbalance with his body and soul.

However, he was still able to bear it due to relying on the marvelous uses of the external neuron.

Bai Xinyan's judgment over the state of his body did not scare him, but the concern hidden beneath He Yueyin's cool and calm demeanor was quite moving.

At this time, Luo Nan could sense that his aunt would soon arrive at Bai Xinyan's office. He could no longer afford to tarry, so he rushed to give Bai Xinyan a call.

The call startled Bai Xinyan, as she was in the middle of a confrontation. She laughed and flashed her wristband to He Yueyin. Then, she picked up call. "Student Luo Nan. Where are you feeling unwell?"

"Ugh, Dr. Bai. There's something I wish to ask you."

"What is it?"

"The endurance of my body..."

"Are you peeping on us?"

"..."

"You should be able to reach here with the range of your mental senses. I can only believe that you're feeling guilty about your actions if this isn't the first time you've come around like this."

Bai Xinyan's gaze circled in the air for a revolution. It was as if she could really see through Luo Nan.

Although Luo Nan knew she had not truly seen him, she still gave him a scare. However, he ultimately did not break his clairvoyance. He made some mental preparations in his mind and pretended that he was just watching Bai Xinyan with a special videophone. He took a breath and said,

"I wanted to ask Dr. Bai if you would be so kind to grant me permission for normal physical exercise."

"Oh, I said this before. You have to minimize the volume you do."

"Not that, I just want to learn breathing techniques to alleviate my coughing."

Bai Xinyan clearly sunk into deep thought, probably because this idea was outside her expectations. A moment later she said, "Where? A fitness center?"

"Uh, no. Leister recommended it to me. It's a daoguan, a gym, that he trains in."

"Leister? Xue Lei?" Bai Xinyan went into deep thought again after she confirmed the reason. He Yueyin gave Bai Xinyan a nod in this moment, which indicated her approval.

If Luo Nan could see it; Bai Xinyan certainly saw it too. However, Bai Xinyan did not follow He Yueyin's script. She just revealed a mysterious smile.

"What is the name of that gym?"

"Divine Yu. Divine Yu Gym."

Luo Nan felt something the moment the words left his mouth. He did not know if he imagined it or not, but the instant the two beautiful women crossed gazes, their expressions, aura, and the air became cold enough to cause Luo Nan to tremble from the bottom of his heart.

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Chapter 136: Time Bomb (Part 1/2)

Chapter 136: Time Bomb (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

There was something wrong with this atmosphere!

Luo Nan began to regret making this call... No, no no. Indeed, it was correct of him to call. He had a cat-like curiosity in his heart, but ultimately, He Yueyin and Bai Xinyan did not say much. Bai Xinyan responded with a very normal tone.

"Well, if it's that Xue Lei, you can give it a shot. His background should be that of a traditional martial arts school; he can be considered to have trained to a professional degree. However, you must be aware that only gentle exercises, such as breath tuning, tao yin, yoga, and tai chi are suitable for your body. Such exercise plans will need to be recorded for research if the gym doesn't mind. I can permit you if these conditions are satisfied."

Luo Nan had no reason to disagree. The timing of his call could be considered perfect, as his aunt just so happened to make it to the door. Luo Nan immediately hung up at practically the same time as his aunt began knocking.

The two women with exceptional bearings locked gazes once more. Bai Xinyan looked around the room at nothing and made a faint humph. This made Luo Nan scream, F*ck, in his mind. His timing was too precise, and it brought suspicion upon him.

However, Luo Nan had grown some thick skin after he thought about his potential future lifestyle. He had to see this to the end. In any case, the two women should not be able to capture anything solid that could be used against him, as he was using his mental senses. This should be the case, right?

Mrs. Luo Shuqing entered the room and saw that Investigation Officer He Yueyin was present as well. She was a bit surprised for a time, and her heart grew more vigilant.

By now, she was absolutely unwilling to have her nephew enter the eyes of the police. Even though she knew that the problem was small, she was not willing to take any risks.

He Yueyin understood the situation quite clearly. She did not spend time with words. Instead, she just gave Luo Shuqing some greetings. Then, she brushed past Luo Shuqing and walked out the door.

Next, it was time for Bai Xinyan to put on a show.

Perhaps, Bai Xinyan's nature of a supervisor displayed itself, for Bai Xinyan handled matters very briskly. She relied on the mastery of her professional knowledge and used her silver tongue to temporary dispel Mrs. Luo Shuqing's misgivings in a short few minutes. Moreover, she gave a proactive suggestion.

Fair and moderate exercise is good for your nephew's recovery.

As for how it should be done... the snooping Luo Nan naturally understood this quite well. He let out a long breath of relief. He remembered that Xue Lei was still waiting outside the restroom, so he stopped snooping and retracted his mental senses.

Bai Xinyan sent Luo Nan's aunt away. Today's work was pretty much over. She really did not want to stay in this depressive building with endless illnesses, so she simply tidied up, put on her customary jacket, and left. She was off work now.

Bai Xinyan took the elevator down to the parking lot and was mulling over whether or not she should hit Zhang Yingying up. They could hit up the clubs tonight. However, she suddenly felt something that made her stop in her tracks. She turned around and looked.

She was met head-on with a gaze that gleamed with a cool and penetrating light. The gaze was a thick as the north wind, and it brushed her face. They were inside a building, and the temperature was normal for the season. But it was as if the temperature dropped down to freezing levels.

He Yueyin... Bai Xinyan knew it was not that easy to shake her off!

Bai Xinyan raised her hand in surrender. "Stop glaring at me, dear. I have no intentions of prying into your private matters."

"Your source of intelligence."

"Hey, this is an open secret, okay?"

"Open? It involves the entirety of Luo Nan, the Luo Family, and the Formatting Theory."

Bai Xinyan was dumbstruck for a time. It was obvious that this old friend had deliberately gone down the wrong line of thought. He Yueyin seemed to be unconcerned about being personal. She directly went to the sensitive topics, not glossing it over a bit.

He Yueyin spoke aggressively, "Your academic advisor's laboratory works for Quantum Corporation to a certain degree. Remodeling the nervous system, the theory of evolution, and the Archetype Format are all of the same origins. The Formatting Theory of the Luo Family should be what you all desire the most and are doing the utmost to obtain. However, why is it that you all haven't made a single action toward it in all these years... Or perhaps you used to long for it, but you discovered certain unpredictable pitfalls and flaws with it? Like what can be seen from Mr. Luo today?"

"Are you showing off your reasoning skills?"

Bai Xinyan straightened her jacket and zipped it up to her neck. She wanted to block the cold air that assaulted her face, but she could not avoid sighing. "Or are you saying that everything should be flipped down to the bottom with us here, while that peeping little fellow is on standby? You think that this would be better for him? Better for the current situation of Xia City?"

He Yueyin locked onto Bai Xinyan with her glare. A moment passed, and she walked expressionless toward the sports car that Bai Xinyan had recently purchased. She simply opened the door, went in, and sat down.

Bai Xinyan shrugged. She got in the car and started it. Then, she made a beautiful drift within the narrow space and rushed out of the exit. Soon, she merged into the rushing traffic of the city.

Several kilometers away from Renai Hospital, He Yueyin opened her mouth once again. "Give me all pertinent information. All of it."

"Don't have it."

Bai Xinyan's response was brisk and to the point. "Research concerning Formatting Theory was soon terminated. We obtained the conclusion that there was no value in continuing the research... I can tell you the reason. Through over a thousand repeated experiments, we determined that there was no one who could endure the rapid growth of soul strength."

"Rapid growth?"

"It looks like you only have a smattering of knowledge in regards to Formatting Theory. I can give you an overview... Do you need it?"

He Yueyin's eyes were slightly closed. She was completely silent.

"Then, don't resent me if I talk too much."

Bai Xinyan's sports car was installed with a self-driving mode. She put her hands on the back of her head and adopted a lazy posture. "According to the research line of Quantum Corporation, the Formatting Theory you speak of is confirmed to be a completely out-of-control way to increase soul strength. Its origin is Luo Yuandao from back in the day. It is also a sort of 'revelation' your boss's grandfather obtained in the wilderness. This 'revelation' is in the same vein as the 'gods' of the various secret orders. It may be marvelous, but it wasn't unrivaled within that era."

"Of course, there are differences between the revelation and those bizarre gods. In the next few dozen years, that old man was constantly trying to redefine this sort of power in his own way, and he was even able to obtain a series of results. The results primarily involve two different paths. One is to get closer to the 'revelation' itself, stressing differences in individuals. It is the Formatting Theory that is unique to the individual without equal. The other path is the result of a compromise with how narrow the fundamentalist path becomes the further one walks it. By mixing in modern scientific and technological capabilities, individual characteristics are lessened, the highest common factor is sought out, and a completely new theory is sorted anew from within. This is the Archetype Format..."

He Yueyin listened quietly. She was silent and did not speak a word.

"You're quite clear on the result. Formatting Theory and Archetype Format... I won't talk about which one is stronger, but in practical applications, the Formatting Theory is a complete failure. The vast majority of practitioners and experimental subjects who have received this theory have died. They all died due to being completely unable to control the growth of their soul strength. His grandfather, Luo Yuandao, was able to live a bit longer than the others, but right now, he's a lunatic. His father, Luo Zhongheng. Oh, he's dead now too."

"This man had once worked with Yan Hong for a period of time. According to what Yan Hong said, that person was simply a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment... This wasn't figurative. This was in the literal sense. And so, not even his bones existed after."

Bai Xinyan's hands were still propping the back of her head, while she looked at He Yueyin. She was waiting to see her reaction.

He Yueyin looked at her as well. "What's the conclusion?"

"Isn't it none other than this?" Bai Xinyan's bright and beautiful eyes blinked in an expression of extreme innocence.

The corners of He Yueyin's lips hooked into a subtle smile. This was the first smile she revealed during their confrontation. However, it was filled completely with cold intent. "Even if Formatting Theory doesn't possess the value of a universal application. Even if the death rate approaches 100%. Is it within Quantum Corporation's persistent style to actually have zero interest in this method? This method to increase one's soul strength to the maximum?"

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Chapter 136: Time Bomb (Part 2/2)

Chapter 136: Time Bomb (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

From a capitalistic point of view, benefits could be extracted from everything the world had to offer. Although Luo Nan's actions in Frost River Reality displayed youth, inexperience, and clumsiness, even an idiot could see that he possessed abilities with super powerful plasticity.

From the perspective of the large conglomerate Quantum Corporation, even if they did not make any long-term investments, they could extract short-term 'tools' of explosive power from Formatting Theory. They could display uses that exceeded the imagination in crucial moments.

In the recent years, Quantum Corporation showed no interest in pursuing the trail that was Luo Nan. If Yan Yongbo had not entered the scene, if Zhang Yingying did not have such acute perception of Luo Nan's potential, Luo Nan would have likely been forever buried within the boundless sea of people. He would have been buried until he became a time bomb; until he exploded to bits and pieces.

He Yueyin had absolute confidence that there were some shenanigans going on. So, just what was it that made Quantum Corporation give up on excavating this wealth that was Luo Nan?

Bai Xinyan removed her hands from her head and stretched. "What depth of information do you expect me to know with just me and my laboratory's research pool? This is everything that I know. It's up to you to believe it or not."

Bai Xinyan took this stance, setting firm that there was nothing He Yueyin could do about it. The exchange and transmission of this information depended on Bai Xinyan's mood all this time. She was willing to say this much because she wanted to see He Yueyin's reaction.

To be able to extract some juice from an already squeezed sugar cane was quite a surprise.

Sure enough, He Yueyin did not continue to pressure Bai Xinyan. She just sank into deep thought. It was something that was able to make capitalists of boundless greed withdraw their hands, so it was probably a threat so terrifying that it was unstoppable. Or there could be something else that was enticing. Something that could be harvested for boundless and enormous benefits. Or perhaps Quantum Corporation was trying to have its cake and eat it too.

He Yueyin followed this train of thought. She took the information of Quantum Corporation and Formatting Theory that she had gathered over the years and rearranged them. She was trying to seek out a trail, but it would be hard to find a solution within a short period of time.

At this time, Bai Xinyan stared at her with beaming eyes. "I've spent so many words on you. Shouldn't you answer my question?"

He Yueyin's eyes remained half closed. She ignored Bai Xinyan completely. However, she did not directly refuse her.

Bai Xinyan was no longer polite after she saw this. "Let's talk about the matter with Frost River Reality. Ouyang Chen may have stolen the show, but I find the deep participation of the government and military, as well as the ability users who were contained in the Logic World cage, to be of greater interest... An all-around coverage of social awareness. A major unification of political structure. The intervention between the inner world and the outer world reaching a balance that is ultimately mixed as one. It seems that this is the manifestation of a certain someone's Authoritarian Governance Theory?"

This line of questioning was indeed related to the question back in Luo Nan's ward. The question of whether or not He Yueyin's father was going to run for office. Bai Xinyan just pushed it a step deeper and showed her high attention toward the political situation with Xia City. She was extremely straightforward.

He Yueyin maintained her silence against Bai Xinyan's questions. However, as long as He Yueyin did not outright refute Bai Xinyan, Bai Xinyan would more or less have a basic answer in her mind. Bai Xinyan wanted to display a few comments on the matter, but He Yueyin visibly frowned. Soon, Bai Xinyan also received the same information through special channels.

She swiped through her wristband and let the short message repeat itself in her pupils. The way the message was displayed was similar to its content. "Well, they sure do things consistently."

Just ten minutes ago in Bay City, on the opposite bank across the ocean, a Mindseer First Oblatum of the Order of Justice killed the vice president of the ability user society's Wan City branch. They did this without warning, which led to a fierce clash between the Order of Justice and the Society.

"Similar matters will likely occur more and more in the upcoming future."

Bai Xinyan revealed a mysterious smile. "Even though not all future matters will be this serious, the tone has been set. In a few days, every branch will be in a state of emergency. Ultimately, the Society will be under great pressure. They will certainly make a few moves... Your troubles always involve the Society."

He Yueyin only knocked on the car window in response to Bai Xinyan's commentary. "Stop the car."

"I'll drive you there. It'll save time."

"No need." He Yueyin pushed the door open and got off the car at the temporary stop. She stood and turned her gaze toward the shadow of Renai Hospital, which was already left far in the distance.

There, Luo Nan was still living a comfortable life, as he worked hard. There was nothing wrong about this for a fifteen-to-sixteen-year-old teenager, but just how long could these peaceful and calm days be maintained?

Luo Nan did not know that He Yueyin's mind was troubled several kilometers away. Right now, Luo Nan's freedom plan was being carried out smoothly. With Bai Xinyan's cooperation and Xue Lei speaking on behalf of him, convincing his aunt was a reasonable matter.

The visitation time ended; Xue Lei and Luo Nan's aunt left together. Then, Luo Nan made an appointment for a 'trial exercise' with Xue Lei's gym. The matter was basically set.

Luo Nan let out a long breath of relief, and his mind relaxed. His mind deviated in a different direction. He had never thought to tell others of the secrets that was his external neuron. He had never thought about this before. He was vigilant against Bai Xinyan, and he had always exercised a bit of caution.

However, he never thought that concealing the external neuron would lead to He Yueyin, Bai Xinyan, and several other people making extremely pessimistic judgments toward the state of his body.

The most notable factor was He Yueyin's attitude. She had supported him enough to make him embarrassed. There was a moment when he wanted to confess his secrets.

But then he recalled the words that He Yueyin had spoken not too long ago. "Everyone has their secrets, secrets only they would know."

Luo Nan did not quite understand the deeper meaning behind those words, but rationally speaking, those words were more trustworthy than his emotional impulsions.

It was the dead of the night. There was no one who would disturb him at this time. Luo Nan took a deep breath, and he fought against the itching urge to cough that floated up his throat. His mind turned inward, as he sunk into the depths of his brain.

A glowing streak of electricity roamed between regions of light and darkness within his internal vision.

This was none other than the external neuron. Jack and the others knew it as the Dynamo Core. Under the interactions between the mental plane and the material plane, it manifested itself in this unusual representation.

His senses delved a step deeper, and he received some kind of marvelous and real feedback. There was truly a real and enormous vehicle that he could feel. It was an enormous hole. It was like the void. This was what was displayed within.

His soul strength had risen endlessly. Most of it was channeled into the external neuron. This was a separation. This was a buffer. It allowed the turbulent surging flood to turn into a vast and deep lake, which allowed Luo Nan to avoid the direct impacts of his soul strength.

This was the most life-saving function of the external neuron.

Luo Nan named this function the 'Hollow Depository'. He relied on it to persevere against his rapidly soaring soul strength to this day.

However, another week had gone by as Luo Nan underwent Bai Xinyan's 'cage treatment'. No matter how much he tried to exhaust his soul strength, this was just treating the symptoms and not the root cause. It was still incapable of controlling the growth momentum of his soul strength to a stable state.

Even the 'Hollow Depository' could not store any more of his soul strength. More and more of his soul strength was spilling out of it like overflowing water. It caused a clashing pressure against Luo Nan's fleshly body.

Whether it was Bai Xinyan or He Yueyin, both had pessimistic judgments towards the unbalanced state of Luo Nan's body and soul. Their judgments stemmed from this.

But Luo Nan himself felt differently about it.

The out-of-control growth of his soul strength was like a flood of water overflowing in all directions. It was hard to control. But after filling the deep hollow, it turned from rapids into a slow flow. It transformed from the incorporeal into the material. Was this not sort of a transformation; a type of control? Could he not act one step further with it?

Moreover, a more obvious change occurred with the external neuron. It required his attention.

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Chapter 137: Imperfect (Part 1/2)

Chapter 137: Imperfect (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

The user interface of the external neuron opened before Luo Nan's eyes. Nothing about it changed, save for the icon of the visualization diagram. The change with the dark gray and the very long 'download and installation' state of the icon was revealed quite distinctly.

There was yet another streak of light. It formed a long and narrow glowing slice of a circle. The slice was about 1/10th of a full circle. This slice was much clearer than before. However, it displayed quite a mysterious and concrete number when he applied his senses to it.

9.99%.

This number appeared after the events at Frost River Reality. Before, the analysis progress was at 7%. It had jumped nearly three percentage points overnight. This progress was quite fast, but what was up with the two digits after the decimal place?

Luo Nan suspected that if he increased the precision of this number, the nine would be an infinitely repeating decimal.

There was a plateau with the analysis progress? Was it stuck at this level?

This was an unprecedented situation. Luo Nan had to carefully mull this over.

From Luo Nan's perspective, the programs and app icons of the external neuron's user interface were the projection of the external neuron's analysis and control capabilities over certain targets. This was reflected extremely sufficiently with the cases of Gear and the Human-Faced Arachnid.

The icon of the visualization diagram appeared from analyzing and controlling the Human-Faced Arachnid. His comprehension grew deeper, and he gained newfound understandings after the events at Frost River Reality. These factors allowed him to realize the following. Chaos and disorder were the essences of the Human-Faced Arachnid. What was there worth analyzing? One would not obtain any answers if they analyzed chaos and disorder.

What could truly be analyzed was what possessed value to be analyzed. It was the order frame that formed the Human-Faced Arachnid's outstanding instinct in the midst of chaos essence.

Therefore, the image of the Human-Faced Arachnid did not appear on the user interface. Instead, it was the visualization diagram... The composition consisted of a tetrahedron, an inscribed sphere, and an outerscribed sphere.

Alright, now why did the icon appear as the visualization diagram?

Luo Nan's heart always pounded hard each time he thought of this question. It pounded this hard for a week.

The corresponding relationship between the Human-Faced Arachnid and the order frame filled the crucial logical link between the display of the user interface and the displacement of the analysis target. What followed was just simple reasoning and Luo Nan could draw a conclusion.

The visualization diagram and the order frame matched together to a large degree. Could practical meaning be obtained from the fact that the two overlapped?

Every time the relevant train of thoughts floated in Luo Nan's mind; the dark chains would resonate with its vibrating cry from the boundless depths of the mental plane like on the night within the Logic World. It was as if the dark chains had reappeared next to his ear.

A vague linking trail emerged among all sorts of phenomena, among the various details. It shifted between darkness and brightness, between being hidden and being distinct. This lasted until it closed into a loop, and it made Luo Nan's heartstrings tremble.

Unfortunately, there was a sizable portion of detail that remained indistinct. It did not allow Luo Nan to make a breakthrough in his understandings toward the order frame, the visualization diagram, and the Human-Faced Arachnid.

The analysis progress remained at the bizarre value of 9.99%. The rapid growth of his soul strength continued to slowly flow over the containment limits of the Hollow Depository. The disease that was the imbalance between body and soul continued to worsen step by step.

However, Luo Nan reaped some gains when all was said and done.

First, he had obtained what could be considered a promising future. If the visualization diagram and the order frame really did overlap, the path ahead would be deep and magnificent beyond imagination. It represented the astonishing breadth and depth of Formatting Theory.

Second, talking from a more substantial level, there was now a vehicle to the once-elusive order frame, to the profound and abstract visualization diagram. The vehicle was the external neuron.

The marvelous creation known as the Dynamo Core gave a data classification toward the order frame that was accurate to two digits after the decimal point.

The creator of the external neuron undoubtedly possessed deep and penetrating understandings toward its corresponding elements. Its applications made heavy-lifting tasks look easy, so it was able to analyze the design of the order frame within. The external neuron was a grand piece of work.

The existence of this work itself was a cognitive platform toward the order frame. It took large quantities of intangible and incomprehensible elements and substantialized them.

Though Luo Nan current understanding toward the external neuron was extremely shallow, the device itself was rich in interfacing and universality. It provided seamless access to the human nervous system, to the artificial intelligence systems, and even to the Format Pyramid's social-format. The external neuron gave Luo Nan many entry points to these systems.

For instance, Luo Nan currently held extreme interest toward the Hollow Depository function. There was great value in researching and exploring this function that could control his soul strength. Doing this had substantial meaning. The matter with his soul strength was pressing.

Luo Nan was forced to admit that he would not even be able to utilize Bai Xinyan's happy-go-lucky treatment if it were not for the external neuron. He would have become a gigantic tragedy.

Formatting Theory theory was great and all, but what was up with this completely out-of-control growth? How did his grandfather avoid resolving this issue back when he was doing research this theory?

Luo Nan thought back to the writings in his grandfather's notebook. In the end, he reluctantly admitted that it was hard for the answer to exist in the results of early stage research.

It looked like pursuing other clues in his notebook had to be put on the agenda.

With this thought in mind, Luo Nan decided to get in contact with Octopus Bro, who was researching the molecular formulas from his grandfather's notebook. At the same time, Luo Nan could also ask about his grandfather's recent physical and mental state.

Oh?

As Luo Nan scrolled through his contact list to find Octopus Bro's avatar, his train of thought suddenly fixated on something.

Mental state?

This link, which he had neglected intentionally or otherwise, suddenly jumped into Luo Nan's train of thought. A devilish sound fluttered back and forth inside and outside his heart at this time.

What had caused his grandfather to become a schizophrenic lunatic?

Was it because of the psychological blow of having his own son betray him and steal the results of his work?

Luo Nan had believed that this was the reason all this time.

However, what if he looked at it from a different angle? From an angle he had once never imagined? Right now, there was a different and real angle placed before his eyes.

How could a creator not be a practitioner?

It was improbable for his grandfather not to use the results of Formatting Theory on himself.

If this was the case. No, it had to be the case. If this theory never ultimately resolved the issue with the uncontrolled growth of soul strength; if this theory never resolved the issue with the imbalance between body and soul. Then, this was not a perfect theory.

Luo Nan took an impartial stance to make this hypothesis. Then, what would his grandfather's state become? It must be known that there was a 99% chance that his grandfather did not possess an external neuron!

What would be the result?

These thoughts made Luo Nan suddenly burst with cold sweat down his back.

Then, Luo Nan recalled when he was visiting his grandfather at the medical treatment center. He recalled his grandfather's crazed words. He redeciphered and redetermined those words with his current understandings. It seemed that there was some extremely marvelous feeling of pertinence?

The angle of this train of thought was clear, and the thoughts came surging like an opened floodgate. They rushed up and advanced straightforward. They were hard to stop.

Luo Nan temporarily set aside the situation with his grandfather. There was something else. There was someone else!

The person who had delivered the external neuron into Luo Nan's hands in such an unfathomable way.

The person who one could not avoid, who one could not crack...

The way he did things. His objective. His considerations. What were they?

Luo Nan was lying down on his bed with his eyes wide open. He was completely awake.

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Chapter 137: Imperfect (Part 2/2)

Chapter 137: Imperfect (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

“It’s on fire! It’s on fire!”

“Let the flames burn! Burn through this cloak of dark curtains!”

"Cloak.... dark curtains!"

Suddenly, Luo Nan opened his eyes. He had yet to adapt completely to the lighting here, so he always felt that the wall lights were like flames on the eve of going out. They flickered uneasily under this cover of a cloak-like dark curtain.

This cloak-like dark curtain pressed down over his body and isolated him from the world. His whole body became lethargic, and he was unable to spur some energy. It was as if he was oxygen deprived.

He understood that this feeling was bad. He removed his feet from the stool to lay completely on the ground, as his fingers rapped the circular chair above his body. The smart lights on the wall began to increase in brightness, as it sprayed warm colors beneath.

The imbalance between darkness and light took a turn. Shadows of the wall ornaments were projected onto the fine grain of the wooden walls and the bookshelves. These shadows formed a compositional whole. The composition merged together with an extended ladder, which caused this narrow space of three square meters to unfold and possess a marvelous sense of layers.

Luo Nan felt a lot better.

Right now, he was in the tree house of the Withered Tree Sandbar. This room was a secret area his mother built.

Two weeks ago, he had come to the school for the first time. Thanks to multiple factors, the majority of people did not know that there was a student who had quietly faded away for a time before he had quietly returned. These included the fact that the school had an elective based system, his small social circle, and Xie Junping helping him arrange sick time off from school.

After the conclusion of an entire day of courses, Luo Nan, the one and only official member of the Ritual Club, had arrived at Gear. He arrived at the treehouse that still remained unknown to most, and he rested there quietly.

Here, time had washed away the aura of his mother, but countless minute vestiges still remained that highlighted her former existence. Luo Nan had meticulously tried to search for traces of his mother, but after awhile, he felt that it was unnecessary. Then, he sat in the resting area on the lower floor and focused his back on the designs that slightly protruded from the wall. He sat there in a daze. His mind was entangled with countless things, but none of these things possessed meaning.

This lasted until he fell asleep in a daze. Then, his memories startled him awake—recollections of the mad words of his grandfather.

Those mad words had tormented Luo Nan for the past two days, and he always sought to discern the logical thread hidden within them. However, this wishful thinking was like smacking one's head against the wall... It made one's brain go a bit numb.

He glanced at his wristband; two hours had passed amidst his daze. He heard a sound come from the ladder below. This ladder was a convenient tool installed at the end of the long corridor submerged with water. The ladder was used for normal entry and exit. It was one of the results of the work Xie Junping did during this past half a month.

It was half an hour into the afternoon. Soon, Xie Junping made his way inside. There was now an additional person in the resting room, and it immediately made the space quite crowded. Xie Junping simply sat on a step of the ladder. He yawned and tears came out of his eyes, as he asked without thinking, "Have you seen the video I sent you?"

"...Not yet." Only now did Luo Nan recall that Xie Junping had sent him a video. Xie Junping said that he found the culprit who had snuck into the treehouse.

"It's a muskrat, not a mouse!"

Xie Junping gnashed his teeth, as he corrected Luo Nan's mistaken thought. The muskrat had been engraved in his mind after he was entangled in battles with the brown-haired rodent for half a month.

"That thing is absolutely abnormal! It's absolutely impossible for normal rodents to possess those reactions and that type of behavior. This must be a rejected mutant of a laboratory experiment!

Luo Nan could sense Xie Junping's mood. Xie Junping's attention had to be on more than just a rodent.

Xie Junping had arrived today at Gear with a completely new look. It surprised Luo Nan. Two weeks had passed and Xie Junping must have painstakingly racked his head and come up with a plan.

There were few people who could treat Luo Nan this way besides Luo Nan's relatives, and the first was Xie Junping. Luo Nan had no intention of taking these emotions and placing it under the frame of the Format Pyramid. Luo Nan was also unwilling to say dry words of thanks. He just silently memorized this favor, and his lips split into a grin.

"I'll look at it when I get back. When you catch that mouse, uh that muskrat, let's eat some braised stir-fry."

Xie Junping's mind went wild, as he imagined the beautiful scene of the brown ‘mouse’ being tossed into a pan of hot oil. However, he soon came back to reality and asked Luo Nan, "Aren't you going to that gym? When are you leaving?"

"It's about time. Right now."

He had already obtained permission from his aunt in regards to the matter of training in breathing techniques. However, the matter was not finalized. According to Xue Lei, Gym Master Xiu would rather go without a disciple than have a shoddy disciple when it came to teaching. Luo Nan had to meet the gym master in person before he could finalize things.

According to Xue Lei's stories, Gym Master Xiu had once said, "Whether I teach. Regardless of purpose. Let us talk in person."

For this, Luo Nan had scheduled a time with Xue Lei to meet at Divine Yu Gym. After he heard about this matter, Xie Junping had volunteered to drive Luo Nan over.

During this half month period when Luo Nan was not at school, Xie Junping and Xue Lei's friendship had continued. Xue Lei's issue with the school societies had stagnated at Limestone Water Village Pub, but it was resolved thanks to Xie Junping.

Xue Lei's monstrous body and powerful martial ability was the target of Xie Junping's extreme envy. His heart was drawn toward the gym master that Xue Lei spoke of.

Luo Nan and Xie Junping came out from the jungle of the north bank and saw that the skies were getting dark. Xie Junping started up the electric transport cart and transported Luo Nan along speedily on campus. There were not many people on campus during this time. Most people had already gone home.

Xie Junping pushed the electric cart to its highest speed. At the same time, his mouth spewed words like a raging torrent. He talked about the repeated battles with the brown-haired rodent.

Xie Junping was describing how he had controlled the underwater vehicle to pursue the animal when Luo Nan suddenly spoke up without warning.

"Slow down."

They had just made it to an intersection and Xie Junping instinctively pressed the brakes. It was a good thing he did so, for a semi-trailer truck came whistling past down a different road. The dark green truck was inharmonious with the atmosphere of the campus, and its sealed trailer brushed against the front end of Xie Junping's electric cart. The truck caused a great gale to blow leaves all around, and the leaves spattered against the windshield of the cart with pattering sounds.

"Holy sh*t!" Xie Junping was the only one on campus who put on airs. This was the first time he met someone else be so ostentatious.

Also, what the hell was with that heavy freight?

Acumen College strictly prohibited external vehicles from entering the school. Regardless of the countless wealthy students with high-status parents, they all had to use electric carts to get around. As for transportation vehicles for construction, there were special roads for them. It made no sense for them to charge and bash around on campus.

The semi-truck had not stopped at all. It just galloped straight along. Soon, it entered a special underground road. However, it certainly made a serious violation at the intersection just now.

Xie Junping, a candidate for vice-president of the Student Council, a high ranking member of the Honor Society, chuckled darkly. He rightfully made a call to the school security department and sent over the license plate, model number, and other images his HoloFilm captured.

"To make sure it doesn't leave the school gate."

Xie Junping gave Luo Nan a wink. Of course, this matter was not really important. Soon, he and Luo Nan forgot all about it. They rode the electric cart to the parking lot and switched to Xie Junping's flying car, a Phantom. They flew off and docked onto the magnetic rails, setting the coordinates to the River Wu District.

A call came through before they could travel far. Xie Junping glanced at the caller id and used the car's phone to put the call through. He answered in a jolly mood, "Old Du, what's up? It must be quite relaxing to have nothing to do, now that you're resigning from the Mystic Arts Research Society..."

The voice was so sharp in fury that it nearly damaged the high-end acoustics of the car. "Oh Bigshot Xie, are you having fun!? So it turns out you folk like to splash hot tea on one's face before one leaves!?"

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Chapter 138: Boshan Building (Part 1/2)

Chapter 138: Boshan Building (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

"The hell are you talking about?" Old Du baffled Xie Junping. "Old Du, you must have taken way too many drugs!"

"I'll drug your sister! Did I provoke you or something? Why the hell did you tag my truck?" Old Du's voice was really sharp. It was clear that his fury soared to the heavens. His voice rolled out into the curses of a vixen.

Xie Junping was unable to hold back his laughter, as he realized what was going on. "So, that semi-truck packed with freight was yours? Are you driving it?"

"I would have steamrolled you to death if I was on it!"

Xie Junping did not take Old Du's words to heart. He smacked the steering wheel in laughter. "Ah Old Du, I'm not criticizing you. It may be easy for anyone to get a drivers license nowadays, but don't let a retard drive your truck. Being too brash and one mistake will cause your accident rate to be a disaster. Your father works for the Department of Transportation. Didn't he warn you?"

"Xie... You..."

"Okay okay okay. I won't push you. I'll give a call to security and let you drive your truck away. However, I want that retarded driver to serve me tea as an apology later..."

"Screw you!"

The sharp trill of Old Du's voice was clearly audible through the car's speakers. "So, you're still talking sh*t! They’ve already towed back my truck. If anything happens to the cargo inside, things ain't over between us Xie!"

After saying this, Old Du just hung up.

"What the heck just happened?"

Xie Junping had an expression of bafflement. He turned to look at Luo Nan and explained, "This Old Du, aka Du Yong, we call him Sissy Du as well. You should know that he is the president of the Mystic Arts Research Society. Normally, he's a pretty decent guy; it's just that he's quite fanatical about the mystic arts. Now, add the fact that he overdoses on drugs and you can see that sometimes his mind isn't quite normal."

"..." The description of Old Du described Luo Nan dead-on. It was like he was accidentally shot dead in the face. He was speechless.

Xie Junping still did not quite understand the reason why Du Yong got so angry. He grumbled, "He had it towed back, yet he's still pissed!?"

A call came through at this time. This time, Luo Nan knew the caller id as well. It was Xie Junping's best friend, and a fellow member of the Student Council, Hu Huaying.

"Bro Ping, where are you?"

"I'm outside with Nanster. We're heading to the River Wu District to handle something."

"Oh? So Nanster's there too."

This brother just so happened to be at the right place at the right time at Frost River Reality that night. Huang Bingzhen's 'holy exchange' had knocked him unconscious. Although he was unconscious during the events, he heard the news when he woke up. As such, he had a general understanding of what had happened. There were no two ways about it. Luo Nan had led the special forces to his and his friends' room. They were transported out. This was not a life-saving favor in the figurative sense, as Luo Nan had literally saved his life. As expected, Hu Huaying looked at Luo Nan in a different light.

Luo Nan greeted Hu Huaying as well, "Bro Hu."

Hu Huaying quickly cut to the chase. "I heard you just helped out the Mystic Arts Research Society. You got Old Du's semi-truck confiscated?"

The logic behind Hu Huaying’s words immediately befuddled Xie Junping. "The heck do you mean? How did I 'help'... the Mystic Arts Research Society?"

"Don't you know? Old Du didn't just resign as president; he quit his society. Before he quit, he took the instruments and materials he used in the society, loaded them in his semi-truck, and took them away. Then security confiscated the vehicle, and the members of the Mystic Arts Research Society came chasing over to take the goods back without an iota of change."

"Holy sh*t!" These twist and turns of events surprised Xie Junping. So, this was what actually was going on. This was no longer the issue of a former president quitting his society. This was an extreme change; an issue that shed all pretense of cordiality. Just how much of a mess was the Mystic Arts Research Society in right now?

Xie Junping shot a glance at Luo Nan and unavoidably thought about the issue of who had ownership of Gear. The Mystic Arts Research Society would be truly damned if it were to wrestle with the Construction Society in this state.

"What about those financial investors in the background? Are they staring blankly as this society eats itself? Oh! That's right! You said it before. A major financial backer removed their resources, right?"

Next to Xie Junping, Luo Nan closed his eyes. He had heard this matter from Xie Junping already. However, Luo Nan's understanding was different than Xie Junping and Hu Huaying. Luo Nan knew that this matter involved things that were all the way up to the situation with Xia City. Especially with the Order of Justice.

"Old Du is quite a failure of a person."

Xie Junping sighed about this huge let down with the Mystic Arts Research Society. He had a huge headache for a time. Today's matter was something inappropriate to walk away from. In addition, his tagging of Old Du's vehicle caused the situation to intensely change. As for what would follow, what the conclusion would be like in the bidding war between the Mystic Arts Research Society and the Construction Society, who Gear would belong to... It was all a pain.

He smacked his steering wheel. "Alright! I'll go back and take a look."

Luo Nan nodded. "It's best to go back."

"Not you, you already have an appointment. I'll see you later. You never know; you might call him your Master. You should leave a good impression. You must not be late."

After he said this, Xie Junping controlled the flying car to park safely to the side. "We're not that far from school. I'll have Old Hu come and pick me up. You drive my Phantom over. In any case, you have the privileges to my car. Let us stop wasting time. I'll contact you if something comes up later."

Luo Nan looked at the time; he did not refuse.

The Phantom flying car soared away at high speeds. Luo Nan remained sitting shotgun, not changing his position a bit. He allowed the flying car to advance the whole journey in autonomous driving mode.

Luo Nan was mulling over the matter with the Mystic Arts Research Society. According to the Ability User Society’s recent intelligence, the Order of Justice was the largest financial backer of the Mystic Arts Research Society. This was not confined to merely Acumen College. In each and every school in the Pingjiang District, the Mystic Arts Research Society was simply a front. Behind all of them was the shadow of the Order of Justice.

The boundary between the inner world and the secular, normal world was blurred to the highest limits in the realm of the mystic arts. This was a superb channel to assimilate talent.

However, last week, several dozen priests and knights at Frost River Reality had died in the Logic World. This accounted for the majority of them and among them included a First Oblatum, eight Oblatum Knights of the highest elite, and the destruction of the fleshly body of the mastermind An Weng. All that was left of An Weng was his soul, and his soul had merged inside the body of the demon. It was unknown where An Weng and the demon had gone.

Today, the Order of Justice was missing elite forces in Xia City. All that was left was Zheng Xiao and Baze to support the overall situation. It was inevitable for problems to arise.

It was noteworthy that the Order of Justice did not immediately call in reinforcements to make up for the gap in Xia City. Instead, they spent all their energy without end on other cities. They did what could be called a textbook definition of spreading pressure; they made it so that the ability user society of Xia City was faced with external threats. Soon, these threats rapidly turned into pressure and criticism from within the Society. It was said that the high level members of the Society had quite the headaches in these recent days.

Luo Nan sighed, and he had his mind sink. He generally sensed the undercurrent of the soul strength bubbling up from within his Hollow Depository. His mind continued to sink further; he entered the abstract and cryptic Format Pyramid interface of the external neuron.

Before, the interface was like murky water. Now, there was a huge change in its appearance.

The Format Pyramid remained situated in the center as before, but the surging turbid water and the playing card portraits of people had transformed into a grand and vast star river. Tens of thousands of stars were spread over, and dark clouds billowed out. There seemed to be boundaries between the stars and the dark clouds. But as a whole, they melted together into a furnace; it was hard to differentiate them.

Such a state was the result of the great drawing strokes of the night at Frost River Reality. He had drawn a myriad of Life Sketches that fused into a hazy star river, and this hazy star river mixed together with the Format Pyramid.

However, when Luo Nan truly went to observe the interior of the Format Pyramid, even though the light of the stars were shining through, even though the light was clear as water, he could see that each level basically maintained its original state.

The two levels of politician and clergy remained empty. The technician level just had the Wraith Sign. The student level looked to be the liveliest level. Xie Junping and Cat Eyes were bobbing up and down within the star river. It looked like they were going to be raised to the office worker level.

The most distinct change actually occurred on the office worker level. There was an additional person besides the crow Ink, who had long since entered this level.

Baze. Currently one of the few greats remaining of the Order of Justice's Oblatum Knights.

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Chapter 138: Boshan Building (Part 2/2)

Chapter 138: Boshan Building (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

It was as if there was a layer of mist and dust surrounding Baze's projected image within the Format Pyramid. Starlight subtly glowed.

Luo Nan's mind was drawn over, and he saw the starlight similar to the water of a river. It rolled and billowed within the Format Pyramid and set off ripples. There were also waves surging below that pushed Baze's portrait to bob up and down. An impressive scene to the eyes.

However, aesthetic could not purely support this situation.

The uncontrolled growth of soul strength broke through the capacity limits of the Hollow Depository. This outbreak led to the continuous increase of the interference effect between the mental plane and the material plane, which caused the disturbance toward the Format Pyramid Interface to grow stronger and stronger.

Luo Nan was a bit worried when he woke up to the situation in front of him. The layout of the Format Pyramid and the rankings of his believers were going through huge changes.

Luckily, no problems had occurred so far. His mind swept over Baze's portrait and touched upon some key openings. A long shadow steeped in darkness pierced through the clear rippling starlight. This was the instantiation of an order frame, the dark chains. These marvelous chains were like a dragon of legends. They bobbed up and down the endless star river, flickering in and out of sight.

Right now, it spiraled around Baze's portrait, as it emitted a faint noise. There was a meaning contained in its actions. It was likely showing the way to Baze's order.

On the night at Frost River Reality, An Weng had tried to control the demon without complete success. He lost control of the chaos element. The chaos element surged through the mana channels within the bodies of the Oblatum Knights and eroded their life force. This was the primary reason why the elites of the Order were all wiped out.

Baze had suffered from the attack then as well. He was on the verge of exploding and dying. In his moment of despair, he sought out Fairchild. He hoped to find an honorable death. But then, Fairchild restrained him and requested Luo Nan to use his order frame to help Baze find a new path to life.

Luo Nan was in fact successful in doing so. Although chaos element might have eroded and replaced Baze's life, Luo Nan was able to establish a whole new restrictive order within this sheet of chaos. Baze was relying on none other than this to live in this world.

Yet, it was also because of this that Baze's life was in Luo Nan’s hands.

Of course, Luo Nan had saved Baze because Fairchild asked him to. Luo Nan was not going to really do anything to Baze. Baze was quite strong. Luo Nan was not sure he could stop such a person from seeking death.

Luo Nan had not tried to do anything toward Baze's body after that night. Then, Luo Nan had entered the hospital for treatment, vexed over the uncontrolled growth of his soul strength. The high level members of the Order of Justice called Fairchild back for questioning and investigation. The two sides did not contact each other at all. There were many moments when Luo Nan simply forgot about this matter.

The unforeseen event with the Mystic Arts Research Society had wound Luo Nan's train of thought over here. He was thinking whether or not he should contact Baze.

He hesitated for a moment, but he still did not make the next move.

Aside from the Wraith Sign and Ink, Luo Nan had yet to utilize this channel to make contact and control a single person. It was one matter to do this toward an unintelligent Darksider life form or his own pet. To do this toward Xie Junping, Cat Eyes, and even Baze, these highly intelligent living beings, was a totally different matter.

He also did not know just what sort of applications the order frame was capable of in the end.

Furthermore, it felt kind of like a joke to go contact Baze for the matter with the Mystic Arts Research Society. The level of a school society was far too inferior in the eyes of someone as powerful as Baze.

Luo Nan shook his head, and his mind departed from this space.

The so-called saying, ‘Cultivation Without the Sun and Moon’, largely referred to the state of meditation and calmness where the sense of time toward the outer world was completely lost. Luo Nan's self-perception had spent a full circle within the Format Pyramid Interface. Nearly half an hour had passed in reality.

The Phantom flying car speedily continued along under its autonomous driving mode and had already made it to the River Wu District. The car's AI was already inputted with the address that Xue Lei gave. The AI had planned the route, and it quickly brought Luo Nan to Boshan Building, the location of Divine Yu Gym.

There was a large detached high-rise that occupied over a hundred acres of land. It was named Boshan because its design was a replica of the Boshanlu, or Hill Censor, of ancient times. This was the famous landmark building of the River Wu District.

Boshan Building had the shape of a mountain. It was wide at the base and sharp at the top. The bottom floors were neat and tidy offices. The top floors formed the jagged peaks of a business district. Various stores were strewn at random there. There was also a bright green aerobic runway that spiraled upon the building and stretched to a rooftop garden at the very top.

This was the highest class business district in the River Wu District. Since they were able to run a store here and able to open a gym, that Gym Master Xiu must have a high social status.

Luo Nan parked the car at the underground parking structure and took an elevator to the high class business district. He gave Xue Lei a call and soon found the location of Divine Yu Gym thanks to his guidance.

If one were to view Boshan Building as an artificial mountain, then Divine Yu Gym would be located about halfway up the mountain. It did not take up too much space, and its construction was of an open classical courtyard style. The terrain of the business district limited it, making up of three courtyards in ascending height. The whole construction took up three stories, and it faced the sun in a corner. It was as if it was built in accordance to a mountain, and it looked utterly refined.

Though it was located in the bustling business district, the front of the gym was rather simple. All that hung was a simple plaque that said, ‘Divine Yu’. It was upright and straight but not fancy. There were not many characteristics to it.

Xue Lei rushed out to welcome Luo Nan at this time. He wore light gray training clothes. The same outfit that Luo Nan saw him in when they first met. There was a tripod cauldron logo on his chest. His muscles bulged tightly against his training clothes, which made him look magnificent.

Luo Nan's gaze rested a moment on the tripod cauldron logo. Suddenly, he recalled the gym master's name. Of course, this was also the name of the gym. It was highly likely that the name originated from the classical story ‘Yu Cast Nine Tripod Cauldrons’.

Just from the name and the look of the layout and exterior of the gym, Gym Master Xiu Shenyu was indeed an old-fashioned character.

Xue Lei did not know the thoughts that instantly flashed through Luo Nan's mind. He split his lips into a slightly embarrassed grin. "Nanster, the gym master is teaching a class right now. I'm afraid you'll need to wait a bit. He will be good in half an hour."

Luo Nan was in no hurry. "This is nothing. Oh right, can I take a look?"

Xue Lei scratched his head when he heard this. "Uh, not this class. They're all seven, eight year old kids. They haven't fixed their essences yet. If their frame disperses, it would be hard for them to coalesce the energies back... Why don't we first wait at the mind study?"

Luo Nan did not push it. He followed Xue Lei inside. He was just a little curious. "The gym master is personally teaching kids?"

When Luo Nan was a kid, his aunt and uncle had the children of the family take hobby classes in martial arts and fighting for exercise. It was hard to meet the boss during those times. Normally, trainers were the ones who taught the courses.

Uh, daoguans and training classes were quite different.

"There aren't many people in our daoguan. We don't have the resources. Plus, it’s very important for children to lay a good foundation, so the gym master personally came."

Xue Lei glanced around and whispered, "Actually, very few kids are able to endure; they can't handle the pain. The gym master says that there aren't many who can embark along his path, and it's not necessary to forcefully mold them. Yet, he also can't hamper their progress. Its fine to turn them from stubborn stones to unpolished jades and reveal their light. Maybe one day in the future, they will receive a moment of enlightenment and still be able to rely upon this path."

Luo Nan laughed as he looked at Xue Lei. "So you're saying that you're along the gym master's path?"

Xue Lei answered a bit rudely, "Yea, man. The gym master once said that I was quite like him when he was young."

Luo Nan turned to look at Xue Lei's simple and honest face. He tried mixing Xue Lei's face with a sage-like old-fashioned character, but it was hard for him to imagine the resulting appearance.

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Chapter 139: Tai Chi Ball (Part 1/2)

Chapter 139: Tai Chi Ball (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

The skies were already dark, and the daoguan did not have many lit lights inside. The front courtyard was quite lively though; there were students and parents moving back and forth under the lighting. As they made their way to the middle courtyard, Luo Nan found a sparse amount of people. The lit lights within the winding corridor caused this courtyard to become dusky.

Xue Lei brought Luo Nan up the right winding corridor. They reached the back courtyard. It was a sheet of pitch-black darkness. They could not see a single person. The lights of the winding corridor, and the spray of light from the bustling city outside could not reach here.

"There aren't generally people here," said Xue Lei. Then, he pointed at the pitch-black wooden building ahead. "We're here. That's the mind study."

The wooden building appeared long and wide under the dusky lighting. It seemed to take up over half of the back courtyard. Luo Nan did not quite expect this. He had thought Xue Lei was talking about a study room or something when Xue Lei mentioned the mind study. He never thought it would be this large and this spacious. It was big enough to be a training ground.

They walked into the mind study, and Luo Nan confirmed that this was likely once a training ground. Beneath their feet was the installation of soft and beautiful cork material. They took off their shoes and walked on it. It was very comfortable. Yet, it was certainly left unused now. There were many random objects placed inside, and the layout was quite casual. It looked a bit messy.

A low table was placed near the entrance, and there were a few cushions as well. There was even a tea set on the table and a small stove next to the table to boil water for tea. It was all very clean, neat, and tidy. It looked like people came here often.

Xue Lei turned on the lights, which only covered the area next to the entrance. This caused the layout further inside to appear duskier and messier with shadows looming everywhere. It looked a bit creepy.

This environment slightly embarrassed Xue Lei. "Normally, the gym master spends his time here. This place is a bedroom, a study, and a living room. There is also a sundries room. They're just not separated here."

Luo Nan wondered out loud, "Why?"

"The gym master said that he's impatient and has a lot of rage. He needs a vast space to clear his mind. He's more likely to get sick if he's smothered. Of course, typical people like us don't do this..."

Upon saying this, Xue Lei rummaged out a tea kettle and other objects used to receive guests. He turned on the stove to boil water, but then, his wristband began vibrating when he put the kettle on the stove. He looked at the message and tapped his head. "Nanster. How about you first sit here for a bit. I need to go help out my fellow disciples. Sorry, man. Sorry."

"You do what you gotta do."

Luo Nan certainly did not mind. Between them, they had a friendship that ascended lives. There was no need to be this polite, but Xue Lei felt that there were truly no words that could describe his feelings. His hands came together in a bow, and he rushed away.

Looking at this, it seemed that the gym was really lacking people...

Luo Nan was a bit surprised. The gym master had to be a billionaire in order to open a daoguan in Boshan Building. Why did he not hire a few more trainers? Or maybe business was thriving too much that they couldn't meet the demands?

Luo Nan recalled his impression of the path he walked to get to the mind study. He felt that there were not that many people in the daoguan. It did not matter whether it was the back courtyard or the middle courtyard. There were not that many people. This place was not lively.

Yeah. This was a bit weird.

He did not think too much about this. The water had yet to boil. He just stood near the entrance and watched the dark scene. There were not that many classical-style buildings like this in today's Xia City. The daoguan was located in the bustling business district. People streamed endlessly above his head and below his feat, but within this courtyard, the clamorous sounds of people were blocked off. This was truly the best place to get some peace and quiet within a place of noise.

Two antique-style humanoid stone lanterns were alight outside the mind study. The orange rays illuminated the doorway of the mind study, the corridor, and a small area of the courtyard.

A gust of wind blew, and leaves rustled, floated, and fell. Luo Nan only saw it now; there was a large tree in the middle of the back courtyard. It was so thick that two people could not wrap their arms around it. He could not tell what type of tree it was at first glance. He just felt the edge of the lights reach out, as the shadow of tree swayed. It was beautiful, secluded, and quiet. And the slight rustling sound from the wind purged his heart and mind. The seat of his emotions were washed clean, but serene thoughts were born from the silence.

Luo Nan stood beneath the wooden awning outside the mind study. He was in a trance for a time, and the sound of boiling water behind him startled him awake. He walked back inside and brewed himself a pot of tea.

He was young after all. His thoughts and feelings were fickle. Those faint yet discernible thoughts just now had quickly dissipated, and he sized up the furnishings inside the mind study. This large open space possessed many functions simultaneously, and it made him very curious. He held the teacup, and his gaze flitted over the various arrangements in the room. There were some places where the light could not reach, and he could not see those areas clearly. He automatically used his mental senses.

The automatic clairvoyance had a range of a dozen meters or so and enveloped the area surrounding the doorway within. This perception was so meticulous and did not spare dust particles.

And so, Luo Nan discovered that this place was quite clean. It was not spotless, but it was swept often. There was a bit of order hidden within. It seemed that the arrangement of the random items was naturally divided into relatively independent areas. The first impression Luo Nan got was not that of disorder and messiness.

In other words... Luo Nan's mind went at ease. He thought of the old-fashioned character that was the gym master. Such a person would not go so far to make their residence a big mess.

Luo Nan grew curious upon understanding the situation inside. There was an order to the messy layout. How were functional areas represented and differentiated?

"It's all books in the surroundings. Hmm. There's also a pillow. That there should be the study."

"There's a futon and its further inside. Could that be the bedroom?"

"There's just decorative items there. Looks like some of them are over a year old. They're collections. This is the sundries room..."

Luo Nan carefully went through each and every location and found pleasure in doing so. His gaze roamed around and back. He had more or less went around in a circle. Suddenly, he stopped.

Not to far away from the entrance was something large on display. It was an enormous sphere so big that only a grown man could wrap his arms around it. The sphere was placed on the ground and was nearly half a person tall. It seemed to be made of metal. It looked very heavy. There was not anything else around it, and it looked quite towering.

Luo Nan could not think of its purpose for a time, so he simply walked over to examine it in detail. He felt a subtle chill assault his face, as he got closer. He touched it with his hand, and it felt ice cold. No doubt about it; it was made out of metal.

Was it hollow or solid? If it was solid, the wooden floor here might not be able to support it.

Luo Nan looked below the metal ball. There was a bowl-like tray placed there, and the metal ball rested inside. It looked quite stable. He pushed out with his hand; no movement. He added a bit more effort; this time it worked. The metal ball was largely displaced within the tray, letting out the sound of friction.

The sound was exceptionally clear within this empty and quiet room. Luo Nan panicked, and he rushed to stop his hand. But somehow, the way the ball and the tray were connected in this structure made it so that the metal ball began to roll a bit in the tray with just a bit of force. The vibrations were so much that the floor below began to shake.

The rotating metal ball rubbed against Luo Nan's fingertips, and he was able to feel bumpy marks on the ball. There seemed to be intermittent lines and painted colors!

This was completely unexpected. A slight rotation of the sphere had brought up a blurry pattern... It was even luminous too!

The style of the pattern was a bit strange.

In his moment of bafflement, Luo Nan suddenly felt the blurry pattern being raised higher a bit.

At first, he thought it was a misconception due to the rotation of the sphere, but the sound of friction from the rotation disappeared. The rotated pattern continue to rise until it reached his chest.

"..."

Luo Nan lowered his head. All he saw was the connective portion between the metal ball and the tray. He did not know when they separated. This sphere must weigh at least a hundred kilograms. Luo Nan could not see anything supporting it, yet it floated above the tray, as it spun and rotated.

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Chapter 139: Tai Chi Ball (Part 2/2)

Chapter 139: Tai Chi Ball (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan came to a sudden realization when he saw this. So, it turned out to be magnetic levitation. Superconductive technologies had made huge developments in today's world. Such objects were not uncommon.

The heavy metal ball levitated in midair; it was still spinning. Luo Nan messed with it a bit, and the ball began to rotate a bit faster. The colored lines upon the ball joined together to form a clearer picture. Although Luo Nan could not really tell anything from it, the sight was quite delightful to the eyes.

This toy possessed all the colors in profusion and was a bit like the levitating spinning tops that Mo Peng liked to collect when he was a kid. This one was just much larger. Perhaps this was a prop used in lessons for kids?

Luo Nan fiddled with the metal ball, and he touched the tray. Based on the movements back when the two objects were touching, it looked like superconducting materials were not used. Luo Nan could not help but wonder, what created the force that allowed this magnetic levitation?

He deliberately heightened the precision of his mental senses to penetrate through the outer shell of the metal ball. As expected, he discovered quite an odd mechanism buried within the center of the sphere, but it was not electrical in nature.

Footsteps rang from outside the room amidst Luo Nan's moment of pondering. Xue Lei spoke out with a greeting, "Nanster, the gym master has arrived."

Luo Nan hurried to the door and saw Xue Lei following a tall, lanky man that walked inside. Luo Nan could not see the man's face clearly, but he bowed in accordance to his earlier preparations.

"Gym Master Xiu."

A loud rumbling boom sounded out and exploded in the empty room. The scare caused Luo Nan to jump, and he turned around to look. He saw that the levitating metal ball had fallen, smashed to the ground, and flipped the tray over. The ball rumbled, as it rolled upon the cork flooring.

"..."

Xue Lei had the fastest reactions. He rushed over and caught up to the ball in two to three steps. He stopped the metal ball with his hands.

Aside from the fact that Luo Nan was obviously embarrassed, Luo Nan also froze on the spot. He did not know what to do for a time.

Xue Lei rolled the metal ball back into the tray, and he even remembered to cover for Luo Nan. "It's nothing. It's nothing. Gym master, Nanster, you all talk first."

Luo Nan gaped with his mouth wide open. The few words he had prepared earlier were no longer applicable. He could only lower his head in a bow. "Sorry, I..."

"Sit then."

Gym Master Xiu went from standing at the doorway and walked behind the low table. He extended his hand to point at a location for Luo Nan. Gym Master Xiu's voice was deep and husky. It was indistinct. If it were not for his hand gesture, Luo Nan would not have understood what he was saying. Luo Nan had nearly missed it.

It was only now that Luo Nan could see the man clearly, and the sight stupefied Luo Nan. The man was a bit different from the graceful and proper old-fashioned character he had imagined. Gym Master Xiu looked to be in his mid forties. He was extremely skinner and lanky, like Bamboo Pole. The night breeze blew in from the outdoors, and the gym master's classical style robes rustled. It seemed that the wind could carry him into the air at any time.

The difference in the lighting inside and the lighting outside smeared several shadows onto the middle-aged man's withered cheeks. At first glance, the man looked to be all skin and bones; it looked like the forces of nature were on the verge of peeling off his skin.

Honestly speaking, this gym master was not good-looking. But Luo Nan was not unfamiliar with this image. The torment of his grandfather's ailment over these years left a result like this.

It cannot be. The gym master's body was in ill-health?

Gym Master Xiu was the first to kneel down. Luo Nan knew this was an ancient rite, and he copied the man's actions. But Gym Master Xiu just fiddled with the tea set. It looked like he was going to treat a guest for tea.

Luo Nan mulled over some wordings in his mind, but unfortunately, conversations were not his expertise. He needed time to figure out what new things to say, so he could only maintain his silence. The training grounds were quiet and noiseless for a time.

The more quiet it was, the more awkward it became.

There were several instances when Luo Nan wanted to speak, but he was unable to find a way to start. He could only find himself some things to do. He used his mental senses to observe what Xue Lei was up to.

Xue Lei flipped a switch after pushing the metal ball back into its tray. The outer shell of the metal ball opened up, and Xue Lei took out the installed machinery from the cavity inside. The machinery also had the shape of a sphere, but it was just the size of a fist, six to seven centimeters in diameter. A fine layer of metal mesh wrapped the outer layer of this small sphere. The inner layer was an installation of a device similar to a gyroscope. Xue Lei pounded it twice then scratched his head. Clearly, this toy was broken.

This shattered the last of Luo Nan's few hopeful thoughts, but this also gave him the chance to speak. He lowered his head and apologized, "I'm sorry Gym Master Xiu. I..."

Halfway through his words, Luo Nan was unable to think of a way to explain what had happened with the metal ball. He went to a sudden stop and visible sweat appeared on his forehead.

Gym Master Xiu was pouring water into a cup at this time. He heard Luo Nan and looked up to give him a glance. "Tai chi ball."

"Yes, tai chi ball. I will absolutely fix that tai chi ball... Cough!"

It seemed that Luo Nan was destined to be unable to speak a complete dialog today. The itching sensation had risen up his throat in this moment. Luo Nan could not stop it, so he could only turn his head and cough twice.

Gym Master Xiu did not seem to care. "It was already broken. It's already quite bizarre for it to last until now."

He pushed a cup of tea toward Luo Nan, as he spoke.

The itch in Luo Nan's throat had yet to fade. Luo Nan accepted the cup, but he did not dare to drink. He was scared that he could not hold back the cough and would spit the tea out.

This was likely disrespectful of him, but Luo Nan was quite helpless in this matter.

Gym Master Xiu picked up a cup of his own without concern for Luo Nan. He drank the tea in one gulp and minded his own business. Then, he lowered his head and played with the cup in his hands.

They had exchanged a few sentences, and now, they were back in a silent state. Luo Nan really did not know what he should do for a time.

Xue Lei saw that things were not going well from over yonder. He disregarded the matter with the tai chi ball and hurriedly inserted the mechanical device back into the cavity. He walked over with brisk steps. Then, he knelt and sat to the side. He poured more tea for the two, gave Luo Nan a stealthy wink, and deliberately spoke in a loud voice.

"Nanster, no need to be too restricted around here. The gym master doesn't care for customs and rites at all."

Luo Nan looked at his own kneeling posture. Then, he looked at the cup in his hands. He was speechless for a moment.

Luckily, Xue Lei's interruption had brought Gym Master Xiu out of his silent state. The gym master's head was still lowered, as he played with the cup, but he finally spoke.

"A heard a few things about you from Xue Lei. He recommended that you learn breathing techniques to treat the symptoms of your cough. However, I am not a doctor, and there's nothing mystical about breathing techniques..."

Luo Nan listened attentively and carefully. He was scared that he would mishear the gym master, but Luo Nan was suddenly surprised when he heard the latter sentence. He glanced at Xue Lei, who gestured a 'don't worry about it' back.

"Xue Lei." Gym Master Xiu suddenly mentioned Xue Lei’s name.

This startled Xue Lei. He rushed to straighten up. He sat upright and still. "Gym master."

"What did you say on that day?"

Xue Lei's mouth gaped open, and a few 'uh's came out of it before his thoughts became clear. He spoke very carefully. "I said that you, the gym master, has once said, 'Breathing in, one can observe the inner organs, move a myriad of veins, and take in the soul...', those words."

Xue Lei did not mention the more abstruse words near the end, like 'observe heaven and earth, know yin and yang, and visit the divine', but the meaning was certainly there.

Then came five to six seconds of the Gym Master's silence. The cup just twirled within his withered and bony fingers and palm.

Right when Luo Nan believed that the gym master was angry, the gym master slowly raised his head and aimed his sunken eyes at Luo Nan. "I speak abstractly when I teach. Duality and parallelism of words. They give today's youngsters a deep impression, and it allows them to remember a few words. This avoids a teaching style that is stiff and rigid, which may make their cultivation become bad."

The fixed-stare of Gym Master Xiu raised Luo Nan’s hair, but he still replied, "Yes."

Luo Nan had to admit that he did not have much belief in those abstruse descriptions, even though there was the living case of Xue Lei placed before his eyes. Luo Nan did not really hope that learning breathing techniques would be able to cure him of his ailments. He mainly wanted to avoid brushing away Xue Lei's sentiments, and he wanted to have a more convenient life in the future.

Gym Master Xiu had spoken quite realistically. Luo Nan could naturally accept those words.

Another few seconds of silence passed before Gym Master Xiu opened his mouth once more. "No matter the technique, everything must start from the beginning. Time and volume is the true path. Your body isn't suitable for much volume. Then, what about time?"

"Huh?" Luo Nan could not understand what the gym master was saying for a time.

Gym Master Xiu stared at him. The enunciation was husky, but the meaning was clear. "Do you have consistent and sufficient time?"

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Chapter 140: Sleeping Technique (Part 1/2)

Chapter 140: Sleeping Technique (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan understood the gym master’s meaning, but his thoughts were unable to turn around for a time. He hesitated in his answer.

Gym Master Xiu produced even clearer points. "You are a student. You have other matters to attend to. I can teach you, but do you have enough time to take in and absorb my teachings?"

Luo Nan was speechless. He realized that this was indeed an extremely realistic problem. Going to school and taking the Society general knowledge classes daily. Doing the Frost River Reality exercise, which would use up his soul strength everyday. Plus, he had his own research on Formatting Theory... Every item was time-consuming.

Of course, the daily schedule was much easier now that he did not need to produce drugs everyday. It was not impossible to squeeze out a bit more time. However, this time was bound to be scattered, fractured, and unacceptable. Would he be able to guarantee good learning results in this case?

Luo Nan looked at Xue Lei. Xue Lei was also stupefied. Clearly, he did not think about this.

In the end, it was Gym Master Xiu who suggested a realistic approach. "Write up a schedule. Write down your entire day on a schedule and give it to me to look at."

"Oh, sure.”

Luo Nan already had a schedule ready and made. It was the training program He Yueyin drew up the last time she visited. All Luo Nan needed to do was erase a few details about the course names and give it to the gym master.

Luo Nan was going to send it to Gym Master Xiu, but he suddenly discovered that Gym Master Xiu was not wearing a wristband.

Xue Lei rushed and spoke, "You can just give it to me. The gym master isn't used to using electronics."

"Uh, okay."

Xue Lei received the information. Then, he connected it to a printer in the corner of the training grounds and operated it.

Luo Nan was a bit surprised. Wristbands were not just a communications tool for modern citizens; they were integrated with proof of identities, social privileges, asset credits, and other details for passage. No one noticed the power of these wristbands, but once one lost theirs, they would immediately experience the feeling of being unable to move a single step in society.

Luo Nan's uncle worked for the SCA. His uncle had taught the kids specific topics on social experiences, which left a very deep impression on Luo Nan.

The machine buzzed as paper passed through it. Finally, Luo Nan matched Gym Master Xiu with his preconceived image of an old-fashioned character. Was this not a passable reason to explain the gym master?

Xue Lei brought the printed schedule over. Gym Master Xiu lowered his head and skimmed through it. He calmly said, "Who arranged it?"

Luo Nan was startled, but Xue Lei laughed before he could respond. "Is it Secretary He?"

"Yes, you're right. It's Sister He."

Gym Master Xiu shook the paper lightly, which caused it to sound out with a crack. Then, he placed the paper on the low table and placed a cup that he had been playing around with upon it.

"It's quite decent. You still have the time to sleep... If you want to learn my breathing techniques, you must ensure that you get at least six hours of sleep a night. Learning to breathe shall start with sleep."

Luo Nan was stupefied, and he instinctively turned to look at Xue Lei. Xue Lei gave him a wink and motioned for him to agree to it.

But Gym Master Xiu spoke before Luo Nan could talk. "No need to rush in your answer. Go back and think it over. Think of whether or not you can maintain steady work and rest. Then, make your decision."

Then, Gym Master Xiu raised a hand and motioned that Luo Nan could leave.

That was it? This big gym master... Was he easy to talk to? Or hard to talk to?

Luo Nan was a bit unused to it, and his mind was sluggish. He followed Xue Lei's lead, saluted to Gym Master Xiu, and bid his farewells.

The two went back through the same corridor. On the way, Luo Nan was still wondering, "Learning to sleep..."

"It's learning to breathe while sleeping."

Xue Lei corrected Luo Nan's mistaken thought. "The Sleeping Immortal Skill, the Nose-Locking Technique, the Dormant Dragon, and similar techniques have existed since ancient times. The gym master certainly must have chosen to begin here based on the reality of your situation. He's tailoring his teachings to you."

Luo Nan grunted in agreement; he was not doubting the gym master. The world was a large one, full of extraordinary things, not to mention the realm of supernatural powers. Luo Nan knew of Mr. Bai's dream techniques; this was intimately related to sleeping. There was also Rui Wen; that little girl had already slept for a full half a month. She was certainly using sleep to adjust her state.

Gym Master Xiu had said something superb. "No matter the technique, everything must start from the beginning."

Luo Nan had to truly give it a shot in order to see if the training was useful, to see what the results would be.

Luo Nan still possessed this patience.

Luo Nan's mind finally adapted, but then, he recalled a different matter. "Oh right, the tai chi ball!"

What was the tai chi ball? Luo Nan was still unsure, but he had broken someone else's equipment; this fact was as clear as day. It would be best to pay the necessary repercussions.

Xue Lei could not refrain from scratching his head when he heard the words 'tai chi ball'. "That thing is truly broken... Forget it, don't be concerned about it. Focus on tidying up your schedule between work and rest. Work hard when you get back. I'll think of a way to fix that toy."

Luo Nan was unfamiliar with the circumstances and could only say, "I'll pay the repair costs."

"Let's talk about that later." Xue Lei chuckled and led Luo Nan to the exit.

The two passed through the middle courtyard and the front courtyard. They hardly saw any people in the daoguan at this time. Xue Lei explained the deserted state of the gym, "We haven't recruited any new classes because we're going to be moving soon."

"Moving?"

Luo Nan had been in the back courtyard for around half an hour and had a deep impression of the silent and serene feeling. They were going to move from such a great location?

Xue Lei sighed. "The gym master won this place in a bet for the sake of setting roots in Xia City back in the day. The property itself belongs to Boshan Industries. The bet back then was only for the rent of ten years. Right now, the gym master has to pay rent, and the rent is extremely expensive. We don't have the savings... In fact, the gym master is bad at business. He lives very destitutely in his day to day life.”

The two had walked to the entrance by now. Luo Nan turned around. He found it hard to imagine not being able to make money in such a bustling location.

But then, he saw the plaque above the door of the gym with its two simple words, ‘Divine Yu’. Then, he thought about the personality that Gym Master Xiu displayed. Now, he felt that there was nothing strange about Xue Lei's words.

"Back then Xiaolin, sigh. Xiaolin had said that if the gym master subleased the daoguan out and switched to a smaller location, the rent money coming over several years would be quite a substantial sum. Then, we wouldn't be in this situation."

Xue Lei was still not quite used to mentioning his ex-girlfriend. Luo Nan gave an awkward laugh. Honestly speaking, he had not thought of subleasing, and it looked like Xue Lei had not either based on his tone of voice.

They were both not financially minded people.

Luo Nan bid farewell to Xue Lei. He no longer wasted time; he took the flying car Phantom straight back to Renai Hospital. He had gone to the daoguan, so today's treatment and study time had been postponed until night. Time was of the essence. Plus, there was the matter pertaining to his daily schedule that he had to discuss with He Yueyin.

Luo Nan arrived at the hospital. He saw Bai Xinyan, but he did not see He Yueyin.

"Prepare to be disappointed if you wanted to have some private tutoring. The Incident Investigation Team have just arrived at Xia City from the Society HQ..."

Bai Xinyan indicated to Luo Nan to strip the devices off his clothes, but she saw that Luo Nan was frozen in place. She raised her eyebrows. "Student Luo Nan. Please don't show the fact that you're disappointed so clearly, okay?"

After He Yueyin had pointed out Bai Xinyan's temperament, Luo Nan's immunity toward Bai Xinyan's teasing had greatly increased. In a certain sense, this was an exchange of blows.

Luo Nan thought for a bit and asked, "Investigation Team... What's the meaning of adding an 'Incident' to it?"

Bai Xinyan reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What did that Gym Master Xiu say to you?"

Neither of the two had answered the other's questions. Their gazes just crossed. Luo Nan looked straight into Bai Xinyan's amber eyes. His heart inexplicably beat a bit harder, but soon his mind settled down. He did not blink at all.

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Chapter 140: Sleeping Technique (Part 2/2)

Chapter 140: Sleeping Technique (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

When a male and a female locked gazes for a long while, but possessed neither physical desires nor shared an emotional connection, their actions can only be understood as an attempt to exert dominance over one another.

Luo Nan certainly didn't think that deeply, but Bai Xinyan was able to grasp the subtle meanings underlying the situation. From her perspective, Luo Nan was far from being able to intimidate others with his current ability. She didn't truly feel that Luo Nan was trying to control her. The answer was obvious. This was just an emotional performance.

In other words, childishness!

It was indeed meaningless to stay on the same wavelength as a childish big boy. Bai Xinyan didn't want to force herself to continue; she simply reached out and held Luo Nan's head firmly.

"The colors of your irises are really ugly!"

She let go of his head before Luo Nan could struggle and moved to a different side of the room. She completely ignored Luo Nan's expression as she pondered in her mind: "The little fellow's hostility has grown stronger and stronger ever since the events at Frost River Reality. This change makes no sense..."

While Bai Xinyan mulled this over, Luo Nan pressed a hand to his ear and subconsciously walked two steps away. He likely received a message through the Psychic Wave Network. He Yueyin was most likely the one to have contacted him during this time of day.

A couple of seconds later, Bai Xinyan received a communications request. The request came from none other than He Yueyin.

He Yueyin had initiated a three-way communication link.

Bai Xinyan wasn't a member of the Society, but she had requested temporary-use privileges in using the HexaEar for the sake of convenience. Ouyang Chen was quite magnanimous when it came to promoting the results of his research. The matter was easily handled, and so, Bai Xinyan could observe the daily life of the Society's Xia City Branch in close proximity and collect relevant intelligence with ease, to her delight.

To have such a big-hearted boss and several colleagues below this boss, it must not have been easy for Sister He after she retired from the military.

Bai Xinyan laughed and greeted her with a bit of pity, "Hello, Sister He. Have you finished serving those great envoys?"

He Yueyin ignored Bai Xinyan's ridicule, or perhaps she didn't wish to talk about those people. She simply cut to the chase. "I would like to hear your opinion on the learning arrangements Mr. Luo made with the daoguan."

"I have no opinion... This is because your boss didn't bring up the matter with me at all. I don't know if he has a certain opinion about that Gym Master Xiu, or if he has a certain opinion of me."

Such an open accusation left Luo Nan speechless.

These were times when he couldn't keep on being stubborn. He could only comfort himself in learning to defy Bai Xinyan. Then, he spoke a few sentences to describe the notable points of his trip to the daoguan.

Actually, there wasn't much he could say. Gym Master Xiu's intentions were very clear. He could teach Luo Nan, but the time needed to be arranged. All Gym Master Xiu requested was time. This went a bit against convention, but that was all.

He Yueyin sank into deep thought. Then, she asked Bai Xinyan, "Will it affect the treatment you're giving Mr. Luo?"

"From what I can see now, no. Of course, if you don't mind, I can add another research task and see if there is any improvement in the altercation-absorption efficiency rate under Gym Master Xiu's instruction... Oh, right. What do you feel about Gym Master Xiu? Is he serious? Cordial? Sly? Antisocial? Aren't you going to describe him to Secretary He?"

Bai Xinyan's ability to use every second and every inch was second to none.

Luo Nan rolled his eyes. He didn't want to respond.

Luckily, He Yueyin forcefully shifted back to the topic at hand. "It's good as long as it doesn't affect the treatment. For other items, there is still room for adjustment in Mr. Luo's schedule. Purely intellectual courses in general learning can be taught via the Psychic Wave Network. It will be ideal if this could occur simultaneously with the health pod treatment."

"The training exercises in Frost River Reality don't take too much time. The plan is feasible. However, all the brain burner courses should be postponed until later. If the mind is too strained, the treatment efficiency will certainly be affected."

"Common sense is absolutely crucial to keep in mind; the intensity can't be overwhelming. I will give the others a warning on the specifics."

The two ladies weren't willing to shirk responsibility, so they took the task of drawing up the schedule upon themselves. This became the new topic of their discussion. Only on some details did they consult Luo Nan, the person involved, for his opinion.

After the schedule was generally formed, He Yueyin contacted the Society members involved in the schedule one by one in communications. Soon, an all-new schedule was made and completed.

Luo Nan felt something when he saw the new daily schedule appear before his eyes. He felt like he was an outsider; as if he was on a completely different page than these two ladies.

Luo Nan quickly suppressed this peculiar feeling of his and asked, "I'll take this schedule and get in contact with Gym Master Xiu tomorrow, then?"

He Yueyin grunted. It seemed as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she simply said, "Have him take a look. Any adjustments because of issues can only be done after you start trying out the schedule. Today, let us first do a test. A test to see the effects of network learning within the treatment pod."

Bai Xinyan held Luo Nan's shoulder. "Yeah, did you hear her? You can take off your clothes now."

"..."

Luo Nan took off his clothes and entered the pod with gritted teeth. Bai Xinyan was quite considerate with the time after the Frost River Reality treatment. She gave the following hour over to He Yueyin.

Today's general knowledge course was still 'Ins and Outs of the Psychic Wave Network's World Order'. Luo Nan had long since put the immersion helmet on his head, but it had yet to turn on for the time being. He followed He Yueyin's instructions and entered the Learning Guide Mode in the Psychic Wave Network via the HexaEar.

There was bound to be some unexpected things for Luo Nan. The first thing Luo Nan saw was the home page of the Society, which was also the main interface of the game ‘Ten Days in the Wilderness'. In the past, only a few members of the Society were able to personally witness the scene of the Wilderness through practical courses. The scene appeared before his eyes just like this:

The rusty earth appeared like ripples and ripples of frozen waves. A few western-style bulletin boards were carried by these waves and they arrived within reach.

Looking at this scene made it seem as if one could enter the wilderness by simply taking one additional step.

"Why aren't you giving it a shot?"

A crystal clear voice resonated by his ear. The sensation was far too realistic, so much so that Luo Nan turned his head by instinct. Then, he saw He Yueyin.

"..."

Currently, He Yueyin was still wearing a tailor-fit professional suit. The material was navy blue, and underneath it she was wearing something that one could never go wrong with: a white dress shirt. Her dress pants fit her slender legs, and all together she appeared confident, crisp, and sharp. This was her usual style of attire. There weren't any useless decorations or accessories.

Luo Nan saw this image quite often, but today it was a bit different. This was because there was clearly a dream-like glow surrounding He Yueyin's body.

The purpose of this glow was to call to his attention that what he saw wasn't a true form. The glowing outline contrasted with He Yueyin's body like porcelain contrasting with jade. But there was a powerful impact with this inhuman quality, and it made Luo Nan speechless for a time.

He Yueyin approached him exactly like this. She spoke coolly and calmly just like usual. "Today's learning objective is the practical operation of the HexaEar's simulator. We need to make use of our time. We need to make sure that these out-of-body experiences won't overly stimulate your soul strength and cause unplanned growth."

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Chapter 141: Simulator (Part 1/2)

Chapter 141: Simulator (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan was more or less a bit stupefied when faced with He Yueyin's new form. He only awoke from his reverie when He Yueyin cast a piercing gaze over.

"I can?"

The HexaEar was invented by Ouyang Chen. It was the terminal equipment for the Psychic Wave Network and possessed a total of six layers of communications. A typical Awakened can achieve extremely fast and convenient network functions through the first three layers, and these were more than enough for daily use.

The Simulator belonged to the fourth layer of communications. Luo Nan once heard Mr. Bai explain that this function was similar to the out-of-body state. One could realize an instantiation of one's self-logic upon the Psychic Wave Network and similar virtual reality experiences. This was already quite high-level. Many members of the Society couldn't do it.

Luo Nan was a mentally enhanced ability user. He had the ability to send his soul out of his body, so he was superior than most people in this area. Mr. Bai had long since judged Luo Nan capable of entering this layer.

But Mr. Bai also said that Luo Nan absolutely must not use the Simulator function if he had not resolved the issue regarding his body and soul imbalance. Otherwise, his soul strength would likely continue to grow, giving his body even greater pressure.

In response to Luo Nan’s question, He Yueyin said, "Yes, because the results from President Ouyang's Logic World experiment allowed substantial changes to arise within the Simulator function. Right now, it’s still in a debugging state. The soul strength consumption rate doubles when one enters this basic layer. As long as your control is enough, we can eject you before any positive gains appear. Time is of the essence. We can start now."

"Uh, okay," Luo Nan simply replied.

He Yueyin did not immediately start practical training, but instead gave a refresher on the last class. "Last time, I taught you the concrete forms regarding extraordinary powers in the Psychic Wave Network."

"Yes. Extraordinary powers. Eastern tradition calls it Qi. Some people in the West call it Mana. Burners call it Internal Energy. The Society's official name for it is Psychic Power. No matter the name, it is fundamentally the energy and information that an ability user utilizes to bestow order."

Luo Nan quite liked the descriptor that was 'bestow order'. His realizations from his cultivations to this day were concordant with it. The subject made him talk non-stop. "Therefore, the HexaEar invented by President Ouyang is also known as the Psychic Simulator under the Society's definitions. The electronics built-in aren't really complicated precision electronics, but the device can guide psychic power, form a special terminal structure, and realize analytic control over energy and information..."

He grew more excited the more he talked. From Luo Nan's perspective, the terminal structure of the HexaEar was a sort of simple configuration. There was a huge difference between it and the external neuron, which was the Deep Sea Type 4 Dynamo Core, in terms of precision. It was even a bit inferior to the imitation chipset he had seen at Frost River Reality.

However, there was something absolutely amazing about this invention. It could make full use of the carrier that was the ability user. By guiding its relatively simple structure, it could display extremely remarkable utility.

If a description had to be made, the Dynamo Core and the imitation chipset were approximately equivalent to automatic weapons. Astonishing results could be displayed in their corresponding areas just by knowing how to manipulate these devices.

On the other hand, the HexaEar was like an ancient legendary sword. If placed in the hands of a child, it might not even be able to slay a chicken. However, if placed in the hands of a peerless swordsman, it could wipe out a thousand forces with ease using one horizontal slash.

Well, this was not an exact description, of course. Luo Nan was still unable to truly probe out all the functions of the Dynamo Core, and he did not have an accurate understanding of the upper limits of the HexaEar. However, this did nothing to stop him from feeling admiration toward President Ouyang Chen.

This sort of simple and precise structural form inspired only astonishment and awe in Luo Nan, a beginner arduously researching the efficiencies of soul configurations.

If his configuration was tempered to the degree that the HexaEar was, his external neuron would not be crammed with his rapidly growing soul strength to the brink of explosion. Luo Nan thought about his helpless situation with the enormous brimming lake that was the Hollow Depository, and had the impulse to rush over to apprentice himself to President Ouyang Chen.

He Yueyin was not surprised with Luo Nan's depth of understanding regarding the HexaEar and the Psychic Wave Network. She experienced Luo Nan's outstanding comprehension ability toward courses during her last lecture... Though this didn't involve political details.

She just added, "In the first three layers of communication modes, the HexaEar simply needs to decode the information flow coming in. The Simulator layer, on the other hand, involves the sharing of energy. That is, thousands upon thousands of people's psychic power are jointly used to support an enormous virtual world. The transmission of energy and information in this world is extremely efficient."

"Like last time when we faced... Well, who was the fellow who controlled the Human-Faced Arachnid?"

Luo Nan nearly blurted out the name 'Mo Lun'. This was back during the operation against Jack. Elder Mo Lun of the Bloodflame Order brought a Human-Faced Arachnid over to hunt and feed, giving the Human-Faced Arachnid and others a lot of trouble. In the end, He Yueyin borrowed Ouyang Chen's power through the Psychic Wave Network to repel the Human-Faced Arachnid.

The scene was fresh in Luo Nan's memory. He couldn't refrain from asking, "Is anything possible as long as one enters the Simulator layer?"

"Theoretically, yes, but the burden is quite heavy. The required privileges are extremely high. Perhaps there will be improvements made in the future. This is because the integration of the Logic World gave the Psychic Wave Network a fundamental change. What we are going to do next is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of this place before the majority of people come in."

He Yueyin's reminder made Luo Nan suddenly realize that although he was standing at the entrance to the Wilderness, he didn't see anyone else at all. "Are there normally a lot of people coming here?"

"There is on average 800 people online at any point during the day."

"That's a lot. Just how many Awakened are there in Xia City?"

"I'm talking globally."

"..."

He Yueyin added to her explanation, "If one isn't a mentally enhanced ability user with the ability to send one's soul out of the body, the vast majority of people have to be at or above the Architect level in order to enter this place and to access this plane. The ability to send one's soul out of the body is rarely seen in your typical Awakened. Therefore, every person you make contact with here in normal times is a veteran."

Luo Nan was a bit stunned. "Then, isn't it a bit early for me to come here?"

He Yueyin didn't answer him. She just walked slowly, entering the Wilderness from the border with a single step. Her glowing, translucent figure caused the dark red background to light up.

Then, she turned around to look at Luo Nan. "The name of the Society is The Wilderness Explorers Society. The Wilderness is our main direction. Of course, the far more dangerous ocean is also included. President Ouyang used the interface of the Ten Days in the Wilderness game not just by random choice, but because it is an excellent place to learn basic tactics."

"Today, we will focus on you adapting to this place. If there aren't any abnormal reactions, Crag Burst will guide you in this place to learn about tactical commands over the next few days. He is also the only one of your course instructors who can enter the fourth communication layer of the HexaEar. The other courses will be interspersed as you progress."

Luo Nan knew that the time to chat was over and nodded in agreement.

"One more thing."

He Yueyin suddenly chuckled. Her smile came out of nowhere. It was bright and dazzling under the virtual rays of light. It made one feel dazed. Abruptly, her arm slashed across empty air and a mirror appeared on the boundary line to the Wilderness a second later.

A mass of fuzzy, faint light shone in the mirror like drifting mist. At the center, one could faintly see the shape of a tetrahedron.

This... Luo Nan suddenly realized something while looking into the mirror.

"Is this me?"

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Chapter 141: Simulator (Part 2/2)

Chapter 141: Simulator (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

The feeling of novelty was missing when Luo Nan first entered the Simulator layer of the Psychic Wave Network. This was because the sensation was similar to using the immersion equipment of virtual reality. Luo Nan just took this as a virtual reality experience specific for ability users, but he had never expected that his form would look like this in here.

It was hard for Luo Nan not to be embarrassed when he thought about how he talked to He Yueyin in this form just now. No wonder she laughed...

He Yueyin's rarely seen smile flashed and disappeared like fireworks. Then, she returned to her normal calmness. "Your view toward yourself lacks maturity. If you want to engage in normal movement here, then you first need to establish your own form."

"So I need to create a mold, like character customization in a game?"

"It's self-cognition."

"Self-portrait?"

The two communicated some concepts in an instant. He Yueyin was about to give a more detailed explanation, but she stopped before the words could leave her mouth. She only kept the mirror there.

"It's up to you to figure out how to establish your form."

Luo Nan stood in front of the mirror in a daze. He earnestly thought of how to go about changing his form due to how serious He Yueyin was being. However, he couldn't think of any other ideas no matter how he much pondered.

A change appeared in the mirror the instant the thought stirred in his mind. Lines of a silhouette were drawn on the image within the mirror. The process was no different than his everyday sketches.

Luo Nan wasn't good at self-portraits; he had mentioned this to Xie Junping before. Luo Nan wasn't being humble. This was because Luo Nan was never quite able to grasp his own individual characteristics in his drawings. All he could draw was something similar in form. But when compared to most people in this world, his skill in sculpting himself was quite decent.

The blurry and faint body in the mirror soon turned into a simple humanoid image. Then, the image was enriched and fine-tuned. After thirty seconds of shaping, the image became about 70 percent similar to Luo Nan himself. It was certainly possible to make it better with a bit more effort.

"Is this fine?" Luo Nan raised his hand. The sensation was pretty much the same as his physical form as he turned his head and asked.

He Yueyin looked at him for a while and lightly shook her head.

Luo Nan asked in wonder, "What's wrong?"

"This method is the easy way out."

He Yueyin walked back over until she reached Luo Nan's side. "In the Simulator layer, our form should be the manifestation of our individual characteristics when it comes to the operational structure over energy and information. According to President Ouyang's explanations, it could be considered a view into one's self-logic. For example, I..."

He Yueyin raised her hand as she spoke. Her long, thin fingers spread a bit, indicating for Luo Nan to look. "My current form isn't what I want. The Internal Energy of the burner, its operation of energy and information, causes light and heat to appear on my foundation. So, it is unavoidable for my form to glow. Anyone can see that I am a Burner with a single glance."

Luo Nan fell in a daze when staring at He Yueyin's jade-like fingers. Eventually, he understood. "In other words, one's form in the Simulator layer is also a certain objective reality. At the very least, it is a sort of projection. It can't just be anything."

Indeed, Luo Nan now understood clearly. But he couldn't refrain from scratching his head when he saw his form in the mirror. "But I've still yet to be an Awakened. Self-logic, and so on... I haven't established them yet."

This reason Luo Nan found was so good that it stupefied He Yueyin for a moment. He Yueyin then nodded. "Indeed, this needs to be considered as well. Then let us first proceed with the next step and see what happens."

And so, she indicated Luo Nan to follow her and step through the boundary into the Wilderness.

Luo Nan followed with deep curiosity. He reached his hand out to touch the bulletin board within the gusts of sand. The thick and rough sensation was instantly fed back.

"It's wooden..."

The boundary between the virtual and the real blurred away. Luo Nan turned his head. The so-called entrance had already disappeared. He just saw the boundless rusty red dirt, and in front of the bulletin board he saw the outline of a building appear.

Now he had truly entered the Simulator layer.

Luo Nan didn't have the energy to be emotionally moved. He Yueyin's Practical Course didn't involve him looking at scenery.

For the next twenty minutes, He Yueyin had him familiarize himself with the environment. The main activity point was a small town that was similar with the background of the Ten Days in the Wilderness game.

In that game, this was the supply point for players. It was also the place where missions were issued. In the Psychic Wave Network, this was more like a large saloon.

"People online will engage in communications and inquiries here."

"What do they talk about?"

Luo Nan had applied video game thinking toward this place, but when he heard He Yueyin's introduction, he suddenly realized that his thinking was childish. The veteran members—every single one of them—were brilliant, outstanding characters in the inner world. Each had ability, each had goals. None of them had the leisure to run in here and play games.

"I've only been here once since joining the Society. I haven't participated in the concrete details. However, I have heard President Ouyang say that most discussions revolve around topics of self-logic, energy structures, the interference between the mental and the material, and other similar fields..."

Luo Nan blinked. "They can also talk about this stuff offline."

"Nothing can compare to this place in terms of convenience. The Psychic Wave Network is erected by thousands upon thousands of ability users. It's like a supercomputer. President Ouyang and others can utilize the resources within this place and render models that are hard to implement in reality."

All right, the style of the scenery was quite good. The problem was that Luo Nan had never seen such a ramshackle saloon.

He Yueyin led Luo Nan to the town's central block. It was empty with no one in sight. It was as if the entire town had been looted by a tornado. Most of the buildings had collapsed into ruin. Only a few buildings were basically intact.

"Practically each building is an independent zone. Inside a portion of them are items that have been ported from the game to provide people with amusement. However, most are experimental models, the crystallization of collections of several people's intelligence."

"What's the deal with it now?"

"It has to do with the effects from the Logic World,” He Yueyin spoke softly. "A great change occured in the structural rules of the Simulator layer when President Ouyang integrated the results of the Logic World inside. Most experimental models haven't adapted to the environmental change and have been destroyed."

"Logic World?"

Luo Nan more or less understood the principles of erecting the Logic World. It was a structure of deep interference between the mental and the material planes, and it was really quite unfriendly. However, this method of spatial rifting to construct a new world caused one to truly feel like they were staring up at a high mountain.

"Sister He, so you're saying that this place is equivalent to another Logic World?"

He Yueyin shook her head. "This isn't my area of expertise."

Luo Nan twisted his head and looked all around, having not received an answer. Yet he was unable to easily clarify it. He thought for a bit and walked to the side of a ruined building. He lowered his head to size up the rubble and stone.

"Shaped like snowflakes... It's quite orderly."

They looked like a chaotic mess of ruins when looked at from afar. But when looked at carefully, one would find that there were structural patterns within every piece of debris. Laws and rules could be found within every piece.

It was practically impossible for this to happen in the real world.

"The difference between the natural and the artificial." Luo Nan reached out his hand to grab a piece of rubble. He wanted to research it in earnest for a moment, but his hand only raised up half way before his hand felt light and the stone fell to the ground.

Luo Nan was a bit stunned.

The rubble didn't slip out from his fingers; it directly cut through the skin, flesh and bones of his hand. It went through without hindrance at all, falling to the ground with a sound.

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Chapter 142: Interference Ability (Part 1/2)

Chapter 142: Interference Ability (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan reached out to grab the rubble again by instinct. The stone entered his hand once more; the tactile sensation, weight, and so on were still there. He really did pick up the stone.

Right now he was crouching on the ground and his back was facing He Yueyin. These actions of picking up and throwing were quite normal. He Yueyin's attention wasn't placed here. She used this period of time to continue introducing her knowledge about the Simulator.

"President Ouyang built the Psychic Wave Network, so this virtual world was bestowed with his basic order. However, President Ouyang doesn't have complete control over this world. Instead, collective researchers with their combined intelligence endlessly revise this world. This world contains each of their orders, changing them into a public order. Bloodrock Town is the most important hub in establishing order."

Luo Nan's attention became a bit distracted by He Yueyin. He removed his gaze from the rubble and turned to ask, "Isn't it a hassle this way?"

Actually, Luo Nan wanted to say something else. Why was President Ouyang giving away sole authority without rhyme or reason? He'll certainly be held back by the others, right?

He Yueyin was about to respond when something to the side caught her eye. Luo Nan looked over as well, but all he saw was the largest public communications area in the town. It was a building similar to a tavern and the wooden door swung open with a wham. Someone had walked out.

There were other people in this town?

The unknown person clearly heard the dialogue between Luo Nan and He Yueyin and simply said, "The energy of a single person can't possibly support the entire structure of a virtual world. Even if he could, who would come here if this place keeps closed rules of order?"

It was a man around forty years of age, the age which could be said to be one’s prime. The man had a proper appearance and a high stature. He wore a tailored western suit with tastefully chosen accessories. He just didn't fit in with the town environment... Actually, He Yueyin didn't fit in as well. The two were dressed up like white-collar, senior-level workers of a large company, not explorers that wander the wilderness.

Moreover, they clearly knew each other.

The man greeted after interrupting, "I heard that the Simulator underwent a revision and I specifically asked President Ouyang for temporary privileges to come and take a look. I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

He Yueyin responded indifferently with, "Mr. Yuan," and didn't give him any more words.

Mr. Yuan revealed a faint smile on his face. He walked over from the street, but he didn't go over to He Yueyin. Instead, he walked over to Luo Nan's side. His tall figure and the squatting Luo Nan formed a striking difference in height.

Before Luo Nan could stand up, Mr. Yuan said, "In today's era, no one can eat by themselves. Anyone who wants to form a monopoly will be abandoned by the others. It's like the rules formulated within public companies. Gains and profits need to reflect the interests of each shareholder. So I need to say that President Ouyang made an extremely wise decision."

The heck is this guy?

Luo Nan finally stood up. He really didn't like this man's attitude. Specifically, he was disgusted by large statistical organizations like Quantum Corporation. He detested all similar remarks. Moreover, this man clearly was rather arrogant in his evaluation toward Ouyang Chen.

They were in the Psychic Wave Network, didn't this man have any basic respect for Ouyang Chen? Having reached this point in his thoughts, a lightbulb suddenly lit up in Luo Nan's mind. He more or less guessed the identity of this middle-aged man.

As expected, He Yueyin introduced the man to Luo Nan. "Little Luo. This is Yuan Fei, Mr. Yuan, of the Society HQ's Incident Investigation Team."

Little... Little Luo?

Luo Nan realized that his social status had been downgraded. There were no problems with He Yueyin calling him this; as far as the current situation was concerned, it was even appropriate. He knew that there was some intention to protect him. But people's hearts were delicate and hard to understand. When the words entered his ear, he suddenly felt an ache in his heart. He didn't feel too good.

Luo Nan was bewildered, unable to understand the matter, in Yuan Fei's perspective. Anyway, it was quite a surprise for Luo Nan to meet such a fellow in the Simulator layer.

Yuan Fei sized Luo Nan up a few times. This strong attitude made the young Luo Nan quite uncomfortable, so Luo Nan stopped squatting and stood up. Yuan Fei's eyes clearly gleamed when he saw this.

The boy was young and quite arrogant, yet he was able to enter the Simulator layer. Had Xia City unearthed another gifted talent?

Clatter!

A sudden sound reverberated around the area. The sound was exceptionally clear within the quiet atmosphere. The three people's gazes roamed all over. They saw a stone tumbling down some rubble.

Luo Nan stared stupefied at his own hand... Did the stone slip through his fingers? No. This time the sensation was much clearer than before. The stone had fallen down onto the palm of his newly-solidified hand and out from the back of his hand.

He moved his fingers subconsciously and turned his hand back and forth in examination. At last, he was able to determine something. Though his hand appeared to be of substance, it had been formed like a congealment of mist. Its density was insufficient, to the extent that it lacked resistive force. The weight of a stone could only be held for a time. His hand would disperse with a mere distraction.

So it was like this all along.

Yuan Fei shook his head, faced He Yueyin, and said, "Miss He, after the Logic World was integrated into the Psychic Wave Network, the structure of the Psychic Wave Network has grown more and more complicated. The technician maintenance strength needs to be increased... However, there's no need to be excessive through being overly enthusiastic. The way I see it, this kid is really not bad to able to use high-level applications of the Psychic Wave Network at a young age. But to forcefully enter the fourth communication layer is meaningless."

The words made Luo Nan very uncomfortable. What do you mean by forcefully entering? It wasn't hard at all.

Luo Nan was just about to speak when another mirror manifested out of thin air and dropped to the ground. It stood by his side, but the mirror was Yuan Fei's doing, not He Yueyin's.

"Alright Little Luo, go mold your form a bit more... It's about to fall apart."

Luo Nan turned to look and was quite shocked. Who knows when his face became bloated and swollen. His facial features were mangled. He looked ugly and ridiculous.

Light fell from the sky the instant Yuan Fei spoke those words. Part of the light even shone through his body. He looked abnormal; there are no two ways about it.

This...

"You're not interfering with the material plane sufficiently. This would have been fine if it was the old version of the Psychic Wave Network, but the new version has greatly increased the role of interference ability. It's like the pressure deep under water has been raised. If your structural strength is inadequate, the collapse of your form is inevitable."

Yuan Fei put a hand in a pocket. It looked like he was sizing up a very interesting toy. He even reached out to gesture with his other hand around Luo Nan's body, and he turned to speak to He Yueyin. "It looks like the new version has increased the threshold requirements for access. Things are going to be quite strenuous for people over here in Xia City. Miss He, can you propose to President Ouyang to release the technological safeguards over here and let the other branches share the pressure?"

He Yueyin brows furrowed a bit. "The Psychic Wave Network has been open source quite early on. Technological safeguards are all executed in Bloodrock Town..."

"I'm talking about the infrastructure." Yuan Fei cast a glance at Luo Nan. His lips hooked into a grin. "An upgrade is an upgrade. Those who are troubled are not limited to the kids of Xia City."

Luo Nan looked in the mirror, and he found it harder and harder to shape himself into a human form. He tried to correct things back, but the sensation was completely different than before when he first entered the Wilderness.

He felt a clear sense of stagnation. When his telepathic thoughts cut through, it was like colliding into glue. Control became extremely strenuous. The more he tried to exert control, the more severe the dispersive state of his body's structure became. In the end, his body completely crumbled and dispersed into a mass of fog. It was impossible for him to return to his original state.

Luo Nan looked at the ridiculous mass of fog in the mirror. He really couldn't laugh.

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Chapter 142: Interference Ability (Part 2/2)

Chapter 142: Interference Ability (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Naturally, it was impossible to proceed with the practical training within the Simulator. After dealing with Yuan Fei in a simple manner, He Yueyin led Luo Nan out of the Psychic Wave Network to go back to the plane of reality.

Luo Nan opened his eyes, but all he saw was a sheet of darkness. An enclosed helmet, which had underwent special modifications, was covering his head; the immersion boot up hadn't started yet. Luo Nan just gazed into the darkness as emotions flowed around in his mind.

Yuan Fei had come from HQ as part of the Incident Investigation Team. He came to Xia City without understanding the situation around Luo Nan and saw Luo Nan enter the fourth communication layer for a hands-on attempt at the Simulator. Yuan Fei felt that failure was normal for Luo Nan; success would have been abnormal. He merely chuckled at the matter with zero concern.

But Luo Nan was well aware of the imbalance between his own body and soul. He had enough of the stress and pain from the uncontrollable growth of his soul strength. The sudden issue with his lack of interference ability was quite a contradicting phenomenon. It was so contradicting that anyone who knew his situation would be baffled for a time.

He was unable to ponder for too long on this matter, for Bai Xinyan spoke with an exceptionally gentle voice, "How did the out-of-body state feel within the Psychic Wave Network?"

Luo Nan remained frustrated with his interference ability issue. He wasn't in the mood to answer Bai Xinyan, and he ignored the key elements in her words.

Bai Xinyan just took his actions to be a silent agreement. She let out something like a laugh and a sigh. "My silly old man seems to be quite enlightened, but truthfully, he's old-fashioned. He only believed that you had the ability of soul-attachment. But now, the past two days have caused his face to become swollen from all the shame. He doesn't dare to show himself..."

Luo Nan only realized now what Bai Xinyan was saying. So it turned out that the misunderstanding regarding his out-of-body ability being a soul-attachment ability was corrected?

Indeed, Mr. Bai didn't show his face these days. From what He Yueyin was saying, it seemed that Mr. Bai was asked to teach Luo Nan but had declined. Everyone knew quite well that his reasons didn't have much to do with Luo Nan. The element of Luo Nan only accounted for a small percentage of his decision.

Luo Nan was disinclined to get involved in the dispute between the father and daughter pair. In any case, seeing how such an unforgiving woman would treat her good-natured old man raised Luo Nan's mental vigilance.

Luo Nan's moment of silence lasted too long, leading Bai Xinyan to misunderstand his thoughts. "You're not the only kid who gives half-truths, who keeps cards hidden in his hand. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's just that you're a bit reckless from a doctor's perspective... Hello, Sister He. I was just talking with your boss. Oh?"

He Yueyin's call was only for Bai Xinyan. Bai Xinyan uttered a questioning tone and sunk into silence. Several seconds passed and the enclosed helmet lit up without warning. The guide process specifically targeting ability users had begun.

Bai Xinyan's last sentence came cutting in: "Tonight's homework has begun. I hope you don't go goofing off."

"Hey!?"

Luo Nan didn't want to speak with Bai Xinyan before, but now he couldn't help opening his mouth. Even an idiot would know that the topic He Yueyin and Bai Xinyan were discussing was Luo Nan's insufficient interference ability. He was the person in question; why the heck did they isolate him from the discussion?

He felt like he was in the hospital, and that he was just like a patient diagnosed with a terminal illness. The world knew he was done for, save himself... Hold on. The content of the pessimistic dialogue between the two last time, was it about this?

Luo Nan forgot to accept the guiding process for a time. He remained in a daze. The protection of his external neuron and the buffer of the Hollow Depository were not enough to stop his chaotic thoughts and emotions during times like these.

...

Luo Nan was completely out of it during his second day at school. The symptom of a lowered interference ability and its corresponding ominous signs had disturbed his mind from morning to night.

As far as he was aware, He Yueyin and Bai Xinyan had engaged in a long discussion after the matter was discovered, but they never came to a definitive answer. They were going to make another major overhaul to Luo Nan's daily schedule, which had underwent a revision already. Luo Nan was left waiting for news until the new revision could be completed.

The greater part of the day passed by in a blur, and Luo Nan had yet to receive his new daily schedule.

Halfway through the afternoon, the time for the school society activities began. The other students got up in a hurry, and this included Xie Junping, who stuck by Luo Nan's side for two days straight; Xie Junping had a meeting to run in the Student Council. As for Luo Nan, he was the only living member of the Order Club. He wasn't in the mood, and there weren't any activities for him to do.

Luo Nan was really in a bad mood. He came back to the tree house of the Withered Tree Sandbar and sat in the resting room. He looked at the faint lighting in a daze.

In the beginning, he carefully mulled over the issue with his interference ability, but his train of thought rammed against knowledge barriers one after another to the point of bleeding from his head. He would always encounter special cases involving Formatting Theory. He wanted to ask someone with a better understanding, but there was no one who could help him.

In the end, his ruminations gave him a more terrible mood. He did some self-analysis in his helpless situation. He tried to interpret his negative emotions.

He Yueyin had mentioned that normally there were only around eight hundred people online globally in the Simulator at any given time. Luo Nan had felt a bit nervous, yet he also felt a bit of superiority. However, this sense of superiority was nipped in the bud. There weren't any other emotions that could fill the gap, and the empty sense of loss had naturally begun to breed.

This was not just due to his change in status; it involved a more fundamental problem. The issue that popped up a few days ago had appeared suddenly, but had yet to be resolved. It remained this way up until tonight, like an endless shadow noiselessly creeping upon him.

Luo Nan was alone within the shadows with nothing to support him. There were only his numerous and chaotic emotions entwining his mind, layer upon layer. They pushed him to ask himself: Did his grandfather's Formatting Theory truly possess flaws that were near irresolvable?

For instance, the uncontrollable growth of soul strength?

In another instance, the lack of interference ability in the material plane?

Were there other flaws besides these? Was there an end to them?

Luo Nan leaned against the inner wall of the tree hollow. It seemed that all his energy had been devoured bit by bit by this cruel problem, while time passed unknowingly in his daze. This lasted until he felt a faint vibration within his ear. Someone was contacting him through the HexaEar. Luo Nan was a bit surprised when he saw the contact name.

"Hello, Boss Luo. Is now a good time?"

Luo Nan rushed out from the tree house, made his way through the underwater passageway and high-speed elevator, and arrived at the main entrance of Gear. Not long after Luo Nan got there, a thirty-year-old young man appeared from a footpath on the outside of the building.

It was now late autumn. The jungle wetland was densely woven with vegetation, blocking the sun early in the day. It was a lot duskier than normal. The young man plodded his way over, walking rather wearily. He made his way to the front of the Gear building and under its lights. His lips split into a grin, and beads of sweat could be seen on his chubby face.

"Boss Luo. It wasn't easy to find you here... This place is quite nice."

"Mr. Papercut." Luo Nan walked down the stairs and welcomed him.

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Chapter 143: Invisible Barrier (Part 1/2)

Chapter 143: Invisible Barrier (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

This was none other than the mentally enhanced ability user who Luo Nan fought alongside with during the night at Frost River Reality. It was Papercut. Frankly speaking, this old chap's external appearance was really too ordinary. Luo Nan nearly didn't recognize him when seeing him again at this moment.

Luckily, Luo Nan still remembered this Awakened with his slightly chubby body and his friendly smile to all... even if most of the time Luo Nan didn't receive this smile.

Papercut's opinion of Luo Nan was mainly a reflection of the harmfulness of Luo Nan's immature behavior toward the team. However, various facts were later revealed that proved Luo Nan's behavior to be correct. And so, there was no longer a need for him to continue holding this opinion.

"You can just call me Papercut. Adding a 'Mr.' to my nickname feels weird." Papercut's lips split into their habitual grin.

"Then don't call me Boss Luo..."

"Boss Luo is your nickname~" Papercut's amiable way of talking was really contagious. "I know that you have many nicknames. In any case, the first nickname lasts the longest. Everything follows the path of least resistance."

Luo Nan was a bit sorrowful, but Papercut waved his hand before Luo Nan could say anything. "Well, let's not get entangled in these details. Today, I have come to teach you. My apologies for the short notice; something came up, so I pushed up the time."

Luo Nan responded courteously, "It is I who is troubling you."

He beckoned Papercut to come inside as he spoke.

Papercut was one of Luo Nan's teachers in general knowledge and training. He was responsible for teaching "Soul Strength Activation Techniques", which is a practical course. When talking about the course, Papercut had to emphasize, "Usually this course is taught near the end. The reason why it was pushed forward..."

"Must be because of my special circumstances. My low interference ability. We're going to do an on-the-spot test right now to further verify my situation, are we?"

Papercut was a bit stunned. He turned over to face Luo Nan, and he had a bit of a helpless gaze. "Boss Luo. You're not that old, but you read into things so much."

Luo Nan blinked. "Aren't I right?"

"...You're right."

It wasn't surprising at all for Luo Nan to be reading into things. His old daily schedule had a summary of what this course was about. This course was clearly a practical course involving the mental interfering with the material. The truth was as clear as day with the appearance of the issue with his interference ability and the course being deliberately pushed forward.

Was this a re-examination of his so-called terminal illness?

Although things were like this, Papercut's course itself was still quite meaningful. Papercut's nickname was a reflection of his expertise in puppetry. He used special techniques to cut out paper tools to perform a variety of functions under the drive of his soul strength.

Within Gear's tearoom three stories above the earth, Papercut showed one of his techniques to Luo Nan. Papercut manipulated a tiny paper man to perform a comical mime-skit. Then, he manipulated the paper man to perform a set of military fighting moves. The motions were agile, vivid, and lifelike. It was as if the paper man was truly alive.

The small paper man also possessed considerable strength. The teacups on the table were kicked all over the place. In the end, the paper man began to practice weightlifting. It swung the teacup in a way that made it look like a street performer.

Luo Nan had been in an agitated mood, but he couldn't refrain from laughing when he saw the miniature paper man's hard performance. His mood had unconsciously taken a turn for the better.

"This is the most elementary application. Then later, mentally enhanced ability users are split into the activation class and the control class. The activation class primarily relies on imitating spirituality, while the control class primarily relies on precise manipulation. I'm an activation class. We are more laid-back, and we predominantly do auxiliary work. I looked at your profile. You are a precision-focused mentally enhanced, and your pure observation abilities are quite unruly. It is very likely that you will show some talent in precise manipulation."

Papercut began by painting Luo Nan a rosy future, "The Society has combat robots specifically made by the control class. In fact, every control class should be able to excel in multiple fields. They can be amazing engineers, fighters, restorers. They are strong and safe."

Luo Nan's eyes turned into thin little slits as he smiled and laughed. The first thing he had to do was meet the basic requirements for interference ability. Everything Papercut was saying was meaningless if it was impossible for his soul strength to effectively interfere with the material plane.

When restoration was mentioned, Luo Nan suddenly recalled the tai chi ball back at Divine Yu Gym. Its core component seemed to be precision machinery. He heard from Xue Lei that the device hadn't been fixed yet. It remained in the daoguan. Luo Nan still needed to handle this matter properly.

The repair engineers of the Society had to be much better than those in the outside world.

After a moment’s distraction, Luo Nan recollected his thoughts. He focused on listening to Papercut's lecture with full devotion.

Whether today was about training and learning or a reexamination of symptoms, Papercut only taught elementary subjects. He taught the basic techniques of using soul strength to affect material objects.

Papercut had selected a special sort of paper talismans as training materials. Apparently they came from a different psychic of the Society, Mr. Gao, who Luo Nan hadn't met before. They were made from the starch of a specially-bred mahogany and bamboo. The ratio was chosen with utter precision, resulting in the best suited material for coalescing with soul strength.

Papercut was someone who possessed a meticulous yet patient nature. He broke down each step the moment he started working and manipulating the talismans. He explained the few specific points on the talisman that need to be infused with soul strength with absolute clarity. Everything was clear, from theory to practice.

Papercut had prepared the course so comprehensively that the difficulty wasn't that high. However, reality moved in a different direction. It simply went down the most pessimistic of estimations.

Luo Nan's learning progress wasn't going well.

It was already six o'clock in the afternoon. Under the lighting of the tearoom, Little Luo and Papercut held their breaths with steady concentration as they stared intently at the several crude paper men atop the table. These little things had just been cut out, and they swayed as they stood up. It was hard for them to walk.

One step. Two steps. Three steps... Then dropping dead, never to get up.

"Gosh darn it!" Luo Nan slammed the table with his hands, and the resulting breeze lifted the paper men up. With the help of the breath of a long sigh, these little things floated and drifted under the table. These series of actions happened much more swiftly than the great difficult progress Luo Nan was making just now.

Luo Nan knew of his failures, and he hurriedly said, "Sorry." He got up to collect the paper men, but Papercut stopped him with a hand. With an effort of will, a small paper man came to life at once some five meters away. It was like a brutish monkey. It skipped as it bounced, and it climbed the leg of the table. It made it to the top of the table in five movements.

Luo Nan grew more embarrassed when he compared himself to Papercut. He gave a bitter laugh, sat back in the chair, and stared up in a daze.

"It doesn't make sense." Papercut scratched his head without end, but he wasn't able to get to the bottom of things. However, his patience had yet to be exhausted. He pulled Luo Nan and said, "How about we theorize some more and start from the beginning."

Luo Nan had no reason to give up when he had this sort of teacher. He pumped his spirits up, grabbed the paper man atop the table, and tapped various points on the paper man's body from the head to the body. "There are four soul strength infusion points in total. They are connected by a sum of six foundational lines, upon which basic control is realized."

Luo Nan hesitated when he reached this point. Then, he said, "This is actually a sort of irregularly deformed pyramid. It is a structure that transforms the operation of energy and information. The paper man is just a medium. The pyramid structure is what supports it... Did you choose to start with this structure because it is kind of like my Format Pyramid?"

Papercut was finally defeated upon hearing these words. He rubbed his forehead, feeling that his head was about to explode. "You say these things faster than I can explain them. What you say is correct, but is there a problem with this?"

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Chapter 143: Invisible Barrier (Part 2/2)

Chapter 143: Invisible Barrier (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan calmed down and fiddled with the small paper man with his fingers. Then he tossed it onto the table several seconds later. "It is because the pyramid structure needs a certain tensile strength in order to work. If the strength you can bestow is equivalent to a steel structure, the most I can do are cobwebs."

"Strength…. True, it's about the strength."

Papercut felt helpless. He obviously knew that the crux of the issue was in the structural strength. The root of the problem was still Luo Nan’s inadequate mental interference ability towards the physical plane. But interfering with the material plane was just skimming the surface for a mentally enhanced ability user!

Luo Nan's mental senses had reached near perfection. Transitioning into an out-of-body state was routine for Luo Nan. He was a mentally enhanced ability user who had already reached B-Rank in mental cultivation. Yet Luo Nan couldn't do the most basic thing of all: telekinesis. What the heck was up with this? Who could answer this for Luo Nan?

Ultimately, this question had no answer.

Luo Nan was unable to get an answer from Papercut. Soon, night fell and he returned to the hospital for treatment. Bai Xinyan, who long since knew of his problems, avoided mentioning the topic completely. She did not give Luo Nan any reference information at all.

Luo Nan wanted to ask He Yueyin some more about his situation, but he put these intentions to rest after a moment's thought. This issue with his mental plane largely had to do with self-awareness. If he couldn't clear up this matter on his own and relied on others, his situation would become even more hopeless.

It was unavoidable for Luo Nan's terrible situation to affect his mood. The following exercises at Frost River Waterway were simply catastrophic; his performance was extremely bad. The amount of time he could endure was much less than in the morning, and it was a straight 20% drop from last night.

Luo Nan looked at his performance results and geared up for another run. However, Bai Xinyan showed no expression whatsoever at his results. She let Luo Nan steadily conclude his session within the treatment pod.

"You also need to learn something new tonight, so you'd best take a nap and relax. Oh right, don't be late." Bai Xinyan waved her hand as she created medical records, dismissing Luo Nan.

In the past, Luo Nan would have likely been rejoicing, but after thinking it over more thoroughly, wasn't this attitude too happy-go-lucky? Was anything fine if a person was going to die anyway?

Luo Nan thought of how he had eavesdropped on Bai Xinyan and He Yueyin’s conversation two days ago, and his mood turned even worse. He really wanted to crack open Bai Xinyan's skull to see just what her perspective was on his situation. Or maybe he should listen in on their conversation once more…. The problem was, how could such an opportunity to eavesdrop come about daily?

Luo Nan left Renai Hospital in a storm of messy emotions. Tonight was already booked. He was to go to Boshan Building and learn breathing techniques from Gym Master Xiu.

Last time Luo Nan had the flying car Phantom take him to the daoguan. He already returned the flying car to Xie Junping. Today, he sat in the low-altitude public transport. He made his way over to the River Wu District under the curtain of the night.

The first thing Luo Nan did upon sitting in the vehicle was give his aunt a call. He notified her that he was going to spend the night at the daoguan.

Actually, he had relied greatly on Xue Lei in confirming with his aunt that he could stay out all night. But he was very familiar with his aunt's temperament. Though she had already approved of his schedule, Luo Nan still needed to give his aunt a call to ease her worries. If things were to go Mrs. Luo Shuqing's way, Luo Nan's first day of formal study would have Mrs. Luo Shuqing come personally to the daoguan and greet Gym Master Xiu.

By the time Luo Nan finished the call, Luo Nan was already halfway to the daoguan. At this time, the public transport vehicle wasn't as crowded as it was in the day. A few ten or so people were on it. They were all either sleepy or looking down at their wrist bands playing games or the like.

Luo Nan sat at the back. His head was also down as he fiddled around. However, he was different from the others. He was fiddling not with an electronic device, but with a thin piece of yellowish green paper.

This was a special paper talisman given to him by Papercut. It was made personally by Mr. Gao. The material it was made from was quite special as it was fairly suitable for channeling energy and information. It could easily deal with an enemy in the hands of a real expert. It was a bit luxurious for Luo Nan to use it for training.

But if he wanted to train to get a true feel for it, it was absolutely fine!

Luo Nan followed the techniques Papercut passed on to him; slowly working with the paper, ripping the paper into a paper man the size of a palm. The supporting incorporeal pyramid structure was then wholly formed.

At the same time, Luo Nan's overflowing soul strength poured down to completely drown the paper man. The details were exquisite and meticulous: the grains of the paper, the roughness of the ripped edges, the vertical and horizontal folds. No detail could escape him.

But under the effect of his soul strength, the paper man could only roll over once within the palm of his hand in a half-dead, half-alive manner. It moved once, but never moved again. Luo Nan's soul strength, which was crushing his own physical body, seemed to have no practical effect on the paper man.

"It's still like this…. Why?"

Back in Frost River Reality, he had given Xue Weilun and the special forces a reinforcing buff without any problems. He had real, concrete results when controlling the Wraith Sign, influencing Cat Eyes, and unleashing mental attacks. But why couldn't he affect material objects?

Luo Nan looked outside the window at the bright lights of the city. The scene looked like a fluttering cloth. It was desolate, and it was hard to see substance. Luo Nan's mind naturally reached out to cross the depth of the void. His mind flowed within the sea of city lights, and his sensations became more real.

Within his senses and clairvoyance, the myriad of living beings was like a convergence of stars. It was akin to the winding milky way, with marvelous layers divided within. The star river was majestic and hazy, like a grand world, gorgeous and magnificent.

But such a vast star river frame couldn't stimulate even a bit of an ocean's spray when cast upon the small paper man. The tensile strength of the pyramid structure was still like cobwebs. Things were so bad that Luo Nan couldn't even feel a connection between the pyramid structure and the star river frame.

There was an invisible, glacial barrier that blocked his consciousness from material objects. It made his consciousness infinitely close to, but unable to truly fuse with a material object.

The situation was comparable to the divide between dreams and reality.

Was this power just a fabrication? Was it like the crazed ravings of his grandfather? Did they only exist on an imaginary level?

No, no! This made no sense!

Luo Nan's beam of consciousness cut through the star river, his senses covering a radius exceeding two kilometers. Within the metropolis, there were normal people, the Awakened, Oblatum Knights, crows, and Darksider life forms. They existed as additional fulcrums for him.

They were real and true, and they gave him feedback at all times.

How could such perceptions be an illusion?

Luo Nan was in a hazy trance when he arrived at the Divine Yu Gym in Boshan Building. It was already nine o'clock in the evening. The students of the daoguan had all gone home. Only Xue Lei remained. He had come out to welcome Luo Nan.

"Nanster. The gym master is waiting for you inside."

Luo Nan stifled his chaotic thoughts and emotions, and spoke with a bit of embarrassment, "I'm late."

"No way. The daoguan isn't taking on new business, so we finished at eight o'clock. You've actually come early, all things considered. What is important to remember is that learning something new will require a bit of time. Relax; I'll back you up tonight."

Xue Lei pulled Luo Nan inside. The lights were off for both the front courtyard and the middle courtyard of the daoguan at this time. The late autumn night made walking through the winding corridor feel distinctly desolate and cold. Luckily, Xue Lei had a loud voice, diluting this feeling quite a bit.

Luo Nan asked curiously, "Are you staying overnight at the daoguan too?"

"Of course. I've always been the gym master's assistant... hmm, and his interpreter."

"Huh?"

In Luo Nan's daze, he and Xue Lei had already reached the back courtyard. The humanoid stone lanterns illuminated the entrance to the courtyard, dividing light and shadow, making the place look like an exquisite oil painting.

Xiu Shenyu wasn't in this painting.

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Chapter 144: Power of the Mountains and Rivers (Part 1/2)

Chapter 144: Power of the Mountains and Rivers (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan and Xue Lei walked into the room. None of the lights were on. The lights outside only illuminated the entrance. Most of the place was pervaded with shadow. Nothing could be seen clearly.

Xue Lei looked all around to find the gym master, while Luo Nan relied on his advantage with mental senses and locked onto Xiu Shenyu's location a step before Xue Lei.

Xiu Shenyu was sitting atop the cork flooring. He leaned against the wall on one side of the corridor. His left leg was bent, while his right leg was straight. He just sat as he pleased. Not too far away from Xiu Shenyu was the tai chi ball. It was indiscernible if the environment embellished the scene, but right now Xiu Shenyu was silent to the point of gloom. He showed no response to the two young men coming in.

"Gym Master, Luo Nan is here." Xiu Shenyu finally saw where Gym Master Xiu was at and walked over to notify him with a soft voice.

Xiu Shenyu grunted and said, "Then let's begin."

The simple and straightforward attitude was a bit of a shock to Luo Nan and Xue Lei.

Xiu Shenyu disregarded the thoughts of the two youngsters, stood up from the floor, and walked to Luo Nan's side. Xiu Shenyu had a tall, thin figure; he was a full head taller than Luo Nan, who had not completely grown yet. He gave off quite the pressure when standing.

"The time I requested of you is from eleven o'clock at night to five o'clock in the morning for a total of six hours. Having six hours of time is sufficient for the first stage of learning in an ideal situation. Tonight, you have come early for the sake of learning basic techniques, performing a few tests, and understanding the details."

Luo Nan obediently agreed.

Though it was quite strange for Gym Master Xiu to skip the pleasantries and dive straight into the course of action, Gym Master Xiu spoke with a high level of clarity. Luo Nan did not know what Xue Lei meant by his being the gym master’s interpreter.

Luo Nan immediately obeyed Xiu Shenyu's requests. He lay flat on a sleeping mat that was already prepared. Xue Lei lit a pot of incense in a very exaggerated manner, saying that it would help him to relax.

The lighting was dim. The fragrance rose in spirals. It truly was not difficult to relax in this kind of environment. Luo Nan closed his eyes and slowly adjusted his breathing. Soon, he entered a calm state.

Then Xiu Shenyu suddenly asked him, "Have you learned other breathing techniques in the past?"

"Mm, yes."

The tiny chanting and breathing technique Luo Nan practiced was largely useful for visualization. However, he had started off by practicing breathing, and a few weeks earlier, he witnessed an excellent demonstration from the unfathomable little girl Rui Wen. From her, he comprehended the tempo of soul breathing.

Uh, soul breathing should count as a breathing technique. Luo Nan believed that he had some experience.

Xiu Shenyu continued inquiring, "Have you entered a meditative state before?"

"Are you referring to a still state of mind, a fixed mental space? I have."

Xue Lei was quite delighted to the side. "This is good! You already have an excellent foundation. You would certainly make rapid progress."

Xiu Shenyu gave Xue Lei a glance, but refrained from saying anything. He simply let Luo Nan continue relaxing. At the same time, he began to tell him some essentials in calibrating one's breathing.

He spoke generally at first, but due to the atmosphere they were in, Luo Nan subconsciously tried to follow the methods Xiu Shenyu talked about.

Xiu Shenyu had an accurate grasp of Luo Nan's state. He suddenly changed his manner of speaking. He spoke more concisely, directly touching upon the differences that appeared in Luo Nan's testing process. He also added corrections.

Sometimes he reached out with his hand to press against Luo Nan's body. He wanted Luo Nan to focus his breathing and mind on these areas.

At first, Luo Nan disliked the feeling of having someone be so concentrated on his breathing. As Luo Nan controlled his breathing, he spared some attention to receive guidance. His mind was stretched taut. He could not be described as relaxed in any way.

But Luo Nan ultimately had a foundation. Soon he discovered that they held several of the same understandings with regard to the essentials Xiu Shenyu was teaching him. Luo Nan’s insight on some key details grew deeper, and consequently his breathing control became steadier.

Furthermore, Xiu Shenyu’s guidance did not involve harsh criticisms on the strict observance of the little details. He was like a faint guiding light that led the way forward, ensuring that Luo Nan never got lost. Luo Nan preferred to do things this way.

Not a lot of time passed before Luo Nan adapted to Xiu Shenyu's teaching style; his mind soon settling down. Luo Nan controlled the intensity of his breathing, causing him to faintly feel something between his mouth and nose. The mind first existed in the mouth and nose, then the throat, chest, stomach, tailbone, and so on. This visualization also went in the reverse. It changed back and forth. Ultimately, it allowed for an uninterrupted breathing. Direction and location were indiscernible as breath gradually enveloped his entire body.

This wonderful feeling made the body feel like it was a bit hot, as if the body was wrapped in warm mist. It was akin to being in a steam sauna, but it did not feel as stuffy. It was rather penetrating.

In the end, all of Luo Nan's energy was focused on the changes of feeling. Xiu Shenyu's low voice was naturally blocked off, and eventually even Luo Nan's consciousness of his body was blurred. It was as if his entire person had transformed into a cloud of mist, drifting in nothingness.

The mist swelled and shrank, revealing the difference between the internal and the external. To sum it up, this was a sort of singular tempo…. Yes, it was a bit like what Rui Wen could do. The breath resonance that was at the peak of wonders. The fusion of body and soul.

With this thought, it was as if Luo Nan had awakened from a dream. He opened his eyes wide in understanding.

Xue Lei looked at his wristband in accordance to Xiu Shenyu's directions and confirmed the time. "Five minutes and twenty seconds."

"Huh?"

Xue Lei laughed. "You've spent a total of three hundred and twenty seconds lying down until now."

Luo Nan was stunned. "That short?"

He thought that time had passed quickly. He thought that at least two hours had passed. He never expected that only a small amount of time had gone by. If he were to calculate the time when his mind was completely entranced, it probably would not even reach a minute.

Xiu Shenyu glanced at Xue Lei's wristband. "Time in meditative state: seven seconds."

"Seven seconds?"

"The soul gallops across a world. The mind shines at eight extremes. Seven seconds is good; it's not short."

Luo Nan could not understand him at all. It was now time for Xue Lei the interpreter to show off his skills. He spoke with praise, "Sure enough, you do have a foundation…. The meditative state you just entered is actually a process of self-examination of the body. It's like when a machine boots up and data is read and loaded into it. The faster your brain, the higher the efficiency. Seven seconds of introspection and achieving deep stillness is really amazing."

Gym Master Xiu made no comment toward Xue Lei's words. He just said, "Nothingness cannot be relied upon. Fullness cannot last long. Remember that breathing tempo. We will proceed with the next step."

It was really hard to understand, but it truly seemed quite amazing…. Luo Nan inevitably felt a different sort of confidence toward Xiu Shenyu's teachings. He recalled the feeling he had experienced just then and solemnly nodded.

Two minutes later, Luo Nan followed Xiu Shenyu's guidance and re-entered the marvelous state of body-into-nothingness. His body was like a cloud of mist, and warm heat continued to accumulate. Then, he achieved the correct tempo where the mist swelled and shrank, and subsequently the heat was no longer static, now flowing endlessly.

At first, Luo Nan's experience was a blur. But after becoming familiar with it, his senses grew more acute. Slowly, he observed some substantial meaning from the nothingness of the mist.

Xiu Shenyu theorized that entering the meditative state was only the initial step in understanding. Cultivation required one to discard pre-established ideas about the body and mold the feeling of the still state of mind anew.

This did not mean that Xiu Shenyu wanted people to let their imaginations run wild. What was real, was still real. Breath was still breath. What was sought was the whole potential.

Luo Nan was familiar with these methods. Was this not the same method as his speed sketches? The importance was not in the appearance and details, but in the grace and finesse of the method.

However, Xiu Shenyu gave him a clear-cut image.

“The body is like the mass of a mountain range. The breath is like the length of flowing water."

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Chapter 144: Power of the Mountains and Rivers (Part 2/2)

Chapter 144: Power of the Mountains and Rivers (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

The body was a mountain range with dense vegetation and thick soil. It can bear the rays of the sun and the rain of the clouds. It can resist storms and thunder.

Breath was flowing water. It twisted and turned, amassing the beautiful soul of the mountain range, giving life to all living things.

Here, the body was the foundation. It was the utmost, the decisive material structure. It was akin to a mountain range; there existed highs and lows, up and downs. Vital energy was the function decided by the body's foundation. It was like the power of flowing water. It followed the form of the mountain as it flowed down, and warmth and coldness, yin and yang, can be seen.

The two conformed to each other, and nuances gradually grew clearer as the still state of mind intensified and the real and the virtual were manifested and discerned. There truly seemed to be a painting of mountains and rivers being unfurled before Luo Nan's eyes. Within the rolling mountains, clear rivers snaked around as they followed the path of potential. In some places the waters remained in place. In some places they turned. In some places they split. The waters diverged completely in different places.

Having these differences allowed the sense of substance to become clearer.

Gradually, there were some places where the flow of water accumulated into something like a deep lake, a dark whirlpool. These were meridian points, and Xiu Shenyu wanted him to pay special attention to them. These nourished and grew the soul. These were fields of blessing.

Luo Nan's consciousness gradually confirmed their locations and contracted them with his pre-established concepts of the body: top of the head, the chest, the lower abdomen, and even the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet….

There seemed to be a resonance among these meridian points, and they surged with dark life. Waves cut across, and the feeling of mist-like nothingness gradually retreated. Luo Nan's perception toward his body was expressed anew, but this time it was with a completely new understanding than before.

It was like the ancient philosophical proposition: "The mountain is seen as a mountain; water is seen as water. The mountain is seen as not a mountain; water is seen as not water. The mountain is still a mountain; water is still water."

Luo Nan felt stupid when he heard Xiu Shenyu talk about these things, but when he truly experienced it himself, he felt he understood things quite clearly.

However, Xiu Shenyu was only talking about the first step. He had yet to discuss what they would do next.

Luo Nan’s focus lightened a bit, his thoughts wandering. He originally wanted to exit the still state of mind and ask Xiu Shenyu the know-hows for the next step, but the resonance among his meridian points made him recall Rui Wen's marvelous technique of body and soul merging.

But after carefully comparing the experiences, Luo Nan ultimately found that they were different.

Luo Nan was far from reaching Rui Wen's ability to merge body and soul as one. The resonance in his body only occured between a few meridian points. Each meridian point was a terminal point with lines connecting them, forming a fuzzy structure. The structure was a bit chaotic and complex. It was also somewhat familiar.

If slight adjustments were made….

The feeling Luo Nan perceived within his body was still quite unfocused. Luo Nan subconsciously viewed his body as a revisable painting. The terminal points were moved, and the connecting lines were merged. After a few adjustments, the fuzzy and chaotic structure became orderly. The structure became a central axis in the shape of a pyramid.

Luo Nan suddenly sensed that something was wrong. He wanted to open his eyes, but then a shout came cutting in from the outside world.

"Continue!"

The voice was heavy, and it pressed down against Luo Nan's surging mind. Luo Nan's mind shook a few times before eventually maintaining the still state. By now, the image of mountains and rivers had blurred and faded away, as a more familiar scene grew in its absence.

It was a pyramid rotating in the void. Precisely speaking, it was the Format Pyramid, the visualization diagram.

Luo Nan was rather bewildered by the sudden change in imagery. His perception toward his physical body was also affected, turning chaotic. But this situation did not last long. The chaotic information was absorbed by the rotating visualization diagram within Luo Nan's still state of mind. It was neat and orderly, structured with rules, and it seemed to be the central axis. A single action spurred the bones, flesh, and even the hundreds of millions of veins. An action spurred a hundred actions, a thousand actions, ten-thousand actions. It possessed rules, and was not the slightest bit disorderly.

Luo Nan was familiar with this sensation. He went through the Archetype Format Guide Program in the complete version of the Frost River Waterway System back in Frost River Reality. He ignited the virtual form of the Format of Fire. The Format of Fire had acted as an axis as well. It had many connections in many directions. It was vaguely the same as his current experience.

The Format of Fire and the image of mountains and rivers were great, but they could not compare in meaning to the visualization diagram. Luo Nan had become accustomed to the continued existence of the visualization diagram by his side. The visualization diagram was the representation of Formatting Theory, the truth that Luo Nan revered.

Therefore, the visualization diagram occupied the most central location in his mind when it appeared. His other feelings just surged and fluctuated around the visualization diagram, and they might as well be annihilated to dust.

Luckily, Luo Nan was able to recall what his goals were tonight. Though he had somewhat deviated from his main task, the roots for the breathing technique still existed. His breathing tempo was only chaotic for just a moment before returning to calmness.

The image of the mountains and rivers already turned blurry by now, but Luo Nan could still feel the circulation and accumulation of vital energy. However, the trending path naturally disappeared without a trace. Only layers of rising steam were left, amassing together in a steady stream. They rose toward the central region of the visualization diagram, and toward the inscribed sphere.

Luo Nan's visualization seemed to only be concerned with his body. The inscribed sphere contained his inner organs and the circulation of his blood and energy. Luo Nan's vital energy symbolized the activation of his body's functions, as lectured by Xiu Shenyu. As for what the convergence of vital energy represented, Xiu Shenyu did not say.

The visualization diagram rotated endlessly, and at the same time, layers upon layers of vital energy poured inside. The energy was great, and it seemed that a change was about to occur.

But there were no changes…. The center of the inscribed sphere was just nothingness, like a black hole. No matter how much vital energy was amassed, it was all swallowed by this sheet of nothingness. Its limits could not be seen.

At this time, Luo Nan's mind followed the circulation of vital energy and entered the inscribed sphere. This was the first time he did this since he started studying Formatting Theory. His actions came automatically to him. Clearly, he was making great progress in visualization.

Originally, this was a good thing, but Luo Nan's mind became stiff and sluggish when observing the scene from the inside. He was flooded with darkness, which he did not know was real or not, and it was hard for him to feel anything else.

Luo Nan's current state of mind was absolutely unsuitable for entering a meditative state. Then, a deep cry came from outside. The cry suppressed the large upheaval that made Luo Nan leave his still state of mind. The cry pressed Luo Nan's mind firmly in this space, and it allowed Luo Nan to see things more clearly.

Rattle! Rattle!

Within the abyssal space whose depth could not be seen, countless thick chains penetrated the sheet of darkness. They crossed and weaved. They coiled around each other. They formed a structure so complicated that it made one's scalp feel like it was about to explode.

It was like an inescapable net. It was like a dungeon.

That's right. The dark chains always came from the inscribed sphere of the visualization diagram. However, Luo Nan never thought that these seemingly endless chains, which could penetrate through layers of the void, could have this appearance, could have this shape, deeply hidden within the visualization diagram.

Luo Nan had felt his vital energy boil with great power, but now it was simply negligible vapor in the face of such a cavernous chasm. The enormous pressure pressed down upon the spiraling strands of vital energy.

A bit of light from a flame could be seen deep within the area of weaving chains. The light passed through the small chinks in the chains, but Luo Nan could not sense the slightest bit of heat from this light. The glacial chains sucked in what heat there was, leaving only a flicker of light behind. The light attracted a portion of Luo Nan's mind, and it seemed neither close nor distant.

"My heart’s a prison."

Suddenly, Luo Nan recalled the leading words in the twenty-word secret mantra left behind by his grandfather.

The rattle reverberated once more, and Luo Nan was no longer able to control his mind. He was expelled from the still state of mind, and the image of mountains and rivers, the image of the visualization diagram, all faded away without a trace. Luo Nan felt a burning heat in his lower abdominals and nothing more.

Luo Nan blinked with vacant eyes. The first thing he saw was Xiu Shenyu.

Xue Lei was next to the gym master. He opened his mouth but was tongue-tied. It took a while before he said, "You, how did you sit up?"

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Chapter 145: Start with the Body (Part 1/2)

Chapter 145: Start with the Body (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Sit up? Yeah, he did sit up. He sat in the lotus position, looking like a pyramid. He completely lost the image of the mountains and rivers imparted upon him by Xiu Shenyu.

Luo Nan gaped with his mouth, speechless.

Somehow, Xiu Shenyu wasn't that surprised. He sized Luo Nan up and down a few times, then slowly said, "The breathing technique. Taking old and new techniques and fusing them into a furnace. This is a good thing."

Xue Lei let out a breath of relief. "Then that's good."

He never expected Xiu Shenyu's next words to be, "It is also a pity that the art cannot be used upon his own body."

"What?"

Xue Lei blinked. He was unable to translate the gym master's words! Xue Lei looked at Luo Nan, whose head was lowered in deep thought, and saw no reaction from him. In the end, Xue Lei could only ask, "Gym master, sir, what do you mean…?"

Xiu Shenyu did not respond to Xue Lei. He gazed at Luo Nan for a moment, then said, "I taught you to visualize the image of the mountains and rivers, but you were unable to bring about the mountains and rivers. The frozen ground. The icy waters through the crevasses. Most of it has been frozen. Water lubricates things, whereas ice brings one pressure."

Luo Nan pondered over Xiu Shenyu’s words. After a while, he raised his head and said, "I ask the gym master for guidance."

Xue Lei looked at the gym master. Then, he looked at Luo Nan. He ultimately confirmed that he was out of a translating job. He shirked back to a corner and stopped saying anything, but his ears straightened in attention.

Xiu Shenyu thought as he spoke, "Just like Rome wasn't built in a day, three feet of ice does not form in a single day. I don't quite understand your visualization technique, but I can vaguely feel things from it. From the inside to the outside, your technique is strict and rigid, but is also grand and imposing. It is enchanting. And this, of course, is an excellent thing. Unfortunately, this glacial mountain isn't truly yours. The higher this glacial mountain is amassed, the grander and vaster it is, but at the same time, the smaller and more indistinct you become…. As a man absorbs this power, the power also absorbs the man. This is your problem."

Gym Master Xiu was never one who was good at words. He was not quite clear in his train of thought and in his way with words when he conversed with people. It was very laborious for one to hear his speech with its many metaphors and analogies.

To the side, Xue Lei's eyes were spinning in circles as he heard all this. Luckily, Luo Nan combined the gym master's words with his own understandings of his body and the prison in his mind – the interwoven dark chains – and was able to get a general understanding.

As Luo Nan understood Xiu Shenyu, Luo Nan became seriously shocked by Xiu Shenyu's level of insight. He really respected Xiu Shenyu. This gym master undoubtedly had true skill. However, Luo Nan gained an even deeper loss now when it came to his own situation.

It took a while before Luo Nan could ask, "Why isn't it mine? I'm the one cultivating using it!"

"Is it all truly you?"

This response stupefied Luo Nan completely.

From the very beginning, the road he walked as he researched Formatting Theory was a road that required he rely on external forces. Psychotropic drugs. Darksider life forms. Sacrificial frames…. The decisive application of these external things was the driving force behind the leaps and bounds of growth of his soul strength. The only thing Luo Nan did was erect the frame.

And even the frame was something he learned from his grandfather.

Xiu Shenyu slowly stood up while Luo Nan was in his daze. He walked inside, next to the tai chi ball. There was not much lighting in the room, and the distance was far. All one could see was a fuzzy silhouette.

Luo Nan and Xue Lei glanced at each other. They both got up and walked over.

Xiu Shenyu disregarded the two. He simply played with the tai chi ball, causing the bowl tray on the ground to swivel. The metal ball was half a man tall and was over a hundred kilograms in weight. It began to rotate with noticeable noise. The rolling created a reverberating sound, and the cork floor was trembling.

"This is the glacial mountain."

Luo Nan nodded. He had automatically substituted the words 'glacial mountain' for 'Formatting Theory' in his mind.

"This is you right now." Xiu Shenyu pointed at the bowl tray below as he spoke.

The bowl tray was oscillating without end due to the heavy rotating sphere above it. Luo Nan was unable to take his eyes off it as he stared and juxtaposed his own situation with the bowl tray.

This analogy was very intuitive. Even Xue Lei, who was confused all this time, could understand. "Gym master, do you mean that Nanster is cultivating far too quickly? A large tail obstructs action; Nanster's too lopsided, making it bad for him?"

He never expected Xiu Shenyu to shake his head. "He's being rejected."

"Huh?” Xue Lei was immediately stupefied once more. Then Luo Nan suddenly raised his head.

Xiu Shenyu pressed his hand against the lines on the surface of the metal sphere and the grinding and rotating metal sphere rumbled to a stop. Xiu Shenyu opened the outer shell of the sphere while it was still slightly swaying. He took out the complicated mechanism installed within its cavity.

"You should be this."

Xiu Shenyu spoke calmly, "To put it briefly, man and cultivation is like drawing a circle; with the self in the center of the circle. Then, the circle is enlarged layer by layer, the range of control grows greater and greater, and its volume grows heavier and heavier. But no matter what happens, no matter where a man's heart takes him, the journey must be one without hindrance. Follow and oppose according to your heart. This is the true path. If the journey is heavy, sluggish, and cumbersome, if it's hard to propel down one's path, then this is what's called a large tail that obstructs action."

Luo Nan first looked at the mechanical device and sunk into contemplation. Then, he looked at Xiu Shenyu. "Then, right now I…."

"Right now you're just a support—a medium."

Xiu Shenyu placed the mechanical device back inside the cavity. Then, he made the metal sphere rotate again. "I assume that you, yourself, know clearly just how much strength you have left in the center of the circle."

Luo Nan thought back to the depths of the inscribed sphere. There was that little light of flame that lacked all heat whatsoever. He took a deep deep breath and said, "But I'm still there inside!"

"Just a portion," Xiu Shenyu responded dully. "This isn't your technique. You just endlessly watered it, and then it turned into layers of layers of ice chunks. You let it expand, you let it become denser. You may be able to borrow its strength, but the strength has to follow its existing rules. You can't escape its constraints by even a smidgen. I haven't seen any substance that allows information to be fed back to the human body. There are mystic and incorporeal powers when it comes to a person's cultivation, but for you this is just a pavilion in the air, a mirage…. You've built it to such a scale that what is real and what is false are flipped upside down. This is the main reason behind the imbalance between your body and soul."

Luo Nan instinctively disagreed with the first part of Xiu Shenyu's description, but everything changed when Xiu Shenyu mentioned how “the strength has to follow its existing rules”. Luo Nan was stupefied on the spot as if he were hit by lightning.

The doubts that had formed during the trip here on the public transport vehicle were vaporized by the luminosity of an epiphanic lightning bolt.

That's right. Why didn't he think of it before? Sensing the star river. Receiving feedback from his believers. These were all real and true achievements. They were all changes involving the mental plane, and they all existed within the frame of Formatting Theory.

In contrast, Luo Nan had entered the rules set by President Ouyang Chen when he entered the Simulator layer of the Psychic Wave Network, while controlling the tiny paper men involved the material plane. These were fields that Formatting Theory could not access.

Luo Nan found his powers effective in one aspect, but ineffective in another. This was the reason for it! It all lay here!

Although this was just the view of a single person, Xiu Shenyu did not know of the concrete details involving Formatting Theory. He also was not aware of Luo Nan's awkward situation. The fact that Xiu Shenyu was able to deduce Luo Nan's situation to obtain an accurate assessment that was indistinguishable from reality was something that could not be described as coincidence.

Luo Nan just stood there in his stupefaction. The darkness of the training grounds wrapped around him, as the sound of the metal sphere rolling came grinding into his heart.

Xiu Shenyu's voice seeped in like fine sand, "When we take in external powers, the first harm can be described as 'imprisonment'. The next harm can be called 'inversion'. The worst harm is 'parasitism'. Your current situation is between imprisonment and inversion…."

"Gym master!"

This was the first time Luo Nan interrupted Xiu Shenyu since tonight's studies had started. He stared at Xiu Shenyu with fixed eyes. He gazed directly into the sunken eye sockets of this decrepit middle-aged man. Depth, remoteness, and darkness lurked within there, and it was hard to distinguish between colors. Yet there existed a heavy force that pressed onto Luo Nan's heart.

Luo Nan gritted his teeth and spoke, "Gym master, do you mean that there are flaws with the technique I cultivate in? Is that correct?"

Xiu Shenyu's response was the clearest Luo Nan ever heard from him.

"Without a doubt."

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Chapter 145: Start with the Body (Part 2/2)

Chapter 145: Start with the Body (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Xue Lei coughed. “Gym master….”

Xue Lei was a bit flustered. He understood Luo Nan's thoughts. Frankly speaking, anything involving Formatting Theory was a sensitive topic! He was really afraid of Luo Nan becoming furious, turning around, and leaving. Xue Lei wanted to do his best to save the situation, and he wished that Xiu Shenyu would not say things so bluntly. At least leave some leeway for mediation.

Unfortunately, the message conveyed by Xiu Shenyu's dark eyes could not be stopped. It was sent, and there was a near-zero chance that Xiu Shenyu would withdraw his remark with his temperament.

The tai chi ball continued to roll in the bowl tray. Amidst a rumbling sound, the design on the surface gradually lit up and became clear. Xiu Shenyu turned his gaze to look at it, signaling that he had no further intentions to speak.

As for Luo Nan, his gaze rested on Xiu Shenyu's face. Luo Nan had been like this since Xiu Shenyu had said "without a doubt”. Luo Nan didn't make any other movements. He just stood there in place like a statue. Even his breathing seemed to have stopped.

Xue Lei looked to his left. Then he looked to his right. In the end, there was nothing he could do. He just hung his head and prayed to himself. He hoped that God would open his eyes and prevent trouble from arising at all costs.

For a time, the only movement in the spacious room was the constant rolling of the tai chi ball. It rolled from the words and thoughts of a person to the words and thoughts of another person.

An unknown amount of time passed and Luo Nan, whose entire body had been frozen, suddenly walked forward a single step. He raised a single hand to cut open the incorporeal layer of stone that froze him, and he reached out to press against the rolling tai chi ball. The metal sphere rubbed against the palm of his hand, and the metal sphere jiggled twice due to the uneven distribution of external force. The metal sphere nearly flipped out from the bowl tray, but it just barely stabilized. It now rocked back and forth in the bowl tray, and the luminous patterns on the sphere's surface naturally faded away without a trace.

Xiu Shenyu frowned for a moment, then raised his eyes to lock gazes with Luo Nan.

This was bad! The gym master didn't like other people disturbing him when he was fiddling with the tai chi ball!

Xue Lei's heart began to beat wildly. He simply wanted to cry faced with the situation before his eyes, but no tears could come out. He never expected the situation to unfold like this when he had invited Luo Nan to come to the daoguan and learn breathing techniques!

But the situation developed in a way that was not as pessimistic as Xue Lei was imagining.

Luo Nan did not become furious because of the criticism toward Formatting Theory, and Xiu Shenyu did not become angry at Luo Nan for stopping the tai chi ball from rotating. As the monotonous sound of rolling faded away, Luo Nan spoke with a low voice of increasing clarity.

"Gym Master Xiu, the only flaw in my technique is that it doesn't consider the human body. Am I right?"

"I don't believe that it is 'your technique’."

Xiu Shenyu reached out a hand as well. He pressed against the tai chi ball, applying similar force for the second time, while Luo Nan found it hard to accept these words from Xiu Shenyu yet again.

Two people had their palms pressed against the tai chi ball, and the metal sphere became all the more still. It did not move an inch. Through this subtle powerplay, Xiu Shenyu gave a slow answer.

"In worldly cultivation, the right path should come from the inside to the outside. From me to him. Water travels in accordance to the terrain of the mountain. Breath and energy move due to the human body. And grace and beauty are found within. If such a marvelous spectacle occurs outside the body, then what business do 'I' have?"

Xue Lei's head was spinning from listening to the antonomasia of 'You's and 'I's, but Luo Nan could understand each of Xiu Shenyu's words with clarity. The words related to Luo Nan directly involved a concept that Luo Nan was most familiar with: I. Me. My. The ‘self’!

This time around the concept was heard in quite an ironic manner.

Luo Nan's grandfather had written down a twenty-word secret mantra in his notebook. Every clause began with a ‘my’: My heart’s a prison, my heart’s a furnace; My heart calls for a lens, my heart calls for the nation.

Wasn't Formatting Theory rooted in the ‘self’? The ‘self’ had to exist!

It was because of this that Luo Nan refuted Xiu Shenyu's words without thinking, "No way. When I cultivate, it all involves 'me' as the axis!"

"Do you have anything to ascertain that it is truly the 'self'?"

Xiu Shenyu gave Luo Nan no chance for further explanation. He immediately shattered his following defenses. "Cultivating for the 'self' will allow the human body a structure and will allow the circulation of blood and energy. There are changes between movement and stillness. Physicality will inevitably be exhausted, unless you sufficiently prepare. Only in this way will a mark be left with every step. Only in this way can errors be avoided…. This is what you haven't done."

Luo Nan stopped talking. He listened attentively in silence.

"It is inevitable and logical for one to tread wrongly on their journey by relying on pure consciousness for a foundation that lacks all materiality. For others, once the body and soul imbalance reaches a certain degree, the body and soul impeding each other are unable to progress a single step. But for you, the towering glacial mountains are expanding layer upon layer without any sign of their limits."

Xiu Shenyu did not expound further from this point. The meaning was clear and could not be mistaken. No matter how grand and powerful the framework on the mental plane is, its core mechanism of growth and decline isn't related to the person himself. How can it be described as 'yours'?

Luo Nan's brows were deeply furrowed as he stared at the tai chi ball. He was lost in thought.

Soon, the room entered a state of silence once more. Xue Lei could not refrain from saying, "If you truly have this problem, then we have to make some adjustments…. Gym master, can we fix this?"

Xue Lei's choice of words were tactful, but Xiu Shenyu responded quite bluntly, "External techniques cannot be used for the sake of one's self. It is not too late to start from scratch and walk toward the correct path."

Luo Nan lifted his head upon hearing him. He gazed straight at Xiu Shenyu with a face devoid of all expression.

Xue Lei saw that the situation was going on a bad trend. He scrambled forward and grabbed Luo Nan's right arm. "We can think over this some more…."

Luo Nan knew what Xue Lei was nervous about, but he really was not angry. He was just thinking about his grandfather.

Xiu Shenyu's thin, decrepit body was somewhat similar to his grandfather's. Luo Nan's thoughts floated to the medical treatment center. An insane old man was over there, and the old man's ailments had tormented him into something inhuman. His life was also near its end.

What had caused all of this? Luo Nan was not a doctor; he found it impossible to make an accurate assessment. However, right now there existed a fact that was as clear as day.

Before, the hospital was able to confirm that energy and stimulation were useless in the attempts to improve the old man's illness. However, Luo Nan's grandfather was likely a practitioner of Formatting Theory. If Luo Nan were to recognize the flaws of Formatting Theory, revisions could be made upon this foundation, and the positive effects for his grandfather would likely be instant.

Luo Nan's mind was in a bit of a daze right now. His thoughts transformed as fast as lightning, and the thought process was not the least bit simple.

The upheaval of an undercurrent of concepts flipped the sunken grains of memories to the surface of his heart. Luo Nan had synthesized and taken drugs for the past five years. He did this day in and day out in bitter obsession. These memories floated in turmoil, then the silhouette of Gear under the setting sun inexplicably cut into his mind. There was also the lake that faced the building, and the treehouse devoid of all traces of people….

Luo Nan could not get a grasp on his own emotions for a time, but soon he made up his mind. He took a deep breath, forgot the tangling thought of whether or not Formatting Theory was flawed, and took a step back. He immediately turned to face Xiu Shenyu and gave him a heavy bow.

"The Formatting Theory I cultivate in is my grandfather's heart and blood; it's his life. I cannot give up it up no matter the case, no matter the cause. If the gym master can help me mend its flaws and correct its errors, I will never forget this favor through eternity!"

It seemed that Xiu Shenyu was stunned for a moment as well. Then, he shook his head. "You are most willing to move in accordance to the technique. You should not desire to be 'imprisoned'."

Luo Nan just looked at him. "Can you help me?"

Xiu Shenyu responded as if nothing was wrong, "I'm not an expert in such visualizations. I only use the most basic method of training, practicing, and tempering. I am unable to resolve the so-called flaws and errors of your Formatting Theory…. The most I can do is help you obtain a stronger physique, increase the endurance of your body by a bit, and increase the room for you to experiment and adjust."

"That's already enough," said Luo Nan without hesitation.

Xiu Shenyu was direct as well. "Then prepare for some pain and suffering."

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Chapter 146: Flexibility Lies in the Eyes (Part 1/2)

Chapter 146: Flexibility Lies in the Eyes (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

The mind and the heart gives birth to conceptions, but the mind and the heart also kills conceptions. The flexibility lies in the eyes.

Luo Nan seemed to be asleep yet not asleep, awake yet not awake. It was as if he entered a still state of mind.

He could truly see the visualization diagram rotating in the void, yet there were also countless specious shadows diffused inside and outside of it. Every shadow was a copy of his figure. They were practically everywhere, yet none of them was real.

Then Luo Nan's mind sunk downward directly into the heart of the inscribed sphere. He fell into the center of the deep prison. The shadows were truly like shadows of his body; they followed him inside.

Thousands upon thousands of dark chains moved simultaneously with a rattling vibrato. They weaved together into something like a net, and the light of a flame lacking all heat flickered in the deepest regions. The light illuminated layers and layers of chaos as it fused and overlapped with the myriad of shadows. It was hard to distinguish between the shadows, for they were like flocks of bats. These wraiths danced bewitchingly like clouds and waves.

'Me'. Which one is 'me'?

Luo Nan's viewpoint changed amid his daze. It was as if he was looking down from high above. He saw the rays of light pierce upward and combine with the flames in his eyes into one. Great amounts of light was released, suppressing the wraiths, and Luo Nan was suddenly awoken.

Luo Nan opened his eyes. His vision was a bit fuzzy at first; part of it was due to the dusky lighting of the room. The light of the sun could not be seen, so only the lights of the humanoid stone lanterns illuminated the entrance to the room. Light and shadow were jumbled together, and they formed outlines upon the random items within the room. The normal and ordinary image gave Luo Nan a feeling of inexplicable novelty. It could not be determined if this was a psychological effect.

Luo Nan flipped over and sat up, the blanket covering him sliding off. The slight chill of early morning came flowing in from the opened entrance. It made him huddle his shoulders to cover his neck.

A husky voice suddenly vibrated from the corner of the room. It was none other than Xiu Shenyu. "Falseness has energy. Darkness has knowledge. There exists fields of blessing in the heart. All without raising a thought…. You should go through morning procedures. Follow what you did last night."

Luo Nan closed his eyes and opened them. This time the aftereffects of his dream-state were wiped away. He was truly clear-headed now. Luo Nan looked at his wristband; it was now a bit over 4:30 in the morning. No wonder it was so dark outside.

Xiu Shenyu did not say anything after that, but Luo Nan was able to feel his gaze resting upon his body. Xiu Shenyu was supervising his task.

Yes. Luo Nan's bitter days have begun starting last night.

Luo Nan did not waste time talking. He settled his mind and began performing the breathing technique. The breath in his mouth and nose gradually possessed a sense of density.

Luo Nan did not take the next step in circulating after finding the right tempo of breathing. He first massaged the acupoints surrounding his eye sockets. He extended his hands while sitting cross-legged, clasped them together, and massaged his feet using a special technique. Everything was done in special positions; it was just a bit ugly to look at.

"Harder!" directed Xiu Shenyu in a timely manner….

Luo Nan unconsciously exerted more force with his hand. Soon his hands and feet had warmed up, and his tendons and muscles had loosened up. Then, his hands went to his back to press against its two sides. Luo Nan looked like he was doing some sort of exercise with these series of movements... exercises for old people.

Luo Nan back was in pain as he did this, for Xiu Shenyu pressed his finger into a spot. Xiu Shenyu's voice entered his ear once more. "Here. Put more force here."

Luo Nan's breathing was chaotic, but soon he adjusted. He bent his hand in accordance to Xiu Shenyu's request and continued to apply force. He did this until the spot felt achy and hot.

This was not the end of it. Luo Nan then sat on the cork flooring, twisted his body, and stretched his hands and feet. The most important thing was for his gaze to follow his movements, regardless of his body's position. Every time there was something the least bit wrong with Luo Nan's positions and movements, Xiu Shenyu would instantly correct him with words, or even use his hands to adjust Luo Nan himself.

Luo Nan went through the exercise nine times. It might look like he never left his original position, but Luo Nan used up a great amount of stamina. A layer of sweat covered Luo Nan's body.

What was especially taxing was paying attention to the position of his eyes. They always had to move along with his hands and feet. They were massaged in this way as well. Right then, Luo Nan's eyes were a bit hot, as if there was steam rising from his eye sockets. Luo Nan was on the verge of crying.

Luo Nan gently closed his eyes, withdrawing and concealing his mind. His exercise only counted as a success at this point.

Luo Nan had learned this series of movements last night. It was a hands-on instruction from Xiu Shenyu. Luo Nan learned to massage his head, hands, feet, and torso in this way. Luo Nan learned to stretch and twist his limbs along with a supplementation of breathing in this way. This involved positioning, strength, feeling, response, and so on. Xiu Shenyu was meticulous down to the smallest detail.

This was the basic method Xiu Shenyu spoke of. Luo Nan followed a prescribed pattern to the letter, and there was practically no room for meditation and visualization. Nothing fake could be seen from it.

Xiu Shenyu told him the following: "Your form is like a bowl tray. You bear heavy mass, but you're rejected outside. A strand of your mind is split, existing within this imprisonment. So, a large tail obstructs action. If you want to make it right, first you must break through the layers that separate the mind, energy, and essence. The only way starts from the human body. Strengthen the body's function to make yourself beautiful inside and out. Cultivate your essence energy…. It's like adding a flame beneath the bowl tray. Use the heat of your body to melt a corner of the glacial mountains. Separate a cup of soup out from within. If you want to reach sufficient 'heat', you cannot continue cultivating in a purely still state. You need to exert yourself while walking, sitting, and lying down. You need to activate and circulate the functions of your vital energy."

According to Xiu Shenyu's words, Luo Nan's cultivation thus far was confined by the external technique that was Formatting Theory. His fleshly body was weak, and the only thing that connected the inside and the outside of the body were the nine orifices.

The nine orifices of the body were the two eyes, the two ears, the two nostrils, the mouth, and the two lower extremities. The eyes, ears, and mouth were the most important of them, and of these, the eyes were the divine master. There was a saying from the "Scripture of the Hidden Contracts": The mind and the heart gives birth to conceptions, but the mind and the heart also kills conceptions. The flexibility lies in the eyes.

The essentials lay in this saying.

Luo Nan's cultivation was in the mental plane. It was difficult to utilize his fleshly body. Now, he had to utilize the natural physical nature of his body. This was akin to drawing water from a stream. He had to gradually build the scale, and then seek a breakthrough.

Luo Nan could only understand half of Xiu Shenyu's theories. He only knew that he had to begin with the eyes, the most important orifices. Now that he thought about it, only minor abilities had manifested during his early years before he achieved his Self-Format. Besides the Appetite King ability that strengthened his digestion and absorption rates, there was also the Hypnosis Master ability. This ability was really apparent. It used the eyes as a medium to terrify a person's mind.

Luo Nan checked his own experiences and realized that he did make some small gains with his fleshly body.

The morning exercise lasted for nearly an hour, only ending at 5:30. Luo Nan washed his face, walked back into the courtyard, and saw Xue Lei sweeping fallen leaves in the middle of the courtyard. Luo Nan rushed to help, but Xue Lei refused.

"Save some energy. We're going to school in a bit, but there aren't any public transport routed there."

"Are we running there? Isn't today a bit late for you?"

The distance from the daoguan to Acumen College was nearly fifty kilometers. Though Luo Nan had ran such distances before, it was nearly six in the morning now. He did not believe that he could make it in time for his morning courses after assessing his level of energy.

"Duuude. Your resolve is really laudable!"

Xue Lei grinned and laughed as he gave Luo Nan a big thumbs-up. But then he shook his head. "I'm the one running there. Right now your body isn't suitable for large amounts of exercise. You can put up with the public bike point over here at Boshan Building…. Oh, Nanster. Your complexion is looking a lot better today.”

Luo Nan felt good himself. The aches of his body had yet to fade away, but his mind was resolute and his spirits were clear with energy. He was completely different from yesterday.

He had a general idea why.

It had already been nearly a month since Luo Nan had achieved the Self-Format of 'My heart’s a prison' and had stopped the consistent process of synthesizing drugs. Since then, he didn't have a feasible cultivation method. Most of the time Luo Nan had been wearily dealing with the endlessly surging growth of his soul strength. This left Luo Nan in an utterly passive position. The few techniques he polished were scattered and sporadic. It was far from systematic.

Today, he had performed real and true movements in Xiu Shenyu's daoguan. He had made steady progress in every detail and every node. Though this might be a basic method, it was a starting point.

Luo Nan was not afraid of hard work. He was just afraid of meaningless hard work.

Compared to the big goal of rectifying and verifying the rights and wrongs of his grandfather's Formatting Theory, the tiny goal marked down by Xiu Shenyu was truly something in reach.

Regardless of whether his goals were now broken down or he was reassuring himself, Luo Nan's mind became infused with energy. Quite a bit of his worries were alleviated.

"Concentrate the gaze to what is attainable, and light shall illuminate the earth. Do not stray, do not lose, to the end."

It was unknown when Xiu Shenyu had walked out, but he stood at the wooden corridor and was looking at the two youngsters. "Time is getting late. Off you two go then."

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Chapter 146: Flexibility Lies in the Eyes (Part 2/2)

Chapter 146: Flexibility Lies in the Eyes (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

"Yes, yes, that's right. I can't make it to the hospital this morning..." Luo Nan rode a bike as he asked Bai Xinyan to take this treatment session off. His breathing was heavy and a cold wind caused him to choke. He coughed a few times.

Bai Xinyan's ears shot up. She had a rough understanding of Luo Nan's current situation. "Early morning exercise, eh? Pay attention to your amount of exercise. Right now your condition is stable, so it's fine to miss a treatment session once in a while…. Oh, right. How did learning the sleeping skill go?"

Luo Nan responded with grunts and groans. He didn't say much.

Bai Xinyan didn't inquire any further. She soon hung up. From her attitude, it seemed like she was determined to carry out the happy-go-lucky treatment until the end.

Luo Nan took deep panting breaths, which formed faint white mist in the cold, crisp morning. It was now 7:20 in the morning. He was still a street away from his destination, Acumen College, but the last of his physical energy had been squeezed clean from these two hours of cycling. Xue Lei was even beating him ahead.

At that moment, Luo Nan’s thighs felt paralyzed, his calves spasming, and his chest and back were drenched in sweat. He lacked even the strength to stand up on the bike.

Xue Lei glanced back at him and slowed down a bit. It was obvious that Xue Lei still had energy in the tank.

Luo Nan was envious of his friend who was like a tireless beast. Xue Lei had ran a distance of fifty kilometers straight up with vitality. He ran the whole way like a long-distance runner, during which he changed his running style several times. He frequently punched out with his fists or kicked out with his legs. He jumped between stories to keep on going forward. The amount of exercise he did and the amount of energy he consumed had to exceed the cycling Luo Nan by a dozen-fold.

Though the two's pace slowed down at the moment, Xue Lei, with his distance ahead, increased the intensity of his movements. Fists and sleeves could be heard tearing through the air right next to him. He was simply dripping with sweat as he subjected himself to crazy training.

If Xue Lei did this every day, Luo Nan could understand why Xue Lei had such astonishing strength. So astonishing that even Zhang Yingying and the other Awakened all praised him highly.

Speaking of which, today, Luo Nan had been roused by Xue Lei's rhythm and had thus brought out a competitive spirit within him…. Luo Nan felt embarrassed being beat by a runner while he was cycling, now that he thought about it.

At last, Xue Lei's morning exercise came to an end. He collected himself, exhaled deeply, and switched to walking with large strides. Perhaps Xue Lei felt Luo Nan's gaze, for he turned to look at Luo Nan. "Nanster, please don't be offended. It's hard for me to talk and split my attention when I train."

Indeed, Xue Lei spoke practically not a word the entire journey. This was rather different from his straightforward and talkative nature.

"It's nothing. Things are quite nice this way." Luo Nan really admired Xue Lei. He spoke emotionally, "When it comes to training, doesn't one have to devote their entire concentration to it?"

Xue Lei didn't immediately respond. He sized up Luo Nan a few times and split his lips into a grin. "The gym master says this often: The opportunity to train and cultivate is number one. If one can't grasp an opportunity, then nothing is worth mentioning!"

Luo Nan was stumped. He really couldn't think of the relevancy of these words. He couldn't help asking, "What sort of meanings are contained in those words?"

"The gym master had said a few things while teaching breathing techniques in previous sessions. I'll give you the rundown."

Then Xue Lei spoke with a swaying and bobbing head, "The human body possesses the breathing of life. Heaven and earth also possess the breathing of life. We, as people, are insignificant. We are short-sighted. We can only see what is in front of us. We concentrate only on our own inhalation and exhalation. The breathing of heaven and earth can only be found in the middle of the long hazy river of time.

"We are unable to see the passage of time. It is difficult for us to harmonize our breathing with the breathing of heaven and earth, but we can be sailors. With our bodies as boats, we can sail on the billowing waves of the river of time. Through fine work, we can capture the dribs and drabs of the directions of the winds and the power of the waters. Ultimately, the breath of heaven and earth can be used to aid the breath of a single person. The true meaning of cultivation is when the speed of the boat prevails over the speed of the waters, regardless of the flow and the waves."

"Of this, the directions of the winds and the power of the waters are opportunities. The accumulation of many sands make a tower. The amassing of trees make a forest. Gathering several small forces make a large force. One by one they answer upon the body and soul. Powerful capabilities. The transformation of vital energy…. Do you understand?"

Xue Lei wasn't quite certain of Luo Nan's comprehension near the end.

Luo Nan grunted. He knew that Xue Lei wanted to let him know a few things. These things were probably focus, perseverance, and so on, but the concrete details weren't clear to him.

Xue Lei smiled. "I didn't understand when I first heard these words. Then the gym master explained them to me. We're all steering boats, traveling the river of time. It is hard for us to avoid being surrounded by perils. In ancient times, the boatmen of rivers had to spend a great deal of energy to avoid being wrecked when encountering dangerous rapids and torrents. They spent a great deal of mental energy exploiting the nature of water. This was essential.

"Training and cultivation may look like it involves only the tempering of one's strength, but in fact, it demands the forging of one's willpower. The mind is what suffers, and regardless of whether it’s normal training or facing a foe in battle, the mind comes before energy, and energy comes before strength. This concerns the importance of consumption and loss. It is logical for them to go down in this descending order."

Luo Nan looked at Xue Lei. He was finally able to confirm something this time.

In this bicycle ride, didn't his physical energy consumption far exceed his mental energy consumption? The bodily functions of his entire body had reached their limits, but his mind was still very lively. From Xue Lei's perspective, was his mental concentration lacking?

Was Xue Lei criticizing him?

This was the most tactful Xue Lei could be with his honest nature. Then, the weary feeling through Luo Nan's body became a bit prickly. Even his panting breaths became hot.

Xue Lei was concerned that he spoke too far. He subconsciously waved his hand, but he himself was a bit nervous. "Nanster, actually I…."

"How should the mind be used for it to be focused? What would be sensible?" asked Luo Nan seriously. He wasn't going to let Xue Lei just say nonsense.

Luo Nan wouldn't be mad at his friend for something as little as this; he just really didn't understand. It was reasonable to say that he had learned and practiced with extreme commitment from last night until now. He didn't let his mind wander, nor did he goof off at all.

Xue Lei let out a breath of relief when he saw that Luo Nan was behaving quite well. He rushed to explain, "Nanster, you really have been diligent, but you’re not quite familiar with the ways within. Your diligence is crude. You need to know that walking, sitting, and lying down are all forms of cultivation. Every single movement must be made diligently and must be made with intent. You're cultivating in the eyes orifice. The eyes are the light of the mind. The eyes must follow the heart. Every single movement of the hands and feet must correspond with your sight..."

Luo Nan looked at his hands and feet. He laughed bitterly, "But I'm cycling, man."

"Everything flourishes, then reverts to their roots. The movements of the hands and feet can all be seen from the dantian, two inches below the navel. These are just small tricks. What is truly hard is to look at yourself, look at your person, without losing a strand, without missing a drop. Look from the outside to in. Return to the roots, and return to destiny. Only then can you know what it means for the heart lantern to shine; what it means for strength to be near-unattainable. Only then can you know where to apply your diligence, and only then can you know true pain and suffering….” Xue Lei coughed. “The gym master forbade me from saying these things until we got to this spot."

The last few words underpinned the whole explanation.

Luo Nan was dazed for a moment. His gaze moved away from Xue Lei's body, and he first looked at his clothes that were nearly drenched clear with sweat. He then raised his head and looked at the pedestrians coming and going on the road.

Most of the pedestrians were students at this place, but they were of all kinds of figures and colors. There were many, and they were jumbled together. Luo Nan's mental clairvoyance gave an approximate calculation of seven to eight hundred people on this road. This skill of his was rare even in an Awakened. A normal person was far inferior to him.

But if he were to go down in detail, look at the movements of their hands and feet, and observe the changing bodies without missing a single wisp…. Focusing on the five or six people coming and going around him was enough to exhaust him both mentally and physically, let alone the entire street.

Of course, there was himself as well…. The requirement was precision and detail. Did he really have to take every flesh, nerve, reaction, and change of his entire body and incorporate them into his cognitive process?

Was this attainable by a human?

Was this the only way for it to count as cultivation?

Luo Nan had a foot down from his bike. He stood there, lost in the stream of people. Within his contemplation, he gained a whole new understanding of what Xiu Shenyu meant when he said, "Prepare for some pain and suffering."

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Chapter 147: Dragon Spits A Pearl (Part 1/2)

Chapter 147: Dragon Spits A Pearl (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan sat on some stone steps with a loose-leaf notebook resting on his knee, placed in a comfortable angle. Behind him was a classical-style auditorium that blocked half of the sun. The warm rays of the sun and the chilly shadow of the building were placed side by side.

He sat right at the border where light and shadow crossed, and he faced a complicated ambient lighting. His half-squinting eyes were focused on the tip of his pen. They moved together in strokes along the paper's surface to create neat characters one after another.

"The breathing of life of heaven and earth is the format of heaven and earth. The breathing of life of the human body is the format of the self. To display effects of the infinitesimal Self-Format with the vast and hazy Heaven and Earth Format requires not only a great match in strength, but a look into the details. Before, I did things too crudely, too stupidly…."

He lifted his head upon writing to this point. His gaze cut across the flow of people outside the large auditorium. It was now time for school society activities. The number one area with the greatest congregation of students was near the large auditorium, near the Nanan River Bank. The ages of the people spanned several years. From tall to short, from big to small, from beautiful to ugly, from male to female, all sorts of people came and went, forming a motion picture.

Ten days ago, Luo Nan would have sketched out a drawing with his observations. He would capture a few interesting people of the here and the now in drawings with typical characteristics.

Three days ago, Luo Nan would have striven to commit everybody who fell in his vision to memory. He would have memorized their facial features, their movements, their clothes, their relationships with each other, and so on. He would have classified them with great detail and precision.

Luo Nan was currently sitting on the steps of the large auditorium. He swept his gaze around and selected ten people out of the several hundred people below him. These ten were at different locations. Some were male. Some were female. They were not necessarily in the same grades or societies. However, in the following half-minute, these same ten people brushed past Luo Nan's side as they climbed up the steps of the auditorium.

These ten people passed the closest to Luo Nan compared to other people. They came in the order he predicted, and he made not a single mistake until the last two. He made an error for the first time because one of them answered a call.

"Not bad…. Eighty percent."

No one else could see it, but Luo Nan was absolutely clear. Every time a person approached him starting from a distance of two meters away, the muscles of his body would tense and relax, and his pores would open and close. He was instantly alert to ensure that he could jump up and react in a single breath every time a person came near him. Although his vigilance and preparation to react at a moment's notice was covert, it used up quite a deal of energy. A thin layer of sweat appeared upon his body by the time these ten people passed him, and his breathing became a bit uneven.

It consumed a lot of physical energy, but it consumed even more mental energy. This 80% success rate wasn't due to luck; it was from observing several hundred people's body language, direction of pace, and location and distance. Luo Nan began from the largest to the smallest, from the outside to the inside, to make his judgments.

This was none other than what Gym Master Xiu meant when he said, "With the self as the master, observe one's self and observe others through illumination." Luo Nan wasn't a video recorder. He wasn't an inanimate object. He was a living person. Every sight captured by his eyes had to correspond to his own body. He had to clarify the key information, and discern this information into different levels of priority. This included prediction, preparation, and reaction.

Therefore, cultivating the eyes orifice was never just about cultivating the eyes. It was using the eye cavity as a guide to meld mental and physical energy, vital energy, and the body into a single furnace. This was a systematic undertaking. This was a marvelous cultivation method involving a single point levering and moving the entire body.

Luo Nan spent nearly a week's worth of time before he could understand it. Then, he used three more days to consolidate his foundation. It could be said that he finally started after the tenth day.

Luo Nan thought about his cultivation progress and couldn't bear to go back in time. Luo Nan was required to maintain high levels of sharpness. It was totally impermissible for him to get distracted or be lost in thought.

In the beginning, he couldn't determine the priority levels of information in an accurate manner. Aside from that, he felt that he wasn't using his eyes meticulously enough. He hated that he couldn't engrave everything within his vision into his mind. It seemed that he wouldn't be able to reach Gym Master Xiu's standard of a 'bitter cultivation' if he didn't do this. At all times, he had to completely concentrate and torment his mind until both his strength of vision and mental capacity were squeezed clean.

Luo Nan's eyeballs felt achy and swollen just recollecting. His reflex was about to make him shed tears, but perhaps he should simply close his eyes, lie down, and take a nap. Napping was one of the greatest pleasures in the world, after all.

Bai Xinyan saw Luo Nan like this and practically canceled all of the Frost River Waterway exercises. According to her, Xiu Shenyu's torture was much more effective in exhausting Luo Nan’s soul strength than anything else. He was simply like a lantern burning through the last bit of oil. Luo Nan might not even make it by the time Doctor Clay, whose schedule was constantly delayed, gets over to Xia City. Luo Nan might even breathe his last.

Luo Nan knew that he was walking a skewed path, but Gym Master Xiu spoke as softly as a feather, "Balance is what's desired. First know the bounds and ends. Then increase or decrease the scale." It was fine for a beginner to be fearless of excessiveness for a time.

All right. Luo Nan will remember to increase or decrease the scale for a lifetime.

Luo Nan flipped through his notebook until he reached the page with the flexible e-ink screen. He opened up a spreadsheet and entered the training results from this instance. Then, he went to his diary page and wrote,

"October 25th. Thousand people training has been completed. Total success rate is 72.2%. Dividing the training into sections, the middle section has a success rate of 55.6% and the end section has a success rate of 19%...."

Luo Nan finished doing some basic data analysis and closed his notebook. The surrounding pedestrians gave him strange looks, but Luo Nan ignored them. He took out a medicine bottle and applied some eye drops to his eyes. After that, he massaged his face.

A slight chill soaked into his eye sockets, and instantly some steam rose through the air. The medicine, which had a moistening function, had permeated inside to fuse with Luo Nan's vital energy.

The liquid medicine was the product of a secret recipe given to him by Gym Master Xiu. Octopus Bro concocted it for him, and it could alleviate the fatigue of the eyes. In any case, it was quite stupid of him to overexert his eyes.

A person's eyes were complicated and refined structures, but in the anatomical sense, one would not be able to find the existence of the eyes orifice no matter where one looked in the eyes.

The so-called eyes orifice were the eyes and their corresponding functions. This orifice interferes mutually with the mental plane to form a special structure. It was between what is real and what is imaginary. Only through this orifice could one attain the result of linking the inside with the outside and shine with spiritual radiance.

It was nearly impossible for a normal person to possess the eyes orifice. Only those who possessed a certain cultivation path, and those who could interfere with the mental and the material planes, could slowly build it. It lay on the same vein as the Shield of Truth.

Luo Nan had experienced the Shield of Truth, but it existed only as a temporary construction. The eyes orifice he was building today was like a permanent facility in comparison.

Luo Nan could somewhat feel it already.

Luo Nan closed his eyes. He could feel a deep pressure acting upon them. The pressure came from the Format Pyramid. It was his power on the mental plane. It was a side-effect against his fleshly body, which was on the material plane.

Other people started with nothing and grew from there when they cultivated. Only Luo Nan was substituting the fake for the real. He was taking the power imprisoned by the format, ‘My heart’s a prison’, and was shifting it to a plane where he could control it.

These days of exploration and experimentation had passed, and Luo Nan felt that 'imprisonment' wasn't a completely accurate description of his situation. It could be said that his soul strength had entered a processing assembly line, because it had to finish a sequence of processes and be turned into a fixed and finished product before it could be taken off the line.

This was why his range of application was so greatly limited…. Chains could be used to bind people, but it was hard to use them for embroidery.

If Luo Nan wanted to take the 'raw materials' that was his soul strength out of there, he would need to break through the barrier that was 'My heart’s a prison'. That was why not even an iota of efficiency remained when he tried to use his soul strength outside the range of 'My heart’s a prison's' applications. It was not efficient at all.

It was because of this that he had such horrible results when he tried to do the soul strength activation exercises in the Simulator layer of the Psychic Wave Network.

But now he was progressing in his cultivation of the eyes orifice. He could take out his soul strength, and it was manageable even if it was intermittent. This sort of technique was like grinding with water, and the material plane constantly conformed to him. It was like when dripping water would eventually cut through stone. Even if everyday he could only siphon out a drop, it will still leave a mark when it smashed down. After days and days of this, a sunken pit could be formed and water could be accumulated to develop further step by step.

What's more was the fact that Luo Nan's situation wasn't as horrible as this.

Luo Nan had just half-built the eyes orifice, and he was like a pond storing water. His soul strength trickled in. All Luo Nan had to do was carefully conserve it, prevent it from evaporating or leaking. After a while, it could turn into a deep pond, a lake, and then, an ocean.

At this step, Luo Nan didn't need Gym Master Xiu to remind him the importance of storing his soul strength. Every day he used seventy percent to temper his eyes orifice and build its structure. Thirty percent was set aside and stored.

When he closed his eyes, his eyes were truly like ball bearings. They spun in his eye sockets, and they seemed cold yet not cold. Hot yet not hot. Warm and chilly. Their wonders were hard to describe.

A mass of light appeared later on. It illuminated the interior of Luo Nan's skull, and was hazy at first, akin to a candle flame on the verge of being extinguished. But Luo Nan was working hard every day, and with every day of training, some of the haziness faded away. There was progress.

There was a name for this: "The sole heart lantern illuminates the nine netherworlds.” Gym Master Xiu said that the eyes orifice was considered a small success when the heart lantern probes down and lights the inner organs brightly.

So far, Luo Nan had already built the platform for the eyes orifice. He had an outline. It was no longer a mirage. It was no longer the ravings of a lunatic.

Because of this, Luo Nan was no longer fond of having his eyes open. Especially when he was alone, he would relax his eyelids and allow his eyeballs to become moist with both warmth and coolness. The glimmer that was the illuminating lantern of his heart felt excellent.

He sat there with his eyes closed, yet not closed. He couldn't see anyone, and he didn't deliberately use his mental senses. Every time a pedestrian passed by him, faintly discernible traces were left upon his body. They were all revealed by the illumination of the heart lantern spreading ahead and extending behind.

The light weaved and crossed, causing Luo Nan to feel like a spider at times. He had this wonderful method of knitting an incorporeal net. Every living being stirred his senses when they passed through his territory, and he responded accordingly.

In comparison, the range of Luo Nan's clairvoyance on the mental plane was larger and was on a more profound level, but it didn't possess a mechanism that allowed him to purely and directly react.

"...Huh?"

Luo Nan suddenly shifted his shoulder, but he was a step too late. Xue Lei had walked up behind him and pressed down with a hand. The sensations of the spider web were instantly shattered…. The insect was too big.

"Eh? Are you using your mental senses?"

"Nope." Luo Nan failed to react in time to Xue Lei’s approach. He was a bit depressed, so he responded to Xue Lei in an unhappy tone.

"Then you saw me coming up to you from behind? The heart lantern of the eyes orifice. Observe the self and observe others through its illumination. It's only been a few days! A beginner needs to meld the mind and thaw the flesh and blood. They typically need a hundred days to build their foundation and tap through to this meridian point…. It took me two months back then!"

Even Xue Lei was a bit envious as he saw Luo Nan's rate of progress.

"It's not finished yet, plus I already have a foundation...."

"Hehe. The gym master said early on that although you have a deep foundation, most of it is assimilated into your external technique, Formatting Theory. Your body is weak as well. Logically speaking, it is easy to say that you have it harder than normal people. Today’s the 25th. It's just been ten days and there are signs already! You're a genius!"

"You're exaggerating. At most I can borrow a bit of power."

Luo Nan had a clear awareness of himself that others found hard to understand. It was quite a coincidence, occurring in this moment. A chain of lightning suddenly cut through the sea of his mind. It flashed and disappeared, but it stirred his thoughts. His heart lantern flickered and lost its stability and smoothness, but it blazed all the brighter.

He frowned. It leaked again.

The grounds of the lake-sea had overflowed a bit. His tiny little pond couldn't store it all.

Before he could finish his thoughts, a loud voice called out from the lower steps, "Nanster, Leister! I'm here!"

Luo Nan didn't need to look to know that it was Xie Junping. He had come to pick them up. Luo Nan dispelled his thoughts for now, stood up, walked down the flight of steps shoulder to shoulder with Xue Lei, and got into the cart.

The electric cart went around the stream of people and sped away.

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Chapter 147: Dragon Spits A Pearl (Part 2/2)

Chapter 147: Dragon Spits A Pearl (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

The electric cart sped around campus.

During this time of day in Acumen College, most students were still racking their heads or pushing their bodies over school society activities. They fought fearfully for those eight school credits a year, so the few students on the electric cart attracted the hate of the others.

What a pity. None of the people sitting in the cart were aware of the other students' feelings. In a sense, they were a group truly isolated from the school.

Xue Lei sat up front next to Xie Junping. They talked about the party they were going to, and this completely unfamiliar social circle made Xue Lei a bit curious and nervous. Xie Junping joked around as he said half-true half-false words and teased Xue Lei.

Luo Nan sat in the back. At first he listened in to Xie Junping and Xue Lei's conversation, but later his thoughts sunk into the heart lantern of his eyes orifice. He observed the flickering flame and the surrounding changes down to the finest detail.

The heart lantern of the eyes orifice illuminated an area in the brain. The results of this cultivation practice was profound and mysterious, but it wasn't the first 'guest' that Luo Nan housed in his skull. There was another object that orbited around the heart lantern.

The external neuron.

This dynamo core was like a dragon serpent wandering in his brain. It spiraled around the lantern, appearing within and disappearing out of sight. It flared with lightning as it drew near like it was baring its fangs and brandishing its claws. It crossed the flame-light of the heart lantern, shifting suddenly between eating its light in and spitting it back out. It seemed that it could swallow the whole thing in a single bite, and it was quite frightening to witness.

It was hard for his heart lantern to remain lit for long in this situation, let alone exist. The sight of it wasn't the only thing that was terrifying. The first time the external neuron got near the heart lantern, the energies of the two reacted to each other. The luminescence of lightning radiating from the external neuron simply put out the flame of the heart lantern, destroying several days of bitter effort in an instant.

Luo Nan had similar cases occur over seven times in a row. He was tormented so much that he began to question life.

But then the lightning cut into the heart lantern during Luo Nan's eighth moment of near-despair. It aided the burning of the lantern with its powerful force, and the radiance illuminated all. This instance caused the quantity to grow by ten times of what he had accumulated with great difficulty.

After this event, the external neuron would always arrive to bombard the heart lantern with its lightning at the end of each of Luo Nan's sessions of cultivating the eyes orifice. Luo Nan would train to observe a thousand people as targets for a day in batches of one hundred people. He cultivated ten times a day, so the lightning dragon appeared ten times as well.

The external neuron was not able to extinguish the heart lantern since then, but sometimes, the tyrannical lightning would disturb and harm the luminescence and stability of the heart lantern. If Luo Nan hadn't strengthened his heart lantern several times, his progress would have likely become unsightly.

Luo Nan’s emotions felt rather complicated toward Xue Lei's admirations because of this. Don't be happy looking at my progress. The results can only be looked at after each and every cultivation session. Each time there was a chance for my progress to collapse completely!

The few days at the daoguan allowed Luo Nan to understand what it meant to walk into flames of madness. The times when his heart lantern was extinguished happened early on. The flame's intensity wasn't strong, so the whiplash was weak and only two extra days of effort were wasted. But if his heart lantern were to be extinguished now, his eye structure and his mental willpower would get damaged. Dreadfully, it might take half a year of special attending to for recovery.

His situation was tantamount to having an unstable ticking time bomb hidden in his brain. And he was the person who had placed this bomb inside….

Luo Nan opened his notebook after a moment of pondering. He wrote with hooded eyes. "The acrobatics of the dragon spitting pearls is getting more and more fluent. I feel like I'm playing with fire."

He thought for a bit and added a 'lightning' behind the 'fire'. Then, he added the word 'ice', and he was done.

He subconsciously sighed after writing these words. The analogy of a bomb wasn't a good analogy. An iceberg is more apt.... It just blocked the space, hiding beneath the surface of the water, waiting for someone to crash into it.

From these few days of cultivating in the eyes orifice, Luo Nan felt that the greatest gain he made was, one, in understanding truly what sort of 'precision' was required for cultivating, and two, using this precision to re-examine his process of implementing Formatting Theory and see whether he had made some mistakes or went on the wrong path.

The answer was naturally a resounding yes.

Disregarding whether or not there were flaws in Formatting Theory, Luo Nan had too many instances of knowing-but-not-really-knowing-why when he cultivated in Formatting Theory. He possessed zealous faith in his grandfather's theory and walked down this path with his heart set on it. Many small links in his path were determined on their own and by their own power, so Xiu Shenyu considered Formatting Theory to be an external power; a power that Luo Nan was trapped and caged by.

And now, Luo Nan was facing a situation with the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. He had spelled a big death upon himself.

The Hollow Depository function of the external neuron was first possible thanks to Elder Mo Lun of the Bloodflame Order. That was when Luo Nan's soul strength just exploded in growth, exacerbating the imbalance of his body and soul. Luo Nan didn't know how to handle it. Luckily, the Wraith Sign had taken the place of the Bloodflame Order's Human-Faced Arachnid and was lying undercover by Mo Lun's side. The Wraith Sign acted as Luo Nan's eyes and ears, and through it Luo Nan observed Mo Lun's techniques on soul attaching and soul sending. Luo Nan took what he learned and created distance between his body and soul. This made it so that his soul and flesh were seemingly merged but not, and it lessened the pressure toward his fleshly body. This method was truly effective, but it had many side effects. Luo Nan was more susceptible to dreaming, being dazed, and being absent-minded.

Luo Nan later discovered that the external neuron possessed the Hollow Depository function. He sent his soul atop of it, and it was like entering an empty world; there was no background psychic noise interference there. Then the Wraith Sign went hunting, and that created a mess of things. Luo Nan relied completely on the external neuron to act as a buffer against the pressure from the rise of his soul strength and to ensure his life.

Since then, Luo Nan continued sending his soul to the external neuron to relieve the pressure to his fleshly body. He gradually became used to the action.

So, to be exact, a long time had passed with Luo Nan's fleshly body and spiritual soul not completely fused. Most of his soul was entrusted upon the external neuron, and though this mysterious object was hidden in his brain, it was not his flesh, blood, or organ. They were a layer apart from one another.

Xiu Shenyu said that his fleshly body was being rejected by the external technique Formatting Theory. The reality of the situation was that there existed a separation and clash between his soul side, which was using the external neuron as a medium, and his fleshly body, which was a natural existence.

This was where the crux of the problem lay... at least in an understandable way.

And this was where Luo Nan found himself in a tight bind.

Luo Nan could control the external neuron and cause it to move to various parts of his brain; he could even chase it out if he wanted. But his weak fleshly body was far from being able to sustain his soul body with its heavy pressure, and his soul was inseparable from the Hollow Depository function.

Plus, eventually he needed to transfer his soul strength out of the 'My heart’s a prison' format for further refinement. This naturally caused a connection to form with the eyes orifice. The eyes orifice became lively and smooth every time he finished a session of tempering this meridian. His body and soul were linked during this time, and what occurred mimicked the mutual attraction between positive and negative charges within rainclouds. The lightning of the external neuron bombarded the heart lantern. This circumstance was inevitable.

So every time Luo Nan finished cultivating, he faced a dangerous trial of walking into the flames of madness. He had failed the first seven times, but he endured the following dozen. He even reaped some gains; it seemed that his cultivation path was feasible.

However, what cultivation required was meticulousness, concentration, and consistency. The worst he had to fear were fluctuations and turmoil. Even if Luo Nan were to reap gains ten more times over, he would still be completely devastated by a single failure.

"The problem is quite life-threatening. What's more life-threatening is the fact that no one is capable of helping…."

Luo Nan didn't open his eyes. He just used his fingertips to streak across the paper edges of the notebook. He flipped the pages of the notebook back and forth…. It acted as a core, but it was a secret that could be easily stripped from him. The existence of the external neuron was something he couldn't tell a soul about. This made it so that Luo Nan could only rely on himself, and he pondered over plans bit by bit.

Six days had passed since the heart lantern was first lit. He had faced and retaliated against the lightning attacks sixty times.

Luo Nan couldn't think of anything else at first. Beside making every effort to strengthen the structure of the eyes orifice, it might be better to slow down his progress to allow his heart lantern's foundation to stabilize. He even referred to Fairchild's Shield of Truth configuration. Based on his half-formed eyes orifice and the mechanism behind the fusion of body and soul, Luo Nan spent a great deal of mental effort in fine-tuning the microstructure of his eyes. This had no benefits besides increasing their sturdiness.

This was a stupid way of doing things, but the results were not that bad, especially the experiences he repeatedly had a dozen times near the end. It was like the steel manufacturing technique of ancient times where metal goes through repeated forgings and hammerings. It made the structure of Luo Nan's eyes orifice stronger and tougher, and the lit heart lantern exuded a sense of smoothness, pureness, and thickness. It was only in this way that the heart lantern was able to withstand fifty-three attacks of lightning and come out undefeated.

But deep worries still remained in Luo Nan's heart.

Luo Nan's worries grew graver and graver the more he pondered deeper and deeper into the phenomenon of lightning striking his heart lantern.

"Nanster, a penny for your thoughts?"

Xie Junping had deliberately raised his voice, and Luo Nan finally heard him. Luo Nan looked forward with half-lidded eyes and a bit of surprise. "What's up?"

Xue Lei reproached Xie Junping at the same time. "Don't disturb him. He might be training."

Xie Junping laughed. "It's quite shaky in the car. How can anyone train? Aren't you scared of walking into the flames of madness?"

Luo Nan was speechless, having been stabbed in the face with the proverbial knife.

Xie Junping stopped looking at the road, turning his head over to laugh. "When other people train, they get more lively the more they train. Like Leister. But look at you! You've had your eyes and brows hanging down these past few days. It doesn't seem like you're awake! With this sort of training method, not a single pretty girl will put up with you, man!"

Luo Nan leaned back in his seat. He tried to relax his body, but his eyes still squinted. "Yesterday you said we're just meeting up with some of your friends. To better handle the matter with Gear."

"Of course, of course, that's what I said." Xie Junping donned a face of innocence. "But didn't I tell you? In the Mystic Arts Research Society, Vice-President Tang Yi is most likely going to be top dog there now that Sissy Du resigned and ran away. Tang Yi is also known as the Blood Peony. She got her nickname from the power of her looks. If you're not a handsome dude who's at least an eight out of ten, you're not allowed to come near her. Even then, most who come near get trampled to the ground…. Right now you're relying on your young face; there's barely enough delicateness and cuteness mixed inside, but it's there. If you don't liven up, the road ahead will be treacherous!"

Luo Nan let out a long sigh and simply closed his eyes completely. He didn't want to talk. But then, the burning heart lantern in his brain lost the smoothness in its luminous flame. Clearly, the strengthening from the last lightning strike, which was the sixtieth, had stuffed the heart lantern too full.

Pressure was inevitably formed toward the incomplete structure of the eyes orifice…. Resolving this situation took priority.

Luo Nan was accustomed to this as well. He didn't open his eyes, but his fingertips moved to flip the pages of the notebook. He flipped near the end and found a smooth piece of paper wedged between the pages. The paper was flimsy and a bit rough, but it had considerable value. This was a paper talisman that Mr. Gao personally made for Luo Nan, and it was quite an extravagance to be used for practicing.

Luo Nan rubbed the paper against his hand as he recalled the techniques taught to him by Papercut. Luo Nan's fingertips moved as he made a simple fold on the paper talisman and grasped it in his palm.

His eyes saw nothing. There was only the concentration of his heart lantern.

The flame-light suddenly flared then darkened within the shrine that was his brain. In this instant, it was as if an incorporeal flame burned the hand that grasped the paper talisman. The sensation of a hot pain stabbed into Luo Nan, causing him to spread his fingers open by instinct, and seemingly some ashes came flowing out between his fingers.

After that came a feeling of impact that was very real. Luo Nan's five fingers came together again, and only then did Luo Nan open his eyes to look.

There was no paper talisman this time. All Luo Nan saw was a complete four-limbed entity, a paper man with blurry features. It was the size of his palm, and it had bumped into his thumb to lie paralyzed within his hand. The open electric cart allowed a cool breeze to come in, causing the paper man to shake its hands and feet. It had no reactions other than this.

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Chapter 148: New Financial Backer (Part 1/2)

Chapter 148: New Financial Backer (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

"My luck's decent."

Luo Nan looked over the paper man a few times, then he flipped to the back of his notebook and wedged the paper man between a couple of blank pages.

Luo Nan had flipped past three similar cases in his notebook. With the addition of this one, there was now a total of four paper men hidden within the notebook. Some were a bit bigger. Some were a bit smaller. But they were all of the same material.

These paper men were made when Luo Nan's eye orifice overflowed. Luo Nan diverted the pressure to them to prevent an overload. Lightning had bombarded the heart lantern sixty times. Subtracting the first seven times when the lantern was extinguished, and considering the damage, Luo Nan had to divert the pressure a total of twenty-five times to restore basic equilibrium. However, only four paper men were completed successfully, leaving a success rate of only 16%. It was pitifully low.

Although the result was this bad, Luo Nan still had to record it.

Luo Nan opened his flexible e-ink screen and recorded the data. Basically, the paper men were Luo Nan's homework for the week; he was going to turn them in to Papercut later to look over. He felt that these paper men were rather different than the articles he created in the beginning.

At the very least, the way he 'cut' them out was quite cool.

Luo Nan put away his pen and blew away what ash remained sticking to his fingers. He blinked his eyes and felt that his eye sockets were a bit dry. He closed his eyes again to observe himself internally and saw that the luminescence of the heart lantern was rather weak. It was weaker than before it had received the strengthening from the external neuron.

Luo Nan wasn't surprised by this. He was still a novice when it came to activating his soul strength. He was far from being precise when applying it, and this time he had obviously pushed himself too hard and used too much of it. Luo Nan didn't rush to recover what he had lost, for doing so would require him to transport his soul strength from the 'My heart’s a prison' format. One mistake and the external neuron would come roaring. It truly wasn't worth it.

He allowed the vital energy of his body to naturally replenish and nourish. Although this took a long time, the process was stable and could be said to be flexible.

Sitting in front, Xie Junping was in full spirits since mentioning the Blood Peony, the matter with Gear. "Tang Yi is such a powerful woman. Either we need an even more powerful person to subdue her, or we need to make sure that our meeting goes well…. Nanster, this is a good thing! We know she's a beauty based on her nickname. Today's the 25th. The price competition for Gear is the Monday after, the 30th. Time is of the essence and the mission is a tough one. We can't tarry any longer!"

Luo Nan kicked the seat in front of him to give Xie Junping a warning. Then he switched to a normal topic. "Is there any information on the starting bids for the two sides?"

"Right now we don't have anything definite. Only rumors."

Xie Junping shrugged. "Sissy Du sure has it tough. By breaking the door as he storms from his figurative home, he's burned quite a few bridges in the small network he has in the Mystic Arts Research Society. He just mentioned a little something about the financial backer behind the Mystic Arts Research Society, implying that the financial backer wants to work with the Construction Society."

"Working with them? That can't be."

Luo Nan was rather surprised. Wasn't the Order of Justice the ones behind the Mystic Arts Research Society? The Rainbow Fund was behind the Construction Society, which was the same as Quantum Corporation. What did it mean for these two organizations to work together?

"Don't things change quickly in capitalism? In any case, I heard the main thing is that there is a different main financial backer for the Mystic Arts Research Society in this bidding war. Before, it was a religious organization. Now, it's a research fund. It's quite famous. I mean, it's famous in our circle. The LCRF…."

"The Life Cycle Research Fund?"

"Oh, you've heard of them before?" Xie Junping was quite surprised. He turned to look at Luo Nan. "I thought you don't pay attention to such things."

"I heard of them recently. Two days ago."

Most of Luo Nan's energy was focused on the heart lantern of the eyes orifice these past ten days. However, Luo Nan still continued with the training courses that the Society had arranged for him. A few of the courses were put on the back burner due to his interference ability issue, except for the practical courses from Crag Burst and Red Fox. He was mostly involved in the Soul Strength Activation Techniques course, and he persisted in learning its theories. Once in a while he would perform experiments and make adjustments. If he didn't do all of this, the small paper men in his notebook would have never existed.

Luo Nan reacted with lightning speed when Xie Junping talked about the Life Cycle Research Fund. This was because He Yueyin's "Ins and Outs of the Psychic Wave Network's World Order" and Bamboo Pole's "Notes on the Major Characters of the World" both mentioned this institution.

On the surface, this organization was established by several of the top rich. The main investment direction was the classic direction for extending human life expectancy. This was the most important investment fund in the field of biology, and they were major investors of several important biological laboratories.

But there should be inseparably close relationships between the fund, the government, and the military. It was practically an open secret. The fund also should be working with the various powers of the inner world. Many important projects were there, and that included the Frost River Waterway Luo Nan was ever so familiar with.

It was quite strange!

Luo Nan leaned back against his seat and stared blankly at the sky. "The Life Fund, Quantum Corporation, and the Order from before…. They're all interested in Gear. Why?"

He spoke aloud to himself and wasn't expecting an answer, so he never thought Xie Junping would catch up to his train of thought in an instant. "Sissy Du said that the structure of Gear is very suitable for performing mystical rituals. The Order Club that used to own Gear is also known as the Ritual Club. The fraternities and sororities of Acumen College often come here to hold ceremonies and rituals. They even do drugs, party, and the like. It's said that the effects there are stronger than doing these things on the outside…."

Xie Junping just spoke without thinking, but when he turned around to look at Luo Nan, he saw that Luo Nan was frowning. Xie Junping instantly shut up, but he couldn't hold it in for too long.

"Even I feel a certain something while I’m there. I feel especially comfortable over there. I think faster, and I become keener and more alert. Plus, sometimes I don't need to open my eyes, and I can see stuff…. I can see things completely! Nanster, what do you think? Am I unlocking some supernatural powers?"

Luo Nan was dumbfounded and speechless. He didn't know what to say.

Xie Junping became spirited. "I didn't feel it before, but I've been dealing with Sissy Du for the past few days. He's really an interesting fellow. He has a lot of stuff hidden inside him, and the information I got from him was quite random but interesting. Right, are you two free on Sunday? Sissy Du says that there's some Starry Sky Meet. They regularly hold them every Sunday at the Mystic Arts Saloon. Several people with powers attend them. It's very interesting. Shall we go check it out?"

"Uh, I don't understand a thing about the mystic arts..." Xue Lei responded awkwardly.

His worldview had broadened as he gained deeper and deeper understandings of the inner world. He was considering joining the Wilderness Explorers Society. How could he go to a place called the Mystic Arts Saloon? It sounded super sketchy.

"Nanster?"

"I've already made plans for Sunday. I need to send something off to be repaired." Luo Nan declined Xie Junping's invitation as well. It was the truth; he really needed to go to the service center.

Xie Junping was a bit disappointed. "Then forget it. I just wanted you all to get some new perspectives on things….” He sighed. “Oh, well."

Xue Lei turned to look at Luo Nan. The meaning in his eyes was likely, "Does this brother know anything?"

Luo Nan gave a slight shake of his head. Xie Junping knew that Luo Nan possessed some supernatural powers and rather revered him for it. Xie Junping was also a bit curious, and he constantly prodded Luo Nan with caution, but Luo Nan never took the initiative to talk about himself. After all, there were differences in their circles, and it was hard to explain some things without Xie Junping personally experiencing them. It would just make a mess of his emotions.

But, on the other hand, Xie Junping was in his Format Pyramid. Xie Junping was one of Luo Nan's believers. Even though Xie Junping was on the lowest apprentice level, the strict rules of the Format Pyramid weren’t likely influencing him.

Luo Nan thought of his own sufferings and felt that he should carefully examine this situation when he gets the chance. To make sure his friend wasn't suffering from any negative impacts.

It wasn't a good time right then to theorize about such matters. Luo Nan's thoughts took a turn and he thought of something else. He faced Xue Lei and asked, "Did you bring it over?"

The topic was changed far too quickly. Xue Lei was unable to react for a time. "What?"

"The mechanical device inside the tai chi ball. It needs to be fixed!" Luo Nan was a bit fed up. "I told you two days ago. Bamboo Pole introduced me to an amazing repairer...."

"Oh, I brought it, I brought it." Xue Lei tapped his skull and reached a hand in his pocket. He rummaged around and grasped nothing. This blockhead could only awkwardly laugh. "I stuffed it in my locker this morning and forgot to take it out. I can get it now if you want?"

"Forget it. It's okay to give it to me tomorrow."

Though Xie Junping didn't know what those two were talking about, he still glanced all around and said, "Aren't the locker rooms in the South 2 Area? We're in the South 1 Area. It's not far. We might as well stop by. It's better to exchange it now, just in case you forget tomorrow. Your memory hasn't been good these days."

"That's fine."

Luo Nan and Xue Lei concurred, but Luo Nan paused. Xie Junping mentioned something strange just now. "What did you say about my memory?"

Xie Junping turned the cart as he shouted, "I said it long ago. The disciples of Gym Master Xiu are skilled and amazing. Bring me there so I can pay respects to him and learn some skills.... You two forgot all about it."

Luo Nan and Xue Lei glanced at each other, having been reproached. They were both a bit embarrassed. It wasn't that they forgot. The truth was, Xue Lei had mentioned it to Xiu Shenyu, but Xiu Shenyu refused. There was no leeway for discussion. Xiu Shenyu's straightforward attitude made Luo Nan feel pride to have been accepted under his tutelage…. Yep, he really did feel that way.

Why did Gym Master Xiu agree so easily to teach Luo Nan?

The two ability users stammered responses as the electric cart parked outside the locker rooms. Xue Lei hurriedly got off the cart to get the object.

Luo Nan and Xie Junping chatted, speaking one minute and being quiet the next. They were unable to go away from the topic of Gear. Halfway through their conversation, Luo Nan subconsciously opened his flexible e-ink screen. He used his status as a member of the Society to retrieve the architectural drawings and other data from the Internet. He looked at the creative design of the large and small gears biting into each other. The building possessed a powerful and rigorous unique beauty.

Luo Nan really cared about this building.

Luo Nan could understand if it was just the Rainbow Fund; after all, Yan Yongbo was their leader. That guy certainly wanted to seize back the laboratory to wash the accusations from his old man whose fame was built on theft.

However, whether it was the Life Cycle Research Fund or the Order of Justice, they all displayed some interest toward Gear.

Was it because of the effectiveness of 'mystic rituals' over there?

Luo Nan traced up the logical chain. What was his mother's objective when she designed and built Gear? Was it as the data said? That Gear was her graduation work of pure art? Was it really that simple?

Luo Nan looked at the image of a free-spirited girl in the data records and went into a daze. He was spellbound.

This lasted until Xie Junping made a coy snap of his fingers. He raised his voice and said, "Hey, beautiful. This must be a fated encounter. Would you like a ride?"

Luo Nan raised his head and saw someone walk out from the locker rooms. It wasn't Xue Lei, but a woman with beauty far above the average, just as Xie Junping said.

Hmm. She looked familiar.

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Chapter 148: New Financial Backer (Part 2/2)

Chapter 148: New Financial Backer (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Having heard Xie Junping's playboy voice, the girl who just walked out raised her head. Her gaze was rather calm. She even revealed a subtle smile.

"Head Xie, hello."

Her simple greeting destroyed Xie Junping's attempt to hit on her.

By now, Luo Nan had ascertained the identity of this person. "Senior Sister Tian?"

The girl turned to look at them, and only then did astonishment show on her face. "Junior Nan? Is your health getting better?"

This calm and collected girl was none other than Tian Si. Half a month ago, a social activity occurred with her and Third Brother Mo Qiu of the Mo Family getting together. This was also the reason why Luo Nan and the others had gone to Frost River Reality and experienced that enormous incident….

Luo Nan didn't blame her or his cousin. He was just a bit lamentful. Mo Qiu and Tian Si seemed like they’re getting along quite well, but he didn't hear much news about them after the incident. It was a few days after Luo Nan was admitted to the hospital that Tian Si dragged her unwilling younger cousin to visit him specifically. Her etiquette wasn't lacking, and Luo Nan had a good impression of her.

This was quite unfortunate from the perspective of the Mo family members.

Today, Tian Si wore a slim-fit turtleneck sweater and paired it with a velvet mini skirt. Her clothes complemented her small face well, and they made her petite figure appear long and slender. This made her seem all the more gentle, refined, and beautiful. No wonder Xie Junping was hitting on her.

In any case, the two both had office positions in the student organizations. They were familiar with forming relationships, and they far exceeded Luo Nan in this field.

"You're the head of a department. I'm the head of a department. What a coincidence."

Xie Junping still had an expression that was beaming with smiles as he jumped off the cart. He extended his hand and acted like a chauffeur. "I've always hoped to drive a cart and spur the horse for Head Tian. Today the heavens have given me this chance…. Don't decline, I know where you're going. Cloud City Water Village, right? Head Tian is attending the party as well. Fate has brought us together! Don't you think so, Nanster?"

Nanster had also gotten off the cart. He gave him a glare.

Xie Junping was still a bit scared of him. He instinctively flinched back.

Tian Si responded with a faint giggle. "I'm just there to pad out the numbers. There's no need to look at me so highly, Young Master Xie. Right, Junior Nan. I heard Tian Qi say that quite a few people have mentioned you within the Mystic Arts Research Society. Your name is becoming more and more famous."

She maintained a smile from beginning to end, as if she was talking about trivial matters, but there were some subtle meanings hidden within her words.

Luo Nan and Xie Junping were both startled, but in that moment, Xue Lei just so happened to rush out from the locker rooms. Xue Lei saw the three talking and slowed his pace.

Tian Si and Xue Lei didn't meet each other that night at Frost River Reality, but she was able to infer that the three boys had come as a group. She immediately took a step back. "Young Master Xie, Junior Nan, you all go first. I already have plans to go with some other people."

"That can't be right?" Xie Junping was completely in a picking-up-mode. He completely forgot Luo Nan's wordless warning. He acted completely surprised, like a thunderbolt had come out of the blue. "Plans? With a lady friend?"

Tian Si thought for a bit and pursed her lips to a smile. "Yep, a lady friend."

Xie Junping was unable to find a good response, and it was inappropriate of him to nag further. He could only sigh and lament in a farewell, and he drove the electric cart off into the distance. As he turned the corner, he glanced backward and chuckled mischievously.

"She's quite hard to deal with."

Luo Nan grunted in agreement. A mature and strong soul lived within Tian Si's petite body. Xie Junping's foresight was not wrong.

But this dude couldn't keep his composure. He instantly sighed and said, "I've been at the school for so many years, and Chen Weican has never been able to gain her hand. I wonder who will be able to this time at the party."

Luo Nan gave the seat in front of him a light kick. "Concentrate on driving."

Xue Lei snorted. "Chen Weican…."

His relationship with Chen Xiaolin was ruined because of his attitude towards Chen Weican back at the Limestone Water Village Pub. It was natural for Xue Lei to have a completely bad impression of this vice president of the student council. Xue Lei was particularly affected when their cart sped past Limestone Water Village Pub. He looked up at the building only to be haunted by memories. His mood turned much worse.

Luckily, this wasn't the address of the party.

Cloud City Water Village possessed many locations. There were several similar buildings where large congregations could be held.

The Pingjiang District was full of buildings that were generally low. The building complex that was Cloud City Water Village was the most prominent among them. It was also the most eye-catching one.

The main building complex was still around fifty kilometers away from Acumen College, but its derivative building areas were already built along campus borders. Business was flourishing, and it attracted countless students and teachers of the school. This was a place of amusement and consumption; a place to enjoy oneself. This was why this place was known as the large activity area of Acumen College.

In fact, Cloud City Water Village used similar methods to be situated next to the colleges and universities for their two main locations. Their buildings were in tremendous locations, because they were near the top businesses, universities, and private high schools of Xia City.

The members of this party all came from the five schools covered by Cloud City Water Village. A total of five hundred people convened together. This was quite the scale, and the party was a formal one. Before going to the venue, Luo Nan and the others had to dress in accordance to the party's requirements!

"Aren't there enough annoyances? There's also this damned thing as well?" Luo Nan was shaking as he wore the white gown that was clearly a size too large. He was in a luxurious suite that Rich Xie had booked. His expression was one of bafflement.

"Working clothes, man. Those who want to dress as doctors dress as doctors. Those who want to dress as mad scientists dress up as mad scientists. Oh, I even prepared sterile gloves. Do you want to put them on?” Xie Junping dangled the gloves before Luo Nan's eyes. He was grinning from ear to ear.

Luo Nan swatted his hand away in frustration and asked, "What kind of party is this? So gaudy!"

"Hey, I sent you the invitation e-mail. You didn't look?"

"...."

Luo Nan was left speechless. He had fully focused on cultivating the eyes orifice for the past few days, and the free time he did have was crammed with the trainings from the Society. He didn't have the mental energy to attend to other matters. The party was entirely arranged by Xie Junping. The e-mail invitation in his inbox was still unread.

Xie Junping laughed and said, "Then better start cramming before the battle. The invitation was written very clearly.... If you don't read it and end up embarrassing yourself, don't blame me."

Luo Nan rolled his eyes, but he opened the invitation letter using his wristband. Indeed, the letter was written very clearly. The party was a role-playing party. Every participant had to dress up as a social occupation. It was preferable for the participant to dress up as an occupation related to their field of study, their specialties, and so on.

There were thousands of occupations in society, but people had to dress up in occupations with distinguishing characteristics. This narrowed the options down quite a bit, and there were bound to be repeats.

The theme of today's party was 'kinship'. The invitation letter explained that those who played roles of the same profession would interact with each other. The wording on the interaction was mysterious. It wasn't quite explicit.

Luo Nan scratched his head while reading the letter. He had been a homebody for many years. He feared this sort of excitement the most, so he felt uncomfortable about the whole thing. Plus, what sort of bad taste does Xie Junping have, having him dress as a doctor/mad scientist?

Xue Lei relaxed at this time. He bellowed with laughter. "Luckily I looked at the letter a long time ago. I don't need to make any special preparations."

He was playing the role of a martial artist. This was truly a display of his inherent character. He was wearing the clothes of the Divine Yu Gym that he wore every day anyway. There was practically no change. It could be said that he was advertising for the daoguan. Habits were formed through long years and many days. Even if the daoguan wasn't recruiting new students, he didn't choose to wear a different set of clothes. He worried the least about the role-playing theme out of all of them.

As for Xie Junping, he was the 'most normal'. He wore an overly outlandish formal suit. His clothes were sewn with a layer of sequins, making him rather eye-catching.

Luo Nan was both surprised and unconvinced. "Why can you wear a suit?"

"This is also a role too! What do you think? We're dressed true to our basic characters! I am the romantic young master, living a life of pleasure!"

Xie Junping was all laughs and giggles as he pushed Luo Nan and Xue Lei out the suite. Together, they left for the venue. Luo Nan was shaking the white gown, feeling awkward no matter what he did. Then a certain someone took out a pair of gloves and dangled them before his eyes.

"Physician Luo. You really don't need this?"

"Call me Doctor Luo."

Luo Nan snapped back, but he seized the gloves at lightning speed and stuffed them in his pockets. He couldn't hold back from laughing. It had been quite a while since he was in such a relaxed mood.

They were currently in the Ocean Sky Cloud City Building. This was the fourth building among the six ring distributed secondary buildings. The first three buildings contained 'Water Village' in their names. Starting from Ocean Sky Cloud City, the rest of the buildings contained the words 'Cloud City' in their name. The heights of these buildings went up in ascending order, and so did the prices of their services.

They walked the path that led to the party's venue. Xue Lei winced at the luxurious and refined displays the along the road. The instant they entered the main venue, a crisp, cold, and gorgeous deep blue light was blasted into their faces. Xue Lei exclaimed,

"My god, is this the Crystal Palace?"

The first impression people got from the main venue was a field of rippling water. A huge amount of ocean water was sealed by translucent crystal walls. Under the illumination of light, the realism of the ocean was unveiled in an ideal and near-perfect manner.

Actually, if only this sight was considered, any modern ocean parks would showcase something similar. The world of the ocean's floor could even be seen. This wasn't that rare. But all one needed was to think and he would realize that this scene was located in an eight hundred meter tall skyscraper. There was ocean water from top to bottom. The entire thing was linked and was stored between walls. The ocean water flowed within the pillar….

Tons and tons of ocean water was displayed in this willful and structured way. Of course, there swimmed also millions of marine life, from the tiny scallops to the enormous blue whales, all living inside. Altogether, they formed a complete yet twisted food chain.

The participants of the party mingled around the main ocean display. They were atop the circular viewing platform. Several hundred people was a sizable number, but they were negligible when compared to the enormous crystal pillar that was one hundred twenty meters in diameter and as high as the building itself.

To be able to erect this water tank in this broken world, and to inject it full of water and maintain the highest level of safety and protection…. It could only be said that the success of this project was a top contender for being one of the greatest achievements in applied physics.

The Cloud City Water Village building complex was only completed in its entirety four years ago. Ocean Sky Cloud City was the last building to be made, taking longer than the main building by about a year. One could see just how difficult it was to construct.

Luo Nan had come here twice before with his aunt's family. This wasn't the first time he saw this scene, so the emotions that were stirred within him were a bit weak. However, he could never tire of the beautiful scene of the ocean life inside.

The three of them didn't utter a word for a while. The silence lasted until someone called out to them.

"Brother Ping. You didn't come early." Hu Huaying, who was in charge of advanced arrangements, got here way earlier. He seemed to come out of nowhere.

Today's party was a show of friendship jointly arranged by the student councils of five different schools. The schools were only slotted for a hundred guests each. It was a relatively high-end party.

Xie Junping was a member of the student council. He was naturally qualified to attend. On the other hand, it was quite hard to get slots for Luo Nan and Xue Lei. In the end, Hu Huaying yielded his invitation for a plus one. Four dudes came together to a party where the mainstream trend showed that men came paired with women. It was unavoidable for them to be a bit conspicuous.

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Chapter 149: Strangeness in the Ocean (Part 1/2)

Chapter 149: Strangeness in the Ocean (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Compared to Xie Junping, who completely did not expend effort into role-playing with sincerity, Hu Huaying at least put on a performance. He wore western cowboy clothes and a cowboy hat that sat tilted on his head. Under careful examination, the hat was made out of paper. It was both funny and casual.

Hu Huaying saw how everyone focused their gazes atop his head, and he shook his head rather proudly. "Quite decent, right?"

Luo Nan's hate had yet to fade away. He sneered. "It's way better than some moneyboy."

There were only so many people who were dressed up. One look and anyone could tell who was the moneyboy.

Xie Junping gaped with his mouth, but no words came out. He could only spread his hands in helplessness. Hu Huaying held back from laughing as he slightly tipped the brim of his hat and bowed in thanks.

The ascertained Mr. Moneyboy spoke unhappily, "Let's not talk about trivial matters. Have you confirmed it Hu Huaying?"

Hu Huaying responded, "The Blood Peony will attend for sure."

"What occupation is she dressing up as?"

"Who knows? Just look at her height and we can find her. A tall, beautiful girl of one hundred eighty-five centimeters. She stands out like a crane in a flock of chicken."

As the two officers of the student council discussed the details, Xue Lei turned to ask someone more trustworthy. "Nanster?"

Luo Nan shook his head slightly. He faced the crystal pillar in the center and became a bit spellbound.

When it came to finding people, Luo Nan was an expert among experts. He had scanned three floors above and below with a slight release of his mental senses. However, he didn't find anybody who fit Hu Huaying's description.

Instead, he felt a clear sense of stagnation when his soul strength cut through the crystal pillar. He tried seven different frequencies before he was able to find a precise way to send his psychic waves into the sealed up ocean water.

He found nothing strange besides the fact he had to change frequencies.

Luo Nan first cursed at himself for being stupid. It was impossible for the Blood Peony to hide in the ocean water, in any event. Why did he do something so meaningless?

But his thoughts continued to churn, and he suddenly realized something. This crystal wall could isolate a good portion of psychic wave transmission. The material... no, traces of mutual interference between mental and material planes existed upon it. It was like the crystal wall had been 'blessed'!

Blessed?

Luo Nan looked up. He was unable to see all the way to the top edge of the crystal pillar. Then he looked down. He was unable to see the bottom. A blessing was performed on this much volume?

His chain of logic was shattered just like this.

Xie Junping grumbled to himself to the side. "She's probably not even here yet. Let's wait some more. We can't be too obvious about it. We have to make it seem natural. She's a hard person to deal with."

Hu Huaying said, "It truly is strange. Tang Yi is graduating next year, but it seems like he isn't pursuing further studies. Something about meeting the position of president…. No one can tell what he's thinking."

"A great number of people is certainly needed to be able to guess what he's thinking."

Xie Junping tidied up his sequined suit and sighed. "If we can't find her, then we can't find her. It may not be reasonable to deal with her directly. We should accomplish our objective in a roundabout manner. Let's first get to know the host and use him as a middleman."

Xue Lei was still confused. "Who's the host? Isn’t this a joint activity among five schools?"

"Someone always provides the venue. The Yao Family is a major shareholder of Ocean Sky Cloud City. Their fourth young master, Yao Feng, attends Cloud City School of Business. The reservation for the three stories was done by his hand.”

After explaining this much, Xie Junping grinned and said, "The Yao Family were in the shipping industry back then. They did maritime transportation. They've done some dark business, but Yao Feng has a decent character. What's even more impressive is the fact that his family seems to be old friends with Tang Yi's family."

"They both have stakes in the same equity," corrected Hu Huaying.

"Humph. There're even rumors of his grandfather having a mistress…. In any case, there’s some friendship between them."

Xie Junping's voice quieted to a whisper. He was about to say something a bit taboo, and his gaze even shifted to a corner. "In my opinion, the key to today's mission lies upon Leister's body."

Xue Lei blinked, and he extended a finger to his own nose. "Me?"

"Yes, you!" Xie Junping reached out with a hand to clamp on Xue Lei's thick shoulder. He briefed Xue Lei directly, "Yao Feng is a fanatical fight enthusiast. Of course, he has high standards but has little ability. The results will certainly be great if you chat with him in this field."

Hu Huaying added, "And several people say that Tang Yi is an expert fighter."

Xie Junping finished it up, "So today we will begin with martial arts. Leister, it's all up to you."

"Is it fine like this? Don’t we need to plan some more...?"

Xue Lei far exceeded Luo Nan in being cheerful, but there was not much difference between these two brothers when it came to handling people. Xue Lei thought of the burden he now had and felt a trace of apprehension.

Xie Junping never expected this tall and strong brother to want to turn tail and run. He felt annoyed for not having his expectations met. "The heck are you getting nervous for. This is a social party! Things are very simple when it comes to students! This party is just an excuse to loosen up and have fun. The venue, alcohol, beautiful girls, handsome dudes, and a few unspeakable things…. Are you scared that Tang Yi will fall for you? Who cares! Did you train to be a kid or a man?"

"You're the one who's the kid!" Xue Lei raised his voice, but then his voice died down. "Do you play around this crazily all the time?"

"Every party has its own benefits. The more you take part in this sort of activities, the more you know where you are on the social ladder. You know who you can work with in the future, you know who you can use, you know who you can betray, and you know who you need to stay far, far away from…."

Xie Junping played around, speaking in a whisper. He saw Xue Lei's expression and spat out some saliva in laugher. "You really believed me, man! We're just students. Students! I'm just playing around. If we don't get along, then we'll get down to it. If we do get along well, then we'll get down even harder. Just make some friends and everything is good. In any case, we're just speculating right now. You might not even need to see Tang Yi. We're just giving her face. Okay, let's go go go!"

Xie Junping dragged Xue Lei and their group went around the viewing platform. They made a few turns and arrived at an open-style bar in the corner. There was a circular sofa here, but there were no lights. There was only the deep blue illumination spilling out from the world's first water tank pillar.

Seven people sat on the sofa. Four males and three females.

"Found the host," whispered Xie Junping. He then walked forward with large strides until he reached the outside of the circular sofa. He smacked his palm on the back of the sofa, scaring the person closest to him. The person turned their head to look and responded with a playful curse. Thus began a conversation.

Since the lighting was dim and Luo Nan was refraining from cultivating in the eyes orifice, Luo Nan naturally used his mental senses to better distinguish the scene. Soon he sensed that the three males out of the seven people, not including Yao Feng who was chatting with Xie Junping, were quite conspicuous.

Two of them were younger out of the three; they were in their twenties. Then there was one who was a bit older, around his thirties. Their ages were beyond the scope of this party.

Xie Junping began introducing his friends, "Yep, we're best buds and we came here together for some fun. Xue Lei is a young martial artist. He's first-rate. You know the event at Frost River Reality, right? Leister was one of the last few people to be evacuated from Fudong Main Street.

"Luo Nan was also one of the last few people to be evacuated. He is an extremely outstanding psychological expert. He also saved my life…."

Luo Nan's mood became complex as he heard this. It was rare for Xie Junping to use such wordings to brag about him and Xue Lei, but what the heck did he mean by him being a psychological expert?

Yao Feng also pondered things in his mind. Xie Junping used to always have a sexy companion by his side. What was with the sudden change in character? Xie Junping still possessed the same enthusiastic attitude, though. He took the initiative to stick wristbands together and exchange contact information.

Then Yao Feng turned around to prepare introducing the people on his side.

Suddenly, someone spoke up, "Frost River Reality? Why, that's interesting. My sister's been stingy about that mess. No one's told me anything clear about it. Why don't you guys tell me what happened?"

The person who spoke was one of the three males that Luo Nan had paid attention to. He sat the farthest inside, and he wore a military uniform. It was true that a soldier was an occupation, but it was hard to avoid suspicion for illegal doings for an ordinary person who was wearing it.

The person was sprawled lazily. His arms hung down from the back of the sofa, and he took up a great deal of space. He had a sloppy appearance.

Xie Junping was displeased when he heard his tone of voice. It was his moment to display his attitude to everyone else. When did it become this guy's turn to be in the spotlight? Xie Junping felt the arrogance in the man's words, and his heart burned with fury, but then Hu Huaying gave him a light jab in the ribs as a reminder.

Yao Feng did something as well. He used the dim lighting of the bar to give him a subtle, but fierce glare.

Xie Junping didn't drink alcohol nor take drugs. His brain was still very sober. Some thoughts flashed in his mind, and he swallowed the words back down his throat.

Yao Feng seized this moment of silence. "Come come come. Let's first get to know each other. I'll introduce you guys..."

"He Donglou."

The military man raised his hand as if he were answering a roll call. He sounded quite cheerful. "Complete outsiders have come to butt in."

Xie Junping's mind spun in a circle. He really didn't expect the military man to act like someone from a xianxia novel. However, this person didn't appear to be very deep. The approximate nature of the man's temperament could be easily guessed.

Silk-pants. Big silk-pants!

Probably because like repels like, Xie Junping found this guy unpleasing to the eye no matter how he looked at him.

Hu Huaying gathered over and reminded him, "Space He!"

It was just two syllables, but the meaning behind them was terrifying. Xie Junping shouted inwardly, Oh crap, to himself. This was the first time he admitted defeat. He was also scared of Luo Nan’s and Xie Junping's reactions, so he quickly used his skills as an actor. He laughed as he said,

"Outsiders? There are no outsiders here. We know each other from here on out. My last name is Xie. I'm Xie Junping, a bored person of leisure."

His hand streaked over Luo Nan and Xue Lei, and stopped while pointing at Hu Huaying. "I've already introduced these two, but I still have one more best bud. Hu Huaying the Third. He's the owner of a great deal of farmland. I feel that the amount of land his family owns will one day extend into the Wilderness."

Xie Junping wanted to blur the focus away from Frost River Reality. Yao Feng was very cooperative in this. He beamed. "The Third's family raises cows. My family raises fish. Our family has always had friendly relations with each other."

Hu Huaying raised his paper hat in greeting.

In the innermost area of the circular sofa, He Donglou laughed merrily, "It really is quite the coincidence. We can be paired up. We also have a martial artist here, and a chauffeur…. Huh? Do doctors and pilots fit together?"

The jump in this brother's train of thought was too sudden. The group of people were a bit speechless. Yao Feng composed himself first. He rushed to steer the conversation back on track. "Let me introduce Feng Jiajun, or Instructor Feng. He is a high-level instructor in the Thunder Falcon Martial Arts Gym. He should be in the same social circle as Xue Lei. We have so many close people. They might even join forces after a bit of interaction."

Feng Jiajun was just over twenty. He was older than Xue Lei by around five years, but he was still young. When compared to Xue Lei, he was slightly thinner and a bit more handsome. He came from the sort that was very popular with girls.

"Xue Lei? You must be new in the circle. Well, now we know each other."

There was a bit of haughtiness contained in Feng Jiajun's words, but he still followed the customs within his social circle. He stood up and was about to cup his hands in a bow, but then his gaze somewhat changed directions to land upon Xue Lei's chest. The symbol of Xue Lei's daoguan was located there: the design of a three-legged cauldron.

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Chapter 149: Strangeness in the Ocean (Part 2/2)

Chapter 149: Strangeness in the Ocean (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Feng Jiajun's eyelids drooped down slightly, but the smile on his face grew much more distinct. "Instructor Xue…."

Xue Lei replied humbly, "I'm not an instructor. At most, I'm a teaching assistant for my daoguan. I haven't finished my apprenticeship yet."

"Is that so? Which daoguan do you hail from?"

Xue Lei wasn't one to let any chance to spread the name of his daoguan escape his grasp. He immediately cleared his throat and said, "Divine Yu Gym of the River Wu District."

"Gym Master Xiu's daoguan?" Feng Jiajun's lips split into a grin, revealing a mouth full of white teeth. "Then I've truly been looking forward to meeting you for a long time."

Xue Lei was both shocked and delighted. "Instructor Feng knows our gym master?"

"I naturally do. Divine Yew, man. It's very famous."

He spoke the word 'Yew' in a very drawn out manner.

No matter how straightforward Xue Lei was, even he felt that something was wrong in that moment. He looked at Feng Jiajun, who had just extended a hand with a smile. "We should get to know each other."

Shaking hands was not a good practice within the martial arts circle.

He wanted Xue Lei's hand?

Xue Lei hesitated for a moment, but he saw Feng Jiajun frown a bit amidst his firm attitude. Xue Lei extended his hand and the two shook hands.

He listened to Feng Jiajun continue speaking. "I've heard of Gym Master Xiu and knew of his name for a long time. After all, he opened that Yew Shop in Boshan Building, but I've rarely seen that man in the ten years he's been there. I've heard that all of you are moving soon…."

Feng Jiajun wanted to show a relaxed and easy-going attitude. He spoke fluently, like pearls, but he suddenly stopped.

Xue Lei's eyebrows rose, and a creaking sound of friction, which made one's teeth ache from hearing it, could be heard from where their two hands met. Then a light bang sounded out, as if a miniature balloon had popped.

At that instant, Feng Jiajun's palm moved as slippery as a snake. His hand slipped away from Xue Lei's fingers, but his body unconsciously recoiled. He was frozen there for a moment before standing back up straight. He lowered his head to look at his own palm, and his expression darkened. The corner of his lips lifted into a smirk, then he regained his smile.

"You've trained your strength quite decently."

"Oh? Have two enemies met each other on a narrow road? An inevitable clash between foes?"

He Donglou straightened his sitting posture a bit. He took his arms that had hung from the sofa and smacked his chest. He even rubbed it a few times. His attitude showed that he enjoyed watching chaos and didn't mind a huge commotion happening.

You may be right, but was it good to just say it outright?

He Donglou's skill at being a silk-pants forced even Xie Junping to concede defeat. Xie Junping pondered, If I don't drink alcohol or take drugs, I probably won't be a match for him.

Yao Feng just felt that a disaster had descended upon him, but the curses that filled his belly were unable to come out of his mouth. He could only rack his head for a way of conciliation. "It's normal for martial artists to learn from one another. But if it's done too early, the consequent shows become meaningless…. Young Master He?"

"He has a point," He Donglou accepted the criticism by going with the flow. He looked quite easy to talk to, but he possessed a bit of a silver-tongue when he opened his mouth. Feng Jiajun frowned a bit, but in the end, he took a step back.

Xue Lei didn't let Feng Jiajun go that easily. He furrowed his brows and glared at Feng Jiajun with blazing eyes, not letting him escape his sight.

Feng Jiajun's eyes went cold and dark upon seeing this.

On the other hand, He Donglou laughed upon seeing his expression. "There's no rush. Didn't you hear? There’s still a show later on. I'll let you all have some time when that happens. Hey, I've waited so long. Old Yao, where's your family's most precious treasure?"

Yao Feng lowered his head to look at his wristband. He smiled reluctantly. "Almost here."

He gave Xie Junping a meaningful look upon saying this, and the latter understood Yao Feng without words. Then, he chuckled with an utterly unhappy heart. "Young Master He, go have fun first. We're going to go for a walk."

He Donglou was an expert in picking on him. "Don't forget about the matter with the show."

I'll show your sister!

Xie Junping cursed in his mind from his belly to the heavens. He was going to talk a bit more with Yao Feng, but in the current circumstances, it seemed that Yao Feng might cry. Yao Feng absolutely wouldn't be in the mood to help them hook up with Tang Yi. Their most important objective for participating in this party had mostly fallen through.

Xie Junping and Hu Huaying dragged Luo Nan and Xue Lei away together.

Xue Lei remained silent since the handshake. His expression was deep and solemn, his fury not fading away. He turned his head back to look after being dragged a few steps by Hu Huaying.

Feng Jiajun didn't react. It looked like he was calling someone.

Luo Nan saw the whole conversation happen from beginning to end. He was a complete observer. The way the second generation of the rich dealt with each other was not his expertise, regardless of intelligence or clumsiness. He lacked all interest.

Only, the matter with Feng Jiajun had occurred in such a bizarre manner. It involved Xiu Shenyu and his gym, so it was unavoidable for Luo Nan to be worried.

Through a slight effort of will, all of the words that were exchanged between Feng Jiajun and the person on the other side of the line were captured by Luo Nan's mental senses. The information was transmitted back to Luo Nan.

Xue Lei still maintained an unsightly expression. His fury was hard to appease. "What the hell is up with the Feng dude?! Did our daoguan provoke him or something? Boshan Building, does it have something to do with Boshan Building?"

Luo Nan spoke without thinking as he monitored Feng Jiajun's call, "It just might be."

"Huh? You're saying…." Xue Lei wasn't stupid; he soon confirmed the key elements, traced down the logical train, and put together the string of clues. "The meaning behind that Feng guy's words. He envies the fact that our daoguan is in Boshan Building? Thunder Falcon Martial Arts Gym is a huge gym, they wouldn't…. Oh, could it be that they were the ones who lost the bet back then? Do they want their venue back?"

"That’s probably the case."

Luo Nan still remembered what Xue Lei had mentioned. Back when he had arrived at Xia City, Xiu Shenyu had made a bet with someone and had won the usage rights for the daoguan site for ten years. Feng Jiajun had mentioned 'ten years', 'moving', and similar words during the handshake as well. The situation was made much clearer when combining this information with the information revealed by the call.

Xue Lei spat, "This guy only shows up when the daoguan is moving. What the hell happened ten years ago…. No, Nanster. I need to make a call."

"You're going to contact the gym master?"

"Yes, the gym master never mentioned this matter before. But I see that this man's going to stop by the daoguan. We have to be direct about this."

Luo Nan stared at him. "Be patient when you ask, and tell me what he says later."

Xue Lei nodded. He found a secluded place and proceeded to contact Xiu Shenyu. Since Xiu Shenyu often didn't carry any electronics, it was a bit troublesome to call him.

Luo Nan watched Xue Lei's actions, and he subconsciously shook his head. He might not be able to get the answer out from the gym master…. I need to take different means.

Luo Nan understood Gym Master Xiu to be a genuine taciturn man. Nothing would come out of him if he didn't want to talk, no matter how much Xue Lei were to coax and pester him.

In order to prevent the gym master from making a stubborn mistake, Luo Nan thought of several more ways to collect information. His best option in Xia City was undoubtedly the Explorers Society. They had recruited Mr. Giant Arm, a powerful martial artist. The Society should have a good understanding of the situation in the martial arts circle.

Luo Nan habitually pressed a finger against his earlobe. He logged in to the Psychic Wave Network, but was unable to find anyone. Then an alarm sounded in his ear.

Half of the deep blue light in the surroundings was suddenly blocked by shadow. The rest of the light violently shook. Some element was causing stress to the structure, and it prompted the people nearby to turn their heads and look, their gazes falling in the direction of the crystal pillar in the center.

A ferocious monster could be seen on the inner side of the crystal wall. It was over fifteen meters in diameter, and it moved like a high-speed plane. In the blink of an eye, it crossed over several dozen meters of water. It charged to the edge of the crystal pillar, fiercely crashing into it. The magnitude of the noise was startling.

The power of the charge of such a colossal creature was shocking and terrifying even though a crystal wall stood in its way. A few people attending the party had been stuck to the crystal pillar, observing the beauty of the ocean floor. They never expected this sudden change, and they instinctively cried out in fear. They frantically retreated, and some unfortunately lost control of their legs. These people staggered back and fell with their butts flat on the ground. It was quite shameful.

The monster, which looked more like a bat than a fish, wanted to make another frontal impact. It suddenly ascended upward, revealing a deathly white stomach. It practically glided on the inner crystal wall as it rapidly ascended. It used the most direct way to show just how astonishing its wingspan was, as well as the hideous mouths that ran down the sides of its stomach.

Oh, who could forget its ten-meter-long slender tail? It was packed densely with bluish black scales. It resembled a chain whip made of metal, and arcs of electric flame even flared and flowed around it.

An enormous body. Powerful movement ability. A demonic body structure…. These elements formed the image of a terrifying fish monster, and this monster wasn't giving up. After ascending a certain distance in the crystal pillar, it suddenly flipped backward to whirl around the axis of its body.

The ocean water churned everywhere the monster passed, and the resulting waves were as sharp as blades. The ocean prawns, both large and small, were all sliced to powder everywhere it passed, only to be sucked into the mouths that ran down the sides of the monster's stomach. What had once been crystal clear ocean water became turbid in an instant. It reeked completely of blood.

Within the churning currents, the horrific monster fish broke away from the limits of a normal person's gaze to disappear without a trace.

Though the people attending the party were the elites of top-ranked schools, most of them couldn't avoid being stupefied on the spot from witnessing this sudden and bloody scene. They found it hard to speak for a long time.

Yet there was a small portion of people who were able to remain calm and collected, whether it was because they were mentally prepared, or their temperaments exceeded the masses’. A smaller number of people even laughed with excitement. He Donglou laughed the brightest and the loudest.

Those ten meters away could hear his laughter. "This thing is kickass! It's a Mutant for sure. It has to be a Class 2 at least. It's rare to find one as wild as this and still be captured and brought back…."

Such a ferocious monster fish far exceeded the limits of normal biology. It was indeed a Mutant. A professional who was familiar with Mutant Genealogy would be able to tell that this monster fish stemmed from Mobula, a genus of ray, and was more commonly known as the devil ray. This monster was the mutated result.

The normal Mobula species were mild creatures. They had existed on Earth for over a million years. They weren’t great at attacking, but due to their sturdy body and its strange shape, the genus had become collectively known as devil rays.

However, the monster fish within the crystal pillar had been mutated into a form that could truly be called that of a 'devil'. Especially just a few moments ago, when it engaged in a mindless slaughter of the other oceanic creatures. It made one shudder with fear.

Xie Junping had suffered from considerable fright, to the point where he had accidentally bitten the inside of his cheek. His mood worsened and he couldn't refrain from cursing. "That Fourth Yao really doesn't want to do business putting this thing in there…."

He spoke half of what he had intended when he saw Luo Nan and the others turn their gazes behind him. Xie Junping immediately turned around and was met with the ugly expression of Yao Feng.

Xie Junping didn't feel the least bit embarrassed. He just laughed. "What's wrong? Don't you need to serve the young master of the He Family?"

Yao Feng heard him and instinctively shot him a glare. Then he felt his actions were too shameful. He waved his hand and laughed wryly. "I'm not serving him for now. First, I'll be avoiding him for a bit. One who is near mountains will eventually eat mountain dirt. One who is near oceans will eventually drink ocean water. There are conditions for everything. Of you all, one is an immoral druggy and one is a farmland owner. You don't need to understand, but we who eke out a living upon the ocean have to deal with the Coastal Defense Force. We have to deal with the He Family. Not flattering him is no good, man…."

Luo Nan inexplicably felt like he had heard the information Yao Feng said once in the past. Before he could ascertain what it was exactly, the HexaEar vibrated. He wasn't looking for anyone in particular on the Psychic Wave Network, but someone had found him first.

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Chapter 150: Coupling (Part 1/2)

Chapter 150: Coupling (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

"Huh? Who is it?" Luo Nan thoughts focused, and he saw a number he had never seen before. Naturally, he was surprised.

Just when Luo Nan was subconsciously about to answer the call, he suddenly felt that something was wrong. He swapped to the settings interface with an effort of will, and sure enough, he had already set the communications mode to be restricted. In this mode, only the people in his contact list could engage in real-time communications with him. Everyone else could only leave messages.

He Yueyin had suggested to set the HexaEar up this way. She said that it was to avoid interferences to the maximum extent so that he could concentrate on his cultivation.

Then came the question: How did that number come in?

Luo Nan was curious to see who the caller was, but the other party severed the communications request right when Luo Nan was about to pick up. Luo Nan waited a moment, but no one called again. He dialed back the number, yet the system displayed the following message: "The person you are trying to contact is in limited contact mode. Please leave a message."

Well then, what was up with this low-level malfunction? It's already been over ten days. Wasn’t the debugging of the Psychic Wave Network over yet?

Luo Nan shook his head and temporarily put the matter aside. His shifted his full attention back to the issue with the Divine Yu Gym.

To understand the enmity that existed in the martial arts circle, Luo Nan obviously needed to find someone in that circle. But only one person remained after Luo Nan had filtered through all the people he knew in the Society. It was Giant Arm, and Luo Nan only knew of him. Giant Arm might not know of Luo Nan.

Then I can only find someone I'm closer to…. Seems like Crag Burst is the only option. He has a military background, and he’s among the top ten strongest people in terms of physical strength within Xia City. He also has a friendly and lively temperament. He should have some common dealings with the martial artists circle.

Luo Nan formulated the wording in his mind and set out a communications request to Crag Burst. However, no one would have expected the system to answer in the same cold tone as before.

"The person you are trying to contact is in limited contact mode. Please leave a message."

Luo Nan concluded that there was indeed a problem with the Psychic Wave Network. He couldn't help scratching his head. The members of the Society were used to the conveniences of the Psychic Wave Network. Very few of them would record the wristband communications numbers down. Luo Nan was no exception. All contact was impossible at this moment.

He could only wait.

Meanwhile, the rich kids were still going at it. Yao Feng poured out his grievances, but Xie Junping wasn't interested in listening at all. He just asked what concerned him. "Hey, that's a Mutant. Did you release it here in Ocean Sky Cloud City to cause chaos and destruction, only to buy it from the other shareholders at a low price...?"

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't talk baseless nonsense!"

Yao Feng's face was completely green now. He hated being unable to cover Xie Junping's mouth. He could only grit his teeth and explain amidst his misfortune. "It's a client's who is a distant relative on my mother's side. He loves to collect Mutants the most and had spent a considerable price to custom order this one long ago. He just barely got his hand on it, but no one expected him to drop dead from being overstimulated; he was just watching an underground fight, after all…. And so, an excellent merchandise lost a place to call home. It isn't good to release it back to the ocean, so we can only keep it here. We've being dying from headaches for the past few days because of this thing."

"You're freaking lying!" Xie Junping wasn't fooled. "You may not be able to find cookware in your Yao Family, but your place is full of pools where you can put fish. Yet you put this Mutant into this simulation ecosphere to ruin it! You know how hard it is to make! This is a source of revenue for you…. Hey, Yao Four. Are you sure you don't have a money-making scheme you're not sharing?"

Xie Junping reined in Yao Feng's shoulder as he spoke, beaming all the while. He also furtively winked at Luo Nan.

Since Yao Feng was so kind as to deliver himself to their doorstep, there was absolutely no reason for Xie Junping to let him escape. Xie Junping planned to tenaciously hold this predetermined middleman with his gaze. He would use him to get in contact with Tang Yi, and Hu Huaying was backing him up by his side. The two acted with a deep level of tacit understanding with each other.

Luo Nan could only sit at the sidelines. He waited a long while and listened to the twists and turns of the conversation. He found the whole thing to be boring. Xue Lei was busy as well. He was still on the phone with those at the daoguan, his feet pacing endlessly in circles. It seemed that things weren't going too smoothly for him.

Another moment of silence fell, and Luo Nan's gaze shifted behind him toward the simulated ocean ecology which had went through a brutal impact. The monster fish had fled to the depths of the crystal pillar after wreaking havoc. Much time had passed since it disappeared without a trace.

But the monster fish's power still existed in the areas it had passed, regardless of the passage of time. Many schools of fish, leisurely swimming around, would suffer from a fearsome invisible pressure when they went near these areas, and one by one they burst and scattered.

Beautiful purple and vibrant red bloomed within the deep blue light, providing a different kind of wonder and beauty.

Luo Nan quietly watched these chaotic shoals of fish. The glow in his eyes circulated, but he didn't open his eyes orifice for cultivation. It was just a cursory experience.

During this process, his feet followed the shoals of fish and moved slowly. By the time he came back to reality, he was already a distance away from Xie Junping and the others. He didn't care; the exchange with Yao Feng wouldn't require him to be present. Plus, with a mere thought, the whole party area would come under the range of his clairvoyance. He wouldn't get lost.

He tried using the Psychic Wave Network communications again; it was still not restored. He stopped thinking about it, and strolled along the viewing platform. He walked, stopped, and walked, his eyes observing the shoals of fish, his mental senses weaving in and out.

Two different realms. Two different modes. They were distinct from one another, but possessing matching sources of information allowed a marvelous corresponding relationship to manifest.

Luo Nan walked halfway. The information between the mental plane and the material plane corresponded with each other, but this naturally led to an interference between each other. The extent was minimal; it was weaker than the degree of soul strength Luo Nan could transfer from the Format barrier, which didn't even have 1% efficiency, by a thousandfold. Yet, there still existed an influence toward the eyes orifice.

Such a continuous and unending influence was rare. It was like the earth was being moistened for life to flourish. The 'water level' of the eyes orifice was rapidly restoring and slowly becoming of higher quality.

Luo Nan savored the subtleties within. He became spellbound for a time. This should be a good thing... right?

He stopped moving. He felt a bit of uncertainty.

A sensation was suddenly born from the bottom of Luo Nan's heart. The thoughts in his brain were still a complete mess, but his body moved according to the sensation. He ducked a bit to the side, the distance of a hundredth of a hair, to perfectly evade a scampering petite figure, whose head was lowered, behind him

But then Luo Nan had his notebook sandwiched under his elbow. It was protruding out, and it caught onto something. It fell to the ground, spread open its pages, and revealed doodled lines. Only rough outlines could be seen.

"Ah, I'm sorry."

The girl, who had nearly caused a rear-end accident, apologized in a sentence. She tidied her unkempt hair and bent over to pick up the fallen notebook.

Her fingertips had just touched a page of the notebook when she suddenly became aware who it belonged to. She lifted her head in astonishment. "Junior Nan?"

Luo Nan went 'oh', and responded, "Senior Sister Tian. What a coincidence."

The person who had bumped into Luo Nan was none other than Tian Si. She laughed as she picked up the notebook and returned it to him. "It's not a coincidence. Those who participate in this party will eventually meet…. Are you dressed as a doctor?"

Tian Si slightly tilted her head to the side. She sized up Luo Nan's attire, and the action made the drawing board she hung from her shoulder shake a bit. Luo Nan laughed with a look. "Sister is dressed as an artist."

Luo Nan had taken professional fine arts classes to learn speed-sketching. He was familiar with the wardrobe of a professional.

Tian Si had dressed cleverly. The only difference between how she was dressed now and how she usually dressed at school was the drawing board. Yet she still displayed a gentle, refined, and beautiful temperament. She instantly went up a grade when paired with the tool. Anyone would be convinced that she was a female artist who went out to collect local cultural materials.

In any case, Luo Nan's notebook had most likely caught onto this drawing board.

Tian Si answered, all smiles. "I've always been in the design school. Though right now I’m placing a heavy emphasis on industrial design, I've pursued a bit of the arts in my early years. What do you think? Am I dressed alright?"

"It matches you quite well." Luo Nan's words came straight from the heart, but he had no intention of continuing the conversation. Right now he was in a restless state of mind. He just said a few words for the sake of courtesy, and intended to bid farewell.

But Tian Si pursed her lips into a laugh. Her attitude showed that she still wanted to talk. "Junior Nan's costume is a bit strange."

It wouldn't be proper for Luo Nan to ignore her, so he just sincerely asked, "What's strange about it?"

"I just feel that Junior Nan shouldn't be a doctor. It's a pure feeling."

Tian Si used her fingers to charmingly draw circles by the sides of her head. Then, she pointed at the loose-leaf notebook clasped under Luo Nan's arm. "You also have that prop. It stands out a bit."

Luo Nan simply said, "I brought it with me without thinking. It's a habit."

Luo Nan said some boring words, and he finally realized the bizarreness of the whole thing. Their conversation was merely superficial. If Tian Si was looking for someone to chat with, she shouldn't have chosen him.

Having thought this far, a deeper sensation was born in Luo Nan's heart. He subtly focused his will, and he 'saw' a young man just over twenty to the side behind him. The young man was dressed similarly to Luo Nan, playing the role of a doctor. He had a tall and straight stature, and he had handsome and bright facial features. But the gaze he had cast over them was filled with ill intent.

Tian Si should be able to see this person from her perspective, but she acted as if she hadn't. She simply chatted with Luo Nan, beaming all the while.

Luo Nan could more or less guess the situation from looking at the movements of the 'young doctor's' expression. He mentally shook his head. Had Tian Si come over in the hope that he would take some heat off her?

No one who was able to attend a friendship party between the five schools was someone who could be easily dealt with. Luo Nan was young, and he wasn't tall. It was a bit funny to be used as a shield.

As Luo Nan mulled over how to lay the situation bare in a few words, Tian Si began flattering him, "I took a few extra peeks at what you drew. Junior Nan's line drawing fundamentals are quite solid. If you can get into the design school and inherit the family legacy…. Why, that would be a story to behold."

Family legacy?

Luo Nan's heart shivered. His original train of thought scattered in an instant. All that was left were chaotic emotions. He didn't know what to say for a time. Tian Si put her hands together in contrition.

"Apologies, Junior Nan. I found it very odd last time at Frost River Reality. A bunch of youths from the Mo Family, and only you had a different last name. I asked Mo Qiu more about you, and I heard Tian Qi mention some rumors and circumstances around you and his Mystic Arts Research Society. I was curious, and I looked up your profile. Only then did I find out that you are the child of Senior Brother Zhongheng and Senior Sister Qingwen."

"...."

Yes, that was right. Luo Nan's parents had indeed studied at the school's design institute. Tian Si was absolutely correct when she mentioned his ‘family legacy'.

Tian Si stepped closer, and her mannerisms became more intimate as well. "Actually, for these past few days, I've always wanted to have the chance to thank Junior Nan."

Luo Nan's brain was a bit slow in understanding. "What?"

"Some time ago, I was selecting my graduate design topic. At the same time, I also sought to be a graduate student of Pan Wen, Professor Pan. But several of my topic selections were shot dead time and time again."

Tian Si's glowing eyes gazed at Luo Nan's face. She whispered, "I was really out of options, but luckily Junior Nan's matter gave me the inspiration I needed. I proposed a research topic anew based on Senior Sister Qingwen's Coupling Design Theory from back in the day, and it finally got accepted.

"Senior Sister Qingwen is Professor Pan's most outstanding pupil. Professor Pan saw the topic I chose and her eyes immediately went red…. I know. I got lucky and scored big. I owe it all to Senior Sister Qingwen."

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Chapter 150: Coupling (Part 2/2)

Chapter 150: Coupling (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan's mood became indescribable in mere seconds.

What Tian Si said was something close and personal to him. But the words in her speech, all of those names and concepts, were so unfamiliar to him.

He felt as if he were in a dream. He strove his best to merge inside, but he was always lacking a bit of something. He could only strive to replay the memory just now, and he feared to miss a single word. But he awoke from this important dream, and it dissipated completely.

Luo Nan waited even though Tian Si had stopped talking; he still wished for her to continue. Then he subconsciously extended his hand, touching the protective glass that separated the viewing platform from the crystal pillar. The ice-cold sensation cleared his mind a little, and it ensured that Luo Nan didn't forget even an ounce of Tian Si's words.

Perhaps it was because of Luo Nan's odd reaction that Tian Si became a bit puzzled.

"Junior Nan?"

Luo Nan really wanted to ask her, "Can you continue a bit more with that?" But the words changed when they left his mouth. "It must have been twenty years since they’ve graduated, and Senior Sister Tian knows about this?"

Tian Si's gaze softened a bit, and she revealed a gentle smile. "To say that the impression still ran deep after the passage of several years would be a lie. But by simply researching some data, many matters have come before my eyes. However, I have heard that a few old professors would use Gear as an example of architectural philosophy and aesthetics when it comes to architectural design. Senior Sister Qingwen's name has always resounded."

Luo Nan awkwardly laughed. "Is that so?"

"In comparison, I admire Senior Zhongheng even more. Although I am learning industrial design, Senior Zhongheng has a strong theoretical background. Many of his research theories have stood the test of time till this day. These include concepts, products, and design. Any of these can be easily used, saving quite a bit of effort."

Tian Si had clearly studied the material with great detail. Every word that left her mouth had a basis to it. But the more she was like this, the more confused Luo Nan became. It was awkward. Luo Nan didn't even know how to respond.

His hesitation caused a gap to appear in their conversation and in the atmosphere. This gave a certain someone a chance.

"Sisi."

It was the 'young doctor' who had been observing from behind and to the side all this time. He quickly walked over, his movements revealing impatience. He stood in between Luo Nan and Tian Si without a trace of politeness, and he used his shoulder to block Luo Nan's line of sight.

"Sisi, you've made it easy to find you."

Luo Nan frowned, and his finger, which was pressed against the protective glass, bent a bit. He got a bad vibe, and he knew why Tian Si was avoiding this rather handsome 'young doctor' nearly like she feared him. Such temperament and behavior made his good looks a waste.

So there was someone this unreasonable among the elites of the five schools.

Luo Nan's mood turned terrible. He didn't want to be involved in this contrived matter. But the absolute majority of the words Tian Si had said just then were what he desperately wanted to hear, what he desperately wanted to memorize.

Tian Si had said that she consulted a huge amount of information for the sake of her graduate project. She had to have more information. She must have a lot more in her stomach, but with the young doctor in the scene, it would be difficult for Luo Nan to continue this conversation.

Luo Nan stared at the spine ahead of him, which was wrapped in a white coat, and took a deep breath, but this was not enough to settle his annoyance.

"President Ju." Tian Si held the drawing board with her arms folded in front of her chest. She took a small step back, and her body language showed that she felt very alienated. She didn't hide it at all. When compared to her usual smooth style, it looked like she had reached her limits.

Unfortunately, President Ju was not conscious of this at all. Or maybe he was aware and just didn't care. He leaned forward to decrease the distance between him and Tian Si, and used the tone of a talk show host to say, "Sisi, the party is about to formally begin. I seriously invite you to pair up with me…."

Tian Si really couldn't bear it any longer. She took another step back, leaned to the side, and extended her arm out to Luo Nan. This forcefully shifted President Ju's attention. "Let me introduce you two. This is President Ju Maoxun of Cloud City School of Business's Elite Society. And this is my junior, Luo Nan."

Ju Maoxun felt really displeased with the way Tian Si had reacted, and he extended his dislike to Luo Nan…. Alright. He was already in a bad mood since two minutes ago when he saw Luo Nan and Tian Si chatting delightfully. He long had schemes in mind.

For him, it required no effort to bully the younger generation. He would correct this newcomer.

While Ju Maoxun was deeply considering how he would give this newborn kid a deep memory, Tian Si did something that made him furious all of a sudden. This petite and beautiful girl walked straight around him to stand by Luo Nan's side. She even pulled the boy's arm.

"Apologies, President Ju. I just promised Junior Nan that I would accompany him tonight…. It hasn't been long since Junior Nan came to our school, and it's the first time he's taken part in this sort of activity. He really is lost about the whole thing."

Halfway through, it seemed that Tian Si felt that her action of pulling his arm was too intimate. She relaxed her hand and patted Luo Nan on the shoulder. She was around six years older than Luo Nan, but she was shorter than Luo Nan by a head. Her patting was a bit humorous in the old-fashioned way.

The feelings of a male and a female were irrelevant in this context.

Tian Si's actions made Ju Maoxun reveal an expression that wavered between good and bad. He was unable to grasp Luo Nan's relationship with her. Naturally, he was angry that Tian Si rejected him, but if she was truly acting in consideration as a senior sister to a junior brother, he would cause trouble if he were to forcefully interfere. He would not be able to escape the shame.

Oh, wait a minute. He saw the whole thing from beginning to end. He was there since Luo Nan and Tian Si met, but he never saw Tian Si receive any requests from Luo Nan.

F**k. He was being played for a fool!

Ju Maoxun's innate temperament was a harsh one. He was known as 'The Butcher' at the Cloud City School of Business. This time he had dressed as a doctor in irony of his nickname. He had hesitated earlier because he was thinking about his course of action. He viewed the young lady Tian Si as a superior who was not to be trifled with, to a degree. But his fury raged at this moment, and he no longer gave a f**k.

He took a fierce step forward as he habitually revealed his teeth in laughter. Flesh pulsated by the sides of his handsome cheeks, and he instantly appeared sinister and malevolent. At the same time, his hand moved like lightning to grab the collar of Luo Nan's white coat.

Ju Maoxun was almost a head taller than Luo Nan, so the length of his arms and legs were longer. He just reached out, and the fledgling stood there stunned before him. Luo Nan had no reaction whatsoever.

It would be too conspicuous of Ju Maoxun to throw Luo Nan by the collar as part of his threat, especially in public. Ju Maoxun was a person used to such matters. Though he had acted with power and ferocity, he just shook the edge of Luo Nan's collar and exerted a bit of force to make the inner side of the collar chafe against Luo Nan's neck. There was even a bit of rhythm to it.

"So you're Junior Nan. To be dressed the same is also fate. Now we know each other, and I will remember you well. Don't worry, I have quite the good memory. I don't forget a face I've seen. Raise your head; don't be a p*ssy!"

He viciously ordered Luo Nan to raise his face, and at the same time, he shot him a piercing and vicious gaze. "This teaching from your senior is enough for you to enjoy for ten years. You should be saying thanks again and agai…."

His tirade suddenly stopped.

Luo Nan raised his face and locked gazes with Ju Maoxun. He looked at Ju Maoxun's pair of eyes; they turned from being fiendish to chaotic. And then, from being chaotic to vacant.

All these changes actually only happened in an instant.

Luo Nan gently removed Ju Maoxun's frozen hand while Ju Maoxun acted like a soulless puppet with rusted joints. Luo Nan frowned, exerted some force, and caused Ju Maoxun to stagger backward.

Ju Maoxun instantly regained himself. His hand, which was extended before him, jerked back as if he had touched a poisonous snake, and it hit his own chest. The impact caused him to grunt and wake up a bit. He wanted to rage again, but he saw Luo Nan’s eyes sweep over with a level gaze, and his mind shuddered. He gaped with his mouth, said not a word, turned around, and walked off.

When he got far enough away, Ju Maoxun's head became clearer. He turned around, wanting to head back, but he lacked the courage. He could only extend an arm and point at Luo Nan. In the end, he walked away fuming.

Tian Si felt like she had watched a preposterous drama. She was unable to discern any logic from beginning to end. The coarse and troublesome Ju Maoxun, who seemed to be possessed by the devil, had inexplicably had his ferocity dispelled and had walked away with his tail between his legs.

What did Luo Nan do?

Tian Si was stupefied for a full five seconds before coming to herself. She hurriedly apologized to Luo Nan, "Sorry, Junior Nan. Just now, I…."

"Senior Sister is very popular."

Luo Nan didn't want to diverge too far from the topic. He said a few polite words and stopped there. He hoped Tian Si would continue talking about the matters pertaining to his mother. It would still be good even if she included 'him', his father.

But Tian Si's mood had been altered, having witnessed the interaction between Luo Nan and Ju Maoxun. Her eyes were downcast and lost for a moment. Then she looked at the shaking water within the crystal pillar, and she suddenly spoke with emotion, "The scenery of the crystal pillar looks like a dream when seen from afar. But when one looks at it long enough, calling it a dream becomes an exaggeration…. It's like a person. The view on the surface may appear unbounded, but it is really quite limited."

Luo Nan didn't respond. He didn't hear anything about what he wanted to hear. He had no interest in Tian Si's situation and her mood. He just felt moody inside.

He imitated Tian Si in an effort to calm himself. He watched the rippling water within the crystal pillar.

His many days of cultivation had yet to form a link. Luo Nan's heart lantern of the eyes orifice had yet to reach a realm that can be called a small accomplishment, but his sight became much sharper. The swaying ocean water had its color restored from the blood by the time it reached the crystal wall, but it couldn't be considered particularly clear and clean. Fine impurities swam within, floating and undulating.

Under careful examination, most of the ocean life had fallen to the bottom in pieces of body tissues and waste.

Luo Nan's gaze extended out into the distance. He saw the shoal of fish mixed within the deep waters. The beautiful color of nature swayed tourists to take pictures as souvenirs. Not many people knew where the filth in the water originated from.

Likely a sizeable portion of filth came from the cruel hunt of the devil ray, the remaining traces of its slaughter.

It looked dirty and messy, but there was a classic saying, "No fish can survive if the water is too clean." The ecosphere of the ocean revolved around this filth. Microorganisms, algae, and small fish and prawn were formed upon it. These individual links followed each other in succession to join head to tail and form a tight and necessary chain.

If a link was missing, and there was no human intervention, the consequences would always be bad.

Luo Nan sighed as he thought to this point. He vaguely sensed that this was rather similar to the problem he faced in cultivation. But by carefully studying his situation once more, his mind had split into two. Whatever he couldn't resolve made his mood even worse.

Being upset, he no longer wanted to beat around the bush. He prepared to bluntly request this senior sister to say everything she knew.

But then Tian Si found a new linking point from being emotionally moved. She suddenly spun her face toward Luo Nan, and her delicate and dainty facial features were rejuvenated with her usual smile.

"Junior Nan, I don't know if you've heard this before, but there is one other structure that follows Coupling Design. Cloud City Water Village Building Complex, and the Ocean Sky Cloud City we are in right now follow it the closest."

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Chapter 151: Eye of Heaven and Earth (Part 1/2)

Chapter 151: Eye of Heaven and Earth (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Tian Si pointed at the crystal pillar before them. She spoke gently, "The core design concept of Ocean Sky Cloud City comes from the facilitation of a close integration between an ocean system and a building system. Power, data, ecology, and various other elements all link up. This is an important portion of Senior Sister Qingwen's Coupling Design."

Luo Nan's gaze cut across the crystal pillar. His mental senses were able to observe the complicated multi-story structure concretely, but what he could see confused him. He didn't know what to say. He just wanted to ask:

What is Coupling Design?

Tian Si didn't understand Luo Nan's currently troubled mind. Her smile grew increasingly more intimate the more she spoke. She drew her hands together and adopted a praying posture. "Junior Nan, let me take the liberty to ask you something. Does your family have any material left behind by these two seniors? I want to copy them for reference. Of course, I will pay extreme attention to intellectual property rights and the like."

Luo Nan gaped. Right now his little bit of pride was completely insignificant in the face of his intense desire and craving for more information. He leaned over and stared at Tian Si. "Senior Sister Tian. My mother passed away early, and... my father left early as well. Practically none of their things were left at home."

Tian Si gasped and said, "So it was like this. My apologies. I thought—"

Luo Nan interrupted her before she could finish speaking. He hurriedly said, "Senior Sister. Can you give me a copy of the information you collected? I really need it. Really!"

Tian Si was enveloped by Luo Nan's gaze, and she suddenly understood how Ju Maoxun felt before.

Under the deep blue light, Luo Nan's eyes were mottled with colors, but they possessed an indescribable pressure that penetrated her being. She felt as if her eyes and mind were being burned by raging flames, and it made her want to hastily close her eyes. Her heart rate shot up rapidly.

"I…."

As an officer of the Mutual Assistance Gathering, Tian Si had always been an expert in language and expression. But in this moment, as she faced Luo Nan's eyes, her verbal ability for logic and reason instantly perished to ash. Instead, the emotions that she successfully suppressed all this time tangled and weaved in her mind. She was stupefied for a time.

It wasn't easy, but a single thought spawned in her mind. He's really like…. Yes, they're the same type of person!

Luo Nan overlapped with that person's figure. Then, the image burst into flames. Tian Si's mind intensely shuddered, and she subconsciously took a step back.

"Senior Sister Tian?" Luo Nan didn't quite understand Tian Si's reaction.

"Hold on a bit!"

Tian Si finally recomposed herself a little, but nervousness could be heard in her voice. Her throat was dry. She lowered her head; she didn't dare look into Luo Nan's eyes. She was afraid that she would lose her soul if she were to gaze too long.

She fiddled with her wristband with her head lowered. She closed her eyes, adjusted her breathing, and tidied her emotions. Three seconds passed before she started working with her wristband. She brought out the series of information she had saved.

"This was originally your parents' information. If Junior wants it, all you had to do was ask."

Her speech passed through a logical frame and a sorted train of thought. Only after she spoke did Tian Si raise her head. She forced a smile and said, "I'll directly share what I've saved in the cloud with you. Most of the information comes from the school's electronic library. Some information needs a certain level of privileges. You probably don't have the privileges right now, but you should be granted them earlier than usual if you ask Head Xie."

Luo Nan put his hands together and expressed his thanks over and over. "Thank you, Senior Sister Tian. Thank you."

From this, Tian Si knew that Luo Nan wasn't able to see through to the deeper things dwelling in her mind. She let out a breath of relief and her mind became a bit livelier again. She brought up a diagram that Luo Nan was unable to access right now and projected it.

But the interference of deep blue light was too great since the crystal pillar was too near. She used her drawing board as a shield to let Luo Nan be able to see the diagram clearly.

And so, the area that became clearer was also limited. Luo Nan unconsciously came closer to stand shoulder to shoulder with Tian Si. Their heads butted together as he watched with earnest.

"This is the design proposal of Cloud City Water Village submitted eighty-two years ago. Look here. The company's technical advisor is Pan Wen, Professor Pan. According to her, the purpose of the proposal was to lead a team in verifying Senior Sister Qingwen's theory. Unfortunately, it wasn't considered especially successful. It was even considered a mistake."

Tian Si swiped the AR image, causing the 3D perspective drawing of Ocean Sky Cloud City's initial design to display various complicated structures.

"Professor Pan says that Ocean Sky Cloud City has too much of a craftsman’s influence. Though it integrated an ocean system, it is just a show of the original theory. It’s not a success in construction theory. It’s far from Gear, which seems to be made by heaven and has no trace of anything unnatural."

Luo Nan listened with pride and sadness. He looked at the perspective drawing of Ocean Sky Cloud City, and felt the same feeling as when he saw Gear.

Tian Si was able to read his emotions. She thought for a bit and began to act more gossipy. "I heard that Professor Pan specifically implemented a design because of this. One can see the wetlands of the school with a naked eye from the high level viewing platform in Ocean Sky Cloud City. And this included Gear on the north bank. The two structures mutually shine upon each other, one high and one low...."

"Really?" Luo Nan impatiently interrupted Tian Si before she could finish speaking.

Tian Si didn't mind. She just said, "Cloud City Water Village is a group of buildings ascending in height in a ring. Aside from the main building, only Ocean Sky Cloud City faces the school. None of the other tall buildings block its line of sight, and the height and angle are just right. There should be some basis to her words."

Luo Nan immediately asked, "What floor is the high level viewing platform at?"

"The hundred forty-second floor. Does Junior want to go see?"

Luo Nan nodded his head and spoke no more. He walked straight toward the closest elevator.

Tian Si thought for a bit and followed him. Compared to Luo Nan's focused mind, her gaze flitted back and forth among the stream of people on this floor, searching for the target she had in mind.

She didn't expect to not only be unable to find her target, but to clash with an enemy on a narrow road. She saw Ju Maoxun, who had left in a sorry state not long ago, walk over with large strides and a dark expression. By his side were a few characters with expressions of ill intent.

He can't be thinking of starting a brawl at the party!?

It was hard for Tian Si to imagine such a scene, but it was also hard for her mind to escape fear. Just as she was looking for security, she had the misfortune of bumping gazes with Ju Maoxun from afar. Her mind went into a panic.

The flesh of Ju Maoxun's cheeks pulsated as he gave a few words to the people beside him. Then he sped up his pace.

Ding, rang the bell, and the elevator door before Luo Nan opened up. Luo Nan walked in while Tian Si whispered, "Wait for me." She caught up in a few steps, and the drawing board she hung from her shoulder slid to her elbow. It swung, hitting the edge of the elevator.

She said, gasping, "Hurry, Ju Maoxun—"

She had just begun speaking when an explosion blasted out on the floor.

Tian Si shuddered as the lighting at the corner of her eyes changed. She instinctively turned her head, and she saw the portion of the crystal pillar that faced the elevator. A pitch-black shadow led an enormous current of water, and it smashed heavily toward the inner wall of the pillar.

The sharp impact caused the crystal pillar to crack with a layer of fine white veins. The sound waves that rippled out shook people's hearts. It made people believe that this enormous crystal pillar had shattered from the impact.

It was undoubtedly the mutated devil ray that had caused all of this.

The attendees, who were observing the shoals of fish, cried out in alarm nearly in chorus. Such a scene was much more terrifying than the one before. The display of the devil ray was much wilder and more violent in that moment.

It swam around the edges of the wall, and it slammed repeatedly against the inner crystal wall with its flat head. It was filled with restless emotions. With a body that large and an ample attack power, there was no one who dared to be near, even though there were clearly two layers of protection between them. They feared that this monster would break through the protective layer and eat people whole.

Tian Si covered her mouth by instinct, cramming her scream back down her throat.

The doors of the elevators immediately closed while Luo Nan just glanced at the crystal pillar before looking downcast at his toes. It seemed that there was nothing else in this world that could arouse his interest.

Ju Maoxun and his buddies had been aggressively walking over when the devil ray started its attack. They just so happened to be nearby, and thus they were given quite a scare. They followed the herd mentality and stopped to watch.

It was Ju Maoxun who saw the elevator doors close in the distance. He shouted a few pressing words, and the group of people rushed in pursuit. However, the high-speed elevator was already making its way up by this time.

"Keep an eye on the floor it stops at."

Ju Maoxun made up his mind; he was going to give a lesson to the dog-sh*t boy and girl in this building. He smacked the elevator's call button and summoned an elevator that ran parallel to the one Luo Nan and Tian Si were on. He cursed under his breath to vent some of his emotions, which were on the verge of exploding.

Luckily, another high-speed elevator soon arrived. Ju Maoxun glanced at the floor number and took the lead in entering the elevator. The others came flooding in after him.

"It stopped on the 133th floor and the 142nd floor."

"What's on the 133th floor?"

"I think it's an office area?"

"142nd?"

"The high level viewing platform."

"It's that one!"

Ju Maoxun quickly locked onto his target and ground his teeth. The elevator door closed, blocking off the cries and clamor of this floor.

Only two seconds passed before a different bizarre sound came reverberating within this quiet space. The sound diffused into their ears. Ka chunk. Ka chunk. Ka chunk. Ka chunk….

The tempo was monotonous, with no change to it whatsoever. It sounded like someone was moving a pair of old scissors back and forth. It didn't stop at all, and it made everyone fidgety.

"Whose ringtone is this?" This was the first thing Ju Maoxun thought of.

His companions all had expressions of bewilderment.

Ju Maoxun finally discovered that there was a fresh new face among them. This fellow had come into the same elevator as them... or maybe the fellow was already inside the elevator. His mind was focused on the dog-sh*t boy and girl, so he didn't notice the stranger until now.

This was a public location, after all. Such a thing was very normal.

The person was dressed purely in black. He was wearing a suit and sunglasses; he dressed quite sharply. He looked like a bodyguard or a security agent in a TV show. He stood out in this party.

But the most eye-catching thing of all about the sunglasses man was his tie. It was super gaudy, and under careful examination, all sorts of beetles dotted it. Perhaps it was because of the chrome color of his tie, but there existed a faint metal sheen to it under the lighting of the elevator. The compound eyes of the beetles flickered with the light, giving off a feeling of aberrance.

The sunglasses man felt Ju Maoxun's attentive gaze and slightly tilted his head. His eyes should be looking right at him now.

Ju Maoxun watched with stupefaction. He locked eyes with this eccentric fellow. The sunglasses man split his lips to let out a chuckle, revealing a mouth full of pitch-black teeth. There were even garish designs branded upon them.

"...."

Ding!

The elevator door opened, and Ju Maoxun and his group of people walked out. The elevator door then closed.

The group of people stared around the entrance of the elevator, looking lost. "Where are those two at?"

"We’re at 124th floor. We're on the wrong floor."

"Then why did we get off?"

"Because…."

Ju Maoxun felt dazed. His mind was filled with the lustrous designs branded on those black teeth, the gaudy beetle tie, and the ka chunk sound that rang by his ear for a time. If these various elements weaved together, it seemed that it was quite natural for them to occur?

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Chapter 151: Eye of Heaven and Earth (Part 2/2)

Chapter 151: Eye of Heaven and Earth (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

The elevator that Luo Nan rode made a stop at the 133rd floor. The other people got off there, leaving just him and Tian Si in the elevator. The floor number rapidly jumped up on the elevator display, and it seemed that the journey was to be a quiet one until Luo Nan suddenly opened his mouth.

"What kind of person is Professor Pan?"

Half of Tian Si's attention was still captured by the berserk devil ray, and the other half revolved around Ju Maoxun. A few seconds passed when she heard Luo Nan in her stupefaction, and only when the elevator stopped and the metal doors opened did she wake up to reality.

Right as she was about to speak, Luo Nan already took the lead and walked out of the elevator. She could only hurriedly follow him. She was completely taken in by his rhythm, like a secretary accepting her boss's whims.

Tian Si suppressed the odd feeling in her heart and said, "Professor Pan is the world's top expert in design theory. At least half of the reputation of our design school comes from her hands."

Tian Si was quite clear on what Luo Nan truly cared about. She gave a slight pause, then continued speaking, "When Senior Sister Qingwen was in the design school, she was personally taught by Professor Pan. I have asked a few teachers for guidance, and they all say that Professor Pan treated Senior Sister Qingwen like a daughter. She loved her that much. Outside of academics, she is a very kind old lady. She'll certainly be very happy if you pay her a visit."

Luo Nan seriously said, "I will certainly pay her a visit."

"That's good. I can help introduce you."

Luo Nan didn't care how much thought was put into her words. He just carefully memorized Professor Pan's contact details.

The two people made their way through the corridor and arrived at the viewing platform exposed to the sky. The elevation here reached seven hundred meters. The buildings of the Pingjiang District were generally shorter. Aside from Cloud City's main building behind it, open space sprawled wherever the eye could see. Tian Si said that one could see the wetland jungle of the school from here. It appeared to be true.

Dusk arrived. The weather turned cold. The winds of high altitudes came roaring in. The protective glass at the edge of the viewing platform began to buzz. The sound of water rushed underneath the sound of the wind.

"The top of the central crystal pillar is on the 142nd floor."

Tian Si pointed at the frame structure rising above the center of the viewing platform. The frame both supported and separated the water. The vast volume of water was nearly fifty meters in diameter, and it cut through the viewing platform. It jutted approximately two meters out, and it was surrounded by protective glass.

"This is the rather famous Heavenly Ocean Lake. It appears to be a portion of the crystal pillar, but they're actually separate structures. Reinforced glass separates them at the bottom of this lake. So, it's just a swimming pool. The constructors made it themselves as a joke."

The two needed to pass by the edge of the Heavenly Ocean Lake frame structure. Luo Nan just cast a glance at this 'joke' and lost all interest.

The current time was just before most salary workers got off work. The sky gradually darkened, and there weren't many people on the viewing platform. It looked a bit deserted.

Luo Nan discerned the direction to travel and walked to the edge of the viewing platform. He cast his gaze toward the school. Indeed, he could see the wetland jungle of the school and Gear clearly. He could also see the long river that weaved in and out of the forest. He could see the reflection of the setting sun coming in and coming out.

Luo Nan was able to make an approximate guess on the location of Gear from the outline of the jungle and the river. But with the gradual darkening of the sky and the distance of a dozen kilometers, the independent building was truly like a tiny part lost in the shadows of the boundless jungle. It was hard to find.

Luo Nan wanted to put more effort into looking for Gear. He believed that Tian Si wouldn't lie about such matters. He wanted to use his mental senses, but his mental clairvoyance, which had been always successful, seemed to not have the range of his vision under these circumstances.

"It's getting dark. Our vision is limited. But there are viewing scopes here. You should be able to use it to see Gear." Tian Si pointed at a row of high viewing binoculars at the edge. These were meant to be used by tourists. Right now, there were just three people using them.

Luo Nan walked ahead without saying a word. He moved closer to look through the binoculars and then stood straight.

Tian Si cautiously observed him. "No good?"

Luo Nan shook his head. The binoculars limited his field of vision, and all he saw was a repressed world. This was not the feeling he needed.

He stood lost there for seven seconds on the viewing platform, before he suddenly spoke without warning, "What is Coupling Design all about?"

He had an approximate understanding what 'Coupling' meant. It referred to the phenomenon of interaction and joint movement between various systems. But what did it concretely refer to in the context of his mother's architectural theory?

Tian Si had to answer this question. She grew all the more cautious and careful, considering her wording over and over before speaking, "It is a more unified theory within the design school, lying in the field of aesthetics and philosophy. It is a new interpretation of the classical eastern philosophical concept of 'oneness of heaven and humanity'. Practically speaking, it runs in the same vein as green construction like solar energy, hydraulic power, wind energy, and other natural resources."

Luo Nan furrowed his brows into a frown. Tian Si immediately emphasized, "But in my opinion, Senior Sister Qingwen's core idea should inspire hope that an effective influence can be achieved upon grand natural systems through man-made orderly structures of buildings. And the level this sort of influence method involves is incomparable with the traditional meaning of green construction…. In regard to this, Professor Pan possesses what is called an 'eye of heaven and earth' in assessing. It is a mystery of mysteries."

Tian Si had spoken very vaguely. She had yet to research Coupling Design thoroughly. She just cherry picked good-sounding evaluations that other people made to appease Luo Nan, and nothing more.

Luo Nan was well aware of her intentions. He pursed his lips but didn't respond. He had somewhat of an idea, but he wasn't certain. He also didn't want to tell Tian Si.

This seemingly clear yet not clear realization stimulated Luo Nan's heart. It made him itch to tear down that fuzzy wall around it. No matter the answer, it would possess incomparable value for Luo Nan!

Luo Nan took a step forward, and the tip of his nose pressed into the inner wall of protective glass. He strove to look into the distance. Unfortunately, this tiny step was meaningless relative to the distance of a dozen kilometers that separated him from his target. All his eyes could see was still a mere general outline. Not a trace of Gear could be seen.

His eyes were dilated to their limits, and the precision of the resolution of his eyes were still lacking. As for the mental plane, he could only barely probe ahead in the void. The distance he could reach was far from what he needed.

So it came to this. What his vision could see. What his mind could sense. Two different realms. Two different planes. He was unable to precisely locate the target. This put him in quite the tangle, making his mood a mess.

Luo Nan hit the glass with his forehead; he wanted to calm his mood. Then some communications came through on his wristband, causing his wristband to vibrate. He wanted to cut it off, but he shot a glance at his wristband before doing so, and the name that entered his eyes shocked him.

Zhang Yingying.

Luo Nan had nearly forgotten that he had the number of one member of the Society. Part of the reason was because he had no contact with this person for a long time. He heard that Zhang Yingying went behind closed door training in hopes of advancing her White Rainbow by a level.

At that moment, Luo Nan was really not in the mood to deal with Zhang Yingying. But Zhang Yingying had specifically changed channels to contact him during the maintenance period of the Psychic Wave Network. He was afraid it was something urgent.

In the end, he put the call through. Right when he was about to say hello, Zhang Yingying smacked him in the face with some words.

"Where are you? Are you at school?"

Luo Nan was stunned for a bit before replying, "What's going on? I'm not at school. I'm at Cloud City Water Village."

"You're not? Excellent…. Hold on. Cloud City Water Village. That's not too far!" Zhang Yingying’s tone rose in pitch. She urgently asked, "What about Xue Lei? Is he with you?"

Though they were a bit far away from each other, Xue Lei could be considered with Luo Nan.

Luo Nan grunted in affirmation.

Zhang Yingying clearly let out a breath of relief. "What communications mode have you set up in your HexaEar? The Secretary asked me for your communication number, but was unable to put a call through to you. In the end, she even wanted me to pass on her words…. Do you ever make things easy for people!?"

Luo Nan sweated a bit. He had set up the HexaEar's settings in accordance to He Yueyin's proposal to have him concentrate on his cultivation. He set up the HexaEar in the limited communications mode. This made it so that only pre-recorded contacts could call him. He never thought that this would eventually complicate an issue.

Zhang Yingying grumbled a few words, then she deliberately made her tone serious. "Listen carefully to what I'm about to say. I'm passing the Secretary's words to you."

"What's going on?"

"Trouble's here! It's the investigation team from Headquarters. I don't know what information they heard, but someone probably misled them. Right now they fully believe with all their heart that you are a key player in the matter in Frost River Reality, that you know a few secrets. They want to get some information from you. Interrogate you."

"Interrogation? They want to investigate me?" Luo Nan's mood was already quite fretful. He heard all this and couldn't help but laugh. Where the heck did this come from?

"Headquarters always does things very bureaucratically. There's nothing to be surprised about." Zhang Yingying words turned disdainful. Then she snorted. "Of course, these unreasonable requests have all been rejected by President Ouyang. But these people aren't finished with their evil intentions. They are using the high-level privileges they possess to manufacture a malfunction and force the Psychic Wave Network into maintenance…."

"And President Ouyang is just letting them cause trouble?"

"Shut the hell up and listen to me! Time. We don't have the time, do you understand!? You're a noob! You don't even have basic training done! If those elite interrogators get a hold of you, you might cough up everything because you don't understand what's going on!"

Luo Nan asked, baffled, "Hold on a minute. You're saying that they've already come looking for me? They're at the school?"

"You don't say! Why else did we call you on the phone with burning urgency? Right this moment Headquarters has already spread people out, though there are probably reinforcements from our Xia City side. For those people, as long as they don't take your worthless life, it doesn't matter what excessive measures they take. No matter what repercussions could emerge afterwards, President Ouyang and our boss can't go so far as to kill them. They'll get off scot-free."

Zhang Yingying spoke faster and faster, "On the contrary, as long as you're under the protection of our branch, they won't dare to go at things without reservation. They'll avoid letting things go out of hand. Our branch is truly a complete mess from the loss of connectivity with the Psychic Wave Network. We also don't know who can come support you first. Luckily, Xue Lei is there. That fellow's ability is worth placing trust in.

"So you should go find some place crowded, stay there with Xue Lei, and not move. No matter who finds you, you absolutely must not go with them if the Secretary hasn't personally verified that it's okay. If they want to play hardball, let Xue Lei make his killing moves. All you guys need to do is hold out for at most half an hour and things should be fine. Where's Xue Lei? Let me talk to him. I'll make some arrangements."

"...He's somewhere on the phone."

“LUO NAN!”

Zhang Yingying heard Luo Nan's insincerity at last. She suddenly exploded with rage. "Is now the time to be playing around? Even if you're a kid who doesn't understand people, you've joined the Society. Please think like an adult in considering problems, okay? We're not babysitting you to play house with you. You absolutely don't understand the methods of those bureaucrats from Headquarters! You need to get to Xue Lei's side right now! RIGHT NOW!"

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Chapter 152: Activation Class (Part 1/2)

Chapter 152: Activation Class (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

From what Luo Nan could remember, this was the first time Zhang Yingying was truly furious like a raging storm. He was used to her laughing and smiling all the time, without a serious appearance at all. This sudden change was quite shocking.

Luo Nan didn't blame Zhang Yingying for being this emotional. During the Society's training, he chatted a lot with Bamboo Pole and Papercut. Any time the topic involved Headquarters, none of them had practically anything good to say. Luo Nan found this very odd. How could such an organization retain people?

Papercut gave him the answer. It was because of resources, power, less restrictions, and the like. But Papercut also admitted that all these benefits were as weak as a bubble during serious conflicts of interest.

Bamboo Pole's answer was much more flowery. "Not every city is like Xia City."

Xia City certainly had an excellent and large environment, but it was no utopia that transcended worldliness. It could be influenced. Recently, the Headquarters' investigation team roaming in Xia City created an animosity like the one between a chicken and a dog.

What was truly bizarre was the fact that Headquarters was able to seize the chance to act with malicious intent even under the cold processes and underground measures of vigilance arranged by the Xia City branch.

Luo Nan was not prepared to argue with Zhang Yingying. He changed his train of thought while launching his own peculiar ways of connecting with people. He didn't give Xue Lei a call. Instead, he simply unleashed his mental senses.

Fifty or so floors separated him, who was at the viewing platform, from the party location, which was on the eighty-eighth floor. After he calculated, he figured that the distance ran a straight line that was less than a couple hundred meters. This was within the range of his mental senses.

Luo Nan easily found Xue Lei on the floor where the party was being held. Then he gave off a subtle mental vibration, and Xue Lei's martial instincts were immediately on alert. Communication on the mental plane followed after that.

Since the communication was unidirectional, and Xue Lei wasn't used to this method, Luo Nan didn't spend too much time going deep into detail. Xue Lei was able to tell just how serious the situation was, even though Luo Nan was notifying him via this method. He immediately said a few words to Xiu Shenyu, hung up the phone, and rushed to get to Luo Nan.

At the same time, Zhang Yingying slapped her thigh because she didn't hear Luo Nan immediately respond to her. "Do you understand what I'm talking about at all…."

"I already notified Xue Lei. He's heading up here right now. You can give him a call and get in contact with him."

Zhang Yingying was stunned for a moment, then she recollected her meaningless emotions in the blink of an eye and asked, "How many floors away is he? Forget it. I'll just ask him. Also, your mental senses should be activated right now, right? You have a sensing range of eighty meters. That should be enough. Remember, this is a matter of life and death. You must hold on no matter what. You have to keep your eye out for any suspicious targets…. Don't hang up. I'll open parallel communications."

Luo Nan grunted in acknowledgment as he heard the quick exchange between Zhang Yingying and Xue Lei in his ear and as his mental senses noiselessly covered a vast area of a kilometer in radius.

The lustrous landscape of the star river unfurled in his mind.

It covered nearly a hundred and seventy floors from the underground space of Ocean Sky Cloud City and up. The Life Sketches of tens of thousands of livings beings lit layer by layer, formed from stars and filling the sky. They were numerous and close together. In truth, most of these Life Sketches could be ignored. Luo Nan just combed through the areas where his mental senses could not penetrate.

The answer came quickly and was beyond his expectations.

It was the high-speed elevator he was just on…. The elevator next to it. There spiraled a mass of hazy dark mist. A few stars flickered in and out of sight.

Right now, the suspicious elevator had already reached the 130th floor, the office area of some multinational company. Some people had called for the elevator, hence the temporary stop. But soon, the elevator resumed moving upward.

Luo Nan sighed, "Not good."

Zhang Yingying immediately asked, "What happened?"

"Actually, there's someone heading up here. Someone with unknown strength."

"Avoid him. Employ your advantage in sensing. Don't face him head on. If the enemy also has a sensing ability and you can't shake him off, then go inside a crowd. Don't give those guys a chance to make a move."

Luo Nan looked around the viewing platform, and his lips upturned into a silent, wry grin. At present, very few people loitered on the viewing platform. The so-called 'crowd' didn't exist. Even if it did, Luo Nan was absolutely unwilling to use innocent people as shields.

In the end, he casted his gaze up at the darkening sky. No matter what would happen today, it would be hard to unearth any new secrets of Gear. Speaking of which, it seemed that he didn’t inherit an 'intuitive instinct' in his blood…. He was unqualified to be his parents’ son!

Wasn't that right?

The completely unreasonable thought churned the emotions in his heart a few times. He smacked the protective glass hard, giving Tian Si quite a surprise.

"Junior?"

Luo Nan didn't explain what was on his mind to her. He simply said, "We're going."

Tian Si was stunned. Luo Nan was acting very strangely right then, but she was clever and knew wiser than to say anything. She gave a faint grunt and adopted the submissive attitude of a retainer following a lord.

Zhang Yingying also found things strange on her end. "You're leading someone? Who?"

Luo Nan didn't answer. He led Tian Si toward the elevator area with large strides. Taking into account the speed of the elevator, he had a chance to break away from the unidentified fellow.

But he only walked halfway there when new elements appeared within the range of his mental senses.

Luo Nan suddenly stopped walking.

His mental senses were focused inside the crystal pillar. This enormous pillar was a hundred and twenty meters in diameter. It housed thousands upon thousands of species of marine life, but 99% were muddled and hazy in his mental senses. Their Life Sketches were scattered and could simply be ignored.

The sole exception was the devil ray. It was a Mutant with a powerful and dense aura, and it didn't really know how to conceal itself. Most of its Life Sketch revealed itself outside nebulae. It was very eye-catching, standing above the crowd.

Because of this, Luo Nan suddenly discovered that this huge fellow had broken away from the middle-depths region of water it liked to stay in. It was advancing straight up, moving even faster than the high-speed elevator.

Originally, the monster fish was located around thirty floors below the undercover suspicious character. But by the time Luo Nan unleashed his mental clairvoyance, the monster fish's height broke the 130th floor in the blink of an eye. Its speed wasn't slowing down at all!

Luo Nan was more vigilant toward something else though. Next to this large fellow was another mass of hazy dark mist excellently concealing something. If it were not for the brightness of the monster fish’s Life Sketch, occasionally revealing that something's extraordinariness, Luo Nan would have truly neglected it.

This was not some marine being. It was a living person.

This couldn't be good. Luo Nan immediately changed directions and urgently asked, "Are there elevators that don't pass through Heavenly Ocean Lake?"

There were 60 high-speed elevators in Ocean Sky Cloud City. It was a complicated structure. Luo Nan's star river image wasn't particularly apt at discerning inanimate objects. Luo Nan was desperate, so he had asked.

"There are." Tian Si's response was worthy of praise. She had done her homework ahead of time, and it showed. She instantly pointed to the west side of the viewing platform. “The row of them there all are."

"Walk faster. We'll split once we get there."

Tian Si practically went into a small jog from being urged on by Luo Nan. She was a bit out of breath. "Did Ju Maoxun and his gang come up here? Sorry, I was just…."

"It has nothing to do with you." Luo Nan had Tian Si eat her words.

"Wow, you're quite the show off! If you have the mood to talk, you have the mood to walk, okay?" Zhang Yingying pressured him through the call, mocking him. Truth was, she was angry to the point of stomping. "Don't pretend as if you don't have the skills…. Xue Lei, faster!"

Xue Lei's hurried voice could be heard. "I'm coming from the outside."

Luo Nan provided new information with revised positions of him and the enemy. "I reached the west side of the building. I will provide updates at any given time. One enemy is in the central elevator. The other is in the crystal pillar."

While speaking, Luo Nan took out a thumb-sized bottle from his pocket. He unscrewed the cap with a single hand, shook it, and threw it behind him.

The bottle fell to the ground. It sounded like it was empty.

Tian Si was completely lost. She didn't understand what Luo Nan was doing at all. However, Luo Nan spoke over the phone with a tone that was full of the flavor of crisis that soldiers faced before a vicious battle. Luo Nan's voice stabbed into her, causing her to break out in cold sweat.

In the end, Tian Si was an intelligent person who valued her life. She didn't speak, but she secretly opened the communication function of her wristband. She hesitated for half a second as she decided who she should contact before making up her mind.

However, there was no response with the communications.

Tian Si's brain was struck dumb. She walked with a lost mind and didn't look where she was going. Her high-heels didn't land correctly on the steps going down the platform, and she staggered. Luckily, Luo Nan caught her.

Luo Nan extended a helping hand, but his feet didn't stop moving in the slightest. He half-dragged Tian Si as they walked forward. In such circumstances, even if he didn't utter a word, the pressing feeling of danger felt like being wrapped in a thundering rain cloud. It loomed heavy and oppressive, terrifying to one's soul.

Tian Si's face went pale. She spoke not a word as she dimly walked seven steps. Only then did she break free from Luo Nan's support. Her hand grabbed her drawing board deathly tight with a white-knuckled grip.

The two people walked in this manner toward the west side elevator area and encountered quite a coincidence. Luo Nan didn't even press the elevator button, and an elevator just so happened to arrive. The bell rang with a ding!, and the metal doors opened.

Currently, Tian Si's mind was just blank. She simply followed her instinct as she walked forward, but Luo Nan yanked her back. She immediately lost her balance, and her petite figure fell backward onto Luo Nan's shoulder, pushing them both further away from the elevator.

Tian Si gave a faint gasp as the drawing board slipped through her fingers and fell to the ground. The drawing board got stepped on by both Tian Si and Luo Nan as they moved backward. Let alone being dirtied, the drawing board was now cracked.

But at this moment, Tian Si was already unable to deal with these details.

A man slowly walked out after the elevator doors opened. He wore a security uniform, and he wielded a police baton in his hand. The electrical switch was already flipped on, and the baton pulsated with the sound of crackling. This new type of police baton had an 'electric whip' effect. Sparks could be seen flashing around it.

From Tian Si's perspective, the jumping electric arcs truly possessed an enormous deterring might.

He was a security officer. Why wasn't she asking for help?

It was because of this man's face. It made her blood run cold from his strange look. Dilated pupils. Stiff flesh. The snot and tears that ran down. Everything of him looked filled to the brim with terror.

But the corner of the man's mouth split and twitched upward. If one were to just look at this portion, it looked like the man was grinning.

This face had been forcefully jammed with completely opposite emotions. From Tian Si's perspective, this scene was far more horrifying than the devil fish ramming into the crystal pillar a moment ago.

The electric baton was real, to say the least.

"He's gone mad!" Tian Si murmured.

Her voice fell, and a devilish chuckle bubbled from the mad security officer's throat. The man lunged with great force. He charged over, waving the electric baton.

Tian Si let out a gasp of a cry, and she shrank behind Luo Nan. Right after she hid within Luo Nan's shadow, she heard the muffled sound of something heavy smashing to the ground. Then a clattering rolling sound.

Luo Nan's body stood firm, moving not an inch and blocking the space ahead. As Tian Si did her best to calm her breathing, she dimly heard Luo Nan mutter.

"So there is a way to distort consciousness…. How fortunate."

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Chapter 152: Activation Class (Part 2/2)

Chapter 152: Activation Class (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Tian Si couldn't understand what Luo Nan was saying at all. She just saw the mad security guard fall face first to the ground. The police baton fell from the man's hand, and it rolled to their feet.

She instinctively wanted to pick up the baton and use it to protect herself. She bent over, but Luo Nan kicked the baton away.

"Don't waste time. You take this elevator and go first."

Luo Nan urged Tian Si to move faster. Tian Si hesitated slightly, but came out from behind Luo Nan. She was heading right toward the elevator when another ding! rang out. A second elevator arrived, and its position was right next to the previous one.

Tian Si walked a step forward, leading Luo Nan by half a body. She then raised her head and saw the previous scene… but with twice the amount of people. Two security officers wore the same expressions as they came out of the elevator. One of them even wielded a riot gun.

Tian Si stared into the pitch-black muzzle of the gun. Her vermilion lips spread open, but she was unable to utter a sound. Fear was strangling her throat, and this time she didn't have the chance to hide. But because of this, the scene was projected clearly into her pupils which were dilated from fear. The two mad security officers' eyes rolled white, and they fell to the ground.

She made not a sound over the entire course of events. It was as if she turned mute. The people atop the viewing platform had yet to be aware of what happened, but the more things transpired like this, the more the elements of strangeness and mystery seeped into the bottom of her heart.

Tian Si unconsciously covered her mouth with her hand. Her ice-cold palm felt a bit of warmth from her breath. This allowed her to confirm that she still lived in the world of reality. But why? Why was she suddenly thrust into this level of conflict?

Luo Nan didn't have the leisure to ponder the thoughts of a woman. At that point in time, Tian Si became still, unable to move. Luo Nan gave her a light push and said, "Go!"

Tian Si chewed on her lip as she nervously strode two steps forth. But something happened at this moment. She heard the faint sound of the elevator suddenly stopping, and the entire row of elevators' display screens lost their lights.

The power had been cut off. The metal doors automatically closed, blocking Tian Si outside.

Whether it was Tian Si or Luo Nan, both were instantly shocked. Then Luo Nan smiled a mere half a second later. It can’t be discerned whether or not he was laughing. "The enemy is certainly prepared."

His voice hung in the air, and a heavy vibration came passing over. The ground beneath their feet shook slightly. They clearly felt a tremor.

"Earthquake?" This was the first thought that came to Tian Si's mind. Xia City had already endured over a month of earthquakes. But then a second wave of vibration followed closely after. With it came the roaring sound of water, which was clearly coming from the direction of the Heavenly Ocean Lake.

The few tourists on the viewing platform were completely astonished. Some people stuck their heads toward the Heavenly Ocean Lake. Some even walked over.

Tian Si looked that way as well, but she was pulled away by Luo Nan. "Let's go to the fire escape passageway."

Luo Nan no longer placed concern upon the failed elevators. He quickly decided a direction, walked briskly a few steps, and grabbed the confused Tian Si behind him. He wanted her to follow him.

In a daze, Tian Si followed him for a few steps and stepped over one of the collapsed bodies of the mad security officers. This time she didn't stumble, but she was stimulated instead. After all, when things reach an extreme, they could only move in the opposite direction. Her mind became much clearer. She thought of something, stopped moving, and bent over to pick up the riot gun on the ground.

Clang clang.

A foot came streaking across. It brushed against Tian Si's fingertips and kicked the riot gun several meters away.

Tian Si's heart instantly throbbed. All her complicated and chaotic emotions were stuffed in there to the point of exploding. She suddenly stood up and faced Luo Nan with a courage that came out of who knew where. She shouted, but she still subconsciously suppressed her voice. "I need a weapon to defend myself, okay!?"

Luo Nan simply said, "I'm not using it, and you can't use it either."

"Based on what!?"

"I recently took a course that covered situations similar to the one we're in now. Non-combatants shouldn't wield deadly weapons. If they do, the first to be harmed would likely be me."

Tian Si knew that she shouldn't get angry, but she couldn't stand having her dignity trampled on. She raised her voice. "I've taken military training before. I won't hurt you by accident…. Or are you saying, that you're worried that I'll shoot you in the back when you're not looking?"

"With the enemy possessing some kind of control ability, there is always the chance."

Having said this, Luo Nan slightly raised his wrist. He asked through the wristband opened in communications, "The enemy can control normal people, and the controller can have his victims move however he wants. The victims possess strange emotions. What sort of ability is this?"

Zhang Yingying instantly responded with the user of this ability, "It's Puppeteer! He's a member of the investigation team. He’s a master in advanced hypnosis. He has the ability to control living beings with complicated minds. Aside from people, he can control higher intelligent beasts or Mutants, as long as he doesn't get eaten by them."

"He's the one in the crystal pillar. I can confirm it."

Zhang Yingying snorted coldly. "Stay away from that stupid woman if you want to live. You should have split from her from the beginning…."

Luo Nan prompted Tian Si to follow him. Then he laughed. "The enemy has made ample preparations. I may have to deal with a hostage threat situation. It is better for her to be by my side. It gives me peace of mind."

"Are you fond of her?"

"Who knows~? In any case, we should try to avoid risks."

Zhang Yingying choked on her words before angrily saying, "I'm just afraid that you can't protect her, and she becomes a hostage threat like you said."

"That's just a problem of ability."

Luo Nan locked onto two threat targets via his mental senses as he cautiously observed the surrounding situation. At the same time, he talked with Zhang Yingying and devoted a bit of mental energy in watching Tian Si.

Many lines of operation. Many sides to pay attention to. This was a bitter task for anyone, but Luo Nan could handle it. He was able to do all these neatly in a completely non-chaotic manner.

In fact, Luo Nan's brain had truly become much clearer through the last ten days of cultivation. He went through lessons and exchanges with Yueyin, Bamboo Pole, Papercut, and the others. They tacitly wanted him to understand explicitly several matters of common sense and norms. This was to prepare him for times when decisions needed to be made. Which essential elements that needed to be considered. What could be ignored. Luo Nan gained a fixed set of rules regarding this.

There was also his cultivation with the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. Even if he had yet to reach steady progression in it, his accomplishments were already enough to advance his reaction and coordination ability by leaps and bounds. No matter what situation he faced, he would find it much easier than before. He had a fixed set of rules he could follow.

He even devoted a bit of mental effort to Xue Lei. "Leister, steady yourself a bit. Don't charge too fiercely."

"No problem. I'm around the 110th floor. I'll be there soon." Xue Lei's breathing remained relatively steady, but he was clearly in a nervous mood.

Luo Nan calmed him. "No need to be so tense. I've already dealt with three of them. This move of Puppeteer's is useless against me."

He arrived at the fire escape passageway as he spoke. Just as he was about to push the door open, he sensed that something was wrong. His heart lantern of the eyes orifice faintly flashed, and he withdrew his arm immediately. There was a dark green beetle atop the handle of the door. It lashed out with its blade-pincers, seeking to stab Luo Nan's fingers, but missing by a hair.

The blade-pincers had a sharp point, serrated inner edges, and glowed with a lush green. Luo Nan suspected that the result of being stabbed by it wouldn't be pretty.

The strike had missed. The beetle, which was the size of a fist, buzzed, spread its wings, and cleaved down toward his face.

Amid Tian Si's startled cry, Luo Nan swung the loose-leaf folder in his other hand like a fly swatter. It whistled in the air, and the dark green beetle jumped up and avoided it. Then the beetle pounced down, displaying intelligence inconceivable for an insect.

It seemed as if Luo Nan could not block the beetle, having swung with full force and missed. But a thin piece of paper drifted out of Luo Nan's loose-leaf notebook. The paper was within the beetle's attack trajectory, and it transformed in the air. It contracted like a spring and exploded open to reveal a small figure. It flew down from up high with a flying kick to knock the beetle far away.

The sole move exhausted all of its strength, and the small figure fell atop Luo Nan's shoulder. It was a paper man the size of a palm. Its four limbs were of equal sizes, and its face was indistinct. It was just a thin piece of paper, but it adopted a boxing stance. It appeared quite lively in its oddness.

The series of changes happened as rapidly as a falcon swooping down the instant a hare rose. Tian Si only cried out in alarm at this moment.

Things were far from over. The beetle, which was knocked flying, shook a bit before pouncing back over while approximately seven beetles came flying through the slit of the door to the fire escape passageway. They appeared to be cast from the same mold. They buzzed with their wings and zoomed over all at once. They formed an oppressive mass of darkness, and it made one's scalp go numb from simply looking at them.

Luo Nan hurriedly retreated, bringing Tian Si along with him.

A hair earlier, the small paper man atop his shoulder had soared to the skies. It cast the figure of a courageous fighting master as it faced the enemy head on. It possessed no fear as its fists punched and its legs kicked. Its strikes were heavy, for it sent three of the beetles flying one after another, stopping the momentum of the beetle assault.

But no matter how brave and tenacious the small paper man was, it was at a disadvantage in numbers. Its body was in no way inferior to the pack of beetles, but the few were no match for the many. Plus, it didn't possess the ability to fly. It had to push off the beetles in order to stay in the air, so it had limited movement. Soon it was in dire circumstances, and one of its arms was torn off to drift to the ground.

Luckily, the beetles' reactions weren't that keen nor shrewd. The small paper man's aura confused them, and they dropped to the ground to crowd around the arm. The small size of the target made it so that only a few of the beetles could get to it at once. This gave the small paper man time to recover.

Luo Nan continued to withdraw. His gaze never left the small battlefield as he asked, "Is controlling beetles also one of Puppeteer's skills?"

"...." Zhang Yingying didn't immediately respond.

"Hello?"

A sharp honk rang out. Zhang Yingying had smacked down hard, sounding her car's horn. She was rushing over here and was suddenly startled by Luo Nan's words. She couldn't control herself as she furiously said, "It's Black Beetle. That asshole! He has a conscience even smaller than a beetle's."

"Black Beetle?"

Luo Nan recalled that fellow. It seemed that he, Zhang Yingying, Bamboo Pole, and a few others belonged to the same gaming group. During the operation to stop the Human-Faced Arachnid at Limestone Water Village Pub, Black Beetle had left just because he hated the blunt way He Yueyin talked to him. After that event, he received a bad evaluation for his contribution to the operation. He took it out on Luo Nan, calling him on the phone and threatening him.

It was really unknown how Zhang Yingying and the others could play with someone with this personality.

At present, this person had already made his move, and it was made against Luo Nan. Black Beetle’s stance was very clear.

Zhang Yingying went silent for several seconds after speaking. Her voice lowered to a whisper. She didn't mention personal matters; she just said, "Don't look at him as a sorcerer. Pay attention to his close-quarter attacks. His speed isn't fast, but he makes weird changes. He possesses explosive strength, and he has many malicious techniques."

Luo Nan's gaze scanned across the mass of beetles. "That's really bad. Right, is he an activation class?"

"What?" Zhang Yingying didn't understand for a time.

"Soul strength activation. What Papercut is proficient in. Aren't people divided into 'control class' and 'activation class'? He looks quite like an activation class to me."

Zhang Yingying still didn't understand what Luo Nan was getting at. She just said, "Correct, he's an activation class. However, I want you to be wary of his close-quarters attacks. That's what's most effective against you."

"I know."

Luo Nan gave a casual reply, his gaze never leaving the cloud of beetles. At the same time, Luo Nan made a subtle adjustment in the precision of his mental senses. He locked dead on to the owner of the cloud of beetles. The enemy's elevator had already arrived at the 142nd floor.

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Chapter 153: Advantages and Disadvantages (Part 1/2)

Chapter 153: Advantages and Disadvantages (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan's attitude in his response was not what Zhang Yingying wanted out of him at all. She smacked her steering wheel once more. "You're playing things down too d*mn much. Haven't you been taking classes this whole time!? You don't even understand how to analyze the factors in victory or defeat. What are you playing at!? What did the Secretary teach you when all is said and done?"

"I learned a bit. The most basic principle is to analyze the advantages and disadvantages for the enemy and myself. The idea is to play to one's strengths while grasping the enemy's weak points to pressure them into desperation and death. Also…."

"Also?"

"Also, one must have absolute confidence in one's advantages. One absolutely cannot lose their imposing aura."

"That’s just a placebo that bastard Crag Burst poured into you, okay!?"

"It's amazing!"

Luo Nan expressed his admiration very sincerely, but this made Zhang Yingying look upward in anger. She really wanted to lift this kid by the ear and give him a lesson, but now was not the time for nonsense. She could only grit her teeth, suppress her temper, and explain things layer by layer.

"Let me tell you. Your advantages lie completely in long range techniques. And mostly on the mental plane. The Black Beetle you are facing right now knows you in and out. Plus, his strength far exceeds yours. Mental senses and similar foresights are half-useless. You have mental attack techniques, right? They look quite decent, but if the enemy is prepared, it wouldn't be hard for them to execute responsive measures.... They've already gone to this degree, so they won't be scared to put in a bit more effort."

Luo Nan seriously listened to Zhang Yingying's analysis, but he did not express an opinion. In the end, he just hung his head slightly down, closed his eyes, and breathed to adjust his mental state. When he opened his eyes, he simply said,

"I'll do my best not to confront them head on."

"You…."

“I’ve reached the 125th floor," Xue Lei spontaneously interrupted them, reminding them that action was better than talk. Further time wasted on this squabble would allow Black Beetle to come killing over.

"Roger."

Luo Nan gave him a short response. From beginning to end, regardless of Xue Lei or the two dangerous targets, they were all within the range of his senses. Luo Nan grasped each of their actions, and he was even able to estimate specific numbers.

"Puppeteer led the devil ray to ram against the wall. Black Beetle just got out of the elevator. The straight line distance is fifty-five meters and they’re advancing at a uniform velocity. There aren't any routes that are better. Move straight ahead!"

The first part of his speech was directed toward Zhang Yingying. The last three words were an order for Tian Si to dash inside the fire escape passageway. He even gave her a push.

"But, the bugs…." Tian Si's hairs stood on end when she looked at the dozen of ugly beetles piled atop each other. But she was quite strong-willed; her legs didn't go weak.

"Better than dealing with people."

Although he said this, Luo Nan shook his notebook and its pages spread apart, allowing another small paper man to jump out. It traveled outside the pile of beetles to help its companion break down the pressure and caused the battle to become livelier.

Tian Si couldn't laugh at all when seeing this miniature, comical battle. The series of strange events, starting from the mad security officers, gripped her heart from beginning to end. Luo Nan would occasionally cast her a glance, and this made her heart beat faster…. This was mostly because of fear.

But she remembered everything that Luo Nan had said through his wristband. This young man, who was around six years younger than her, didn't hide anything. All his apprehensions and thoughts were open and level. Luo Nan's calmness as he pondered the situation gave off a sense of tolerance and kindness. These attributes showed clearly.

Luo Nan didn't want her to be taken hostage, but this didn't mean that feelings existed between the two. He just wanted to avoid trouble. However, a truly ruthless person wouldn't have considered this at all.

Tian Si thought of 'that person', the person she tried to contact in secret. After the situation escalated, Tian Si had tried countless times to contact that person. The call was unable to go through. She was completely offline. Compared to Luo Nan, that person was more likely to manifest a callous, deep core behind those exquisite features.

It was quite odd for Tian Si to be able to think of all this in such dire circumstances. Perhaps this was a woman's gift?

Several thoughts and emotions churned in her mind before Tian Si let out a self-mocking laugh. A bit of calmness had reappeared in this constantly hazy and confusing situation. She stopped doing meaningless things, like hesitating, doubting, holding her breath, and so on. She cautiously headed straight forward toward the fire escape passageway.

The two small paper men were tangled in a clump with the beetles, but this meant that the path to the fire escape passageway was clear. Luo Nan and Tian Si walked a few paces. A bit of restlessness appeared when they passed the mass of beetles.

Tian Si instinctively shivered, and Luo Nan promptly reminded her. "Don't pay attention to them!"

Tian Si saw that she was only a few steps away from the door to the fire escape passageway. She simply closed her eyes and reached out with her arms. The speed of her legs didn't slow but instead quickened. Her hand touched the door in the span of a breath. The beetles she was so concerned about didn't turn around and come after her. The staircase was dusky, and there weren't more than a few of the beetles.

Luo Nan held the door open behind her, but he didn't go inside. He just faced Tian Si and said, "Head straight down. Don't think about the matter regarding the elevator."

"We're not going together?" Tian Si's words didn't receive a response from Luo Nan at all. The teenager before her eyes had long since turned around to intensely watch the situation atop the viewing platform. His body leaned against the half-opened door. His back was slightly bent so that he could spring into action at any time.

Tian Si hesitated a bit once again, but before Luo Nan could speak, a muffled explosion sounded at the viewing platform. The noise was enough to shake one's heart. Screams weaved within the deep and heavy sound.

A powerful jet of water sprayed from the middle of Heavenly Ocean Lake. The water rushed to the dome above, sweeping all the hanging decorations down to the ground.

What was more shocking was the enormous shadow within the jet of water. It seemed to push off the dome in a flip to heavily land. The pool of water fiercely rushed forth, spraying the surrounding displays. The tourists who were spurred by curiosity to surround the swimming pool and watch the commotion were knocked unsteadily. Some of them even fell into the water. They cried one after another.

The viewing platform was now a chaotic mess.

"He has considerable strength…. You're still not leaving?"

Tian Si watched, stupefied when faced with this scene. Only when Luo Nan reminded her did she finally understand that she was a meaningless character in this scene of crisis. She gritted her teeth, turned around, and hurriedly went down the stairs. Her heels clacked against the ground, and soon she disappeared without a trace.

Puppeteer's methods turned the viewing platform into a complete mess, but the beetles in front of the fire escape passageway became restless as well.

It was as if their intelligence instantly soared up by two levels. Most of the beetles flew up, and this allowed the paper men, who couldn't fly, to dispose of the rest.

The highly intelligent beetles of the bunch broke free from the stupid situation. They seized the opportunity to locate their true target. A dozen pairs of compound eyes locked on Luo Nan standing in front of the door to the fire escape passageway. They made a slight adjustment, buzzed, and swarmed over. The oppressive darkness gave off the vibe of a horror film.

Luo Nan didn't respond immediately. His gaze didn't even rest upon the mass of beetles. His gaze pierced through them to fall onto a certain someone on the viewing platform.

The imposing aura of the devil ray made the viewing platform a complete mess. Of the crowd of tourists, some held their heads in their hands. Some ran away. There were a few unfortunate people who were struggling in the water.

Only Luo Nan had his gaze rested on that person. The man wore black clothes that gave off the air of an investigator. He paired them with a gaudy tie, and he had one hand in his pocket. He sauntered over and was on a completely different wavelength than the other people on the viewing platform.

Although his pace was leisurely, his speed was actually extremely fast. It was as if he possessed a technique that shrank distance. He displayed outstanding body control and coordination.

This man was none other than Black Beetle.

Currently, Black Beetle and Luo Nan were merely forty meters apart from each other. A trained and experienced ability user could easily identify the target at this distance.

Black Beetle blasted Luo Nan with a laugh. The rainbow stripes engraved on his black teeth sent an aberrant and sinister force through the air.

The assaulting swarm of beetles had their speed increased by several dozen percent.

Luo Nan’s eyes closed halfway, and the imminent crisis seemed to blur with a layer of mist. His vision wasn't clear, but his heart lantern shimmered within the shrine that was his brain, revealing the flying trajectory of every beetle and even predicting their movements.

The trajectories crossed and extended, as an invisible spider web was laid out.

Luo Nan was situated in the center of this spider web. Any movement made by any beetle was reflected in his mind. They crawled on this spider web.

The beetles slowed down when they hit the spider web.

It wasn't that the beetles' speed had reduced; the beetles' extent of movement was lowered by a level thanks to the predictive nature of Luo Nan's judgment and awareness.

This was a newly learned skill. This was an application of the heart lantern of the eyes orifice.

At the same time, this skill had fused into his innate mental senses and was displaying its utility.

The flying beetles were just as Luo Nan had judged. Realistically speaking, they were no different than his paper men on the ground. They were all merely mediums of the activation of soul strength. They were core vehicles. They were operational structures of energy and information.

Under the clairvoyance of Luo Nan's mental senses, the special configurations of each and every beetle's body were revealed. There existed a slight difference with the pyramid shape he was most familiar with, but Papercut's lectures had touched upon several of those fundamental morphing patterns.

Therefore, on the plane visible to the naked eye, the changing core structure of the numerous beetles was tied to a certain rhythm. All this entered Luo Nan's clairvoyance. Not a hair was missing as they were projected into his mind.

And so, Luo Nan's mental senses blended together with the illumination of his heart lantern. The spider web originally involved only the movement of material bodies, but several more facets were incorporated all of a sudden. They were numerous and close together, and they piled layer upon layer.

The beetles' flying assault immediately slowed by a factor once more.

In the realm of reaction, being slower by a beat was tantamount to being slower by a world of difference. Luo Nan's situation was far more extreme.

Various changes caused synchronized reactions to form in the control center of Luo Nan's body, and Luo Nan performed responses in accordance to the level of danger. Luo Nan stepped to the side, let go of the door to the fire escape, and added a bit more force to the automatic spring of the door.

This was a series of simple actions. The rarest thing about them was how clear it was. It wasn't messy at all, and it had a leisurely air to it. It was the embodiment of full body coordination.

Half of the results of Luo Nan's ten days of cultivation in the heart lantern of the eyes orifice lay in here.

The door heavily closed, and the beetles’ inability to dodge in time through the glass of the door could be witnessed. They collided into the door, sounding like the pelting of hail. The sound was quite crisp.

Of course, this wasn't enough to stop them.

Although these beetles weren't made of steel, a few impacts like these weren't enough to hurt them. Luo Nan wasn't hoping for this blow to be successful; he just wanted to use the door to block them as he ran down the stairs.

He still had his eyes half-closed as he ran. The invisible spider web revolved around him in the void.

There it was right above him on the mental plane he was oh so familiar with. A vicious and ugly shadow heeded his call and emerged by his side. It was in the center of the spider web as well. Its six eyes circulated with light as it absorbed information in all directions. It was the executioner that took out the three mad security officers a moment ago.

Human-Faced Arachnid.

It unleashed its siege hammer attack in the next instant.

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Chapter 299: Advantages and Disadvantages (Part 2/2)

Chapter 299: Advantages and Disadvantages (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

The Human-Faced Arachnid Luo Nan wielded wasn't a native type. Its origins lay in the Faith Products developed by the Order of Justice. Luo Nan had personally made a high-imitation version of it later on. The one he had made and used back in Faith Product was quite convenient. Unfortunately, An Weng had destroyed it.

Luo Nan had forgotten about this matter with the passage of time. Before returning back to work, Fairchild actually had someone deliver a small bottle of raw materials to Luo Nan. Luo Nan didn't know what Fairchild was thinking; he didn't expect this at all. This bottle was the same metal bottle Luo Nan had thrown to the ground a moment ago. Of course, the practical application of infusing the substance in the bottle with some negative emotions was not hard at all for Luo Nan.

It wouldn't be easy for Luo Nan to summon his first Human-Faced Arachnid, the Wraith Sign, for it was within the Bloodflame Order. The imitation Human-Faced Arachnid Luo Nan just made could serve as a substitute.

Earlier, the Human-Faced Arachnid followed along Luo Nan's mental senses in locking on to all threat targets. The reason why it didn't make a move was because of a shaky feeling Luo Nan had when observing via the Life Sketches. It was like the premonition an experienced hunter got right before they pulled the trigger.

As matters stood, no matter how bad Luo Nan's premonition was, now was not the time for hesitation.

With a mere thought, the Human-Faced Arachnid spewed an invisible seismic wave. It went through the insects lacking the light of intelligence and penetrated the barrier that was the fleshly body to bombard against Black Beetle's pressing soul.

The attack struck dead on. A spasm could be seen upon the beetles' bodies, and the approaching man slowed a bit, but that was all. He became stunned for only a moment before his head tilted a bit to the side. The gaze behind those sunglasses seemed to be able to penetrate through the structure of the building and fall on Luo Nan's body.

Alright, Zhang Yingying's jinx had come true. Luo Nan's long range attack wasn't effective.

This wasn't a rare occurrence. Luo Nan encountered many instances where the siege hammer attack was ineffective. The Human-Faced Arachnids wreaked havoc in Xia City for nearly a month, and effective means to counter them were gradually known. Various powers centered on the many functions that the Human-Faced Arachnids yielded. The Order of Justice was even able to produce Faith Products. It was very plausible that others had prepared similar mental defenses against the Human-Faced Arachnid.

Luo Nan was startled for only a moment. He didn't get dismayed or flustered. At that moment, he already reached the 141st floor. He slightly hesitated in the stairwell before walking out of the fire escape.

No other people could be seen on this floor. The lit public areas of this building were mostly centered on the crystal pillar, emitting a dreamlike deep blue light. Luo Nan's gaze glanced over. The water rippled with waves, not at all still, but the magnitude of the vibrations had lessened. No image of the devil ray could be found within Luo Nan's field of vision.

Luo Nan's thoughts spun in his head. His feet didn't stop as he walked straight forward along the edge of the crystal pillar. He moved quickly toward the elevators of the central area. The series of movements consumed quite the amount of physical energy. His breathing became a bit unsteady.

Luo Nan just reached the middle area of the crystal pillar when two loud thuds sounded out in the stairwell behind him. The sliding doors opened up a mere two seconds later, and Black Beetle walked out with large strides, wearing a suit. He let out a sharp whistle in mockery.

Luo Nan immediately turned around to look at this man head on.

Black Beetle's external appearance wasn't a surprise to Luo Nan. Luo Nan had long since memorized this man's facial details very clearly through the use of his mental senses. If Luo Nan had to say that something was different about this man, he would point out the flying group of beetles revolving around the man's body, as well as the two paper men squeezed in his hand.

Clearly, it was hard to use the paper men effectively against an ability user like Black Beetle.

Black Beetle's feet didn't stop moving. The flesh of his face half-covered by sunglasses pulsated in movement. His lips split to reveal black teeth engraved with lines. Luo Nan was stupefied for a moment before understanding that this was Black Beetle's smile. "We meet for the first time, kid. I did make an appointment with you before…."

"The curses and words of tasteless trash venting through the phone." Luo Nan was quite frank in telling Black Beetle his impression of him.

Having his self-introduction be interrupted, a green air sudden spawned upon Black Beetle's face, and the patterns on his black teeth moved back and forth. At the same time, Black Beetle exerted force with his fingers, kneading the dying paper men. Soon, they lost their shapes as they were ground to dust, and the dust fell between Black Beetle's fingers.

Luo Nan's eyes twitched. Ten days of bitter effort, half-gone.

Black Beetle clapped his hands upon seeing what Luo Nan was looking at, flicking off the last scraps of paper. His gaze looked straight at Luo Nan from behind a pair of sunglasses. "You have quite the quick tongue. However... activation class? I heard that you have problems with your interference ability in hitting stagnation? The intelligence people are really quite a joke."

Luo Nan didn't talk. Right then, his vision covered Black Beetle and the flying beetles surrounding him. The heart lantern of his eyes orifice and his mental senses functioned simultaneously. They were analyzing and predicting all this time.

While his mind focused on observation, Luo Nan moved back. He faced Black Beetle as he walked backward at a moderate pace. His actions would normally appear comical, but his movements looked fluid and easy. This was the result of bodily coordination.

Luo Nan certainly wouldn't have been able to do such actions ten days ago.

The marvels of cultivating in the eyes orifice lay in here.

Cultivating in the eyes orifice wasn't simply cultivating in the eyes; it cultivated the entire body. According to Gym Master Xiu, it was the beginning of whole body cultivation. Its application allowed the essentials to be brought out. Ten days of focused training, and though hard indicators like Luo Nan's power, speed, and so on didn't really increase, his levels in integration, coordination, control, and similar abilities produced clear increases.

Even Black Beetle raised his eyebrows when he saw Luo Nan's ability. "That robotic woman really put in the time and energy to teach you, eh? Is it because you brought her to ecstasy with your tongue?"

The words digressed miles away from the topic, making Luo Nan's eyelids twitch when he heard them. But Luo Nan's observing and retreating rhythm remained calm and unbroken. He was only ten meters away from the side edge of the central crystal pillar. The elevator area was just a turn away from there.

Black Beetle twisted his neck. His feet seemed to slow, but in fact they quickened. He spoke as he strode, "What are you running for? Don't you remember? I said that we will slowly play together! One must be a man of his word and be resolute in his work. This has always been my motto…."

Regardless of how Black Beetle goaded, provoked, and teased Luo Nan, Luo Nan made up his mind to not say a single word. He knew that the show had yet to begin. He was happy to encounter this situation, for Xue Lei had already broken through the entrance to the 130th floor. Only forty to fifty meters of straight line distance remained between them.

However, ascending stairs and running were different in difficulty. Plus, the disparity between Luo Nan's and Black Beetle's speeds was very apparent. With just a few steps, Black Beetle could close the distance by around thirty meters.

Luo Nan blinked and looked through half-lidded eyes. The scene in front of him blurred a bit.

The way Black Beetle advanced forward appeared normal, but it was in fact bizarre and paradoxical. A prelude could be seen in any micro-movement in the shoulder, hip, waist, and back. Then there was his vigorous aura of life and the self-formed layout of his Self-Logic. All these details have been concealed from the life sketch all this time. It gave Luo Nan quite a bit of trouble in judging analytically.

Luo Nan's spider web became much more complicated due to Black Beetle's existence. The energy consumption it required endlessly increased.

Black Beetle's voice cut through in a timely manner. "Are you sure you want to keep running? Sure, sometimes the intelligence people are a joke, but sometimes they're useful as well. I know. The range of your mental senses is outstanding. And you have good mental attacks. Now you also have activation class skills…. However, the information about your body and soul imbalance, about how your body is at its limits. This information should be correct, right? Kid. Do you feel your fingers becoming numb, a burning sensation all over your body, or aches in various places of your body?"

Luo Nan's eyelids twitched once more, but this wasn't merely due to Black Beetle's words. It was also because the distance between him and Black Beetle had shrunk to a twenty-meter juncture. For an ability user, they were a mere jump away from each other!

Black Beetle spoke even more leisurely, while the pressure given off by his movements continued to rise. "You're just like the classic story of Cheng Yaojin and his three axe strokes. You only have a few moves, and though you may gain the upper hand in the beginning, you have nothing else once those moves are exhausted. Everyone can see what those moves are. Have you calculated the factors that determine victory and defeat before? Calculating the causes of victory, and the causes of defeat. Calculating advantages and disadvantages. Actually, you don't need to lick that robotic woman. I, Grandfather of Insects, can give you a hands on teaching…. Oh, the eyes. It's your eyes, right? They're going to burst a blood vessel!"

A vibrant scarlet red glistened within Luo Nan's half-closed eyes. It was just as Black Beetle said; the veins surrounding Luo Nan's eyes were about to rupture.

The heart lantern of the eyes orifice when used in conjunction with mental senses yielded great results.

The trajectories of movement on the material plane. The control source on the mental plane. Two interacting structures of energy and information. Homologous elements on different planes. All these interfered with and affected one another. Only by using a way to integrate them could the most comprehensive form be manifested. This was rather useful in increasing the cultivation progress of the eyes orifice and was shown when observing the fish in the party venue.

But this inseparably close relationship had quite the hidden danger for Luo Nan's current cultivation situation. Luo Nan’s cultivation during these past few days was always filled with the sense of danger. He failed to take this into account during this critical juncture.

Now, after today's events, the hidden danger began to reveal itself. The most direct was the most fatal. It was the limit to how much his body could bear.

Black Beetle believed that the crucial moment had come. A grotesque chuckle bubbled out of his throat. "We can continue to play, or we can simply get to the point. Why don't you tell me what you saw in the Logic World?"

The question slashed through the air at Luo Nan. It made Luo Nan, whose eyes were deep at their limits of suffering, have his mind throb with a thought.

That was a very secret matter that only a few people knew about. How did information about it leak out?

It was during this moment of distraction that Black Beetle seized his chance.

He never expected Luo Nan to simply spit out the answer. Even if he had spoken and acted in an oppressive manner, it was all for seizing this opportunity for a single strike.

His figure suddenly blurred, and the swarm of beetles surrounding his body flashed. Even Zhang Yingying would want to praise this show of explosive power. In an instant, Black Beetle crossed a distance of nearly twenty meters to seize Luo Nan's face with his hand.

Luo Nan saw that only an arm separated them, and an attack was unleashed on the mental plane.

"Using up the last of your limited abilities." Black Beetle had expected Luo Nan's method of response. This baby kid could only do a few things time and time again, since the beginning.

He had long since prepared to take on Luo Nan's attack. He had deliberately reinforced himself with a protective spell before mobilizing. He could withstand at least five similar attacks in total.

Black Beetle stared, focused at Luo Nan's eyes. He hoped that the high pressure would cause Luo Nan's veins to rupture in the moment of the kid's fear and despair. He wanted to see the blood gush out!

He would use the HexaEar to capture the wonderful footage. Then he would send it to that robotic woman when he got back. He would send it to all those who sucked up to this kid, and to his old friends.

The attack on the mental plane made contact with the spell-formed protective net in the next instant. Black Beetle had his desires fulfilled. He saw the corner of Luo Nan's eyes flow with blood.

His lips split open to greet this occurrence with a smile.

Oh, hold on!

The instinct and insight Black Beetle had tempered through hard work and time sensed something strange. The mental attack didn't act as expected when it made contact with his protective spell. It didn't intertwine with this cushion and transform into nothingness…. Instead, a strand of wind, even more intangible than a ray of light, flared inside him.

The wind passed through the gap, and light illuminated the earth below.

Penetratingly bright light shown for a time. Unblockable and unstoppable.

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Chapter 300: Only I know (Part 1/2)

Chapter 300: Only I know (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Black Beetle could be considered a mentally enhanced ability user. Even if he didn't really have a gift for sensory observation, he possessed basic common knowledge regarding it.

Naturally, Black Beetle would find reaching the level of a penetrating bright light, something unblockable and unstoppable, with his sensory observation to be an excellent thing. The problem lay in the fact that he had become a target of observation via mental senses. The observation of his entire body could be compared to wind leaking through and rain seeping in. Every detail of his body and mind, from the inside to the outside, could be seen…. This was enough to drive him crazy!

This was what Black Beetle was feeling right now.

Looking at the situation from a realistic and understandable level, Luo Nan's face was within the grasp of his palm. Black Beetle just needed to reach out ever so slightly, and he would be able to tear the skin off the kid's face. But as soon as that unblockable and unstoppable feeling emerged, he truly felt that winds were penetrating his body from all directions. He couldn't suppress the feeling of weakness that instantly swept across his entire body.

What the heck was going on?

Black Beetle found it difficult to figure out this sudden change within a short period of time. He looked through the slits between his fingers, and the only thing he saw was Luo Nan's eyes oozing with blood. Those pupils had slightly dilated. They were unfocused. They didn't move at all. They appeared a bit lifeless.

He had just reached this conclusion when Luo Nan's eyes moved. The messy rays of light converged a bit, and a faint gleam of light locked with his gaze.

The glimmer was akin to needles; penetrating with a force like threads.

The subtle piercing force prickled Black Beetle's thick skin. At most there was an instant of pain, but the force felt like it pierced into his eyeballs, into his heart, and into his brain. There were certainly other consequences.

This was what Black Beetle felt.

Black Beetle couldn't form any protection against being riddled with holes. And the force of the piercing needles moved unimpeded, unhindered. The force exploited his weakest and most fatal locations, messing with them!

In an instant, Black Beetle felt a thunderous pain. The pain exploded within the skull of his brain, and it rapidly spread out. It was impossible to control once it had started.

Black Beetle howled in pain, his eyeballs nearly bulging out of his eye sockets. The colors of black and red interlaced, turning his vision into a sheet of chaos. His mind instinctively flooded with fear, but his many years of life-threatening combat experience continued to spur him. He seized all the courage he could muster, and he did his best to probe with his hand. His intent was to grab the mischievous kid in a single move.

He was just a fist away… but his fingernails, coated with poison, grasped only air.

A fruitless attack, and Black Beetle's body continued to rush forward. Only then did he realize all the things going on in his body while he was doing his high-speed assault. Pain exploded. His senses were confused. There were changing stimulations to his nervous system. All this made the equilibrium of his body a complete mess.

"F***!"

His extended fingers swiped across the hard wall. Then his wrist bent to the corner of the wall. Next, his head and body collided into the wall.

In the end, Black Beetle's entire body had smacked into the wall of the elevator area. His body failed to react completely due to the assault of intense pain. He had smashed into the wall hard without even an ounce of cushioning. He then slid to the ground. The sunglasses that covered his face had snapped.

Only at this point did the pain somewhat alleviate in his brain. However, the feeling of the impact to his fingers, wrist, head, and body came next. This wave of pain was nothing much when compared to the last, but the feeling of disgrace of smacking into the wall and falling to the ground was like having sulfuric acid splashed to his chest and sprayed all over his head and face.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" A burning and corroding heat proliferated outward with Black Beetle's howl. At the same time, he threw down his deformed sunglasses, which he had crushed with his hand.

He ignored his vision, which was still chaotic, as well as his terrible sense of balance. He used the wall as support while he struggled to stand up. He waved his arms, venting, and controlled the beetles to fly in all directions. However, everything he did was useless. He was unable to touch even a hair of Luo Nan's.

No. I need to calm down. I need to calm down!

Feelings of anger and fear entwined and undulated with the series of failed attacks. There was a trough in this wave emotions, and Black Beetle seized it. He went all out in calming his mind as he tried to break free from his completely horrible state.

He leaned against the wall while trying to call out to his temporary partner, "Puppeteer! Puppeteer! ...F***!"

Before Puppeteer could respond, the prickling feeling came back again. But this time, pain didn't come to him. A faint sound, from who knows where, came instead.

No, it was a telepathic thought!

Black Beetle smashed the wall behind him with a hand. His heart was filled with hate but also near-inescapable fear.

Powerful people with formidable soul strength and mastery of techniques could indeed transmit thoughts to others in a unidirectional manner. But most of the time, this could only occur during states of peace. In true battles of life and death, the mind must be stretched taut and the opponent must be highly prepared. This sort of unidirectional imbuing of thought would certainly suffer a great deal of interference. It was practically impossible to realize while maintaining the integrity and accuracy of the transmitted information.

But right now, a sound rang within Black Beetle's brain. There was a bit of noise at the very beginning, but it grew clearer and clearer.

"...Factor analysis. I've learned it before."

Luo Nan expressed his thought telepathically to continue the topic they were 'discussing' a moment earlier. Namely, the topic of analyzing factors in victory or defeat.

Black Beetle had undoubtedly raised the topic to mock Luo Nan and mess with his emotions. But now, Luo Nan bounced the topic back at Black Beetle, stuffing Black Beetle's brain bit by bit.

"The advantages I've analyzed for victory are different than yours. You see:

"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.

"Lastly, I have come to a conclusion. My superiority lies outside of your deficient imagination!"

The broad and uniform sentences of information were done in a somewhat shaky manner, having been pieced together on the fly. But the cruel ridicule came permeated within Luo Nan's distant telepathic thought, branding into Black Beetle's mind.

Crack! Black Beetle crushed one of his back molars. Then his mood followed his crushed tooth with a spray of blood.

"I'LL F*** YOU BACK EIGHT GENERATIONS!"

Black Beetle's crude cursing and his boiling blood was incapable of drowning out the bone-chilling wind in his mind. He understood the situation well. Luo Nan's projected telepathic thoughts weren't that powerful; they were like strands of silk. But no matter what defensive and protective means Black Beetle used, they were unable to interfere with Luo Nan's telepathy at all.

This thread of telepathy could come as it pleased and could stay as it pleased. It wantonly smeared a drawing to be engraved in Black Beetle's mental plane. Such an ability seemed inhuman. It completely affirmed the ability that was akin to a penetrating bright light, unblockable and unstoppable.

Black Beetle could not suppress his fear and shame. They were like two swords stabbing in and stabbing out. They took turns stabbing him and cutting him, shredding his dignity beyond recognition.

If just a little bit of force was added... just a little...

Ding!

The sound that indicated the arrival of an elevator rang by Black Beetle's ear. Black Beetle had somewhat recovered from the intense pain and chaotic vision by now. He dimly saw, through the corner of his eye, a faint figure flit past him, and soon the elevator door closed again.

A sound no longer came from Luo Nan.

The changes in details were like a sudden foreshadowing emerging, and it made Black Beetle's mind jolt. A certain thought spawned in his mind. If that kid can truly get rid of me that easily, there's no need to push himself until his eyes start flowing with blood. Plus, he spewed a bunch of nonsense.

Though Black Beetle had these doubts, he was unable to think further. He staggered half a step, turned his body, and looked toward the elevator. He merely saw the elevator door close and head downward.

He looked around with his somewhat fuzzy vision. The elevator area was spacious and empty. It was just empty space all around. Luo Nan's figure wasn't there at all.

Yes, Luo Nan just needed to add a bit more force and he would be done for…. That f**king kid has a problem with his interference ability. Black Beetle was able to deal with the purely mental attack, but Luo Nan probably couldn't even muster the force to affect Black Beetle's body and soul structure.

"F*** ME!"

Black Beetle let out another round of cursing as he smashed into the elevator door. But all he did was cause a dent in the metal plate. The elevator indicator was already showing changes in the floor number.

He stopped hesitating and shook his head fiercely. He locked onto the fire escape that ran on the outer side of the corridor. He rushed over in a few steps, rammed the door to the stairwell open, and jumped down the narrow gap between the flight of stairs.

At the same time, he tried making contact with his companion once more. "Puppeteer? Say something if you're still alive!"

"Tsk. That kid is too sneaky. I nearly choked to death in the water. I almost lost my puppets." Puppeteer's voice finally came through in a bout of cursing. “Snake Tongue’s protective spell isn't worth sh*t…."

"This is his last move," Black Beetle spoke through gritted teeth. "He doesn't have the energy to follow up, so he fled! He certainly can't last long. Keep an eye on elevator number fifteen."

“I'm looking... It stopped! On the 133th floor!" In the crystal pillar, the devil ray ran by the high-speed elevator's side.

Black Beetle didn't slack as well. He used his elbow to push off the railings. His body flipped, and he accurately stopped at the 133th floor. He charged into the door to the building and went in.

Within the elevator room, in front of elevator number fifteen, stood a white-collared worker. The elevator door opened. It was none other than this person who had caused the elevator to stop.

This white-collared worker was given a scare by Black Beetle charging out from the fire escape. The white-collared worker had just turned his head, and Black Beetle moved like a phantom to seize the worker's body. Black Beetle extended his hand to the worker's head and fiercely slammed the worker into the metal door.

Blood immediately flowed from the white-collared worker's head, and he fainted.

"Thanks for the help."

Black Beetle spat out these words without a trace of sincerity as he curled his lips into a grin. His expression grew all the more malevolent, and the aura around his body practically burned. The tie wrapped around his neck appeared like a living snake as it slipped out of the collar of his suit. Upon the tie, one of the beetle patterns inexplicably squirmed and budged out. It turned into a real beetle and crawled along the tie.

As soon as Black Beetle would see Luo Nan, he would tie Luo Nan up with his tie and shove the poisonous insect down Luo Nan's throat. Screw whether Luo Nan lived or died!

The elevator, which was automatically controlled by a computer program, was not concerned at all about the situation outside. It arrived at its destination and its door automatically opened.

Black Beetle leaned forward and was about to move.

But the elevator was absolutely empty. Not a trace of a person could be found.

No, there was something…. A paper man.

There was only this piece of work that was the size of a palm. It was of the same make as the two paper men Black Beetle had ground to pieces earlier. It possessed no fear, and it had stood there all this time since the elevator call button was pressed. It stood on the wooden floor of the elevator, holding a fighting stance.

"SCREW YOU ****!"

The string of reason within Black Beetle's mind snapped just like that. He simply reached out with his palm and let out a tyrannical strength, disregarding how much pain his hand was in. He crushed the paper man into pieces.

"He didn't go down! He went back to the viewing platform!" Within the crystal pillar behind Black Beetle, the devil ray ascended rapidly. Puppeteer gestured to Black Beetle through the protective glass, indicating that he was going up.

The gesture was extremely normal to do, but it was an absolute mockery from Black Beetle's perspective. Black Beetle still wasn't able to understand what exactly happened to him. He just knew that Luo Nan had played him.

It was just as the strand of telepathy Luo Nan had left and imprinted on his mental plane.

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!

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHH!"

Black Beetle punched out in madness, and the metal door of the elevator deformed from the smash. It could no longer close and was stuck in place. Harsh alarm lights lit up.

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Master of the Stars

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Chapter 301: Only I know (Part 2/2)

Chapter 301: Only I know (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

The viewing platform had been quite a lively place—a complete mess with all the tourists. This was caused by the devil ray breaking through the Heavenly Ocean Lake. Some of them had left. Some police had arrived. And there were some who had stayed because they wanted to watch the fun.

But when Luo Nan returned back up to the viewing platform, all sounds in the area were completely gone. There were a few dozen people collapsed everywhere; they were unconscious.

No need to be puzzled. The person who did all this was Luo Nan himself.

According to what Luo Nan learned during his lessons, the site must be evacuated before ability users clash. Multiple variables would make the situation complex, causing additional trouble. Of course, there were those who would deliberately cause chaos for their own benefit. However, Luo Nan believed that he wouldn't be able to harden his heart during crucial moments and do things decisively.

Luo Nan didn't forget that he was facing a 'Puppeteer'. This person could remotely control intelligent life forms. As soon as they fight, any clear-headed person would likely become his shield.

Luo Nan considered himself a rookie when it came to facing an enemy in battle, so he had to execute the teachings his seniors imparted to him with meticulousness.

However, an experience 'senior' had truly been stunned by his series of actions and their results.

"How did you do it!? Just how!? How!? Hahaha!" Zhang Yingying smacked her steering wheel in her excitement. The sharp vibrations of the horn could even be heard by Luo Nan on the other side of the call.

Zhang Yingying had held back a belly full of words during Luo Nan and Black Beetle's confrontation and exchange. She wanted to curse at Black Beetle, but also wanted to calm and warn Luo Nan. However, she knew fully well that Luo Nan was facing a situation in a completely vulnerable position. Any little unexpectedness during a crucial moment of life or death might lead to catastrophe.

She could only suppress her concerns and resist opening her mouth with great difficulty. It was so much that she began worrying about Xue Lei. She didn't want to cause something bad to happen through good intentions and agitate Luo Nan's foe.

This internal conflict was more torturous than fighting a powerful enemy in person. This lasted until the situation settled, and Zhang Yingying couldn't hold it back any longer. She took her belly full of air and exploded it forth.

Zhang Yingying's shock and surprise spurred on Xue Lei, who was hard at work going up the stairs. He took a few deep panting breaths and commended Luo Nan, "Beautifully done, Nanster! Leave the rest to me. I'll be there soon…."

Luo Nan laughed as he wandered around the edge of the viewing platform. "We have plenty of time. Take a breather. Don't get knocked down as soon as you get here."

Xue Lei panted. “Relax. There aren't any problems."

Xue Lei was worried that he was adversely influencing Luo Nan just now. He rushed desperately up the stairs and nearly choked on his breathing. Though he had 'obtained his sign', his body still felt strained.

Of course, the fact that Luo Nan was alright was better than anything. Xue Lei's mood relaxed, and it didn't take long for him to adjust his state.

"Yo yo yo, Luo! I'm asking you!" Zhang Yingying excitement and complaints didn't lessen a bit. She smacked the steering wheel of her car, causing the horn to blare to the heavens. "Hurry up and tell me! How did you toy with that bug into being this miserable? That guy is a genuine megalomaniac, but he's no fool."

Luo Nan was able to feel the pure joy that brimmed from the bottom of Zhang Yingying's heart. It must be said that Black Beetle could be considered an old acquaintance of hers. However, Zhang Yingying stood firmly by Luo Nan's side in this moment. Her stance was clear, never wavering at all. Luo Nan rather enjoyed this feeling of approval.

He thought for a bit before giving a serious reply, "I put on a proper attitude and utilized my advantages to kill in a single blow. Unfortunately, there's still problems with my interference ability. I can only buy a bit of time."

"Kill in a single blow…. Certainly, Crag Burst must have taught you this. Am I right?"

"Yes," Luo Nan admitted.

It was strange, now that he thought about it. In the course of the past few days, He Yueyin, Bamboo Pole, and Papercut were all inclined toward technical and intellectual fields, the rarely touched upon strategies for facing enemies. When it was Crag Burst's turn to teach, Crag Burst had a stomach full of energy from being one of the last teachers; his section had been pushed back in the teaching schedule due to the issue with Luo Nan's interference ability. The few instances they got together were all long sessions. The topic always revolved around actual combat, and this gave Luo Nan a bit of practical experience.

Crag Burst had told him that the most important thing in facing a foe in combat was to have the right attitude. Whether the attitude was calm or a hot-blooded one, one must find an attitude that best fitted one's self. It might not be the most effective or the most thorough, but it was the most stable. It could withstand much more variables.

In short, this attitude was a sort of irrevocable conviction. It could only be built atop the biggest and most irreplaceable advantages leading to victory. In extreme terms, people who possessed this mindset would think the following:

The enemy could defeat me, but the enemy would never be able to defeat me in my area of expertise!

Luo Nan followed this principle and first verified his field of dominance.

"Yo, you're quite the bold fool. Crag Burst and you aren't the same type at all, okay?"

Zhang Yingying had a deep understanding of Crag Burst's temperament, so she found what Luo Nan said very hard to believe. Luo Nan, you're a formulaic type. Can your small physique withstand playing with warriors in mortal conviction? Plus...

"What about your advantages? Mental senses and attacks, are they useful at all?"

"Why are my advantages limited to just these?" Luo Nan felt a bit helpless. In the case of factors in victory and defeat, regardless of it being Zhang Yingying or Black Beetle, everyone had their minds set on his superiorities being his sensing distance and mental attacks.

But Luo Nan never believed this was so.

The world had powerful people in large numbers. There were certainly people stronger, probably very much stronger, than Luo Nan in regard to his mental sensing ability in terms of precision and range, no matter how outstanding it was. This was certainly also the case with the intensity of the mental attack power of the fierce siege hammer attack he relied on the Human-Faced Arachnid for. This sort of externally circulating advantage would be directly broken through by someone sooner or later.

His superiority could only be established upon an irreplaceable element unique only to him.

"You still have hidden cards?" Zhang Yingying gave off a hint of skepticism. She felt she had quite an understanding of Luo Nan, so she couldn't think of the card Luo Nan had played to be able to toy with Black Beetle to the point that Black Beetle wished he was dead. "I heard you learned some skills from Xue Lei's teacher. Thinking about it, this teacher must be quite out of the ordinary to be able to produce a disciple like Xue Lei. But in just a days…. Hey, Xue Lei, kid. What sort of quick tricks did your master teach?"

Xue Lei had already caught his breath while Luo Nan and Zhang Yingying were talking. His breathing calmed quite a bit, and he answered, "It's the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. It's not a technique that can be quickly learned. Techniques regarding the eyes can only... oh god!"

Zhang Yingying also realized something at practically the same time. She was unable to hold back from asking Luo Nan the details of his mysterious victory. She spoke with a pressing tone, "Black Beetle said that the veins of your eyes burst. You didn't use a forbidden technique, did you? Are you okay?"

"I'm alright." Luo Nan used his knuckles to lightly rub the corners of his eyes. He could still feel pain in his eyes, and they still flowed with blood, but these were all a bit less than before.

The more Luo Nan downplayed his situation, the less Zhang Yingying dared to watch idly. She smacked her car's horn once more. Her excitement and elation was nearly exhausted. All that was left were anxiety and worry. "Ignorant children will be ignorant children. Your eyes! You think you can go blind in a place like this!? Hey, didn't your teacher warn you when he was teaching you?"

Xue Lei spoke unhappily, "The heart lantern of the eyes orifice is like grinding with water. It is a gradual method. There are no forbidden techniques with it.”

Xue Lei had already ran up to the 140th floor. He could see Luo Nan at the limits of his vision, and he waved at him. The last two floors had to be climbed. He would make it there a step earlier than the two enemies.

It could be said that Luo Nan had erected himself into an invincible position.

Luo Nan was quite clear about his own situation. His eyes were a bit injured due to forcefully integrating the heart lantern of the eyes orifice with his mental senses. He had exceeded his limits. Right now, it was best to close his eyes and rest.

But he didn't want things to end like this.

Luo Nan used the protective glass at the edge of the viewing platform as support, and he automatically cast his vision far off in the distance. The color of the sky was becoming darker and darker, and the main body of Cloud City Water Village, the large activity area, and Acumen College further away were all lit with lights, drawing out areas upon areas of blurry shadows and outlines.

The scene bore some resemblance to the star river scene manifested by Luo Nan's mental senses. The only difference was where the blurry chaos lay within the star river scene. Most of it were interferences formed from ability users' powers, while the blurriness before his eyes was simply due to the limits of light with vision.

Before today, Luo Nan had tried several times to disperse the turbid clouds and dark mist within the star river scene. Though he was grasping the details of the life sketches with greater precision, he was never able to achieve this.

But it happened just now when he faced Black Beetle. Luo Nan succeeded in piercing a beam of light into the deepest depths of Black Beetle's body and soul structure and drawing a Life Sketch of the greatest clarity. He gained lucidity on all the weak points of the living being who was Black Beetle. Only in this way was Luo Nan able to seize the initiative and play with Black Beetle like the other man was in the palm of his hands.

That beam of light originated from the heart lantern of the eyes orifice, at least partially.

The heart lantern of the eyes orifice was not the cornerstone Luo Nan had erected his conviction upon, but this magical technique imparted to him by Gym Master Xiu had undoubtedly played a vital role.

Daily, the technique both accumulated water and drew water. It cut a spiritual orifice in the human body, activating Luo Nan's soul strength. And during times of practical application, it floated high above to illuminate below. It projected a prediction of the trajectories of movement on the material plane. It complemented Luo Nan's mental senses.

Observing the material to retrieve the environment. If one perspective was unclear, then Luo Nan could switch to a different perspective. More often than not, this led to near discoveries. The two referred to each other, and more could be seen than the sum of the two alone.

If he used his mental senses independently, or if he purely used the heart lantern of the eyes orifice, none of this would be able to reach the mystical effect of a wind passing through the gap and light illuminating the earth below.

But when the two were combined, the heart lantern of the eyes orifice swept away the turbid clouds and dark mist on the star river scene produced by Luo Nan's mental senses. The information on the mental and material planes coupled. They intersected and positioned to form a strand of wind, a beam of subtle light, that completely penetrated through to the truth underneath the thick exterior of chaos.

Yes. Coupling.

Borrowing this principle truly delighted him in both body and mind.

Luo Nan closed his eyes slightly. They spun and he opened them again. The light of his psychic mind could completely illuminate the life structure of ability users. He should be able to illuminate the void of a mere dusky sky.

In this moment, Luo Nan cleansed himself with a new method of clairvoyance. He observed the empty space, and he gazed into the distance to the border of the world with the outline of the jungle. The sky, which was turning all the more darker, couldn't hinder him.

Homologous information on the material plane and material plane linked up. They refined each other and burst forth with a marvelous spiritual light. The light was cast into the water reservoir of the heart lantern of the eyes orifice, then the light passed through the eyes, through the void, and through the jumbled outlines of the jungle to illuminate the target from above.

Within the wilted jungle stripped of leaves, the lake's surface appeared like a small mirror. At one side of the lake was Gear.

That small building carried a bit the color of rust. A river weaved between the trees and flowed past one side of the building. The river made a turn at the ends of Luo Nan's vision to extend off into the distance. It was like the scouring of time over the course of many years.

When time moves, everything moves.

Looking down from the high building, the river was moving, the jungle was moving, and the earth was moving. Gear was there, and it slowly rotated in a unique rhythm that possessed neither beginning nor end.

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Chapter 302: You Don“t Understand (Part 1/3)

Chapter 302: You Don't Understand (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan quietly gazed at the skies and the earth ahead. He didn't move for a long while. He didn't even respond when Xue Lei made his way up the viewing platform and greeted him.

Xue Lei was a bit scared. He could see that Luo Nan's face was smeared with tears of blood, painting the aberrant face of a demon. The corners of his eyes were bloodshot, and his eye sockets had a clear film of red. This appearance truly indicated that one should be immediately sent to the hospital.

"Hey, is anyone going to talk?" Zhang Yingying had been ignored for quite some time, and she smacked her steering wheel once again.

"Sister Ying, I see that something's not right with Nanster's state." Xue Lei began to feel nervous as he rushed to tell Zhang Yingying. However, Luo Nan's current calm state of mind was similar to the air Gym Master Xiu exuded in his daily life. He subconsciously lowered his voice for fear of disturbing Luo Nan.

Before Xue Lei could get a response from Zhang Yingying, Luo Nan's voice suddenly sounded in his ear, "The breathing of heaven and earth may be seekable."

His words came out of nowhere, stunning Xue Lei in his place. However, these words inexplicably felt familiar to Xue Lei. Xue Lei carefully pondered for a while before recalling that this was related to the gym master's theory on opportunity. Xue Lei had talked about this stuff to Luo Nan earlier on.

However, the gym master originally meant that heaven and earth were grand and vast, while people’s powers were insignificant in comparison. Cultivators needed to always work hard and be diligent in every area in order to be able to borrow the strength of heaven and earth for their own use. What stood out was the circulative channel of the mind, where the mind came before energy, and energy came before strength.

With these words from Luo Nan, it seemed that some internal core within Luo Nan had changed.

Xue Lei didn't quite understand Luo Nan's way of thinking. He was also worried about Luo Nan's state. He could only ask carefully, "Nanster?"

"The circulation and running of river water. The existence of life and death in the jungle. They each have their rules in a self-formed system. It could be said that they each possess formats. These small formats are like natural sets of gears made by heaven. They are pieced together to form a large format of heaven and earth."

Luo Nan had already entered this mental state, and he continued explaining, "From the perspective of Formatting Theory, the Heaven and Earth Format is grand and marvelous without bounds. It is abundant in layers, and there are no limits to its transformations. It is like a production line that assembles and installs complicated machinery. Countless gears operate according to order, transmitting motive power down the line."

"It's happening again!" Zhang Yingying couldn't refrain from groaning. There had been a similar spectacle of Luo Nan talking to himself during the night at Frost River Reality, and it was repeated today. Unfriendly thoughts, concepts, and ideas assaulted her ears.

Zhang Yingying never expected Luo Nan to act in a way that seemed like he was opposing her. Zhang Yingying's complaints were lost to the wind. Suddenly, Luo Nan came out of his extremely self-centered state in search of interaction. He raised a question for both Xue Lei and Zhang Yingying.

"The production line of the Heaven and Earth Format won't ever stop. In this situation, how does one insert a self-made 'gear' inside for seamless integration?

"...."

"The answer is coupling!"

Luo Nan was like a kid striving to show off. He impatiently announced the answer. A smile burst forth upon his demonic face, which was blotted with tears of blood. It was exceptionally bright and splendid.

Xue Lei was stupefied once more. He really didn't understand what Luo Nan was saying, but this was the first time he had seen such a bright and refreshing appearance on Luo Nan’s face ever since he had met him.

Luo Nan was indeed extremely delighted. He grew all the more fascinated by the marvels of Gear the deeper he observed it.

This building, Gear, was embedded within the Heaven and Earth Format. It became part of the rumbling and operating production line. The rules were precise, and it fitted seamlessly. There was not a hint of the air of a man-made craftsmanship to it. It seemed to be inherent to heaven and earth.

This wasn't possible if the breathing tempo of heaven and earth was not mastered.

Because of this, Luo Nan was able to confirm a conjecture he had made earlier. His mother's Coupling Design was closely related to Formatting Theory. It was like a sort of application or interpretation. It put to use Formatting Theory in the plane of reality for the people of the world to see.

And this real and tangible achievement belonged to his mother!

"Formatting Theory? Gear?"

Xue Lei finally found the key words in Luo Nan's speech, and he sought to trace the direction of Luo Nan's gaze. Xue Lei was actually able to discern the outline of the jungle and the symbolic building off in the distance with his acuity and limits of vision. But an outline was all there was to it.

"Nanster, you can see Gear from here?" Xue Lei was skeptical of the level of Luo Nan's visual acuity, but he was mostly concerned. For Luo Nan to use his eyes this much in his current state; the burden was far too great.

"I can see it. It's truly beautiful…." Luo Nan's voice swayed like the wonders he saw in front of him.

The marvels contained within Gear could not be accessed by purely using the fleshly eyes, or the clairvoyance of mental senses. Only when the two modes of vision and mental senses, intersected and positioned in a coupling of information, could the truth be accessed behind the exterior. Luo Nan looked at the incorporeal power of order. He watched it rotate silently within the void of heaven and earth into a genesis.

Luo Nan gazed at all of this with an insatiable thirst for more. It was not enough no matter how much he looked at it.

Xue Lei hopped madly from anxiety. He was unable to understand the world within Luo Nan's eyes, but he was able to grasp a few things from the aura radiating from Luo Nan's body.

Xue Lei only understood one part: Luo Nan's energy function of the eyes orifice was flourishing too greatly. It was like the wild growth of a plant. Before, it had been a sapling; but then it turned into a towering tree in the blink of an eye.

Where did this terrible power come from? Did Luo Nan have enough stamina? Could the structural strength of the human body and its acupoints support it?

One mistake and Luo Nan would be crippled!

"Right, I need to find the gym master!" In life-threatening matters, the first person Xue Lei thought of was his gym master.

But right as he was about to exit from the three-way call to call and find the gym master, Luo Nan suddenly drew in a deep breath. His arms pressed against the protective glass, his head hung down, and his eyelids drooped to physically prevent Luo Nan from doing the incomprehensible action of gazing off into the distance. Luo Nan appeared utterly tired.

Xue Lei rushed over. "Nanster, you all right? Why don't we first take a breather…."

Luo Nan didn't open his eyes. He just laughed. "I may have a bit of a situation going on."

"What?"

"Order can be seen as a gear. The coupling of two orders is the meshing of two gears. If there isn't a precise plan for their integration, if there exists an excessive disparity between the two masses instead, things become very troublesome."

Xue Lei was knocked stupid once more, while Zhang Yingying vented angrily, "Forget about him! He's hopeless!"

In his mind, Luo Nan understood that his friends had different ways of expressing their concern and worries. However, it was difficult for him to continue explaining the situation happening with his body. This was because it involved his deep secrets.

The heart lantern of the eyes orifice formed a coupling relationship with the mental senses. In essence, the cultivation with the human body that Luo Nan just started had come in contact with the rather extensive Formatting Theory System.

They could couple, but friction and collisions couldn't be avoided. Ten days of cultivation, with the phenomenon of lightning striking the heart lantern occurring sixty times, already clearly revealed the elements of risk within.

Plus, yet another change occurred with his present situation, and the trend wasn't looking too good. It was like a thundercloud high in the sky. The electrically charged particles interweaved. Something big was bound to happen….

A strong light suddenly flashed. The external neuron was akin to a dragon roaring with the wind and thunder. Its showed itself within the shrine of his brain, and it jolted into a bolt of electricity that smashed upon the heart lantern.

This was the sixty-first time! And it was stronger than any other!

This was a direct collision between the external neuron and the eyes orifice structure.

Luo Nan long had this foreboding in his heart, but the intensity of this impact was still beyond his expectation. His body suddenly spasmed, and his brawn became muddled. Within his daze, he seemed to hear the sound of his eyes shattering.

The impact endured by the cranial nerves passed through the closely interwoven nervous system to transmit to every part of the body. This included muscles, bone, blood, and fascia. They all spasmed by reflex.

Luo Nan curled up and crouched down. He reached out his hands to cover his eyes. Uncontrollable tears flowed from his eye sockets. His eyeballs burned hot, and his eyelids twitched wildly. It was utterly painful.

He heard Xue Lei's startled cry and Zhang Yingying's panicky shout. The two were both confused.

Against all reason, Luo Nan's thoughts became clearer within the pain. He could feel a change in the tactile sensation of his hands covering his eyes. They weren't holding tears of blood, but something more viscous. The intense and powerful pressure had caused great harm to his body.

This wasn't much. He knew what was going on.

Luo Nan calmed himself down, for he had obtained excellent results. There was probably nothing in the near future that could shake his heart more than him discovering the marvels of Gear.

Even if his eyes couldn't see material objects, he accurately grasped Xue Lei's extended arm for support. He whispered, "I'm fine. Someone's coming from behind."

As soon as he spoke those words, the sound of water exploded, heavily muffled, in the direction of the Heavenly Ocean Lake. The colossal devil ray soared up and smashed down, setting off an enormous wave in the pool.

A human figure gracefully leaped up in sync with the devil ray. The person jumped atop the supporting frame structure at the edge of the pool. He wore a black diving suit that showed off the powerful and formidable contours of his body. He sported massive diving goggles on his face, and he had no intention of removing them.

This was a member of the investigation team sent by Headquarters—Puppeteer.

Xue Lei spun around, guarding Luo Nan behind him. Vigilance could be seen within his eyes.

Puppeteer didn't say anything. He used his good position from the high ground to look down from above. His pupils behind the diving goggles continued to size up the two people at the edge of the viewing platform. He paid special attention to Luo Nan. He was very interested in Luo Nan's pained squatting state.

Only a few seconds later, two elevators close to the Heavenly Ocean Lake area came one after another.

The first to come out was Black Beetle. He had thrown away his sunglasses, and his expression was still a bit green. His eyes pierced over with a chilling gaze. He ignored Xue Lei, only training his gaze on Luo Nan's bent form.

Xue Lei held nothing back from this person. He glared fiercely and viciously, but he remained a bit nervous inside. Luo Nan was in a completely terrible state. Xue Lei had to deal with a double front attack simultaneously. With that, having to divert some mental energy in protecting Luo Nan seemed barely possible…. Oh, right! There was another elevator! Could it be the enemy's backup?

The door of the other elevator opened in the midst of his headache.

Xue Lei's mind went blank. He barely adjusted his cognitive direction and identified the person.

"Tian... Senior Sister Tian?"

It was none other than Tian Si who had come out of the elevator. This cute and beautiful schoolmate had a deathly white complexion. She walked stiffly, and the upper part of her body was held in a weird posture.

Her two hands overlapped each other as they clutched at her own neck. Her grip was quite strong, for her fingers dug deep into her tender skin. The pressure was so great that her mouth gaped slightly and her lips faintly trembled.

The scene looked bizarre and absurd.

Because of the existence of self-protection mechanisms, a normal person couldn't possibly use this method to strangle themselves to death. However, the situation was different when one was controlled by supernatural powers.

Xue Lei ground his teeth in anger when he saw this. "You people... you call yourselves members of the Society!?"

No one paid any attention to him. Above the pool, Puppeteer opened his mouth, but he spoke to Tian Si. He spoke calmly, without any distinguishing quality, like he was engaging in a normal chat. "Meeting again after a small time apart. Do you have anything to say, beautiful girl?"

Tian Si's lips trembled, and Xue Lei could even hear her teeth clatter with his nimble eyes and ears. Such an aberrant and cruel technique had been cast upon her body. She could be considered strong for not having a mental breakdown.

Shaky words were squeezed out of Tian Si's throat with great difficulty.

"I—I took the stairs the whole time."

"...."

Everyone on the viewing platform stared with stupefaction.

Only Luo Nan, who had a knee on the ground from the pain, voiced 'ha' in a spiteful laugh; though his laugh was a bit shaky. He didn't look back. He just raised an arm toward her.

"My bad."

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Chapter 303: You Don“t Understand (Part 2/3)

Chapter 303: You Don't Understand (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

Of all the people on the viewing platform, probably only Luo Nan understood the emotions of grievance within Tian Si's words.

She really did follow Luo Nan's instructions. She headed straight down the stairs of the fire escape. She didn't use the elevator no matter how tired she was, and she kept far away from the crystal pillar in the center. And yet, she was still unable to escape from Puppeteer's evil clutches. She got controlled by him and became a hostage.

Of course, Tian Si's feelings of grievance were secondary to her fear. She was an intelligent person. From the methods chosen by Puppeteer and Black Beetle, she could surmise that the momentum of victory and defeat between the two sides had reversed. Otherwise, there wouldn't be any meaning to her being a hostage.

For the 'kidnappers', her value lay in threatening Luo Nan. But from Luo Nan's perspective, what value did she hold? Why should Luo Nan abandon his great situation for a hopeless reversal, just to risk saving her?

This situation put Tian Si to near despair.

But she still placed her hopes in Luo Nan. However, she grew all the more fearful that Luo Nan would find saving her too troublesome, and would sit back and watch. So her expression of grievance was intentionally conveyed, even though they stemmed from her inner feelings. She could only hope to engender a bit of compassion in Luo Nan, and give herself a chance to live.

Tian Si was more or less comforted by Luo Nan's raised arm.

However, her response couldn't satisfy the others.

Above the Heavenly Ocean Lake, Puppeteer sighed. He walked along the frame structure of the pool, and his figure smoothly made its way to the center edge of the pool. He faced Tian Si, then hooked his finger.

Tian Si's feet involuntarily moved. She headed toward the pool, the distance close. The thumb of her left hand held up her jaw, roughly turning her head to slightly look up. She was forced to raise her head to look at the master who was in control of her life.

"Come, let us work together for a bit." Puppeteer squatted down and even lowered a hand toward Tian Si. His mouth split into a grin on a face half covered by diving goggles. His teeth gleamed white in this smile.

Puppeteer had a decent facial structure. There was the charm of a positive and good-looking guy. But this smile drowned Tian Si completely with feelings of fear. She could only look on helplessly at herself in the goggles’ reflection. She was like a marionette. Her entire body was controlled according to this person's will.

She extended a hand upward to join with Puppeteer's hand. Then, she was flung up. The rough action made her feel like her arm had dislocated. She couldn't refrain from groaning in pain, but soon, even this sound was stuffed back down her throat.

Puppeteer used his own hand to take the place of Tian Si's. He gripped her neck hard, and sized her up face to face. He was extremely satisfied with her deathly white and flushed red complexion, caused by her fear and suffocation. Then when she took in a deep breath of air, he took in the exquisite fragrance of her tidy hair and laughed.

"Beautiful girl. Whether you are willing or not, we are one body."

Tian Si really was about to suffocate. She had regained a bit of control over her body, but it was impossible to remove the steel-like grip Puppeteer possessed. Her two feet struggled to move. She couldn't do anything else besides this.

Puppeteer lifted Tian Si's slender neck as he walked easily back to his original position. Tian Si's feet and hands struggled to move during this process, but soon she ran out of strength. Her body went weak, and her eyes were filled with despair.

Puppeteer's gaze had moved toward Luo Nan at this time. Even though Luo Nan was half-squatting at the edge of the viewing platform and didn't even turn his body around, the eyes behind Puppeteer's diving goggles remained firmly fixed on Luo Nan. There was not the least bit of relaxation.

As for Black Beetle, his callous face stood in front of Heavenly Ocean Lake. He was blocking the only path of rescue to Tian Si.

Although things were like this, Puppeteer still didn't feel completely secure. He continued talking, "I have to admit that we've completely underestimated your ability, Mr. Luo Nan. We've underestimated the perfection you've reached with your mental attacks. You dashed our plans. So we learned our lesson and decided to talk calmly and negotiate to solve this issue. For the sake of ensuring this, I specifically made a 'safety line'.

"Much thanks to the beautiful girl's cooperation. Currently, my mental planes and that of the girl share a bit of a link. Anything I experience will be impartially shared with her. As for how much I can endure, I am confident that I surpass this frail and beautiful girl in this aspect…. An attack that is sufficient to defeat me will likely destroy the girl first. So, I can only hope that the two of you have a relationship that is close enough."

Having said this much, Puppeteer turned to look at Tian Si. "Speak, beautiful girl. Have you two slept together yet? No? That's better. Maybe Mr. Luo Nan will feel more regretful if that's the case."

Puppeteer sang an excellent performance, so it was natural that he hoped to receive a response from Luo Nan. However, only Xue Lei’s loathing gaze came from over there. Luo Nan still maintained his original posture. Even the arm he sent out in apology toward Tian Si had been withdrawn. It was unknown whether it was due to his injuries, or him being disdainful for this defeat.

Puppeteer sighed. He had no choice but to urge Luo Nan. "Mr. Luo Nan. It's best to stop wasting time. The police may be idiots, but they should be regaining consciousness right about now. Let us resolve this quickly and return to our respective homes. This will be for the best."

Luo Nan still didn't respond.

"Tsk. Are youngsters these days this cold and detached? Then, let me first warm up the scene and play a small game with this beautiful girl."

A smile was restored on Puppeteer's face. He raised a single arm, swinging Tian Si above the water. "The devil ray broke through the tempered glass at the bottom of the pool. Now, Heavenly Ocean Lake is probably the world's deepest pool;there’s no doubt about that. It is eight hundred meters, and the only one in the world! I have a premonition that the beautiful girl next to me has decent swimming skills. She can match those cute little friends, medium friends, and large friends inside.... Why don't we give it a try first?”

"Hey! H-H-Hey!"

Tian Si had originally given up struggling, but the strength of Puppeteer's hand ruthlessly increased as Puppeteer's words entered her ear. This simply squeezed out her remaining energy, compelling her to struggle with her hands and feet. She couldn't speak a word, and what was once beautiful eyes rolled back to white.

"Excellent. Beautiful girl, you really have a movie sense." Puppeteer laughed in delight, and he shook her a few times, making Tian Si struggle with increasing pain.

"Then let us officially begin. The first act of a hero saving a beauty. ACTION!"

Heavenly Ocean Lake blossomed with an explosion of water as soon as the words left his mouth. A terrifying dark shadow broke through the water's surface, soaring seven meters high. It scrapped the soles of Tian Si's feet, and it swung its long tail in a whip-like attack to sheer off one of Tian Si's high heels. Her other high heel dropped down during her struggling.

"Shoes? My other partner has tender feelings for the fairer sex. But I will tell it to go for your delicate and small feet next. Do you want them to be symmetrical?"

The ice-cold water and the burning viciousness assaulted together. Coupled with the terrible and callous words of murder, Tian Si couldn't hold it back any longer. Tears flowed down her face, and she just cried silently. The barrier of her willpower had completely collapsed.

At the edge of the viewing platform, Luo Nan still had his eyes closed. His eyelids just twitched twice. It was hard for him to exert energy. He supported himself against the protective glass as he slowly stood up. He turned around to meet the two vicious people face on, but he still didn't speak.

Black Beetle saw the state of Luo Nan's eyes, looking as if they were stabbed blind, and he turned to lock glances with Puppeteer. They were both thinking of the word 'whiplash' in their minds. Black Beetle immediately chuckled. "You're trash as a director. Have you forgotten that we're not in an era of silent films? Even if we are, where’s voice-over explanation and dubbing?"

Puppeteer was not offended. He praised lightly, "Good idea."

He slightly loosened his palm that was exerting force when he said these words. This allowed Tian Si’s crying to barely squeeze through her throat, strand by strand.

Her breath, stifled with despair, pierced through the sound of Heavenly Ocean Lake's water, intermittently entering the ear. It made Xue Lei grit his teeth until they creaked. However, Zhang Yingying had already given orders again and again. She forbade Xue Lei from being impulsive, for this might give Black Beetle and Puppeteer a gap to take advantage of. Xue Lei could do nothing besides grit his teeth.

As for Luo Nan, though his eyes were closed and blood continued to flow, he maintained a calm expression to the point of callousness.

The situation remained deadlocked.

Puppeteer gained a big headache facing this unwaverable Luo Nan. They were in Xia City, so time stood on Luo Nan and Xue Lei's side. Puppeteer could only stand in opposition as he made contact with his own people through his own channels.

He snapped his fingers a few seconds later. "How about this. Let us switch methods. Beautiful girl. Beautiful girl, don't cry. I'm asking you. This callous boy in front of us. Did you two plan to come together here? Why are you crying yourself blind? Can you tell me?"

Tian Si's willpower had collapsed. She acted as if she was already dead. She couldn't respond.

Puppeteer shook his head. "In this case, I will first tell you a secret for the sake of fairness. Our other partner...."

As he spoke, the Mutant devil ray broke through the surface of the water once more. It soared in the air, but it didn't follow the laws of physics and fall. Instead, it defied gravity and floated beneath the dome. It revolved in the air around Tian Si's body.

"Our partner can actually fly, yo. So it can use its large mouth and meticulously grind away at the flesh of your small feet. It will slowly eat you; it's better for digestion this way.... So, let's work together once more?"

The devil ray's tail, glowing with electricity, wrapped around Tian Si's small feet as Puppeteer spoke, slightly hooking into a bit of pantyhose. The tail spiraled upward and gradually tightened.

Tian Si felt the serpentine sensation on her tiny legs. The electricity even introduced a numbing sensation. Her entire body trembled. A gurgling sound mixed into her hoarse crying. She just wanted to faint already. But this was an excessive hope, for she was under Puppeteer's control.

"Pay attention to the time,” Puppeteer warned in the end.

Tian Si's thoughts and emotions were a complete mess. Fear dominated everything. It was like the claw of a demon had reached into her brain and stirred everything around. Whatever was in there was fished out.

"Because, because Gear! Gear is Senior Sister Qingwen's representative work. We can see it from here...."

"Gear? Must be that society building we went in the first place." Puppeteer tilted his head, and he continued to ask, "Senior Sister Qingwen? Who is that?"

"She's Junior Luo Nan's mother...."

"I have a faint impression, but seems like this information is useless." Puppeteer cast a glance in Luo Nan's direction as he talked.

Black Beetle stared in that direction with fixed eyes, and he suddenly thought of something. He got in contact with someone through his wristband.

"Hello, you guys are still in Gear, right? Yep, that society building. Hurry up, verify it…. Stupid, isn't it easier to break things, set things on fire, and so on?"

He raised his arm and opened the speaker function as he spoke. He raised the volume to the maximum.

Large bangs and a series of crashes could be heard a second later. The sounds transmitted through, and it seemed that there was no intention of stopping.

Luo Nan's eyelids trembled, and he opened his eyes at last. The thick blood accumulated within his eye sockets came flowing out. They carved two paths of blood upon his cheeks.

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Chapter 304: You Don“t Understand (Part 3/3)

Chapter 304: You Don't Understand (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

Black Beetle knew fully well that Luo Nan's current injury was mostly due to the whiplash of his cheat-like ability; it wasn't really related to what they were doing. However, this didn't affect Black Beetle's delighted mood.

Black Beetle returned back up to the viewing platform, his tight expression relaxing. He laughed a hissing laugh toward his wristband. "Snake Tongue, oh beautiful Snake Tongue. I love you to death! Keep going, keep going! Smash what looks valuable!"

The hoarse voice of a male came through the external speakers of the wristband, "Don't worm your way close to Snake Tongue if you're that bored. The one who’s doing all the work is me. How about I destroy the walls of the building, the outer walls next?"

"I love you too, Tank!"

Black Beetle was overly excited, so he had an extremely greasy mouth. He glanced at Luo Nan at the same time, and spoke without concealing his delight at all, "Oh, I'm sorry. I know that this move is a bit childish of me, but I can't stand how effective it is! Especially when I see your face. I want none other than that expression!"

Luo Nan didn't talk, but Xue Lei couldn't hold back from cursing, "You lowlife! You scum! Do you have the guts to face us head on? I'll smack your skull flat in three blows!"

Black Beetle's sinister eyes swivelled over. His lips split apart to reveal a heavy darkness coming from deep behind his tongue and teeth. "Why, that's truly unfortunate. I am not interested. I just feel that it's such a pity...."

Soon, Black Beetle's poisonous gaze shifted and pierced Luo Nan's face. "It's such a pity that the HexaEar has malfunctioned today. Otherwise, we can stream this live and watch Tank's building demolition skills. Oh, I forget. A wristband is fine too. Cloud City Water Village has relatively stable Internet."

Luo Nan lightly spat out a mouthful of air as he reached out with his hand to hold on to Xue Lei, who was close to exploding. Luo Nan leaned back to press against the protective glass. He hoarsely said, "Stop it with the torment. What do you guys want to know?"

"Ohhhh, you finally know how to reply."

Black Beetle saw Luo Nan admit his defeat. He certainly knew that he grasped Luo Nan's weak spot, and that success was imminent. He felt a cool breeze run down from his skull to cleanse his innermost feelings. Yet, even though he felt this way, the utterly sorry experience he had in the 141st floor with Luo Nan was still like a volcano. It rumbled from the bottom of his heart.

This wasn't enough! Not enough!

Black Beetle stopped speaking. He just slowly smoothed down the tie he held in his hand and put it back on his neck. A flip to the left and a fold to the right. These motions were performed a few times. During all this, the loudspeaker of the wristband continued to reverberate with the muffled sound of walls being smashed.

Xue Lei was angry to the point of stomping, even with Luo Nan holding him back. "You bastard! Did you come here just to mess with people!?"

Black Beetle laughed involuntarily. "No rush. They had only just begun. The building is quite large. You won't even see any results unless they go smashing for an hour or two... gak!"

Before the words could come out of his mouth, Black Beetle's mouth suddenly was unable to close. His later sounds remained stuck in his throat. Not even a hiccup was able to come out.

During this process, his cheeks turned red, green, then purple, like there was a hand of an invisible demon covering his mouth and nose. The air inside and outside his body were blocked off from one another. The feeling of suffocation drowned his entire body. Then came the pain that he experienced before, a needle stabbing into his brain and stirring around. His vision turned reddish black, and his nervous response was thrown into disorder. His entire body froze and even shook.

Luo Nan's voice was like a cold wind that swept past his ear. "So you actually didn't make a safety line? That's truly unfortunate."

Black Beetle struggled amidst the pain. His eyes practically bulged out from his eye sockets as he strove to spur his supernatural powers. But for some reason, this mental attack was fiercer than the last by tenfold. The aftermath of the attack came slowly, not retreating at all. Black Beetle put full effort in exerting himself, but he could only touch his gaudy necktie. He grasped it hard, but he was unable to do any further actions.

Above Heavenly Ocean Lake, Puppeteer exploded with a shout, "Mr. Luo Nan, let's not do anything excessive! We can properly talk this over!"

The shout left his throat, and Puppeteer saw Luo Nan turn his head to look at him. As soon as the the pair of bloody eyes made contact with Puppeteer’s, a cold tremble ran through his heart.

Luo Nan spoke softly, "Who’s being excessive? Me, or him?"

Puppeteer calmed himself down and forced a smile. "We don't need to go at things this intensely. This is just a routine investigation, nothing more. Look. I haven't harmed a hair on the beautiful girl from start to finish. I was just joking around. Just a scare. Okay?"

"Then you're smashing my mother's representative work."

"That's…."

Luo Nan looked slightly downcast. The motions of his body were filled with a feeling of weariness, and it seemed like he was organizing his words. "Black Beetle doesn't have the attitude to properly communicate with me. Actually, I still don't know what in the world you all want. All that's happened is fighting, insulting, and hurting."

Puppeteer cursed inwardly in his mind. He cursed both Luo Nan and Black Beetle. He saw the series of clashes from beginning to end. Luo Nan was certainly speaking nonsense when he said that he still didn't know. However, Black Beetle made revenge a priority over gaining intelligence. This was an incontestable fact.

In truth, Puppeteer quite admired Black Beetle’s way of doing things. The two shared a common language in this point. Ultimately, they didn't consider Luo Nan a threat in the beginning. They just did some safeguards against mental attacks, believing the task of grabbing a half-crippled teenager to be very easy. Their behavior was excessively wanton because of this.

Ill actions bore fruit to ill consequences—consequences that one must swallow.

One thing that Puppeteer was stronger than Black Beetle in was flexibility. He knew that he had to change strategies. He talked it over with his people in the background, then exposed a sunny smile.

"Mr. Luo Nan, we are both members of the Society. I believe that we can engage in a calm and peaceful exchange. I already had my companions stop their activity at Gear. If our exchange goes smoothly, my companions will withdraw from there immediately. After everything is done, I will even arrange to have the best engineering team to restore all damaged areas to be like new again. Plus, I will give a million in compensation. Will you be satisfied with this sincerity?"

Luo Nan didn't respond, but he didn't refuse.

Puppeteer felt that the trajectory change was a success. His smile grew more splendid. "Mr. Luo Nan, our two sides have to display good faith to one another. Look at Black Beetle…."

Luo Nan's lips moved a bit. "Will he affect our exchange?"

Puppeteer was a bit startled, but the smile remained on his face. "No, he won't affect us."

"H-Hey!"

Although Black Beetle's entire body was frozen, his mind was still awake. His eyes and ears were still working, and Puppeteer's words sifted into his ears. Black Beetle felt like his heart was about to explode. He strove to gather all the energy in his body to turn around, but he was still under the effects of Luo Nan’s mental attack. His sense of balance was lost, and instead of turning, he fell, and his face planted on the ground.

Puppeteer already made up his mind. He didn't even glance over and just muttered to himself, wondering if the safety line he held would be useful or not.

And at this time, Luo Nan opened his mouth. "Speak, then. What do you guys want to know?"

Puppeteer composed himself and calculated the time. A pretext was tossed out from his smiling mouth. "On the night of October 7th at Frost River Reality, Fudong Main Street, City Center, a conflict occurred between the Society's Xia City Branch and the Order of Justice. Branch President Ouyang Chen intervened during the later stages of the conflict, erecting the so-called Logic World. Many matters are unclear from that point onward. Headquarters seeks to reconstruct the truth of the matter, and being unable to has been harmful for administering justice for all."

Luo Nan laughed. "You guys should be asking President Ouyang."

"A lone man serves himself. Two men serve the public. It is hard to place faith in a one-sided testimony. Through a special channel, we came to find out that you, Mr. Luo Nan, had the fortune of entering the Logic World through an out-of-body state. You are an extremely important eyewitness, so we want to ask—"

"What special channel?" Luo Nan was very curious.

Puppeteer's expression finally went cold. "Mr. Luo Nan, no matter what you ask, this is an investigation by Headquarters. I hope everyone will maintain a proper attitude, not digress into side topics, and avoid unwanted consequences!"

Luo Nan nodded, no longer interrupting him. "Ask."

Puppeteer stared at Luo Nan's face and spoke with a heavy voice, "We want to know what you saw in the Logic World. Let's narrow the scope a bit. What did Ouyang Chen do? What did An Weng of the Order of Justice do? And why? Not a trace of him could be seen after the incident. Where did he go?"

"There are a lot of things that I don't know."

"Spit out everything that you do know!"

"This will take some time."

"Mr. Luo Nan!" Puppeteer took a deep breath and vented by increasing the pressure of his fingers upon Tian Si's slender neck. He used her painful struggling to express his own feelings. "Since we all know that this will be very time-consuming, why won’t you be a bit more swift about it?"

Actually, Xue Lei was itching to fight by now, but he was stopped once again.

Luo Nan leaned against the protective glass. He pondered for a moment, before saying, "If you want to know why An Weng acted the way he did back then, you must understand just what the Logic World created by President Ouyang really is."

Puppeteer raised the volume of his voice. "Mr. Luo, our time is precious!"

Rear instructions came before he could finish speaking, "Let him talk. This information is valuable."

Puppeteer's cheeks twitched, and he instantly switched to a smile. "So please, be brief yet comprehensive."

Luo Nan disregarded the changes in expression over yonder. He just attended to organizing his own words. A few seconds later, he said, "If you look at the mental plane as countless layers of floating curtains…."

Puppeteer muttered "F***" to himself. He had no choice but to interrupt Luo Nan, "The world recognizes the division of the mental plane into three zones, one region, and one realm. Where did your countless layers come from?"

Luo Nan didn't speak. His eyelids lifted, and blood red eyes faced Puppeteer. Although Luo Nan might not be able to see clearly, he still maintained his stance. This lasted until Puppeteer felt himself to be an incurable stupid c*nt.

Puppeteer's eyelids twitched. "Mr. Luo?"

Luo Nan had opened his eyes for too long. The burning pain in his eyes caused him to simply close them. He leveled his breathing, and spoke a handful of seconds later, "Through the Formatting Theory created by my grandfather, I observed that the mental world was like this. Do you need me to explain what Formatting Theory is?"

"Huh...?"

"The self, society, and heaven and earth. The relationship between three different formats should be relatively easy to understand for an ability user. I recall that President Ouyang made some remarks on self-logic and the logic of the normal world. You all can't be so complacent as to be ignorant of these concepts, right?"

Four or five new concepts jumped out consecutively, making Puppeteer a bit dazed. Luckily, he soon received instructions from the rear, and adjusted the topic to the right direction. "We can postpone the class on theory. Right now, can you describe: one, what the Logic World is like; and two, what sort of outcome did An Weng have in the Logic World."

"In this case, I don't need to use curtains to describe it."

Luo Nan raised his head slightly, adopting a posture of recollection. "Logic World? Thinking about it now, it is basically a portion of a structure that is torn and forcefully dismantled from within the Heaven and Earth Format, then pieced together to form a temporary production line. It then becomes part of the Heaven and Earth Format, but its rules follow the criterion served by the Self-Format. It takes the Heaven and Earth Format, and temporarily channels it into the scope of the Self-Format. Small gears are used to drive large gears. It is truly quite the exquisite structure."

"...."

Screw your formats! Screw your gears!

Puppeteer felt that his comprehension ability had been insulted. He wanted to immediately snap Tian Si's neck, but Luo Nan's voice drifted leisurely over just as he processed the thought.

"It looks like you don't understand?"

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Chapter 305: Four Gears (Part 1/2)

Chapter 305: Four Gears (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

The Mutant devil ray moved back and forth, swimming to and fro within the Heavenly Ocean Lake. Its developed pectoral fins were like wings, and they set off wave after wave in the pool. It appeared a bit restless, mimicking Puppeteer's current mood. Puppeteer still had a smile on his face, but half his facial muscles were stiff.

At the same time, a dark and cold whisper came into his ear from the 'rear'. The direction of the sound was unknown. "You can't truly believe that you can rake up some things from the kid right now and obtain large merits for your service…. If so, your comprehension ability truly has problems."

Puppeteer's cheeks became a bit warm. He wanted to curse in his mind.

The thought was just formed, yet the 'rear' was still able to see through to even his inner organs. "If you have the time to curse inwardly, then you have the time to think about how to continue attracting their attention. Move your mouth!"

Puppeteer ground his teeth in secret, but that person had a point behind their rebuke. Puppeteer somewhat came to terms with the situation, and subtly moved the muscles of his cheeks. He did his best to respond calmly.

"Mr. Luo Nan can continue."

Puppeteer verified the time once more as he spoke, and he also confirmed that he had started recording. He settled on a plan. No matter what Luo Nan would say, he would let Luo Nan talk. He would have Luo Nan's words come in one ear and out the other for now. Later, he would carefully analyze them in detail.

Formatting Theory, eh? Whatever about your mother and father. When I get back, I will make you report even the colors of the underwear of your entire family.

Luo Nan seemed to truly believe in Puppeteer's words. His eyes remained closed as he spoke without expression, "Then I will continue explaining. I just finished talking about the Logic World. Next, I can briefly describe An Weng's situation."

Like hell you finished talking about the Logic World!

Behind the large diving goggles, Puppeteer's gaze cast downward. He did his best to retrieve information that was related to Luo Nan in his mind. However, Luo Nan's voice maintained its piercing quality. His voice was simply like the low whisper of a demon. It teased Puppeteer's emotions, layer by layer.

"I'm not too clear on what An Weng was doing. I'll just say what I observed and understood. You must first know that the level of the Heaven and Earth Format is extremely rich. The application of interference in the material plane with the mental plane can form countless types of 'order frames'. Oh, you certainly don't understand this topic...."

F***!

The devil ray in the Heavenly Ocean Lake echoed Puppeteer's emotions. It smacked with its wing-like pectoral fins, releasing the sound of a rumbling explosion. A spray of water filled the sky, splashing onto Tian Si and soaking most of her skirt and pantyhose. However, Tian Si already lacked all response whatsoever.

Puppeteer wanted to kill somebody.

He was now utterly convinced that Luo Nan was doing this on purpose. The kid had grasped the fact that he 'didn't understand' to obstruct and wear him down in ridicule. All right. Was Luo Nan truly taking him to be a Buddha who could never get angry?

Luo Nan stopped talking, but he didn't even open his eyes. He just calmly waited for the devil ray to stop making noise.

"Do you want to snap your safety line? Maybe the kid is waiting for you to do that. When that happens, my protective spell, which you said 'isn't worth shit', won't be able to protect you."

Luo Nan didn't talk while the 'rear' eerily warned Puppeteer. In the end, Snake Tongue finished with an order,

"Don't you make me expend mental energy for your sake!"

Puppeteer's emotions turned to ash after being rebuked once more. He suddenly came to, and he thought about what Luo Nan's objective could be in his series of mockery and provocation. It seemed like it was just as the 'rear' said. Luo Nan wanted Puppeteer to snap his own safety line. Puppeteer's thoughts ran deep.

Clearly, on the surface level, after these exchanges, Luo Nan should be able to see that the connection between Tian Si and Puppeteer in 'sharing mental attacks' was an unequal one. Tian Si was tortured to within an inch of her life, while Puppeteer had it quite easy.

In fact, even if Luo Nan launched a mental attack, Puppeteer was certain that he could block the first wave. He relied on none other than Tian Si, who remained in his grasp. She could act as a 'good conductor', ensuring that the damage to himself would fall to a minimum.

If Puppeteer were to make a mistake and have his escape path severed, then what would happen? Just look at Black Beetle ahead! He was a living example!

A myriad of thoughts flashed through his mind, and a thin layer of cold sweat formed on Puppeteer's back. He instantly relaxed a finger, and even infused some vital energy into her, to avoid constricting her even further while helping circulate her blood and energy. He feared that he would truly strangle his 'safety line' in a moment of excessive emotion, pushing the situation into irremediable circumstances.

He faced Luo Nan and explained, "Ahem, apologies. The Mutant is not easy to control. I didn't interrupt your thinking, did I?"

Luo Nan was silent for a moment, and when he spoke, his voice became deeper and lower, "I coined the term 'order frame'. It's normal for you to not understand what it means. So ask yourself, do you need further explanation?"

Puppeteer stared at Luo Nan's face. The more he looked, the more he felt that he escaped a disaster. Rather... why was Luo Nan explaining these things? Why was he going through with this exchange? In any case, a cover-up only made things more conspicuous.

Youngsters these days sure had ruthless hearts!

Puppeteer's mind relaxed, then was strung tight again. It looked like Luo Nan still harbored thoughts of a frontal conflict with them. The Society's reinforcements would probably arrive soon. Puppeteer needed to accept the many possibilities and do some more preparations.

Speaking of which, was the 'rear' still not finished preparing yet?

In any case, Puppeteer adjusted his mentality. He resigned himself to what might happen. Anyway, he wouldn't get screwed just by listening. What was he scared of? He adopted a radiant business smile and said, "Of course, it is best if you can explain. I want you to; how can I not?"

Luo Nan truly felt exhausted, having experienced so much. He spat out a breath of air, and gasped twice before continuing, "This term I came up with—it comes from an insight provided by Fairchild."

"Fairchild?" Puppeteer gradually lost his mind's prejudice, having adjusted his mentality. His thoughts were much nimbler, so his eyebrows shot up when he heard Luo Nan. "The Ears of Truth?"

Luo Nan didn't build upon this topic. He followed a prescribed order in explaining. "Fairchild once said that observation is order. According to my understanding, he's referring to combing through one's own logic. All the world's objects are observed and illuminated to erect a power of order that is understood and utilized by one's self.

"And our existences themselves are the products of some natural order. Here lie subjectiveness and objectiveness. Interference occurs between the orders of the mental and the material, like two gears meshing together. If the coupling structure is relatively stable, and has an efficient operation, then it becomes a gear set with relatively independent functions. Namely, it becomes an 'order frame'.

"Order frames can be big or small. In the case of small order frames, an example can be the cultivation methods of our bodies. This example can be divided even further. In the case of large order frames, the myriad of things within heaven and earth can all be incorporated within. Relationships can also occur among the various order frames."

The eyes behind the diving goggles blinked. Perhaps it was because he had calmed his mind. Or, perhaps it was because he had a clear reference. Puppeteer suddenly felt that Luo Nan had skimmed over the descriptions of 'gears' and 'formats', and substituted easier to understand vocabulary in their stead. Luo Nan rather made some sense.

That so-called 'order frame' was like the self-logic of an ability user. Oh, this was Ouyang Chen's concept. Puppeteer liked the more fantastical wordings like what Ouyang Chen used, like ‘domains’.

Powerful ability users also mentioned such things over at Headquarters. They wanted to impose a 'manifestation of rules' upon the material world, and use a perspective of pure and thoroughly extraordinary powers to reinterpret the entire cosmos, while giving the mental plane its own place.

Of course, when compared to the deep and complicated physical system made over thousands of years of development of the human race, the fifty years of high-speed development of the inner world was far too immature. The things mentioned by the powerful ability users could only act as a motion, to be tentatively heard.

Right now, this kid was contemplating these complex topics. Did this mean that Formatting Theory possessed quite a value?

He he, I'll have to go through a good digging when I get back!

"He's really chatting with him?"

Zhang Yingying's head felt dizzy, and her brain swelled from listening via their three-way communications. She couldn't refrain from grumbling, "Don't just do as you please to the point that you lose yourself. Puppeteer is an extremely dark fellow. Hey, I think I heard someone mention Snake Tongue. It's Snake Tongue, right?"

Luo Nan continued to spout away for Puppeteer. It seemed that he didn't hear Zhang Yingying. In the end, Xue Lei whispered in confirmation, "Yep they said Snake Tongue. There's also a Tank. They are currently at Gear. They threatened Nanster."

"That sinister woman is quite famous. She's a true-blooded mage.... Oh shit. I just looked it up. She isn't part of the investigation team at all. She just snuck over."

Zhang Yingying smacked her steering wheel. "Right now, the official vice leader of the investigation team is under control. But the people over there might not know about that variable, Snake Tongue. I need to let the reinforcements know; otherwise, they'll be sent to her belly."

Xue Lei's heart constricted a bit. "This person is very hard to deal with?"

"She's a character who has reached the Architect level early on, but she and Nanster are a bit alike. She doesn't have a good body, so she stays out of view most of the time, rarely showing herself. However, she specializes in hexes, and she knows interrogation and assassination techniques. She's sinister and vicious. When she really wants to hurt someone, she can stealthily travel over a thousand kilometers in an out-of-body state to a different city…. Oh my god!"

Zhang Yingying didn't smack the steering wheel this time. She smacked her large legs instead. "Be careful with this one. You must be careful. You've spoken a pile of nonsense there so far, but if she's in her out-of-body state, she can get to Ocean Sky Cloud City from Gear with just a thought!"

Xue Lei's scalp was going numb from just listening. He immediately opened his mouth to warn Luo Nan, "Nanster...."

Xue Lei's voice just left his mouth when Luo Nan pushed off against the protective glass wall with his back to stand up. He gently said, "Words spoken purely with the mouth may not be understood properly. In this case, I can perform a demonstration."

Puppeteer keenly observed the subtle changes occur over on Luo Nan's side, especially with Xue Lei. Xue Lei was clearly communicating with someone, and obtained some new information. His mind went alert, and his body rapidly transitioned into a battle-ready state, all while not changing the expression on his face at all.

"Demonstration? I feel you explained things quite well just now. The concept of the order frame, I already understand it. It's actually a domain, a small universe. A different way of talking about the power of heaven and earth. Am I right?"

"Wrong."

Luo Nan responded directly and efficiently, "The core of what I just said doesn't lie in order frames, but in coupling. The former has a myriad of names, but its origin still lies within the myriad of connections between each other…. My mother unified these connections into a classification called 'coupling'. I feel that it is a very appropriate name."

At the end, Luo Nan's blood red eye sockets opened up into small slits. A deep, dark desolation lurked within the color of blood, and they fell in front of the Heavenly Ocean Lake. Atop a collapsed figure.

"An excellent example can be seen upon the person who is playing dead."

Black Beetle, who hadn't moved for a while and whose face met with the ground, felt a shiver run through his body, as well as his scalp go numb. He felt Xue Lei in front, and Puppeteer in the back, all cut their gazes over like blades.

At the same time, he inexplicably felt an ice-cold sensation at the bottom of his heart. The coldness seeped out, cracking like the splitting of layers of ice. It was like the alien whisperings of a deep, dark hole. It lingered, not dispersing.

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Chapter 306: Four Gears (Part 2/2)

Chapter 306: Four Gears (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Black Beetle was indeed playing dead.

Although Luo Nan's second mental attack was much stronger than his first, it had its limits. Black Beetle had come back to himself after going through the most painful stages. His mobility was restored.

However, Black Beetle already lost his place in the current situation. He understood this. The people from Headquarters were all an unreliable, cold-blooded sort. And by making a move against Luo Nan, he pretty much severed his friendly relations with the Xia City branch. He jumped around like a pirate, until he finally bungled into the ocean.

At that moment, Black Beetle hated Luo Nan. He hated Luo Nan through his bowels. His teeth were also itching toward Puppeteer. Now that he thought about it, those two must think the same of him as well.

Black Beetle didn't know how to handle such an awkward situation. He could only lie on the ground and play dead. His plan was to adapt to the changes in the situation. Of course, it would be best if things went like when a sandpiper and a clam war together, but the fisherman catches them both. In any case, he had to get through this in one piece.

Puppeteer and Luo Nan had quickly forgotten about him during their confrontation. But Black Beetle never expected Luo Nan to easily bring him back in focus after saying those unfathomable concepts.

Then Luo Nan mentioned a 'demonstration', and this made Black Beetle's spine run cold. Luo Nan couldn't possibly have good intentions. Should Black Beetle continue playing dead? Or should he get up and resist?

Black Beetle wanted to hit the ground as he struggled over this.

Luo Nan cared not the least about Black Beetle's reaction. He didn't pause speaking at all. "In my perspective, Black Beetle's gear set. Oh, I'm talking about order frames. Altogether, there are four gears to him from inside to outside. In the center is a large gear formed from the structure of body and soul. Practically all energy has to pass through it to engage in operation. Every ability user has to possess such a central hub...."

This was quite obvious. Puppeteer easily understood. However, his current attention had more or less deviated. His cold gaze was roaming upon Black Beetle's motionless body.

If nothing else, Puppeteer believed that what Luo Nan said about Black Beetle playing dead was correct to an 80% degree. It must be said that he was the one who had first let Black Beetle down. However, it was quite meaningless to overthink this, having committed an offense already. Puppeteer pondered how to deal with this new variable.

"Aside from the central gear, Black Beetle still has an external gear. It is none other than the twenty-seven beetles scattered around the viewing platform, as well as the six beetles on his tie."

Puppeteer's attention was drawn back when Luo Nan spoke such precise numbers. Puppeteer did a general sensing, and he found that Luo Nan's number for the beetles scattered around the platform should be right. However, Black Beetle's core item, the gaudy tie, was always covered and sealed. How did Luo Nan verify the number?

After a moment of hesitation, Puppeteer didn't take Luo Nan's words seriously.

Luo Nan continued explaining, "The thirty-three beetles may appear dispersed, but they are, in fact, closely connected through soul strength activation. Another gear structure can be formed at any time. This sort of method should be quite flexible. It shouldn't matter if Black Beetle loses a few beetles, but the material is relatively brittle. If the structure truly operates, I'm afraid it only has the strength for one attack.

"Yes, there's more. His tie looks pretty good. He should be regularly polishing it using gears. What I mean is, he regularly applies his interference ability and channels his energy into it. The tie can act as a medium. It isn't that fragile. It should be quite functional."

"Black Beetle has two hidden techniques: Insect Explosion and Poison Stinger. The former is a corrosive cloud, while the latter is a sword-like killing move,” Zhang Yingying's voice came through the wristband, giving Luo Nan supplementary information. This made it so that Xue Lei could understand things more clearly.

Xue Lei could hear the vibrato within the end of Zhang Yingying's voice. "We've really encountered a damnable bastard this time!"

What the hell!

Black Beetle was unable to hear Puppeteer's thoughts, but he could hear Zhang Yingying's commentary. He didn't need Zhang Yingying's commentary. Although the descriptions of gears, order frames, and the like were unfamiliar, Luo Nan had said things that were fused within his blood. They were his basic foothold in this world, and today, they were pointed out one by one. It would be strange if he wasn't uncomfortable.

Black Beetle reflexively refused to believe in it.

No, you're wrong! What you're saying is illogical. Oh, now that I think about it, even though my information is confidential, the Society is a very open place. Zhang Yingying and the robotic lady all know my details. This little bastard probably knew my information early on. Is he using words like 'order frame' to cover it up and mess with my mind? Or maybe the kid doesn't even care if I'm awake. Maybe he's using me to draw Puppeteer's attention away?

Black Beetle grew more suspicious and exasperated the more he thought. His mind was tangled over this problem for quite some time, but he gritted his teeth in resolution; he would keep the status quo. In any case, his face was stuck to the ground. He might as well leave his pride there and take Luo Nan to be spouting nonsense. He decided not to move at all!

At this time, Puppeteer took the initiative to face Luo Nan with question, "Didn't you say that there are four gears? You only talked about two."

"The third gear is a bit different from the first two gears. It is independent from Black Beetle's body and soul structure. It can be said to be a coupling, but it is more like a parasite. A parasite... can count as a type of coupling, I suppose. Yes, I believe it counts."

Luo Nan's words were spoken ambiguously, but they nailed Black Beetle to the ground the instant he heard them.

"Impossible!"

Black Beetle felt as if the back of his neck had been cut open by an icy blade. The piercing cold and pain proliferated from his spine to the two sides of his body. In the blink of an eye, even his toes were cold.

Other people might have been confused by what Luo Nan said, but Black Beetle's mind was absolutely clear.

Luo Nan was talking about his natal bug.

His ability has its origins in a Mutant beetle. He had accidentally swallowed it in his early years, and it fused with his extraordinary powers to erect a unique ability structure. He nourished it endlessly throughout the years, and the mutated demon bug was thoroughly implanted within his body. It became the most important foundation for his abilities.

This was his number one biggest secret in his life. It was always hidden in his stomach to rot, and he never mentioned it to anyone. How could Luo Nan possibly know about it? Unless…. Unless this kid had a pair of heavenly eyes, allowing him to see through his organs and see all his secrets with absolute clarity!

And at this time, Black Beetle thought back once more to the feeling he had previously of 'a penetrating bright light, unblockable and unstoppable'.

Wind passing through the gap and light illuminating the earth below. Were there invisible eyes behind this incomprehensible feeling of penetration? Were they always watching, missing not even a hair?

Black Beetle’s heart beat wildly with the sudden birth of this thought. It beat against the ground through his chest, and the aura around his body began moving. Everyone here was a keen and sensitive person. Naturally, none of this was hidden from them.

"This guy really was playing dead!" Xue Lei had a straight temperament. He just blurted out the truth.

You should just go die!

Even though Black Beetle's face stuck to the ice-cold ground, it was like he burst into flames at this moment. Black Beetle's brain rang with explosions, and he heard a buzzing noise like tinnitus pour into his ear. He was filled with the emotions of fear and rage, and these emotions soared like flames, cremating the playing-dead-plan into ashes.

Black Beetle suddenly bent his elbow and propped his body up. Whether or not this was a conscious action, his first reflex was to rush over and strangle that damnable fiend for exposing his life's greatest secret.

Xue Lei was always half a body in front of Luo Nan. He took a step to the side in this movement, covering Luo Nan behind his thick shoulder.

Speed was not Black Beetle's forte, but craftiness was etched in his bones. Even though currently his mind was a big mess, he instinctively chose a method of approach as he faced Xue Lei's stance, which was as sturdy as a boulder.

Black Beetle manipulated Xue Lei's center of gravity with several small changes in movement. He also saw the face behind Xue Lei's body.

A small portion of Luo Nan's face was revealed. Only a single eye could be seen. The eye socket revealed a slit, and the deep red color within absorbed all light. It was pitch-black, and it manifested an invisible pressure that pressed against Black Beetle's chest.

"There's still the fourth gear. It was just harnessed."

Before his voice fell, a violent wind blew through the viewing platform half-exposed to the sky while Xue Lei and Black Beetle collided together. Amidst the repeated sounds of bursting air, Luo Nan's hoarse and weak voice drifted and deflected far. If one didn't concentrate the mind, it might not be possible to hear Luo Nan clearly.

Puppeteer wasn't sure if Luo Nan was talking to him. Listening to the tone, it seemed like it.

"The fourth gear doesn't belong to him at all. Instead, it comes from the outside. At first it was used for protection, like a lampshade covering him, to block mental attacks. However, now, the coupling method has changed. It has turned from a lampshade into a noose...."

Black Beetle snorted in retreat. Xue Lei's close combat ability was greater than his by at least a level. He had no chance of winning in a frontal clash. Plus, Luo Nan's voice always lingered by his ear. The few key words trickled in one after another, causing his heart to shake in fear over and over. It was hard for him to maintain a fighting mood.

Black Beetle shifted his body greatly to the side; from now on, he wouldn't show his back to Puppeteer. Only when they formed a narrow triangle did Black Beetle stop moving. His breathing was a bit unsteady as he first stared at Luo Nan, before shifting his gaze to Puppeteer. Then his eyes flitted past every shadow on the viewing platform. His mind also wavered along with his eyes.

As for Luo Nan and Puppeteer, the gazes they cast over appeared rather subtle.

The intense anxiety and fear transformed into substance. They boiled in his chest. "Snake Tongue, talk to me...."

A hissing sound responded. It came from the remote darkness, and it sounded like the flickering of a poisonous snake's tongue and the slithering of scales. Just when Black Beetle wished to move in his moment of horror, a terrifying numbing sensation rose up from his stomach to drown his organs. It drowned his throat, but its power was yet exhausted. It continued rising.

A buzzing sound pierced into his brain.

Black Beetle's eyeballs swelled as wisps of blood filled his sclera. Fear and despair crammed inside. It was his natal bug, the Mutant he always carefully locked up within his stomach. It existed independently of his internal organs, but today, the demon bug had gone out of control.

The bizarre hissing sound enticed the Mutant demon bug to recover its instinctual fear. It bit through Black Beetle's intestines, stomach, chest, throat, and all the way to his brain.

Black Beetle still wanted to struggle, but his enemy didn't give him a chance. As the sensation of numbness along with the buzzing insect entered his brain, his consciousness darkened, and his light of life became forever gone.

The violent wind covered Luo Nan's drawn out sigh.

Luo Nan didn't want to save Black Beetle. He just wanted to warn him, to cause the enemy to stumble in her dark technique. But he never expected the enemy to utilize such ruthless methods. She simply roused the parasite within Black Beetle's stomach, the Mutant bug, and the positions of master and guest were reversed with this change.

Black Beetle died frozen within the wind. He was dead through and through. At that moment, his body only existed as an exoskeleton for the Mutant demon bug and whatever its whims.

Xue Lei was unsure about what happened. He looked warily and asked Luo Nan, "Is he…?"

Luo Nan nodded. "He's dead."

Before his voice could fall, Black Beetle's mouth opened up. "Yasakasa."

"...."

Black Beetle's lips and tongue wriggled, as well as his throat. This was quite clear. But the sound that came out was fuzzy and hoarse. In this overexertion, a gleaming green stinger protruded out from his throat. It even shook left and right a few times.

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Chapter 307: Thunder and Rain (Part 1/3)

Chapter 307: Thunder and Rain (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

Xue Lei held amazing valor when faced with such an aberrant situation, but his human instincts still made his scalp go numb. He couldn't stop the cold shiver that ran down his spine. "What sort of monster is this?"

Luo Nan didn't respond. Instead, Black Beetle's body leaned over a few degrees to face the two directly. The throat continued to reverberate. "...Pashasha. What Ouka means is sorry."

A few of the words were pronounced very articulately by Black Beetle. If one were to close their eyes, they would probably not hear much of a difference between the prior and later parts…. Even if one were to blink, one could confirm that a person was talking as long as they ignored the uncomfortable details.

Right now, Black Beetle had a restrained, polite expression that was uncharacteristic of him. His pair of hands were clasped together, stiffly protecting his lower abdomen. His head sagged slightly, and he truly had an appearance of apology.

"An early move has caused several connections to be missing. A transformation process still needs to be undertaken. Please forgive me."

Were it not for the unnatural twitching of facial muscles…. Were it not for the pointed insect limbs poking out of his nose, mouth, and ears, the current Black Beetle's expression would simply be like that of a trained and experienced ceremonial officer.

The comparison of before and after. The comparison of internal and external. These comparisons made one's mind shiver with a haunting alienation.

Xue Lei realized what had happened by integrating Zhang Yingying's previous reminder with the situation. He adjusted his positioning, protecting Luo Nan behind his broad shoulders. He directly faced that human-yet-not-human, insect-yet-not-insect thing, and shouted,

"Snake Tongue?"

"Before the transformation can be completed, I will need to deal with you two. However, just as someone said before, I hope to have some useful exchanges with Lord Luo within this small period of time."

Before them was Black Beetle externally, and a mutated demon bug internally, but its will was Snake Tongue's in a strange existence. This could be surmised from the calm, courteous behavior in speech. At the same time, the stiff body had leaned forward a bit, and it had adapted to speaking. It soon straightened back up, and then performed a deep bow with a look of extreme respect.

"Lord Luo's theory has opened my eyes, breaking through obstacles that plagued me for several years. I have benefitted from the lecture."

For an instant, Xue Lei, who was standing between the two, felt like he was the third wheel.

This was true in a way. Snake Tongue borrowed Black Beetle's mouth to speak and move. This was just a form. Its thoughts viewed Xue Lei as nothing. It looked only at Luo Nan.

"I believe that Lord Luo should also have his own set of gears. Lord Luo is also engaging in a marvelous application of coupling—the power that can see through living beings completely. However, the operation isn't very smooth, correct?"

As Black Beetle's body spoke, his cheeks revealed convulsions completely out of tune with his tone. A beat later, his two eyes noiselessly disintegrated. Blood splattered, and mossy green appendages of an insect protruded out of the eye sockets, then withdrew again.

In this eye-spasming scene, a smile was revealed on Black Beetle's face. Between the pitch-black teeth engraved with lines expelled an inhuman and deathly air. "Your gear is extraordinary, but your body is frail. The more complicated and profound the coupling, the greater the pressure that is brought to you. Lord Luo, how long can you endure it?"

Luo Nan stood behind Xue Lei. His face felt a bit uncomfortable. It was because of the blood that flowed down from his eye sockets; it was about to dry up. Luo Nan used the white cuffs of his white coat to wipe his face with two strokes. Such a small action affected the nerves of his face, bringing him pain. It was as if he were being scraped by a knife.

He exhaled, did his best to maintain the tranquility with his face, and softly said, "Did you simply kill Black Beetle to reduce the complexity of coupling, thereby gaining greater control?"

"Each time Lord Luo speaks, the meaning is clear, and the essence is there."

Snake Tongue responded through Black Beetle's riddled body. At that moment, she was on the same train of logic as Luo Nan. She could hold a two-way communication with him. "Allow me to express my objection. Lord Luo's assertion of Black Beetle being dead is rather imprudent. I merely made altercations to his way of existence. According to what Lord Luo explained, I just took the central gear and transformed it into another shape."

Black Beetle's body spasmed violently as the words were released. His entire body shrunk into a ball, and he knelt to the ground, shivering from head to toe.

Xue Lei subconsciously pushed across with his arm, bringing Luo Nan further behind him. He feared that the enemy might spawn something like a demonic moth. A faint yet fine chant came out from Black Beetle right when Xue Lei moved. The chant merged with the frigid wind atop the viewing platform to blow in all directions.

Xue Lei didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt the strength of the wind weaken. Then a beat later, little sounds of explosions rang from various areas atop the viewing platform.

Xue Lei's ears twitched. He spun his gaze in a circle, accurately capturing every point of explosion. He just saw light green vapor rise up and diffuse in all these locations.

"Twenty-seven of them. They should be the bugs controlled by Black Beetle. They all exploded."

"It’s Insect Explosion. Be careful of the nerve gas inside. If the gas has been made more effective through special techniques, its corrosive nature can be quite strong." Zhang Yingying already knew that Snake Tongue had arrived, thanks to her wristband communications. She was even more worried and anxious now, but she feigned calmness in order to prevent the two rookies from panicking. It should be quite exhausting to keep acting like this.

Xue Lei's eyelid twitched. "The volume doesn't appear to be big, but what are her intentions by gathering the gas all together from all sides?"

Zhang Yingying's mind went blank. "Gather?"

Luo Nan inserted himself into the conversation. "Snake Tongue is controlling the airflow atop the platform. Leister, can you take the stairs while carrying me?"

"No problem!" In any case, Xue Lei would have to put up with it even if there were problems.

"Then let's.... Forget it. We're a bit too late."

Luo Nan's voice grew hoarser. His body was indeed under enormous pressure. He was becoming weaker and weaker, but his mind was glowing brighter and brighter.

Things were just as Snake Tongue guessed. Luo Nan had achieved a coupling relationship between his gears under his roughly formed order frame. The coupling might not have been smooth, but it was enough to give birth to a divine light capable of illuminating the inside and the outside, reaching everywhere and giving Luo Nan amazing foresight.

Unfortunately, the difference between the enemy's experience and Luo Nan's experience was great. When facing the mage Snake Tongue and her treacherous and mysterious mind, Luo Nan's reactions were slower by a thread.

Right then, the frigid air current atop the platform was under the control of a fine spell chant. The winds were tamed and acquiescent. The winds whirled, gathering the scattered green poison clouds over, one after another. The layers of pressure headed toward Luo Nan and Xue Lei. They looked like rolls of fine cotton at first glance. They floated, not dispersing, and converged into screens, surrounding them at all sides. The way out of the platform was blocked off, sealing Luo Nan and Xue Lei inside.

Xue Lei looked around in a circle, the veins of his forehead throbbing. He had the mind to use a fist of gale to break through these layers of poison mist screens. However, he thought about how masterful Snake Tongue's wind-control spell was, and he hesitated from acting against evil so as to prevent harm to innocents.

He had reached the realm of obtaining his sign. He might not have to fear the poison mist, but what about Luo Nan? It was impossible for Luo Nan endure this torment with his body.

Snake Tongue's method of playing things down had stabbed a lethal point of weakness into them.

What should they do now? Wait for the poison to vaporize? Disregarding the fact that the platform was constructed in a half-open style, Snake Tongue had made this space no different than a completely sealed room.

And this wasn't the end of things.

Xue Lei's eyelids twitched, and he saw Black Beetle, who had fallen to the ground with spasms, slowly crawl up from the ground. Black Beetle's body was still a bit rocky, and his bloody cavities-for-eyes endlessly spewed blood. His face was skewered with several holes by sharp insect limbs, but he still revealed a courteous smile.

"The transformation has been complete. I've made Lord Luo see a joke."

Before the final syllable ended, Black Beetle's mask-like smile shattered into pieces. In its place was a hatred and madness warped to the extreme. The two bloody cavities upon his face spun toward Luo Nan's location. He spoke through gnashing teeth, "Little bastard who hides beneath a woman's skirt. GO DIE! AHHHHHHHH!"

The sudden change in aura made Xue Lei's scalp explode. The scene before Xue Lei's eyes blossomed. Black Beetle was charging over with a roar. He directly rushed through the green poison screen and punched straight out.

The charge pushed the poison screen into a chaotic eddy, and Xue Lei could smell the acridity. He thought about Luo Nan behind him, and Xue Lei flew into a rage. He made a sharp shout, and his powerful body actually expanded by a factor. His body was akin to a giant’s as he unleashed heavy blows.

A bang exploded out, and Black Beetle was knocked back at a speed even faster than his approach. The bone of his right arm was smashed into three sections by Xue Lei. He was again suppressed by heavy fists. The fists warped and collapsed his forehead inward, smashing a depression into his skull.

But in the instant Black Beetle was bombarded back, Black Beetle ripped off his tie with his left hand and swung it in one stroke. It slashed silently across Xue Lei's chest, and it was as if Xue Lei's clothes were cut by a sharp blade. They instantly split, and a white line appeared on his chest. The line rapidly turned red as it filled with blood. A dark color even shown through right on the eve of breaking through.

Xue Lei gritted his teeth, uttering not a sound. He just looked unwaveringly at Black Beetle.

If this was a normal situation, the exchange of blows would have led to Black Beetle's brain exploding to mush. Xue Lei would have won already. However, the fellow before his eyes, with his twisted expression and cracked skull, did not have brains come out, but part of the shell of an ugly demonic bug.

Black Beetle even grinned with laughter. "Ohhhh, the open wind feels so good…. Why have I never discovered this before?"

Xue Lei's mind shuddered with aversion. He didn't know if it was Black Beetle speaking or the demonic bug.

What the hell was this guy now?

Before Xue Lei could finish this thought, Black Beetle's expression went through another change. His lips and teeth opened, and he conveyed Snake Tongue's will, "Lord Luo, is Black Beetle dead or alive like this?"

Behind Xue Lei, Luo Nan spoke in a low yet steady voice, "It is merely a damaged soul that's been molded by you into a wraith-like monster...."

"That's one interpretation."

Snake Tongue didn't deny it. "The scale between life and death is fuzzy from the perspectives of you and I. You say he's dead. I say he's living. We each have our own criterion. However, I want to ask. If Lord Luo becomes like this, will you have the same thoughts then?"

"...."

"Of course, I certainly won't treat you as roughly as I have Black Beetle. I will use the most meticulous of techniques to slowly mold you. I'll have Lord Luo's soul become the most precious of my collection."

Under Snake Tongue's control, Black Beetle faced Luo Nan and Xue Lei with another bow. Green beetles substituted the brain within the split skull. They squirmed a bit. "When that happens, I will remold a more suitable body for Lord Luo to house your dazzling soul. If fortune would have it, we can even converse about research. I want the thoughts of a genius. Thoughts on perfecting order frames and the like. This is my plan….

"What do you think, Lord Luo?"

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Chapter 308: Thunder and Rain (Part 2/3)

Chapter 308: Thunder and Rain (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan made no response whatsoever when faced with Snake Tongue’s courteous and respectful behavior through Black Beetle's body. He leaned against the protective glass. His eyelids drooped down, and he became short of breath. He gave others the impression of increasing weakness.

The poisonous mist closed in all around. Luo Nan, with his poor physique, was in quite a life-threatening situation. Snake Tongue might not even need to expend any more energy. Just by saying a few more words, Luo Nan might simply fall.

"Lord Luo?" Snake Tongue still asked in a civilized and courteous way. Disregarding the shortcomings in attractiveness of her medium, there wasn't anything that could be fussed about.

Xue Lei could no longer bear the hypocrisy. He sneered. "No wonder you have a 'tongue' in your codename. You speak a lot of nonsense!"

"I'm truly sorry. I can't think of anything I need to do right now besides talking."

Snake Tongue drove Black Beetle to step two paces forward to allow Xue Lei to face the formidable foe. Currently, Black Beetle wasn't really much, but if the poison screens were disturbed a few more times, there was an 80% chance that Luo Nan would fall. This was the reason why Snake Tongue was acting so leisurely.

Xue Lei gnashed his teeth in anger as Snake Tongue continued speaking, "I can end this situation much quicker, but I feel quite ashamed. My humble cultivation hasn't reached perfection. I can't guarantee the complete retention of your light of intelligence. What information remains mostly relies on luck. The most likely possibility would be the erasure of Lord Luo's fascinating theories. That would really be a pity...."

"Snake Tongue!" Above the Heavenly Ocean Lake, Puppeteer also had enough. He looked at his wrist once more to confirm the time.

Though the police of Xia City and the security department of Cloud City Water Village were complete trash, they were certainly heading over right now. What if the Xia City branch of the Society were on their tails? They had barely obtained the upper hand. They needed to take Luo Nan into their hands and not let him escape.

"Mind your own matters," Snake Tongue's voice rang directly in his ear, this time with a warning that was neither light nor heavy.

Luo Nan, who maintained silence all this time, finally spoke, "You asked about An Weng a while ago…. Aren't you digressing from the topic?"

"Idiot, you're still in the mood to chat? Shut the hell up! Stop breathing!" Zhang Yingying was already driving up a storm in the metropolis. This year, her driving score was shot to nothing. Now, she even expended a lot of mental energy worrying over this troublemaker. She wanted to tear her steering wheel off her car in her hate.

"Listen to Sister Zhang, Nanster! Don't talk!" Xue Lei also wanted to curb Luo Nan from talking. Luo Nan, however, patted him on the shoulder in slight reassurance.

Black Beetle continued to act like a mouthpiece in front of them, helping realize a dialogue between Snake Tongue and Luo Nan. "From my viewpoint, An Weng's location and the like really don't stir my emotions as much as Lord Luo's theories."

"Then I must truly thank you."

Luo Nan continued to speak in a weak voice, "Therefore, you intend to continue discussing related topics until I fall to the poison mists.... Or perhaps, you've finished constructing your fortifications?"

The viewing platform was suddenly without sound.

"Fortifications?" Whether it was Xue Lei, Zhang Yingying, or even Puppeteer, they all encountered a barrier in understanding. They were stunned for a time.

Snake Tongue probably had the same emotions. She spoke through Black Beetle a full five seconds later, but this time, the tone was much graver than before, "Lord Luo, you've been observing me all this time?"

"I am forming conjectures about you."

The sound of Luo Nan's breathing turned rapid. A smidgen of poison had entered him, and at that moment, the effects were becoming increasingly obvious. However, he still spoke, "I am thinking. Based on your ability, you were originally going to come over here with Black Beetle and the others. With the element of exceptional surprise, I probably wouldn't have made it this long if you had. However, you didn't come. You just made a 'lampshade', doing just better than nothing. It just doesn't make sense for a killing machine to act as a logistics person.

"Therefore….

"I made a conjecture. Of course, I also had the support of someone's intelligence. I thought that you were bound to come over via an out-of-body state. It is convenient, but it is fragile. Especially against me, an expert in sensing and mental attacks. You should have quite a cautious nature, someone who cherishes her own body. You still haven't launched your final offensive. Maybe you're scared of expending too much energy, allowing me to detect you and catch you. Your defensive ability can't compare to Black Beetle’s and the others’."

Snake Tongue was silent for several seconds, before speaking, "Right now, has Lord Luo discovered my position?"

"I'm not too sure yet, so let's do what you suggested. Let's keep chatting?"

Snake Tongue stopped uttering a sound. She seemed to be pondering Luo Nan's means.

Xue Lei, Zhang Yingying, and Puppeteer. These three people were unable to speak a word for a time. So there was another battlefield going on atop the platform, and they were completely ignorant of it all.... Although Luo Nan had brought this out to the open, the situation was as so.

Everyone's gazes, aside from the people absent from the scene, all congregated upon Luo Nan's body. However, they were unable to see even a clue.

Luo Nan's complexion still wasn't very good. The protective glass behind him had an arc to it, so he was uncomfortable as he leaned against it. He painfully adjusted his body's posture, and he finally felt a bit comfortable. He extended two fingers, and gestured with a swipe.

A second passed, and Snake Tongue spoke through Black Beetle, "Lord Luo means...."

"I'm answering your question." Luo Nan seemed to be interested in talking. "You just asked me about my order frame. According to the standard that is Black Beetle, my order frame contains two gears. One big and one small."

Luo Nan had spoken simply, but the implications were much more complicated.

There were two gears. The large one was the Format Pyramid. It represented the soul strength stored within the external neuron as well as the external neuron itself. During one of Xiu Shenyu's lectures, the large gear was called an 'external power'. Xiu Shenyu said that it was like an enormous iceberg. Its power was strict.

The small gear was the heart lantern of the eyes orifice, the progress Luo Nan made in ten days of cultivation. It was an extension of the system of his body, but it had yet to mature. It remained a mere dinghy floating outside the iceberg.

There existed certain coupling relationships between the large and small gears from the very beginning. The infusion of soul strength from the Format Pyramid allowed the heart lantern of the eyes orifice to rapidly develop and strengthen. This was just one relationship between them. The heart lantern of the eyes orifice and the Format Pyramid intercommunicated and overlapped information. This was the second relationship.

The second relationship was quite notable. In the very beginning, whether it was Black Beetle or Puppeteer, when Luo Nan tried to use clairvoyance and see their Life Sketches, they were both obscured by a dense haze. There was interference. Then there was the new coupling relationship, which was like wind passing through the gap and light illuminating the earth below. After this coupling relationship was formed, the two people's Life Sketches, and even the entire star river landscape, had most of the turbid clouds and dark mist brushed away. Layers upon layers were penetrated, and mysteries no longer existed.

It was impossible for Luo Nan to speak these details. What he spoke now, especially the discussion with Snake Tongue, was a technique to gain a better understanding by explaining what he knew through his own words. He was further refining his embryonic ideas.

So he really didn't care whether or not Snake Tongue responded. He just talked, caring only for himself. "My problem lies in the fact that these two gears aren't on the same order of magnitude. They are also too close together. They lack a fair composition. Even when they form a coupling relationship, it is hard to avoid wear and tear due to their differences."

His face turned toward the Heavenly Ocean Lake. He laughed. He clearly blew a fuse, but this rarely seen expression of his made the nearby Puppeteer's scalp go numb.

"A special structure is certainly needed to facilitate a motive connection between the gears with their enormous difference in masses. A link in-between is a necessity. Like the devil ray. It charges and rushes within the crystal pillar, killing numerous marine life. It paves a path of death around it, but just a small distance away, many small fish and prawn can rely on its discarded food and waste to grow."

Puppeteer subconsciously looked down below his feet. He only woke up halfway through his action. The conversation was running way too off-topic!

Even Snake Tongue was slightly unable to follow Luo Nan's tempo. In the end, she just let out a sigh containing an unclear emotion. "Lord Luo, you really make one revere you when you use unique methods in your ponderings.... However, we are still people of the commons. It isn't good to diverge too far from the level of the normal world."

Black Beetle suddenly made a sudden step forward as she spoke.

Xue Lei wasn't sure what sort of stage the situation had developed to, but his duty to protect Luo Nan would never change. He subtly bent his body like a bow. He entered into a combat stance.

Luo Nan paused the conversation that only he could understand. His blood-filled eyes faced Black Beetle's warped and deformed face, but he ultimately just glanced at him to look downcast. "You don't want to discuss theories?"

"I'm very worried about Lord Luo's current state."

Snake Tongue's concern was like Black Beetle's face. All that was left was a shriveled and empty husk. As she spoke, the green poison screen noiselessly gathered and approached the center. The scope was done in an extremely cautious and subtle manner.

Black Beetle pressed forward as well. His speed wasn't quick, but his center of gravity swayed and changed seemingly randomly. He seemed to be as good as 80% of his peak state.

Xue Lei had to pay attention to the poison screen of mist, had to stay locked on to Black Beetle, and also had to worry about Luo Nan's state. His mind was split in all these directions. It was really hard.

At this time, Xue Lei heard Luo Nan cough out a breath of air behind him. He was shocked, and he turned around to look, ignoring Black Beetle's movements in front.

Black Beetle's side seemed to be shocked as well. He unexpectedly didn't seize the opportunity to cause difficulties.

Luo Nan didn't care about how the others acted. He took in a deep breath, then he slowly exhaled. He couldn't avoid the toxic environment of the surrounding poison curtains of mist. He subconsciously moved his jaw during this process, dispersing the feeling of numbness in his face.

"The main ingredient of Black Beetle's insect explosion poison should be a polypeptide neurotoxin, with the greatest likelihood of it being ISTX-3. Normally, it propagates via the bloodstream to directly affect ion channels and cause a strong paralysis effect. But Black Beetle made huge adjustments in its synthesis for the sake of increasing its efficiency. He increased the likelihood of a respiratory infection, but this reduced the toxicity…."

Luo Nan didn't even raise his eyes, having spoken to this point. He just breathed a laugh. "Would you say that this dialogue is now on the level of the normal world? Mrs. Snake Tongue, we had come to an agreement to engage in discussion. It's not good to withdraw midway."

Snake Tongue could hardly hide her astonishment. "Lord Luo has also researched neurotoxins?"

"I've taken many drugs. I can resist the neurotoxin for a bit of time."

Though Luo Nan said this, he had many years without the format foundation as a container. He also just recently pierced through to the eyes orifice, stimulating the functions of his human body. Today, Luo Nan was likely in big trouble. He absolutely wasn't as he appeared, breathing in toxic gas and scaring people in amusement.

Luo Nan leaned against the protective glass and switched to a more comfortable position. He absolutely wouldn't tell Snake Tongue that half his body had numbed already. That he would tumble if he were to take a single step.

However, his nervous system was in an extraordinarily excited state due to the stimulation of the neurotoxin. This was precisely what he needed the most.

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Chapter 309: Thunder and Rain (Part 3/3)

Chapter 309: Thunder and Rain (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan's bullshitting skills were truly rising as he spoke about frames and gears. By pairing his skills with a bunch of jargon, his effectiveness in scaring people greatly improved as well.

Snake Tongue was a silent for a time. She was probably reassessing Luo Nan's state.

As for Xue Lei, he wasn't quite clear on what was going on, but he let out a breath of relief when he saw the appearance Luo Nan had donned. His entire self relaxed.

"Nanster, you're amazing!"

Most of Xue Lei's thoughts were focused on Luo Nan when the poisonous screens of mist surrounded them. The feeling of apprehension was hard to take, for he couldn't utilize his skills. Now that most of his worries of the future were gone, the pressure moved away from his mind. The energy of his body circulated much more smoothly.

Luo Nan gave Xue Lei a big thumbs up. He wasn't planning on telling him the truth. Losing control of half his body was quite an uncomfortable feeling, but it was worth it if he could liberate Xue Lei's combat power.

It's just that Xue Lei still had some lingering fears. He was worried that the enemy would use some dark methods against them, and he whispered, "Nanster. Let's take the chance. I'll carry you down—"

"No, we're going on the offensive."

Luo Nan's voice was lower and deeper than before, but his will was unwavering. The veins of his forehead faintly throbbed, as the coupling between the heart lantern of the eyes orifice and the Format Pyramid formed the glimmering wind. The glimmering wind brushed across the viewing platform, as well as most of the skyscraper itself. It illuminated every nook and cranny, including the Life Sketches of every living being.

The enormous quantity of information was difficult to process. Luo Nan had to approximately discern the information based on the distance and level of danger. Under the accumulation of information, Luo Nan formed response plans one after another, changing them and refreshing them.

Luo Nan did not lack in ideas. He was lacking in the judgment ability that was formed from the accumulation of experience. In this situation, the principles formed by his predecessors' experience became the number one basis for his decision making. The principles of mentality taught by Crag Burst were the basis of Luo Nan's actions. Luo Nan took his own conviction and schemes, and erected them upon unwavering elements of victory and superiority. These were what forged his steel will.

"We don't have the energy to continue being tangled up with Snake Tongue. Right now, we need to get rid of Black Beetle. Without this starting point, Snake Tongue can only make a move in the mental domain. Victory is ours at that point."

Xue Lei's gaze cut to Black Beetle. He felt that the distance was appropriate. Both advance and retreat was all right. It's just that variables would inevitably occur once combat started.

It was just a moment of hesitation, but the enemy made their move first.

Low syllables came out of Black Beetle's mouth. They sounded like part of a spell chant as well as the hissing of bugs. The two fused together, and the poison screens of mist closed in from all directions. The color of green suddenly deepened as a gurgling sound rang through the air. With the help of Zhang Yingying's intelligence, Luo Nan and Xue Lei realized that Black Beetle was forcing the poison mist to catalyze. It wasn't just neurotoxin now. The poison mist became corrosive, and it came pouncing over.

Snake Tongue probably did this because she felt that the neurotoxin wasn't effective enough, so she switched to a corrosive type to see if it would give more damage.

Luo Nan witnessed this scene and was not really surprised. He didn't cover up his previous speech at all. This was the same as pressuring Snake Tongue into making a move. Luo Nan instantly spoke faster, telling Xue Lei, "I recall you mentioning that you've perfected the Latent Thunder technique?"

"Huh?"

Luo Nan didn't wait for Xue Lei to respond. He flipped through the pages of the notebook he always held within his hand until he reached the last page. Here lay the last of the paper men he had made. There was something different about it. Its paper material ignited into a blaze of fire in midair as it pounced into the poison screens that were on the verge of closing in on them.

The special material and special technique formed a special blaze. Its quality was out of the ordinary, but this was an extremely rough method of response from Luo Nan. The corrosive poison mist exploded into flames as they made contact, splashing out large gushes of fire and causing the toxicity to become violently volatile.

In an instant, before Xue Lei were an acrid odor and the sight of flame. Xue Lei eventually realized Luo Nan's intentions while his scalp was frying. He immediately gritted his teeth as he gave a low shout, collecting the energy of his entire body. Then, his energy exploded in an eruption. The martial artist clothes upon his body rang with crackles, and air blasted away from his body, dispelling the assaulting flames at once.

This move could defend against fire, but not poison. The toxicity was excited in an instant, growing fiercer than before by countless fold. Even Xue Lei felt his limbs go a bit numb. Luckily, the clearsign within his body shone with its illumination. It quickly dispelled and suppressed these negative feelings to the minimum, wiping them clean.

Xue Lei was most concerned about Luo Nan still. He was just about to turn around when he was pushed from behind. "Blitzkrieg go!"

The force wasn't great, but it was expressed in a direct and efficient way, wiping away the distracting thoughts from Xue Lei's mind. Xue Lei growled. He relied on his strong body to break into the region of mist, which was still spraying with flames, battering his way through.

As he saw Xue Lei throw himself ahead, Luo Nan's body subconsciously wanted to slide to the ground. His muddy vision turned even fuzzier. However, there was the glimmering wind formed from the coupling between the Format Pyramid and the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. The wind blew across all orifices, illuminating every part of the body. The feeling of numbness was alleviated substantially, and strands of heat rose up, giving Luo Nan a bit more strength. In the end, Luo Nan leaned steadily against the protective glass, escaping making a fool of himself.

The devious figure hiding deep in the mental plane behind layers and layers of defenses was incapable of seeing through this hole.

Xue Lei's charge was a move that shifted around the roles of aggressor and defender.

Black Beetle had already pressed a certain amount of distance when Xue Lei's sudden assault came. Xue Lei's awesome explosive power made him like a ferocious tiger crossing a river, roaring through. The powerful energy surrounding Xue Lei's body tore the remaining poison screen of mist into shreds.

Black Beetle's control over the poison mist was completely broken, but then his feet swayed as he sidestepped in time, dodging Xue Lei’s frontal charge.

Xue Lei's gaze was vicious as his tall and strong body instantly whirled around like flowing water. He charged with a shoulder and struck with an elbow, drawing out close range strikes which were akin to the howling wind and torrential rain. His tiny range shifted and changed in a manner that was in no way inferior to what Black Beetle could do.

Black Beetle's response was inferior to his response back when he was normal. He avoided the shoulder charge, but was unable to dodge the elbow strike as his body suddenly stiffened. Xue Lei seized this chance. A growl burst from his throat, and he unleashed a fist brimming with power. One fist came after another as he pummeled Black Beetle in the shoulder, neck, and face. At first there was no sound, but after the three punches landed, there suddenly came the explosive sound of thunder. The force pierced through the skin, flesh, skull, and brains. The latent energy exploded in vibrations, and Black Beetle's ugly and deformed skull thudded and exploded apart.

Within the shards of the skull bone, the beetle's body suddenly shriveled. It looked like it was about to explode, but it actually did this to avoid most of the punching pressure. It firmly pulled back downward, following the broken veins in the neck and sinking deep within Black Beetle's ruined body.

The image, the scene, was aberrant and horrifying. But Xue Lei had already entered a combat state. He turned a blind eye to this and drew his energy to let loose another hammer of a punch.

Thunder rang once more, and the neck, shoulders, and chest of Black Beetle's ruined body caved in, becoming seriously deformed. He no longer had the form of a human. If any normal person had such an appearance, they would be 100% dead. However, Xue Lei felt that this wasn't enough. He fixed his gaze upon Black Beetle's ruined body and unleashed another heavy hammer of a blow.

But then Luo Nan's thoughts directly entered Xue Lei's mind. "Retreat!"

Xue Lei didn't even think with this stimulation from Luo Nan. He withdrew his fist, and his body flickered in retreat.

It happened at nearly the same beat. Black Beetle's critically crushed chest suddenly expanded. The force was so much that it looked like it would explode apart entirely. But just when the chest was on the verge of bursting, an invisible force forcefully terminated it. In the end, only the shoulder and neck, which were meat-paste by now, exploded in a mist of blood.

The bloody glow gurgled within the air. The later part of the blood was greater than the prior, spraying toward Xue Lei's head. But Xue Lei launched a fist filled with energy, forcefully shaking the blood apart.

Xue Lei had no intentions of relaxing after escaping from this danger. He suddenly turned to look at Luo Nan, and he saw lightning inexplicably flash within the eye sockets of his best friend.

Before he could understand what happened, Xue Lei heard a shriek of despair.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The ugly green beetle emerged once more from the upper half of the ruined human body. Half of its shell was fused with the damaged blood and flesh. The other half, which included the head, backshell, et cetera, ignited with flames and smoke. The flames flew and curled upward, forming the faint shape of a human struggling in pain.

It was Black Beetle's 'wraith'.

Right then, Black Beetle could be considered awake. His shrieks were filled to the brim with despair and fear; his emotions of fury had sunk from the surface…. Right then, he was in a state that was neither man nor demon, and his emotions were born from this.

"SNAKE TONGUE! SNAKE TONGUE!" All of Black Beetle's vocal organs were obliterated into nothing. His current screams were from the materialization of intense negative thoughts. They were like curses, and also pleas.

"Many thanks for your help."

The voice was extraordinarily gentle and refined. It quietly entered the ear like a breeze. This was the product of using the air currents atop the viewing platform as a musical instrument. The air was seeped with indiscernible telepathy, and thus, sound was produced.

The sound didn't match the person. Who could ever think that this was Snake Tongue?

The gentler Snake Tongue's response was, the more intense Black Beetle's reaction became. The intense emotions caused the flames to become more like a burning man in appearance. But regardless, it was only a plant growing in a flower pot of blood and flesh. No matter how it twisted and struggled, it couldn't leave and it couldn't die. It could only stagger around in its half-ruined body, a scene that caused shivers to run down one's spine.

Snake Tongue didn't feel like chatting leisurely with a fellow whose self-awareness was on the eve of being extinguished. Her tone grew all the more relaxed and gentle. "I truly need to give much thanks to Black Beetle to be able to urge Lord Luo display his expertise, and for giving me the chance to make contact with Lord Luo in this manner."

Xue Lei really didn't quite understand what Snake Tongue was saying, but Snake Tongue had used dark and treacherous methods before, and now she was chatting very openly. When he heard her tone, he instinctively felt that things were far from good. "Nanster?"

Luo Nan leaned against the protective glass. His bloody red eye sockets were locked on to Black Beetle. Some of the stopped blood flowed down once more, dripping down from his chin to his white coat, leaving an eye-catching blotch.

When Black Beetle's body swelled and neared the point of explosion just a moment before, Luo Nan had used his soul strength to forcefully interfere with the gears within, effectively suppressing them.

Otherwise, what would have happened wouldn't be a spray of bloody mist. It would be a meat bomb. Xue Lei might not have been able to take it, and in an environment with rapidly spreading poison, Luo Nan wouldn't be able to take it either.

Luo Nan's technique of interference reached the peak of mastery. He needed to have the visual power to completely see the corporeal and incorporeal of the enemy's foundation. Only then could this be done. However, the dealer that was Snake Tongue had buried a trap here earlier on. Luo Nan's soul strength was locked firmly by her when he seeped it inside, and then began a wrestle of power.

The soul strengths of the two collided head on for the first time, and the situation turned into a dangerous deadlock. If Luo Nan were to cower just a little, the meat bomb would explode.

"Retreat backward!" Luo Nan squeezed out two words between his teeth.

Xue Lei hesitated a bit, then he moved back.

The sound of Snake Tongue using the wind to speak was like a shadow following a body: It was relentless. It seemed she was in the mood to talk again. "Looking at the results of soul activating the paper men, Lord Luo's interference ability strength far exceeds the scope illustrated by intelligence. Aside from the fact that the intelligence personnel have failed in their duties, this result comes from the coupling of two gears. It must be a method that was comprehended just recently."

Luo Nan responded coldly as he calculated Xue Lei's safety distance, "Correct, but you don't get bonus points."

"But Lord Luo should understand it clearly. The source of your problems don't lie in your interference ability. It lies in the critical imbalance between body and soul. AKA it is the problem of the large disparity between your small gear and your large gear. The more breathtaking your performance is right now, the graver the consequences you bring upon yourself…."

"So you used Black Beetle to manufacture this trap for me?"

Luo Nan knew that Snake Tongue's ultimate goal wasn't to force a deadlock. Even if they were in a deadlock, Snake Tongue still had a soul strength circulation technique that reached near perfection. She increased the pressure bit by bit, forcing Luo Nan to increase his invested soul strength accordingly. They twisted around each other, forming a powerful and incorporeal maelstrom. It was like a close-combat wrestle on the mental plane.

This was precisely Snake Tongue's meticulous plan. She used this method to force Luo Nan into a basic tug-of-war, into a pure wrestle. Her ultimate goal was to avoid the powerful and sharp long-range attacks Luo Nan was capable of.

Now, Snake Tongue had revealed the true location of her soul. She had performed layers upon layers of fortifications, dispelling Luo Nan's explosive power of soul strength. It could be said that she was secure and had nothing to fear.

Luo Nan exhaled. "All right. I need to say something. Your warping of Black Beetle's central gear to force Black Beetle's four gears in mutually affecting each other is absolutely not 'coupling'."

"Of course. This sort of structural relationship is coarse and rudimentary. It has no beauty."

Snake Tongue's gentle voice was like that of a teacher reciting poetry. "The world doesn't follow one's fancies. Nine times out of ten, we ultimately need to use the most realistic of methods to resolve problems. So, I used a low-grade structure to draw over Lord Luo's interference and restrict your soul strength. Next, I will use this ugly wrestle of power to touch upon the limits of your body a bit at a time until your body completely falls apart. Perhaps this method will make it hard for your light of intelligence to remain, but I will be able to obtain something first-rate for my collection—"

"Collect your ancestors!" puffed Xue Lei in fury. He directed a deathly glare toward Black Beetle's wraith and ruined body. Even though he didn't understand the details, he knew the crux lay over there.

He could pulverize whatever hook or trap there was!

Though his body was still moving backward, the degree of his movement turned small. He could launch an opposite attack at any time, at a speed that would surely surprise the opponent.

But Luo Nan called out to him, stopping him once more, "Leister, calm yourself…. It's rare for someone to chat with me."

Luo Nan's body was unable to maintain supporting itself as he spoke. Luo Nan slowly slid to sit on the ground.

Xue Lei turned to look, his face flushing red when he saw Luo Nan's state. He gritted his teeth so hard that they were going to crack, but Luo Nan still gave Xue Lei an appeasing gesture. He wanted Xue Lei to go back.

As Xue Lei was tangled in this conundrum with gritted teeth, Luo Nan slightly tilted his face up high. He faced the location of Snake Tongue's true soul and spoke gently as if he were in a casual chat, "Mrs. Snake Tongue. I must correct you on one of your views. The coupling relationship can be coarse or fine. It can be of high quality or of low quality. But most of all, it can be divided into having it and not having it. If there is coupling, then there is coupling. If there isn't coupling, then there isn't coupling. You can't use coarseness and low quality as an excuse…. Do you agree?"

Though Luo Nan remained calm when faced with a desperate situation, Snake Tongue didn't have any feelings of admiration. She just smoothed out her plan from start to finish and reconfirmed the strength of her fortifications. Only after she concluded that everything was certain did she quietly laugh.

"The way Lord Luo speaks has a certain arrogance that says, 'Who but myself can do it?' I don't quite understand; are you flaunting that you are the only one who can understand your mother's research area?"

Luo Nan really did carefully consider this before shaking his head. "That's unlikely."

"Then, is Lord Luo deliberately manufacturing a topic of discussion to buy some time? Are you waiting for reinforcements to arrive?"

Luo Nan was stupefied for a moment before saying, "Can't we just discuss things purely for what they are? Coupling isn't a basket that anyone can put on. An excessively broad definition would just lower its value. It's just like your meat bomb, where you've just produced clashes and chaos to stingily construct a new order…. If you still persist in your views, then I will continue believing that you don't understand coupling."

Snake Tongue didn't respond. Over at Heavenly Ocean Lake, Puppeteer was already pushed to his limits. "He's just buying time! A military aircraft is making its way over! I can see its lights!"

Actually, nothing really could be seen down in the pitch-black darkness in the depths of the night sky. But it was after-work rush hour right now. There were many layers of traffic, with the car lights creating a bit of a chaotic view.

Those who had the relevant experience would find it easy to determine that these cars had received some information; the information being to make room for an ad hoc military ship landing.

Snake Tongue was still quite calm. "Doesn't matter. In the current situation, as long as the three major players of Xia City don't rush over, there is no one who can help him escape from my trap."

Puppeteer nearly cursed out. You can come and go as you please with your soul body. I need time to retreat.

He narrowly stuffed the emotions back down to his stomach. He understood that it was impossible for him to play with Snake Tongue to the end. He was determined to withdraw first. He glanced at his gasping 'safety line'; she was useless now. Forget it, I am extremely benevolent. I'll help you this one time!

"You all slowly play. I'm out of here. Mm, before that, I'll need to leave some beautiful memories."

Puppeteer gave Luo Nan and Xue Lei a lustrous laugh, revealing a mouth full of white teeth. Then he used his wristband to contact Tank, who had yet to appear here.

"Hello, Tank. Can you do something that will leave a deep impression? Like setting some fires?"

Luo Nan's hanging eyelids suddenly twitched twice. Xue Lei instantly woke from his stupefaction and glanced back to the jungle of the wetlands in the distance. But it was already dark, he couldn't really see anything.

Even if he could, it was impossible to expect good intentions from this group of people.

Puppeteer continued chatting with Tank, "If time is a bit pressing, just burning the surface is fine. Pay attention to first destroy the fire control system.... Hot damn, that fast? All right, my words are useless. I believe in your expertise."

"F***!"

Xue Lei thought about the misfortune the legendary building was suffering right now, and felt that his hair was about to stand on end. He cursed and yelled, "Snake Tongue! You dare!?"

Puppeteer shrugged. "Forget her."

"This has nothing to do with me." Snake Tongue's voice remained gentle. "However, regret is a hook that is buried within memories. The most touching emotions of the world can be drawn. I don't mind if my collection is smeared with the color of tragedy."

Puppeteer cursed to himself for how pretentious she was being. Behind the diving goggles, his eyes swept to look at Xue Lei, who was on the verge of combusting, as well as... the one sitting on the ground. Luo Nan was expressionless with those bloody red eye sockets.

Tsk, say something!

Are you trying to disgust people acting like this? All right, you've succeeded, we're disgusted.

Puppeteer's smile broadened. "Okay, you all slowly chat then. I'm leaving first. Oh, much thanks to you, Snake Tongue. You've saved me from using my safety line."

He slightly stuck out the thumb of the hand gripping onto Tian Si's neck as he spoke. He used force to stir the girl's lower jaw, forcing her to become somewhat awake. Emotions of fear resurfaced in Tian Si's vacant and dim eyes. Puppeteer laughed in satisfaction and whistled.

A boom sounded in the Heavenly Ocean Lake. The devil ray smacked the water's surface in agitation. Its enormous mouth split open as it saw the human figure above it. It drooled with desire.

Puppeteer chuckled, then deliberately raised his voice. "This is your bonus. Drag her down to the bottom and slowly enjoy her. Don't rush things too much. Let the people on the various floors see. And give our Mr. Luo adequate time to think; which one should he save first? His mother's work? Or his lover's life? ...Or maybe he won't be able to save either?"

His gaze pointed toward Luo Nan to lock with those blood-red eye sockets. He maintained his grin as he released his fingers, letting Tian Si fall down.

The water rumbled as the devil ray flapped its fins. It flew straight up, and its large mouth opened to reveal fine teeth. It faced to meet the human.

It was in this instant that Puppeteer saw blood overflow from Luo Nan's eye sockets. The flow of blood continued to engrave marks upon Luo Nan's face, and Puppeteer's heart was incomparably satisfied. He used two fingers that had been burdened with carrying food to gesture across his forehead, delivering his farewells.

"Till next time!"

Puppeteer made a light jump, heading toward the dome. Just as he was about to leap over the steel frame, the muffled sound of something falling into the water resonated. The clear difference in sound made his heart skip a beat. He instinctively shifted his gaze to look down, and he saw the devil ray unfurl its long wing-like fins, which were over fifteen meters wide. It looked like an enormous and aberrant bat as it soared to reach beneath his feet.

The heck did it fly so high for…. Oh, hold on, what was with the water sound?

Great waves were billowing out within the Heavenly Ocean Lake. Puppeteer's gaze deviated, and he saw a velvet skirt, which was puffed up a bit due to being soaked with water, move to and fro atop the water.

"Get away!" Snake Tongue exploded with an unprecedented warning, causing Puppeteer to burst out with a cold shiver. However, this didn't obstruct his instincts, which he had tempered over the years, from leading him and forcing him to shift his position.

And at practically the same time, a different heavy shout exploded directly on the mental plane.

"PUPPETEER!"

Puppeteer knew that he absolutely couldn't be distracted, but the cold sharp shout cut through to the depths of his soul, pressing Puppeteer to turn his head to lock gazes with the blood-filled eyes far in the distance.

Lightning tore through the turbid blood, causing Luo Nan's eyes to dazzle with brilliance.

Puppeteer instinctively squinted his eyes, even though he was wearing diving goggles. It was truly as if he were looking at a spear of lightning radiating within the night sky, and the spear came stabbing at his chest.

At this moment, whatever instincts, whatever training he had, were turned to ash under the soul-rending attack.

Puppeteer's body froze in an absolutely abnormal manner. The Mutant devil ray had an enormous body, and the power at which it flew was extremely quick and ferocious. Even though Puppeteer had shifted a few feet, the distance he had moved wasn't enough. It was far from enough!

Blood sprayed in a bout of rain as the corner teeth of the devil ray hooked on to Puppeteer's right arm. This was the same arm that had gripped Tian Si by the neck, and it separated from the body in an instant.

Then came the strike from its wing-like fins. The hidden and mutated barbs directly pierced Puppeteer's chest and the ribs on his two sides. They stabbed evenly inside.

The sharp pain woke him a little. With his life in danger, he pushed with his feet. This produced quite a bit of force, for he flew off to the side in retreat. But the whip-like tail that was over fifteen meters long of the devil ray lashed out with a buzz, bringing a sound akin to chains rattling.

The heavy attack struck Puppeteer dead in the face. His diving goggles split apart to reveal eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, as well as emotions of incredulity. All of these disintegrated in the blink of an eye under the powerful explosive force. All that was left was a human body without a head, and that body fell into the Heavenly Ocean Lake.

A few bloody waves rippled out, before soon diluting into nothing.

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Chapter 310: Wheel of Time (Part 1/3)

Chapter 310: Wheel of Time (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

After killing its previous controller in a single move, the devil ray sank down. Its enormous body was practically touching the surface of the water, but it didn't enter the water. It just flapped its powerful wing-like fins.

In the end, fins weren't wings. The rate at which they moved up and down was very slow, but the air currents pierced through the center of the wave-like section, causing marvelous and powerful effects. The air converged layer upon layer, the density increasing to become a sole source of motive power. This caused the heavy enormous body, which exceeded several tons, to be easily supported up in empty air.

The over-fifteen-meter-wide colossus hovered above the viewing platform. The sight might not be completely spectacular, but it inspired an abundance of horror. The water below was affected by the compressed air. Ripples and waves surged to bubble to the shore of the pool layer by layer.

Tian Si, who had fallen into the water a moment ago, was lifted up by the surging waves. She lay dazed at the edge of the pool. As for the dead Puppeteer, his body was completely drowned within the waves of water. Not a trace could be seen.

"Why go through such detailed work when you can already control Mutants?" At least half of Snake Tongue's attention rested over at Heavenly Ocean Lake because of Puppeteer's death.

The betrayal of the devil ray was within her expectations. Puppeteer, this half-assed puppet master, should die in such a fashion. It just happened sooner rather than later. And the Mutant, who had a strengthened fleshly body, wasn't really a threat to her.

What Snake Tongue truly cared about was the method Luo Nan used to control the devil ray.

She saw the devil ray's performance. Tian Si and Puppeteer had both fallen into the water, but it had sent Tian Si to shore while leaving Puppeteer's corpse to sink into the watery depths. The distinction was quite clear. What was hard to imagine was the fact that the devil ray still complied to its nature in using waves. This was the devil ray's thinking, and it was a very human-like train of thought.

This proved that Luo Nan's control over the devil ray was a surrender rather than a manipulation. Even for puppet masters, this was an extremely high-level skill.

Puppeteer used special techniques to entwine his victims. What did Luo Nan do to overpower Puppeteer's control?

Luo Nan must have started formulating and executing a plan from the moment Puppeteer revealed the devil ray. During this process, whether it was Puppeteer or Snake Tongue, all were completely ignorant of it. Even when the devil ray betrayed Puppeteer, Snake Tongue still wasn't certain of the techniques Luo Nan had employed within.

This skill was completely missing from the intelligence they were given.

Of course, Puppeteer was stunned by Luo Nan's deadly long-range bombardment, causing Puppeteer’s death by the devil ray and leaving Luo Nan open for direct attacks from Snake Tongue. But obviously, Luo Nan wasn't restricted by Snake Tongue at all. What the heck did her wrestle on the mental plane even mean?

"This fellow is like a treasury... no, a weapons depot!"

Snake Tongue was completely unable to guess what this seemingly young, inexperienced, and biased teenager can fish up in the next moment. Formatting Theory and Coupling Theory, were they production lines for mental weapons?

The impact of Puppeteer's immediate death made Snake Tongue clearly think things over much more. So much so that she forgot for a moment that now was not a good time to go pondering things.

She felt a slight jolt, and the location of her soul body was locked upon.

Snake Tongue's mind became a bit heavy, and she saw Luo Nan turn his head to look at her from the edge of the viewing platform. Lightning stained with blood tore from his eye sockets to pierce through space. It was the same move that was employed against Puppeteer.

Snake Tongue had already exposed the location of her soul body for the sake of better realizing a wrestle on the mental plane with Luo Nan. She faced Luo Nan with Black Beetle's ruined body between them. Back then, she was confident that Luo Nan could only struggle in a dirty wrestle on the mental plane. She thought that it would be hard for Luo Nan to bring out long-range attacks. She had no fear, for she was confident. But Puppeteer's death woke her up.

I made a completely wrong judgment!

Snake Tongue knew that it was too late to avoid the attack. She could only rely on her fortifications to withstand it. But then, the tyrannical attack didn't come as predicted. Only a strand of wind came. A ray of light. It was a bit warm, but the wind blew with the heat of the sun, penetrating her thoroughly.

"What the...?" Snake Tongue felt that things were off.

On the mental plane, creeping grass, leaves, and vines noiselessly shook as they intertwined over and over. They formed a special construction that covered most of the viewing platform area. The complicated structure on the surface would make one neglect the roots of the vines. But actually, every coarse vine had a spot in the soil from which to draw life.

Luo Nan had cleared the area early on, knocking out several dozen tourists. Snake Tongue used these people as compost to plant her Nightmare Vine Spell. She used the power of these dozens of people's blood, energies, and souls to weave a net. This became the foundation for her fortifications.

This method was similar to Puppeteer's safety line; it was just more exquisite. Not only could she divert mental attacks, she could also forcefully stimulate everybody's hidden potential and cause the Nightmare Vine to grow wildly. The vines would become resources that Snake Tongue could control—suitable for attacking and defending.

However, Luo Nan's mental attack didn't arrive. What did arrive was merely a slight brush of wind, a glimmer of shining light. It passed through between the gaps in the Nightmare Vine Spell structure, exploiting the weakest and most fatal locations. Not a single hole it didn't pass, and it made Snake Tongue feel that the layers upon layers of fortifications she constructed were already seeped with water….

An ominous dark cloud covered Snake Tongue's mind for the first time.

What Luo Nan chose to do made Snake Tongue much more wary than the methods he employed before. This young man easily disposed of a powerful enemy in retaliation. He should be using the momentum of his victory to persist in seeking a second success. He should be carried by that victorious experience.

But Luo Nan didn't do that! All intelligence showed that this teenager lacked combat experience. But after performing an inconceivable reversal of a situation, the kid used the most correct and the wisest method to see through the trap behind her fortifications.

This was something hard to explain using experience or even intuition. It's actually on the same level of certainty and naturalness as writing the correct test answer.

Snake Tongue knew that if the wind, the light, continued to permeate, then her foundation would be completely peeled clean. This was undoubtedly Luo Nan's mental attack, and it would completely tear apart her defenses.

What should I do?

Over a hundred thoughts flowed through her mind, but all were useless, because she couldn't see through Luo Nan anymore!

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

A sound was coming from Luo Nan's wristband. The control center of Gear had issued a warning remotely when Gear's fire control system had lost connection.

Tank's destruction still continued. It was just a matter of time with the fire.

Luo Nan's face was as dark as water. Snake Tongue could feel the mania within the soul strength that was casted over. A dense and cold killing intent shown through the glimmering wind. Luo Nan held nothing back.

But the permeating power wasn't affected. Luo Nan just shifted his gaze away to turn toward the space above the Heavenly Ocean Lake and point directly at the devil ray hovering in the air above the water.

Then came the sound of surging water, and the hovering height of the devil ray increased. the long wing-like fins flapped a bit, and it flew away from the space above the Heavenly Ocean Lake. It pressed to the edge of the viewing platform.

In this instant, the devil ray brought Luo Nan, Black Beetle's ruined body, and Snake Tongue's soul body under the shadow of its flat expanse.

Before Snake Tongue could realize what was going on, the devil ray's wing-like fins struck out, and Black Beetle's ruined body ahead was like a basketball exploding. His entire body shriveled as he was thrown nearly thirty meters away. He didn't stop until he collided with a decorative statue on the viewing platform.

The explosive attack was of pure force. It didn't knock Black Beetle off balance—it simply pulverized him. Snake Tongue's heart was uneasy, so she didn't react in time. The meat bomb couldn't even explode before it was disposed of. At least 80% of the bones were reduced to smithereens, and the body was like a punctured sack of water. Blood continued to gush out.

With a broken foundation, Black Beetle's wraith was like a candle flame within the wind. It flared twice before completely going out. Snake Tongue didn't even have the time to groan.

This attack was likely the expression of venting some feelings.

Then what did this mean?

Controlling the devil ray. Killing Puppeteer. And eliminating Black Beetle. At the same time, he grasped dominance in offense and defense on the mental plane. Today atop the viewing platform, Luo Nan was the master. Whatever he did was correct.

Snake Tongue lost a bargaining chip with the elimination of the meat bomb. The situation turned for the worse for her.

Looking at the so-called wrestle of soul strength right now, Snake Tongue felt that this was a self-directed, self-acted, and narcissistic comedy show by Luo Nan. The comedy was insurmountable. Even now, she didn't understand how Luo Nan was able to divvy out a portion of his strength to control the devil ray, kill Puppeteer, and come at her with a killer attack in the blink of an eye.

It can't be that Luo Nan's soul strength was infinite without bounds, right? His body…. How can his body endure it?

To the side, the devil ray's body was excessively large. It was hard for it to control its balance in the air. It had just slapped the meat bomb away, and now the tip of its other fin struck the protective glass at the edge of the viewing platform without a hint of caution. It directly broke open a huge hole.

Shards went flying everywhere, some falling atop Luo Nan's and Xue Lei's heads.

Xue Lei raised his head to look at the ferocious bloody mouth cavities on the belly of the devil ray and was a bit stunned. The belly looked like it shrunk a bit; the devil ray was certainly keyed up. However, Xue Lei didn't understand how the situation reached this stage.

"Give me a hand, Leister." Luo Nan supported himself against the protective glass as he slowly stood up, but his legs were still weak.

Xue Lei was unable to think too much. He rushed to seized Luo Nan by the arm. Only then did he grimace. "This... you did all this?"

"Relax, it's quite obedient."

It was just as Luo Nan said. The devil ray behaved in very docile manner, as if it had regained traces of its nature before mutating. The tiny caved in part of its stomach possessed an invisible magnetic field, counteracting most of gravity. The compressed air that flowed around its wing-like fins stirred up faint ripples and waves, fine-tuning the balance of the devil ray based on its posture. The skill of low-altitude floating showed here.

The devil ray dropped straight down until it was only fifteen centimeters above the ground. It acted as a first-class step, but it was just a bit too wide.

Its enormous body seemed to ripple endlessly, but not even a hair of it touched the ground. It just sprinkled water droplets onto the floor tiles of the platform.

Luo Nan sized the devil ray up in silence. He felt the obedience and fear coming from the leviathan.

On a plane untouchable to the vast majority of people, the high-imitation version of the Human-Faced Arachnid had already assimilated most of its body into the devil ray. Incorporeal spider threads bore through the body, penetrating and winding around practically every vital organ of the devil ray. The devil ray was now a temporary host for the parasitic Human-Faced Arachnid.

If the situation was just this, the devil ray would still have some leeway to struggle. Its problem was, on a marvelous plane, within the star river landscape of Luo Nan's mental clairvoyance, dark chains invaded and locked the Life Sketch of the devil ray. Every one of its stars was punctured, weaving a three-dimensional drawing more abstract than before.

Within the deep vibrato of chains, the devil ray no longer had way of freedom from inside to out. It could only bow its head.

Luo Nan reached out with a hand, touching the side of its fins, which were making wave-like movements. The outside was covered in a layer of sticky liquid, making Luo Nan's hand cold and slick. However, the strength was considerable. Luo Nan's palm was numb from the shock.

"You're…. Nanster, don't!"

Xue Lei suddenly realized what Luo Nan wanted to do, but he had just opened his mouth when Luo Nan stepped on without speaking a word. The current devil ray was like a magic rug from folklore. It awaited its master for boarding.

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Chapter 311: Wheel of Time (Part 2/3)

Chapter 311: Wheel of Time (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

It was reasonable for Xue Lei to be worried.

It was hard to stand steadily on the smooth and soft back of the devil ray. Plus, right now Luo Nan was very weak. Were it not for Xue Lei supporting him, he would have fallen down as soon as his other foot left the ground.

Luo Nan had no intentions of giving up partway. He took in a deep breath, and the lightning in his eye sockets flashed once more. The marvelous power of the large and small gears coupling penetrated through his body. It was like the stimulation from defibrillation. All the pores in his body opened up, and a tingly heat condensed in a small circle within and outside his body.

"Huh?"

Xue Lei was caught off guard by the sensation of electricity running through his palm. He loosened his grip by reflex, but his reaction was top-notch in terms of swiftness. He reached out to support Luo Nan again, but Luo Nan already stepped out with his left foot at the edge of the devil ray's back. He was really standing atop the flat body of the devil ray.

The devil ray wasn't quite used to it. The degree its body undulated suddenly increased. Luo Nan's body began to lean forward helplessly. However, the coupling effect of the heart lantern of the eyes orifice illuminated in a timely fashion. A mass of predictive lines were laid out. It was as if an invisible spiderweb unfurled upon the devil ray's back.

The 'stick strength', namely the sense of balance between the devil ray and Luo Nan, was marvelous and rapidly increasing.

Luo Nan's own predictions toward the control of the devil ray, and the information-sharing mode formed from the coupling of the large and small gears allowed Luo Nan's foresight to permeate deep within the devil ray's body. Luo Nan could see every single corner outside and inside the devil ray, as well as all its emotional changes.

Actually, his heart lantern of the eyes orifice had yet to fully mature, but the transformation that arose from coupling exceeded the limits of the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. Gym Master Xiu had said, "The sole heart lantern illuminates the nine netherworlds." Luo Nan had yet to see the 'nine netherworlds', but the clarity of his 'heart depths' was not inferior.

Aside from being separated by skin and flesh, right now Luo Nan and the devil ray could be said to be of one body, with Luo Nan's will in the center.

In this state, Luo Nan stepped out, and this was enough to eliminate his momentum from leaning forward. He rocked a little bit and grasped his balance. It appeared dangerous, but he was actually quite stable.

The devil ray's body endlessly rippled beneath his feet. Luo Nan thought for a moment, then decided to simply stop moving. The devil ray's flat body’s shaking intensity increased. With controlling intent, Luo Nan stepped on this rippling body to move levelly across. He moved until he reached the head section of the devil ray.

With a mere thought, the two long head fins of the devil ray flipped up. These things were used by the devil ray to help catch prey. At that moment, Luo Nan used them as handrails. He held them to stand firmly upon the devil ray's giant body.

It was certainly a bit awkward to hold on to the head fins of the devil ray. However, the devil ray’s fear of Luo Nan remained a dense cloud of thunder in its heart. The behavior of its enormous body was naturally led and affected by these emotions. The flapping rate of its wing-like fins increased by quite a margin.

"Nanster, don't be impulsive!" Xue Lei wanted to jump up as well, but if he did, the balance Luo Nan had with the devil ray would instantly be broken. It would be very difficult for Luo Nan to adjust. Therefore, the devil ray shook its body in a very unfriendly manner. It floated up, not giving Xue Lei a chance.

Xue Lei was worried, but he had some energy. He looked at where Luo Nan's gaze was directed; it was cast into the jungle behind the darkness of the night sky. How could Xue Lei not know what his best friend was thinking. Xue Lei went, "Hey! Hey!" immediately, but he stumbled on his words. He was unable to say anything to stop Luo Nan. He could only ask Zhang Yingying for help.

"Hurry up and persuade Nanster. He's going to ride the fish and fly over…."

"Uh, what?"

The situation had changed far too quickly, with most of the key details occuring on the mental plane. Zhang Yingying wasn't clear on the changes in circumstances on the viewing platform. She just felt that there was something wrong with her ears. It sounded like Xue Lei's mouth had cramped up.

Precisely in her bafflement, Luo Nan actually took the initiative to contact her. "Give me information on Tank."

"Tank. I say—"

"AT ONCE!"

Luo Nan's voice wasn't high in volume, but the depth of it agitated one's heart. Zhang Yingying became inexplicably timid. She hemmed and hawed. "That person's body is of excellent quality, and he has outstanding mastery over it. He can strengthen parts of his body's defensive power at the last minute, but other than that he's nothing special."

"Is his defensive power formidable?" It seemed that Luo Nan didn't quite understand.

"What's going on over there? Hey, Nanster, you…. Oh my god!"

Before Zhang Yingying could finish speaking, a terrifying deep whistle exploded from her side. Her heart suddenly tightened and she felt the blood rush from her head. Her brain felt dizzy, and her entire body felt terrible. She cut off the communications by reflex. Her body's feelings improved a bit, but by the time she came to, she could only look at the severed communications indication, and smacked her head.

The devil ray rose sevenish meters above the viewing platform. It suddenly opened its enormous mouth. At the same time, the two columns and four rows for a total of eight mouth slits opened up below its stomach. This location would be the location of the cheeks for a normal devil ray. But after the mutation, this part had been alienized. Now, there were residues of oceanic flesh left from the destruction in the crystal pillar, giving the mutant a tyrannical air.

A low frequency hissing was coming out from the enormous mouth and the slits.

The hissing sound was propelled by enormous pressure to diffuse in all directions. The rumbling vibration was like a heavy train galloping across. It caused every frame, structure, and protective glass to intensely vibrate atop the viewing platform. It was like an earthquake was happening.

But this deep hissing sound didn't even last five seconds. The platform suddenly went silent. It wasn't that the sound had stopped; the sound waves had simply changed frequencies. It had gone below the 20 Hz boundary, entering the infrasonic wave realm.

The vibrations transmitting through the air didn't directly affect Snake Tongue, but they were able to stupefy her.

The penetration power of the infrasonic waves was formidable. The information transmitted was accurate. The life forms in the ocean felt a sense of danger through it, and they discerned the direction it came from. However, there were few things that could produce such powerful sound waves at will.

Theoretically speaking, the mutant devil ray with its enormous mass and pure fleshly power should be close to A-Rank. Its fleshly body was strong and flexible; as long as the body was put to appropriate use, high frequencies and low frequencies were easy when using the cavities to emit sound. It made sense.

The key lay in the application. The devil ray possessed the ability to produce ferocious and shocking infrasonic waves, but this wasn't part of its natural instinct. It lacked this instinct even after the mutation. If it had, it would have displayed a shocking change in how it hunted prey. The management of Cloud City Water Village wouldn't have placed this dangerous large beast into the crystal pillar.

In other words, Luo Nan reprogrammed the way the devil ray applied its power after controlling it. What other changes could he induce?

How did Luo Nan do this? And, what did he plan to use infrasonic waves for?

A series of questions piled up to combine into one with the dark cloud Snake Tongue harbored in her mind. This made her feel that her luck was turning for the worse. Her train of thought was unavoidably influenced by these series of changes. She became somewhat distracted.

But suddenly, a substantial psychic pressure pressed down upon her in this moment, making her mind shiver.

A drifting 'curtain' had been erected atop the viewing platform. For the sake of better producing sound waves, the devil ray's enormous body went nearly ninety degrees vertical. Although it was like this, it formed a sunken pit in the flesh of its back, giving Luo Nan a support point to maintain balance.

Right now, Luo Nan grasped its head-fins in his hands. His vision rested over the colossus by a head. His relative height exceeded ten meters. In this towering situation, he seemed like a god riding a demonic beast, and he looked down upon Snake Tongue's soul body from above.

Luo Nan's eye sockets remained flowing with blood, but the dazzling lightning continued to flash within. It radiated with brilliance, revealing a different sort of cold intent.

A jolt ran through Snake Tongue's mind, but her pride made her refuse to continue being controlled by Luo Nan. She immediately adjusted the wind, the medium she used to talk, and she spoke cheerily, "Lord Luo, the winds are strong up high. You should be careful. Maybe you need my help. I can talk with Tank…."

She suddenly stopped talking halfway through.

The high-pressure infrasonic waves didn't directly destroy Snake Tongue's Vocal Spell, but the most suitable frequency was calibrated after a period of time. Changes subsequently came.

Atop the viewing platform, the tourists, who had been knocked unconscious by Luo Nan early on, still maintained a murky consciousness. However, they began to groan and struggle in their dazes, as if they were in nightmares.

Snake Tongue understood the true target of the infrasonic waves at last…. The vehicles for her Nightmare Vine Spell were suffering from the attack of the infrasonic waves. They caused a dangerous resonance to form in the tourists’ chests.

Wasn't this no different from mass murder?

The Nightmare Vine Spell was erected upon people's bodies, using them as vehicles. If this group of people were to all die, the spell would naturally disintegrate. But Snake Tongue had analyzed Luo Nan's temperament before. She didn't believe that this teenager had the guts to wipe out several dozen... no, hundreds of people.

It must be known that the penetration power of infrasonic waves was considerable. Finding the right frequency with the mutant devil ray's near A-Rank level in power required sweeping enormous sound waves through the core of the viewing platform. The civilians several dozen floors below would likely all die as well!

But looking at Luo Nan's attitude…. Could it be that his mother's work being on the verge of destruction had agitated Luo Nan enough to lose all sense of reason? Just looking at those eyes, interwoven with a bloody glow and flaring lightning, made Snake Tongue terrified of confirming this.

A second later, or maybe even less time than that, Snake Tongue suddenly heard Luo Nan speak. "I shouldn't be wasting any further time on you, but I need practice…."

Luo Nan spoke openly, with not a hint of coloration from emotions. This showed that Luo Nan still maintained his sense of reason. However, the strength of his rationality was unable to contain his restless killing intent.

Snake Tongue didn't understand what Luo Nan meant by 'practice', but she soon realized that Luo Nan had excellent control over the infrasonic waves, whether it was in intensity or in scope of influence.

Luo Nan did this accurate work with the devil ray in a way utterly incomprehensible to Snake Tongue. He caused several dozens of people to wander above the line between life and death, but they didn't make contact with the line.

Soon, the results of this method revealed themselves.

The resonance of the heart and lung organs wasn't so intense that it was fatal; it just sent the unconscious people's blood and energies into turbulence. This affected the functions of their nervous systems, forming all sorts of unwellness for those unconscious. It formed unsteady states of chaotic thoughts and bad feelings.

Snake Tongue knew that things were bad. The fortifications formed from the Nightmare Vine Spell had the primary functions of diverting and blood-drawing, most especially the latter. The spell needed external energy. It stimulated the potential of its victims and drew their energies to strengthen itself.

But these people's blood and energies were now a big mess thanks to Luo Nan's meddling. They couldn't possible have any potential energy now. It was fine if this was the case with only one or two of them, but with several dozen of them like this, even though Snake Tongue was a mage, it was impossible for her to control the situation in such a short time frame.

Plus there existed the rush of power from the whiplash in the midst of this chaos. A strange feeling came at the same time as the whiplash. It was as if several dozen invisible hammers were fiercely bombarding into the roots of the Nightmare Vine Spell. Lightning even coursed through!

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Chapter 312: Wheel of Time (Part 3/3)

Chapter 312: Wheel of Time (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

Snake Tongue never expected that the situation would be reversed in this fashion.

Luo Nan played a hand of beautiful dominoes. They were standing in several dozen lines, and they fell down one by one on the material plane. They affected each other, working with each other. They inconceivably yet logically affected the mental plane, warping the defensive structure of the Nightmare Vine Spell.

The mental attack Snake Tongue was most vigilant of hadn't even appeared on stage yet, and her fortifications that she built with painstaking effort was at near collapse.

Snake Tongue currently stood in the center of her fortifications. Her mind wavered, and she grew fretful. This was more or less caused by the whiplash of her Nightmare Vine Spell. At first, she thought that Luo Nan was going to destroy the foundation of her spell and dig open her fortifications. But after two rounds of whiplashes, she felt that there was something off with the situation.

Under the attack of Luo Nan's infrasonic waves, the Nightmare Vine Spell's course vines didn't wither as expected. Instead, it was as if they had consumed stimulants. They stirred restlessly without end.

Snake Tongue knew of her own matters. She knew the method that she used to erect her fortifications; she had taken some shortcuts. The whiplash formed was truly troublesome, needless to say of its collapse.

Luo Nan's methods and train of thought made her mind be driven by fear.

I can't keep wasting time. The intense thought to retreat surged for the first time in Snake Tongue's mind. But this thought had just barely formed when a strong pressure suddenly erupted. The blood-devouring intent of the Nightmare Vine Spell had found the closest target.

Snake Tongue knew that things weren't good. She immediately started chanting. She would disperse the Nightmare Vine Spell regardless of the consequences. However, the terrible feeling of being seen through by Luo Nan became clear once more. She used her clairvoyance by instinct, and she saw Luo Nan's eyes. Blood and flame interwove within them, yet they were so penetratingly cold that they cut through her heart.

The mental attack came. It was somewhat different than the heavy-hammer-type bombardment that was in the intelligence briefing. Within her chaotic defensive system silently came a sharp blade piercing in. The sole attack stabbed through all her defenses, piercing the weakest area of Snake Tongue's soul body.

This attack didn't directly cause Snake Tongue serious damage, but Snake Tongue had been preparing a spell, and she was interrupted. Her last chance of possibly controlling the Nightmare Vine Spell was severed.

But from Snake Tongue's perspective, the most fatal thing lay in the defensive system of the Nightmare Vine Spell. It now became an invisible cage on the mental plane, trapping her and binding her within. She wouldn't be able to struggle free any time soon at all.

Snake Tongue used all her power to try various methods. This included the interference transformation between the mental and material planes that she dreaded using previously. However, this was totally useless. Instead, with these series of attempts, with her excessive interference with the material plane, her soul body gradually showed itself.

"Nanster, you're playing with something big now…. Huh?"

Xue Lei rubbed his stomach as he walked from behind the enormous back of the devil ray. He made his way around, and he suddenly saw a specter appear in the air ahead. It vaguely looked like a woman, and this specter glowed green within the night. Under careful examination, the glow was coming from a screen that hung to the ground. Half of it covered the back, while half of it covered the weak figure in front.

Such an appearance was akin to a ghost or a spirit. Her expressions were faint and couldn't be seen clearly. It looked like she could scatter into the wind at any time.

But after a few more rounds of careful examination, there appeared to be several dozen strips of smoke surrounding this fragile woman. The strips weaved and twined, tying into each other. They were graceful like feathers, or streamers, yet they were as malevolent as a prison or shackles.

"T-This... is Snake Tongue?"

Xue Lei guessed correctly, but he was still a bit confused. He didn't know why this mysterious and powerful foe had suddenly revealed herself, especially in this form.

Her appearance was absolutely disconnected with the ugly and vile appearance of Black Beetle's ruined body.

Snake Tongue wasn't concerned with what she looked like. Right now, there was absolutely no one in her eyes besides Luo Nan. Her soul-out-of-body was pressured to become visible. From her perspective, the situation had completely collapsed. And all of this was caused by the teenager atop the devil ray's head.

It was impossible for Snake Tongue to accept the process that led to such a result.

Since Luo Nan began to truly display his power and use his techniques, Snake Tongue didn't know half of what he had done. In other words, her confusion had dropped her in such a conclusion.

The most preposterous thing was that she and Luo Nan were still wrestling with their soul strengths. But was there any point to this wrestle? She got the clear feeling that Luo Nan was only using a pinky to hold her in place. He was free to do what he wanted with the rest of his strength, and so this was the result self-realized by Snake Tongue.

It wasn't that she never experienced something like this before; she just never imagined that this would appear because of a teenager…. What was reflected within was no longer strength, but a difference in foresight.

Snake Tongue composed herself a little. She could be said to have suffered a crushing defeat in today's clash of forces. However, it was rather premature for her to consign to hopelessness.

She was someone who had accumulated much experience in the world. She soon adjusted her state of mind. She stopped considering struggling, and she didn't have her figure fade from the material plane. Rather, she took on a can't-be-picky attitude and faced Luo Nan, who towered on top of the devil ray's head, then bowed as a greeting. She did her utmost to maintain a tranquil tone as she admitted,

"Lord Luo is brilliant. I am defeated."

Aside from an ice-cold gaze, Luo Nan didn't give her anything at all.

Snake Tongue stood up straight after performing some salutations. She tilted her head slightly upward to lock with Luo Nan's ice-cold gaze. Her posture was meaningless in her soul body, but it was meant for courtesy and the situation. "Since I've admitted defeat, I won't cause any further troubles for Lord Luo. I hope I can obtain some preferable treatment...."

Luo Nan maintained his silence, but the Nightmare Vine Spell grew more restless on the mental plane. This was the most direct response. On the material plane, visible to the naked eye, the dark smoke outside Snake Tongue's body grew threefold in volume. The power at which they twisted and twined grew more and more apparent.

A shiver ran through Snake Tongue's mind, but she continued trying to use communication to resolve the problem. She threw out a bargaining chip. "Lord Luo, I can order Tank to stop his actions right now!"

"I will kill him."

This was a simple sentence by Luo Nan, but his words had nearly shoved Snake Tongue's words back down her throat. She floundered for a second, before saying, "Lord Luo, please don't be impulsive. I want to save your mother's precious work. That's the most—"

The whistling sound of the wind crushed Snake Tongue's words. The devil ray had begun flapping its wing-like fins with great power. The compressed air rumbled as they flowed, the power astonishing. It soared several meters up in the air, looking as if it would soar through the skies at a moment's notice.

Luo Nan stared at Snake Tongue from his higher position. "You keep on resisting. I've already wasted two minutes with you."

Of course Snake Tongue was resisting. Even though she lost, she had no reason to let Luo Nan go and kill her comrade. Clearly, there was an enormous difference in understanding between the two. It was unavoidable for her thoughts to darken.

Yet she saw Luo Nan close his eyes at this time. His eyelids still trembled. This movement allowed Snake Tongue to confirm something. Luo Nan was certainly extremely exhausted. That's right. How could his body endure executing these terrifying techniques over and over again?

Maybe she should continue to stall for time?

This thought just stirred within her when Luo Nan suddenly opened his eyes. Lightning flared within those bloody sockets. "And... you're continuing to waste time!"

His voice fell, and the Nightmare Vine Spell, which was already accustomed to devouring its master, contracted violently. At the same time, the second mental attack already arrived.

Snake Tongue suffered attacks from two sides. Her specter rippled and contorted. It seemed that she might vanish. She did her best to resist while rousing her glib tongue, doing her best to persuade him.

"Lord Luo, I admit that I'll receive heavy injuries if you continue clinging to this course of action. But like you said, the direct abrasion and contention of your large and small gears will make you have no future to speak of! Formatting Theory. Coupling. How can you validate these elite theories in this case?"

Luo Nan heard everything and subconsciously loosened a grip on a head-fin of the devil ray. He caressed his own cheek; it was a bit numb. He used a bit more strength, and there was the horrible feeling of laceration.

But what did this matter?

"If my mother had compromised for the sake of her life, then I wouldn't exist on this earth. If I make a compromise over my mother's word with you despicable bastards, there will still be stains left even if Gear is preserved... and it leaves you free to come any time for a second try!"

Luo Nan's voice went low and husky. He was practically speaking to himself. These were his thoughts, his ideas. He really didn't know what was right or wrong, but today, his emotions, his wisdom, his blood, and his energy all resonated together to obtain this answer. There was no glossing over this.

Snake Tongue didn't even have the time to be angry when she was called a 'despicable bastard'. She saw the devil ray rush straight up, and the countless vines shed continuously under the noiseless roar.

There weren't any material sound waves, but a vibration burst out on the mental plane, like that of a sword cutting through several hundred bow strings of a dragon net. Snap snap snap snap. The beat exploded continuously in the depths of her mind. Her manifested ghostly body soared up into the air, not of her volition.

Gales raged. The sky and the earth spun. The net that was the Nightmare Vine Spell wrapped her up to drift within the night's wind. She was like a bound bird or beast that a hunter carried back after a successful expedition.

The series of disgraces darkened Snake Tongue's thoughts even further. The poisonous hate seared her heart, and she yelled sharply, addressing Luo Nan by name for the first time, "Luo Nan. You better not have regrets!"

What answered her were the sonic claps of the devil ray's wing-like fins producing wind.

The devil ray flew out of the viewing platform in an instant, entering the vast and empty skies a kilometer in altitude. Luo Nan was situated atop the devil ray's head, and he looked down.

The heart lantern illuminated from above, shining upon everything. Whatever darkness, jungle, building there were, they were unable to be sheltered. No object existed in Luo Nan's eyes besides a fine gear embedded within the depths of the boundless jungle. It shown clearly.

This was the first time Luo Nan used coupling and the heart lantern for clairvoyance for this long. It was a marvelous sensation, like the bubbling water of a spring that gushed out from underground.

Was it the heart lantern shining upon Gear, or had Gear's divine light entered his heart?

It must be the latter. It was the purest light within the darkness, a pupil that circulated with ripples of life. Over there, the pupil billowed, flickered, revolved, and pulled the long river of time. It took the vestiges of the ancient past and manifested them to the present, transforming into indescribable emotions as it silently gazed at him.

Mother?

A completely irrational thought plucked at his heartstrings. Luo Nan was a bit dazed, but soon he strove to open his eyes. He wanted to engrave this pupil into the bottom of his heart.

But the gleaming mutual shining of light only lasted an instant, and the dirty colors churned back up within the pure luster. Thick smoke and flame unbridledly smeared it, causing wanton destruction.

It was as if Luo Nan had been punched hard in the chest. A flame scorched all the way into his eyes, and the poisonous smoke it brought was poured into his heart and lungs. The scene was instantly transformed into that of fire.

"It's burning…." The flames boiled within his organs. The most ridiculous bit of hope he had in his heart became part of the poisonous smoke.

Luo Nan subconsciously tightened his grip on the thick head-fins of the devil ray. The pain of his burning heart and scorching lungs and his fury exploded upward. They split his throat as he screamed in agony.

The devil ray below his feet felt the emotions of its controller. Its body was already enormous, but it suddenly expanded by a factor. Its enormous mouth and the eight mouth slits on its cheeks opened up. The drive of the powerful pressure of sound produced sound waves in a frequency that was far below the limits of what a human could hear. The sound waves fused with Luo Nan's violent emotions, and as one, they pierced through the air.

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Chapter 313: Yarn of Silence (Part 1/2)

Chapter 313: Yarn of Silence (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Night fell. The darkness of the night sky weaved with the ostentatious lights, kneading silence and restlessness together, revealing the primary colors of the metropolis.

The bustling of the city could swallow everything, but it took just a short thirty seconds for noiseless thunder to roll in from a corner of the night, from the wetlands jungle forgotten by the vast majority of people. It was like a chariot of a god, heavily crushing over.

The surface of the small marshy lake that neighbored Gear was affected from the flaring flames. Some fish leaped up, breaking through the water's surface. But the fishes trembled in the blink of an eye and smashed back into the water.

A woodcock just so happened to tread around the shallow waters near the shore of the lake. All of the feathers of its body suddenly stuck straight up. It staggered as it rushed to move a few steps, and it flapped its wings to fly off.

Not even a few seconds had passed when thousands upon thousands of different types of panic-stricken birds noisily flew away from among the trees. And beneath their bodies, foxes, badgers, mice, rabbits, and the rarely-seen wolf, deer, and other beasts all began fleeing wildly and chaotically.

Most of them were driven by the sudden collapse of the jungle's atmosphere. They rushed and stampeded without a goal in mind. Some even collided into trees or fell into the waters. The roars and cries never stopped.

The wetlands jungle instantly became hell. The chaotic collapse rapidly spread.

Under this backdrop of chaos, Gear stood to one side of the jungle. Within the banging racket, a muscular figure rammed through two stories of windows. He leaped out and performed a roll on the ground. He didn't stop at all as he made a mad dash, charging into the depths of the jungle.

Invisible and silent vibrational waves covered the area surrounding Gear by a several hundred meter radius. The vibration wave blasted across, leaving dead beasts and birds everywhere among the trees. Injuries couldn't be seen on most of them, but their contorted bodies were strikingly terrifying.

The sound wave mainly damaged the brain and the chest. It resonated with the inherent frequencies of these body parts, causing the nervous system to go in turmoil. The contortion of inner organs caused ruptures, then death, which came either extremely fast, or extremely wretchedly.

Tank witnessed this scene with his own eyes. He had always believed himself to be dauntless, but even he felt a chill run down his spine. His legs moved faster, as he charged ahead in a straight line. He needed to charge out of this realm of death in the shortest possible time.

He uttered a deep howl from his throat while he madly dashed. His inner organs squirmed as his blood and energy gurgled. His many years of cultivating the human body made it so that thunder rang when he roused his blood and energy. This self-formed pattern of sound resisted the deadly sound wave.

The powerful pressure of infrasonic waves came out of nowhere. Though his reactions were quick, he was unable to defend himself from most of the first wave. Then he forcefully stimulated his lungs to withstand the resonance. The feeling was absolutely horrible, and he was accumulating internal injuries.

Though he had obtained perfect control over his inner organs through cultivation, he was devastatingly unable to control his brain. His thunder could only withstand the infrasonic waves for the time being. So, he could only tread into the muddy waters with an ashen face. He could only ram his way through the branches of trees like a dog. His mind was filled with thoughts of fleeing. He didn't dare think of anything else.

He suddenly relaxed his body several hundred meters into the depths of the jungle. The invisible sound-pressure finally disappeared. Only now did Tank dare to stop his organs from making the sound of thunder. However, he was unable to hold back his blood from rushing upward. It rushed to his throat, and his entire mouth had a bitter taste.

He went, "Pooh!", spitting out bloody foam, and he went to contact Puppeteer through the communications channel. As expected, not a person responded. There was also the mental connection that the mystical Snake Tongue had established; no information came from there as well. This put Tank in an even worse mood.

Then at this exact moment came a different line of communications.

"Yuan Fei?"

This fellow was already under house arrest. It wasn't easy for him to make communications. However, Tank wasn't grateful at all. He roared through the line as soon as the connection was made. "What the flippity f*** is going the hell on? Didn't you say this kid didn't really have a backer? Why the hell does he have a directed infrasonic wave weapon?"

Yuan Fei's voice transmitted over, "Are you drunk?"

"Drunk on your mother's ass!" Tank bit back, having just walked the line between life and death, and having his head messed by the infrasonic waves. He didn't care who he was talking to and just shot his mouth off, "Mrs. Yuan, you stupid c*nt. You even cheat your own people! Even if you send your *ss to my doorstep in the future, I won't even give you a single glance!"

"You are indeed drunk." Yuan Fei's voice was still calm. "In Xia City, only Yongu Fortifications is setup with an infrasonic wave array. To kill you from several hundred kilometers away means to have the people in the entire city all accompany you in death."

"Pingjiang District. Acumen College. North Bank Jungle. The animals here are all freaking dead! Just look! I almost became one of them!"

Tank wanted to roar some more, but his throat choked and he coughed twice. He forcefully pushed down another mouthful of blood that threatened to bubble up. He had no choice but to lower his voice by an octave. But he still spoke fuming with rage through gritted teeth, "I'll give you some additional information. There's completely no news from the other members of the mobilization team. Puppeteer and Snake Tongue were all alive and kicking a moment ago, energetically torturing the kid to fess up. But in the blink of an eye, who knows how the hell they died. Either the Xia City branch has made their way over, or the kid's depth…. I'll emphasize this a few more times for you. It's a directed infrasonic wave weapon. A DIRECTED INFRASONIC WAVE WEAPON! F***! F*** F*** F***!"

Yuan Fei was silent for a moment before saying, "I will inform Secretary-General Gong."

Tank roared a few times, and his boiling skull finally calmed a little. He knew that it was pointless to make a fuss. He just said with hate, "There's nothing that can be said with things the way they are now. I will evacuate based on Plan C…."

"You're leaving straight out of the city?"

"Motherf***er. Only the military can use a mass-slaughter-class infrasonic wave weapon that easily. You don't want me to leave the city? Do you want me to be target practice?"

Tank continued to walk forward. He was now a good distance away from Gear. An iota of life actually existed here. Beasts and birds flew and ran madly with great noise and disarray. Chaotic life was still life; it was comforting to him. He spat out a breath of air, discerned the direction, and prepared to enter the dorm area of the school at the north bank. No matter how crazy the military was, they couldn't possibly use their infrasonic waves there.

Yuan Fei's voice continued to transmit into his ear, "Verify that all communication records have been uploaded to the cloud. Then destroy all terminal equipment...."

Tank laughed bitterly and was just about to speak when a shiver suddenly ran through his heart. It was as if an invisible hand had pierced his chest and was closing around his heart.

"...."

Tank gaped. The words that were at the tip of his tongue all crumbled to pieces. In its place was a surge of blood. It crackled as it surged up, stupefying his brain while his ears hissed with tinnitus.

The infrasonic waves came again!

Tank felt like his heart was being squeezed so hard that it would burst, but his surroundings were clearly normal. He could still hear the clamor of beasts and birds. He glanced over; they were all alive and kicking.

A dense and ominous sensation bubbled forth, causing Tank to suddenly raise his head. A dark shadow descended upon him, covering the trees from above. It was real. It was an enormous shadow visible to the eyes.

"A black... fish? Devil ray!"

The scene before his eyes finally merged together with the information that came intermittently from the communications channel. But wasn't this meaningless?

Under the pressure of the enormous shadow in the air above, the nearby beasts and birds all pissed themselves in fear. They flew and ran with all their might, a sensible action for they weren't in danger of being killed by infrasonic waves.

However, Tank would rather the situation be restored back to what it once was, an impartial treatment to men, beast, fish, and bird. It wasn't that the infrasonic waves had disappeared. Instead, the infrasonic waves were now perfectly constrained in one direction. All the terrifying energy of the sound pressure was directed toward him. The low frequency vibrational waves pierced through the branches and leaves of the trees. They pierced through his inner organs, skull, and brain, manifesting the malevolent scythe of the grim reaper within. It felt for the frequencies inherent to the several cavities of his body, seeking for a connecting line.

Tank reacted quite quickly. He re-stimulated the sound of thunder the instant his heart received the attack. However, there was a problem. No matter how much he forcefully changed the resonance frequency of his inner organs and produced his unique thundering sound, the infrasonic wave piercing through his brain and inner organs would always change correspondingly and firmly lock on to their frequencies.

The frequencies switched a few times just like this, and Tank became unable to bear it any longer. Especially in the area of his brain, which he couldn't use his technique on. Havoc wreaked upon it, similar to having a storm blast through the area time and time again. He was crushed over and over, and the powerful attack blasted apart the wall that was his will, freeing massive amounts of negative emotions into his mind.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Tank was truly about to break down. Under the infrasonic waves, his body was torn into several clashing segments from a perfect harmonized whole. His internal energy was in disorder, and his blood started circulating in reverse. Empty space possessed a steel-like strength, yet they clashed and rubbed against each other, dragging each other down.

This wasn't a powerful attack of fists that struck the flesh. Instead, it was a twisted attack that tore him to pieces from the inside to the outside.

"Tank!"

Yuan Fei and Tank were separated by communication devices. Yuan Fei was unable to feel the pressure of the infrasonic waves that Tank was under, but he was able to hear Tank's blood-curdling screech with absolute clarity. Then came the noise of branches and leaves snapping, the noise of struggling and rolling, the excessive cursing to the point of shouting oneself hoarse, the begging for forgiveness….

Yuan Fei didn't try to contact Tank. Calm and collected, he just heard the sound turn from chaotic to even more chaotic. Then, the sound suddenly came to an end. Yuan Fei promptly stood up and walked out of the washroom. He ignored the cold and detached observers as he hurriedly walked back to where he came from.

The 12th floor of Shanding Towers was the same as most floors below the 18th floor. The lighting was very bad. It completely relied on artificial lighting for illumination. And since this floor wasn't really an area of activity, the simulated natural light didn't even turn on. The corridor was suffused with a deathly white light. Not an air of a human could be felt.

Midway through the corridor, he saw the Deputy Secretary-General of Headquarters. He was also the leader of this investigation team, Gong Qi.

Gong Qi was a veteran of the ability user society. He was approaching a hundred years old, but he took good care of his health. His appearance was lean, making him look like he was in his seventies, like someone who had just retired. He wore a suit by habit, looked neat and formal, and kept himself in a ramrod straight posture.

Right now, Gong Qi was standing right behind the face of an enormous glass wall. He stared coldly at the situation behind the curtain of glass. He spared Yuan Fei not even a glance, even though he knew Yuan Fei was walking over. His expression didn’t contain even a hint of a smile; it was utterly grave.

Another centenarian was next to him, but this centenarian was a head shorter. He sat in a wheelchair and was beaming. He was in-between Gong Qi and Yuan Fei, and he tilted his head and gave Yuan Fei a laugh, looking quite amiable.

Yuan Fei's heart throbbed as he saw this smile. He subconsciously slowed his hurried pace.

The person in the wheelchair was Old You, the most veteran ability user of Xia City. He was older than Gong Qi by three years, but he looked to be at least thirty years older. He already lost all his hair, and even his eyebrows were thinly spread. Each side only had a few hairs that hung down to his cheeks. He looked a bit comical.

Yuan Fei felt it become harder and harder to move forward. He had just barely made his way near, and was mulling over how to report to Gong Qi about the matter with Luo Nan, when he suddenly sensed something. He saw Gong Qi holding his left hand behind his back. Gong Qi's five fingers were slowly rubbing against each other, going sisi.

Yuan Fei's eyelids shot up, and he lost all thoughts of giving Gong Qi a report. He had followed this Deputy Secretary-General for several years, so he naturally knew: This old fellow was in a terrible mood; he wanted to kill somebody!

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Chapter 314: Yarn of Silence (Part 2/2)

Chapter 314: Yarn of Silence (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Gong Qi was the first of the ability user society to step into the realm of Extraordinary; he was one of the strongest. As one tiny clue could reveal the general trend, Gong Qi was able to predict the results of the investigation team's operation just from Yuan Fei's walking pace. As for the course of events—whether or not anyone died and how many had died—all these were just minor details. He needed not to be too concerned about them.

Gong Qi's twenty-year career as Deputy Secretary-General also had him serving as the diplomatic officer of secrets. He experienced many stormy waves in his long career, sculpting him his own set of rules and conduct. This made it so that he merely displayed a cold expression, even though the urge to kill surfaced from within his heart. He just used the micro-movements of his limbs to vent his agitation.

He wasn't masking anything; masking was absolutely meaningless. Next to him was You Gang, or Old Man You. Though Old Man You was unable to climb his way to the ranks of Extraordinaries through entire his lifetime, his mind was clear and his eyes were bright. Putting on a phony appearance would just make this old man laugh.

Yuan Fei could be considered perceptive. He didn't reveal the situation in broad daylight, so he preserved a bit of face.

With how matters developed thus far, Gong Qi was disinclined to spend more words with You Gang. His rubbing fingers squeezed then separated, before he knocked against the glass wall in front of him. "I more or less understand the legal matter with Quantum Corporation now. The structure of the girl's body and soul is quite peculiar. Back in the day, Water Deva expounded upon the cross-morphosis of body and soul. There are many similarities between it and her. It's very interesting, which is why I took her away...."

"She's here to recover. That's what she believes. But won't being sent to your hands result in a person’s destruction?" Old Man You, at his age, really did as he pleased. He spoke straightforwardly and ruthlessly,his words all without a hint of civility.

Gong Qi was used to it. His eyes didn't budge a hair. "The conditions here at Headquarters are nevertheless a bit better than Quantum Corporation. It's easier to develop the girl's value here."

Old Man You's eyelids, which were on the verge of losing activity, drooped down. Only his long eyebrows quivered as he said, "Develop? You've been doing good business these days. You've learned to be no different than those big tycoons."

Gong Qi finally frowned. "It's a performance. Or do you think that I shouldn't give youngsters a stage to perform? It's just a slip of the tongue. Old Man You, why are you being so serious."

Old Man You chuckled as he shook his head. "A slip of the tongue? It looks like you, Secretary Gong, have finally grown rotten with age. You should yield your position to the younger folk. In my opinion, Little Yuan is not bad. He has good eyes, and he's highly capable."

Why the hell was I pulled inside this competition between two old fools?

Yuan Fei's face twitched, but soon he donned a smile. He conveyed a bow toward Old Man You. "Old Man You's made quite a joke. The Society still needs Secretary-General Gong. Old Man You, with you at the helm guarding us, thousands upon thousands of ability users are sheltered."

Old Man You laughed. "I provided shelter fifty years ago, and fifty years later I still provide shelter. I can't even build a shed now, plus its boring. What are your thoughts?"

Yuan Fei immediately sealed his mouth. He wouldn't utter a sound no matter what.

"I understand the Xia City branch's attitude now. I'll head back first."

Gong Qi no longer put himself in a bind with You Gang. He cast a glance with his cold face at the glass wall. Inside there was a girl in quiet deep sleep. Her breathing seemed nonexistent, but its rhythm was continuous. It was one from start to end.

His gaze cut over to her. It lingered there for a bit before he turned around and left.

Old Man You grunted. He spoke after a beat's delay, "So today we end things here? You're not going to keep me company?"

Gong Qi didn't acknowledge him. He didn't look back. But a number flashed in his mind.

0.2%

Quantum Corporation's quoted price always came at quite the opportune time. The Incident Investigation Team had just left Headquarters, and the quotation had landed on the desks of several big shots and various secretaries-general through reliable channels.

Two divided by a thousand was a small number, but eight trillion credits was already invested into this project. This super project would likely have several times that amount of money injected into it in the future. Any small changes would be amplified to astronomical numbers.

What was more, the results that the project was heading toward was more valuable than these numbers of money, which was only significant in the normal world.

From a realistic perspective, Headquarters' focus should be inclined toward realistic interests. They should use all their energy in fighting for complete rights to the girl, to have her completely for themselves. This was what they should be doing.

But then they looked at the news that came from the Order of Justice. An Weng's decisive actions that night clearly involved extremely important information; it was the ultimate secret that Headquarters always sought to obtain.

The two matters stacked together. Which one was lighter? Which one was heavier? How should they distribute their energy and resources? Headquarters had quite a headache going on.

Looking at things now, Apocalypse Laboratory really did have good foresight in arranging the importance of research and excavation.

But when things get down to the nitty-gritty, who wouldn't want to have their cake and eat it too?

Gong Qi returned to his temporary dwelling. He sat on a couch and pondered in silence.

Yuan Fei cautiously approached him. He wanted to raise some words, but Gong Qi wasn't willing to spend too much time with him. He said, "Leave behind the records of the operation. Why don't you go."

Yuan Fei let out a breath of relief. Luckily, he had seized the moment to tidy up the information. He wasn't caught unprepared. He bowed and left the room.

Gong Qi skimmed through the records. Even with only a preliminary combing through the information, he found that there weren't many things of value inside.

Headquarters had temporarily destroyed the function of the Psychic Wave Network. And accordingly, the Xia City branch interfered with Headquarters' communication line. It wasn't easy to ensure internal communications with the mobilization team. The uploading of the corresponding data worked with a bit of a delay.

Currently, Gong Qi could only see the beginning portion where Puppeteer had captured a hostage as a bargaining chip, and the latter portion with Tank's intermittent words. The most crucial period of time was a complete blank. However, he could also see that the situation had taken an abrupt turn, collapsing in a short period of time.

From Gong Qi's perspective, disregarding Black Beetle, Puppeteer, Tank, and especially Snake Tongue all had power. Their shrewdness was acceptable as well. How could they have been wiped clean in just a few minutes?

It didn't quite seem that the Xia City branch's reinforcements had arrived, at least from what he could tell with Tank's shouts just before death. It wasn't likely for the Xia City branch to be this absolute.

It seemed to truly be like Tank said; the military had made a move and used a directed infrasonic wave weapon. But although this thing was perhaps very effective against Puppeteer and Tank, it wouldn't be worth a damn against Snake Tongue's soul body.

And, as far as he knew, Snake Tongue was still alive and well. Something strange was going on!

Gong Qi slowly rubbed his fingers. As a leader, he really shouldn't be spending too much time on these sorts of details. Otherwise, what would Yuan Fei and the others do?

The problem was that the matter was spread before him. This was a race against time with the Order of Justice. If they missed an opportunity, he would be held responsible for it. Those old co-workers who he worked with for many years would be quite delighted to smack him in the head with this injustice.

One less person meant an extra mouthful of rice for the rest. This was the plain and simple truth!

The strength of the fingers’ rubbing increased a bit. Sisi sounds could be heard. Gong Qi closed his eyes, appearing to be in deep thought, while also appearing to be napping.

Roughly five minutes passed before his eyes slightly opened. A telepathic thought, like smoke, merged into the void, thrown into the depths of the mental plane.

Right before the end, two channels of telepathy suddenly cut across space. One channel was tight like a heavenly net. The other channel was tyrannical like a high cliff, a towering peak. The heavenly net just blocked and sealed all telepathy, while the cliff pressed down with its towering might to faintly touch upon Gong Qi's consciousness, intentionally or otherwise.

Gong Qi snorted, his face turning a bit dark, but this didn't continue for long. He soon reverted back to his expressionless state.

Today, he had been constantly enduring, calculating, and pondering. Whatever spoken reasons there were, they were all false. Ultimately, he was the one under subjection.

Ouyang Chen was a homebody who wholeheartedly focused on research, but that Lady Wu was quite ambitious, and her mind was far more unpredictable. These two Extraordinaries converging together had allowed Xia City to become an independent area. Sure enough, he had scalded his hand when he had sent his telepathy out this time.

But he couldn't really blame anyone for this. No one had made him act overly hasty in recent years, giving those old co-workers a handle on him.

He was of old age, and time and tide waited for no man!

Gong Qi composed his state of mind. He stopped thinking about such matters and contacted Yuan Fei, "Have the private plane make preparations. I’m returning tomorrow."

Yuan Fei was quite surprised. "Secretary-General Gong?"

Gong Qi didn't say anything else and simply ended the call. He closed his eyes and resumed his napping state. However, his mind was still active. He sunk layer and layers down, inside himself, not out.

The clash just now only left him suffering a hidden loss. But this collision actually gave him a reason to leave Xia City in a short time frame. It also provided a cover for his other actions.

At that moment, Gong Qi was within his own domain, circulating energy. On a plane unobservable by others existed none other than a roll of fine yarn. It slowly swirled. It was like a hanging curtain.

"Yarn of silence. Yarn of silence...."

Gong Qi had to expend quite a bit of energy in using this technique to tidy up loose ends. He gave a noiseless laugh, and his telepathic thought infused within the empty space of the yarn curtain to write words out of thin air.

"Safe or not?"

The words turned to smoke the instant they were completed, like the telepathic thought he had cast into the void just before. However, this time it wasn't intercepted by the two Extraordinaries. The instant the smoke made contact with the yarn veil, the smoke completely fused inside. Not a tincture leaked out.

Gong Qi knew that this layer of smoke had entered the special channel that was the yarn of silence. The smoke passed through the deepest depths of the mental plane, the absolute realm, to be passed out to the other end in the distance.

"Three Zones, One Region, One Realm." This was the classical method in differentiating the levels of the mental plane. The absolute realm was the deepest level. Its name spelled the existence of an 'absolute limit'. The depths were endless. Even Extraordinaries would find it hard to perceive the minute information within without prior preparation.

The medium that was the yarn of silence was marvelous. Gong Qi was hidden from the two Extraordinaries' attention. He was extremely certain of it.

He waited silently. Two minutes passed, before suddenly a wisp of smoke unfurled into a fuzzy image. It appeared like a cold and mocking face, and it manifested in the center of the yarn curtain.

This was a symbol commonly used in mystic spells. It signified assassination and dark plots. But the image itself might have been more suitable to represent the caster's emotions. If this method of contact didn't expend so much energy, the other side would certainly use more caustic words to shoot back in fury.

In other words, she must be harboring evil intentions by leaving this dark technique inside the reply. His reputation in Headquarters was indeed in tatters. It was quite normal for her to be angry.

Gong Qi didn't really care. The gap between an Extraordinary and a B-Rank mage was the distance between heaven and earth. He was able to ignore most of her loathing, especially since she was certainly in dire straits.

Speaking of which, wasn't being able to reply meant that she had admitted defeat?

Well, there was no difference whether or not she gave in.

In his heart, he glanced over Snake Tongue's weak, frail appearance. He saw her dark and ghastly nature, which was rarely seen. The corner of Gong Qi's mouth twitched, and he left a new mark in the middle of the yarn curtain.

This time, the information wasn't limited to text. It was like Snake Tongue's message: It was a spell symbol that contained a special meaning. Even though he simplified it to the peak, the structure comprised many layers that intertwined. It took him twenty turns to transform it into smoke, bit by bit, and send it through the yarn of silence.

He thought for a while in the end, before sending out a comforting remark.

"Go play dead for ten days. I'll give you new life."

Gong Qi saw that the last bit of smoke didn't go into the yarn curtain, and he sneered in his mind. Then he had this marvelous object disperse, and he truly went to nap.

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Chapter 315: Remember? (Part 1/2)

Chapter 315: Remember? (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

“This is dead tiring," Papercut gasped.

Papercut was running madly the whole way as he entered the wetlands jungle. His chubby body appeared more sluggish and heavy. This damnable Acumen College completely prohibited the operation of flying cars. He had to forcefully charge into the system in order to directly put out the fire, but he was being chased by the school's security.

Nothing went easy for him since his journey began.

Originally, he rushed to Ocean Sky Cloud City to provide support. He had already entered an elevator when he received news that Luo Nan rode the ray to fly to Acumen College. He could only turn around and chase after them.

He finally made it to the north bank jungle, but in the end, the red alert that pressed him all this time drastically fell to a normal alert level. This represented the end of the emergency state. Right now, he came over just to do some cleanup work.

Well, if there was some cleanup work to be done, it seemed to be very difficult.

Papercut openly grinned when he entered the woods. This place was truly like a fryer. The birds and beasts were fleeing in chaos. Feces and urine flowed everywhere. And most of all, the bitter odor of death assaulted the face. It nearly made him trip. He couldn't really see too clearly in the dark, but from what he could manage to see, the corpses of birds and beasts would likely make some nearby ecological research institutes cry to death.

But all of this couldn't compare to what was above the trees in the air. It flew, circling around. It was a blue, gigantic, flying ray. It was stupefying.

"Mutant devil ray…."

Papercut knew of this thing. He even specifically ran to see it when he first heard that it had been moved to the crystal pillar of Ocean Sky Cloud City. But no one told him that this thing could be used as a firefighting helicopter.

His neck was tilted high. He watched, and his eyes ached.

"Watch ahead! You're going to hit a tree!"

A cold voice sounded in his ear, scaring Papercut into a jolt. Luckily, he was able to quickly identify whose voice it was. The red jacket was very eye-catching in the darkness.

"You're here, Red Fox."

"I was here five minutes before you."

Papercut sighed depressingly. "You caught the tail, while I went on a wild goose chase for nothing…. Is there anything left I can help you with?"

"Help? Yeah man, firefighting! But do you have the same lung capacity as that ray?"

"Uh, you're saying…."

Red Fox's face couldn't be seen too clearly within the darkness, but the hint of teasing was obvious. It followed his usual style.

“As for those people from the investigation team, the buffoons all died on the spot, just short of becoming scattered ash and smoke. If we do go over there now, what can we do besides shout, 'long live your majesty'? Oh right, the 'Emperor as a Commoner' show is having a rerun on Xiawei Channel 3, have you seen it?"

"...." Papercut finally realized that his newly made friend had some emotional problems.

Before the matter at Frost River Reality, the two were merely acquaintances. But they repeatedly shared the same stances during that operation. Whether their stances were correct or not, they grew familiar with each other because of them. They even went out drinking afterward, and a friendship was truly established.

Papercut knew of Red Fox's personality. Red Fox saw things in an extreme manner. The more he was stifled, the more destructive his emotions became. Papercut rubbed his forehead and gave a silly laugh, getting his hand smeared with sweat. "Boss Luo has done a hell of a job once again. We rushed over here screaming, and now we're left with handling the aftermath…. Hey, look at my mouth."

He conveniently tapped his jaw. He wanted to continue speaking, but he heard Red Fox sneer, "That's right, just handling the aftermath."

Red Fox raised his chin upon speaking, indicating to Papercut to look to the side.

Actually, Papercut saw the dead corpse over there quite early on. Based on real-time intelligence, he was able to extrapolate that this was Tank, a member of the Headquarters' Incident Investigation Team, famous for being physically strong. Anyone who was able to make a name for himself in the world of ability users in the past hundreds of thousands of years was not unimportant. But today, this rather famous character lay dead in the wetlands jungle. It was really regretful….

"Holy cow, who is this!?" Papercut carefully examined the corpse, and a numbing chill ran up his forehead. He rationally knew that this had to be Tank, but the scene that met his eyes had an enormous impact.

His lips pulled back; he didn't know what sort of expression he should have. "This... this is Tank?"

From real-time intelligence, he knew that Tank was a muscular and rugged giant. He was dogged and valiant. His frontal defensive ability was especially outstanding. Rumor had it that if he was prepared, he could withstand three consecutive shots from a 12.7 millimeter caliber heavy sniper rifle.

But what the heck was up with this pool of dead flesh, fat, and mush?

What Papercut saw was a super-large fatty heavier than him by over threefold. All the flesh on the corpse's face was contorted. The pile of dead flesh was lacerated from top to bottom. Not a complete tissue could be seen. Even the bones were fragmented, many of them piercing through the meat to reveal a deathly white color to the outside.

This sort of appearance was just a step away from looking like something slow-cooked…. Even if it was torture, it was impossible to achieve this without a few hours of time.

Red Fox slowly walked over, holding a branch in his hand. He poked below the shoulder of the corpse. "Here. I struck a blow on him back in the Wilderness when I was fleeing from Hu City."

Papercut looked over with amazement.

Red Fox gave no reaction toward Papercut's gaze. He stabbed around with the branch, minding his own business. "This attack of mine was aimed at his back, but he turned around real quick. I stabbed him dead on here, and my dagger snapped in half. I even saw him blow off Old Five's skull with a punch."

Papercut opened his mouth, but hesitated. At last he interrupted, "The matter at Hu City... Headquarters personally dispatched people?"

"It was him, but he had a different identity. Back then he was just the holy defender of a small order. Who knows when he entered the Society…. My dagger is engraved with a piercing glyph. A reaction happens when I'm five kilometers from the target, and it can last for at most ten years. It's never wrong."

Red Fox's voice turned into a whisper. The darkness was unable to block his cold smile. "I originally thought that I would wait to seize a chance to strike a blow. But now, the difficulty has been reduced quite a bit…."

His other hand had taken out a pitch-black dagger at an unknown time. The sharp tip descended, his hand having loosened its fingers, and the dagger fell straight down. It stabbed into the soft dead flesh of the swollen corpse, sinking up to the hilt.

For a moment, Papercut believed that Red Fox was venting his murderous feelings against Tank. However, he mulled it over again and knew that this was wrong. He looked at Red Fox's gloomy mood and thought of some comforting words to say, but he didn't know where to start. He could only whisper,

"Did Boss Luo do this?"

"Mm."

"How did he do it? I heard from the Secretary that it was an infrasonic wave…."

"That is what I told her. The birds and beasts next to you all died this way. Nearly I did, too."

"Huh?" Papercut only now discovered that Red Fox's complexion wasn't quite healthy. It was very pale. Turned out he had received some internal injuries.

Red Fox didn't really care. He picked up his dagger and put it back into its sheath. It was said to be a directed infrasonic wave weapon, but with how directional it was, it could already be considered a large-scale attack weapon. After discovering Tank's true identity, Red Fox became driven by hate. He hid in secret nearby, waiting to strike. He should be affected by the powerful infrasonic waves.

But he missed his chance in the end.

Papercut was able to faintly guess some of this, but this kind of stuff was hard to openly talk about. He could only scratch his head and point at Tank's swollen corpse. "This fellow took on the same infrasonic waves as you?"

Red Fox shrugged. "Who knows."

Papercut was incapable of asking anything else. He could only take a few pictures and record some videos. He already confirmed by now that Red Fox would rather puff around in the woods than go see Luo Nan; Red Fox had already checked out. There was nothing to say in this situation. Papercut just had to forcefully pull him over.

"Hello," said Papercut, "who cares how he did it. As long as you're fine, then things are okay. In any case, the person is right over there. We can just ask anything that we're not clear about. Oh right, are you sure you're okay? I've been one of his teachers. Should I have him apologize to you?"

"F**k off!"

Red Fox flung his hands, wishing to leave, but he was forcefully dragged back by Papercut. "Hey, don't. I heard the kid’s really put his body in a pickle again; his eyes are close to being blind. I don't know a lick about emergency treatment. If you don't help, all I can do is burn some paper-ash to use as paste."

"You go pasting. I don't give a sh*t."

"Come on, come on…. Oh, that devil ray doesn't eat people, right?"

"Who knows? Why don't you eat one of its infrasonic waves."

"Damn!"

The two pulled at each other, but in the end, they still headed in the direction of Gear. The devil ray in the sky didn't eat them by the time they entered Gear. It also didn't send out any infrasonic waves. It completely turned a blind eye to them. It just continued to suck in water from the small lake next to Gear, and it blew water like a cannon to smash into the fire upstairs.

It was described as a water cannon, but it truly shot out artillery shells made out of water. Through specific usage of its oral cavity and cheeks, the devil ray took large quantities of the lake water and condensed it into an extremely strong giant ball of water. The balls of water came smashing in through the gaps in the windows at great speed and accuracy for a top-notch firefighting effect.

Papercut both clicked his tongue in wonder and gained a headache at the same time. "This fellow is quite elite…. Isn't it too high-profile? If its picture gets taken, the Internet will explode!"

Red Fox didn't talk as he took the first steps into Gear.

Currently, the various floors were a complete mess due to the back and forth clash between fire and water. The place looked utterly dismal. Red Fox and Papercut encountered a few multi-function robots along the way. They seemed to possess firefighting capabilities, but they had all been smashed into pieces. This was clearly Tank's work.

But the executor of all this had left this world in a state ten times worse than these robots.

"Nanster, where are you?" Papercut called out a few times with no response. Things were utterly strange. He grew worried. It couldn't be that another situation had occurred, right?

"He's underground." Red Fox unexpectedly took the lead. He brought Papercut through the fire passage without the slightest hesitation.

"You…” Papercut trailed off, then coughed and said, “The structure here is very unique. I heard his mother designed and built it. A pity, what happened to her."

Papercut abruptly changed his speech halfway through, hiding it in the end. It was very clear. Red Fox must have tailed Luo Nan after Tank was killed, and after he confirmed Luo Nan's whereabouts, he returned back to the jungle.

From the night at Frost River Reality, Papercut was able to tell that Red Fox held Luo Nan in high regard, or perhaps he was a bit jealous, after their misunderstanding had been resolved. In any case, there existed some sort of admiration and envy in there.

Perhaps he was thinking, if Hu City had been Xia City….

Unfortunately, this was just a big if.

Red Fox and Papercut walked to the central control room, seeing the same scene of ruin along the way. When Tank was committing destruction, the first thing he destroyed was the central administration system.

"How thorough... and careless."

Papercut looked with a sigh. He had taught Luo Nan in this room a few times before. Back when he chatted with Luo Nan and listened to him talk, a very strict security system was in place. But Luo Nan didn't really like it. After he took control of Gear, he shut off this system. The remaining privilege control methods were simply like tissue against Tank, a professional in unscrupulous destruction. They had no effect.

Red Fox was thinking of something else. "Where is he?"

He had been quietly tailing Luo Nan recently. He saw Luo Nan stay in the central control room; Luo Nan was using his wristband to reinstate system operations. Red Fox stayed for a time, before he felt assured enough to leave.

But at that moment, the central control room was completely empty.

Luo Nan had disappeared, and Snake Tongue, who was shackled by Luo Nan, disappeared as well.

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Chapter 316: Remember? (Part 2/2)

Chapter 316: Remember? (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Papercut's gaze spun around in the central control room. "Nanster's not here?"

He made to go into the room as he spoke, but Red Fox stood in his way.

"Wait." Red Fox wore a cold and clear expression. He moved without a sound, bringing not even a wisp of a breeze, as he entered the central control room. His nose would tremble from time to time, distinguishing the scents inside the room. He even went to examine the elevator and other entrances or exits.

The odor of blood upon Luo Nan's body hung quite heavy due to his damaged eyes. Red Fox was able to distinguish the whereabouts of the odor thanks to his nose, which he had strictly trained. However, after turning in a circle inside and outside, Red Fox's expression grew uglier and uglier.

He was incapable of understanding the information revealed by the scent.

"There are no traces of him going outside."

"What?"

“There's no residue of scent in the elevator or safety doors. He didn't leave through those."

Papercut blinked his eyes as he looked back in the direction they came from. "Scents don't clearly show directions. Last time, Nanster came in from here. Did he not go back out the same way?"

"I’m able to distinguish the direction." Red Fox didn't raise his head. He walked toward the control console. This should be the core for the entire building, but today it turned into a massive garbage heap. It had been completely destroyed by Tank.

Red Fox tried to reconstruct the original scene. He sized up the piece of scrap that was the control console, and he quickly discovered an anomaly. An enormous amount of electricity had surged through a certain area of the garbage heap. Since the control console was destroyed, the electrical resistance had become extremely large, causing scorch marks. But there weren't any electrical wires or the like in the area.

While Red Fox pondered this, Papercut muttered, "Disappearing into thin air? It doesn't seem like something like that happened...."

He controlled paper men to bounce and skip outside the building as he spoke, extending his sensory range. He confirmed that the devil ray was still very obediently acting as a firefighting helicopter. There was no change with it whatsoever.

"Should we contact the Secretary?"

Red Fox's expression turned even worse, but he didn't refuse.

Papercut had just lifted his wrist when he heard an electronic beep in his ear. The corresponding telepathic thought had a destination, and soon, a kaleidoscope of information docked with his consciousness. He felt the lively sensation instantly.

After a great deal of effort and trouble, the Psychic Wave Network was finally rebooted successfully.

Papercut was long since accustomed to having the HexaEar by his side, having been in Xia City for these years. He easily entered the lively Psychic Wave Network, and his mind relaxed on the spot. He felt it was a curious coincidence, so he searched his friends list in the first instant. Shockingly, he saw...

That Luo Nan was online!

His avatar, the tetrahedron, was very eye-catching.

"Hey, Nanster. Where are you?" Papercut called out.

Red Fox suddenly turned around to look at Papercut.

As for Luo Nan's side, there was a moment of silence. One second passed, followed by another two. Then came a strange noise. It formed interference, making Papercut nearly believe that the Psychic Wave Network was going out again.

Luckily, the noise soon faded away, and Luo Nan's voice sounded out, "I'm…. Mm, wait a moment."

His voice sounded a bit hoarse, and also a bit elusive. Papercut was stunned upon hearing him. He quickly asked, "You're okay, right?"

"I'm okay." Luo Nan's voice was still hoarse. Papercut could feel that there was a bit of a problem with his mood.

Red Fox couldn't stand this meaningless dialogue any longer. He logged onto the Psychic Wave Network and bluntly asked, "Where's that Snake Tongue?"

"Killed herself."

Red Fox and Papercut looked at each other in dismay.

Luo Nan didn't go into further explanations. Instead, he asked back, "You guys are in the central control room. Everything's fine there, right?"

"Things are alright—"

Before the words could be finished, someone requested to enter the chat. It wasn't just one person, though. There were several. He Yueyin, Zhang Yingying, Crag Burst, Bamboo Pole, Octopus... and even Bai Xinyan came to join in on the fun.

Every one of them were ability users that Luo Nan was familiar with. They came contacting him like a swarm of bees.

Luo Nan had no idea that he was this popular. He wasn't good in these situations. He rather wished for a more peaceful environment, especially now.

Luckily, everyone was aware of the situation. He Yueyin immediately took the initiative and established an internal channel. She took all relevant members and pulled them inside. Then, she changed the channel mode to message mode. Only her, the maker of the channel, retained voice privileges. She represented everyone in asking,

"Mr. Luo. How's your body? How are your eyes?"

Letters of various colors were rapidly scrolling down on the internal channel's interface as He Yueyin spoke. The channel felt more lively than a usual voice mode channel.

Luo Nan only responded with his low and hoarse voice, "I'm all right. I can still see."

"Mr. Luo. I don't recommend you staying at Gear for too long. Currently there have already been people taking pictures and video of the devil ray flying in the sky, and it's been uploaded to the Internet. The activity that has occurred in the jungle of the north bank is too great. We will need professionals to handle the follow-up work."

He Yueyin maintained a calm and rational bearing from beginning to end. She was able to guess Luo Nan's thoughts, adding, "I've already notified firefighters to rush over there ten minutes ago. They should be there soon."

"I know." Luo Nan was in a subtle mood, but his response was direct. "I'll leave immediately."

"It's better for Mr. Luo to head back to Cloud City Water Village. The Sacred Heart Hospital there is quite a complete facility…."

"Okay." Luo Nan's responses were getting shorter and shorter, to the point that he just logged out after responding. Clearly, he didn't want to talk.

His attitude was very baffling to the people in the internal channel.

"What happened? Did he get mad?"

"Anyone who's been tormented by those people from Headquarters will get angry."

"Are you sure it's not because of our reinforcements being useless idiots?"

"Hey! Hey! What about you?!"

"Is it post-traumatic stress? He was frightened, and he was mad. Plus, he killed people. Look. Black Beetle. Puppeteer. Tank. Snake Tongue. A total of four lives. Oh, has he killed before?"

"Seems like... he hasn't, right?" Zhang Yingying wasn't quite sure.

At this time, Papercut spoke not a word as he uploaded a few pictures. They showed Tank's corpse from various angles.

Red Fox commented, "Boss Luo's masterpiece."

Zhang Yingying sent out a dumbstruck emoji, starting a flood of comments and emojis that trailed from right to left. Other people followed her one after another. The series of stupefied and confused emojis streaked across the pictures of the corpse.

Luo Nan didn't care what the others were saying about him. After ending communications, he just maintained his original posture. His eyes were wide open as he disregarded the pain that was soon turning numb. He gazed around.

The ring-shaped space. The ring-shaped chair. And the wall-lights, bookcase, stool, and other fixtures. They were in this narrow little space, building a cozy and leisurely atmosphere. This was none other than the small tree-hole cabin above the Withered Tree Sandbar.

Luo Nan looked idly at the furnishings in the room, and he also looked at his two hands. He suddenly stood up several seconds later, leaning against the slightly damp tree wall. He staggered up the stone steps to reach the upper floor of the tree house.

He stood in front of the viewing window, and the scroll-like window opened from two sides. The darkness inside rapidly converged with the darkness outside, trying to drown out all of existence.

Luo Nan could still see that the Withered Tree Sandbar and Gear were separated by at least five hundred meters of distance. From this angle, Gear looked like an unfinished painting. Only part of a shadowy silhouette was revealed. A few fire spots weren't completely extinguished yet. They continued to flicker in the night.

Why did he come here?

What happened in-between?

What did he see?

Actually, Luo Nan wasn't in a hurry to gain the ultimate answer. He wanted more time to take everything he just experienced and pour it out and talk. He wanted to talk about everything, missing nothing big nor small, no matter how much time it would take.

But his circumstances were bound in stone. There was no one he could talk to about everything.

He could only silently gaze at Gear and look at the tower without a sound within the river of time. He could only watch it reveal its simplest and most negligible aspect to the people of this world….

At this time, a real firefighting helicopter rumbled through the sky from far away. On the Psychic Wave Network, He Yueyin knew that Luo Nan had logged off, but she still messaged him a reminder. She wanted him to meet up with Red Fox and Papercut as soon as possible, hide the devil ray to the greatest extent, and meet at Cloud City Water Village.

Luo Nan didn't respond. His gaze still rested on Gear. His thoughts seemed clear and bright, yet they were not. Coupling Theory could explain today's experiences, but in the end, pure theory was incapable of revealing the full view of this great work.

It was rigorous. It was magical. It was beautiful!

Most importantly, it was his mother's work, and he was only able to obtain a peek at half of its appearance.

Things shouldn't be this way!

Luo Nan leaned forward, his head sticking out of the viewing window. The night breeze bound with ashes and the acrid smell of the jungle assaulted his nostrils. It was clearly cold, but a scalding stimulation pierced into his brain.

An emotion and an impulse. They were difficult to suppress.

Luo Nan's pair of hands tightly held the lower trim of the viewing window. With a thought, the devil ray, which was fetching water above the small lake not so far away, immediately gave up its work. Its wing-like fins just flapped once, and its enormous body appeared above the submerged sandbar to be near the edge of the withered tree.

"Go!" Luo Nan made a low shout of energy as he leaped out of the viewing window and fell onto the edge of the devil ray's fin. The long wing-like fin easily coiled, causing Luo Nan's body to slide to the flat back of the giant ray.

The viewing window closed without a sound, restoring the appearance to what the withered tree should look like. Luo Nan strove to stand up, but his legs were still weak, and he nearly fell. Luckily, the devil ray's strong body timely gave him some elastic support.

Luo Nan didn't wait to fully gain balance. He just staggered ahead until he reached the head of the devil ray. He grabbed the pair of head-fins that had flipped up. Only then did he sigh and whisper,

"Fly then. Find the best angle!"

The devil ray made a low cry, and the screaming air broke a few branches on the shriveled tree. Its enormous body headed up, and it reached an altitude of several hundred meters in the blink of an eye.

Luo Nan's unusual activity attracted the attention of others at last. Papercut's yell seemed to come over from within the jungle, and there were people yelling from his HexaEar and his wristband. People were calling his attention.

Luo Nan didn't respond whatsoever. He just looked toward the sky.

The school was located in the Pingjiang District, an educational function area specifically allocated by Xia City. Even if there was the landmark that was the Cloud City Water Village Skyscraper towering into the clouds, it was located in an area with the lowest building heights. The distribution of air-traffic layers was relatively sparse.

He looked up. His field of view was actually quite wide, and today's night sky was decent. Three to five stars were impatiently piercing through the light pollution of the city with their radiance. They appeared at the corners of the sky.

But as the devil ray flew upward, as the frigid winds assaulted his face, there was a different scene within Luo Nan's mind, before Luo Nan's eyes, and within Luo Nan's ears.

It was the gushing of the ice crystals of clouds.

It was the astral winds that roared like dragons.

It was the vast hell-like earth.

It was the strange world that he had never thought about, that he wouldn't think about, in his past sixteen years of life.

Danger. Mortality. And the power of enticement like that of opium.

Luo Nan could hardly tell what was real and what was an illusion. Then the devil ray's vertical body returned horizontal as it began to hover in circles in the sky.

At that moment, Luo Nan was already over a thousand kilometers in altitude. He looked down from up high, but he saw heaven and earth spin, the river snake, as well as the the background drawn by the light pollution of the city mixing with the darkness of the void. They formed an oppressive and dirty image that freely entered Luo Nan's vision. Millions and millions of living beings came and went within. Perhaps they were apathetic, or perhaps they were wanton. These were the temperatures sprinkled among life.

Luo Nan never really understood this city. Even now, Xia City was merely the background for the existence of his life. He paid attention to merely what was beneath this background. A tiny little point.

Gear.

From Luo Nan's perspective, only this place was pure and clear. No matter how chaotic the elements of the background, as long as they approach this place, tangible and intangible orders, tangible and intangible gears, would entwine between heaven and earth. They would mesh and revolve around that marvelous and pivotal point in slow operation.

Rigorous. Magical. Beautiful…. Real!

Luo Nan stared at this soul-shaking scene in stupefaction. It was likely that only he knew just how gorgeous this setting was, and his self-consciousness followed in its operation to form a portion of an incorporeal yet grand order. His consciousness expanded outward, combing through all the things of heaven and earth within his senses.

So he knew that within the area of several dozen kilometers, practically all the high-definition cameras of skyscrapers had spun over to face him. There were also high-altitude warships, and even orbital satellites several hundred kilometers high. They all locked on his position in the night sky, coldly staring at him.

Then there were the mental senses. They came like silk threads from various mental planes. They turned to envelop him, and they didn't come from just one or two people.

He didn't know how many there were, and he didn't know how many different methods were used, but they paid attention to this side of heaven and earth. They paid attention to each and every one of his movements.

However, the hundred of millions of inhabitants in Xia City, the billions of living beings in the world, were they worth a dime?

Understanding was order. Not knowing was disorder. The information of disorder was like an illusion. It dissolved like ice within the glowing mist of this enormous metropolis.

That figure. That name. That soul. They surged within Luo Nan's mind as pride with no place to go.

The people of the world need to be told about her wondrous ideas, her grand accomplishment. Thousands upon thousands of words need to be written in an endless script of characters. Some of the words within will contain several meanings, and these can go thousands of miles.

The boundless world. Who can say everything about it? Who can understand everything about it?

Is it possible that the person who can do all this is my insane grandfather in the sanitarium?

In the end... I'm the only one left.

Mother. Right now, there's only me.

There's only me!

The devil ray could feel Luo Nan's emotions. It suddenly dove down from an altitude of a kilometer high. It's enormous body seemed to be connected and pulled by a long and incorporeal string of order, turning the devil ray to a strange and spectacular giant kite. The kite revolved around the center, rapidly spiraling.

The screaming gale scalded Luo Nan's eyes. His vision distorted, and there was only that revolving gear, the turning of time, dazzling his eyes like billowing water. It was like the center of the world, the source of order. All the things of heaven and earth converged within it to dock with his mind, to couple.

Boom!

The boundless star river. The billions of stars. They surged in the storm of his emotions. They shook faintly, the billions of starlight akin to water drops as they transformed from a river into an ocean in the blink of an eye. Luo Nan's surging soul strength overloaded the external neuron, overflowing it in an instant. It was like an enormous river bursting through a dike, and the water came gushing down.

It was this gush of water that heaved up the large and small gears of unequal sizes. It was like a giant wave had smacked an amphibious vehicle, and the vehicle was searching for a chance to rotate in sync.

Energy rubbed away, and lightning burst forth. They wove into each other and became dense. In the blink of an eye, the energy and lightning became incalculable. It just exploded Luo Nan's blood and energy into a surge. It was a heated pain, something that couldn't be understood. Luo Nan could only be propelled by his churning emotions into a throat-splitting roar.

There weren't any worries. There weren't any thoughts. There were only those pure-to-the-limit emotions, and they mixed with the lightning to slam explosively on the mental plane.

"MOTHER!"

The desolate sound of thunder crushed across the void.

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Chapter 317: Cracked Ice (Part 1/2)

Chapter 317: Cracked Ice (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

The devil ray, bound in the whistling winds, streaked across the sky to arrive above the viewing platform. It slightly tilted its flat body, and it passed through the structural frame. Its momentum was eliminated with wave-like ripples as it hovered above the pool. Then, it slowly descended.

Luo Nan's legs didn't move, but the devil ray stimulated the flesh of its back on its own to send Luo Nan down like a conveyor belt. He just staggered a bit when he slid off the wing-like fins.

Xue Lei had been waiting to the side, and he stepped forward to support Luo Nan in a timely manner. He was just wearing a thin t-shirt, and his body was covered in sweat. He only let out a breath of relief when he was able to hold firmly onto Luo Nan's arm. But a different sort of energy rushed through his head.

"Nanster, have you gone crazy!?"

Near the end of his speech, his voice suddenly dropped an octave, "Your eyes…."

"It's nothing."

Luo Nan motioned to the devil ray to submerge into the Heavenly Ocean Lake and enter the central crystal pillar. He was dripping with water from the splash made by the devil ray when he broke free from Xue Lei's grasp, and he walked to a dryer area to the side of the pool.

Luo Nan's eyes were still burning and in pain from when he had dropped to the ground, but after blinking his eyes a few times and feeling the autumn breeze blow over, he soon felt quite refreshed. His eyes were like lubricated ball bearings, taking the moisture in layer by layer. In the middle, there came some prickly and itchy sensations, but most of it was alleviated quickly. Unexpectedly, his eye sockets, eyebrows, forehead, and face all felt immersed in coolness. It was rather soothing.

Luo Nan believed that it wasn't a big deal. The lightning in between the coupling of the two gears both lacerated, but also repaired the coupling like glue. Right now, he couldn't control the coupling too accurately, perhaps due to the damage from the prior wave of lightning and various lacerations. But the following wave of lightning produced a welding effect. It came in a reversal, and perhaps because his luck was good, the coupling subsequently exploded open.

But since it was coupling, it was natural for information to intercommunicate and synchronize. It was highly probable that the transformation was a good one, and as time passed, Luo Nan felt it become more and more obvious.

This was merely Luo Nan's own thoughts. Xue Lei got a different feeling as he looked at Luo Nan's eyes.

Xue Lei felt like he was looking at the eyes of a cold-blooded beast. Although Luo Nan's eyes weren't long and narrow, the densely woven cracks that spiraled within them made those eyes look like glass balls that could shatter at any moment.

Xue Lei subconsciously shuddered when he witnessed this scene, and he immediately reached out to grab Luo Nan in order to take him to the hospital and get him examined. But the energy that flared within Luo Nan made Xue Lei's eyelids twitch twice.

Xue Lei composed his mind, and he followed the reaction of the energy. He saw once more the fractured cracks, which were like deep cracks in ice. It looked desolate at first glance, but there lay a dense cold aura seeped within. The glow would occasionally pulsate, like flaring lightning rending the night sky. It was dazzling.

When faced with this pair of aberrant eyes, Xue Lei didn't know what to say for a time, and he subconsciously handed over the notebook in his hand.

This was Luo Nan's loose-leaf notebook. It had been thrown upon the platform when Luo Nan had jumped on the devil ray's back. Xue Lei had picked it up and was returning it to its rightful owner.

Luo Nan held the leather cover and laughed. It was hard to hide his weariness.

Xue Lei's tone eased a bit. "You should still go get yourself checked up."

"Okay." Luo Nan knew that this was something he couldn't avoid, and he agreed to it quite crisply. His gaze turned and he saw a girl, with Xue Lei's clothes draped over her, sitting atop a bench besides the pool. Luo Nan was quite baffled. "Senior Sister Tian is still here?"

Tian Si heard Luo Nan say her name. She slightly bit her lower lip and raised her head. Her lips were so white that not a trace of red could be seen. Her expression was also a bit stiff. Luo Nan didn't know if it was due to the effects of the cold, or the power of fear increasing a bit.

She had been grabbed by the throat, been threatened as a hostage, and fallen into the Heavenly Ocean Lake. Her entire body was soaked with water. Her knitted clothes entered the water, so they became extremely heavy. After getting out of the water, the slightest cold breeze became exceptionally cold. Her shoes had fallen into the Heavenly Ocean Lake early on, leaving her fine legs to touch the moist ground with only pantyhose as protection. She was battered and exhausted.

It was late autumn. The chill was very serious. Though Xue Lei had kindly given her his gym clothes to warm her body, it was still hard for her not to hug her legs and shiver from the cold.

Xue Lei whispered, "The fright she took was probably too vicious. She probably has some post-traumatic stress. She's been staying here, not moving at all, no matter how much I try persuading her."

Luo Nan furrowed his brows upon hearing this; he didn't know how to handle this for a time. His gaze deviated a bit, and he saw that the viewing platform had clearly been cleared of all people. Black Beetle's and Puppeteer's corpses were gone, the unconscious tourists were all evacuated, and all traces of the battle were wiped clean.

Xue Lei was informed. He whispered, "Secretary He came not long after you left. She cleared the site and arranged for Brother Zhou to take care of things here."

From the end of the pool, a calm man in his forties was making his way over. It was Zhou Hu, who Xue Lei had just mentioned. He was one of He Yueyin's bodyguards and her confidant. He had met Luo Nan twice in the past, and he was Crag Burst's comrade-in-arms. He was no stranger.

"Brother Zhou,” Luo Nan placed the matter with Tian Si to the side as he made a courteous greeting.

Zhou Hu's words and actions were steady and fitting from start to finish. "Mr. Luo. According to Miss He's instructions, I will wait by your side this night to do some odd jobs for you. Just give me direct instructions for anything that needs to be done."

Luo Nan didn't refuse. He nodded in thanks.

Zhou Hu swept a glance at Tian Si and more or less understood the situation. He lowered his voice and said, "Miss He told me that this one was stifled quite ruthlessly, and even struggled during a hostage situation…."

Luo Nan heard his words and thought for a while. Then, he walked forward two paces.

The distance closed, and everything was fine except when Tian Si saw Luo Nan's ice-cracked eyes. Her entire body recoiled, but she soon realized what she just did. She forcefully restrained her fear and shuffled forward, raising her head to see him. She was terrified and pitiful.

"Junior, I'm sorry…."

Right now, Tian Si absolutely didn't have her daily leisurely and cheerful appearance.

Luo Nan furrowed his brows and bent down a bit. "Senior Sister, it's very cold out. Go change your clothes, then we can continue chatting, okay?"

Luo Nan had used his close-range hypnosis technique right then. Tian Si subconsciously grunted in agreement, and her mind went into a slight daze.

Luo Nan improvised upon seeing this. "Go with her, Leister."

Xue Lei shook his head hard. Tonight, he practically didn't do anything. He settled firmly on a decision in his moment of regret. He would follow closely by Luo Nan's side.

"All right. Let's all go together." Luo Nan really didn't have any special feelings for Tian Si, but because she had researched Gear and Coupling Theory, his attitude was a lot different than it normally would have been.

There was a large-scale shopping center within Ocean Sky Cloud City. It would be quite convenient for Tian Si to change clothes there. Plus, Luo Nan had rode the slippery back of the devil ray to do some firefighting at Gear. His body was covered with dirt and ash, and the white coat he wore was beyond recognition. His face was probably no better. He needed to clean himself up.

The group of people took the elevator down. They headed toward the shopping center.

Luo Nan didn't intend to immediately meet up with He Yueyin and the others. This was primarily because the just-established internal channel on the Psychic Wave Network had quickly been maxed out by the chaotic stream of information.

Luo Nan had handled things impulsively today, and the others had downloaded photographic and video evidence of this from the network. They went into complete chaos, and Luo Nan didn't know how he should respond for a time.

When he was emotionally excited, he hated not being able to face the world and speak of the greatness of his mother's work. But now, his mood had ebbed away, and his rationality had returned. He knew that the secrets within must never be divulged to outsiders.

How should he respond to the others? What a troubling matter.

Unfortunately, he was too tired to rack his brain. He might as well continue being stubborn and talk later.

Xue Lei wanted to say something about the way Luo Nan did things, but he didn't open his mouth. Zhou Hu completely listened to Luo Nan's plans. As for Tian Si, she acted like a marionette. Whatever Luo Nan said was law.

The group arrived at the 101st floor and found a brand store nearby. They went to purchase clothes.

Luo Nan just washed his face and threw away his white gown. He would first make do with everything else. As for Tian Si, no matter how much she would have to make do, she would need to spend a bit of time. The three guys just stood waiting in the store.

Xie Junping's call came at exactly this time. He pelted Luo Nan with a question, "Where the hell did you go?"

Luo Nan glanced at the dazzling lineup of women's clothing. "I'm buying clothes."

Xie Junping clearly choked for a second. He paused, before asking, "Where's Leister?"

"He's with me. What's going on?"

Xie Junping chuckled, "It's nothing. It's nothing. I'm just asking. Both of you two suddenly disappeared. Tang Yi came over just now, and we couldn't find you two at all."

Luo Nan suddenly thought of something. He turned a bit to the side, and his eyes brushed past the most striking fixture outside the store—the central crystal pillar spanning over a hundred forty stories of the building. The devil ray was swimming about inside, attracting quite a few guests to stop and watch.

"Ask Yao Feng for me, about how much the price of that Mutant devil ray is."

"So it really was—” Xie Junping coughed hard, “It's nothing, something went down the wrong pipe."

The sudden rise in pitch was forcefully suppressed; this was how Xie Junping concluded things. Xie Junping's latter words were given to deal with his companions on his side, but as he spoke to Luo Nan again, he dialed his voice down into a whisper. He couldn't refrain from shivering in excitement.

"Nanster, Y-y-y-you... it really was you? The Internet is going to explode, don't you know!? Yao Feng just got the news and is under pressure. Oh right, he shouldn't have recognized that it was you!"

"Then he's quite retarded."

Luo Nan didn't want to keep talking, so he just reminded Xie Junping, "I'll be over in a bit. Don't forget to ask him the price."

He hung up the call upon saying this.

Luo Nan admitted to himself that asking Yao Feng the price of the devil ray was an impulsive thought. He really liked looking down at Gear from the sky, experiencing marvelous feelings and appreciating the beauty of the building to the limits. It naturally was ideal to obtain the devil ray for himself.

Of course, more realistic factors were at play.

The power of the Mutant devil ray's fleshly body was tyrannical. In addition to that, its muscles were pliable, tough, and top-notch. It could control them extremely well. It could be used for many purposes, mostly acting as a substitution for Luo Nan's weak fleshly body and for doing some antagonistic work.

Possessing this weapon-companion was a key factor in Luo Nan's survival for the future.

Luo Nan was truly tired. He was in the clothing display area, and he simply sat on a stool meant for trying on shoes. He flipped open his notebook, and the flexible e-ink screen lit up.

He subconsciously opened the second layer of the drawing software, and the lustrous star river nearly dazzled his eyes. The heart lantern of the eyes orifice, under the effects of coupling, practically swept clear the turbid dark clouds within the star river. The eight extremes were illuminated, and the myriad of Life Sketches formed hundreds and thousands of constellations. They revolved inside and outside the Format Pyramid, rising and sinking. This was a grand star atlas, practically drawing one's mind within.

Luo Nan didn't look at it carefully, and just exhaled with a low sigh. He returned to the upper layer of the software and easily created a blank interface. His electronic pen drew out lines. The pen soared as it went up, and it paused as it went down. It moved chaotically, drawing out an unknown composition.

Xue Lei was standing by his side when he suddenly said, "Nanster, why don't you transfer me over to that Order Club you're in."

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Chapter 318: Cracked Ice (Part 2/2)

Chapter 318: Cracked Ice (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan raised his head in amazement. He didn't really understand.

Xue Lei continued speaking, "The gym master will need to rest for some time after moving his gym. He won't need me to help him for the time being. I joined my current school society in name only; there's no point in me going. You should simply give Brother Ping a call and transfer me over. We can look out for each other, okay?"

Luo Nan absentmindedly said, "Of course it's good to be looked out for."

Currently, the right to the ownership of Gear was in the middle of a bidding war. Whether it would fall to the hands of the Mystic Arts Research Society or the Construction Society, Luo Nan was a single force. If he could have a trustworthy friend help him…. Hold on. This wasn't a situation of looking out for one another.

Luo Nan finally understood Xue Lei's thoughts. Xue Lei wanted to act as his bodyguard. Luo Nan was willing to admit that with Xue Lei guarding nearby, his weak body would be compensated for. If he had paired Xue Lei with his mental attacks and other techniques from the beginning, today's situation would have gone smoothly without a hitch.

However, Luo Nan understood something clearly. Future troubles were coming, and they wouldn't be on the same level as today's!

"It isn't just the two of us, Leister. There are many factors here. There are your parents, and my aunt's family…."

Luo Nan spoke softly and gravely. He talked and talked, breaking off in the end.

The resurgence of worked up emotions made it unavoidable for Luo Nan's myriad of thoughts to become chaotic. They were like weeds flourishing in his mind. Frankly speaking, the schemes that Headquarters' investigation team employed truly shocked him.

Forceful abduction. Hostage taking. Arson. This group of people had no compunctions at all. They were capable of doing anything.

And this was only Headquarters. Luo Nan didn't forget that there was Quantum Corporation, and especially Yan Yongbo, who had been eyeing Gear all this time for whatever purpose.

The Order of Justice seemed to have withdrawn for the time being, but the situation with Headquarters was a matter of great importance, looking at how active they are. They couldn't possibly stick their heads in the sand like ostriches.

There was more. Various powers remained uncountable by Luo Nan. From the madness that came from making the Human-Faced Arachnid, Luo Nan could see that there were far too many greedy people in this world. One of them could pop out at any time.

How could just he and Xue Lei handle this?

All right, there was also the Xia City branch of the Society. But looking at today's circumstances, they were limited no matter how he asked for help. Though He Yueyin and the others had done their best to support him, there still remained gaps in coverage. They couldn't immediately appear before him. It would be even worse for his family, whose priority levels would likely be lower than his.

Luo Nan didn't know how to formulate his concerns to Xue Lei for a time. It was in this moment that Tian Si had walked out from the fitting room, having finished changing clothes.

Now wasn't a good time to be picky about clothes. Tian Si just chose the closest brand named clothes and casually paired them up.

It was probably because she was very cold from being dropped inside the pool, so she wore a wool coat with a velvet jacket. She covered her upper body very tightly.

Her lower body was wrapped in a pleated long skirt, and it hung to her ankles. She was also wearing a pair of oxford high-heels, which she bought on the way. She was already sweating a bit, standing in a warm and cozy shopping mall. Her moist long hair was draped behind her back, and her cheeks flushed red. She looked like she had just taken a bath.

Tian Si nudged her way step by step before Luo Nan just like this. Her eyes looked downcast as she whispered, "I made you wait a while."

Luo Nan didn't say anything. The topic of the Order Club that Xue Lei wanted to talk about wasn't something that could be straightened out with idle chatter. Luo Nan closed his notebook and stood up.

"Let's go then."

"Mr. Luo." Zhou Hu returned just now, having gone outside to do some errands. He delivered a newly opened pair of brown sunglasses to Luo Nan. "Your eyes…. Let's first hide them."

Xue Lei understood in a flash. "Those veins are seeped with uncanniness. You should hide them for now."

No wonder He Yueyin had chosen Zhou Hu as a bodyguard; he was really quite attentive and thorough. Luo Nan gave a word of thanks as he accepted and put on the sunglasses. He first headed toward the elevators, while Xue Lei and the others followed him. Behind them, inside the crystal pillar, the devil ray noiselessly spiraled, following them down.

The original plan had Luo Nan be directly admitted to the hospital upon arrival for examination. However, the matter with the devil ray was brought up in the call with Xie Junping just now. Luo Nan wanted to go to the party venue and see the specifics surrounding the situation.

Zhou Hu, who followed by his side, had no objection toward this.

The group of people quickly returned to the 88th floor. According to the party's schedule, the warming up time should have ended, and the actually party should be officially starting. However, Luo Nan and the others arrived to see that the area surrounding the crystal pillar was clearly a bit chaotic. The buzzing of commotion never stopped.

Luo Nan contacted Xie Junping once more, and Xie Junping informed him, "A skylight has been opened in the crystal pillar. Never has such a thing happened since the building was completed. Many activities have been postponed for the sake of safety. Yao Four has lost face and is cursing quite a bit—hold on a sec."

Xie Junping and Hu Huaying were still in conversation with Yao Feng; they couldn't slip away for a time. Luo Nan looked around him. As fortune would have it, the elevator they took placed them right where they first encountered Yao Feng, as well as the sofa corner with that He Donglou.

Not a trace of the troublesome characters could be seen in this moment. Only a few strangers sat there in idle chatter.

The sofa corner was quite spacious and wide. It was fine for resting and discussion. Luo Nan notified Xie Junping, and he led Xie Junping and the others over. He intended to rest there and wait for Xie Junping to meet up with them.

Luo Nan and the others took a left turn, but there was a group of people on the right who saw them come out of the elevator. Someone immediately shouted bizarrely, "By thunder and fire! How ferociously intense! They changed their clothes. What do you think went down?"

"Two of them went, and there are four who came back! Wow!"

"You can't judge a book by its cover…."

Listening to his friends be noisy and seeing them mostly point at Tian Si, Ju Maoxun's expression turned uglier and uglier.

Their group had lost their drive after being frightened by the sunglasses man with black teeth. They ran out of the 124th floor in extreme humiliation. They just barely recovered some energy and went back up. But the next elevator contained a white-collared worker with a face full of blood. His head was smashed so hard that it turned flat, and the man sank into a deep coma. This gave them another shock. They didn't know what was going on upstairs.

Then the police intervened, and the group of people helplessly returned back to the party. The party activities hit a setback as well. It could be said that nothing went smoothly for them. In the middle of their gloom, they suddenly saw Tian Si and Luo Nan return, but they returned with a hell of an appearance.

Ju Maoxun began grinding his teeth.

The friends next to him were quite familiar with him. They saw wisps of blood appear in Ju Maoxun's eyes. Ju Maoxun had donned the appearance of The Butcher. They shut their mouths one by one.

It wasn't odd, thinking about it. There was a relationship. Clothes had been changed. Was Ju Maoxun rivaling someone for the affection of a lady? Or was he putting on the lush green hat of a cuckold?

Ju Maoxun stared at the backs of these people. He didn't make a move. Another commotion today would cause him to lose more face. After today, however, the situation would be different.

"We're going!" Ju Maoxun forcefully suppressed his tone, turned around, and left. A good 90% of the sharp thoughts he had stabbed his mind repeatedly. He could only wait for an opportunity to reveal itself before he could vent them out.

Zhou Hu and Xue Lei, who had merged into the flow of people, turned to glance when Ju Maoxun had just turned around. They were keen, and such a malevolent gaze could not escape their senses.

Zhou Hu even moved to Luo Nan's ear to ask, "That person…."

Luo Nan shook his head. As long as Ju Maoxun and his gang didn't immediately rush up to come to blows, he wouldn't spare them even the idlest of feelings. They arrived by the sofa corner with a few steps, and Luo Nan felt no need to be polite. He sat down first without any indication.

His back pressed against the soft sofa. With this support, the feeling of pain became like steam vapor. It instantly enveloped his entire body, evaporating all the energy in his body.

He subconsciously let out a sigh. He was a bit exhausted.

"Nanster?" Xue Lei didn't sit. He stooped to look at the color of Luo Nan's face. He felt a little concerned.

Luo Nan lifted his eyelids and looked at Xue Lei's furrowed face. He laughed involuntarily. "The mind comes before energy, and energy comes before strength, when it comes to the importance of consumption and loss. It seems that today I've met the minimum requirements."

These were the words that Xue Lei had admonished him with back when he had just learned the technique of cultivating in the eyes orifice.

Luo Nan had implemented these words into reality when faced with the enemy today. He didn't exhaust too much of his physical strength, but the comprehension and application of order frames, gears, coupling, and similar concepts exhausted his mental energy.

Then there was also the fact that he went to save his mother's work. His impatient heart and surging emotions also wore away at his mind. In a safe environment, his accumulated feelings of exhaustion exploded. He really wanted to lie down and sleep it off.

Xue Lei was likely the person who could understand Luo Nan's state the most. He urged Luo Nan, "How about you sleep a bit? The wear to your mind has harmed your mental energy, which is forcefully holding up a bottomless pit."

"Well, first I need to ask a few things to get a clear understanding of them. Sister He should be almost here."

Luo Nan suddenly remembered that there was an outsider by his side. He forcefully opened his eyes and swiveled them to face Tian Si. "Senior Sister Tian, I am sorry about today. I let you suffer a calamity with the pool and the ray. However, the situation has passed. The following time frame should be very safe. If Senior Sister, you—"

An aura arrived behind his back before he could clearly formulate his thoughts. Then long, snow-white legs swung across the sofa from behind to lithely leap over the back of the sofa. A slender figure suddenly appeared in this fashion.

She wore a simple T-shirt and paired it with jean shorts. The autumn flavor was very strong in this full-body summer outfit. It was also capricious. The only person that Luo Nan was familiar with who could dress up like this was Zhang Yingying.

"Whatcha lookin’ at!? I rushed over from the coast. Sorry I'm not wearing a diving suit! Of course, if you had died, I would have changed to a formal suit to collect your body."

Zhang Yingying sat near Luo Nan, staring at him with her gaze and not letting go. She sized him up carefully, trying to assess if he was missing some part of him.

Luo Nan was nearly at the point where he couldn't open his eyes. He didn't really acknowledge her, except with a grunt.

If it was any normal day, Zhang Yingying would have long since jumped up in anger. But today, she just coldly snorted back. She extended an arm to touch Luo Nan's forehead. Her fingertips streaked down, and she measured the pulse over his carotid artery for his heart rate.

These series of actions weren't that weird. But Luo Nan's expression spelled awkwardness no matter how one looked at it. After Zhang Yingying looked him up and down a few times, she finally asked, "What are you wearing glasses for?"

She pulled them straight off as she spoke.

Luo Nan glanced at her and saw her expression turn stiff. Her gaze seemed to turn slightly sluggish.

"Am I that ugly?" Luo Nan took back his sunglasses, but he suddenly felt that something was off. This was because his heart lantern of the eyes orifice had subconsciously illuminated her in an instant.

On the night at Frost River Reality, Zhang Yingying's Life Sketch was more or less clear to Luo Nan. The natural illumination from the heart lantern right now made the Life Sketch completely lucid.

However, this transparency seemed to give rise to adverse effects. The sharp energy akin to a glowing water-cloud belt within Zhang Yingying rang with a cry. The sharp energy covered her foundation anew.

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Chapter 319: Mind Controller (Part 1/2)

Chapter 319: Mind Controller (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

White Rainbow's state was very interesting.

Luo Nan's mind stirred when he saw how special Zhang Yingying's body and soul structure was. But before he could understand it completely, another person entered the sofa corner. This person panted slightly as he said, "Boss Luo, your rhythm is too quick! Us bros can't keep up!"

As he spoke, Papercut's plump body plopped down to jiggle on the sofa.

As for Red Fox, he uttered not a word. He sat next to Papercut on the sofa's armrest. His gaze wandered upon Luo Nan's body as he carefully sized him up.

Back at Gear, Luo Nan had focused 99% of his efforts on firefighting. However, he was absolutely sure that these two, whom he once held a discourse with, were the first to make it to the scene. Their attitude was impeccable.

Luo Nan received these feelings and immediately gave the two a nod, easily turning his gaze away from Zhang Yingying. He placed the matter of Zhang Yingying's White Rainbow to the side for now and put on his sunglasses.

Zhang Yingying was a bit confused. She wasn't sure what happened just then. She simply heard Papercut talking and laughed by instinct. "So you're saying that we made him wait so long that we're left dealing with the corpses?"

She tapped his wristband as she spoke, letting Papercut take note of the time.

Papercut pointed at Zhang Yingying, and then he pointed at himself. He was left speechless at this suicidal evaluation.

Zhang Yingying didn't believe that it was suicidal, as she was there providing information and intelligence for half the time Luo Nan and the group of people from Headquarters were in combat. Anyhow, she did a little better than Papercut.

This group was quite familiar with one another. No one took bashing each other personally. With most of tonight being intense, it was necessary to relax after confirming that Luo Nan was in good health.

But on the other hand, being the only normal person of the group, Tian Si felt extremely uncomfortable with the sudden appearance of these people.

The ring-shaped sofa was mostly closed up. There was only one way to get in. It formed a relatively private space, and Tian Si was sitting at one end of the entrance. Then Papercut and Red Fox had sat on the other. The two sides were very close to each other, but they didn't talk to each other at all. Not even a glance was exchanged between them.

Tian Si’s head was a bit downcast. Her pair of legs were together to the side. Her bearing was a dignified one, but half her body was outside, like her current situation.

With the passing of time, the most remarkable self-defense mechanism of the human race—forgetting—began to display its effects. The nightmare-like experience gradually blurred, and Tian Si stepped back a bit from her dazed and fear-trembling state. Her thoughts began forming once more.

The 88th floor was the venue for the friendship party between Pingjiang District's first-rate educational establishments. Though the members of the party could be said to have a few years of experience, fundamentally speaking, they were all still students.

Ignoring Luo Nan and Xue Lei, of the people who arrived one after another in the sofa area, only the long-legged beautiful woman shining with youth was a bit like a student. The other three people had the dense air that indicated being members of society upon their bodies. And the previously acquainted Zhou Hu was the oldest level figure, being in his forties.

These people surrounded Luo Nan, and they were discordant with the surrounding environment. They were all on good terms with each other, and they naturally formed a circle. When they came here and sat down, the few students who sat at the sofa corner in idle conversation felt a bit uneasy for some reason. These students soon got up and left.

Only Luo Nan's group of people remained in the sofa corner. At most, there was the bartender at the small bar in the back.

Are these people all like Luo Nan, Puppeteer, and so on? Are they powerful people who possess inconceivable abilities?

Tian Si couldn't help guessing. The circle she was in contact with now was very far apart from her original school, and the light political circles she was familiar with. They were so far apart that she was incapable of understanding it. She felt overwhelmed.

However, it was very dream-like to be able to form a relationship with this circle…. Of course, it was mostly of the nightmare variety.

Tian Si was in the middle of adjusting her thoughts when a topic suddenly dropped down on her. The long-legged beautiful woman, who appeared to be younger than her by a few years, had turned her gaze over. "Is she the female lead in the first-half? She's really not bad. You really like the older women, eh? I've never seen you with someone younger."

Hearing this load of crap, Luo Nan was ready to roll his eyes even though he was super tired.

Tian Si was rather embarrassed by Zhang Yingying's words. Her emotions stimulated some memories, and she suddenly remembered that it was this voice who told Luo Nan to abandon her and throw her away for being a burden.

Tian Si knew that she shouldn't get vent out her anger on these powerful people. On the contrary, being targeted time and time again stimulated the pride that existed in the bottom of her heart. Of course, she wouldn't use intense methods to express herself. She just lowered her eyes and sat upright at the end of the sofa. She was more calm and reserved than before.

This lovely bearing of hers displayed vulnerability the most clearly. It was really capable of evoking the protective nature of the opposite sex. Luo Nan didn't forget the friendship he had with Tian Si from her mentioning Coupling Theory. He naturally helped her out with a few words, "Don't joke around. Senior Sister Tian is an excellent student of our school's design institute. She will be undertaking advanced studies next year. It's highly likely she will be the apprentice to continue my mother's research."

"Oh, little miss scholar. I see. From the outside, it looked like you two were going to enjoy blessings and endure misfortune together."

Zhang Yingying spoke with a smile. The ripple that ran through her eyes contained a hidden meaning. Do you know what I mean?

Of course, how can I not. If you hadn't changed the subject, I would have asked her to leave already, okay?

Regardless of their individual attitudes, Luo Nan and Zhang Yingying already reached an agreement. The matters they were going to discuss next were far too sensitive. It would do nobody good to have Tian Si stay here.

Luo Nan intensely resonated his mind as he cast his gaze over at Tian Si. "Tian Si, you've endured much torment recently. You must be very tired. It's okay not to participate in this sort of party. Go back and rest, okay?"

His speech and his words were of concern, but they might as well be an order.

Tian Si's mind went blank. It was unknown whether he loosened up or felt bad, but just as Tian Si was about to nod, the quiet man wearing a red jacket suddenly broke his silence, "The Secretary has opened a ward in the Sacred Heart Hospital. You should go over there to have your body examined in order to avoid residual effects."

After a moment of stupefaction, Tian Si regained herself. She was being spoken to. She cast her gaze toward Luo Nan very consciously, for she wanted to see what his attitude would be.

Luo Nan was a bit suspicious as he looked at Red Fox. Red Fox’s mouth twitched as he said, "This is going with the flow."

Zhang Yingying immediately changed her stance as she sneered, "If going with the flow is useful, then today's matter wouldn't have escalated to these extremes…. Oh right, where's Secretary He? She's the one who wants us to convene together, and she's late?"

"She should be at the hospital?" Papercut was worried that Red Fox and Zhang Yingying would get into a quarrel. He rushed to butt in, and he asked Luo Nan, "Speaking of which, why the hell did you come here? Did you want to stay here until the party ends?"

"I'm waiting for some news." Luo Nan briefly mentioned the matter with the devil ray. "I'm thinking that having that toy by my side would make things safer."

"I really didn't know that you're actually someone with connections!" Zhang Yingying's eyes were wide open. She looked very surprised.

Of course, she was just mocking him.

Papercut scratched his head. "Nanster, didn't I tell you? Mutants that are of a higher quality are never less than ten million in price on the market. The market probably values the devil ray to be—”

Before Papercut could finish speaking, Xie Junping noisy voice entered his ear from the crowd. "Nanster, you're fine, right?"

Xie Junping and Hu Huaying hastily made their way over. Xie Junping had seen that one of the many figures in the sofa corner appeared vaguely to be Luo Nan. He didn't think much, just directly calling out and asking. Once he spoke out, he suddenly realized that six to seven pairs of eyes were staring at him. They were all new faces to him.

No, there was one who looked familiar.

"Zhang Yingying?"

"Oh, Sucker, hello." Zhang Yingying smiled as she waved. She turned her head to give Luo Nan a second expression of admiration. "So you actually had him go negotiate the price!"

Before Luo Nan could speak, Xie Junping exploded, "What do you mean by 'actually'!?"

Zhang Yingying rubbed her fingers against each other. "How much money?"

Xie Junping's voice immediately dropped an octave. "Six... sixty million."

Zhang Yingying spread her hands, "Ha ha."

Red Fox, who sat in the outermost spot, retracted his legs to make a path into the circle, indicating to Xie and Hu to go in and sit. He even assessed Xie Junping. "The price is fair."

Papercut added, "A devil-face electric eel was caught at Eight Cliffs Reef last year. Its price was about the same, being sold for forty million. However, the devil ray can be used in both the water and the air. This makes the price hard to estimate."

Zhang Yingying shrugged. "You all are talking about this so seriously. In any case, a certain someone is unable to afford it…. Even if he could, he won't be able to raise it."

"That's true."

Papercut turned his head to look at the mighty devil ray swimming around in the central crystal pillar. Ever since Luo Nan rode it here, this Mutant swam in nearby waters, never lessening its distance from Luo Nan. However, this made it so that the shoals of fish sharing its current location suffered a calamity. "A Mutant of the physically strengthened variety. Its power is proportional to its appetite. Several tons of fresh food a day isn't enough for it. It's very difficult to raise."

"I need it."

Luo Nan looked at the devil ray. He spoke in a low and heavy voice, "My order frame can only display its effectiveness on the mental plane. I need an external equipment like the devil ray in order to form some influence on the material plane."

"Some?" Red Fox repeated the word. He didn't understand the stuff about order frames, but his stomach was still feeling really bad from getting hit by the devil ray's attack. It wasn't just Luo Nan who had to go to the hospital and get checked up. He had to go too.

Of all the people there, Zhang Yingying was one of the earliest people to have been introduced to the concepts of order frames, gears, and coupling. She had been pondering them all this time, seemingly understanding them yet not. She heard Luo Nan mention these concepts once more, and it was as if a flashbulb went off in her brain. It lit up.

"From your perspective, the devil ray is an exoskeleton?"

Luo Nan was stunned for a moment, before saying, "It can be described that way."

Zhang Yingying understood clearly with a thought, which then continued to sprout. "From your perspective, the devil ray is just a module or a plug-in, and your order frame acts as a power source and a general control system. How is this done?"

Luo Nan was happy to explain a few relevant theories, especially since Zhang Yingying's description was quite reliable. He immediately said, "The generation of energy and information, its drive and output, are all engendered by the coupling of gears. Of course, gears themselves can also produce energy and information…."

"No, I'm asking how you were able to have the Mutant devil ray work for you when you first encountered it. How did you get it to follow your every whim?" Zhang Yingying looked at him with wide eyes. "Is your true ability similar to Puppet Masters, Beast Tamers, or the like? Or is it more like a Mind Controller?"

In the sofa corner, Red Fox raised his brows once he heard the last two words. Papercut grimaced, while Zhou Hu appeared pensive. The other people wore blank faces.

"What do you mean 'Mind Controller'?"

Luo Nan was completely unfamiliar with this concept, but he realized Zhang Yingying had mentioned Puppeteer, that trash, on equal terms with him. He felt a bit uncomfortable. "Understanding another party's order frame and the coupling relationship formed from it will naturally allow one to exercise concerted control. It has nothing to do with mind control. I'll explain further: President Ouyang's Logic World is a structure that is formed when he uses his order frame to distort and mold a portion of the vast heaven and earth. It is a temporary result. What is President Ouyang controlling here?"

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Chapter 320: Mind Controller (Part 2/2)

Chapter 320: Mind Controller (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

The group of people in the sofa corner listened to Luo Nan use the concepts of gears and order frames to explain Ouyang Chen's great technique. Some of them blinked their eyes. Some of them furrowed their brows. Some of them scratched their heads. They expressed themselves differently, and they inevitably made eye contact with each other. The atmosphere became quite odd.

Zhang Yingying relied on her flash of enlightenment just now to barely follow Luo Nan's train of thought. She casually flung a wisp of hair as she asked, "According to you, President Ouyang takes the heaven and earth…. Okay. He takes the spatial structure as an exoskeleton and controls it that way?

"Using Formatting Theory as an interpretation, he's using his Self-Format to distort the Heaven and Earth Format. And the Heaven and Earth Format may be able to explain the coupling relationships of many relatively independent 'gear sets'. President Ouyang transforms them from their previously distant distribution of space-time."

Luo Nan suddenly stopped here, like he had jammed. He only whispered several seconds later, "Yes, it's 'space-time distribution'. No doubt about it. The lag caused by the distribution of space-time can be reduced through this method."

It's happening again!

Zhang Yingying propped her forehead up with her hand. She made a silent sigh. Luo Nan, in this self-talk state, was quite refreshing when used to disgust enemies. But when used upon his own people, it was really quite heartless.

Luckily, this state didn't persist for too long. Luo Nan raised his head and turned to hold her gaze. His brows even furrowed. "Isn't being a 'Mind Controller' the same as being a 'Psychic'? As long as your mind is set to it, you'll be incessantly annoying?"

Papercut puffed with a poof.

Zhang Yingying's brain churned. Oh wow, that really is a thing.

There was a nanosecond instant where Zhang Yingying really did consider throwing out a small apology, but then she just laughed as she extended her elbow around Luo Nan's shoulder. She moved closer to him, bringing out the attitude of a bro. "Don't carelessly throw words together. However, it's a very interesting way of talking, talking about those gear sets and space-time distributions. Oh! Isn't this the intelligence that the group from Headquarters want to know? Is it really okay for you to just spit it out like this?"

"I didn't start talking about these things because someone was acting horribly." Luo Nan didn't believe that the Logic World was any mystery. Perhaps An Weng's actions could barely count. However, He Yueyin didn't warn him that the group from Headquarters didn't have any patience for questioning.

Zhang Yingying's lips twitched. "You talk about it quite easily. The matter with An Weng—I asked my boss. She only spoke vaguely about it."

"This may be because she doesn't understand Formatting Theory."

Luo Nan clearly knew that Zhang Yingying's boss was the famous and outstanding Her Majesty Wu Huang, the Martial Empress. But due to his subtle mood, he blurted out jokingly, "From my perspective, the facts are very clear. It is precisely because of President Ouyang's technique that An Weng found it easy. He took advantage of the situation to lock on to a place that was originally very distant. He jumped over there through a shortcut."

There still wasn't anyone who could truly understand his Formatting Theory and Coupling Theory. But with the logic behind them described clearly, Zhang Yingying and the others imagined the situation and got the gist of the picture.

Luo Nan didn't want to be associated with the title of 'Mind Controller'. He had zero idea what this title meant. So he asked, not understanding, "What sort of profession is the Mind Controller?"

"It should be considered the next step of a Hypnosis Master. Mind Controllers are experts in leading and controlling the minds of people. They are very popular in all sorts of religious orders. The weaker ones can be responsible for preaching and sermonizing work. The more powerful ones can become core priests. There are some who are simply the leaders of their orders…. Speaking of which, we haven't gone over this before?"

The person who had spoken wasn't part of the people within the ring-shaped sofa. It was Bamboo Pole, who had just walked into the sofa corner. He was an expert on secret orders, having done extensive research on them. He started Luo Nan off with the powerful people of every major order in his "Notes on the Major Characters of the World" course. This was a very important part of his course.

Luo Nan shook his head. He didn't have the faintest of an impression.

By now he saw He Yueyin. She stood by Bamboo Pole's side, but he felt that she was acting a bit quiet and low-key.

Luo Nan's limbs felt weak. His body's reactions were half a beat behind. He could only wave to the people coming over as his greeting. By his side, Xue Lei instinctively got up to give them his seat. He was worried about being polite to He Yueyin, and he simply jumped over the back of the sofa.

With this, He Yueyin gave Xue Lei a word of thanks as she walked through the entrance of the ring-shaped sofa. She sat by Luo Nan's left side, while Zhang Yingying remained sitting on the right.

The sofa was quite soft. The three people were pulled close to each other, making it quite crowded.

Bamboo Pole, on the other hand, didn't join in on the fun. He simply walked to the bar to the side of the sofa corner and took up one of the only two spots there. He ordered a martini, and he beamed as he saw the group of people rub closely against each other in the ring-shaped sofa.

Papercut felt a bit regretful seeing this. He also wanted to order a few cups. As he got up, he said loudly, "Get me a rum and coke."

Bamboo Pole shook his head. "Stay there. Crag Burst will be here soon. With the size of his body, don't invite him to go over to where you all are. It will be torture."

He waved to Xue Lei behind the sofa. "Leister, fancy a cup?"

"I'm not old enough." Xue Lei wasn't of drinking age, and the public venue managed things very strictly. He could only politely decline this sort of recreation.

As he spoke, Xue Lei walked to stand behind Xie Junping and Hu Huaying.

The topic that was discussed here a moment ago and the odd atmosphere made the two second-generation rich people stupefied. They saw Xie Junping come over and subconsciously sighed in relief. Xie Junping asked in a whisper, "Everyone here is…?"

Xue Lei didn't know how to respond for a time.

It was the mass that was Papercut sitting next to them who lit up with a smile. "We are people of the same profession in the same society. It's like your school's Mystic Arts Research Society. Our field is similar."

Xie Junping went, "Ohhh.” His thoughts were undecipherable,, but his expression turned very odd and unusual.

At the other side, after being seated for several seconds, He Yueyin spoke in a low voice, "Apologies, Mr. Luo. I made a mistake in my work, causing this situation to emerge…."

Luo Nan didn't talk. He wasn't angry at He Yueyin. However, saying a few words like "It's okay" was an absolutely impossibility for him.

He really did mind when all was said and done. How could he not?

Seeing and experiencing how Headquarters had no lower bounds in their methods, Luo Nan's mind was filled with thoughts on how to deal with the arrival of enemies in the future, on how to deal with this problem.

He wasn't alone. There were his aunt and uncle. There were his close friends living in Xia City. There was also Gear, which couldn't be moved at all…. All kinds of restraints, all of which must be handled. All respects must be thorough. It was an impossible task to accomplish, no matter how he looked at it.

Before a clear path ahead could be seen in one's train of thought, one's thoughts would naturally trace backward, upstream to spread to various 'what if... then maybe...', 'in the event that... so...', and similar lines of thought. Reproach, regret, and similar emotions came with these thoughts as well.

Luo Nan didn't have enough mental energy to imagine what had yet to happen. But those vague emotions still existed as before. Following He Yueyin's honest apology, his emotions, which were like inferior wine that had yet to finish fermenting, broke through the barrel wall to spill out.

He didn't have the leisure to mull over how to express himself. He spoke bluntly, "I need a solution. My—my family. My mother's heart and blood…. Those scum are willing to do anything!"

He had spoken these words to Xue Lei. He had spoken these words to himself. Right now, he spoke these words to He Yueyin. Before, he spoke rationally, but now he was venting his emotions.

He Yueyin responded in a low voice, "President Ouyang has already sealed off Headquarters' defensive privileges on the Psychic Wave Network. Gong Qi will be leaving Xia City early tomorrow morning."

Luo Nan wanted to listen to more, but He Yueyin stopped talking just like that. He glared at her. "Then what?"

"The branch is researching the relevant security plan. I take full power and responsibility over the completion of this concrete item."

The sofa corner sank into a ridiculous silence at once.

Luo Nan was stunned. It took a while before he said, "Just like this? Where's a concrete operation? Personnel deployment? Is there a guarantee? This…."

Papercut saw that things weren't going too well. He instinctively acted as a peacemaker. "Nanster, it isn't that the Secretary isn't going to do anything. The 'asymmetric warfare' of ability users targeting normal people is a very difficult worldly problem. There are countless permutations, so it’s fundamentally impossible to make a contingency plan. The Secretary says she will use her full power and take full responsibility. She'll certainly shoulder this. Everyone will also do their utmost to help, right?"

Papercut had good intentions, but Luo Nan's mind grew heavier and heavier. He absolutely didn't doubt He Yueyin's sense of responsibility, but he felt that doing their utmost might not be effective. It seemed that things were headed to the worst possible outcome!

Putting himself in another's shoes, Luo Nan understood that if he wanted to make a psychic move right now and kill any normal person in Xia City, only Ouyang Chen and Her Majesty the Martial Empress, only people like them whose levels were incomprehensible to him, could protect civilians from him.

Aside from these people, any and all security routine methods were meaningless. Even if He Yueyin mobilized the army to surround the target so that not a drop could trickle through, it would also be useless.

Perhaps the amount of ability users who possessed techniques like his were few, but Headquarters wasn't lacking in powerful people on the same level or higher... and there were even the Order of Justice, Quantum Corporation, and various powerful organizations. How wouldn't there be countless permutations of techniques?

All right, how did he end up standing in opposition against these powers?

Luo Nan possessed a mere vague answer in mind. He was unwilling to jump to conclusions, so he simply took a deep breath, put his head in his hands, put his elbows on his knees for support, and pondered with a hanging head.

After the horrible consolation by Papercut, not a person answered next. Another long silence reigned, so long that it was suffocating.

It wasn't that there were no misunderstandings between them; it was just that there was an enormous difference in the burden of responsibility. It permeated deep into the foundation of the conversation, making it hard to continue this topic.

But some things couldn't be avoided. Luo Nan was a member of the Society, but the Society was unable to provide assistance nor protection. The upper levels of the Society even persecuted him. The difference in the branch and Headquarters was a ridiculous gap that could not be filled by a few promises.

As for He Yueyin, she did not wish to say much more.

She had been in charge of secret, classified work ever since she entered the Society. She tried to change the circumstances of the Society to stop it from leaking information all over the place, but this time, the leak of intelligence regarding Luo Nan produced devastating consequences. Strictly speaking, Headquarters' actions were her responsibility. This was also her largest setback after she retired from the military.

She had to reflect on herself.

And so, two people sat shoulder to shoulder like this. One sat ramrod straight. The other was stooped. They both sat in silence. The other people looked at each other in dismay, finding it harder and harder to open their mouths.

"Oh, things have gone lively in just an instant."

An external force came suddenly, and it broke the wall of silence in the sofa corner. Following the sound came a group of people entering the dusky corner. They were rather hard on the eyes.

He Donglou, in his well-ironed military uniform, held two beautiful women for show in his left and right hands. Behind him followed his silent 'old chauffeur'. This should be a first-class bodyguard. As for Feng Jiajun the martial artist and his female companion, not a trace of them could be seen.

He Donglou had fun all around the party venue, but he still preferred the atmosphere in the sofa corner. It would be perfect to play some small games with the pretty faces by his side. But when he came back, he was stunned seeing the grave people there.

Actually, a few more people could be stuffed inside here, but the place was already unsuitable for 'playing games'.

"Tsk. How disappointing."

For the sake of atmosphere, there was nearly no lighting in the sofa corner. The clearest source of light was the rippling deep blue of water pouring from the central crystal pillar.

The first person He Donglou was able to identify was Xue Lei, who was standing behind the sofa. A person of that size easily stimulated his memories. He remembered this big man, who nearly started a conflict with his attendant.

His gaze glanced down after recognizing Xue Lei. He then saw Xie Junping and Hu Huaying.

I know them all!

He Donglou opened his mouth as he used his chin to point through the air, "You guys also know the benefits of this place? Come come come. Make some space. This party is really boring, but the quality of the women here are good."

His words drew coquettish anger and laughter from the two pretty faces, while Xie Junping and Hu Huaying in the ring-shaped sofa glanced at each other. They got up at the same time, and Xie Junping greeted, "Young Master He. We just so happened to meet, but this place is too cramped. We'll go to a different place—”

"Just stay here, being a bit cramped is nothing. Right now we should squeeze in together." He Donglou was no master who could be easily persuaded by others. Moreover, he just saw Tian Si sitting upright with downcast eyes at the entrance to the ring-shaped sofa. Her appearance was dignified and elegant, the type he loved the most.

The space next to her just so happened to be relatively empty.

He Donglou didn't care about the maximum load of the nearly full ring-shaped sofa. He seized the two pretty faces and made his way inside, obviously to Tian Si's side.

Though He Donglou could act carefree, the 'old chauffeur' behind him had to be responsible and diligent. The 'old chauffeur' felt that something was off during the gap in speech. He looked around and was the first to see a familiar face.

Zhou Hu.

A cold and clear gaze cast over from a different direction right when the 'old chauffeur' wanted to speak. The instant their gazes met, the 'old chauffeur' immediately stood at attention, sealing his mouth.

He Donglou wasn't really a serious hoodlum, but he already had his mind set on chasing women. As he walked into the ring-shaped sofa, he deliberately rubbed against the pair of legs beneath Tian Si's long skirt. He revealed a smile as he said, "Excuse me, beautiful."

Tian Si was able to tell from Xie Junping’s and Hu Huaying's reactions that this Young Master He's status was out of the ordinary. She frowned slightly, but she didn't look up. She just withdrew her body a bit.

He Donglou smiled as he sat down. He was about to tease her again when someone made a soft chuckle diagonally opposite to him. The timbre was excellent, like the cry of a lark. It made his heart itch hearing it.

He Donglou raised his head and saw a youthful, bright, and beautiful young lady. She laughed willfully without restraint, revealing a mouth full of white teeth. She didn't hide them at all, seemingly lighting up this dusky corner.

Hot damn! This one is nice!

He Donglou was at a fun-loving age. He loved playing the magnanimous lord the most. He changed his target at once, and his gaze swept once across the young lady's body as he smiled in greeting, "Beautiful, you're dressed as…."

"A student getting pampered by her sugar daddy, of course." Zhang Yingying had been stifled very uncomfortably by the moment of silence before. She had found it hard to speak, but now there was a chance to have fun. She naturally conformed to it. She beamed while hugging Luo Nan's arm, even rocking back and forth. "This is our boss."

"...."

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Chapter 321: An Invisible Man

Chapter 321: An Invisible Man

Translator: Strivon

Beautiful girl, don't you go into the entertainment business! Your acting is far too exaggerated!

He Donglou was stunned for a moment. He blinked a few times before adjusting. He easily turned his gaze, looking to see what kind of divinity this boss was.

Luo Nan was in the middle of mulling over his difficult problem when his train of thought was broken by the concerted cacophony between He Donglou and Zhang Yingying. He frowned and raised his head. He Donglou's face just so happened to be illuminated by the rippling deep blue light.

"Oh, didn't we meet before?" He Donglou had a bit of an impression, but right now Luo Nan was no longer wearing his white gown. He even wore sunglasses. There were many interfering factors that prevented He Donglou from recognizing Luo Nan for a time.

Xie Junping laughed as he introduced, "It's Nanster. You met him here just a moment ago."

He Donglou had met many people tonight. It was impossible for him to remember everyone. But he glanced at the large student behind Xie Junping and a light bulb went off in his mind. He remembered this combination of people. The greatest impression in his memories was of Xie Junping, a martial artist who nearly had a conflict with his other attendant.

As for Luo Nan, who had dressed as a psychologist, he barely had the faintest impression of. "Oh, we have met. What happened? You changed your character. Did you feel that being a boss has better prospects?"

Luo Nan glanced at him. He didn't respond.

He Donglou didn't care. He never intended on giving Luo Nan room to talk. He simply evaluated. "This is quite a creative move. Most importantly, it's interesting, but what you’re wearing is lacking a bit in professionalism... especially your sunglasses; they're simply a faulty stroke! My boy, your face already looked quite delicate. Wearing this uncharacteristic prop makes the air of being a student very apparent around the crystal pillar."

Zhang Yingying continued the topic. "The big boss has done everything quite consciously. Nothing is bad. He has escorts in front and behind. Just look. There are secretaries, lovers, attendants, bodyguards... piles of people."

Her fine and long fingers streaked in a circle. In the back, Xue Lei looked quite like a bodyguard with his tall and solid body. He also possessed the corresponding sense of mission. However, the group of people sitting on the sofa mostly rolled their eyes.

He Donglou obviously knew that Zhang Yingying was joking around. He cheerily laughed, and he habitually raised his arms to rest them on the shoulders of the two pretty-faces. In the end, there were a lot of people here. His clothes pulled a bit tight when he stretched out, so his well-ironed military uniform was lifted up halfway by his actions.

The right pretty-face extended her hand very intimately as she tried to smooth the uniform. She found that it was hard to do, so she simply helped him unfasten some buttons, revealing the shirt inside. In jest, she pretended to lose her balance and fall into his chest. She even pretended to struggle and get up, but in fact she rubbed him in tantalization.

On the left side, the other pretty-face pouted her lips. She had been defeated by her peer and competitor.

He Donglou did not bat an eyelid. From his perspective, the right pretty-face's love-seeking style was a bit trashy. There were emotions of jealousy toward the 'female student' mixed in her actions. Her thoughts weren't pure.

He really couldn't ask much from a friend with benefits made in a short period of time. But before his eyes sat a first-class prey. If he continued to accept the pretty-face’s advances, wouldn't that make him trashy too?

So, He Donglou ignored the buxom and tender flesh rolling on his chest. His gaze turned, skipping over the various men, and only looking at the women. Soon he discovered that the 'secretary' next to Luo Nan looked quite decent.

The lighting in the sofa corner was dim. There was also the left pretty-face in the way. The angle was bad. He Donglou couldn't see her clearly for a time. He just knew that she dressed as a white-collar worker and she sat on the sofa. Her thin suit trousers faintly outlined the contours of her legs. They were fine and long, possessing power, giving off a sense of propriety.

There was also the quiet 'lover' by the edge of the sofa. Nothing hid her anymore; He Donglou could see her much clearer. There was something special about her, even though she seemed to be docile and boring…. Oh, she looked a bit familiar.

Tsk tsk. A secretary, a lover, and even a mistress. They were all first-class figures. He Donglou couldn't help being envious.

He had always been a bit of an emotional person. He suddenly no longer wanted to give any attention to Luo Nan. He relied on the gap produced by the right pretty-face in order to cheerily talk with the 'lover' at the edge of the sofa. "Beautiful girl, I feel like we've met before."

Tian Si glanced at him and nodded faintly. She didn't talk. This was a polite refusal.

However, He Donglou wasn't someone who could be gotten rid of that easily. He had a follow-up move after speaking. He held the right pretty-face, not letting this stupid woman block his line of sight by getting up. He continued to hit on Tian Si. "Let me think. Right. You and Tang Yi came here together, right? Mhm, you gave me a deep impression."

Tian Si was stupefied. Her expression changed subtly.

He Donglou reached his target. He gathered himself closer to Tang Yi, and deliberately used a whisper to say, "When I saw you before, you and Tang Yi just so happened to separate…. What a pity that we didn't have the time to get to know each other. Dare I ask your name?"

His extremely aggressive actions forced Tian Si to withdraw even more. But then this beautiful girl's subsequent reaction made He Donglou displeased.

Tian Si's gaze went over his shoulder. It was directed over at Luo Nan. Clearly, she instinctively cared about what Luo Nan thought.

This…. Was she really just role-playing?

Oh, there was more. Wasn't the atmosphere in the ring-shaped sofa a bit too quiet?

The thought had just formed when Luo Nan started a different dialogue out of nowhere, "Does anyone have any connections that can get me a loan?"

Zhang Yingying asked, "How much do you want to borrow?"

"Sixty million."

"Wow. Look at you, so determined to have it."

"Indeed, I am determined to have it."

Luo Nan's elbows still rested on his knees. His hands were clasped together, covering his mouth and slightly supporting his head. His head faced the central crystal pillar, and he stared at the Mutant devil ray, which was still swimming around inside.

He Donglou was speechless. "...."

Luo Nan somehow seemed to have not noticed that He Donglou was there, like the latter was as invisible as air.

The short dialogue consisted of not a word regarding He Donglou. He Donglou had brought two pretty-faces and forcefully came in here. He also raised the topic of role-playing. He even took liberties with the 'lover'.... But not a person in the sofa corner circle gave him a serious response. He was simply ignored.

Please, wherever and whenever the Young Master He went, he was always the focus of the crowd. He was the center of the stage. How did he encounter his current treatment? Was it on purpose?

He Donglou's gaze turned cold as he looked at the familiar Xie Junping and Hu Huaying. He discovered that the their body languages seemed to be quite awkward. It was quite different from the calm and indifferent feeling he got from the others.

Something's wrong!

He always felt that Luo Nan was Xie Junping’s and Hu Huaying's friend or little follower. The people in the sofa corner should naturally be of the same type. Logically speaking, it should be a gathering of the rich second generation.

However, looking at things now, it seemed that this thought was improbable.

He was familiar with the younger generation of the military bigwigs. He was a bit unfamiliar with those from the business world, but he had a general idea about them. Yao Feng also introduced to him that behind Xie Junping and Hu Huaying were Xia City's top representatives of the area's financial groups. They had engaged in business for several dozen years. Their business covered every nook and cranny of the metropolis. They absolutely couldn't be summarized by the business they did on the surface, which were medicine and agriculture.

Xie and Hu. Xie, especially, should be core characters in any business circle of the second generation rich. But right now, regardless of their seating arrangement or demeanor, they were both acting weird. They didn't fit in at all.

In addition to that was the bright, young, and beautiful 'female student'. She talked about a boss, attendants, lovers, bodyguards, and so on. Most of what she said were casual jokes. But sitting on the ring-shaped sofa, there was no one who rowdily retorted, even ignoring their happy or unhappy states. There faintly existed an intimate and even top-down relationship in the group.

This was something that could never occur in the chill second generation rich circles.

Though He Donglou was undoubtedly a big silk-pants, his family had been in the military and government for a long time. His brain was never lacking. As soon as he realized the problem, his gaze swept over everyone's faces once more.

The targets of this circle of observing weren't limited to the beautiful women. He finally discovered that the people he had previously spared no attention to were all of older ages. They lacked the air of a student. They shouldn't be participating in the party.

As he observed others, others looked at him as well. The emotions in those gazes were subtle.

Oh, this one whose age is the oldest. What's up with staring at me like that? He looks quite familiar…. Old Zhou?

F***!

He Donglou's scalp suddenly jolted. His gaze went unstable, and he instinctively avoided Old Zhou's gaze, which was filled with deep meaning. Next, his drifting gaze finally saw that his own bodyguard, the 'old chauffeur' hadn't sat down from the start. The 'old chauffeur' stared straight ahead and stood ramrod straight. He might have been even more serious and proper than when he was back in the army.

Then Yao Feng unexpectedly called at this time. Xie Junping answered it, and Yao Feng smacked him with a question, "Have you seen Young Master He?"

"As luck would have it, we're together…. It's Yao Four." Xie Junping made a subtle indication to He Donglou, and Xie Junping saw that He Donglou had no response whatsoever. Xie Junping informed Yao Feng of their location, "We're at the bar sofa corner."

"Don't!" He Donglou suddenly spoke and stood up, giving Xie Junping quite a scare. But Xie Junping just saw He Donglou laugh in response, "He doesn't need to come. I just so happen to be looking for him for something. See you all later."

Xie Junping looked blankly at him, and Hu Huaying's expression next to him was more or less the same. As for the two pretty-faces by He Donglou's sides, they were confused. They stood up, bewildered, not knowing what had just happened at all.

It was good that they stood up, especially the left pretty-face. Her posture deserved full marks, for she helped blocked the line of sight from that side.

He Donglou made himself an example of sticking one's head in the sand in the new era. He didn't say anything more, and simply headed out of the ring-shaped circle. Tian Si subconsciously made way for him, but at this time, a swift, fierce, tall, and muscular figure arrived. The man's throat lit with laughter as he said,

"Oh hey! So many people. Is there still space?"

Crag Burst had arrived. His laughter didn't end even when He Yueyin spoke indifferently, "Halt."

"Huh?"

In that instant of stupefaction, Crag Burst saw a certain figure wearing a military uniform at the entrance to the ring-shaped sofa, a young man with untidy clothes. The young man strode out, wishing to jump out of there, but Crag Burst immediately realized the situation on the spot. He was habitually a man of action. His large palm-leaf-like hand extended out to hold the young man's head and simply push him back inside.

Crag Burst's rough, long fingers pinched He Donglou's skull, like squeezing a rubber ball. His palm covered He Donglou's mouth and nose, stifling He Donglou to the point that his eyes had turned white.

He Donglou had never been treated this way since he was born. Even if it was a matter of time, this was something he would remember for a lifetime.

He would especially remember Xie Junping’s and Hu Huaying's flabbergasted faces. This preposterous show was put on full display. And He Donglou was placed at center stage at last, but why the hell was he the clown!

Completely horrible emotions rushed to his brain, and He Donglou's face flushed red. Crag Burst removed his palm and then hopped about, shouting, "He Yueyin, isn't this your little brother!?"

The sofa corner turned suddenly silent.

Indeed, several people needed to adjust the stability of their facial muscles.

But soon, Zhang Yingying used a resounding whistle along with loud laughter, a declaration of her failure to adjust. "Wow! Secretary He! The styles of you two, sister and brother, really complement each other!"

"Poo—!" Papercut also broke his efforts and coughed repeatedly. Coughing came with his laughter. He raised his hand to indicate his apologies to He Yueyin.

He Yueyin didn't care, but He Donglou was unable to attend to women chasing and the like. He glared with fury at Zhang Yingying and the rest of the group who watched him in enjoyment. An unknown amount of malevolent thoughts boiled in his mind.

But soon, He Yueyin issued a new order: "Strip."

The word came out of nowhere, but He Donglou understood in an instant. His face flushed even redder, and he shouted, "Sis! Give me a bit of face! This isn't a real uniform! It's cosplay! A costume!"

He Yueyin didn't speak. She just raised her head from the dense shadows, casting her cold and clear gaze. The left pretty-face had long since been stupefied by this scene. Her legs went weak, and she fell back onto the sofa. Now, there were no obstacles between the older sister and the younger brother. Everything became clear and distinct.

He Donglou was afraid of his sister, especially as a member of a military family. His actions were indeed taboo. In the end, he could only grit his teeth as he took off the military uniform and stuffed it in the bosom of the right pretty-face. He waved his arms in agitation, like he was chasing off chickens and ducks. He let those two stupid pretty-faces get the hell out.

"Both of you, go! Go! Be quick about it!"

The two pretty-faces walked away with faces of stupefaction. He Donglou was now wearing only a white shirt. Even if the building's temperature was regulated quite well, He Donglou still shuddered under the psychological effect. He spread his hands extremely helplessly toward He Yueyin.

"Is this finally okay?"

He Yueyin ignored him. She tilted her head slightly to the side and gently asked Luo Nan, "Mr. Luo, let us go to the hospital right now?"

Luo Nan knew that it wasn't suitable for them to stay there. He nodded and stood up. As soon as he moved, everyone else followed. The members of the Society stood up simultaneously, while those who had no idea of what was happening, like Xie Junping and Tian Si, stood up as well, albeit subconsciously. The group of people walked outward in a dense mass.

"Hey hey, what the hell are you all doing!?"

He Donglou suddenly became an invisible man once again. No one acknowledged his urgent shouts. He really felt indignant. He couldn't hold back from wanting to grab on to his sister, but he didn't have the skills. It was impossible for him to catch her.

He forcefully put on a thick skin as he followed them, but He Yueyin's cold and clear gaze slashed across. He immediately raised his hands and stood in his original spot, not making any move. His eyes looked helplessly at the group of people walking off into the distance.

"Hey, Young Master He. You, sir…." Yao Feng had rushed over, appearing from behind, and he saw He Donglou wearing just a shirt and holding his hands up in the air like he had just been robbed. The mass of people in front of them had already entered the flow of people. They couldn't be seen clearly any longer.

Yao Feng only felt puzzled. He beckoned once more. "Young Master He?"

"You can see me?"

"Huh?"

"Ha ha!"

He Donglou no longer paid any attention to Yao Feng. He just put down his hands and sat back on the sofa.

Since He Yueyin was there, He Donglou more or less was able to surmise the history of the group of people. His family all knew what the focus of He Yueyin's work was in the present.

"A group of arrogant soldiers. A band of outlaws." He Donglou was still gnashing his teeth a bit in anger. But in the blink of an eye, he turned bewildered. "Secretary? What sort of responsibility is this?"

He Donglou tried to recall Luo Nan's face, but the sunglasses and dim lighting had an influence. He was unable to remember very clearly. His brain cycled a few more times, and his impression turned even blurrier.

His body leaned back; he was about to give up. But an especially clear image inexplicably churned up in his brain. In the dim area with faint lighting, Luo Nan and He Yueyin sat side by side. One was stooped. The other was upright.... And their distance…. Wasn't their distance a bit too close?

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Chapter 322: New Schedule (Part 1/2)

Chapter 322: New Schedule (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

October 28, 2096, 4:55 a.m.

Luo Nan's consciousness floated up from a muddled mass, only faintly there. Before he could open his eyes, the HexaEar cast some useful information into his mind, representing the start of a new day.

There were new adjustments to Sunday's schedule. There were off-site arrangements. There were updates on the repair pace of Gear. There was a briefing on his grandfather's mental condition. And there was an internal forum involving the discussion of the Logic World and its latest battle status.

The series of pre-filtered information lit up on the HexaEar's interface one by one. Luo Nan's thoughts scanned them over, absorbing the information one at a time. He didn't look at the information in detail, though. He just straightened up and stretched on the bed. He adjusted his posture slightly, letting his body, which was lying down perfectly straight, loosen a little.

Right now, he was lying in bed. His hands were clasped behind his head. His hands rubbed against the back of his head as he turned, making a brushing sound. The warmth of his palm seeped through the thin layer of hair to circulate on his scalp, but the heat was unable to seep further down. Instead, a subtle chill came out from within his scalp.

This feeling was quite wonderful. His skull felt absolutely empty, as if his brain tissue had dematerialized. All that was left was the eyes orifice, which was gradually becoming complete. The revolving and spiraling external neuron was faint as well, as if there was an invisible curtain in the way. It wasn't like it was two days ago, crackling like lightning and radiating light everywhere. But under fine observation, there really was an iota of a cold stream of air meandering between them.

Within a daze, this area simply sunk downward. It was unable to reach a bottom and just headed toward a different and bizarre dimension. A dark and cold wind just so happened to blow upward from within here. It flooded his skull with its chill.

There was simply a 'hole' sunken in his forehead...

Luo Nan groaned with his eyes closed. His consciousness drifted a bit. The dark and cold air became more like a long thread, and this thread pulled gray clouds and enormous waves. The clouds and waves surged into the base of his skull, bursting open thoughts that had been restrained in place, allowing Luo Nan to contain the vast heaven and earth, which were near unfathomable between illusion and reality.

Luo Nan slowly opened his eyes.

The room was dusky. There was only the residual light of the neighborhood's street lights coming through the curtains and windows. It gave the room a bit of luminosity, and it drew out faint outlines of the various furnishings inside.

Luo Nan's current progress in cultivating the eyes orifice already gave him night-vision and the ability to see the finest details in all its entirety. Then before he could even focus his vision, the structural grain of the ceiling above him could be seen without him even paying deliberate attention. His mind was just blank as he took in all this information. Eventually, his pupils focused, and he exerted some force with his waist to sit up.

This was his uncle's house, and he was in his room. His room wasn't that spacious, and the bed was quite large. Luo Nan put himself in a posture that tested his flexibility. It was like yoga, yet it was not. It couldn't be described as tao yin either. In any case, it loosened and livened the muscles, exercised the body, turning the entire body into a ball of meat. Luo Nan rolled from one end of the bed to the other.

There were only two constants during this process. One was the state of breathing; breath was continuous, living and dying at the same time. The other was the electric flame arising from the coupling of the eyes orifice with the external neuron. It crackled as it flared and radiated within the skull, and it cleaved down to the bottom of the heart and even the ends of the hands and the feet. The shock caused the entire body's pores to open, producing a prickly sensation. Sometimes there was even intense pain, and perception increasingly sharpened.

This morning exercise drill lasted forty minutes. Though every movement was done on the bed, it actually involved most of the body's bones, muscles, and tendons. It was rather comprehensive. Moreover, there was the coupling power of the two gears in the order frame itself. The coupling power affected the whole body. It was both tempering and torturous. The feeling was definitely not one of enjoyment.

By the time Luo Nan got off the bed, his entire body was damp with sweat.

The bedding and the like were naturally handled by the housekeeping robots. Luo Nan took a shower in the bathroom, after which he looked in the mirror half-fogged up by steam. He saw his own stick-thin body, as well as his eyes, which were densely covered in cracks.

The cracks in his eyes seemed to have shrunk a bit over the course of two days, but they were still quite horrifying in appearance. Lightning would occasionally circulate within them as well. Needless to say, he had to hide them.

Luo Nan picked up the lens case that was to the side and put on contact lenses. This toy's other functions couldn't be used, but its cosmetic effects were top-notch. Once Luo Nan had finished all his preparations, the neatly-dressed Luo Nan resumed the appearance of a young student. Only then did he head down the stairs and go out to start his regular morning run.

A whistle entered his ear just as he ran out of the gate. It came from the HexaEar, and what followed were ad hoc tactical directions. Luo Nan skimmed through the information in his mind, and he quickly turned his head. Fifty meters away, hidden in the shadows, he saw a tall and large figure extend an arm. The figure was pointing straight at Luo Nan's head.

"Bang! You're still a bit too slow!" Crag Burst grinned and laughed, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"A sneak attack? Are you sure?" Luo Nan laughed as well, conversing with Crag Burst via the HexaEar while running to meet up with him. Crag Burst wore exercise clothes, looking like a morning runner as well. The two ran shoulder to shoulder. Aside from their difference in height, they weren't different from the other runners with exercise partners.

It wasn't a coincidence that Crag Burst appeared outside Luo Nan's house. According to the course schedule arrangements, his morning was allotted for Crag Burst's "A Crash Course on Common Commands". Everyone was very clear that this was one of the measures of protection for Luo Nan.

Throughout the course, Luo Nan was ensured that there was constantly an ability user by his side. If something were to suddenly happen, the ability user could protect Luo Nan and fight in coordination with him.

Perhaps such thoughts and arrangements were already made when He Yueyin had drafted up the training courses. And Headquarters' actions had pushed these arrangements from the shadows into daylight.

Luo Nan didn't express an opinion toward this arrangement. Compared to himself, he was more concerned about the safety of his grandfather, his aunt, and his uncle—his family. The Society also made arrangements regarding this, but the effectiveness had yet to be tested…. Luo Nan would rather this be never tested in his lifetime.

"I checked the thread this morning. The topic has grown more and more explosively. Most people are blindly making a scene, but there are a few who have very valid points. You don't have a handle to post, right?" The friendship between Crag Burst and Luo Nan developed from fighting side by side. Luo Nan was very close with Crag Burst; he was different from the other teachers. He chatted and gossiped with Luo Nan before teaching, talking about the super popular discussion topic about the Logic World.

Luo Nan thought about the information he got this morning and shrugged. "Isn't it all just part of the strategy? It looks very effective to me."

It had already been over half a month since the night at Frost River Reality, and discussions regarding President Ouyang Chen's Logic World had truly started to heat up. It looked a bit slow in happening, but it was crystal clear to insiders.

It was all hype!

This was probably the logic behind it.

"Hey, have you heard of President Ouyang's Logic World yet? Spatial rifting to form a world by himself. That's being kick-ass!"

"That's really kick-ass. But this thing is way too big. I don't understand it."

"You haven't seen the thread? A bunch of people explained it there. It's super clear and logical. Seems like they're all Extraordinaries. Well anyway. Anyway, Old Man You replied!"

"Old Man You?"

"Yeah! Seems like he agrees with the original poster's words. However, seems like the original poster heard it from someone else and expressed it thoughtlessly. It's a bit curvy and tricky... so, Her Majesty the Martial Empress doesn't agree."

"Whoa, she replied too?"

"The appearance of a graceful beauty. Two parties stand in opposition. Right now the two are no longer making any replies, but the following posts are noisy enough to flip the skies. Thousands upon thousands of posts have been made without end. They clamor to have President Ouyang personally explain it."

"Tsk tsk tsk. Now that, I gotta see!"

In this way, the comedic-sketch-like discussion was quite fake, but the thread was unable to withstand the effects of Old Man You's and Her Majesty the Martial Empress's authoritative power. A feeling of eagerness for Ouyang Chen personally explaining his Logic World also arose. In a short dozen hours, relevant posts scrolled down the screen. The screen was filled with, "In favor of Old Man You”, "Long live the Martial Empress", "Worship Old Man You", "The Martial Empress is supreme", and so on.

Of course, the group of bored and leisurely people wouldn't let Ouyang Chen, the person who started this whole thing, escape that easily. They posted crazily.

"President Ouyang, come out and receive your guests!"

"Of those outside his laboratory, who has the courage to knock on his door?"

"Don't believe what people tell you until you see it for yourself. He's just talking big. Intensely asking before setting off fireworks. Ah no, the Logic World!"

Seven out of ten of these comments came from the circle of the Xia City branch. After the Martial Empress successful stepped into the ranks of Extraordinaries, the reputation of the iron triangle of Xia City grew more and more brilliant, giving the branch members a sense of pride. So, most of the posts were more like expressions of their closeness rather than debate, raising the team spirit of the Xia City branch.

In the eyes of those who had a mind, the post had a different meaning. Was the Xia City branch no longer wishing to cover the truth of the matter at Frost River Reality? Were they going to make a public announcement? Otherwise, why were they chatting about some Logic World?

So soon, the other cities with established Psychic Wave Networks joined in as well. Those who were following the post were mostly higher-end people. They absolutely wouldn't worship the iron triangle of Xia City, and they were disinclined to leave messages on that super-off-the-rails topic. However, they would occasionally swipe down a few times, wishing to see whether or not Ouyang Chen had said anything, whether or not any valid information was revealed.

And this was the result that the hype hoped to achieve. It was to take the attention of those with a mind and pull them toward the iron triangle, leaving Luo Nan's matter behind.

The three big shots of Xia City did this to divert pressure away from Luo Nan. It was also a patch for the matter that suddenly occurred two days ago.

Luo Nan naturally accepted this, because this was something he should do. In any case, there were two possibilities that this diversion-tactic could end with, and Luo Nan was not foolish enough to entrust all his hopes on this tactic. He just paid casual attention to it was all.

Moreover, the thread was thousands upon thousands of posts long, an extremely lengthy discussion. It confused people. It channeled people inside. It agitated people's emotions. Everything was mixed together. It made Luo Nan dizzy looking at it. It was better to keep a respectful distance from it.

In any case, Luo Nan found Crag Burst's attitude odd. "Aren't you the type of guy who hates this sort of bullsh*tting the most? How can you read it?"

"How can I not? It's very pleasing to the eyes!"

Crag Burst gave a thumbs up. "Her Majesty the Martial Empress has done things quite nicely this time around. There's all sorts of personal photos of her. She's explosively beautiful. There's also the small group of girls in her office; they've lined up for photo shoots. This hasn't happened in the last ten years! Hurry and save the pictures! Remember not to save it on the Psychic Wave Network. Otherwise, as soon as the Martial Empress is in a bad mood, whatever collection you have will all come to an end!"

"...." All right. Luo Nan now understood why the thread had heated up so explosively.

With that said, Luo Nan had known of Her Majesty the Martial Empress, a legendary woman, for a long time, but he never had the fortune to meet her. He was very curious to see what sort of person she was, especially since she was be able to make someone of Zhang Yingying's temperament submissive and obedient.

The thought had just formed, and Luo Nan wanted to study the thread. He barely opened the web page via the HexaEar when Crag Burst unexpectedly shrieked, "F*** ME! MY CLOUD STORAGE!"

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Chapter 323: New Schedule (Part 2/2)

Chapter 323: New Schedule (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

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!"

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Master of the Stars

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Chapter 324: Repair Technician (Part 1/2)

Chapter 324: Repair Technician (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Shuqing's feudalistic aura as the family head was completely unleashed when Mo Ya's name was mentioned. She was resolute and decisive.

As one of the family heads, Mo Haihang coughed, "Don't overdo it."

Luo Shuqing tilted her head to stare dead-fixed at her husband. "Overdo it? Our little child has been hospitalized time and time again, grandpa's condition is worsening, while she's been perfectly fine and has been gone from home for nearly a month! She doesn't even call once a week. Her mind is completely on that band. Who are you saying is overdoing it?"

Luo Nan and Mo Peng locked gazes for a second before immersing themselves in their food. They obviously couldn't tell their aunt and mother that Mo Ya had rushed back to see them when Luo Nan had entered the hospital the second time. This was just unbeknown to a certain someone.

Well, Mo Haihang knew of this as well, and even helped cover for her. But currently, Mo Haihang wore a face of calmness. It really made one utterly respect him.

Mo Peng saw how his father was acting so beautifully and was unable to think calmly. He blurted, "Good or bad, she'll be back in a week. You can lecture her then, and things will be good…."

"Who's getting it bad? Me for having your cursed sister?" Luo Shuqing shot a cold glare. There was a shift in the focus of her fury.

Mo Peng had stepped on a landmine. He lowered his head once more, but with a face filled with grief and indignation.

Luo Nan kept on chowing down, but the topic had touched upon Mo Ya, drawing a portion of his mind over to it. While Luo Shuqing was worried, he was worried as well, but in a different way. Today's times were wrought with troubles. Even with the support of the Xia City branch, it was hard to look out for an entire family. Not to mention the fact that Mo Ya was in the border town several hundred kilometers away.

If it was a matter of worries, his were several fold more intense than his aunt's.

"Nanan, what plans do you have today?" Luo Shuqing wanted to ease the atmosphere. She no longer nagged at her child and turned to ask Luo Nan. This pulled Luo Nan's mind back to reality.

Luo Nan replied honestly, "I'm going to the service center in Xi City. I accidentally broke something of Gym Master Xiu's a few days ago at the daoguan. I need to get it repaired."

Luo Shuqing was a bit surprised. "Xi City? That's quite far. You want me to send you?"

"No need. I already booked a car. It'll be here after breakfast."

Luo Nan speedily gulped the rest of his meal down and tidied things up before running outside. The car he booked was none other than Crag Burst's military jeep. It was already parked outside the residential area and had been waiting for a while.

Crag Burst's original jeep had been destroyed back at the recycling stratum. His current jeep was newly purchased. It looked even more domineering. Luo Nan sat shotgun and adjusted his posture. The car seats were a bit hard, conforming to military standard. However, the car was really spacious. With Luo Nan's height, he could pretty much straighten his legs with no problem.

"Tsk, tsk. How much was this car?"

"Should be around two million." Crag Burst started the car, and it rolled down the public roads like a tank. It soon cut into the high-speed magnetic rails, and its speed increased.

Before, Luo Nan really didn't care about matters such as these, but he was actually quite envious at the moment. "You're godd*mn rich! Do all ability users make money easily? Why can't I find a way to make money?"

Crag Burst laughed. "You're still thinking about getting the sixty million, aren't you? Didn't the Secretary say she'll help you find the money?"

"Well, I can't always bother people." Luo Nan's two palms smacked his own temples. His elbows supported his head. He was half-stretching and half-venting his emotions.

He used to almost never get worried over money. After all, he was the sole male heir to the Luo Family. When he was just born, his parents had invested funds for his education and livelihood. There were fixed credits for each of his expenses. In addition, his aunt and uncle doted on him, and Mo Ya gave material assistance to him as well. In this way, he was able to engage in drug research with some effort.

But sixty million was the price to purchase the Mutant devil ray inside the crystal pillar of Ocean Sky Cloud City. This large number far exceeded the level of his livelihood. If he continued to keep his head down and do research as a student, keeping to this working routine, then it would be hard to earn this number in his lifetime.

Plus, right now... he heard that the Yao Family was sick of the devil ray causing damage to the ecosystem in the crystal pillar. They were constantly looking for a new home for the ray. Perhaps the price would go down after the passing of time, but this was a big significance in Luo Nan's perspective. The most important thing was that he didn't have enough time.

"Ah, god. Thinking of money just makes me upset." Luo Nan sighed. He only revealed his emotions like this with someone he was as close to as Crag Burst.

Crag Burst's pursed his lips. "Your appetite is far too big. Nobody gets their money in a huge gale of wind. It's realistically impossible. Later, I'll sponsor you a few million to make up for any differences. I don't have any more. It's all invested in the Society. Who keeps that much money lying around idly, anyway?”

Luo Nan leaned back against his seat. He cupped his hands wearily. "Thank you. But I'd rather you introduce me a channel of making money. I have no clue where to begin for this."

"How did you make money before?"

"I looked at the missions issued by the Society, both public and private, they all award points and/or resources, but I've never seen them award cash. You can convert points to money, but one honor point is only valued at a million. A drop in the bucket. And Zhang Yingying and Papercut keep telling me not to exchange my points…."

"Of course not." Crag Burst smacked his steering wheel. "The set price for the Society's points hasn't changed for the last thirty years, you know? It's purely used to deceive people. If you want to exchange, you will have to go to the black market…. Ah pooey, don't go to the black market. The things the cheaters there sell are too many to count. Many of them are set up by the b*stards of Headquarters. They're specifically point sinks."

Luo Nan snorted. "The others told me that too."

"Honor points are super duper extremely important! Currently, an extremely closed-off rare resource trading platform exists within the Society's circle. One must use honor points as money to barter for any object here. Nothing else will do."

Crag Burst was still worried that Luo Nan didn't know how serious this was. He was worried Luo Nan would get swindled as soon as he bumps inside. He increasingly put more energy in explaining, "It must be said that this is the main reason that the Society has lasted this long. You've seen how the Society has handled things this time, causing the heavens to be furious and people to be reproaching. Especially Headquarters! But most people still stay with the Society! There are even huge batches of people sharpening their brains, seeking to get in! Why? It's none other than this resource transaction platform. It hangs above everyone's mouths, wetting their appetites. You can't see it now, but later, when you go deeper into your cultivation, you'll fork over large amounts of points at any time for repair, medical treatment, or advancement. One mistake and your progress will be stagnant for several years!"

Luo Nan nodded at first, but then shook his head. He smiled wryly. "Right now, I just want to make money. Big money."

Crag Burst grinned. "You're looking at things the wrong way. The Society's transaction platform has already become a closed-off circle. Money from normal society isn't worth a dime. If you really want to make money, you need to rely on your supernatural abilities. You need to find those circles which are neither close nor distant to us."

"Neither close nor distant?"

"Those who know the existence of the 'inner world' but don't inherently possess the relevant abilities, so they wish to hire ability users to do some special work. They can be individuals, financial groups, military or government powers, and so on."

Having spoken to this point, Crag Burst turned to look a few times at Luo Nan. He hesitated, a rare action from him, before speaking, "This circle isn't white; it's half-dark. It might be too early for you to touch upon this."

"Too early? Right now I feel like I'm behind when it comes to making money. Oh, hold on. Using my abilities…. So you're telling me to do some illegal things?" Luo Nan finally realized what Crag Burst was saying.

Crag Burst shrugged. "It's fifty-fifty. Depends on your luck."

"Then... I'll go try my luck?"

"Maybe. In any case, based on your current capabilities, it's just a matter of time before you to contact these people. I'll lead you in an encounter in the future. This circle is mainly concentrated in a few private clubs. Face-to-face transaction is in the majority. After you get familiar with them, then you can negotiate about freelance work over the net."

Crag Burst introduced some crucial information to Luo Nan. He just spoke generally. Luo Nan had to first make contact before he could understand any concrete details.

This was something that couldn't be done today. Currently, Luo Nan's main task was to get the central mechanism of the tai chi ball repaired. It took Luo Nan and Crag Burst an hour of driving to reach an electrical equipment center located within Xi City. Its name was 'Cross Borders'.

Papercut had inquired about this Cross Borders Electronic City; it was a nice place. There were thousands upon thousands of stores, big and small. All together, they formed a twenty-four-hour large-scale service center. It was the largest professional D.I.Y. exchange community in Xia City.

Luo Nan and Crag Burst arrived at around nine o'clock in the morning. The electronic city was gushing with people. Hundreds and thousands of unmanned equipment turned and crossed to and fro near the ceilings of the various floors. It was quite a bustling scene.

Their destination was the twenty-four-hour large-scale service center. According to the process arrangement, they needed to have an appointment number and register it in order to have a mechanical part repaired. Then they got assigned a repair technician. They followed a floating guide-ball until they reached the corresponding workstation. They saw a beautiful service advisor and waited.

The hardware facilities of the service center were quite up there, and the waiting area was set up to be very cozy and luxurious. There were even monitoring video feeds of the workstations inside, which could be displayed as a three-dimensional hologram for a panoramic view of the repair technician's work process. It was like being next to the repair technician.

However, the feeling this all gave was a considerable surcharge in service without even including the cost of repair.

There were many people here, which was a glaring sight. Crag Burst no longer talked with Luo Nan about these sensitive topics. Under the chatter of idle boredom, Crag Burst saw the situation at a few of the work stations. He was uninterested in the repair technicians wearing face shields. His gaze lingered around the electronic price display, and he clicked his tongue repeatedly. "Papercut recommended this place? Isn't this a place for dealers?"

The prices were able to make someone as rich as Crag Burst smack his tongue over them. From Luo Nan's perspective, this mean that the prices were no different than being drained of blood. However, Luo Nan still believed in Papercut's sincerity. He laughed, not responding otherwise.

On the other hand, the service advisor spoke gently while pouring tea for them, "Rest assured you two sirs. We are one of the Class A workstations in this service center. The repair technician, personnel, and equipment allocated here are the most top-notch of Xia City. We will certainly provide the highest quality services for our customers."

Before her voice faded away came a beeping sound from the workstation. Information was sent back, and the service advisor received it. He became a little stunned, but he shortly gave Luo Nan a smile, revealing eight normal teeth.

"Hello, customer. The goods you've handed off to us has fairly special circumstances. I'll let the repair technician explain the rest."

She turned to the side and made some minor calibrations. She made the quality of the comprehensive hologram clearer. However, the repair technician revealed by the projection wasn't as pleasing to the eye as herself.

The repair technician had stopped doing his diagnostic work. He lifted his visor to reveal slim cheeks. He was nothing special to look at, but he was a technician who was able to hold a position at a Class A workstation. He was certainly an outstanding professional. He sat behind the workstation and nodded toward Luo Nan and Crag Burst. He looked quite amiable.

"Hello. This is worker number 5475, at your service. My last name is Di."

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Chapter 325: Repair Technician (Part 2/2)

Chapter 325: Repair Technician (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

"Hello, Worker Zhai," Luo Nan greeted politely, but in the next moment, he blinked his eyes. He felt that this repair technician looked rather familiar.

Plus, Luo Nan noticed that Worker Zhai seemed to be sizing him up as well. Worker Zhai's gaze wasn't directed at Luo Nan's face however. Instead, it rested upon the loose-leaf Luo Nan always carried by his side.

The two locked gazes once more, and Worker Zhai laughed. He said, "Our center doesn't have the pertinent records for the product that the customer has delivered to us for repair. I have confirmed it to be a D.I.Y. product…. Speaking of which, this student sure likes this kind of stuff, eh?"

Luo Nan was lost for a time. He gazed back at Worker Zhai once more, and memories resurfaced from the depths of his brain. He suddenly realized why this Worker Zhai's face looked familiar. They had indeed met before. His flexible e-ink screen had been stomped on and broken last month when he and Li Xuecheng had that conflict. He took advantage of the Precision Electronics Hobby Society's club activity to get it repaired. Back then, it was none other than this Worker Zhai who had opened up his flexible e-ink screen, allowing Luo Nan to discover the external neuron hidden within.

He recalled that he had acted quite rudely in his moment of desperation. Fortunately, Worker Zhai had a good temperament and wasn't bothered by it.

Luo Nan revealed a smile as well. "Oh, Worker Zhai works here. Much thanks for that day…."

"Thanks for what? I just opened it up, didn't do anything else. Oh right, have you fixed that tablet of yours yet?"

Luo Nan didn't know how to respond upon hearing this question. In his moment of stupefaction, Worker Zhai changed the topic, "What you brought here today is also a D.I.Y. product. There aren't any operator manuals readily available. This makes fixing it more troublesome. Currently, our service center isn't at full capacity in servicing customers. I propose you apply for exclusive service. This will make the speed much quicker."

D.I.Y? In other words, the tai chi ball wasn't a mass-produced product.

Luo Nan was a bit surprised, but found it rational. He had never seen such a tai chi ball outside of the daoguan before. He felt that its range of application was also quite narrow.

Before he could respond, Crag Burst asked the service advisor to their side, "This counts as a last minute upgrade in service. How are you going to calculate the price?"

The beautiful service advisor explained gently, "The two sirs came here with a reservation made by someone else. Today’s expenses will all be assumed by that customer. As for 'exclusive service', the main benefit is the switch from the open workstation that you have right now to an independent workshop. This fulfills the privacy requirements. Based on that customer's scope of privileges, you won't need to pay any additional expenses."

"Oh, really? Papercut is so magnanimous. Then let us not argue and go with this." Crag Burst simply took matters in his own hands, making a decision for Luo Nan.

Luo Nan didn't object.

"Then let us enter into exclusive service. The workshop is number 245. Please follow the service advisor and wait ahead." Worker Zhai fiddled with some things on his end, waiting for a substitute repair technician to arrive and take his place.

Luo Nan and Crag Burst followed the beautiful service advisor. They made their way through a large open hall and arrived at a completely enclosed workshop to one side. The installations here weren't that different from those outside; there were just a few more equipment. Actually, the space was quite smaller. Crag Burst, with his huge size, felt a bit constrained.

The control console suddenly activated a delivery channel during Crag Burst's mumbling. Luo Nan's mechanical device was fixed to a special vise, and was shipped over to be placed upon a spot that was slightly in front of the center of the control console.

This mechanical device was the core of the daoguan's tai chi ball. Externally, it was a sphere that was the size of a fist. On its surface stretched a very thin layer of metal mesh. Inside lay a device similar to a gyroscope. Atop the special support, the external metal mesh endlessly expanded and shrunk. It didn't stop doing this at all, but this was all that it did.

Crag Burst clicked his tongue twice. "It's quite easy for them to shuttle things to and fro."

As he spoke, he pulled Luo Nan ahead to go up and observe.

The service advisor had explained to them that the independent workshop was different from the outside. Customers were allowed to directly enter the control console and observe at close range. They could even perform some work themselves, if the repair technician permitted it. Some D.I.Y. enthusiasts wanted none other than this atmosphere. They rushed over like ducks to places like these.

Luo Nan knew nothing about machinery or electronics. He was completely lost when it came to working on them. However, Crag Burst could count as half an expert, having worked for many years in the Coastal Defense Force. He hadn't really cared for the toy that Luo Nan sent here for repair, but once he got near it, he went, "Ah," in surprise. He said, "This toy looks oddly familiar. It's like... It's like... a hovering target sphere?"

"The model should be the Comet Type III Hovering Target produced by the Piya Corporation. It is a very old model, having been introduced on the market ten years ago," Worker Zhai entered from a different side via a staff access-way and continued Crag Burst's topic.

Crag Burst snapped his fingers. "That's right. It's a Comet III. The gyroscope in the middle is actually an AI core. It's like magic, and it's quite robust. In the military, it can be used for a long time when placed within any target drone shell. It's also easy to repair."

"Yes, it isn't hard to fix the Comet III, but this product is a bit different."

Worker Zhai walked forward to stand next to Luo Nan and the control console. He wasn't tall; he was around the same height as Luo Nan. And he looked quite amiable when he laughed. As he stood in front of the control console and as the relevant privileges started up, the various repair and diagnosis equipment began to boot up one after another. They made calibrations according to his location. The entire workshop practically revolved around him in operation.

"Tsk, the equipment in this room must be worth more than a million." Crag Burst turned his head all round. He looked very inquisitive.

Worker Zhai agreed, "A standard workshop is allocated 7.5 million credits worth of equipment, even after eight years of depreciation. I've also added some of my own personal equipment here for my own use…. Look, there are at least two places here in this hovering target that need some major repair."

Crag Burst gathered himself closer ahead. He discussed with Worker Zhai, "I see a spot. The external target drone shell has been removed. In its place is a metal mesh. I have no idea what the hell it does."

"To fasten to the frame, right?" Luo Nan relied on his memories to compare the diameter of the tai chi ball's inner cavity with the size of the hovering target. He noticed that there was a slight discrepancy. He looked at the metal mesh endlessly expand and contract once more, and did some guesswork.

"Frame?" Worker Zhai thought for a bit, but he didn't ask further. Instead, he indicated for the two to look. "The mesh is only an accessory. The core issue doesn't lie here."

As he spoke, he fiddled a few times with the device atop the vise. It was unknown how he did it, but he removed the metal mesh and placed it to the side. All that was left was the central gyroscope-shaped object. The gyroscope's rotor wasn't rotating at the moment. It simply sat there.

Worker Zhai then manipulated a robotic hand to probe the gyroscope's various components and disassemble it. The difficulty of this disassembly seemed to be no less than that of disassembling the flexible e-ink screen back then. In a short minute, the three heard a subtle click. It seemed that some sort of mechanism had been touched. The gyroscope's axis separated away from the center, revealing an object like a shard of glass.

Worker Zhai manipulated the robotic hand once more, using special tweezers to extract the object. He placed the object on a different vise, a miniature one, and fixed it in place.

At that moment, they were able to see that this object's external shape was quite standard. It assumed the shape of a rhombohedron. Clearly, it had undergone special processing.

"The central control chip?" Crag Burst asked in a low voice. His breathing even slowed a little. He was scared that he would blow this thing away.

Luo Nan didn't talk; he just squinted his eyes.

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Chapter 326: Hovering Target (Part 1/3)

Chapter 326: Hovering Target (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan observed both the object and Worker Zhai. Worker Zhai was in the middle of carefully sizing up the object before him in utter concentration.

"It certainly isn't part of Comet III's design. The hovering target's control program is very simple. Its general control chip is already integrated upon the axle, so this little thing looks like something that was added on."

Crag Burst asked curiously, "Added on?"

"Let's do some testing. Workshop 245, requesting one Batwing Type A shell. Thank you."

His later words were spoken to the service center's warehouse. As he spoke, Worker Zhai returned his attention to examining the gyroscope's rotor, as well as its internal and external frames. Since he had already disassembled the central axis, he just examined it a few times before starting to reassemble it.

It was very apparent. Worker Zhai deliberately ignored the minute rhombohedron during his assembling process. He simply restored the gyroscope of the hovering target to its original form. He worked very quickly, finishing before the arrival of the external shell, which was still stuck on the conveyor belt.

When the external shell arrived, Worker Zhai stuffed the gyroscope inside. The final result that appeared before Luo Nan's and Crag Burst's eyes was a very odd object shaped like a large bowl. It looked like an exceedingly abnormal flying saucer.

Crag Burst was very familiar with this toy. "A Batwing Type A target drone. Its high-speed flight and emergency hovering movement modes are integrated quite nicely. The Type C and Type B models can be used as simple weapons platforms. It can even be used in the Wilderness."

Worker Zhai gave Crag Burst a chuckle; this could be considered an approval by this expert. Worker Zhai then let loose with his hands, and the large bowl—no, the target drone—hovered amidst a low buzzing sound. It shifted horizontally, little by little, streaking past the tips of the three men's noses as it gradually increased in speed.

As the target drone accelerated, it became like a bat. It flew back and forth within the narrow work space, and it didn't collide with anything at all.

Worker Zhai looked at a hologram to the side. There were all sorts of diagnostics data streaming down on it like a waterfall. He shook his head around ten seconds later. "I can't discover any problems at all."

Upon saying this, Worker Zhai cast his gaze on the miniature vise, and his gaze rested upon the rhombohedron shaped object. He switched to a different interface on the hologram, revealing the repair request form Luo Nan had filled out prior to the appointment. "I need to confirm something. The malfunction that you, Mr. Luo, have…."

"So it's a tai chi ball that can float…." Luo Nan was very cooperative. He gave a brief description of the relevant circumstances.

Worker Zhai thought for a while, before asking, "How heavy is the tai chi ball?"

"It's about half a person tall and is made out of strong metal. It must weigh several hundred kilograms." Luo Nan wasn't quite sure.

Worker Zhai exclaimed, "Huh!?" and Crag Burst coughed, "Nanster, the electrical mechanism of the hovering target can lift five kilograms at most."

Worker Zhai shook his head. "I can't see any modifications made to the hovering target's motive power and transmission. Oh, if the metal mesh is used as a supportive function, it can be viewed as part of the transmission. However, the motive power you described is unreasonable."

"Really?" Luo Nan only had a vague understanding of the tai chi ball. It was hard for him to answer such questions. He thought for a moment and could only whip out his contact list and give Xue Lei a call.

Xue Lei was home right now. It seemed that he was engaging in large volumes of training, for his breathing was a bit staggered. He really didn't waste a single bit of time. Obviously, Xue Lei was very familiar with the tai chi ball, but the problem was that Xue Lei wasn't good with words. He was bound to make a few failed attempts as he tried to convey his meaning across.

"Tai chi ball, man. It can endlessly store whatever energy that's beaten into it. And it can even transform that energy to form all sorts of rebounding forces. It can even directly transform their nature."

Crag Burst jabbed Luo Nan with his shoulder. "He deserves to be your best friend. You two are the same."

Luo Nan ignored Crag Burst and wanted to talk with Xue Lei some more. However, Xue Lei had already found a more efficient method. "So, I recorded a video last year involving training with the tai chi ball. I'll send it to you. You'll know when you see it. Really."

With the video file on hand, Xue Lei immediately began the transfer. The service center's Internet was quite remarkable. Luo Nan saw that there was a lot of bandwidth available, so he simply started a video call, and Xue Lei intuitively joined the call.

Luo Nan only introduced Worker Zhai to Xue Lei, since Xue Lei had already met Crag Burst in the past. The video file finished transferring over by the time Luo Nan was done.

Worker Zhai motioned to Luo Nan to cast the video onto the giant hologram so several people could watch it together.

The perspective in the video recording was that of a selfie. One could see that it was Xue Lei recording himself. The video showed Xue Lei in Gym Master Xiu's back courtyard. Xue Lei's bare arms revealed a body of powerful muscles, and he let out a punch after harmonizing his breathing.

His fist struck the tai chi ball. The deep ring that resounded showed just how impressive Xue Lei's power was. Of course, the tai chi ball merely trembled a bit. Xue Lei's punch wasn't enough to cause the ball to distinctly rock.

"What beautiful penetrative strength!" Crag Burst clicked his tongue in admiration and in generous praise. He turned to speak with Luo Nan, "Leister is quite amazing. He was able to send all the power of his fist into the center of the tai chi ball. This sort of result can only be achieved with the hovering target enduring the hit."

Xue Lei's strikes continued to pound without end, without any variation in speed, and the tai chi ball remained relatively stable from beginning to end. About a minute passed, and the power of his fists suddenly increased. His glowing red arm actually caused an explosive sound as it struck through the air.

Not only was the attack much fiercer, its path of energy changed as well. The tai chi ball didn't fall back when it was hit by this attack; it actually jumped up. It jumped above the edge of the metal bowl to reach a height of twenty centimeters. Xue Lei landed another fist as the tai chi ball sank back down, and the hovering target jumped up once more. It even swayed a little, and it didn't come back down this time.

The several hundred kilogram tai chi ball hovered in the air. It was about thirty kilometers off the ground, and it began to spin.

Xue Lei's expression spoke of utter concentration. The speed of his fists didn't change, but an explosive sound came with each fist, one after another. The hovering target continued to rock, and occasionally it would shift, but later, its rocking motion grew smaller and smaller while its spinning speed grew faster and faster. Outlines of the luminous designs on its surface shone in daylight.

The video stopped here.

Crag Burst's loud applause embarrassed Xue Lei a bit. He thanked Crag Burst repeatedly for watching.

Luo Nan looked at Worker Zhai, who was staring at the still frame of the video. Worker Zhai was lost in thought. He sighed in admiration as well. But he didn't seem to be very astonished.

Crag Burst also saw Worker Zhai's expression. He grinned in laughter, "So how ‘bout it? Can you see a way now? Can you fix it?"

Worker Zhai's head hung down as he pondered for a moment, but his expression remained calm. "I pretty much understand now. It should be storing and transforming the external kinetic energy. It stores it like a spring, The greater the power, the greater the potential rebound. The way it transforms the energy is quite interesting. From straight physical energy to rotational energy. Then there's also the hoving powering…. Let me perform a test."

He moved the miniature vise and placed the miniature rhombohedron into the cavity of some device, which fixed four sides of the rhombohedron in place. Then, a buzzing vibration started. One could see that the device was mimicking Xue Lei's fist. It sent external kinetic energy inside.

Luo Nan adjusted the direction of his camera to let Xue Lei be able to see the test process. The three people observed with rapt attention, but there were no changes with the rhombohedron, even with the passing of a dozen seconds.

Worker Zhai didn't feel anxious. He soon made some calibrations, and this time he directly passed electricity through the rhombohedron. He increased the voltage and the current, but the rhombohedron within the device didn't react whatsoever.

"Is it completely broken?" Xue Lei was a bit disappointed.

"Try it again when you completely put it back together?" Crag Burst wanted to try something else.

Worker Zhai didn't say anything. He just stared at the device's cavity and continued to make calibrations. A metal rod flipped up from beneath the control console as he worked. There was a handle near the tip, and it was even wrapped in insulating material.

The metal rod revealed itself perfect upright at a 90° angle. Worker Zhai gripped the handle, then took a deep breath.

Luo Nan's eyelids jumped, and Crag Burst turned to look a beat later. The two locked gazes, confirming with each other that a minute ripple was born within the mental plane.

"Whoa whoa whoa! It changed! It changed!" Xue Lei immediately discovered the changes within the cavity of the device through the lagless high-speed Internet.

Luo Nan and Crag Burst turned their gazes to look, and they saw several long fine threads extending out from the outer surface of the miniature rhombohedron. They were everywhere, and they gently swayed.

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Chapter 327: Hovering Target (Part 2/3)

Chapter 327: Hovering Target (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

The fine threads extending out from the miniature rhombohedron numbered a total of six. The threads drifted and swayed within the device cavity, looking like a struggling and atypical jellyfish at first glance.

Luo Nan pursed his lips as his gaze focused on the inside of the device cavity. A sense of déjà vu washed over him. He felt that he had seen this scene before somewhere.

Crag Burst studied the rhombohedron a few times before turning his gaze onto Worker Zhai. This repair technician had merely gripped a metal rod, and drops of sweat could be seen on his forehead. He looked extremely exhausted, and at the same time, the ripples on the mental plane grew all the more distinct.

Nothing could be said about it. Worker Zhai was an ability user.

Crag Burst studied the man a bit. He felt quite surprised, but it was within the realm of reason. It was very natural to make contact with ability users, for this was a channel introduced by Papercut.

Crag Burst was acting as Luo Nan's bodyguard; he had to eliminate all sources of danger. Frankly speaking, linking this man as a dangerous source was a little difficult.

Worker Zhai's performance was quite so-so.

Such a description could be considered a courteous one. Crag Burst was experienced and knowledgeable. He possessed a measuring stick in his mind. Based on Worker Zhai's performance in disturbing the mental plane just now, Worker Zhai was on a slightly higher level than the 'enthusiasts' of all the ability users he met in the past.

The ability to consciously utilize mental power and influence the material plane was impressive from the perspective of normal people. However, this was all Worker Zhai had to him. The metal rod and the device were used to amplify his powers. If these middle links didn't exist, it would be a wonder for Worker Zhai to lift even a fine hair with the interference ability formed from his level of mental power.

Crag Burst relaxed once he made this judgment. His attention wandered over to Luo Nan, who was still carefully observing the cavity of the device. Looking at how concentrated Luo Nan was, it seemed that the miniature rhombohedron was much more valuable than expected.

The beads of sweat upon Worker Zhai's forehead had already spread into a thin layer. His breathing was no longer smooth as well, but the six 'tentacles' surrounding the rhombohedron in the device cavity didn't seem to have undergone any changes.

Luo Nan opened his mouth at last. "This toy can change further?"

Worker Zhai drew in a breath. He spoke much more quickly this time, "It should. The six tentacles are quite sensitive to interference ability, but it has yet to form a structure that can store and transform kinetic energy—let alone doing things such as magnetic levitation. If the tai chi ball doesn't possess anything of interest, then these tentacles are the parts that are most worthy of our attention…. My ability isn't enough. Can you guys help?"

Luo Nan, Crag Burst, and even Xue Lei viewing from afar were all able to sense the anomaly. Crag Burst acted as if Luo Nan had forgotten to introduce him, and his mouth split into a grin. "So it turns out Worker Zhai is also part of the Society."

Worker Zhai laughed as well. He didn't hide it. "Papercut recommended me into the Society, but right now I'm still in the evaluation stage. It's already been five or so years."

Xue Lei exclaimed, "No way! Is the evaluation very strict?"

Xue Lei was already prepared to enter the professional ability user society and had started the relevant procedures. With the fine woman Zhang Yingying helping him out, he had nothing to worry about. So, he only had a smattering of knowledge over the three-stage process of evaluation, awakening, and professional. He was unclear on these concepts. His heart seized for a moment when he heard Worker Zhai mention five years.

Worker Zhai continued to smile. Luo Nan and Crag Burst didn't explain with Worker Zhai present. In the end, the truth would harm someone.

It must be stated that ten Crag Bursts added together in regard to sensing on the mental plane wasn't enough to surpass Luo Nan. What Crag Burst could discover on the mental plane, Luo Nan could certainly do without any problems. He could do it with more detail, with vivider quality.

From Luo Nan's perspective, Worker Zhai's mental power in the formation of interference ability against the material plane was a tragic sight. Luo Nan had similar faults in his early stages.

Although the displays were similar, the natures were quite different.

Luo Nan possessed mental power that far exceeded normal levels. But because of the special circumstances with Formatting Theory, Luo Nan was blocked off from interfering with the material plane. Later, he relied on the heart lantern of the eyes orifice's coupling to break through his shackles. It could be said that his problem was exotic, and the way he resolved it was extremely out of the ordinary.

Worker Zhai's problem was one of the simplest and most straightforward. He needed to cultivate more. There was nothing impressive about his strength or depth on the mental plane. He was simply not good enough according to the standards of the Society.

Zhang Yingying had once said that there were six hundred thousand ability users in the world. Of them, only seventy thousand are Awakened. It was none other than these seventy thousand people who established the frame of the professional ability user society.

The Society set up records of people who had yet to awaken like Worker Zhai, but they normally didn't pay much attention to them. But if the person's age was lower, like Luo Nan at sixteen years old, they might hold some expectations for them. The problem was that Worker Zhai was already forty years old. The term 'potential' was meaningless when applied toward him.

Speaking these few words made Worker Zhai more tired. He shook his head. "Who's going to come and help me?"

"How can we help?"

"Grip this handle and pour in your power. It won't be a problem as long as you can form interference."

"Then let me." Crag Burst wasn't willing to have Luo Nan make contact with some mysterious oddity. He took a step forward, waited for Worker Zhai to relinquish his grip, then firmly held the metal handle.

The tentacles extending out of the rhombohedron had begun to retract when Worker Zhai relinquished his hand. But when Crag Burst's palm held the handle, large sections of the tentacles suddenly stabbed out. Crag Burst didn't appear to have used much force, but the tentacles became thicker than before. The space within the device cavity appeared much more cramped, causing the tentacles to spiral and fold to accommodate themselves.

Soon, all four people were able to clearly see each of the tentacles noiselessly branch off into five forks, which were more slender than the tentacles a level above them. Then, they extended little by little. At the moment, there was a total of thirty-six filaments. They constantly intertwined to form a marvelous dynamic pattern.

"This is amazing!" Xue Lei's attention was immediately drawn back to it. He looked at it in puzzlement. "Does this toy have a different mechanism?"

Crag Burst was blinking his eyes. It seemed he was trying to recall something. He asked Worker Zhai, "Is this all right?"

"Hold on a sec."

Worker Zhai used a scanner tool to analyze the dynamic pattern formed from the tentacles. The scanner tool outputted a simple diagram, which Worker Zhai cast to the hologram for more work and revision. A short dozen seconds later, a series of dynamic images appeared one after another. They appeared in succession like an animated short film. There was a clear timing to them.

"The structure can now transform kinetic energy, but this isn't enough."

"You need more? Just watch!" Crag Burst was unwilling to let anyone else do the work. He exerted two times the amount of power compared to before while cheerily speaking, but there were no further changes within the device cavity.

Worker Zhai gestured to the dashboard below the metal rod. "Continue. There won't be any problems as long as the arrow doesn't reach the red zone."

"Then I'll play for reals." Crag Burst's lips split into a grin. His bronze complexion seemed to flare with a crimson glow. Even his pupils seemed to have obtained a sheen of scarlet.

His five fingers moved subtly upon the metal handle. He was just about to exert force when he heard someone shout, "Stop!"

Crag Burst instinctively retracted his energy and glanced at the dashboard. He just saw the arrow suddenly jump, nearly entering the red zone.

"...I didn't even go full power!"

"Your interference ability is too rough and broad. It's not suitable."

Worker Zhai's gaze spun to a different direction upon speaking.

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Chapter 328: Hovering Target (Part 3/3)

Chapter 328: Hovering Target (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan understood tacitly when he met Worker Zhai's gaze. "Then, let me try."

"Hellooo. I did use my penetrative energy." Crag Burst wasn't about to give up. He was a bit impolite, for he harbored vigilance deep down. "You were talking to me first, not even mentioning Nanster. Plus, there isn't much difference when comparing me to Leister. Why can't I achieve the same result as him?"

Worker Zhai responded gently, "I'm thinking of two reasons. One is that my amplification device is more suitable for mentally enhanced ability users. And you, a typical case of physical enhancement, have a different direction of interference. The second is that the miniature rhombohedron may be similar to our wristbands. There is a level for daily application, and there is a different level for developers."

Crag Burst rubbed his large bald head. He felt that what Worker Zhai said was reasonable, and he turned his gaze toward Luo Nan. Luo Nan nodded and said, "The work Worker Zhai did just now was extremely delicate and precise. He used his mental power and borrowed a bit of electrical current from within the device to realize an amplification of interference in the material plane. But when it comes to you, Brother Crag Burst, you completely destroy the amplification effects."

"So it was like this." Crag Burst nodded his head and looked at Worker Zhai once more, this time with a different meaning in his eyes. "Do you have an affinity for electrons? This is quite a decent ability. It's especially suitable for a repair technician. You can be considered a tiger that has grown wings. There aren't any places without electricity these days."

Worker Zhai burst out in laughter. "It isn't suitable for a repair technician; it's necessary. If I wasn't a mentally-inclined ability user who can realize an affinity with electrons, engaging in deeper research would just be wishful thinking."

He cast his gaze at Luo Nan with complicated emotions. "I don't even dare to think about the level of visual power that people like Mr. Luo possess. Us amateurs who haven't even started are indeed left in the dust when compared with the Awakened."

"This one here, Nanster, has special circumstances." Crag Burst made way for Nanster as he spoke. He easily added, "I really feel like I've seen this toy somewhere before."

Luo Nan didn't speak. He took a step forward and grasped the metal rod. The tentacles of the miniature rhombohedron within the device cavity had retracted when Crag Burst had let go, and Luo Nan didn't put out his power in time. The tentacles fully retracted, and Luo Nan didn't make any further movements.

"What's wrong?" Crag Burst didn't understand.

"He should be observing." Worker Zhai Worker Zhai was a precision-slanted mentally enhanced ability user. Even though it was impossible for him to perceive Luo Nan's actions on the mental plane, he was able to guess the relevant train of thought.

Crag Burst went, "Oh." He felt a bit embarrassed for being suspicious of Worker Zhai just now. He pressed against his earlobe and did a general gesture as a member of the Society. "Let's add each other as friends."

Worker Zhai laughed wryly and waved his hand. "It's embarrassing, but it's impossible for me to add people."

"Huh!? You don't have an ID on the Psychic Wave Network?"

"I have one, but it's very hard to use normally." Worker Zhai shook his head again. "I have just that bit of mental power, and I have yet to reach the level that will allow me to interfere with reality at anytime and anywhere. So, I have only been able to wander around the perimeter of the circle for these past few years. I rely on my trade to make a bit of a living. Fortunately, Papercut looks out for me. He frequently introduces work for me."

It was without a doubt that Luo Nan was introduced to Worker Zhai in this way.

Crag Burst asked inquisitively, "It can't be that bad? I saw that your interference ability was quite precise…."

"That's because I'm in this workshop. Outside of here, I am no different from a normal person.”

Worker Zhai glanced at Luo Nan. He saw how Luo Nan had yet to do any actions, and he turned back and said, "Psychic Wave Network has expended a great deal of energy in trying to set me up with that Awakening Ritual. But my talent has its limits. Five years have passed, and all I have is a slight increase in my electron affinity ability. I'm quite lacking in other aspects. I need to rely on a 'hearing aid' to be able to use the HexaEar and access the Psychic Wave Network. Currently, I can only reach the second layer, which allows me to watch videos, listen to the radio, and the like. It's impossible for me to interact and communicate."

"Hearing aid? Is that something you designed?" Crag Burst was able to grasp a general understanding. This was another amplification device. He was a bit curious. "Amplification devices are of special interest for the people of the Society who work in mechanical and electronic designs. The bigger the scale, the better in regard to four or five dimensions."

"You're talking about the four dimensions of measurement." Worker Zhai was a man of technical expertise. He always paid particular attention toward such theories. He was about to discuss this with Crag Burst some more when Luo Nan suddenly let out a long breath. Luo Nan's palm left the metal rod.

The miniature rhombohedron within the device cavity remained in its initial state. The state was a complete reversal of the progress Worker Zhai and Crag Burst just made.

Xue Lei, who was observing from afar, wasn't involved in Crag Burst's and Worker Zhai's discussion. He had been observing Luo Nan's methods from beginning to end. He was disappointed because of this. "Nanster, is it no good?"

"I want to take it out and try." Luo Nan turned to look at Worker Zhai. "The device doesn't help me much. It's amplification direction should primarily be in power. I feel that it's better to penetrate deeper."

Depth, intensity, sensitivity, and affinity were the four dimensions of measurement that Worker Zhai had just mentioned. Namely, they were the four basic metrics for the Society involving mental power. These metrics didn't possess any particularly strict logic or scientific foundation. They were primarily established by common agreement, reflecting the vagueness of the study of supernatural powers in the modern era.

Worker Zhai didn't object. "My specialty is in electronic devices and mechanical design. The issue lies in the internal structure of this little thing. As far as the mental realm is concerned, you have the final say."

Worker Zhai opened the device cavity as he spoke, and the miniature rhombohedron slid out from the vice. He placed it on the outer edge of the workbench.

Luo Nan studied the object a few times before asking, "Worker Zhai mentioned that it isn't enough for the structure to transform kinetic energy. By that you mean…."

"From the situation clearly shown in the video, the tiny object still has yet to reveal the structures allowing two capabilities—magnetic levitation and energy storage. Plus, I want to know where its power components are located."

Worker Zhai easily drew out a structural drawing on the hologram. It matched with the structure that transformed kinetic energy. "From the perspective of conventional thought, the miniature rhombohedron is like an integrated circuit. There are no problems when it’s used in electronic devices, but to drive a tai chi ball weighing several hundred kilograms, what medium does it use to do this work? The tentacles are a decent choice. It just needs to combine the two parts of the drive and work together. However, I have yet to discover the relevant structural design that does this."

Luo Nan now gained a general understanding. "Worker Zhai, so you're saying that there should be more of those tentacles that form more structures."

Worker Zhai's digital pen rapped against the hologram. "Motion, precision, and sufficient sturdiness are needed."

Crag Burst listened to their discussion, and his previous thoughts floated back to the surface of his mind, this time clearer than before. There was just a thin layer of paper blocking them. He rubbed his head hard. "The tentacles, structures, precision…. Oh, how does that happen?"

Luo Nan laughed and asked again, "In other words, the miniature rhombohedron drives the tai chi ball. And it's very likely that this is accomplished through those tentacles?"

Worker Zhai barely nodded when Crag Burst smacked his own head hard. "Hot damn! A dynamo core!"

Luo Nan didn't speak any further. He drew in a long breath, and his towering iceberg-like mental power resonated with the heart lantern of the eyes orifice from afar. Invisible thunder crackled and flared, forming what seemed to be the essence of lightning within the depths of the cracks of his eyes. The lightning cleaved down through space.

The miniature rhombohedron inexplicably trembled at the focus of his gaze.

The object couldn't compare to his external neuron. It also couldn't compare to Jack's Deep Sea Type IV Dynamo Core. But it radiated on the mental plane, and the psychic light answered and resonated with the lightning within Luo Nan's eyes. Indeed, this was the light that exclusively belonged to dynamo cores!

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Chapter 329: Minefield (Part 1/3)

Chapter 329: Minefield (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

Six tentacles extended once more from the miniature rhombohedron within the workshop. Next came the second level, which were even more fine tentacles. Six tentacles served as the main trunk, and thirty were secondary branches. They extended far from the core of the rhombohedron. Several dozen tentacles floated and rippled in the air. Were it not for the rhombohedron leaving a fixed impression early on, the mass of tentacles would have people neglecting its existence.

The situation within the device cavity wasn't very different from before. At most, the tentacles extended slightly further out. However, the expressions of the three people in the workshop were much more solemn than before.

Luo Nan squinted his eyes, calibrating the radiance of his heart lantern of the eyes orifice. Crag Burst shifted his feet to adjust his viewpoint to and fro. As for Worker Zhai, he carried a portable microscope on him. He changed its lens from time to time, seeking a suitable focal distance.

"Has there been any changes?" Xue Lei was restricted by his distant viewpoint. He couldn't distinguish the details clearly. He blinked a dozen times, but was unable to see anything of note.

In the end, it was Worker Zhai who responded. He said, "Wait a moment."

He fetched a piece of foil from atop the workbench. He rolled it up and carefully probed with it. The foil's pointed end streaked across the empty space within the mass of tentacles.

The tip of the foil was soon obstructed. It bent a bit. Under the illumination of the workshop's lighting, a thin sheen streaked across the 'empty space'. It was unremarkable, but it didn't escape their attention.

"There's something!" Xue Lei immediately understood. The empty space in the tentacle structure likely possessed an even finer structure, but its components already exceeded the limits of the naked eye.

Worker Zhai slowly retracted the strip of foil, but when his elbow had merely pulled back a bit, the tip of the foil inexplicably tore. It was as if an invisible blade had slashed across it. A section at the front was first severed off, before it shattered into pieces. They could see that the thirty-six tentacles didn't have any particularly vivid changes during all this.

Instead, a fine vibrating cry rang in the workshop. The source was none other than the tentacle structure.

"Careful now, careful." Crag Burst gestured with his hands, indicating to Worker Zhai to do things with care.

Worker Zhai thought for a moment and simply flicked the remaining half of the foil up above the tentacle structure. The foil was now in free fall. It tumbled a few times in the air, which was within expectations. However, before it could touch any of the visible tentacles, it was ground to fine dust by invisible killer threads.

Not even the sound of breathing could be heard in the workshop, making the trembling cry of the tentacle structure more distinct.

Worker Zhai turned to look at Luo Nan. Luo Nan's gaze still rested upon the rhombohedron in the center. Worker Zhai whispered, "Did you catch everything?"

Crag Burst's lips twitched. "He has superior mental powers. Dogs should make way!"

Worker Zhai smiled wryly. He understood what Crag Burst meant. He was a mentally enhanced ability user who hadn't even awakened. He wasn't even at the level of a dog. Luckily, he had an engineering expertise. He could rely on equipment for aid to do more than what he could normally do.

Kachunks rang out from below the workbench, and a round white board came out. It looked like a rough sepal. It gathered the tentacle structure halfway inside, and it pressured Luo Nan and Crag Burst into moving backward. The several lights up above lit up. They calibrated their angles one after another, causing rays of light to penetrate the tentacle structure that contained both tangible and invisible components, and casting the shadow of the structure onto the white board.

"Hot damn!" Crag Burst was caught by surprise.

The snow-white board caught the shadow, and atop the board roamed and slithered thousands upon thousands of live snakes. They endlessly shifted and changed along with the changes in the angle of lighting.

They could see clearly now. The thirty-six filaments of tentacles, which were thinner than hair, turned as thick as a thumb atop the shadow board with this special projection of lighting. And between these tentacles was a densely packed shadow web.

Everyone was able to confirm that there was a layer of finer filaments invisible to the naked eye among the thirty-six filaments. They were densely woven like a net, forming a more complicated and refined structure.

Worker Zhai worked with the computer and spliced together the several different angles of the projected shadow web. Soon, a complete three-dimensional structure was formed. Worker Zhai projected it on the workbench.

Luo Nan's gaze darted between the material object and the three-dimensional projection as he compared them. Crag Burst couldn't get the knack for it. He simply asked, "How many filaments are there in total?"

"The current statistics say 1276." Worker Zhai skimmed through the data as he let out a sigh. "I need to completely replace the previous structure, and I need to completely redo the material analysis…. The resources allocated to me may not be enough nor suitable."

Crag Burst didn't understand. "What?"

"There's a supercomputer in this electronic city. It's called 'Cross Borders'. I can apply for a portion of its resources with my privileges. Right now, it's primarily being used to analyze the dynamic structure."

Worker Zhai pointed at the hologram. Pages and pages of diagrams flashed through at high-speed. They were all structural diagrams of the shadow web captured just now. Over a thousand of them flashed by while he spoke.

"It looks to be quite fast?"

"It's meaningless. I can't provide it with the effective parameters, so it can only rely on brute force. It is impossible for the computer to understand how to distinguish between the thousands upon thousands of tentacles in varied thickness from this glass-like object. It's even more impossible for the computer to understand how to analyze the way it stores energy, what kind of state the tentacles have when they twine and wind, what sort of applications the tentacles have when they spread apart…."

Worker Zhai sighed as he reached this point, "Most notable is the fact that the stimulating element involves the mental plane. Mainstream engineering of mankind has yet to do proper preparations for this. I am powerless to do anything about this in a short period of time."

Xue Lei went, "Oh." He was a bit disappointed.

Crag Burst shook his big, bald head and let out a sigh. However, his mental state was much more confident than the others’. He turned to face Luo Nan. "It's a big discovery. How ‘bout it? Do you want to transfer it to the Society for them to take a look?"

Luo Nan didn't react immediately. He just faced Worker Zhai and asked, "Is it okay if I have it retract back?"

Worker Zhai was a bit reluctant, but he couldn't find a reason to refuse. He nodded with a wry smile.

Luo Nan squinted his eyes slightly, isolating the effects of his heart lantern of the eyes orifice. The three levels of tentacles all retracted, regardless of their visibility. No clear changes could be seen in the volume of the miniature rhombohedron.

Worker Zhai was unwilling to put away the workbench. He used a hand to operate his portable microscope, and he gathered close to the rhombohedron. He clicked his tongue in wonder.

Luo Nan made way for him. Crag Burst understood, and the two walked to the side and whispered to each other.

"What's the difference with Jack's Deep Sea Type IV and this one? Was it also a three-level structure that extends out little by little?"

"Three levels? I don't understand this. I only skimmed through the report a bit." Crag Burst did his best to remember, but was unable to retrieve the main points. He simply said, "It's best to make contact with the branch laboratory. You were one of the people involved in that operation, and your evaluation was one of the best. You certainly have the access and inquiry privileges. Just don't leak the information. Ha ha. How do I say this. Not many people really cared back in the past…."

"Yeah, no one really cared." Luo Nan smirked.

Crag Burst was a bit embarrassed. Rumors spilling all over was the Society's tradition, and Luo Nan was the person who was most harmed by this tradition. Crag Burst hesitated because of this. "If the branch laboratory handles it, you will certainly need to explain the entire sequence of events to them. Is that all right?"

"Leister, what's your opinion?"

Luo Nan looked at Xue Lei, who was slightly hesitating.

Xue Lei didn't understand the significance of the dynamo core, but he was able to see that this toy wasn't so simple. He just didn't expect that repairing this device would cause side issues to arise, and it seemed to involve pretty big things.

"Don't overthink it. First notify the gym master, then listen to what he has to say." Luo Nan saw that Xue Lei found difficulty in deciding and put on a straightforward stance. "This is the gym master's personal object. We snuck it out from the daoguan. Although we have good intentions, if we pass it on, we'll be leaking personal secrets. How can we explain this to the gym master?"

Xue Lei let out a sigh and nodded repeatedly.

Luo Nan looked toward Crag Burst and Worker Zhai once more. Crag Burst performed a zipper gesture in front of his lips, while Worker Zhai returned back to reality from his researcher's state. He smiled and said, "Protecting a customer's secrets is the fundamental doctrine of a technician."

"That's good." Luo Nan nodded to express his thanks.

Xue Lei asked, "Then let's go talk to the gym master?"

Luo Nan hesitated for a moment, and he cast his gaze at the miniature rhombohedron. He turned his gaze to the three-dimensional projection and the simple diagram on the hologram a few seconds later. It took a long while before he spoke again, this time with an irrelevant answer.

"This diagram... I don't understand it."

"Huh?" The other three were all dumbfounded.

Luo Nan stepped forward. He extended a hand to swipe on the hologram to look at the previous diagrams that had flashed past. The results deduced by the supercomputer's resources allocated to Worker Zhai endlessly showed simple diagrams of the dynamo core and amendments done to the diagrams. From the perspective of an amateur, the diagrams were quite concise, but the specialized symbols were akin to obscure writings. They were hard to understand.

Luo Nan was originally going to use coupling, configuration, and similar methods to deconstruct and reconstruct the diagrams. But a few thoughts flashed by in his mind, and he gave up on this for now. He turned to ask, "Worker Zhai, these diagrams are too specialized. Can you teach me about them?"

"Which parts?"

"All of them."

Worker Zhai was a bit startled, but he soon laughed, "This will take some time."

The rate at which Luo Nan swiped with his finger was far from that of the analysis speed of the supercomputer. He soon gave up and let the simple diagrams flash across. However, the thoughts that had formed just now grew clearer, then solidified. "I want to learn from the beginning. I'm not as good in physics as I am in other subjects, let alone electrical engineering and mechanical design. If I can get some tutelage, that is naturally the best."

Worker Zhai studied Luo Nan for a moment, and suddenly realized that this member of the Society, who had already stepped to the next level, was still a student. He skimmed through the relevant information. The age of sixteen years old was quite conspicuous.

"What year are you in high school?"

"Freshman."

"Are you interested in engineering?"

"It's useful." Luo Nan was quite honest. He looked at things from a practical point of view. "I want to understand these structural diagrams. I want to have the concepts down at the very least."

Worker Zhai shook his head. He emphasized once more, "This is impossible to do in a short period of time."

To the side, Crag Burst had already been tripped by Luo Nan's flying train of thought. He simply rolled his eyes. "Weren't we talking about the issue with confidentiality? You said that you were going to speak honestly with that gym master.”

"After we fix it." Luo Nan interrupted Crag Burst's words. He looked at Xue Lei once more. "I am uncertain of the gym master's reaction based off his temperament. If we carelessly ask, he may not even give us room to talk. Xue Lei, let's keep this matter in the dark for now. Wait until I understand the principles inside before returning the object back to its rightful owner. Is this okay?"

"Uh, sure."

Xue Lei was stupefied. This especially happened when he faced Luo Nan's eyes directly. Though there were contact lenses separating them, and the eyes were a reconstruction from optical and electrical signals, Luo Nan's gaze blazed so fiercely that it induced fear.

He never saw this side of Luo Nan before, as far as he could remember.

"Hold on, hold on!" Crag Burst raised both his hands, trying to calm a certain someone down. "You said that you need to fix it. How are you going to fix it? Are you going to ask the branch's laboratory? This contradicts what you said before! Let me tell you, even though this is the branch's laboratory, they may not wield the necessary technologies."

Luo Nan didn't speak. He just swept his gaze around the room. He turned from Worker Zhai to Crag Burst, then to Xue Lei, and finally to his own hands.

Everyone was involved.

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Chapter 330: Minefield (Part 2/3)

Chapter 330: Minefield (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

Crag Burst was stupefied upon being caught in Luo Nan's gaze. He soon came back to reality, and he immediately withdrew back. "Don't you say that you want to do things all by yourself. And don't you say you want everyone to help each other. This is the work you mental dogs should be doing. I am a physical class…. You should just ask me to go kill the folks at Headquarters."

Luo Nan wasn't counting on him. He laughed, and his gaze deviated. "Worker Zhai, I need to request this of you."

Worker Zhai gaped with his mouth. In the end, he could only shake his head with a bitter smile. He expressed himself many times that he was powerless in this situation. He wasn't being humble. This was the final conclusion he obtained after evaluating the resources and technology. This 'request' was impossible to resolve.

He merely listened to Luo Nan say, "I know it's useless to be anxious about this, and I don't expect to see success after a mere one or two months. I just want to take this chance and ask you to help me establish a foundation."

Luo Nan wasn't someone who had a way with words. He stopped once he spoke to this point. He saw that Worker Zhai didn't immediately refuse, and he followed his train of thought in continuing, "I am also a mentally enhanced ability user. And I am precision-focused as well. Brother Papercut also mentioned that I naturally should step into the repair technician business. I learn, and you teach. We can even have social exchanges…."

Crag Burst saw how much effort Luo Nan was putting in formulating his words, and he couldn't resist from helping, "In your case, both teacher and student will benefit!"

The words reminded Worker Zhai of something. His eyes lit up as he comprehended that this sixteen-year-old high school student was already an official member of the Society. Luo Nan certainly far surpassed him in mental cultivation. He thought about how Luo Nan could obtain such achievements at such a young age. Aside from having outstanding talent, Luo Nan must be quite skilled in cultivating techniques. At the very least, Luo Nan's methods should be better than his rogue cultivation.

As such, not only would both teacher and student benefit, a mutual exchange of assistance was possible.

Many years had slipped away with him outside the gate to the Society. His goal was in sight, but unattainable. Even though he was optimistic, there was always some worry in his mind. At this moment, there suddenly was a turn for the better, and Worker Zhai's heart stirred.

But then he saw the complicated structure of the shadow web, and he saw the myriad of diagrams flashing through the hologram. His brain felt a faint ache. It was easy to accept Luo Nan as a student, but no matter which ways they go about it, Luo Nan's ultimate target still lay with the dynamo core. In regard to this, Worker Zhai didn't even have a direction to start with.

It wasn't his style to deceive others and deceive himself. It wasn't his style to fail to carry things through.

Worker Zhai subconsciously let out a sigh.

Luo Nan knew that Worker Zhai's attitude had somewhat changed. But there was an unwillingness to let go in the bottom of his heart. He thought for a while, and he walked up to the workbench. "You mentioned just now that you lack parameters?"

Worker Zhai's emotions were a complete mess. He removed his portable microscope and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Actually, the problem lies with the research direction. Kinetic energy transformation is only the simplest step. How does it store it? How does it perform work with that energy? How does it appear within this precise structure? It involves far too many things."

"I don't quite understand the engineering side of things, but for the direction, I can propose a starting point. Do you have a pen?"

Luo Nan asked for a digital drafting pen. He drew a figure on the three-dimensional projection, on the shadow web.

His many years of quick sketching had increased his basic skills. The digital pen's lustrous lines of light streaked and flowed easily. An iota of arcs formed circles in front of the roughest ends of tentacles.

Then the tip of the pen cut around the surface of the sphere to draw a tetrahedron. Afterwards, at the perimeter of the tetrahedron, at the end points of the tetrahedron, the pen drew out a larger circle.

Worker Zhai saw clearly the entire process of Luo Nan's work. He also saw clearly the figure that was drawn. He was dumbfounded on the spot.

A circle. A tetrahedron. Another circle. These three figures were nested within each other. Their relationships were clear, and the points at which the figures connected, as well as the area they covered, greatly matched up with the three-level tentacle structure of the dynamo core. The matching wasn't one of a strong beat or a weak beat. It was a harmony that warmed the heart and delighted the eye.

Pure feeling was unreliable in the field of engineering, but feeling was often the guide to success.

"Archetype Format?"

Crag Burst blurted this out. He soon corrected himself, being under Luo Nan's blazing eyes. "Formatting Theory…. What a coincidence?"

"It's quite a coincidence. We might as well try."

Luo Nan didn't understand the mechanical design, but he knew that it involved the dynamo core. He knew that there would be a pleasant surprise if he overlapped it with Formatting Theory. This was proven before by Jack.

He threw the digital pen down and turned around. "Worker Zhai, these are my thoughts. You might as well think it over again. We can get in touch with each other at any time."

Worker Zhai's gaze was glued to the three-dimensional diagram. He was unable to withdraw his gaze for a time.

Luo Nan and Crag Burst bid their farewells. They didn't take the hovering target with them, and they left the miniature rhombohedron behind as well. Worker Zhai didn't object to this.

Basically, they already reached an agreement to work together. The agreement was likely to last quite a while. Even with Formatting Theory as a reference, completely breaking through the mysteries of the dynamo core was absolutely not an easy task.

Xue Lei hung up the phone on his end to go have a headache over how to hide this matter for a longer period of time. As for Luo Nan, he sat in the back of the jeep. His brows were always furrowed during his deep contemplation. The load on his mind was heavy.

Crag Burst couldn't hold back from asking, "Where to now?"

"The branch's laboratory."

"Uh, so we're going to Shanding Towers?"

Luo Nan came back to reality. "I'm saying that I need the research data that the branch's laboratory has on the dynamo core. I need all of it. I also need their future data on their future progress."

"What's there to think about regarding this? Just directly access the data."

"Then draw attention to myself and be watched?"

Crag Burst grinned. It wasn't a problem to access data, but if Luo Nan wanted follow-up updates and in-depth participation, he would draw unwanted attention to himself and cause more issues to arise.

"Then let’s rotate. Let Secretary He help and divide things clearly. We can also use an intermediary. In any case, the intermediaries and representatives have been beat down to quite a tragic situation nowadays. Secretary He is quite skillful in finding incision points."

The so-called intermediaries and representatives were internal members of the Society. They were hired by external powers, and they used their privileges as members of the Society to sell internal resources of the Society. Last time after the operation with Jack as the target, there were a few intermediaries who were commissioned by Quantum Corporation. They paid high prices to buy back relevant equipment. They bought back practically all the seized goods back.

Crag Burst still felt that accessing the data wasn't something hard. His train of thought diverged, and he said, "In the beginning, a group of intermediaries caused the price of the dynamo core to fiercely soar. They completely stopped now. Apparently, the financial backer behind them changed? I'm saying that Quantum Corporation…."

"They still don't have a backer." Luo Nan shook his head.

The financial backer that Crag Burst was talking about was none other than Luo Nan's old 'family friend', Yan Yongbo. That man's life wasn't easy these days. He flew back and forth between Xia City and Los Angeles, becoming a frequent flyer. Though things were this way, Yan Yongbo’s position in Quantum Corporation remained on the verge of collapse.

The enemy was in an unstable situation. This more or less alleviated the pressure that Luo Nan felt.

They chatted for quite a while, but Crag Burst still didn't know where Luo Nan wanted to go. He was just about to ask again when a call came through on the Psychic Wave Network.

"Yingying? I'm working today. Not bad. I'm Boss Luo's personal bodyguard…. He's next to me."

Crag Burst spoke a few words and put the call onto the multimedia system of the jeep. The central control display hologram lit up, revealing the upper half of Zhang Yingying's figure.

Zhang Yingying was dressed in tight-fitting gym clothes. There was a bit of sweat on her forehead, and a few strands of hair stuck to it. A white towel was wrapped around her neck. She looked like Xue Lei just before. They were both engaging in large volumes of exercise and training. She waved hello to Luo Nan and beamed. "Hello, Boss Luo. Are you interested in coming over to swap pointers? Let me experience your heart lantern of the eyes orifice."

"Next time," Luo Nan responded simply.

Zhang Yingying's invitation lacked sincerity. She disregarded the matter after waving her hand and switched topics. "So there's a bit of something. I originally wanted to call you on Monday, but since you're here right now, I can just tell you. There's money to be made. Are you in?"

Luo Nan frowned, "What money?"

Zhang Yingying's eyebrows shot up. "Money to buy the devil ray! Don't say you already have it."

Luo Nan was very honest. "I haven't found a way to make money."

"Oh, really?" Zhang Yingying laughed even more delightedly. "I'm giving you a chance to do an odd job. Do you want it?"

An odd job? I can make sixty million from odd jobs? Luo Nan didn't talk. He just looked coldly at Zhang Yingying pretending to be awesome.

Zhang Yingying was displeased now. "What does that look in your eyes mean? I'm not lying to you. My company has been expanding its business these days. We don't have enough manpower, and we don't have any capable newcomers these days. As long as you're willing to run along out, the rewards will be quite generous. It may not be enough to fill your pockets, but it won't hurt. Hurry up! Do you agree or not? Talk to me!"

Crag Burst laughed to the side, "Businesses always report what kind of work they offer. What if it requires being a prostitute or an escort? Do we still have to take it?"

Zhang Yingying grinned in delight, revealing her teeth. She wasn't angry. She turned and shouted, "Boss! Crag Burst is telling you to sell yourself at nightclubs!"

"Oh my god!"

Crag Burst muscular body immediately shrunk by a factor of two. He wished with all his might to stuff himself under the driver's seat. Even Luo Nan subconsciously looked up in disbelief.

Zhang Yingying laughed heartily. Obviously, her majesty the Martial Empress wasn't by her side. But the result was still exceptionally good.

Crag Burst recovered and immediately started cursing, "A fox who exploits the tiger's might. Using powerful connections to intimidate people…."

"Foxes are really beautiful!" Zhang Yingying raised her hands to her head, pointing two fingers up and out. She wriggled them in a very lively manner.

Crag Burst spat out in contempt, "What the f*ck! Those are bunny ears!"

Luo Nan couldn't hold back from grinning.

Zhang Yingying blinked at Luo Nan. She beamed as she sent some information to Luo Nan. "These are the details of our subcontracted business. Time is tight. Give us a response soon. Oh right, my boss is allowing me to tell you this. Thanks for all you've done. She has had quite a few social activities recently, and she's made a lot of money. And, there are people chasing after her!"

"You're welcome."

Luo Nan's smile faded as he spoke. Zhang Yingying was clearly saying that quite a few people were trying to gain her majesty the Martial Empress's approval from inside the Xia City branch, while looking at Luo Nan unfavorably.

This was within his expectations.

"Hello, you're not worried?"

"There's no point to being worried. I never harbored aspirations of being popular."

Crag Burst coughed, "Yingying is saying that you should pay your respects and recognize her as your godmother…."

"Just die!" Zhang Yingying simply extended her middle finger. "If the boss doesn't speak, you won't even be able to find the door."

Then she gave Luo Nan a smile. "Relax, relax. Don't let your imagination run wild. And don't look so miserable day in and day out. The boss and the President are all watching. Headquarters won't perform their theatrics a second time. As for making money, that's much easier. We as ability users just need to find the right method, and we can make money even by sleeping."

Crag Burst blurted, "That's still selling…."

Zhang Yingying sent Crag Burst the middle finger once more. Two of them.

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Chapter 331: Minefield (Part 3/3)

Chapter 331: Minefield (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

Zhang Yingying didn't let the call go on for too long. She cracked a few jokes with Luo Nan and Crag Burst before hanging up. The data she sent had finished transferring over by now. Luo Nan used the HexaEar to look it up, while Crag Burst smacked his steering wheel in mischievous laughter.

"This sister may be very noisy, but her heart is in the right place."

Luo Nan understood what he meant. He nodded. "I know."

The first time he met Zhang Yingying, Zhang Yingying was lively and quick-witted. She was also not one to give up easily. She had to seize the upper hand before stopping. Yet just now she even made fun of herself, making the atmosphere quite lively and fun. She even gave Crag Burst pretexts to make fun of her as well.

Luo Nan recalled Zhang Yingying's appearance when she wriggled her bunny-ear fingers, and he couldn't help laughing again. He soon collected himself and whispered, "It looks like this time things are pretty bad?"

Otherwise, why did Zhang Yingying, with her temperament, deliberately try to get him to laugh?

Crag Burst chuckled. "It should be because of the pressure, right? It's normal. You're young. If you can still laugh without a care in the world when you're burdened with these things, you really need to go see the doctor."

"Really? This is normal?"

"Of course it's normal. Back when I was in the Coastal Defense Force, every time a tidal rush was forecasted—you know what a tidal rush is, right? It's when large amounts of Mutants use the astronomical high tides as an opportunity to attack the coastal defenses. That's what's called a landslide tsunami, hiding the sky and covering the earth."

Crag Burst started his jeep, and the jeep sped out of the parking lot with a rumble. As the jeep merged onto the magnetic rails of the electronic city, Crag Burst continued, "The time that's the most torturous is after the warning but before the battle. Some people in camp even kill themselves. And of these people, some are experienced and seasoned veterans—ones who are most likely to survive the battle. People... have limits to what they can endure. Those whose limits are exceeded change, and it's over for them. But I can see that this hasn't happened with you. Your limits are far from being pushed."

Crag Burst spread his fingers as he spoke. The distance between his thumb and his middle finger was considerable.

Luo Nan laughed once more, but he sighed after, "I have changed, though."

He did feel that the way he reacted when encountering situations had become a bit different.

They just discovered none other than the dynamo core back at the electronic city! This needed to be emphasized!

His father had used a covert method to send him this magical object, and this object was the key to turn Jack, an Altered Human, into a Burner. The technology of this world was incapable of touching this level of mysterious technology, and it even touched upon the mystical power hiding behind the colossus that was Quantum Corporation.

A month ago, he would have recklessly rushed to the daoguan and seeked the gym master for questioning. He would cling deathly to the gym master to obtain the reason why.

Although right now his conviction to study the dynamo core was set in stone, this road he wound himself on was a long one, and the intense thirst in his heart was on the verge of tearing him apart.

Why?

It was probably due to feelings of apprehension. He made enemies time and time again within a short month, and each was a major power of this world to be reckoned with. To do this over and over again… even a newborn calf would find its horn ground to nothing.

Luo Nan saw a faint premonition. What waited before him was a field of deadly land mines. Things would be fine if they were never triggered, but as soon as one went off, not even future opportunities would exist for him.

Asking Worker Zhai to help and first utilize his equipment was a correct decision.

But from another perspective, one must pay a price by lying in wait. His mind couldn't hold back from spawning various thoughts, and these thoughts weaved into a heavy, large, and dense net. Pressure came with it like a shadow following a body.

It was true that he had yet to reach his limits, but the distance from changing was, perhaps, not that far.

As the jeep weaved its way through traffic, Crag Burst shot a few glances at Luo Nan. He grinned in laughter. "Nanster, I need to say a few things to you. We are both men. We all face pressure. We can change our ways of letting out steam, but we can't display it on our faces. We have our pride."

"Letting out steam?"

"Tobacco, alcohol, women…. Bah! I'm saying to learn, learn, and learn! Turn that pressure into energy!"

Luo Nan copied Zhang Yingying and gave Crag Burst the middle finger.

Crag Burst was a bit embarrassed. "These are minor details. Just don't go looking into those things. I'm saying that the weekend is a great time. Don't waste it. I'll arrange a place if you don't have any plans. Everyone can relax."

"Tobacco, alcohol, and women?"

"Kids should learn to be good!" Crag Burst’s rough voice and energy interrupted Luo Nan's vocalized thoughts.

Luo Nan laughed and asked, "Where's Trigate District?"

"It should be between the main city district and Man City. It's around two hundred kilometers away. What do you want to go there for?"

"It's nothing. I saw the material Yingying sent over. The business partner is Trigate Securities LLC. They’re registered in Trigate District. I've never heard of them before."

"Oh, this place used to be a garrison camp of Xia City. It was decommissioned not too long ago. The security company you mentioned should have a military background. Not bad. It's easier to make money from the government and military. What kind of work is it?"

Luo Nan read the material out loud, "Native species genetic and ecological preservation…."

"Wha—?" Crag Burst didn't instantly understand.

Luo Nan repeated himself once more, while clarifying the introduction to himself, "It's patrol and scouting work. It has to do with Mutants."

"D*mn. The cheaters!" Crag Burst smacked his steering wheel hard, and the horn blared explosively.

This time it was Luo Nan who didn't understand. "Is this line of business not that profitable?"

"It has nothing to do with the profitability. I'm saying that such work just shows that the government and the military are cheating the common people once again. F***! Why the h*ll did they get rid of the garrison!?" Crag Burst changed attitudes in an instant once he became furious.

Luo Nan thumbed through the material and slowly understood. "Native species genetic and ecological preservation,” this awkward sounding and tediously long name, could be described in a single idiom: Mending the pen after the sheep are lost.

The Mutants isolated in the wilderness and the seas would occasionally break through the heavy defenses of the city due to special circumstances. They would appear in the districts of Xia City. This work entailed none other than searching and killing the infiltrating Mutants to ensure the safety of the city.

Speaking of which, there really weren't that many Mutants within the districts of Xia City. A rich family would raise one or two; it was rather popular to do so nowadays. The Great Maw Basilisk that Rui Wen had slain and the flying devil ray tamed by Luo Nan both belonged to this category.

But these Mutants had underwent strict inspection and quarantine procedures, all of which were recorded on file. The negative influences were decreased to the very minimum.

The fellows who unexpectedly infiltrated the city were different. They usually carried highly pathogenic bacteria and viruses, and some Mutants even broke through the barriers of reproductive isolation. They could reproduce with the native species of the world and create further generations. The proliferation of such species within the city's ecosystem, along with perhaps minute mutations, would likely bring about calamity under the enormous push of numbers.

This hidden destructive power would come even more shockingly than that of the clearcut Mutants.

Crag Burst patted Luo Nan on the shoulder. "The task is an arduous one, yet it is full of honor and glory…. That's what the government and military always say when you wipe their *sses."

Luo Nan snorted and said, "Well, it suits me quite well."

"Yep, a scout. There aren't many people better than you out of all my impressions. However, this kind of work is very time-consuming and requires much patience…. Huh? This job can't be right."

Crag Burst suddenly remembered that Luo Nan was still a student. His extracurricular tasks were also very cumbersome. It was impossible for him to have the leisure time to accompany people in running around the city.

Was Her Majesty Empress Wu urging Luo Nan to cut class?

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Chapter 332: Meeting in the City (Part 1/3)

Chapter 332: Meeting in the City (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

The climate was very abnormal, which was reportedly due to the melting of the polar ice caps. In the month of November, the cold air currents went straight south, pushing the wet and cold ocean winds through and past the city. Xia City, or Summer City, was a coastal city, and it turned into a city whose name didn't correspond to reality. It was like it had entered winter a month ahead of time.

A layer of frost unexpectedly had formed on the outside of the windows of this morning's classroom. Luckily, this physics course was held in a large classroom. Three hundred or so people were packed inside. There wasn't any need for heating equipment. The entire classroom was rather warm.

Luo Nan sat in the row next to the windows. He was focused on listening to the lecture and taking notes. Various knowledge points and their corresponding figures and formulas presented themselves in tree-shaped branches on a standard holoscreen. They were organized by categories and were arranged clearly. The serious effort Luo Nan was putting in gave off the appearance of a budding brilliant student.

If Xue Lei hadn't been Luo Nan's classmate for the past month, Xue Lei might have been baffled by Luo Nan's current actions.

"Hey, don't you have an appointment this morning?"

"It's a meeting." Luo Nan didn't even raise his head while correcting Xue Lei.

"What time?"

"9:30."

"Are you leaving after this class? I'll go with you."

"...You want to skip the next class?"

Xue Lei was baffled. "I have to skip class if I'm going."

"Then don't go. In any case, the agreement doesn't require me to appear in person."

Luo Nan confused Xue Lei with a few sentences. Then the school bell rang, and the first class of the day ended. The lecturer motioned that it was break time, and the classroom roared with chatter. It turned clamorous in an instant.

Luo Nan continued to adjust the composition of his notes on the holoscreen. The core details within didn't come from himself. They were Worker Zhai's writings. Practically all the knowledge points of the high school stage was covered within. What Luo Nan had to do was stuff all these details into his brain, then do the corresponding training of great intensity.

Needless to say, Luo Nan felt his train of thought grow much clearer ever since he took some tutor lessons from Worker Zhai. The effects were rather instant, akin to setting up a pole and seeing its shadow.

Luo Nan was neither hurried nor slow, puzzling Xue Lei even more. Xue Lei simply gave him a push, "What in the world do you mean?"

"The meaning is to divide the mind into its own manifestation. Two minds attend to two things... like so."

Xue Lei's eyes were bulging from their sockets hearing Luo Nan. In Xue Lei's moment of daze, Luo Nan finally finished making adjustments to his notes and stretched out. A student just so happened to open a window. The frigid and wet wind came pouring in, clashing with the warm air within the room. It jolted the minds of a few drowsy students.

Luo Nan and Xue Lei both turned their heads to look out the window. Looking toward the northeast from their location, through the buildings strewn at random, provided the sight of the wetlands jungle at the ends of the gray-white clouds. The jungle had a dark hue to it as well, mixing with the color of the sky. It was hard to distinguish at first glance.

Normally, watching this view was insignificant. But after hearing of Luo Nan's plans, Xue Lei inevitably found his imagination running a bit wild. "It... is in the jungle right now?"

"Mm, acting as an overseer," Luo Nan blurted out a few words, then suddenly laughed, "It's really useful."

Xue Lei felt the oddness of the situation. He looked at Luo Nan once more and only felt that Luo Nan's smile was a bit chilly and quite awkward.

Luo Nan didn't say much else. He stood up, walked to the window, and looked toward the wetlands jungle in the distance. The skies were dark and gloomy, and glimmering reflections of light could no longer be seen from the river that wound between the trees. The river appeared like a long, gray belt. It was half-hidden and half-present, and it cut deep into the jungle. Some waterbirds flapped their wings and flew. They could be considered lively, but the scale was far different from the spectacle of a few days ago.

"It was a Mutant! A godd*mn Mutant! That fellow's destruction of this place has pushed back our work by ten years!"

A small boat was making its way down the long winding river, while the waterbirds flew toward the skies. There were four people aboard. Two young men held wooden oars. They used the most primitive of methods to power this small boat. They were so tired that their tongues wagged out of their mouths. They also had to endure the incessant jabber and mutterings of an old man. For a time, they wanted to jump in the river and drown themselves.

The old man that was giving them enormous mental pressure was named Wu Zunliang. He was an elderly man, having reached the age of ninety this year, but his mind was still hale and hearty. Even spending long periods outside the city for scientific exploration was a walk in the park for him. Sample surveys within the campus were not enough to exhaust his surplus of energy. This made his tongue engage in idle chatter all the more.

"I can hear the rumbling noise of machinery even though we're two kilometers away. This is undoubtedly pollution. The group who issued the construction permit is made up entirely of grandkids…."

The chaotic event a week ago had sent the ecosphere of the wetlands jungle into a complete sloppy mess. The sudden descent of the cold winds combined with this, making things worse in a bad situation like adding hail to snow. This made all the scholars, professors, and researchers of zoology, botany, ecology, genetics, and other fields of the school all cry to the point of being unable to shed tears.

Times like this made the certain number of people, who were engaging in construction work in the jungle despite the vile circumstances, become targets of loathing and hate. What a pity. Realistically speaking, their negative emotions were utterly useless. All sorts of documents were completed for the construction team at the north bank for Gear. They held permits from the Environmental Protection Department and the school. The construction followed the requirements very strictly. Their work was practically perfect.

Wu Zunliang prided himself on his seniority. He wanted to call the construction to a halt to avoid affecting the ecology of the wetlands and turning it into something even more disastrous than its current state, which was already on the verge of collapse. However, the results of his efforts left him very disappointed and very unhappy.

He was upset. He needed to curse out to vent his feelings. Anyway, his naggy old wife wasn't by his side. No one scolded him.

The tall and slender woman at the bow of the boat glanced back just before the two experimental working dogs of boatmen were about to go crazy. She smiled and said, "Professor, it isn't wrong for them to call you a grandpa looking at the ages. The sudden appearance of all these big nephews is giving me a slight headache."

Old Man Wu pointed at her. "You want to be an aunt at your young age? Why don't you find a boyfriend? What ever happened to the one introduced by Old Pan?"

"If you can't remember, Professor, then I can't either."

The tall woman adjusted the wide-brimmed hat on her head. Then she swept her gaze across the two bitterly pained experimental dogs. "You seniors must be tired. Let's switch?"

"No, no, no, no!" The two experimental dogs spat out their tongues as they nodded their heads and wagged their tails. They coincidentally decided to row with all their strength, to prove that they had a surplus of energy.

The woman dressed in hunting clothes didn't say much else. She continued to chat with Old Man Wu, "Professor Pan's body is in ill health recently. She's been getting insomnia quite often. Her personality makes it so that she would mentally attend to Gear at the north bank if a situation were to occur with it. It is better for the repairs of Gear to finish during these messy times to avoid further matters from popping up in the future."

Old Man Wu smacked his lips as he listened to his student speak about his wife. He didn't say any other words of blind worry over other people's business.

Wu Zunliang didn't stop for long, though. He looked at the two shores of the long river, saw the sad situation of the jungle, and couldn't help himself from cursing once more.

"Mutants are crazy things that cause utter destruction. Why the hell is Cloud City Water Village raising one? That dogsh*t ocean shop. I. Never. Should. Have. Helped. Them. In. The. First. Place!"

Old Man Wu stomped his feet with his head hanging down to his chest. He stomped once per word, and the wooden boat swayed back and forth. It could capsize at any time. The two experimental dogs' faces were devoid of all color, while the woman dressed in hunting clothes at the head of the ship pressed down her wide-brimmed hat. She smiled as she watched Old Man Wu vent.

As a veteran ecology expert, Wu Zunliang extremely loathed and detested Mutants. The devastation and the continuous variations of these monsters destroyed the ecological theories of the times before the Third War. These monsters practically destroyed the entire worth of his past fifty years of life.

The next forty years had him obtain accomplishments as before. His publications increased his status. The people of the world were in awe of his change in area of research before old age, of his magnificent feat of a second climb to the peak. Little did others know, Wu Zunliang's love for this field of knowledge was nearly exhausted by how ugly and diverse the genetics of the Mutants were.

Over the course of several dozen years, practically all influence from Mutants were isolated from the wetlands jungle of Acumen College. There were extremely few places like this one that could evoke his ideals from the beginnings of his life. But today, even this place was defiled. Old Man Wu truly did feel that life wasn't worth living.

"I'm going to write a letter to the school. No, the city government! The group of grandkids of Cloud City Water Village, I will see that they will be penalized with their family fortune!"

"If you want to write, then write," the woman dressed in hunting clothes easily agreed. At the same time, she swept her gaze across the river shore and chuckled, "I'm quite interested in that rook. This sort of body type already far exceeds that of a common raven, don't you think? I believe that the appearance of one this large hasn't been seen before."

"Which one?" Old Man Wu turned around to look, and a large bird with black wings flew into the depths of the jungle without practically a trace. The river just so happened to bend right that moment. The trees in front were sparse, and a lake opened up before them. They could faintly see Gear of the north bank towering above the lake. It was spattered with rust.

When truly seeing the building, Old Man Wu, who had been cursing and grumbling all this time, was speechless. He looked at the building for a long while, before turning and asking about the crow, "Did you get a picture?"

"I already sent it to your email…. Professor, I have an appointment. I'll need to leave early today."

"Oh, yeah. You mentioned this yesterday. You can go. There's nothing going on now anyway. Oh, there's water all around us. Let the little deers row a bit longer."

The two experimental dogs had hearts filled with tears, but they had to agree with the professor.

"Yeah, let us keep rowing for a bit."

"Just reach the shore. Students of mine can't possibly get lost in the jungle."

Old Man Wu bellowed with laughter.

The wooden boat approached the shore in a short while, and the woman dressed in hunting clothes nimbly jumped onto the shore. The small boat pulled some distance from the woman's force at the bow.

Old Man Wu shouted, "Come back home for dinner!"

"No need. There's someone taking care of food for me." The woman dressed in hunting clothes waved her hand. She turned around and entered the forest. In the blink of an eye, not a trace of her could be seen.

Old Man Wu sat back down at the stern of the boat. He turned to look at Gear facing the shore. He sighed as he patted the ridge of the boat, "Control the speed. Don't forget to take some samples."

The Gear at the north bank had much of its surface area on fire. Over the course of a few days, the exterior of Gear looked to have been restored to its original appearance. It always emanated a feeling of great change to it, of the scouring of time, and this made the aesthetic needs of its external form not too high.

The current work progress mainly had to do with the installation and remodeling of the internal equipment and facilities. The destruction caused by the departed Tank during the day of Headquarters' operation included the central control room. The central control room was nearly razed to the ground. The water cannons let out by the fire fighting devil ray had also caused great electrical damage. All sorts of cables needed to be buried and reinstalled.

The construction workers and technicians were carrying equipment in and out. It was a work scene that was buzzing with activity.

The rook flapped its wings as it sharply halted its falling descent to the ground. It stopped steadily atop the railing of an observation deck at the roof of the building. This position allowed it to see the figures of people entering and exiting. Even a little of the interior of the building could be seen through the glass windows.

There was a construction worker inside one of the rooms. He pushed a high precision imaging equipment. He moved openly through the various floors of the building. People would come over to him from time to time, and he would enter data obtained from other locations. He continued to revise the parameters, establishing a database that was likely even more meticulous than the original design drawing.

The scope of work and intensity of the construction worker, when converted to value, already far exceeded the payment offered by the school.

The crow stared coldly at everything. It flapped it wings several seconds later, flying across the wetlands jungle, which was still in a sorry state. It made its way out of the school, and it entered the large activity area.

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Chapter 333: Meeting in the City (Part 2/3)

Chapter 333: Meeting in the City (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

It was now a quarter after nine in the morning. The second round of morning classes at Acumen College had already begun, and the students in the area were more or less in class. The students were stuck on campus as their energy sapped away. The streets of the large activity area were more desolate than usual, with only the occasional car flying past on the low altitude magnetic rails extending off into the distance.

The Pingjiang District of Acumen College could compete for the throne of having the average lowest building heights within Xia City. There was the super-tall building complex Cloud City Water Village in the center, but this made the surroundings appear even shorter and flatter.

The crow flapped its wings, and it skillfully made its way through the gaps between buildings. It soon locked onto the entrance to an underground parking lot. It took advantage of a pedestrian's lack of attentiveness, and it flew in, practically sticking to the ceiling. It spiraled left and right as it flew in, and soon it reached the underground third floor. It found its final target in the middle of several hundred parked cars.

Amidst the sound of the fluttering of flapping wings, the crow dropped onto the rooftop of a common SUV. It knocked with its jet black talons, and the sunroof opened up to swallow the bird inside.

The inside of the car was filled with the fragrance of beef. In the driver's seat, a thick, muscular man held a bag of roasted meat fresh out of the oven. He ate using his hands, stuffing the pieces of meat into his mouth. The massive crow entered the car. When it collected its wings, it smacked the man's skull. The man didn't even raise his head. He was engrossed in eating.

The man's skin flushed red, something that was commonly seen among Caucasians. However, the man was Asian, so this gave off a feeling of abnormality. A mass of a beard like that of an artist's grew beneath the man's chin. It was fixed to his face, making him appear rather boorish.

The crow looked at this fellow inquisitively. Then it stood up in the shotgun seat, its claws hooking on to the seat. It stood quite steadily. Its enormous body exceeded seventy centimeters in height. As it stood in the front seat, it was no different in height from a normal person sitting down.

After swallowing the chunk of meat down his throat, the man turned to look at the crow. He locked gazes with the crow's pitch-black pupils and went, "Oh.” He rummaged around in the car with an extended hand and found a box. He tilted his bag of food, looking like he was about to dump the contents into the box.

"Did you eat yet? I'll give you some if you're hungry."

Yep, the man must be of the same trade. Otherwise, why would he treat a crow this way?

This enormous crow was none other than Luo Nan's pet. It was also Luo Nan's earliest 'believer'—Ink. Right now, Ink shared its sight with Luo Nan. Luo Nan could even control Ink, and he had Ink shake its head.

"Not going to eat? Well, forget it." The man crammed another chunk of meat into his mouth and chewed viciously. Then, he picked up a rubber band-shaped object from the control console and played with it using his fingers, revealing its toughness and elasticity. It shown with a luster of mauve. It was utterly eye-catching.

"Lift your leg."

Luo Nan was very cooperative as he gave the order to Ink. Ink hopped and lifted a claw askew in the air.

The man used two fingers to pull the rubber band open and put it on Ink's lower leg. The band immediately bound back, and the band wouldn't fall since talons were in the way. Ink's lower leg was now lined with a purplish red circle. It was really eye-catching.

Luo Nan felt Ink's sensations and knew that the band didn't have much influence, if any.

The man's voice came out indistinctly as he ate meat, "This little thing is specially made. It's a communications device, very easy to use. It's quite suitable for you mental-focused folks. You'll know once you try it."

He had bound a communications device on Ink's leg?

Luo Nan infused the object with his mental power. No reaction. Then he subtly interfered with the material plane, immediately stirring a key mechanism. The rubber band trembled slightly, sending out the corresponding signal.

"Hello. Hello?"

There wasn't any sound in the car, but the middle-aged man in the driver's seat tapped his earlobe. "I can hear you."

So that was how to use it. It was indeed very convenient and effortless. Luo Nan reckoned that he could have achieved the same result of external communication by relying on his previous interference power, which lacked his understanding in the coupling technique and merely allowed him to blow scraps of paper.

Luo Nan only had a single question right now, and he used the communications rubber band to ask, "Isn't this a bit roundabout? We can just use the HexaEar."

Luo Nan still remembered that the last time he and Crag Burst mobilized together, the two communicated unhindered on the Psychic Wave Network using the HexaEar. They also seamlessly accessed the large operation of the Society. There wasn't a need to start a completely new channel of communications, right?

"That's you guys' communications network. My connections are insufficient. Besides, your partner hasn't entered the Society either. So that's why."

"Partner? Then you…. What's your name, sir?"

"My last name is Jìn."

"Sir Jīn?"

"Fourth tone. The Jìn(靳) from putting together Gé(革) and Jīn(斤). You can just call me Old Jin. In any case, I'm a driver."

Luo Nan felt that this man was a bit moody. Perhaps his situation was similar to Worker Zhai's. They were people within the circle, but they weren't Awakened. They harbored some emotions of jealousy, and this was very normal. In any case, the Hidden Indigo Firm where Zhang Yingying works and the Martial Empress is reportedly the boss of had hired this man; he was an employee. Luo Nan needn't be worried about related psychological constructs.

These theatrics set up by Zhang Yingying made Luo Nan hide himself in the background. He attached his soul to his crow for some scouting. There was nothing that could be criticized from the aspect of safety. But in the end, he was still pulling the wool over people's eyes in a situation where cooperation was needed.

Luo Nan originally thought that the muscular old driver in front of him was to be his future partner for some time. However, it seemed that his partner was some other person?

The window rapped with noise during his pondering. Old Jin unlocked the doors, and someone opened a back door to sit in the back row. She wore a wide-brimmed hat, while shadow obstructed half of her face. She looked quite mysterious. She leaned back after sitting down. The movements of her limbs were rather lax. "Old Jin, my partner—oh, a rook with a height of seventy centimeters. A giant."

The one in the back had swept her gaze onto Ink riding shotgun, and she immediately let out an exclamation of admiration.

A normal rook would have a height of around fifty centimeters at maturity. Ink's body far exceeded that. Such information could be easily found on the Internet, but this person was able to distinguish the species of crow with a glance. She understood the pertinent field of knowledge through and through. She ought to be an enthusiast or a professional.

The person took off her wide-brimmed hat as she spoke. Her black hair dropped down like a waterfall, contouring a bright and beautiful face full of vitality. Her face seemed to light up the dim car.

Yes, it was a woman. She looked young, around twenty years old. Her skin was the healthy color of olive, but her skin tone wasn't dark. Instead, her skin shone with the bright luster of life. Capturing the description accurately, her skin was filled with collagen, expressing an abundance of vitality.

She casually bound her hair into a ponytail. Luo Nan could see that she was quite tall. She just straightened her back, and her head nearly touched the roof of the car. Her form-fitting hunting clothes stretched tight during this, causing her figure to appear all the more curvaceous.

"Old Jin, I'm not late, right?"

"Depends on how fast the car goes." Old Jin made a simple reply, then poured the rest of the roasted beef into his mouth. His cheeks bulged as he chewed viciously. He knocked against the control console, and the car started up in AI mode to speed out of the underground parking lot.

Luo Nan was stupefied at such a bold eating style. Then, the beauty sitting in the back reached out with a hand, and Luo Nan subconsciously got the feeling that she wanted to shake hands in greeting. He was about to order Ink to extend a wing in response, but the beauty had already tapped Ink on the head. Then she started rubbing Ink's head.

"This crow's not bad. Oh, or should I say spirit bird, familiar, or servant? Which one sounds better?"

"...."

"Peony also carries a communications device. You two can talk directly." Old Jin's voice was hard to make out, but he gave Luo Nan an introduction.

"Peony?" Luo Nan stirred the rubber band to give it a try.

"Hi. Mr. Crow, hello."

"Hello to you too. In any case, Miss Peony, it would be better if you could stop pressing against Ink's skull."

"This giant's name is Ink? That's easy to remember. It will be easier to call out later…. Also, don't add a 'Miss'. Peony is my codename. You can just call me by it."

"Then you can just call me Crow."

According to what Zhang Yingying said, everyone participating in the operation didn't know his true identity, and this included his partner. This was, of course, another safety measure, one that Luo Nan accepted.

Peony laughed. She had very beautiful eyes and very long eyelashes. The skin under her eyes was very youthful and plump, the color of which was very bright and full of moisture. Her eyes curved into exquisite moon-like arcs when she laughed. It was very attractive.

"Sure thing. I'll leave the 'Mr.’ to Ink. Mr. Ink, that has quite the ring to it."

"Caw!" Hearing people say its name over and over, Ink inexplicably awakened with self-awareness. It opened its mouth to voice out in a sound that was inevitably hoarse and unpleasant to the ears.

"So he agrees, right?"

"...."

By now, the ordinary SUV they rode in already cut its way into the high-speed magnetic rails. The driving route would have them spiral into the sky from Cloud City Water Village.

As the car changed lanes, the crow glanced at the skyscrapers reaching through the skies far in the distance. It paid particular attention to Ocean Sky Cloud City right in front.

It couldn't see the fine details of the building, but starting a week ago, waves and waves of 'tourists' displayed special interest over the viewing platform of the 142nd floor. They would stay for half a day, or even a full day, each visit. They didn't just use the viewing scopes atop the platform, they even brought their own equipment to look with delight and joy.

These 'tourists' pair off quite nicely with some 'construction workers' at Gear. A lot of different types of data and information came back and forth between them. It could be said the Gear was studied meticulously and thoroughly from the inside out.

It was very interesting. From current intelligence, it seemed that the origins of these people were quite complicated. At least four or five batches of them were from investors. There were conflicts between them, and there was also cooperation. Each of them showed off their schemes, playing with extreme delight.

But no matter how openly they fought and how covertly they maneuvered, these people's target was clear. They were all observing and surmising: Were there deeper secrets to the building that was Gear? Could they publish something out of them?

So Luo Nan understood that although Gear appeared to be peaceful, it had already sunk into a torrential undercurrent. And it was falling deeper and deeper.

The reason for which was still unknown.

Ah, the stress!

The car remained silent like this the entire way, and they arrived at a different underground parking lot fifteen minutes later. It should belong to some business hotel downtown. This area was linked to the recycling stratum. Thick walls could be seen at one side as the car made its way down. There were decadent and crazed figures of people wandering around beyond the walls.

It was impossible for sight to penetrate the body of the car and the thick walls, but a thirty meter radius of area was all within the scope of Ink's perception. This area turned into a meticulous scene, and the scene was projected into Luo Nan's mind, located several kilometers away.

Using pure observation, mental power could penetrate through walls regardless of it coming from Luo Nan himself or his believers. Nothing couldn't be reached. The only thing that was restrictive was the finite range that could be covered.

A radius of thirty meters. This was the limit of Ink's natural perception. However, separated by space, Luo Nan could also use various methods of strengthening to expand the range substantially, though temporarily.

Luo Nan compared this with other information, and he felt that this ability was quite sufficient.

The car accurately parked in the middle of a parking spot, and just ahead was an elevator. Old Jin smacked his lips. He had eaten all the beef completely clean.

"Well, time to get out. What happens next has nothing to do with me."

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Chapter 334: Meeting in the City (Part 3/3)

Chapter 334: Meeting in the City (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

Under the urging of Old Jin, the first thing Peony did was get off the car. She put on her wide-brimmed hat, brought her hands to her head to fiddle with her hair, and got her pony tail to come through the back of her hat. She shook her head slightly, giving off a sense of luster and beauty, and the dynamic feeling of life.

Now Luo Nan was able to confirm that Peony was rather tall. She absolutely had the figure of a model, looking to be in the same category as his cousin Mo Ya. In other words, she had to be taller than a hundred eighty centimeters. This caused the youngster, whose real body was barely a hundred seventy centimeters, to feel rather pressured.

Luckily, he didn't need to reveal himself.

Ink hopped out of the window. It extended its wings, did a slight turn, and flew up into the air. Luo Nan saw that the elevator was waiting a floor above, and he used the power of interference to press the button. The elevator's light lit up, and it opened just as Peony arrived in front of it.

"Thank you, Mr. Ink." Peony gave a drawn out laugh, but she had thanked the wrong person. The skin beneath her eyes shown clearer during her smile, carving two crescents, while her eyes seemed to be covered with mist. They were hazy and unclear. This made her appear all the more charming.

Peony walked into the elevator as she smiled. She patted her shoulder. "Want to take a break?"

Ink already made a decision by itself before Luo Nan could personally express himself. Perhaps Ink felt that the elevator was too cramped, being unable to completely extend its wings. It simply dropped onto Peony's shoulder.

"Wow, you're heavy."

Whether it was looking at Ink from a species perspective or from a real-life situation perspective, Ink was no doubt a large fellow. Right now, its two claws gripped on to Peony's shoulder. It retracted its wings, putting them away. It would have whacked Peony in the head if it didn't.

The elevator went up, and soon reached the fiftieth floor. There was someone waiting at the exit. That person was stunned as he saw Peony, and especially the enormous crow atop her shoulder. It took a while before he approached them and said, "Hello, are you Mrs. Peony of the Hidden Indigo Firm?

Peony gave a grunt of agreement, a very sufficient attitude.

The receptionist's gaze slowed a bit when it swept across Peony's face. Then his mind inexplicably shivered. He soon judged the cause to be from the crow.

Disregard whether or not the crow was bold and imposing. This crow that perched on the beauty's shoulder was leaning forward habitually in its stance. Its height seemed to be bearable, but its tail and body formed a diagonal line. The crow’s stance was akin to someone leaning forward with their body, pressing right before the eyes in a deadly glare. The pitch-black eyes were completely fixed. They were eerie. And they were looking more and more uncanny.

The receptionist involuntarily took a step back, but realized that he was being impolite. He gave an awkward laugh and shifted to the side. He extended a hand and said, "Please walk this way."

Peony nodded and walked into a small conference room ahead.

The room was approximately forty square meters. The tables and chairs placed throughout everywhere except the center were oval-shaped. In the center was some device. The device wasn't even on, but there were a lot of people sitting in the chairs. There were about twenty people there.

The agreed upon time was 9:30, and right now, it was already 9:32. They were late by two minutes, but the conference had yet to begin. It seemed that they weren't the only ones who were late.

Seeing Peony come in carrying a giant of a crow, everyone in the room all turned to study them.

Peony maintained her polite yet estranged smile. She took on everyone's gazes as she found a place to sit down. She adopted a gaze of curiosity, and her gaze swept over the faces of everyone in the room. She was expressing extreme relaxation with her body language.

Ink hopped down from her shoulder and stood atop the desk in front. Under Luo Nan's will, Ink gathered its wings and closed its mouth. It uttered not a sound. It only twisted its head back and forth, and its eyeballs swiveled along.

The beauty and the crow shifted their gazes, switching targets in sync and out of sync. One woman. One crow. They blatantly observed the other people in the meeting. In the end, these powerful people somewhat couldn't take it. They broke their gazes away one after another.

Originally, there were some people who wanted to get close to the beautiful girl when they first saw her. They wanted to say hello and see what might transpire. However, they dismissed these thoughts one after another, and the atmosphere became awkward.

As such, of the twenty or so people in the room, only Peony's expression didn't change from beginning to end.

Luo Nan was forced to admire her. He had Ink as a shield, with himself being several dozen kilometers away. He had nothing to worry about. However, Peony's performance spelled that of experience. She was calm and composed. Unyielding and imposing.

It was unknown what kind of work she did at the Hidden Indigo Firm.

Luo Nan realized that he was so busy for the past few days to the point of dizziness. He knew very little about his future partner. He was mulling over whether or not he should go ask Zhang Yingying for more information when the door made a sound. Another person came in, who paused a bit before coming over to their side.

The newly arrived person simply pulled out the chair that was next to Peony. Then he bowed with a smile. "May I sit here?"

"Feel free." Peony tilted her head. She roughly studied the person a little, and she didn't refuse.

This person sat next to Peony. He was a young man in casual clothes. His medium length curly hair was one of the more striking things about him. They hung to the end of his shoulder, appearing a bit fluffy. His skin tone was extremely white, and he even had an earring in his left ear.

Luo Nan was certain that this brother's stylist was absolutely top-notch. Such a hairstyle not only didn't appear effeminate, it enhanced the contours of his facial structure, which seemed to carry a bit of mixed blood. Pairing this with his V-shaped build made it so that he gave off quite an aura of masculinity, kind of like an old European lord.

The young man introduced himself after sitting down, "Hello, my last name is Long. I am ranked seventh. My friends call me Long Seven. I just joined this group. Allow me the liberty to ask your name."

"You can just call me Peony."

"Peony?" Long Seven swept his gaze across Peony's cheeks to land atop her wide-brimmed hat. "I'm guessing that you're a student of Acumen College."

Luo Nan ate some shock, but he soon realized that he was getting ahead of himself. From beginning to end, Long Seven was just chatting with Peony.

Peony had no ill will toward this handsome person of a mixed race. Her smile burst forth from the corners of her eyes as she asked in rapport, "What's your reasoning?"

"Please forgive me for being blunt. Jungle Owl is a non-professional gaming clan made up of students. They just entered the WCG Tournament in only one game called Ten Days in the Wilderness. Their achievements aren't much to write home about. Their merchandise is mainly and only consumed in Acumen College.”

It was only now that Luo Nan noticed that there was a logo in front of Peony's wide-brimmed hat. It was in the shape of an owl. It was probably the logo of the so-called Jungle Owl.

"It's not that bad. Jungle Owl has quite good-looking 'skin.’ There are tons of fans inside and outside the school."

Peony leaned in to the side, using her elbow as support on the table. Her fingertips felt along the edge of her wide-brimmed hat. This casual action made her hat tilt a bit, giving off a bit of an easy-going feeling.

Long Seven didn't say anything. Some of the members looking at them had eyeballs nearly bulging out.

Next, Peony and Long Seven chatted about eSports. It was just that Long Seven knew the styles, members, and accomplishments of the various gaming clans like the back of his hand. On the other hand, Peony was far more interested in the attractiveness of the members of each team... regardless of them being male or female.

"Ha, I really have an appearance complex. Other people look at the live streams, while I look at the sidelights, the interviews, and so on." Peony didn't hide her interests at all. She giggled in utter delight.

Long Seven was about to speak when he suddenly froze. In the middle of his startled gaze, one of Peony's hands propped up her cheek, while the other hand reached forward. Her long fingers gently brushed across the curls by the side of Long Seven's face. It seemed that she even touched his skin.

"Of course, you're not bad too."

The ambiguous levels were off the charts!

The thrill levels were off the charts!

Most of the people in the conference room were eavesdropping on and peeking at the conversation between the beauty and the handsome man. When Peony made this move, some people gasped from being caught off guard, while some people's eyes lit up bright with raging flames.

The cause of all this was the rampant growth of emotions in the heart.

Long Seven instantly recovered from his astonishment. He instinctively reached out, seemingly seeking to grab Peony's probing fingers. But he hesitated a beat.

Peony withdrew her delicate fingers without a sound, but she held an earring of lustrous silver between her thumb and index finger. This was none other than the earing that was on Long Seven's left ear.

Long Seven became serious for the first time upon meeting when he saw the object in Peony's fingers. He said, "Miss Peony…."

"You can just call me Peony."

Within this dialogue provoking déjà vu, Peony's posture remained unchanging; she continued to have her cheek propped up by her arm. She just held the earing between her fingers, and studied it in great detail close to her eyes. After a while, she visibly exerted force with her fingers. The fine circular earring didn't react.

Long Seven's expression turned grave. He was right about to speak, but how was he to know that the beauty before him would extend an arm before his eyes and say, "It's quite a good earring. Is it made of platinum?"

Long Seven didn't answer Peony's question. He immediately grabbed the earring and hooked it back on his ear. His tense face softened a bit, but it was impossible for him to return to his previous state of speech and laughter. The atmosphere grew all the more bizarre.

Ink could feel all the changes in the atmosphere. It subconsciously flapped its wings, dropping a feather.

Peony reached out and held it. She jabbed Ink in the head, all smiles. She played around, minding her own business. She looked like she didn't care at all about Long Seven's change in attitude.

What an egotistical woman….

Luo Nan had just made this initial judgment when someone else walked into the conference room. This person stood straight in front of the oval table. His eyes swept across the room in a circle before nodding and saying,

"Everyone is present. Let the meeting begin."

The man who just arrived had a face that already reached old age. He was at least seventy years old, but he stood ramrod straight. He introduced himself with ample energy and a magnificent voice, "I am Trigate Corporation's CEO. My name is Wu Bin. I am also the person in charge of this project and the organizer of this team. I will be the one to coordinate the project's specific actions for the following time period. Among the people sitting, there are two professionals worthy of trust. There are also the elite of the company and those who possess powerful strength. I am confident that this Preservation Operation will achieve satisfactory results."

Wu Bin's speech was a bit bureaucratic, but he kept in accordance with the government and military background of Trigate Corporation.

His stiff speech didn't represent a rigid mind. Wu Bin was fully aware that the experts he invited were meeting with the team members for the first time. They needed to have an intuitive understanding of each other. He took this chance to call upon one of his subordinates, "Introduce yourselves, starting from you."

The subordinate quickly stood up. He was just about to speak when Peony raised her hand from the middle of the table. Her fingers were still playing with the dark blackish blue crow feather as she said, "Director Wu. The Hidden Indigo Firm wishes for you to first explain the personnel that compose the action team. According to the contract agreed upon by the firm and your company, we should be the only professional consultants and conductors. Where did talk of two professionals come from?"

Her words shut up the poor subordinate, who was left looking stupidly at Wu Bin.

The atmosphere in the conference room entered an even more awkward stage.

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Chapter 335: Winghand Bloodbat

Chapter 335: Winghand Bloodbat

Translator: Strivon

Wu Bin's brows furrowed slightly under Peony's inquiry, but he immediately presented a smile and said, "It's like this: We received the latest intelligence and saw that some of our targets possess the ability to spray matter that can cause large doses of radiation in a short period of time. These targets also like to live in areas of radiation. Therefore, we specifically invited Mr. Long Seven."

Wu Bin extended an arm upon speaking, and Long Seven was very cooperative. He stood up and faced the other people in greeting. His bearing and air were all first-class. His smooth and natural body language diluted the awkward atmosphere in the room.

Then came the applause…. The members of the meeting were really clapping.

Wu Bin asked Long Seven to sit down. He continued, "Mr. Long Seven has been recommended by Northhope Corporation. He is an expert, and he possesses the special ability to neutralize radiation. As the world's finest supplier of human resources, Northhope Corporation's acuity is worthy of trust. I, myself, am also convinced of Mr. Long Seven's professional accomplishments. At the same time, I ask you to believe in the sincerity of our cooperation and our ability to keep our promises."

Hearing all this, Luo Nan already formed a rough assessment. This team probably had frequent dealings with ability users. Wu Bin talked of special abilities as natural as drinking water. He also didn't pay particular attention to Ink, an odd choice for a pet. He was probably very experienced in the world, not wondering at strange sights.

This was quite reassuring.

Peony clasped her hands together to form a cup that braced her chin. This made her appear even more focused. Only the light scratching of her face with the crow feather revealed a slightly different kind of interest.

Of course, it didn't matter what posture Peony adopted. A beautiful girl looked good in any position. It also dispelled the negative feelings of the others in the room. And just like this, she smiled. "Our firm doesn't doubt your company's power and reputation, but things need to be considered professionally. When scouting and locking onto the target, all matters need to be directed by our firm. This one point cannot be changed because of the team composition, the type of target, the environment, and other reasons."

Wu Bin responded immediately, "We won't go back on our word upon the matters stressed in the agreement."

Peony switched her gaze to Long Seven's face, "The firm will not take any responsibility for any losses caused by clause-violating actions from the cooperating partners and the members of the team. In such a case, the firm will withdraw from this project and seek compensation."

Wu Bin confirmed, "No objections."

Long Seven studied Peony from the side. He laughed two seconds later, and said, "I am providing special service. Mrs. Peony, I have no contradictions with you taking charge of the entire situation…. I will certainly comply with the related clauses."

Peony smiled as she sat back down. She tossed the feather back onto the table and said, "Then I have nothing else to say."

Wu Bin let out a hidden sigh of relief while revealing a grand smile on his face. "Since we are one team, it is best to communicate in a timely fashion. Be like Mrs. Peony and directly point out these things. We can dispel quite a few problems."

Though he said these things, he wasn't willing to have Peony talk again. He indicated everyone to begin introducing themselves, and the team members introduced themselves one by one. Soon, it went around in a circle before arriving back at Peony and Long Seven.

Long Seven donned an air of a noble, but he took the initiative to introduce himself for the sake of the collective. "Director Wu mentioned just now that he mainly invited me for my radiation neutralization ability. I won't say anything more on this topic. Other than that, I have studied the use of firearms and exoskeleton armors—”

Peony suddenly interrupted him, "What kind of exoskeleton armor? Military? Police? Or a Deep Blue Walker?"

Long Seven gave a subtle smile. "I can use all of them."

"Oh, forgive me." Though Peony said this, she was not the least bit surprised. She casually raised her hand, indicating that it was now her turn to introduce herself. "As you all can see, my special ability is being able to control birds for reconnaissance of a wide area, and perform some information integration analysis of the work. However, it seems like there's already an intelligence officer on the team."

Wu Bin immediately made himself known, "We will certainly get the coordination done well. Axel Thue is mainly responsible for liaison and intelligence sharing. He is a very good assistant."

Intelligence Officer Axel Thue, who had already introduced himself, stood back up once more to send his greetings to Peony. He didn't sit back down, though. Instead, he followed Wu Bin's intentions and began introducing the specifics of the operation.

This briefing wasn't just for Peony’s and Long Seven’s benefit. The majority of the people in the conference room were the elite of Trigate Securities’ operations department. However, they didn't have the privileges to look up certain key information. They needed to receive a comprehensive explanation.

The projector turned on within the dark room, projecting a different slice of the world inside.

The light in the background spelled the time of dusk. The setting sun illuminated to the side. Wrinkled layers of the dark red earth lay alongside plains of wild growth. The earth sucked in the red clouds of the setting sun, appearing like waves of blood frozen instantly during their rush. The earth formed piles upon piles of countless hills and valleys that extended to the reaches of heaven and earth.

"The Wilderness... Wavepeak Hills?" Long Seven muttered. It was like he was speaking to himself, yet also deliberately conversing with Peony.

Peony turned to look at him. "You're quite familiar with the terrain around Xia City."

"I go there for a run from time to time."

The bird's eye view continue to push forward during their exchange. The elevation gradually dropped at the end of the monotonous horizon, and a blood red, hilly area emerged, showing that Long Seven's deduction brimmed with acuity.

The camera gradually locked onto the target.

Countless black dots spiraled in the dusky skies above the hills. They were like a weary flock of birds that wished to return home. But when the camera drew near and locked onto one of the bodies, Luo Nan's eyelid twitched from far away in the campus of Acumen College.

What appeared in the center of the projection was not a bird at all. It was more like an ugly and mutated bat…. It was, without a doubt, a Mutant.

The bat wasn't large in size. Its wingspan was around thirty centimeters. Its skull was the size of a small dog's. Its ears were very large. Its teeth were sharp, and its eyes were the color of blood red. Ash black fur grew around its entire body.

Its most distinguishing feature were the four claws that extended from the edges of its open webbed wings.

Looking at the Mutant from a different angle, this monster's limbs were quite complete. It possessed ample muscle, and it appeared to possess extraordinary strength. Its webbed wings appeared to be more like attachments.

Intelligence Officer Axel Thue timely intervened with an explanation, "Winghand Bloodbat. They are a Mutant species that live in flocks. They suck on the blood of large mammalians to survive. While sucking blood, they also inject a paralysis agent and a virus. Large enough doses are fatal. Its diet includes people, and even its own species. Large flocks of them can become Class 2 threats. The vagrants of the wilderness call them Pubula. It’s an onomatopoeia, mimicking the sound of their flapping wings.”

He turned on the sound upon speaking. The high-fidelity audio reproduced the sound of the scene, the sound of hundreds upon hundreds of devilish bats circling in their flight. They made the uncanny sound of 'bulabula,’ which was akin to the sound of a sea of flags fluttering in the wind. The sound was constant.

Axel Thue brought out an anatomical diagram at the edge of the projection, then said, "Everyone, please pay particular attention. The Winghand Bloodbat's body doesn't have a vocal organ. It normally doesn't make a sound when it flies and feeds. It is a terrifying assassin of the night. It only makes such a sound when it seeks a mate. Of course, they become extremely violent and keen during these times. Their destructive power is also at the peak."

Another diagram popped out from below the anatomical diagram. Axel Thue was quite skilled in powerpoint.

“During the Winghand Bloodbat's mating season, the virus that it injects during blood-feeding possesses highly infectious and highly deadly characteristics. So far, there are already records of small and medium vagrant tribes being wiped out by being infected. This place, for instance, is a ruin from the annihilation of a vagrant tribe."

The camera angled shifted, and the people in the room could see hollowed holes atop the hills. They were quite regular. They were used as windows.

These were earth caves commonly used by vagrant tribes. They were quite solid, and great at concealing them, allowing them to avoid the majority of predators in the Wilderness. There was the scenario of earth cave battles in the Ten Days in the Wilderness game, so the image was not unfamiliar to Luo Nan.

But all that appeared in the image was deathly stillness. The camera switched, and a few withered corpses appeared among scattered rocks and weeds. It seemed that every one of these corpses haf contorted. The people in the room could imagine that these vagrants had struggled desperately as they died.

Silence descended upon the meeting room.

Intelligence Officer Axel Thue continued to explain, "There is something that we need to be particularly aware of. According to the latest research, some of the Winghand Bloodbats have mutated and evolved to gain finite control over its viruses. I don't know how else to say it. Does everyone understand...?"

Long Seven interrupted with a question, "So you're saying that the Winghand Bloodbat can control its infected target?"

"No, it has to do with the degree of infection. There exists a chance that it can cause mutations. According to the experimental data of a certain research organization, a Winghand Bloodbat was able to realize mutation in two experimental bodies."

"Human experimentation?"

Intelligence Officer Axel Thue swept a glance at his boss and shrugged. "The data doesn't indicate this."

He didn't continue this topic. He just completely presented the various habits and characteristics of the Winghand Bloodbat in a very patient manner. This included the newest results from various research organizations, and he didn't even miss presenting the variations and subspecies of the Winghand Bloodbat.

Unavoidably, he also explained the possible infiltration routes of this Mutant into Xia City.

The whole thing took two hours. Acumen College's morning classes all ended by then.

Trigate Corporation must have felt that the presentation was getting too long and tedious. All sorts of drinks, fruits, and snacks were brought to the people in the meeting. Even Ink was given a cup of drinking water.

They barely made it to the end when a display board of considerable size appeared to the side of the projection. There were several dark outlines and figures arranged upon it, and they were roughly divided into four levels. The top level was a bit sparse, while the bottom level was densely packed. There were at least a couple dozen of them.

The projection of the Wilderness and the Winghand Bloodbat flock became a mass of light, and this mass of light was cast into the upper left corner of the first outline.

At this pace, the meeting would last two days!

Long Seven couldn't help shaking his head. "The scope is considerable."

"Now is a good time to pull the fire alarm, right?" Peony smiled from the corner of her eyes to her lips. She didn't actually mean her words, though.

She never counted on Wu Bin to directly respond. She just spoke to her 'pet,’ "Mr. Ink, finished with your nap yet?"

Ink, who had become as still as a sculpture of clay, raised its eyelids. It really was napping under Luo Nan's orders. Ink just left a strand of consciousness to observe its surroundings, allowing Luo Nan to make use of it. Otherwise, Ink would have long since made a commotion with its lively natural instincts.

"We have prepared lunch. I ask the two experts to come." Wu Bin had no choice but to explain while giving the invitation, "As you can see, the Winghand Bloodbat is an exception in this case….”

Peony cast a sidelong glance at him. "There are three exceptions. You're still calling them one exception?"

On the four-level outline of the display board, the top level comprised three Winghand Bloodbats. The second level had five. The third and the fourth had eight. There was a total of twenty-four.

Disregarding exceptions, there were twenty-four Mutants who had killed their way into Xia City simultaneously. This was one of the most serious public safety incidents in the last thirty years.

Wu Bin continued to beat around the bush, "These targets are arranged in decreasing order of threat. As such, we have planned milestone and stage bonuses. The topmost three have special rewards."

Peony looked straight at Wu Bin in the face. "It's great to talk about money, but I bet that the government and military hasn't done much in the directional search for limited targets such as these. Am I right?"

"We can increase the efficiency this way."

"Oh true, you can save quite a bit of effort.... Mr. Long Seven, what do you think?"

Long Seven crossed his arms, an action that was not very like that of a lord. "Modern science and technology is always rapidly progressing."

Peony held a goblet atop the table. She shook it slightly, and the blue-green suds of the drink clung to the walls of the goblet as liquid spun within. She immediately raised her cup in indication to Long Seven.

"A toast to Earth's future."

Long Seven laughed in response. Their cups gently touched with a clink, and the odd and distorted faces of various people were reflected on the cups’ surfaces.

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Chapter 336: Atop the Electric Shuttle

Chapter 336: Atop the Electric Shuttle

Translator: Strivon

Autumn turned into winter, increasing the nights and decreasing the days. Half of the allotted afternoon school society time had yet to pass when the rays of the setting sun cast upon Acumen College. The sun dyed everything with a layer of red, vaguely matching with the Wilderness within the projection.

Luo Nan rode the campus's electric shuttle. He headed toward the auditorium with half-lidded eyes. He looked like he was sleeping, but he was not.

Xue Lei didn't mind. Splitting the consciousness for two uses. Luo Nan had been like this for the entire day, not resting for a short moment. But Luo Nan's wrist band started to vibrate. It did so for several dozen seconds, and Xue Lei could even hear the buzz. This brother still wasn't responding. What the heck?

Xue Lei couldn't hold back at last. He gave Luo Nan a push. "Someone's calling you!"

Luo Nan went, "Ah,” and finally snapped out of it. He saw who it was on the caller ID and put the call through. "Hello, Third Brother."

Hu Huaying was the one who called. The call barely connected when he smacked Luo Nan with a question, "Nanster, where are you?"

"I'm heading to Gear right now."

"Okay. Hurry up a bit. The construction team is wrapping up for today. The underground facilities are pretty much all repaired now. They gave Old Xie a call, and Old Xie gave me a call to ask you to check it out."

"Check it out?"

Luo Nan felt that things were quite amusing. Since Gear had been damaged by the fires last week, that place had become a location where supernatural entities gathered. There were five, six, seven, eight spies stuffed there. What was there to check out? The volume of intelligence each faction was gathering?

Of course, this matter had nothing to do with Xie Junping and Hu Huaying. When all was said and done, all of this was caused by Luo Nan being too high-profile back then, and the display of his extraordinary attachment to Gear. Even if there was nothing odd about Gear, Luo Nan's actions were bound to stir the attention of several eyes. What's more, this place was not that simple.

Luo Nan's emotions swung twice before he responded with a whisper, "I know. I'll be there in a minute."

Luo Nan hung up and leaned back. He furrowed his brows subconsciously.

Xue Lei turned to look at him. "You're no longer attending the meeting?"

Luo Nan grunted and said, "Nope, it's too long. I don't really understand as well."

Actually, some of Luo Nan's words were insincere. Xue Lei couldn't tell, but he was curious. He asked, "What did they talk about?"

"They talked about things like Mutants, genetic infection, and the probability of transmission." Luo Nan used telepathy to inform Peony as he talked with Xue Lei. He just left a bit of will to give Ink reins as he completely withdrew his attention.

It was already half past four in the afternoon. Seven hours had passed since the meeting started. Luo Nan withdrew, subconsciously letting out a sigh of relief.

As the meeting dragged on, the discussions grew more and more technical and specialized. Such specialized knowledge was too obscure and abstract for a high school student. From time to time, it was simply like listening to a different language. To forcefully try to understand it was a waste of brain power, and this would also bring about issues with accuracy.

He might as well just listen to the conclusion. The Hidden Indigo Firm were arranging things this way, after all. Luo Nan finally realized Zhang Yingying's kindness. If things were to follow in the style of today's meeting, there wasn't much he had to do for the next few days.

However, Luo Nan had to admit that he really learned a lot from this long meeting. Much of the specialized knowledge regarding Mutants and the Wilderness, as well as the related intelligence analysis, were unheard of and unseen until now.

Luckily, Luo Nan had taken lessons from the Society recently. Otherwise, Luo Nan would lack even the most basic of common knowledge in these subjects.

"These days, you need to be careful of cats, dogs, birds, bats, mice, and other animals like these. Don't get hurt by them. Right, there's the recycling stratum in the Dual River District. You need to be careful of people too."

"What happened? A viral infection? An epidemic?"

"It's not that serious. The effects on normal people isn't too big. It's mainly us who are..." Luo Nan recalled the knowledge he gained from the meeting, giving Xue Lei a warning.

The virus transmitted by the Mutant was such that the stronger the infected person, the greater likelihood of mutation. Ability users were people at high risk.

It was like some time ago with the crisis from the divide and spread of the Human-Faced Arachnid. Aside from the unlucky few who got too close, normal people practically escaped unscathed. But several people of Xia City's ability user society branch were controlled by this parasite, creating a huge mess.

That was an infection on the mental plane. As for the Winghand Bloodbat, the poison and the virus were transmitted via blood. Physically enhanced ability users would find themselves attracting the Winghand Bloodbats like flies.

Xue Lei's tooth ached just listening to Luo Nan. He gritted his teeth and couldn't help asking a few details.

Luo Nan acted as a translator. He took all the information he knew and selected the information that directly concerned him. He simply requested Xue Lei to refrain from spreading this information. It was fine to warn his family to take note. If any symptoms appeared, they should promptly contact the Society.

"Isn't this a bio-crisis? And the city is hiding it like this? There hasn't been any rumors of it at all. I wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me…. Oh right, will there be any problems with you telling me these things?"

"I have signed a confidentiality agreement," laughed Luo Nan as he waved his hand. "The agreement is written very clearly. The Hidden Indigo Firm and its shareholders have the right to know and follow the developments in the situation. We are also allowed the discretion to notify parties of interest. However, our actions must not cause social impacts…. So isn't this okay?"

"Social impacts?" Xue Lei didn't quite understand.

"No informing the various authoritative media and social media. Do not cause rumors. This should be all right."

Xue Lei let out a breath of relief, and he couldn't help from breaking into laughter. "This agreement isn't worth sh*t."

"It's quite an unequal one."

This clause was extremely vague. To follow to the letter resulted in a limit that was practically boundless. The Xia City's branch was Hidden Indigo Firm's shareholder. They also worked for the public good. Xue Lei was a member of the Society. Legally, it wasn't a problem for Xue Lei to know.

In the meeting, it was unknown just how many times Peony used methods like these to torment Wu Bin to the point of wanting to cry but being unable to. This was something else Luo Nan had gained today.

In addition to the discussion of specialized knowledge, the meeting also involved techniques and skills of office politics. Peony, Long Seven, Director Wu Bin, and Intelligence Officer Axel Thue displayed excellent performances in regard to this.

Luo Nan expressed himself quite emotionally while explaining it to Xue Lei, "The flashing of blade light and sword shadows. To kill without a sound. What sort of minds does this group of people have?"

He really admired them.

Luo Nan had experienced many things since entering the inner world. He was always within the eye of the storm, and he always became the target of fire. There were many times when he needed to forge ahead, contend against enemies, and work with his teammates. He never had any leeway to rest.

In fact, his experiences proved that he wasn't a natural leader. He was crippled in this aspect to a degree.

He spent most of his time past the age of ten doing experiments and immersing himself in research. His introverted nature was one that was nearly that of a hermit. He had no concept of certain matters at all. He could only move in accordance to what he felt. There were many flaws in his chain of actions, and many times what he did was for naught. Luckily, his fortune was decent. He had the power revealed to him by Formatting Theory. He also had assistance from He Yueyin, Zhang Yingying, and big shots like Ouyang Chen. Only in this way did he not die a violent death, and instead, endured the many bumps on the road of life to this day.

In today's meeting, Luo Nan remained behind the scenes, a rarely seen action. He just left a strand of consciousness tied to Ink's body. He collected his mouth, only bringing his eyes and ears. He increased his knowledge using only pure observation, obtaining real benefits.

He learned in particular from Peony and Long Seven. Peony was a very strong individual, but she was extremely good at utilizing her beauty to gloss over and dispel matters. On the other hand, Long Seven was a needle concealed in silk floss, a ruthless character behind a gentle appearance. His sharp, prideful air was concealed behind an aura of confidence and ease produced from his words and actions.

Occasionally, the two would oppose each other with equal intensity. Occasionally, the two cooperated closely. Being divided or being together was unfixed. They brought Wu Bin, a seasoned character at the scene, under their rhythm. The team leader had long since become merely the team leader in name.

This sort of scene's ability to grab one's attention was much more powerful than that of the dry and boring classroom lectures.

Peony and Long Seven were in their twenties, but their stores of knowledge, their bearings, their words and actions, and their natures and characters were quite brilliant to Luo Nan. Luo Nan admired them… and perhaps felt inferior in comparison.

He was only six or seven years younger, but they were this different. Would he be able to reach their level through the experience of six or seven years?

All right, these hopes seemed uncertain….

A call from another person came right when Luo Nan was describing the situation to Xue Lei. This time, the call came from a different channel. The HexaEar vibrated. It was Zhang Yingying.

The connection was made, and this sister excitedly smacked him in the face with a question, "You've been stunned by them, right?"

"Quite stunned," Luo Nan spoke with sincere emotion, "Your firm is filled with the elite. Peony is quite amazing. It seems like she's even from our school?"

"Tsk, you've simply jumped ship to go catch lobsters, and now you're speaking modestly? Don't go blindly praising others. What about you?"

"Me? What can I do? I'm just pretending to be a crow over there…."

"Crow, my a*s! It's more like you're out of it! Big bro, you're the core of this project, okay? Being elite doesn't matter. If you don't talk, they'll just play hide and seek at Xia City!"

Zhang Yingying's mood was erratic. She was all smiles before, but now she was frustrated because Luo Nan did not meet her expectations. "The firm has outsourced this project to you because we look favorably upon your mental sensing ability. All the work depends upon your actions. Letting our firm do all the work is the same as tossing money away. The least you can do is listen!"

Luo Nan didn't know how he should respond. This quarrel was different from the ones in the past. Zhang Yingying was speaking completely from his standpoint. She exhausted all there was to talk about. There probably wasn't anything he could refute with.

He was speechless for a long time, and it was Zhang Yingying who sighed in the end. She slowed down and said, "I'm not reproaching you. I just feel that this is an excellent chance for you. The job is practically tailor-made for you. Just do things like in a video game…."

"This, the invasion of Mutants, can't be considered a game."

"A metaphor. It was just a metaphor, okay? Haven't you realized it? Your biggest problem is that you're too stressed. The work is to search out these Mutants. You're pretty much the only one with a mental sensing ability on this level in Xia City. Aside from the boss and the president, there's no one who is better than you. This is your specialty. This is your field. You're the authority here. If you don't establish a frame now, when will you?"

"...."

"Oh my god!"

Luo Nan's silence spelled the problem very clearly. Zhang Yingying couldn't hold back from tilting her head to the sky and sighing, "Your performances at Frost River Reality and at Ocean Sky Cloud City were quite kick*ss. You stifled people to the point of madness. You cheated people to the point of spitting blood. You killed people, totally annihilating them. You were godlike. But with just a few days of time, you're shrinking more and more."

"I haven't shrunk," Luo Nan wanted to correct her for his own sake.

"Yes. Yes, you old man. You're growing, but it doesn't hurt to stand up straight everyday. Are you getting enough oxygen to your brain?"

Zhang Yingying shot her mouth off like a machine gun. She mowed down with a rapid-fire beat, "Relax. Relax your mind. What are you stressed about? Are you afraid of embarrassment? Don't say that you're an authority. Even if you make a small mistake, you're not really appearing in person. What's wrong with making a mistake? That crow. Its name is Ink, right? It is a mask. And you use it to conceal yourself. No one knows who you are. You can laugh or you can curse. You can cry or you can vent. They won't know who you are unless you tell them."

Luo Nan asked stupidly, "A mask?"

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Chapter 337: Soloer

Chapter 337: Soloer

Translator: Strivon

Zhang Yingying stammered a bit when Luo Nan asked this question. The words she just spoke were all driven by her emotions. They were an attempt to evoke Luo Nan's emotions, so Zhang Yingying didn't pay particular attention to her choice of words. How was she to know that this guy, Luo Nan, would be apathetic to the extreme, and even have the leisure to answer her question with a question?

Zhang Yingying had no choice. She could only improvise on the fly, "Yes, you understand now. When one wears a mask, one gains an additional layer of protection. It is easier to let loose with this protection. Aren't there performance styles with people wearing masks on stage? In those performances, the expressive power of the limbs is regarded as more important than the face. You don't need to worry about ugly appearances. The audience will even naturally imagine it. Don't people say that imagination is more beautiful than reality?"

Zhang Yingying's logic was a complete mess by the end. Even she was about to facepalm.

But she never expected that Luo Nan would really be dragged into the ditches by her. "You're saying that this is a show, and I am to engage as a new character. This way I can lessen the pressure?"

The power of imagination had exploded!

Zhang Yingying had accidentally saved Luo Nan with her completely broken logic. She immediately seized this chance and fiercely nodded her head from the other side of the call, saying, "Yeah, yeah! Haven't you seen those Internet trolls? A lot of them make good money and have good education in real life. They express themselves so virtuously in front of people in everyday life, but they talk bullshit when they go online in anonymity. That's how they vent and relieve stress! Just think. This is human nature. Your behavior on the Internet and your own nature are certainly different!"

Luo Nan conscientiously thought about his own Internet life before responding, "It seems like there's not much difference for me."

Zhang Yingying took in a deep breath before spitting out word after word with gritted teeth, "Then you go learn. Learn how others vent. Learn how others let loose. Otherwise, you will just keep on stressing out like this, and you'll break down sooner or later! You don't need to think about much else. In the entire firm, only me and the boss know your identity—"

"Peony doesn't know?"

"Of course she doesn't. She's a newcomer—"

"A newcomer? What does she do in your firm?"

"What else can she do? The boss just unearthed her and has yet to arrange a specific task for her. Then a project just so happened to come along, so we let her coordinate for experience."

Luo Nan felt like his heart was stabbed with a knife. Not only did he not relax, he turned gloomy. "A newcomer is this amazing. What did she do before?"

Zhang Yingying lost her patience. "It was boss's good eyes. I think she had been observing her for quite some time. It was only recently that the boss recruited her. I'm not too certain of her past. She wasn't part of the Society, nor an Order. She also has no relationships with the military. Who knows where she spawned from? She’s super mysterious…. Oh right, don't you be intimidated by her. She's just a stage performer, just an assistant and messenger. The important person in question is you!"

Luo Nan wanted to say, "You wouldn't think so if you were in this meeting,” but the words only reached the tip of his tongue when he suddenly felt that something was off. The topic was the same, but today's Zhang Yingying was much more emotional than last week's. She was clearly perturbed.

As soon as the thought formed, the words within Luo Nan's mouth changed, "Uh, do you not like Peony or something?"

Zhang Yingying instantly went silent.

Luo Nan thought back on Zhang Yingying's attitude and suddenly realized, "You can't be competing with her, right!? Are you jealous of the newcomer?"

"...Just go die!" Zhang Yingying was really mad now. She hung up the call.

Luo Nan went, "Uh." His evaluation grew firmer.

Luo Nan was able to make an assessment out of Zhang Yingying's nature, words, and actions. Zhang Yingying probably had a very special position in the Hidden Indigo Firm. She was very much a favorite of Her Majesty Empress Wu. But all of a sudden, the newcomer Peony came out of nowhere. She was extremely brilliant in handling affairs, and her abilities were very powerful. She likely gave Zhang Yingying a dangerous feeling.

These thoughts and feelings were very subtle, subtle enough that perhaps even Zhang Yingying wasn't conscious of them. But they were laid bare in a few words by Luo Nan in quite a rude and impetuous manner. Honestly, this was very disrespectful of Luo Nan. He got off easy with Zhang Yingying merely hanging up the phone and not blocking him.

Luo Nan scratched his head. He started getting a headache over figuring out how to apologize to Zhang Yingying. In the end, he wasn't someone who was good with words. He could only leave a message on the Psychic Wave Network.

"I spoke wrongly. I'm sorry…. Also, thank you. I understand now."

Luo Nan's prior words were very clumsy, but they were also very sincere. However, the later few words had false intentions.

Understand? He understood in principle, but in practice, his thoughts were far from clear. As time passed, Luo Nan even felt that doing these things wasn't that significant.

Relax? Would relaxing let those enemies, who were akin to tigers watching their prey, give up? Would it change the pursuit of their goals?

He had the time to mull over these matters. He might as well sink into his mind and do some school work exercises.

But then someone in the shuttle made a low cry all of a sudden. A muffled boom soon followed. Something heavy had smashed into the vehicle's window, and this brought new and louder shouts.

Everyone in the vehicle all turned to look. Most of these people were messaging others online. They had been unaware of what was going on outside the windows. During their befuddled states, a fellow wearing a baseball cap was spotted through an open window. He cursed from afar and gave the middle finger.

"F*CK! We lost another, zero to three. I'll kick you all in the balls!"

Luo Nan understood now. The electric shuttle had passed the open-air field. An athlete in the middle of training had lost control of his foot, kicking the ball into the shuttle's window.

This was supposed to be a minor matter, but some of the students in the shuttle found a common topic, and someone faced the fellow wearing the baseball cap. He said, "Team Pathfinder's level this year is full of drunkards, losing to even Yunshang, zero to three. They even recruited Clark."

"Clark, what a soloer. He just knows how to run a hundred meters down the sidelines. He must be using this as a chance to train for track and field. How much is the track and field society giving him as a sign-on bonus?"

"Hellooo, he ran down the entire field. That's nearly twenty kilometers. Are you up for the task?"

"Up for picking weeds? I'll break an ankle on the turf by the time we get through the whole field…."

"You're right. Lando Field is very crappy. It's absolutely not suitable for our school. We should switch to a more responsible sponsor. Who wants to start a petition with me?"

The atmosphere in the shuttle grew livelier and livelier. A lot of people who had been silent while the vehicle was in motion broke their silence. They participated in the game discussion. Some people even went to the school message board to petition, while some took the opportunity to get the female students’ numbers. There were plentiful gains.

Luo Nan didn't care for such things. He raised his eyes to look, and was about to go back into his own train of thought and world when he saw that Xue Lei was also exchanging numbers with people, and was discussing topics involving Clark.

Luo Nan was inexplicably shocked. "You know this person?"

“Of course, Clark Kembo, the athletic star of the school. Lightning of the field. Rumor has it that soon he'd be able to enter the city's team. I saw his matches before, back when school started. He wasn't as rough with his feet as people are saying now."

Xue Lei spoke as if this was the most obvious thing on earth. Then, he became shocked as well. "You don't know!? His posters are all over the classroom buildings in the school!"

Luo Nan's mouth gaped. He looked once more at his peers chattering away within the vehicle, and his heart inexplicably fell. He opened his mouth again several seconds later and asked, "Do you also know about Jungle Owl and what it is?"

"Of course, man. They're our school's gaming clan. They play Ten Days in the Wilderness. They lost quite horribly in the Autumn Games last month…. Did you run into a member of Jungle Owl? Who?"

"I didn't," Luo Nan muttered. He turned his head to look out the window, scanning the campus subconsciously.

Xue Lei was completely confused. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I just feel that I stay at home too much," Luo Nan laughed, not saying much else.

Actually, he had spoken another lie. His current assessment of himself couldn't be merely described as staying at home too much.

Xue Lei concentrated on his martial arts, while Peony joined the Hidden Indigo Firm. They each engaged in their own activities, acquiring a certain distance from the world of normal people. However, they didn't lose perception of their surrounding environment.

Luo Nan was far too dull in comparison.

The shuttle made its way leisurely to the auditorium, and the student passengers went off and on in-between. The subject of the soccer ball had vanished into thin air, as if nothing had happened.

Luo Nan got off the shuttle and deliberately turned his head to look around. His gaze soon cut into the area surrounding the bustling auditorium. A week ago, it was here that he tempered the eyes orifice. He was familiar with each blade of grass and each tree. He also had the number of steps in the flight of stairs in his mind. The faces of people who were often active here were a bit familiar looking to Luo Nan, but that was all.

After all, these were merely temporary targets of his observation. There wasn't any deeper information to be acquired. There wasn't any meaning.

Luo Nan harbored this sort of understanding all this time. But as he returned to this place today, a certain feeling suddenly dawned upon him: He and this auditorium, the surrounding plaza, and even the entire school, were totally incompatible.

Things were like this two months ago when he had just entered the school, and things were still like this now.

This feeling of his was not a good one.

Luo Nan and Xue Lei didn't have time to waste. They simply entered the forest that surrounded the north bank. They made a few turns and arrived in front of Gear. The smell of smoke and ash seemed to remain.

The construction team had finished today's work by now. They left one by one, reducing the presence of people.

Hu Huaying was already waiting at the entrance by the time Luo Nan arrived. Besides him, there waited also the supervisor and the project manager. It looked like today’s activity was going to be a formal inspection.

Hu Huaying immediately introduced everyone, being positioned in-between, and Luo Nan nodded in greeting. Luo Nan didn't intend to go deeper into conversation. He also didn't immediately go inspect. Instead, he went to ask for Xie Junping.

Previously, the young master of the Xie Family was forging on ahead, but all of a sudden he was nowhere to be seen. Luo Nan really did want to see him. With Xie Junping present and chatting up a storm, wouldn't things be lively?

"Old Xie has been acting quite mysteriously lately. It probably has to something to do with Sissy Du. They're doing some fasting cultivation."

Luo Nan accidently heard the biggest joke in Xia City. He couldn't help grinning. Hu Huaying also couldn't but laugh, "Waking up at six a.m. Going to sleep at nine p.m. He has maintained this for five days."

"Oh, that's not easy…. But having order in life is a good thing. He has perseverance."

The Sissy Du who Hu Huaying just mentioned was the former president of the Mystic Arts Research Society, Du Yong. Luo Nan only met him once before. He wasn't too familiar with him. He just knew that Du Yong was a bit neurotic, albeit a decent person.

They started to talk about Gear after a few words of idle chatter.

The project manager maintained his silence, while the supervisor explained. Luo Nan didn't really listen. Nothing but the installation of wiring, the maintenance of various systems, and related things were said.

Luo Nan made grunts and okays in response. He wasn't a technical person; he just checked the contract commissioned to the supervisor. It was just that things didn't merely involve construction. The supervisor's spy work was played quite swimmingly, protectively, and so on.

Luo Nan would be damned to trust him!

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Chapter 338: Bottom of the Atrium

Chapter 338: Bottom of the Atrium

Translator: Strivon

Currently, Gear attracted flies. Luo Nan recognized this.

Within Acumen College, Gear had always been tinted with a bit of a mysterious flavor. Even Xie Junping, a layman, heard of the nickname the Ritual Club. Rumor had it that Gear was very suitable for carrying out mystic rituals. And with Luo Nan making that move, every expert and professional would find it hard not to find Gear strange.

Actually, before the various spies crammed their way in, the Xia City branch of the Society had already made an assessment. They said that the layout of the building was out of the norm. As for the concrete places of interest, these results could not be obtained in a short amount of time.

Because of this, He Yueyin suggested that Luo Nan follow the principle of removing whatever was blocking the way. First release the people inside, avoid sealing off various locations, and let everybody guess around to their heart's content.

The matter regarding Headquarters was a lesson to be learned from.

This was an intelligent method, but it was also a move of withdrawal. For a week, Luo Nan acted in accordance to He Yueyin and the other's instructions. He acted as if he hadn't seen the actions of the spies, but he was actually agitated in his heart. He couldn't bear letting outsiders open access.

He couldn't stop the spies coming from all sides. He had to suffer in silence. But this didn't mean that he would treat the spies with a good expression.

He had a plan early in mind. He let the supervisor engineer talk and guide them in a stroll underground. And so, half an hour passed with Luo Nan not expressing any opinion, nor revealing any emotions.

Soon, night fell, and the supervisor and project manager were completely unable to get a feel for Luo Nan. They felt that there was no point in continuing. Hu Huaying was capable of reading Luo Nan's behavior by now. He gave a few words to deal with the situation and sent the supervisor and project manager away.

Hu Huaying waited for the outsiders to scram before asking, "Nanster, is this work not to your taste?"

Luo Nan shook his head. "I don't understand when it comes to the specialized matters, but besides that I'm not really dissatisfied. Just let them continue with the repairs. You know, this place is very meaningful to me. As long as nothing happens, everything is fine. But something did happen, so this place needs a few protective measures. I can't find outsiders for that job."

"Old Xie mentioned this before. So that's why this construction doesn't include the restoration of the defense system. He's thinking that you will want to personally design it…. You're certainly not lacking in experts."

Hu Huaying's laughter more or less contained a hint of flattery. Last week at Ocean Sky Cloud City, he personally witnessed how the flame of the young master of the He Family had been suppressed…. No, the flame hadn't been suppressed—the person extinguished the flame himself.

Each and every one of the people who revolved around Luo Nan was very mysterious, and perhaps, very influential. Most notable was He Donglou's sister. According to his hidden sources, that was He Donglou’s real sister of flesh and blood. She had just retired from the special forces in the military. Who would have expected that she was working with Luo Nan?

Hu Huaying had been a slightly suspicious in the past of how Xie Junping normally acted with his friend Luo Nan. But today was different. He was given the opportunity, and he was capable of doing things more fervently than Xie Junping by tenfold!

The Xie Family was Xia City's number one major business group, no two ways about it. There was a level of difference between the Xie Family and the Hu Family. When others came out with force, you had to strive to catch up. Tenfold was not an exaggeration.

Hu Huaying even thought a layer deeper: Old Xie didn't come out to greet Luo Nan today. He ran off to play some mystic arts with Sissy Du. Was this being overconfident that his relationship with Luo Nan was stable? Or did this imply going toward a different direction that was in accordance to one's fancy?

As Hu Huaying pondered, they walked as a group out of the fire escape passageway and entered some wide, open space. The lighting had dimmed. There weren't any lights on. The dark sky emerged above their heads.

Hu Huaying had leaned back against the wall of this place for many days. He was extremely well-informed of the layout and repair progress of the building Gear. He swept his gaze around and said, "This place, the atrium, is a bit messy. It is hard to avoid dropping some junk here during the renovations. You have to wait until the end before cleaning this place."

Luo Nan grunted and raised his head to look. Gear had seven floors underground and four floors above ground. There was also a half-open rooftop, for a total of twenty floors. They were currently on the lowest floor, looking at the peak of the large atrium several meters high.

The construction layout of Gear was unconventional. As for how it was unconventional, one needed an architect or someone in the know like Luo Nan to be able to explain. Even the directional angles were not completely the same.

In any case, from the perspective of the majority of people, the circular, cascading, and practically slanting internal structure of Gear was probably what would leave the deepest impression. Within this series of structures, the most eye-catching thing was the perfectly straight 'atrium' that linked all the floors together. Nothing else could surpass this in Luo Nan's eyes.

It was different from the vast majority of similar structures. The atrium of Gear was situated at the westernmost side of the building. Its edge was the outer wall of the building. Its height exceeded fifty meters, and it took up considerable space. If the lights weren't turned on and the angle of the rays of the sun wasn't suitable, the atrium would appear pitch-black from top to bottom. The darkness was quite terrifying.

Looking at it with a dark mindset, this was an excellent place to commit suicide.

The outer wall of the atrium was surrounded by bulletproof glass, probably to prevent such circumstances from happening. Not even the slightest of cracks was spared on each floor. It would require quite the skill to jump down.

From the bottom of the atrium, one could tilt their head upward and see the evening sky. The lights of the metropolis, aside from a ray of the setting sun, were what dimly smeared this place with the dusk’s colors.

The atrium was twenty meters in diameter. It was extremely spacious. But from an issue of height, it appeared rather slender no matter the perspective. Only when one reached the bottom to personally experience this place could one know just how large this space was.

Luo Nan gave Xue Lei a laugh. "This place is quite decent to train at everyday. The atmosphere isn't too stuffy, right? The rooftop can be closed when it rains. It's more convenient than the outside."

"It's worth a shot." Xue Lei grinned. He took himself to be a bodyguard since they entered Gear. He uttered not a word and was in a complete state of vigilance. In secret, he even operated the detection device allocated to him by the Society. This was to defend against anything of the construction team that might have been left behind in the dark and had yet to see the light of day.

Xue Lei relaxed now that he was chatting with Luo Nan. He copied Luo Nan, raising his head and looking at the sky. He suddenly thought of something. "Closing the rooftop. That must use glass as well, right? Then, this is like an astronomical telescope—"

"Actually, it does have this function." Hu Huaying remembered that information about this was included in the data. He immediately showed off, "It can be realized through an internal mounting module. The equipment room is on the sixth floor underground. Of course, we'll need to swap to a special lens as well. The retrofitting should be done in an hour. Of course, you can't change the direction of this telescope. You can only look at the small area above your head."

"An hour?" Xue Lei's heart stirred a bit. He really wanted to experience it.

Hu Huaying rushed to mend his words, "We can't do it right now. This function was added in 1991. The Order Club collapsed soon after construction finished. The nearly purchased equipment were all sold off. The depreciation cost them hundreds of thousands."

Are you playing with me!?

Xue Lei rolled his eyes. Before he could talk, Luo Nan laughed wryly, "Ruining it by adding something superfluous, like drawing legs on a snake."

Hu Huaying mind went blank for a moment. He honestly didn't understand what Luo Nan was talking about. In any case, he wasn't affected from parroting Luo Nan's words, "So, the legs of the snake were chopped off."

Luo Nan didn't say anything else. He quietly looked into the night sky. It was unknown where his thoughts drifted to.

Hu Huaying and Xue Lei locked gazes. They were just about to talk when Luo Nan raised his arm to look at his wristband. Luo Nan's brow furrowed. "Someone's looking for me. Third Brother, you and Xue Lei go ahead and chat. I'm going to pick up this call."

Hu Huaying really wanted to agree then drag Luo Nan and Xue Lei to eat dinner. He wanted to establish friendly relations. But he had seconds thoughts. With Luo Nan's introverted nature, he couldn't be impatient in playing friendly. What if he pushed things too far? So, Hu Huaying immediately said, "You do what you gotta do. I'll head on out first…."

Sure enough, Luo Nan didn't urge him to stay. He nodded and gave another word of thanks. Then he hurriedly walked into the fire escape passageway. That call of his must be very private.

Xue Lei and Hu Huaying took the elevator up, sending Luo Nan their farewells.

Soon, the silence at the bottom of the atrium was restored.

Luo Nan waited for the elevator to go up as he stood in the fire escape passageway. He didn't turn on his wristband communications. Instead, he subtly closed his eyes. His thoughts pulsed to arrive at the business hotel several dozen kilometers away.

His temporary partner Peony had used the rubberband to stimulate Ink, and this was sensed by Luo Nan. The reason she did this was very simple.

The meeting had finished.

Luo Nan looked at the time. It was around six p.m. right now. The meeting had lasted nearly nine hours.

Peony walked to the elevator, with Ink still on her shoulder. They paired up quite well, but things were different from when they arrived. There was another person in the elevator. It was none other than Long Seven.

The two people had no desire for further conversation, but Long Seven was paying a bit more attention than usual to Ink in the elevator. They exited the elevator as they arrived at the underground parking lot, and simply walked to the first row of cars. There was a super-car there. It wasn't low-key at all.

Luo Nan vaguely recalled that this was the location where Old Jin had parked. Where did the man and his car go?

Old Jin's ordinary SUV came speeding in during Luo Nan's moment of bafflement. He flashed his lights and stopped in front of Peony, who was standing before the elevator. He arrived right on the dot. Clearly, he hadn't wasted an entire day in waiting. He was eating a giant burger from who knows where. The fragrance was quite strong.

Peony let Ink ride shotgun. She sat in the back seat as before. Old Jin opened the window, dispersing the fragrance inside the car. Then he started the car, and he heard Long Seven call out at this time.

"See you tomorrow."

Peony waved her hand rather aloofly, and soon the SUV sped out of the underground parking lot.

Only now did Peony talk business. She spoke rapidly, "The meeting will continue tomorrow. I will send the related information and meeting records to the internal cloud space. Please check if you've received them."

Luo Nan wanted to ask the situation of the meeting in detail, but he thought about the behavior Zhang Yingying had revealed earlier on and hesitated slightly. In the end, he didn't say anything.

The car entered a state of silence. It was now Old Jin's turn to talk, "Where do you want to get off?"

Luo Nan remembered that Peony was probably a person from Acumen College. If he got off with her, he might draw this woman's suspicions. This must not happen. The firm hid his true identity. It would be better to hold this disguise until the end.

"I'll leave once we leave the parking lot."

"Then see you tomorrow."

They didn't perform any civilities. As soon as the car entered the main road, Ink jumped out the window, spread its wings, and flew into the night sky. At the same time, at Gear, Luo Nan logged into the cloud space and checked the meeting minutes.

The related documents came from Trigate Corporation. This company did matters in accordance to standards. The meeting minutes were very tidy and understandable.

Peony even made annotations line by line. She marked the important points. Luo Nan really didn't know where she got the mental energy and time. Aside from the data, she even wrote a few brief reports about the members of the meeting.

The focus of her attention was naturally Long Seven. Peony already obtained a preliminary conclusion, and the decisive point actually had to do with his fashionable ear.

In Peony's report, the material of Long Seven's earring belonged to some kind of super-plastic memory alloy material. It could morph greatly under high temperatures. It was a mechanical key largely preferred by Burners.

In other words, Long Seven was very likely a Deep Blue Walker.

In addition, this man was quite familiar with Xia City. He even possessed the special ability of radiation neutralization. Peony already locked onto the target.

He was Snake Seven of Sky Blue Security, a subsidiary company under Quantum Corporation.

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Chapter 339: Within a Prison

Chapter 339: Within a Prison

Translator: Strivon

Snake Seven’s identity was peeled open in just a few hours?

Luo Nan grinned as he examined Peony's report in detail. The report simply indicated how Snake Seven had once appeared during the Society's operation in rescuing Rui Wen. Of course, he appeared as an enemy of the Society.

Luo Nan didn't have a deep impression of this man. After all, seven or eight Deep Blue Walkers had mobilized that night, and many of them became casualties. God knows which one was which. Within Luo Nan's memories, the post-operation report did contain this codename. The codename represented the man's depth of involvement in this conflict, but nothing more. He was just one of the people who were on the opposing side of the Society.

Luo Nan didn't feel emotionally moved like "Oh, so it was him.” His attention deviated a little.

Luo Nan thought a level deeper. There was no reason for this Snake Seven, or this Long Seven, not to use similar methods as them. The focus of his analysis would certainly be Peony, but Ink was quite an eye-catching mark, being an enormous crow. Ink was at least 70% likely to be Long Seven's incision point.

Could Luo Nan still hide his identity?

Ink was quite high-profile on that night, especially during the prior half. There were certainly more than a few eyewitnesses at the underground fighting arena.

Luo Nan was furrowing his brow in contemplation when a refresh symbol appeared on the cloud space document. He tapped it gently, and the entire document was updated. There was instantly a lot more text.

Under careful examination, there was more detailed information on Snake Seven, and they were all laid out within the document.

So Luo Nan came to find out that Snake Seven was a very talented ability user. He was ambitious, seeking to become a Deep Blue Walker, so he entered Quantum Corporation of his own accord. He became a special test subject with his young age, and later he strongly requested entrance to the mobilization team. So, he was transferred over to Sky Blue Security.

The document even touched upon Snake Seven's personality, how he handled things, his family relations, and so on. This character, who Luo Nan once found mysterious, was exposed in complete daylight in the blink of an eye. Practically nothing was hidden from Luo Nan.

A fine strand of air seeped through the cracks between Luo Nan's teeth, cooling his heart as well.

He logged out from the cloud space. His brain was a bit messy, but there was a part that remained extremely clear. With Luo Nan's current reputation, special position, and role, the various intelligence agencies would never overlook him.

As one tiny clue could reveal the overall picture, looking at Snake Seven's life events, perhaps there were also files on Luo Nan atop the desks of the various intelligence agencies, endlessly refreshing with newer information. Each and every movement was likely to be completely exposed to the naked eye of others, just like with Snake Seven. Not even an iota of privacy remained.

Luo Nan stood at the bottom of the atrium in a daze. His wristband vibrated several dozen seconds later. Xue Lei was calling. "I'm practicing my punches in front of Gear. Give me a heads up when you want to go home."

"Oh," Luo Nan absently responded. Then he snapped out of it and expressed his refusal, "It's already dinner time. You can go back first. No need to wait for me."

School was already out by now. Xue Lei had worded his speech this way because he understood the tempo of Luo Nan's life. Right around this time every day, Luo Nan trained. His schoolwork and studies were all fixed to the dot.

"Going home alone is very boring. It's better to go together."

Luo Nan spat, "Then we split at the school gate?"

Luo Nan was currently living at his aunt's house. Xue Lei lived at Dual River District. Heading home, one would go west, while the other would go east. Things would be bizarre if they headed the same way. Ultimately, Xue Lei just had the thought of being a bodyguard in mind. He feared shameless enemies like Headquarters appearing.

Xue Lei also felt that he was being a bit absurd. He asked, "So when are you going to get your independence and freedom, man? You don't even need to go to the hospital for treatment anymore…."

“My aunt isn't scared of me going for treatment. She's scared of me suddenly needing rescue." Luo Shuqing no longer trusted Luo Nan's health. This account had gone bankrupt. It was also impossible to explain the concept of the coupling between flesh and soul to Mrs. Luo Shuqing. Luo Nan could only entrust his hopes to someone else. "My cousin will come back next week. With her present to draw away my aunt's firepower, I'll give it another shot."

The two chatted for a bit, and Xue Lei started shadowboxing.

Luo Nan really envied Xue Lei's current state. This week, Xue Lei had transferred school societies thanks to Xie Junping’s efforts. He had no worries besides acting as Luo Nan's bodyguard everyday. Xue Lei spent most of his time cultivating in martial arts. His time was spent quite productively.

Luo Nan's emotions fluctuated much more widely than his friend's. Especially now, being stimulated by the intelligence document, Luo Nan's heart was filled with agitation. He didn't have the mood to think about reality. He strolled a few steps at the bottom of the atrium, then looked up again.

Within his daze, the perfectly straight atrium and the ring-like night sky was like a prison, sealing him inside.

No! That was wrong! Why would there be a prison within his mother's work?

Luo Nan's thoughts changed once more when he thought about his mother. He looked at the atrium once more. The structure blended into itself. He looked up from below. This place was like an abyss that led to the realm of the starry skies. There was no limit to its destitution.

In the end, those few thoughts were born from his own fear. The prison was drawn by his own hands.

Luo Nan shook his head, dispersing the illusion. He looked at the time. It was a few minutes before the appointed time. He sat down cross-legged and recalled the breathing technique taught personally to him by Gym Master Xiu. He tried to quiet his mind.

The currents of his heart really did settle a bit with the passing of several breaths. Luo Nan even closed his eyes and practiced his circulation homework. The energy polished within his body, and the heart lantern of the eyes orifice blazed with splendor, gradually burning away the distracting thoughts in his mind to nothing.

Seemingly according to coupling theory, there currently existed a total of two relatively complete gears within Luo Nan's body and soul structure.

One was soul strength, driven and born from Formatting Theory. This power had long since exceeded the limits of what his physical body could endure. It was great and difficult to control. Luo Nan relied on the Hollow Depository function of the external neuron to barely form a stable structure. Although he did this, the soul strength leaked and overflowed at all times. It was truly like an iceberg that stood tall within the ocean. It was vast and overwhelming. Towering and imposing. Its pressure absolute.

Luo Nan gave it a name: God Gear.

The other was the eyes orifice. It was the product of a technique imparted by Xiu Shenyu. Relying on the natural marvels of the human body and borrowing his special circumstances, Luo Nan created a completely new vehicle of transferring and refining soul strength. The result was the heart lantern of the eyes orifice, and it excited the potential of the human body.

Luo Nan named it Body Gear.

According to Gym Master Xiu's teachings, achieving success in cultivating in the eyes orifice was only the beginning in cultivating the fleshly body. Compared with the towering iceberg in the ocean that was the God Gear, the Body Gear was merely a small reservoir. It could only play an auxiliary role in regulation.

Right then, within Luo Nan's body, an embryonic form of an order frame was established from the God Gear and the Body Gear. Through the technique of coupling, the gears engaged together for mutual influence.

The frame had been formed, but it was simple and crude. Luo Nan still relied much on external forces. Without the suppression from the external neuron, Luo Nan was guaranteed an instant annihilation.

Even with the quelling of the external neuron, electric flame circulated, and energies exchanged and clashed between the God Gear and the Body Gear. Several waves of thunderclouds and stormy winds swept through everyday. There was no point in telling others the suffering Luo Nan endured.

These dangers were hidden in Luo Nan's body, and these dangers didn't leave even an ounce of room for trial and error. Luo Nan had little say. He was forced to use the most concentrated of manners to engage in cultivation. He had to cultivate his foundation with extreme care, to amend the frail balance between his body and soul.

All trivial and distracting thoughts had to be scattered as ashes into the wind as soon as he began cultivating. It was actually quite effective in dispelling his negative emotions.

There was no concept of time as Luo Nan entered the meditative state. Luckily, Luo Nan recalled that he still had cultivation lessons. He just did some maintenance on the eyes orifice structure, dispelling the excessive strength of the interference power's electric flame, and he ended this homework assignment.

He left his meditative state. His senses were exceptionally sharp, yet his mind was at peace once more. The surrounding information all coalesced inside, and he felt a marvelous sound permeate into his ears. Tick tock tick tock. Like the fine ticking of the hands of a clock, which rotated in circles without beginning nor end.

Luo Nan wasn't the least bit surprised. From his perspective, this was the sound of Gear breathing.

There were fifteen main halls within twelve floors above and below ground, particularly above ground, including the atrium. Together, they were like a well-calibrated machine. Every component operated smoothly, unhindered. The teeth of the gears meshed and fused together. This was the only way such a harmonic rhythm could be formed.

From Luo Nan's perspective, this was the sound of nature. This was the reward from his earnest cultivation. He smiled subconsciously as he listened to the clear and orderly beat.

But noise cut in a mere handful of seconds later. It was a static sound. At first, there was only one, suddenly affecting the beat. But the noise continued to spawn several seconds later. It was like the sudden insert of the dry cawing of birds and frogs during the performance of a band. The noise undulated at random, turning a perfectly fine performance into a nightmare.

Luo Nan suddenly opened his eyes. The sound of nature existed no longer, but the noise remained.

They were layers upon layers of overlapping radio waves. The sources came from various corners of the building. Surveillance cameras, tapping devices, optical cables, antennas... all sorts of forms. They gathered all sorts of information and transmitted it out. They were like pairs and pairs of cold and dark eyes, spying on Luo Nan's each and every action from various angles.

It was like a prison.

Luo Nan raised his head. The darkness could not obstruct his gaze that was augmented by the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. Through the solid glass, a certain security camera located on the underground third floor was pointed right at him. It did this openly.

There were monitoring equipment doing work all around him. This was absolutely not the only one.

The corner of Luo Nan's lips crinkled. He wanted to rage, but he inexplicably felt that things were absurd and ridiculous. The corners of his lips rose subconsciously as he thought of how he was worried about Long Seven discovering his identity, and how his thoughts became an omen.

"Ha! Ahaha!"

What ought to come should come. Luo Nan squeezed a dry and hoarse sound out of his mouth. He had just dispelled those negative emotions, but they suddenly descended back upon him like a storm. The rumbling thunderclouds crackled down into his heart.

Bang! The security surveillance camera shattered to pieces on the underground third floor. Similar sounds of shattering resounded in the various corners of the building at the same time. Of course, there was also the muffled sound of circuit breakers tripping.

Direct means brought about crude results.

The sparse lighting within the building of Gear suddenly went out. Then the central control system automatically operated, activating the backup electrical line. But very unfortunately, it failed.

Even the listening devices were destroyed. With how concentrated they were, it would be hard for even the backup system to escape this fate.

Luo Nan stood within the darkness, coldly feeling everything.

But then Xue Lei came calling him. His voice changed into one of nervousness. "Report your position. Connect mentally!"

"I’m all right."

Luo Nan didn't know how to explain to Xue Lei. The wristband vibrated once more to start the central control system on manual operation mode. It asked him if he wanted to use repair robots for emergency repairs.

Luo Nan easily agreed and found an excuse, "The quality of the construction work of those people is completely awful…. Yeah, it's like this."

The HexaEar vibrated at this time. Bamboo Pole was online on the Psychic Wave Network. He was quite punctual according to the teaching schedule, and he sent a greeting to Luo Nan. This was the usual procedure between them, but the message Bamboo Pole left today was a bit odd.

"Are you mad?"

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Chapter 340: Two People

Chapter 340: Two People

Translator: Strivon

The message came out of nowhere, and it shocked Luo Nan. But he soon linked it to the changes from before.

How does he know?

They're spying on me!

Oh, I think they mentioned this to me a couple of days ago?

The direct logic evoked rage, but some blurry memories turned clear. The two sides clashed and turned into a wave of meaningless emotional unrest.

Yes, when the Xia City branch of the Society first started surveying, He Yueyin had proposed to install monitoring and alarm devices within Gear, in order to deal with unusual situations. Luo Nan had agreed at the time, and Bamboo Pole was the one in charge of installations. He even integrated the control system to his wristband….

How fortunate. Luo Nan couldn’t distinguish between enemy and self when he got angry. He completely slaughtered everything clean.

Luo Nan wanted to leave a reply, but he didn't know what to say. It took him a long time before he responded with false words, "It's nothing."

"He he, if you say so. Are we still going to do the lesson today?" Bamboo Pole's attitude was really not that of a qualified teacher. This was his usual style.

Already a month’s worth of time had been completed within the course schedule arranged by He Yueyin. Among the courses, Papercut's "Soul Strength Activation Techniques" became extremely simple thanks to Luo Nan achieving the ability of coupling. It was the first course Luo Nan finished, and Luo Nan also finished He Yueyin's "Ins and Outs of the Psychic Wave Network's World Order" two days ago.

As for the two highly practical courses from Crag Burst and Red Fox, adjustments had to be made due to changes in circumstances, which included Luo Nan's increase in ability. Luo Nan had yet to officially start these courses.

This just left Bamboo Pole's course, "Notes on the Major Characters of the World,” and they continued to make steady progress on it.

A fluctuation of emotions wasn't a reason to refuse taking lessons. Luo Nan soon responded, "Yes, can we begin now?"

"No problem."

Bamboo Pole immediately skipped over those unpleasant matters. He sent a set of pictures, videos, and other image materials of people as usual, setting the main content of today's class. He then opened the video call function and waved his hand in greeting. He went blah-blah-blah, conversing with Luo Nan.

Bamboo Pole was the only one who talked the vast majority of the time. Most of his speech consisted of things like, "Don't look at how devout this person appears. Actually, he takes on very beautiful lovers."

Don't be surprised. This was the way Bamboo Pole usually taught. He called it "delightful teachings.”

Luo Nan never met someone as knowledgeable in random facts as this fellow. His appearance was typically that of a hacker as he easily searched for every avenue of beautiful women. But he also had deep attainments in regard to religion, history, mystic arts, and so on. He was also a paparazzi master.

His course was mainly about people. He only talked about two or three each class. The moment he dug out one, he would talk about their proper matters, trifling matters, news, gossip, and all the like. Many layers and many perspectives came down in the class. The characters he talked about were established firmly in Luo Nan's mind. They were hard to forget.

But based on the pace, the course progressed quite leisurely.

Looking at the course plans, He Yueyin's and Bamboo Pole's course volumes were about the same. But He Yueyin's course had already finished, while Bamboo Pole's plan to cover a hundred characters was less than half completed.

Bamboo Pole spoke frankly, "There are two types of people halfway through this kind of course. One type is very interested. They will go digging on their own. They'll learn on their own. The other isn't interested. They just chat, but at least it's fun. This kind of course can be long or short. It can easily adjust to any time."

He was fully aware; Luo Nan's mood was amiss today. So what he taught was relatively simple, and the course content unfurled in full swing. He spoke for a while, even taking the initiative to ask,

"Do you want to stop here?"

Luo Nan was suddenly started awake from his dazed state. He knew that he wasn't paying much attention and was quite embarrassed. He hurriedly apologized.

Bamboo Pole responded, beaming, "Don't be a stranger. In fact, I'm an informer who serves you, Boss. I'm in charge of pushing information toward you. When the boss has time, I'll report more information. When the boss is busy, I'll report less information…. Boss, you've been very busy lately, right?"

Luo Nan felt helpless. The group who participated with him in the matter at Frost River Reality called him Boss anytime, anywhere. This was originally a word of irony from Red Fox to He Yueyin, but he was called this day in and day out, and the maliciousness of the word was wiped away. It even became a well-known nickname.

Bamboo Pole was a mischievous person. He would feel uncomfortable if he didn't call Luo Nan this a few times a day.

Luo Nan could only ignore the nickname, but Bamboo Pole had hit the nail on the head. He really was working himself to death the past few days. He enlisted Worker Zhai as his tutor, and he was learning engineering from him. This huge subject required much time and energy if one wanted to attain some achievements in it. The time and energy required were much more than what a crash course would demand.

However, today's bad mood had nothing to do with the stresses of learning.

At that moment, Luo Nan didn't have the mindset to learn, but he really wanted to speak with someone. And he didn't know where to begin.

He subconsciously flipped through the material that was just given to him. He glanced over the names and achievements, immediately forgetting them. But he made some mental connections thanks to how multi-leveled and multi-angled the data was organized, customary to Bamboo Pole's style.

"This data—how much of it was accumulated from tapping devices, bugs?" Luo Nan's lips twitched. "Is everyone researched in this way?"

"Most of it is public information. Of course, much of it is the blood and sweat of paparazzi." Bamboo Pole raised an eyebrow. "They are like you, interested in this course. You can use it as a template and pass as a chief paparazzi in a large entertainment media company. It won't be a problem."

Luo Nan was suddenly hit with a thought. "I can be considered to have a reputation by now, right?"

"To a certain degree, yes."

"Then... Brother Bamboo Pole, what kind of person am I? What have people like you researched?"

Luo Nan wanted to know how much of his background was exposed to the various intelligence agencies. This was his intention in asking, but his ability to express himself in words was very worrying, causing Bamboo Pole to slightly misunderstand.

"Whoa, do you feel lost in life? You want to analyze yourself?"

"I…."

Luo Nan wanted to correct him, but his thoughts changed and he thought some more. Before arriving at Gear, interacting with Zhang Yingying had made his mind a mess, putting him in a bad mood. It wouldn't be a bad thing if he could clear up the roots of his problems. He said, "I guess."

In the video chat, Bamboo Pole sat on an ergonomic chair. He adjusted himself into a comfortable position and said, "I've mentioned the ways people are researched. There is nothing else but three aspects: natural, societal, and psychological. These are combined with the specific nodes regarding the changes of time and space."

Luo Nan nodded. He had learned this, but setting a hand to delve into it was a bit complicated.

Bamboo Pole chuckled, "You've asked quite urgently, and I haven't prepared. However, you took the initiative to ask, so let's use this as material. Let's make a simple analysis."

"Okay," Luo Nan said helplessly.

"Let us begin from your topic. A normal, natural person, a societal person, possesses the instinct of psychological privacy, of psychological defenses. People pay attention to the assessment of others toward them, but they rarely take the initiative to have others assess themselves. The exceptions are when they want to show off or when they lack confidence. The intent is consultation, and doing so is considered abnormal."

Luo Nan went, "Uh," and couldn't help laughing. He said, "Then just say I'm asking for a consultation. Although, the intent is a little lighter."

Bamboo Pole shook his head. "There's no need to consult with me. Ask yourself. Ask the self who is here in the present. Under natural conditions, what are your body's circumstances? Are you as fierce as a tiger and as energetic as a dragon? Or do you have a hidden disease?"

"Huh...?"

"Please be quick about."

"My body is not completely well, I guess."

Luo Nan still needed the external neuron right now. The scope in discrepancy between the God Gear and the Body Gear was a deep-seated problem, most especially with the uncontrollable growth of his mental power. He had yet to make a general resolution about this matter, so there were no ends to his troubles.

Luckily, there were a lot less Human-Faced Arachnids roaming Xia City nowadays. Otherwise, the Wraith Sign in the Bloodflame Order would have its hunting speed increase by double. And in turn, this would cause Luo Nan's mental power to increase to the point where his body was in danger of exploding. The cultivation technique of the orifices that he learned from Gym Master Xiu was unable to eliminate a scale too large.

Bamboo Pole didn't dig deeper. He changed angles, "Looking at your circumstances societal-wise, what is your situation?"

This time Luo Nan didn't hesitate. He responded, "Not good."

Though he had the backing of and many friends from the Xia City branch, there were all sorts of potential threats to him that ranged from Headquarters, Quantum Corporation, the Order of Justice, and even the Bloodflame Order. They were akin to bombs, and Luo Nan would be annihilated ten times over if they were all to go off.

"Psychological circumstances…. Forget it, it's plain as day."

Bamboo Pole whistled, "Three major items, all complete with situations. The answer needs no further discussion. The problem is very serious, my boy!"

Luo Nan never expected this sort of result from following Bamboo Pole's template and performing a quick analysis. Didn't this mean that his entire self was twisted?

He temporarily forgot about the matter with intelligence agencies. His mind was blank for a while, before he asked, "How do I resolve it?"

Bamboo Pole spread his hands open in helplessness. "You want me to be your staff officer? Why are you counting on me when even Secretary He can't handle this matter?"

Luo Nan knew this was true, but he still asked, "If you were in my shoes, Brother Bamboo Pole, what would you do?"

"If I were you, I would turn tail and leave. I would run as far as can be. I would hide as deep as can be. I would be like a cicada that sheds its carapace, vanishing and leaving an empty shell. I would retreat for the sake of progress. I would turn to light for the sake of darkness…. Yeah, I know you won't do this. I'm just talking nonsense."

Bamboo Pole maintained a clear mind from beginning to end. He sighed, "All right, then. I'll give you two examples you can use as references. I've mentioned the first before—Her Majesty Empress Wu.

"In the earliest of times when Her Majesty Empress Wu started off, quite a few people said that she was Lady Wu, someone who only has their looks. Then people called her Fourth Ranked Imperial Consort Wu, and later, Empress Consort Wu. This continued until she was finally known as 'Her Majesty Empress Wu.' This is reference to the classical figure Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty, a controversial yet effective monarch who started off as a concubine and became the only female emperor of China. The names follow Wu Zetian's titles as she grew in power. Our Empress Wu remained unmoved during all this. She’s like a stone immovable by the flowing river. She's smooth on the surface, yet firm at heart."

"Smooth on the surface, yet firm at heart?" Luo Nan instinctively felt that the wording was off.

Bamboo Pole pressed with his views, "Did you forget? I told you before. Sure, Her Majesty Empress Wu is very domineering, but back in the day, her skill in maneuvering through politics is incredible. She starts off by relying on President Ouyang's influence, then she carves out an independent business, the Hidden Indigo Firm. She never recruits fighters to her firm, and she's never done things low-key at all, though she's also never crossed the line.

"She has a galaxy of talent for subordinates. Before, the Xia City branch and even Headquarters weren't always on good terms with her, but nowadays, they've either been appeased or suppressed by her. No matter the stormy waves, she remains unmoved. She steadily expands, forming major power. Her rule is as fair as the heavens, and the way she employs people is as mysterious as a demon. She grasps the true meaning of power, technique, and influence."

Bamboo Pole wasn't finished with his words of praise toward Her Majesty Empress Wu, "This sort of style that is motionless like a mountain can be said to be the way of monarchs. The title Her Majesty Empress Wu is said as a mockery by some people, but I feel that it's very appropriate. Her approach is the most supreme way, in my opinion."

Luo Nan imagined how Her Majesty Empress Wu might have maneuvered so skillfully political-wise and had his thoughts wander far away for a time. "This approach must be very hard, right?"

Bamboo Pole laughed, "Others have a clear goal from the start. Their methods are sharp. They use both the carrot and the stick. You can't learn it, and it's too late even if you can."

"...." Luo Nan was left speechless.

"I used this example to give you a benchmark, so that you have a reference. Let us talk about the second example. I haven't talked about this one before, but you're certainly very familiar with her. She's none other than your secretary."

"Sister Yueyin?"

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Chapter 341: Solicitor

Chapter 341: Solicitor

Translator: Strivon

Bamboo Pole gazed straight at Luo Nan as an image through the Psychic Wave Network. He chuckled as he said, "I won't say much else. You're taking my class, and you're taking Secretary He's class. Don't you have any impressions?"

"...Yes, probably." Luo Nan wasn't hesitating in his heart as much as he was with his mouth. After all, He Yueyin and Bamboo Pole were both teaching him 'cultural courses,’ but their styles were completely different. It was unavoidable for him to sometimes compare in private.

Bamboo Pole encouraged him, "Speak. Speak and see."

There wasn't much else to say about Bamboo Pole's teaching style. As for He Yueyin's teaching style, Luo Nan had to think as he spoke, "When Sister He Yueyin teaches, she easily provides all sorts of information. She covers vastly and thoroughly, and she also makes the overall concept exceptionally clear. Her lessons are quite enchanting."

"And what else?"

"Her arguments are precise and appropriate. Her words are precise and the meanings are plentiful. They are usually sharp to the bone. She often points out the deep, hidden activities behind important events. She explains the relationship between the secular world and the inner world, the traditional political structures and the new power that are ability users, very smoothly and understandably."

Bamboo Pole's eyebrows jumped. "I feel that what you've said is not much different from my own impressions, of course, except the thing about her words being precise and the meanings plentiful. Don't blindly praise her. Doesn't she have any flaws? Or something that's different from me?"

He saw Luo Nan hesitate a bit, so he persisted in pressing him, "Relax, I won't spill the beans. Even if I do, she's a very open-minded person. She won't mind."

"I don't quite understand when it comes to her flaws." Luo Nan was an honest kid in the end. He was unwilling to talk behind someone's back, regardless if it was about their shortcomings or their strengths. He pondered for quite a while before he said, "If there is something different, it would be that her knowledge points are more focused. Her pace is also much faster than yours."

Bamboo Pole burst into laughter. He smacked his chin fiercely. "That's the right answer."

"Huh?" Luo Nan didn't understand what was so funny.

Bamboo Pole gave him a further step in realization. "Isn't the course schedule she arranged for you based on this same principle? From morning to night, you follow it closely, step by step."

"Uh, it's all right. It's not particularly strict. It's nothing much now that you've mentioned it. Besides, how else can I grasp knowledge as quickly as possible?"

"Of course you feel that it's normal, because you and she are the same kind of person. You two are both bows stretched very taut. The arrow that shoots out is sharp and penetrating. It is unstoppable, but what happens in normal times?"

Luo Nan was a little stunned. This was the first time he heard someone compare him side by side with He Yueyin.

Bamboo Pole continued his assessment, "There is no one in the entire branch who can keep up with Secretary He's fast tempo. She moves as if a ferocious beast is chasing her. Since entering the Society, she has managed the branch's affairs, drawn up various systems, and so on. Obviously, this is good, but this is a chill Society. We're not in a state of battle. Who can persevere like this day in and day out? Of one hundred people, ten will carry on as usual. Ten will persevere. Fifty will thrash as if they are drowning. And thirty will drag everyone else down. Collapse will first happen from within, before the enemy even attacks."

Luo Nan was seriously suspecting that Bamboo Pole was using this as a chance to roast He Yueyin.

As a hacker, this fellow’s nature treated anything binding with skepticism. He was a standard anarchist. He never hid this during his lectures.

Luo Nan really admired this aspect of Bamboo Pole. Although Bamboo Pole liked to roast others, he was the person who coordinated the best with He Yueyin during the last few operations. Their tacit understanding was the highest.

"Well, I digress. Let's continue talking about the examples." Bamboo Pole adopted a different posture on his ergonomic chair. His expression conveyed helplessness as he said, "In a sense, people like Secretary He are extremely selfish. Don't be suspicious. I'm also talking about you. Consciously or not, you both believe that the world turns according to your tempo."

The 'selfish' Luo Nan could only listen.

"I won't mention you for now. Secretary He is actually quite a magnanimous person. She has the aura of a savior. I always feel that her methods are good for everyone. She has a sense of mission. She gives off the feeling that all the living beings under the heavens are her business. Maybe she has a lot more secrets, a lot more dangers, than we know, based on her family background. She likely has unspeakable difficulties. But she's a bit vapid from the perspectives of us incorrigible fellows. It makes people not interested in pursuing her."

When Bamboo Pole spoke to this point, his eyes tilted over. "What about you?"

"...."

They were silent like this for quite a while before Luo Nan asked, baffled, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Bamboo Pole raised a hands. "I'm the one who's asking. You're much more closed off than Secretary He, and Secretary He's goals are much more clear-cut than yours. Her skills are more superb, and her mind is clearer. She knows that she's lacking, so she still continues to revise and improve herself. You are different. You're sixteen this year, right? You're not of age. You haven't finished maturing. Your temperament is still unfixed, and your brain is filled with fantastical thoughts. It is very tiring to use the mind to guess what you're thinking when you don't talk."

Luo Nan pressed his lips into a thin line. This wasn't the first time he heard a similar evaluation. But such a situation, with Bamboo Pole using this to set off an example, was rarely seen. Luo Nan could only feel a bit apologetic for He Yueyin.

He was just about to speak when Bamboo Pole raised a hand. "You don't need to talk about restoring Formatting Theory's name, defending your mother's work of art, or similar talk."

Then what could he talk about? Luo Nan was stifled in an instant.

Bamboo Pole stared straight at him. He sighed only after a long while, "You don't have any other goals?"

Luo Nan copied Bamboo Pole's previous action of spreading his hands in helplessness. "These goals still aren't enough? What else do I need?"

Bamboo Pole sighed again, "Isn't it enough?"

"Huh?"

"What else is there to analyze? We spoke a long series, and the conclusion is very clear. You and Secretary He are the same kind of person. You both live your days strung tight. Your goals are your source of stress because they are very hard to resolve, very hard to realize."

Luo Nan didn't like listening to this. He asked, "Very hard to realize?"

"As long as matters involve opposition, it all is very hard." Bamboo Pole was considerate of Luo Nan's feelings. He erased a keyword and emphasized another, "Who stands in opposition to you? If the gap is too large, the more you strive, the stronger the pressure. The exception exists when you can level everything as equal. You need the ability to make the majority of people compromise, at the very least. Like Her Majesty Empress Wu."

Luo Nan was silent.

"Her Majesty Empress Wu very rarely faces a colossus in opposition. Her number one priority is to grow and strengthen. She does this with initiative. It takes precedence. Detouring on a few circles is nothing if she makes steps toward this. Sometimes, she can even accumulate power more easily this way.

“Secretary He's route is very clear. She wants to consolidate the Society. She wants to consolidate this group of straggling and disbanded soldiers. Her methods may be worthy of debate, but her foundation is firm, her resources aplenty, and her selfishness lacking.

"And you? You charge straight forward according to your goals. You tread through any trap, any pitfall. Fortunately, you're like a piece of stubborn iron. The usual crucial junctures are the striking of hammers. You, who is iron, make it through, while other people would have long since been smashed to mincemeat. But what if this were to continue in the future? What if Quantum Corporation, the Order of Justice, and even Headquarters continue to hammer you? Or what if they just melt you in a blast furnace in one breath?"

Luo Nan's eyelids twitched. This was the situation he was worried about.

However, it seemed the Bamboo Pole was shifting directions having spoken to this point. The sense Luo Nan got was no longer that of pure analysis.

Luo Nan was still unsure. He smoothed his tone and asked, "Then, Brother Bamboo Pole, what do you think I should do next?"

The words had just left his mouth when he recalled that he had asked Bamboo Pole for guidance not too long ago. Bamboo Pole had refused at the time, and instead, brought out the examples of Her Majesty Empress Wu and He Yueyin.

Sure enough, Bamboo Pole extended a hand to point at him. "These words again. What's the point of asking me? I wager that with your temperament, you'll follow your nature when things come to a head, regardless of what extravagant embellishments others may say. You'll just tread straight ahead! There's a head of the hammer in front, or perhaps a blast furnace. It makes no difference to you."

Luo Nan wasn't really hopeful in regard to his ability to control himself. But he believed that Bamboo Pole had spoken wrongly about one point. "I don't want to tread straight or whatever. Who doesn't want to take an easier way to reach their objective? But I absolutely have no choice when things come to a head."

"Then how do you wind up in situations where 'things come to a head' time and time again?"

"...." Luo Nan really thought this over conscientiously. When did it begin with him always sinking to points of no return?

He didn't get an answer, but there was one point that was very clear. If these sorts of days were to continue, there would be more and more times when 'things come to a head.’ The chances to make choices would grow smaller and smaller, until they disappear entirely.

Bamboo Pole observed Luo Nan's expression and was able to understand Luo Nan's current perplexities. "Therefore, my words won't change. If I were you, I will certainly run whatever distance away. It is not because of fear or weakness. It is because one needs sufficient space as a cushion in order to grow and strengthen, in order to have the leeway to make choices."

"That's impossible." Luo Nan didn't even need to think before refusing.

Bamboo Pole already anticipated this. His eyes didn't even blink once as he said, "Then you need a shield, and you need reins. The shield gives you a chance to recover energy on the battlefield. Reins can rein in your neck when your head is heated feverishly."

Luo Nan blinked. "Brother Bamboo Pole, can you speak more clearly?"

Bamboo Pole rolled his eyes. "I've already spoken clear enough…. Fine, what I mean is, you need to find a backer."

"A backer? Who can I rely on?"

Bamboo Pole looked at him like he was looking at an idiot. "Who can you rely on right now in Xia City?"

"President Ouyang…."

"GTFO YOU IDIOT!"

Luo Nan gasped, feeling that he was being treated unjustly. There were only two Extraordinaries in Xia City who could shield him. What was wrong with the first answer he thought of? With Ouyang Chen?

Luo Nan's mind took another turn, and only then did he realize that Bamboo Pole's examples, which came out easily, were absolutely not spoken with casual intent.

"You want me to rely on Her Majesty Empress Wu?"

Luo Nan saw Bamboo Pole's expression and knew he had finally guessed right. However, he still didn't understand Bamboo Pole's train of thought. "What's the difference between President Ouyang and Her Majesty Empress Wu? Also, am I not currently receiving their protection?"

"The Xia City branch looking out for you is official business. Since it's official business, it is restricted to procedural processes. Correspondingly, holes in the system will certainly exist. The matter with Headquarters is the best proof. The same reasoning can be used upon President Ouyang. Who made him the president?"

Bamboo Pole used a finger to point far in the distant air. "There's something more important. There is absolutely nobody in this Society, this loose organization, who can control you. Whenever you make a folly, there are no means to restrict you. He Yueyin could fit the role, but she began in the wrong position. How very awkward to be playing the secretary of a boss and the like."

Luo Nan was a bit embarrassed. He said, "Brother Bamboo Pole, you're an anarchist. Opening and closing your mouth is under check. Is this really okay?"

"At least I never cause trouble," Bamboo Pole stabbed Luo Nan in the chest with this blade. He even twisted it, "I also rarely do something stupid. Even if I do, I find a place to rest and earn a bit of extra money or something."

"Huh?"

"Idiot! I'm soliciting right now, Boss Luo!"

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Chapter 342: Unobstructing the Liver (Part 1/3)

Chapter 342: Unobstructing the Liver (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan and Xue Lei had split at the school gate, and Luo Nan was riding a car home. This car was dispatched from the Xia City branch of the Society. The driver was a very professional bodyguard who possessed strength out of the norm. Luo Nan wasn't really familiar with him, so they didn't really talk much on the road. Luo Nan spent far more time being lost in thought.

Things were just as Bamboo Pole had said. Today, his lessons were indeed a solicitation, and the financial backer who hired him was none other than the legendary Her Majesty Empress Wu.

Bamboo Pole was extremely eloquent. His persuasive and promotion skills were enough. Luo Nan really was a bit emotionally moved. But it was quite embarrassing. Luo Nan had forgotten nearly all of Bamboo Pole's words upon getting into the car.

It wasn't because he didn't care. Instead, he was far too stressed.

Luo Nan had constantly been a focal character since joining the Society, but this was the first time he was being recruited like this. He lacked key social experience. His mind was a complete mess, filled with far too many distracting thoughts when he had encountered this matter. He really didn't know how to respond.

Luo Nan's mind was such a mess that what he remembered most clearly weren't the benefits that Her Majesty Empress Wu was offering him. Instead, it was the words of comfort Bamboo Pole had given him: "Boss Luo, you're not even of age, yet you're already a complete member of society. Such matters cannot be avoided. You can consult others for their opinion. Ask many. Consult many. Don't be impatient in making a decision. Her Majesty Empress Wu went through me rather than Zhang Yingying because that little lass is far too impatient. She wants to avoid using the emotional card to influence your decision…."

This argument was filled with sincerity, but Luo Nan remembered it due to a certain phrase Bamboo Pole used. The words 'member of society' stabbed into his painful weak point.

Luo Nan opened the window and leaned his elbow onto the frame. He felt the night wind head on. A while passed, and his other hand drew an imaginary picture in the air. It was a tetrahedron, and he divided it into five levels.

According to Formatting Theory, this was the diagram of the Societal Format. The diagram was clearly divided into five levels: Student, Office Worker, Technician, Clergy, and Politician. These were classifications for the different levels of resources he could control.

It barely matched with external society.

He still remembered expressing that solemn vow back on Ship Lanshan when he first met Zhang Yingying. He wanted to change from a student to an office worker. He needed pressure and opportunity to enter into a whole new circle. This was to fulfill the requirements for rapid ascension in society.

His voice still rang in his ears. He truly did make this step, but back then, he never thought he would reach this point today, where he was at a loss for what to do.

He didn't believe he had made a mistake in his choice back in the very beginning. But his current passive situation couldn't be a necessary one, right? If he viewed life as a game, then the game route he took after entering society was certainly a very crappy one. Plus, there weren't any save points. He could only make his way forward with a heavy head, not daring to stop his footsteps.

Luo Nan certainly had to chew the bitter consequences of his life, and right now he found himself at yet another juncture. He had to make a decision. He couldn't falter. He had to move forward.

Luo Nan didn't really understand what Her Majesty Empress Wu was thinking. He couldn't make out the schemes within her mind. He could only follow Bamboo Pole's words of advice, and consult others for their opinion.

The first person he thought of was He Yueyin. He had tried calling her, but she was unable to spare the time, probably handling work. He just left a message asking her to contact him later.

Luo Nan could only skip to someone else for now. He used telepathy to swipe through his contact list in the HexaEar. He swept through a full circle, pondering over who he should consult.

He had to first skip Zhang Yingying, and he recalled that Crag Burst had a task to do this night. What about Octopus….

Luo Nan had no confidence in his language communication ability. He just expressed his thoughts as text, leaving a few friends messages of seeking advice.

He had just sent the messages when the driver suddenly spoke, "Boss Luo, we've arrived at your home."

Luo Nan was stunned before realizing that he had spent far too much time formulating his words. The car had already arrived at the gate of the residential area. Right now, it was already past dinner. The residents going for walks or exercising on the road were few.

"Thank you, Brother Qi," Luo Nan gave a polite thanks, got off the car, and headed toward his house. Halfway there, he suddenly realized that he had become accustomed to the name Boss Luo. When did that happen?

He walked inside the house. He didn't see anyone in the living room, so he called out. His uncle, Mo Haihang, responded from a distance within the kitchen, "Oh, Luo Nan. Wait a moment. I need to reheat the food for you."

"Oh, sure."

It was eight o'clock at night. Dinner time was over quite a while ago. However, as long as Uncle was home, a portion would be left behind to allay the hunger of the Appetite King Luo Nan.

Luo Nan first went to wash his face. He woke himself up with cold water, and he returned to the living room. Luo Shuqing was already sitting on the couch, wearing a home outfit.

"Aunt," Luo Nan hastily greeted her. He feared her the most in this home.

Luo Shuqing was fiddling with her wristband, head lowered. She just gave a grunt in response. Luo Nan's heart thumped as he saw this. He immediately made his way around the minefield and headed to the kitchen. But ultimately, he was too late.

A cold, clear voice came from behind him, "Did Mo Ya call yet?"

"Uh, she hasn't. I haven't heard from her for the past two days. Maybe Mo Peng…. Where is he?" Luo Nan turned around. He didn't see Mo Peng, his best shield, but it didn't hurt to draw disaster away from himself.

"He went outside to do something wild. I just hope he will be back before nine." Luo Shuqing's attention was drawn away a little, but soon she locked back onto her target. "Is there a confirmed specific time when Mo Ya is coming back to Xia City?"

The words, 'coming back to Xia City,’ were truly worthy of praise. It was precisely like the saying, 'No one knows a girl like her mother.’ Luo Shuqing already made a conclusion. Her unfilial daughter wasn't going to come back to the house within the short return from the music festival.

This time, Mo Ya had left the house for a month, and matters had grown far too big!

Luo Nan continued to play the fool, "I haven't talked to her for the past two days. At most, I see what her friend circle is up to…. The music festival is over. Won't she come back?"

Luo Shuqing raised her head and looked into her nephew's pair of eyes. In the end, she couldn't stop the feelings of doting emerging from her heart. She sighed, no longer questioning Luo Nan, "Go eat dinner then. If there are no issues with the school, go adjust the time for the makeup classes. It's bad to eat meals too late, after all."

Luo Nan gave a vague response and quickly sat at the dinner table. His uncle had finished slicing a piece of beef for him. He even enfolded it into a small wrap. The wrap contained beef and scallions. The texture was tough and crunchy. It was very chewy, and it went down easily.

To avoid getting into a quarrel, Luo Nan half-pretended to bury his head in his food, leaving no room to talk with his mouth.

His uncle sat on the other side of the dinner table. "Good thing you're learning martial arts, otherwise, you'd be quite out of shape eating like that everyday."

This was a good topic! Luo Nan's mouth was too busy to talk. He just nodded his head.

"Aside from Mo Peng, no one in this family has ever been fat! Feed that unfilial girl to a pig if you have the skills! She won't be able to go running out into the wild then!" Luo Shuqing was annoyed with being by herself in the living room. She came to the dinner table.

Luo Nan's uncle immediately closed his mouth into a subtle smile, avoiding a frontal clash.

Luo Shuqing knew just how impenetrable her husband was. Her gaze shifted to the best target to bully.

Luo Nan hated not being able to have the entirety of the beef wrap stuffed in his mouth; he had eaten too fast, and the wrap was already in his stomach. There was now a gap, and he couldn't avoid speaking. His brain went feverish, and for some damnable reason, he spilled the beans about himself, "Today, the boss of one of my friends wants me to work at her company…."

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Chapter 343: Unobstructing the Liver (Part 2/3)

Chapter 343: Unobstructing the Liver (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan felt regret the instant the words left his mouth. Mo Ya must have cursed him in secret for him to disregard the consequences of blocking the barrel of a loaded gun with his body.

No matter his regrets, words once spoken could never be swallowed back down. The incurred consequences revealed themselves at the first instance. The husband and wife, Luo Nan's uncle and aunt, cast their gazes upon Luo Nan one after another. First there was skepticism, then there was vigilance.

"Your friend? And their boss?"

"What kind of work? What kind of company is it?"

The questions came in sequential order, but the meaning within them were the same.

Luo Nan knew he had prodded the hornet's nest. He was incapable of explaining how his introverted homebody self was able to suddenly become interested in the companies of society. He could only brace himself as he responded by avoiding the major points and focusing on the trifling points, "I haven't agreed yet. They're probably just talking for show anyhow."

Luo Shuqing stared unwaveringly into her nephew's eyes. "The problem right now is, why is this company interested in you!"

"Why can't they be interested in me?" Luo Nan forced himself to be thick-skinned, preparing himself to be pestered endlessly.

Mo Haihang made a gesture before Luo Shuqing could continue speaking, pausing his wife. He maintained his subtle smile and spoke gently, "Let me ask. Why haven't you agreed? Is it because the payment isn't good enough? Or is it because you don't have enough time?"

"It's—"

Mo Haihang didn't wait for Luo Nan to finish speaking, "It's right to have a cautious attitude. No matter the age, working hours and payment are both very important the moment a work relationship is formed. How much are they paying you?"

"Uh." Luo Nan was stupefied the moment his uncle asked for details. He was lost in thought for a while before responding, "We haven't discussed this yet."

"If you're going to discuss it, there's no harm in having your aunt as an adviser. She's a highly experienced member of HR in a large company. She specializes in these things. She's very experienced in cheating others and letting people cheat."

Luo Nan immersed himself in his food, giving a muffled response, "Oh, sure."

Luo Shuqing gave her husband a glare, but she was very clear on some of the routines in their marriage of several dozen years. She immediately changed the way she talked, "Working to support yourself is good. What's that company called? I can help you research deeper for now. I should be able to find out their average pay. You'll have an advantage when you negotiate pay with them."

She had been a professional in HR for many years. Her network was ample when it came to supervising human resources. She was very familiar with this line of work. She already opened up a professional inquiry software as she spoke. All of Xia City's regular companies could be found within.

The actions of this husband and wife were amiable, but in reality, they caused pressure with each of their steps. Luo Nan's mind wasn't really working by now, and he never was good at lying. He began to divulge his secrets.

"I think they're called Hidden Indigo?"

"Hidden Indigo Corporation?"

"It should be a firm."

Luo Nan buried half of his face in his food. Otherwise, he would be revealing the sweat on his forehead with absolute clarity. Right now, he realized why he was able to put himself in sorry and difficult situations, antagonizing countless people, within this short amount of time…. His impulses were far too deadly!

Luo Shuqing quickly obtained search results. "The Hidden Indigo Firm…. Oh, there are registered information and tax records. They primarily provide legal and business consultations. They look quite standard. What's the name of the boss recruiting you?"

"Wu…” Luo Nan coughed, “I only know that her last name is Wu."

"Wu Zhao?" Luo Shuqing read the name of the firm's owner, and the dinner table instantly drowned in awkwardness.

Long Live Her Majesty Empress Wu!

Luo Nan let out a long sigh. There was now a starting point. Uh, hold on. Wu Zhao? Why not be simply called Wu Zetian? Why Wu Zhao, the name the Tang Empress Wu Zetian gave herself after rising to power?

Mo Haihang's fingers rapped lightly against the dinner table, and his brows furrowed. There were naturally many unreliable parents in this world. There were many parents who gave odd names to their kids. But there were extremely few parents who named their kids after historical, unique, and controversial characters. More importantly, this violated current legal statutes.

Mo Haihang, holding a position in the social privileges department, would never pass such registration applications.

But at this moment, this was the situation: This Mrs. Wu Zhao was grandiosely using this name, and she registered a standard firm under it.

His many years of experience working at the SCA told him that this Wu Zhao, her firm, and the corresponding registered information were complete bogus from head to tail. This was a mockery of the public agencies of authority. This meant that she was a person of great capabilities, being able to openly bypass certain rules of society. Of course, this also meant that she was certainly very willful.

It was impossible for Mo Haihang to immediately verify his assessments. He also didn't say them out loud. Though his thoughts coursed with electricity, a smile still remained on his face. He asked, "They took the initiative to express interest in you. This is great. This shows that you're skilled in something that is useful to their business. What is it specifically?"

Oh, yes. What was it?

Luo Nan was a bit out of it. He more or less held a cautious attitude toward the reason why Her Majesty Empress Wu recruited him. His body hid precious secrets, so it was unavoidable for him to be suspicious.

He didn't have an answer right now, but he couldn't stop talking. He could only wring his brain dry as he combed through all his skills known to his family. Luckily, he had a flash of inspiration before he was able to wring his brain to death. He combined it with today's experience and found a good justification.

"They like my ability to make quick sketches."

"Quick sketches?"

Luo Nan's response was outside his guardians' expectations. They locked gazes with each other once more. They truly did know of Luo Nan's ability to draw quick sketches. He really could sketch realistic drawings in a short period of time, but what was the usefulness of this skill?

Luo Shuqing immediately asked, "What does the Hidden Indigo Firm have such employees do?"

"Seems like it's detective work, or something like that. Quite a few people carry anti-recording devices nowadays. Some matters are hard to work with and may even draw vigilance in the opposition. They recruit people like me to try and see."

"Private detective?" Luo Shuqing's brow locked deadly tight. "This sort of work…."

"Yes, I also feel that this sort of work is quite odd, but it's hard to directly refuse, in consideration of my friend's reputation. Once two days pass and their excitement dies down, I'll refuse them then and things will be good."

Luo Nan said everything in a single breath, sighing a hidden breath of relief in the end. He finally completed the circular chain of logic, but if he were to continue, he would certainly implode. He immediately ate the food on the dinner table like blazing winds blasting away clouds and stood up.

"It should be like this. Aunt, Uncle, you two relax. I won't get mixed up in society…. Oh, they should have sent the materials for today's makeup lesson. I have some homework I need to do. I'll go upstairs."

He didn't even collect his bowl and chopsticks. He just turned around and walked away.

Luo Shuqing wanted to stop him with her voice, but Mo Haihang did a placating gesture. They locked gazes once more, and Luo Shuqing discovered that her husband's bearing was very solemn.

Luo Nan made it up to the second floor with just a few steps. He jumped into his room and locked the door. He finally relaxed, lying on his bed. He rocked a few times and began to roll with his head tucked in his arms.

"Luo Nan you pig. You fool. You idiot...." his mumbling voice abused himself for a round to break up the hate within himself. But soon he began to feel diffident in his heart.

His two guardians should be mulling over his matter at the moment. His excuse was full of mistakes. He wouldn't make it through easily. For today's sake, he had to perform a bit of detective work. Ah no, a bit of spy work.

Yes, with his mental sensing ability, the conversations between his aunt and uncle wouldn't remain as mysteries to him. By then, he should be able to wade through any suspicions without difficulty, right?

With a plan in mind, Luo Nan was about to make a move, but then the HexaEar came on and transmitted information to him. He Yueyin, who had been busy handling tasks, was calling him.

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Chapter 344: Unobstructing the Liver (Part 3/3)

Chapter 344: Unobstructing the Liver (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

"Were you looking for me, Mr. Luo?" He Yueyin's voice came through the HexaEar. Her voice was low and hoarse. She was probably quite weary.

Luo Nan mumbled, unable to respond at the first instance. He had recalled the 'example' Bamboo Pole gave earlier, and he knew that He Yueyin experienced a lot of stress. Luo Nan felt a bit embarrassed for constantly bothering her.

"Mr. Luo?" Although He Yueyin spoke with a questioning tone, her attitude remained gentle.

"So it's like this, Bamboo Pole just mentioned that..."

Luo Nan did his best to make a long story short. He told He Yueyin about the matter of Bamboo Pole making extra money by representing Her Majesty Empress Wu in recruiting him. Naturally, he asked He Yueyin for her opinion in the end.

He Yueyin didn't respond immediately. She was silent for about half a minute before speaking. She didn't rush to answer Luo Nan's question, but instead inquired for more details. This included the examples Bamboo Pole spoke of that Luo Nan was a bit embarrassed to say. She asked all these details one by one.

Luo Nan was ultimately pressured by He Yueyin to recount the situation at the time. He felt very awkward, feeling like he was a little guy sowing discord among others.

He Yueyin didn't really care about this. She thought things over for a while before saying, "Mr. Luo, are you mulling over whether or not to join? Or are you mulling over Her Majesty Empress Wu's intentions?"

She hit the nail on the head with those words.

Luo Nan already pondered on this matter for quite some time, and now he was forced by He Yueyin to recollect these events. Luo Nan's thoughts were more or less clear: Why should he join the Hidden Indigo Firm? Zhang Yingying had introduced him in the past. This firm's main business was providing services for the rich and powerful big shots of Xia City. They sought rich suckers and established interpersonal relationships for business with them. For investments and the like.

This wasn't the life Luo Nan wanted. Unless there were generous rewards….

There wasn't really anything Luo Nan could hide. He immediately responded, "I don't understand Her Majesty Empress Wu's thoughts…. Hmm, hold on. I don't think she's in a rush to recruit me."

A light bulb went off in his mind just as he spoke, changing the latter half of his words as well as their meaning.

He Yueyin didn't express an opinion for Luo Nan's change. She asked, "Why do you think so?"

"You know that the firm did an outsourcing of work a few days ago. This sort of method suits me. At the very least, it's more suitable than joining the firm. If she didn't outsource this work to me, I might have really joined them in my poor financial state. She has this better method that would certainly influence the recruitment, but she's not using it. Don't you think so too?"

Luo Nan became a bit diffident as he spoke. He urgently sought He Yueyin's opinion.

He Yueyin responded, "There are no problems with your overall reasoning."

"Really?"

"I just need to correct one point. According to Her Majesty Empress Wu's temperament, the business opportunity you obtained should be a type of compensation."

Luo Nan expressed his confusion.

He Yueyin explained for him, "Looking at your narrative of the circumstances, Bamboo Pole's assessment toward Her Majesty Empress Wu is quite an appropriate one. Her Majesty Empress Wu engages in the rule of law with all her matters, while not engaging in ethics. She appears to not be bothered about the trifles in the day to day, but she is actually extremely strict. She treats others and herself this way."

This wasn't merely it. Bamboo Pole had mentioned this point in his past lessons. He had even given a few examples. But Luo Nan's mind went a bit off-track the instant he thought of Zhang Yingying. He really was incapable of imagining how that sister was able to survive under the pressure of such a strict boss. It was very difficult to establish a relevant impression.

Now, He Yueyin said similar things before his eyes and was unable to change his disbelief. "Strictness is strictness. The more I hear it, the more I don't want to join. How is this related with compensation?"

"Because of Headquarters." He Yueyin exposed the truth with a few words, "The operation Headquarters carried out against you was done after Her Majesty Empress Wu and President Ouyang decided to protect you. The situation had been critical, and although Black Beetle was the reason for the offensive that was coordinated inside and outside our organization, oversights are still oversights. Her Majesty Empress Wu is exacting on both herself and others. She feels that mending the pen after the sheep is lost is still something that needs to be done. Otherwise, it would have been very difficult for Yingying to give this several million credit project to you, even if Yingying is different from a normal person."

Luo Nan suddenly understood. "No wonder!"

In other words, good things just didn't fall out of the sky in this world. The restless feeling brought about by the great generosity of the business reward vanished like a puff of smoke.

So it was an exchange for using his life!

Of course, the principles of Her Majesty Empress Wu and Zhang Yingying's care and attention were still engraved in his mind.

After He Yueyin explained the reason for the compensation, the conversation changed topics once more, "Based on what you said about this recruitment, Her Majesty Empress Wu probably doesn't have much expectations from you entering the Hidden Indigo Firm. Her attitude is expressed clearly by letting Bamboo Pole convey her intent."

"What attitude?"

"Her Majesty Empress Wu is a well-known progressive. In the last few years, she devoted her efforts into establishing completely new rules of society, allowing ability users to seamlessly integrate into normal society. Naturally, it is easier for younger people to exert influence when it comes to realizing and spreading her theories. In fact, she likes to teach potential youngsters who have made a name for themselves."

"Bamboo Pole mentioned this before…. Um, so you're saying Her Majesty Empress Wu is showing appreciation for me?"

A rarely heard chuckle came from He Yueyin, "'Showing,’ that's a good usage of the word."

Luo Nan's mind wound around a circle. "You're saying that she's 'showing' not to me, but to others as a widely advertised display?"

"If it’s not, would Her Majesty Empress Wu have conveyed her words through Bamboo Pole? Would Bamboo Pole allow you to openly ask others for advice? This is to spread public opinion. This is to expand influence. It is a declaration of her stance specifically toward those who have a mind. With this, if the people of Headquarters still want to make a move against you, they will need to consider the factor of Her Majesty Empress Wu getting deeply involved. Bamboo Pole spoke very correctly. Official business and private business are ultimately different. The greatest ideal takes into account both private and public interests."

Luo Nan finally understood the winding maneuvers within those schemes. He let out a long breath of relief, but he still felt some complex emotions. "So, the so-called recruitment is just in name. It's hollow, I say!"

He Yueyin's voice turned gentle. She spoke softly, "Mr. Luo shouldn't undervalue himself. Her Majesty Empress Wu is strict on others and on herself. Her scope of vision is extremely high. If Mr. Luo's level isn't enough, she wouldn't even give you a glance, let alone adopt this stance. Frankly speaking, this too is an expression of goodwill, as well as an investment for the future."

"It's all right, Sister Yueyin. I'm not someone who's super sensitive. I know my position. With Her Majesty Empress Wu clearly verbalizing her protection over me, what else can I hope for?"

Luo Nan responded with a brisk tone. After dispelling the confusion, he felt truly embarrassed to be taking up more of He Yueyin's time. He said, "Sister Yueyin, I feel much better after you've explained things. You must be busy on your end. I'll let you hurry back to your work. I have homework and evening classes as well."

"It's nothing. It was just some business work. I already finished. On the contrary, you're so packed with homework lately. How can you endure it?"

"It isn't a problem. Uh, so you don't mind?" Luo Nan suddenly realized that he had narrated Bamboo Pole's example and assessment back to He Yueyin. Bamboo Pole's words couldn't be said to be good. Of course, Luo Nan was really quite the fool to be asking her.

"Mind what? It's just Her Majesty Empress Wu taking the chance to strike a blow."

"Huh?"

"Bamboo Pole wants you to consult with many people. He's certainly factored me as one of those people. Those words were mainly spoken for me to hear. This is probably because I've been too hasty in my actions within the branch."

"Sister Yueyin…." Luo Nan didn't know what was good to say for a time. From Bamboo Pole's assessment, he knew that He Yueyin experienced an enormous amount of stress. If another Extraordinary expressed their disapproval, He Yueyin might become even more encumbered with dealing with affairs in the future.

He Yueyin comforted Luo Nan in his worries about this, "You know your position, and I know mine. Bamboo Pole said that my goals are much clearer than yours. Actually, he's wrong. Your goals are just as clear. It's just that many aspects are involved when it comes to realizing them. Like the interchanging of darkness and light, it's far too complicated. It's hard to get started."

"Yes, this is the truth."

He Yueyin's words really did speak to the bottom of Luo Nan's heart. His goals, whether it be his grandfather's reputation or his mother's work of art, all involved many layers and many powers that entwined with each other. He didn't have the strength to break them, nor did he have the blade to cut through this tangled mess.

It was as if He Yueyin could hear his thoughts. She said, "Since the situation is like this, there is no harm in me telling you an old saying: A sharpened blade is half the work of cutting a tree. If you really don't have a way to get started, then you can just sharpen your blade. Hone a sharp blade, for there will be a day of troubles."

"Mm, I know, Sister Yueyin. I will certainly work hard." Luo Nan couldn't help smiling upon speaking. He felt like a little student promising to study hard.

He Yueyin didn't mind. She spoke softly, "Your ability to mentally interfere with matter has just manifested. This is of the utmost importance. You must be careful. You're no longer willing to visit Bai Xinyan, but there's no harm in running to the Divine Yu Gym more often. Their techniques in cultivating the energies of the body are quite impressive."

"Yes, Gym Master Xiu is really a wealth of knowledge," Luo Nan spoke with sincerity.

He Yueyin paused a bit, before suddenly asking, "Are you still cultivating the eyes orifice?"

"Yes, Gym Master Xiu said that when I get initial success with the eyes orifice, I must consolidate it until I understand yin and yang from the inside and out."

"Then?"

"Then I need to cultivate the ears orifice and the mouth orifice. The three essentials must be cultivated to completion. Coalesce essence, energy, and spirit. Only then can I proceed to the next step."

He Yueyin gave a soft grunt of approval before saying, "Nine orifices, three essentials. Through the inner organs, coalesce essence and energy, and purify the mind. This is the proper cultivation path. There's no harm in cultivating in earnest. But you need not bother with strange tales and absurd arguments, delirious ravings and daydreams.”

"Huh?" Luo Nan didn't understand what He Yueyin meant by delirious ravings and daydreams. But by the time he snapped back to reality, He Yueyin already bid him goodnight and ended the call.

This was quite odd. Why did she suddenly say such words?

It seemed that He Yueyin was very familiar with Gym Master Xiu.

Luo Nan maintained a faint awareness amidst his confusion. He heard the sound of a door closing on the first story. It was Mo Peng. He had his fill of fun outside, entering the house free of worries. This reminded Luo Nan that he had to eavesdrop on the dialogue between his aunt and uncle. But when his soul strength covered the house, he discovered that his guardians were lecturing Mo Peng in the living room. They weren't talking about Luo Nan's matters for now.

Luo Nan listened for a few minutes without gaining anything of value. He simple collected his mind and proceeded to do work. He finished his homework and took out the basic physics exercises that Worker Zhai had prepared for him. He pondered, tackling the problems.

His energy was fine and thorough from the meshing of the God Gear and Body Gear, allowing his concentration to reach a level that few could attain when he truly put his mind to it. Soon, two hours passed, and it was already past ten at night.

Luo Nan stretched his back in accordance to the tao yin techniques taught to him by Gym Master Xiu. He loosened his joints, relaxing and stretching level by level. His body, wrapped in muscle, bone, skin, and flesh, cracked and crunched endlessly for a moment. Warm moisture circulated at the same time. It was extremely comfortable.

"Blood is sufficient in the fascia as it is drawn from the liver, meaning that the liver is full of blood right now. Things are gradually maturing. Perhaps maturity will happen in the next two days."

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Chapter 345: Sound Heard in the Night

Chapter 345: Sound Heard in the Night

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan put everything to rest and rolled onto the bed. He stripped until he was just wearing his underwear. He calmed his breathing and did his evening exercises. A thin layer of sweat appeared on his body after half an hour of tao yin breathing exercises, but the states of his body and mind were restored to their peak. The flame of the heart lantern of the eyes orifice radiated within his head from beginning to end.

Luo Nan stirred with intent, and the heart lantern flickered, casting its glimmering light into his inner organs.

Gym Master Xiu once said that after achieving initial success in cultivating in the eyes orifice, the light to observe within would become like the sun and the moon illuminating the mountains and rivers. Even if one couldn't completely understand the marvels of vitality, nothing would be missed. One could even pierce the clouds and break through the fog, revealing the essence of mist.

Luo Nan observed himself internally with psychic illumination. He saw the structure of his inner organs. They were shaped like lumps. They were like high cliffs looking over ravines, towering mountains of rock strewn at random, their outlines dim. Luo Nan disregarded these shapes. He just used his mind, the light of his eyes illuminating below with the rotation of the sun and the moon. He locked on to the life gate located at the lower spine. He heated and refined the life essence there, pouring it into the bed of the perineum. The perineum filled with yang energy, which then naturally rushed up to immerse his inner organs.

What happened in this instant was truly akin to water being sprayed on magma. Vital energy sputtered and boiled into vapor, alike the whirling of iridescent clouds. The myriad of extremes deformed.

Luo Nan felt an omen the instant he heated and refined his life essence. After a fright, came delight. "Fill the mountains with mists of energy by refining with the pill furnace. I have reached this step in the technique of refining essence to energy. I've almost reached the limit. The next step is to grind down the mountains and redevelop the fields of blessing…. No wonder the gym master said that I first need to obtain a torrential flood to pour and overflow the passes before making a decision. The maturity is sufficient. It will clearly happen today!"

It must be said that Luo Nan, with his body and soul structure in imbalance, had an obstruction between the internal and the external. He had no choice but to use the vital energy of his entire body to nourish the eyes orifice and form the Body Gear. Only then could he draw upon the towering and vast power of the God Gear. In fact, channeling the power of this grinding gear carried substantial risk. If Luo Nan didn't comprehend the technique of coupling, he might have had to endure several months worth of torment and undergo some augmentation surgery in order to maintain the frail balance between his body and soul.

But things could only move in the opposite direction when they reached an extreme in this world. The moment Luo Nan received his mother's blessings in obtaining comprehension over coupling, he was able to cross the most difficult of junctures. The crisis transformed, allowing him to reap greater benefits.

When normal people cultivated internal refinement techniques, they relied completely on water grinding arts. This could take any possible amount of time to reach the level that could fill the mountains with mists of energy by refining with the pill furnace; be it seventy-seven days, eighty-eight days, ninety-nine days, or even a hundred days, a year or three years.

But in Luo Nan's case, the potential energy of Formatting Theory was truly far too large. A glacier suspended tall above a vast body of water. Even if a bit of its power was channeled, that power was subject to loss in interference. And yet, this power would still boldly forged its way forward. When Luo Nan obtained initial success with the heart lantern of the eyes orifice, the limits of interfering the material with the mental was broken open. It had already gone out of hand within the last seven days.

In the instant a mere few thoughts flashed in Luo Nan's mind, the mist energy coalesced within his chest and abdomen. The energy were dyed in five colors. The liver and gallbladder locations were most particular. The green energy glowed slightly. It was very dense.

According to oriental classical theory, the pure eyes orifice was akin to the mouth of a spring, and its source laid below. There was something called, 'Inside and outside the liver and the gallbladder, open an orifice at the eyes, grasp its splendor, and fill the muscles.' Luo Nan's success with the eyes orifice wasn't merely the opening of an orifice in the middle of his forehead. He had opened an entire set of mechanisms and systems with the liver, and its mechanisms influenced everything in the entire body. It involved the liver, the gallbladder, the eyes, the fingers, the fascia, and so on. The system seemed to jump all over the place, but in fact, it was linked in one breath. This was what Gym Master Xiu meant when he said, "The body is a mountain range with dense vegetation and thick soil. The breath is like the length of flowing water, winding and moving."

"I have finally opened through to the fountainhead of the eyes orifice reservoir. I finally obtained flowing water!"

Before, Luo Nan had exhausted all the vital energy of his body to open a way to the eyes orifice and received the terrifying might of the God Gear with great difficulty. The vast ocean iceberg continued to channel soul strength to him, and his simple eyes orifice was merely a reservoir the size of a pond. There were limits to how much it could endure. Even though Luo Nan was using coupling, the repeated clashes from the God Gear caused his pupils to crack like ice and lightning to flare within.

But right now, his situation was different. The eyes orifice now had a path to the blood and energy of his liver and gallbladder, and this could even transfer to the fascia of his entire body. If he continued to clear away the obstructions, he would be able to get through to the inner organs, the muscles, the bones, and the skin and hair one after another. The amount he could endure from the God Gear would dramatically increase, as he would form the true Body Gear that would revolve without end.

He could be said to have obtained a path from the internal to the external. Luo Nan's hard times were over, and the good times were just beginning. Just feeding off the power of the God Gear was enough for a while of good enjoyment.

It was now midnight. The energy of his liver was appropriate. After feeling emotions of delight, Luo Nan repressed his excitement and fixed his mind. He carefully adjusted and guided his energy to clear the obstructions. He hungered for a complete success.

His efforts this time caused two hours to pass in the blink of an eye. He waited as the yin and yang of his liver and gallbladder automatically conditioned the fire of the heart and the water of the liver. As they circulated, Luo Nan naturally woke up.

He opened his eyes, and his thoughts stirred. He felt a sensation, and he knew that it was about three o'clock in the morning. At the moment, he was overflowing with essence energy. His mind was fresh and invigorated, not suitable for going back to sleep. But this wasn't part of his usual tempo when it came to work and rest. He was mulling over what to do when his mind pulsed once more.

There was someone speaking nearby, and they even mentioned his name.

Based on the level of Luo Nan's mental senses, he could glimpse and see the information of every living being within a range of several kilometers if he put his mind to it. It was just that the information was far too complex, and Luo Nan was affected by his longtime use of his soul strength. This added to his burden, so Luo Nan maintained his mental senses at a radius of a dozen meters in his day to day life. Most of the time, his mental senses remained in a standby state. He only reacted when faced with evil intentions and other dangers.

But the sensitivity of his mental senses increased substantially, possibly due to his great progress in his cultivation just now, and the way it presented itself was quite different from before.

His mind was akin to a smooth lake reflecting the countless stars. It seemed to be the inverted image of the distant, starry sky. And the corresponding information joined and transformed, to compose more tangible images of people's figures. This included their speech, and it was all reflected in the mind lake.

Oh, it's Aunt and Uncle…. Right, who else can it be?

The two elders were in their bedroom. They were lying side by side atop their bed. They whispered in conversation. It looked like they hadn't slept at all this night, talking all the way until now.

Even though Luo Nan possessed an inconceivable mental sensing ability, he wasn't someone who would go eavesdropping on people in his daily life. He just heard his name, and last night he committed quite the folly, so he couldn't help feeling a bit diffident. He was curious.

"I'll just listen for a bit... just for tonight."

Luo Nan gave himself an excuse before truly putting his mind to sensing. This time, he was like an invisible ghost hiding within his aunt and uncle's bedroom. It was as if he was there in person, listening and watching with his eyes and ears.

Luo Nan was unable to retrieve what they said previously, but the first few words that entered his ear stimulated his mind.

"...Is it Dad? Or did Zhongheng's friend come to Xia City?"

"He was in the Wilderness for twenty years, avoiding civilization all that time. With that kind of sensitive project, he's lucky to have any friends who haven't become enemies. It's impossible for any of them to show up."

The one who spoke first was Aunt Luo Shuqing. The 'Dad' she spoke of was naturally Luo Zhongheng's grandfather, Luo Yuandao, and Zhongheng was Luo Nan's father, Luo Zhongheng. From Luo Nan's perspective, these two names were what he cared about the most, though the emotions toward them weren't quite the same. The mere mention of these names attracted 120% of his attention.

Luo Shuqing was a bit dissatisfied with her husband's response. "Don't play the fool! You know who I'm talking about!"

"Yes, I know…. But I checked the entrance and exit records of the airport. Yan Yongbo took flights over the Pacific Ocean back and forth recently. He's been to Los Angeles at least six times already. His troubles are obviously coming from within Quantum Corporation. Do you think they can have an influence on Quantum Corporation?"

They? Who's 'they'? What is their relationship with Grandpa? With Dad?

Luo Nan didn't understand who they were talking about, but he knew that the subject his guardians were talking about right now involved the 'family friend' Yan Yongbo.

Also, there was the time when Yan Yongbo humiliated their family at the restaurant. Luo Nan had made a solemn vow to seize back the fame from Yan Yongbo's dad, Yan Hong. Rational or not, Yan Yongbo had the backing of Quantum Corporation, so he really gave others a lot of stress.

A few days passed, and this dude suddenly disappeared without a trace. It was like having a tiger's head and a snake's tail; a strong start but a weak finish, and it made one quite suspicious.

Luo Nan didn't have a complete understanding of the whole sequence of events behind this matter, but when compared to other matters of greater importance, Luo Nan had no intentions of mulling over such small details.

But from the perspective of his aunt and uncle, the tiger that was Quantum Corporation was quite intimidating in normal society. Even if their family was a relatively affluent middle-class family, there was more than a level's difference when they were compared to Quantum Corporation, a capitalistic behemoth. One bad move, and the family would become bankrupt, and people would die.

Luo Nan couldn't help feeling ashamed thinking about this point. His aunt and uncle bore such large pressure this month, but they never mentioned it to him. Luo Nan wasn't troubled by these matters, and there were many times when he completely forgot about them.

I should think of a way to comfort these two guardians.

Luo Nan was mulling over this matter when he heard his aunt sneer, "Do you despise vagrants? Even me, an HR worker, know that the trend of vagrants heading back to the city has been quite fierce in recent years. Some of them have their criminal records cleared. They take on new leases of life and become big bosses. There are more than one or two cases of this happening."

Luo Nan's uncled sighed, "Then are you hoping that a former vagrant with a cleared criminal record is helping out?"

"That's not what I said."

Luo Nan's uncled pulled out a drawer from the bedside cabinet. He took out a sealed e-cigarette. He was about to place it in his mouth, but he stopped, twirling it between his fingers instead. "I would rather them stay in the Wilderness forever. This group of people are used to the law of the jungle, and they are involved with religious elements. They are never lacking in craziness and ambition. When the old man was in this world, he was at least a symbol. There existed constraint. But once there's a change in the situation, I don't believe that they will reason with us. It seems likely for them to converge with the major powers of the city. I'm afraid things are about to get much livelier."

Luo Shuqing was quite vigilant. "They've sought you out again?"

"I haven't seen them face to face. I've just have had contact with them through the phone. They’re simply requests to alter some data and the like. Whether or not it is done successfully, they remain all very polite…. You've spoken correctly. There is a trend of them entering the city."

The focus of Luo Shuqing's attention changed. "What about Nanan? Have they made contact with Nanan? Are you saying that this Wu Zhao…."

Luo Nan's uncle finally placed the e-cigarette into his mouth. The vapor rose into the air as he sighed, "I don't know. I really don't know."

In the bedroom, both the husband and wife no longer had the mood to talk. Time just passed, and the pressure from silence slowly accumulated.

Luo Nan's telepathic thought remained there for a few minutes. He felt quite depressed, so it quietly withdrew.

After retracting his senses, Luo Nan lay there, lost in thought.

His aunt and uncle's guess over the history of Her Majesty Empress Wu went completely in the wrong direction due to the unreliability of their source of information. But the information within their dialogue made Luo Nan understand something. In this world, in a certain corner of the boundless Wilderness, there actually existed a group of people that possessed a strange yet intimate relationship with his father and his grandfather.

Wilderness? Vagrants?

All right, another loose thread suddenly appeared…. It looked quite removed, but the things behind it appeared very serious.

Luo Nan lay in bed, looking at the ceiling. He was in a leisurely mood, finding something to do since he had nothing to do. In an instant, his thoughts turned chaotic, existing side by side with feelings of agitation and melancholy.

There were too many things he had to do. Too many things that were hard to accomplish.

He thought about it, and he was no longer happy with the bit of success he just obtained with internal refinement.

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Chapter 346: Traveling Soul (Part 1/3)

Chapter 346: Traveling Soul (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan was in a trance for a long time, his mind still a mess. The hour hand of the clock pointed to four. Another hour had passed without him being aware. Luo Nan felt unwell. This extremely clear state of mind had been disturbed into soup.

No, I can't keep going on like this!

Luo Nan tried to shake off his bad mood. He thought of He Yueyin's teachings, and he immediately muttered aloud, "Sharpening a blade is half the work of cutting a tree. Sharpening a blade is half the work of cutting a tree. Sharpening a blade is half the work of cutting a tree…."

Luo Nan chanted these words over a dozen times, forcibly replacing his plethora of distracting thoughts. He got tired after a while, and he used his finger to press against his forehead. His mood slowly calmed. He didn't have any new experiences, but his muddy thoughts from before gradually turned clear.

He he. Sister Yueyin was quite considerate for giving me this chant. Actually, saying this chant a thousand times, thinking of a million countermeasures, boils down to a single sentence—you're f*ck all if you're not an Extraordinary!

Within this month, he followed He Yueyin in understanding "The Ins and Outs of the Psychic Wave Network's World Order.” He followed Bamboo Pole in studying "Notes on the Major Characters of the World.” Wasn't this none other than the principle he learned?

Frankly speaking, the inner world comprised just a bunch of 'inhumans' who have awakened with abilities. They ranked themselves in order of strength, establishing a simple society. Even if the inner world was influenced by the normal world—money, resources, and contacts could be used to a great degree—strength was what determined how much one was respected.

Why did Bamboo Pole have him rely on Her Majesty Empress Wu? It was because Her Majesty Empress Wu was an Extraordinary. She had masterly strength and robust resources. People were awed by her. She could sever incidents that Luo Nan found impossible to handle. She could resolve problems that Luo Nan couldn't solve.

In this sense, swapping Her Majesty Empress Wu for any other Extraordinary would achieve a similar result. At most, there would be a difference of service. Of course, swapping would be meaningless if Luo Nan was an Extraordinary himself. The majority of incidents wouldn't have happened, and even if they did, they would rapidly reach a resolution.

This was the special position that Extraordinaries hold.

If Luo Nan could resolve things by himself, he naturally wouldn't want to rely on others. But the truth of the matter was that he was far from the level of an Extraordinary. Right now, he could barely be considered a blunt blade. To grind this blade to a sharp edge and conquer every obstacle before him would require him to smash through a lot of hard work.

He Yueyin had advised him with this common saying, "Sharpening a blade is half the work of cutting a tree," because she was quite worried about him losing patience and confidence from the tedious and difficult process.

Luo Nan wasn't that careless and worthless, but to say that he was someone very patient would be a lie.

He was willing to pay with blood, sweat, and tears in order to hone his blade. He could endure whatever hardships, no matter how bitter. But if this process was crude and clumsy, like the gradual step by step of the water grinding arts, then he wouldn't be able to bear it.

His grandfather was on the verge of death; he couldn't wait. The flaming enemies with vicious intent wouldn't wait either. Luo Nan didn't want to leave behind irreparable regrets. Moreover, he didn't want to have his head cleaved by the sword of a powerful enemy before matters could be resolved.

"Put in more effort! Progress even faster!"

This was none other than the cultivation tempo he desired. To achieve this, he had to rely on nothing but two things. The first was Formatting Theory and coupling. The second was the internal body refinement technique taught to him by Gym Master Xiu, which cultivated essence and energy.

The latter involved personal guidance from Gym Master Xiu. The path was clear, the sequence distinct. Luo Nan wasn't scared of missteps. It was of the utmost efficiency. But this sort of internal refinement technique, regardless of it being breathing techniques or opening orifices, all required particular attention to maturity. One must not advance prematurely. For instance, currently, it wasn't appropriate for Luo Nan to make any impatient actions, having just honed the eyes orifice into perfection. He needed his body to settle for several days, then see.

So this left only one thing that could be further carved for results.

Formatting Theory.

Luo Nan understood very well that his cultivation progress in internal refinement was shocking. Part of it was due to a sharpening influence from Formatting Theory, the transformation of the enormous potential energy of the vast ocean glacier. Today, his cultivations in the eyes orifice was completed, and he would still need to rely on the power of Formatting Theory for the next step in his cultivations.

No matter which ways he went about it, Formatting Theory was his most fundamental and key research. He dedicated himself to forging ahead. He couldn't slack off at all. And there was a state most appropriate for pondering Formatting Theory.

The clock pointed to 4:10 a.m. Luo Nan looked at his daily schedule using his HexaEar. He had around an hour to go before his regular morning exercise routine.

Luo Nan didn't get up, having estimated the time. He just slightly closed his eyes and said, Come out, in his mind. Chains shook within the void, its pulling force coming out of nowhere. It pulled his soul to leave his body with a shudder.

Yes, what Luo Nan wanted to do was astral travel in an out-of-body state.

Formatting Theory itself was flawed. Its hidden dangers were large, one of which was the imbalance between body and soul, the unconventional explosive surge of soul strength. And the times when soul strength exploded the most fiercely was often when the soul left the body.

After the event at Frost River Reality, Luo Nan's imbalance between body and soul had reached a critical level. He had to seal up this technique and stop using it.

However, was Formatting Theory still Formatting Theory without the explosive increase in soul strength? Luo Nan inherited this theory of his grandfather's. He desired to reform and improve it to perfection. This process was bound to be filled with constant trial and error. Now, how would he do this trial and error? Naturally, he had to make errors in order to make revisions.

Luo Nan was in a critical state in the past from the imbalance between body and soul. He lost all room to make mistakes. However, with his progress in his cultivations, with the constant revolving of his body gear, his foundation turned deep. His ability to deal with risks greatly increased. There were some things he had to put on the agenda. He had to keep going, or should he just wait for the blade to cleave into his body, awaiting death with closed eyes?

Luo Nan didn't want to close his eyes and wait to die. He had to open his eyes to look at this world. He had to use the perspective of Formatting Theory to make scientific analyses. Then he had to put it into practice to verify the results. He had to push forward like this, level by level, using the greatest of efforts to climb to the level of Extraordinary at the fastest speed possible.

"I can do it! I have to do it!"

Luo Nan's conviction grew clear. His soul floated outside his body. Like a fish, he softly leapt into the boundless and endless mental ocean. The range of his senses instantly expanded by tenfold, by a hundredfold.

His telepathic mind stirred, and he saw his fleshly body in its sleep-like state. He swept his vision to look at his quiet-yet-awake guardians, and his soul body flickered as it disappeared into the void.

Without the burden of the fleshly body, the soul body's movement speed only depended on the spatial interference strength Luo Nan could employ with his methods and skills. It wasn't an oddity to be able to travel several kilometers in a single thought. Luo Nan left his living community far away in the blink of an eye, entering the depths of the metropolis, which was on the verge of waking in this early morning.

His soul wandered in the city, and seemingly familiar, yet unfamiliar feelings accumulated in layers. In the past, nearly every time Luo Nan went in an out-of-body state, he was in deadly and dangerous situations. He was just purely observing and perceiving. Times like this were rare.

The Life Sketches of every living being within the area he could sense appeared one after another. Together, they formed a deep starry sky that continued to expand. The starry sky of life overlapped with the night sky of reality, turning into a labyrinth interwoven on the mental plane and the material plane. This labyrinth possibly even held unknown and precious treasures within.

This was an experience that was difficult to grasp in a normal state.

Luo Nan wasn't bewildered by the labyrinth. He soon confirmed a direction. He moved like a demon of the night. Hidden at times, and disappearing at times. But he pressed forward in a straight line. He didn't avoid any of the tall buildings or flying vehicles. He just went through them all.

It was now 4:20 a.m. Only ten minutes had passed, and Luo Nan's soul body was already flying in the skies above Pingjiang District. He took Acumen College, and even the building complex of Cloud City Water Village which jutted into the clouds, into the range of his senses.

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Chapter 347: Traveling Soul (Part 2/3)

Chapter 347: Traveling Soul (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan was quite shocked after checking the time.

Acumen College was around eighty kilometers away from his aunt's house. It took exactly an hour to get to it when one followed the speed limit of the city. He had just spent ten minutes to get here. In other words, the flying speed of his soul body was nearly five hundred kilometers per hour.

Luo Nan got a rough feel for the flying speed of the soul when he was in the out-of-body state for the very first time. He just felt that it was fast. He never thought that it was this fast. It must be known that he merely flew casually and was far from reaching his limits. If he truly put his all, it was entirely possible for his speed to increase by an entire factor.

Perhaps, this was the result of his catalytic progress?

There were a few satellite towns added to the main city district of Xia City, so the total radius of Xia City was around four hundred kilometers. This meant that he could easily reach any location in Xia City within an hour. In a night's time, he could travel a whole circle around Xia City, and even travel several thousand kilometers away.

The marvels of astral travel lay here.

He just didn't know if any issues would come up with the order frame, which was formed from his Body Gear and God Gear, from having his soul body be too far away.

Luo Nan immediately slowed the flying speed of his soul. He spared a bit of mental energy to sense the changes in his fleshly body located eighty kilometers away.

The out-of-body state caused considerable changes with the order frame of Luo Nan's body and soul. The pressure coming from his soul strength toward his body was practically nil, but he was also separated from the external neuron. There was no longer the vast ocean iceberg structure and its massive order. The God Gear didn't really live up to its name anymore.

Luo Nan tried to drive the heart lantern of the eyes orifice, but there was no reaction. At this point, he was certain that a corresponding material medium was necessary for an effective interference of reality when he used the mental plane. For instance, no matter how powerful his God Gear, Luo Nan's current order frame was useless in this regard, for he lacked the meshing of the Body Gear.

Luo Nan couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed about this.

In this way, the substantial uses of astral travel were rather limited. He needed to plan ahead. He needed to make a few backups of the high-imitation Human-Faced Arachnid as long as the Wraith Sign wasn't here.

Luo Nan pondered this matter and felt a little puzzled. Were mentally enhanced ability users like Mr. Bai and Old Man You, who definitely possessed the astral travel ability, like this in their out-of-body states? It didn't seem so. How else would they show their skills in their day-to-day lives?

He pondered this from different angles, but was unable to get the gist of it. He was even thinking of giving He Yueyin a proposal: Add a course on the applications of the out-of-body state.

In any case, it was impossible for him to resolve this issue tonight. Luo Nan collected his mind, giving up on useless, distracting thoughts. With a flicker of his soul body, he arrived in the skies above Cloud City Water Village. He locked on the viewing platform atop Ocean Sky Cloud City and drifted down.

It was the wee hours of four o'clock in the morning. There naturally wouldn't be anybody there on the viewing platform. It was desolate and quiet. When Luo Nan's soul strength cut across, though he had no effects toward the material plane, he made contact with the consciousness of a living being via the mental plane.

Within the central crystal pillar of Ocean Sky Cloud City, the Mutant devil ray was resting and floating in the water. It suddenly became excited. It swung its enormous flat body to whirl in a circle, a habitual action. It was like a giant drill as it rapidly ascended upward, heading toward the peak of the crystal pillar. It rapidly advanced toward none other than the viewing platform of the Ocean Sky Cloud City.

Since Ocean Sky Cloud City held captive such a fierce creature, they naturally didn't have a lowered guard. Every night, there were professionals on duty. There were also monitoring probes of different forms playing their role.

The instant the devil ray moved, its special behavior drew the alert of the monitoring system. There were groans all over within the central control room of the large building.

"This monster is going crazy again."

"A single disturbance costs hundreds of thousands!"

"Quick! Release the blocker!"

The so-called blocker was a defensive device that Cloud City Water Village temporary installed after the devil ray had broken through the reinforced glass of the Heavenly Ocean Lake. It had no other function besides preventing the devil ray from punching another hole through the Heavenly Ocean Lake.

The large building turned chaotic, and Luo Nan could feel it. He felt a bit embarrassed, so he imbued psychic waves into the devil ray, calming its agitated emotions.

The devil ray possessed decent intelligence. Although it had been under Luo Nan's control in forced submission by the high-imitation Human-Faced Arachnid, it had felt all sorts of novelties and fascinations. Moreover, it had reached an utterly strong state under Luo Nan's control. It both revered and feared the special frequency of Luo Nan's psychic waves. Right now, it was already ranked in Luo Nan's Societal Format Diagram. It was located in the Office Worker level. According to the definitions of Orders, it could be called a 'believer' or 'family.’

Luo Nan's telepathic mind sunk downward, and the devil ray didn't dare resist. It immediately stopped its momentum. As it turned its body, it saw that it had alarmed its surroundings. Fish and shrimp, who were fleeing in all directions, were easily swallowed with a single bite. Ocean Sky Cloud City had blood spilled in it yet again.

The gambol of the just awakened devil ray would bring about great damages to relevant parties. Luo Nan's soul body stayed above the viewing platform, and he looked into the distance, at the wetlands jungle of the north bank of Acumen College. He stared, unmoving for a time.

Gear was in the middle of the jungle. The viewing platform was over a dozen kilometers away from the wetlands jungle. The color of day was dark and desolate. Normal people would find Gear hard to see.

But Luo Nan could see it.

The distance of a dozen kilometers existed within the limits of Luo Nan's mental senses when his soul and body were together. Before, he had used the coupling of the God Gear and the Body Gear to stimulate the heart lantern of the eyes orifice to marvelous effects. The caressing psychic light illuminated the earth from above, taking Gear, which was within the jungle, into his clairvoyance.

It was currently impossible for him to achieve coupling between the God Gear and the Body Gear in his astral travel state. But since entering the out-of-body state, the range of his senses increased explosively tenfold. He was able to clearly see Gear with pure observation

Back then, he had a magical feeling that Gear was the eye of heaven and earth, that it was a large format encompassing the entire universe. The problem was, it was difficult to trigger such feelings again, no matter how much he observed Gear.

This result was within his expectations.

He had already understood something the instant when his heart lantern illuminated Gear from above. The marvels contained within Gear couldn't be seen by purely the naked eye. Mental senses couldn't illuminate it clearly, either. Only when the two modes of vision and mental senses were coupled to realize a polished overlap could the reality behind the exterior be touched. Only then could he ascertain how that power of order rotated within the void of heaven and earth into a genesis.

Observing through pure mental senses was meaningless.

If possible, Luo Nan obviously hoped to go to the the viewing platform physically in person and observe Gear in the day and night with his clairvoyance. He would then take in the marvels of his experience. But this week, there had been ghosts dancing all around, all the time, regardless of the location being the viewing platform or Gear. It spoiled Luo Nan's mood.

"Forget it. Forget it. I'll go observe up close."

Luo Nan didn't choose this location for his astral travel based purely on a whim. He had a clear purpose and plan.

Luo Nan's soul body flew away from Ocean Sky Cloud City. With a mere thought, he appeared within the middle of the wetlands jungle, and Gear was just ahead. At that time, all the lights were off within the building. It was pitch-black, without any hint of a human.

To enter this place at this time and in this sort of setting would require some guts…. Oh, if someone really did come, Luo Nan didn't mind testing out the fellow's qualities.

What a pity; there was no such person here.

Luo Nan's soul body went through the wall to go inside Gear. His mental senses naturally covered every space and every corner of the twelve floors above and below him. He missed not a hair.

Such things was possible when his body and soul were merged. In that state, he could do even better thanks to the strengthening from the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. It was more suitable to the environment of Gear.

But Luo Nan often had this thought: There are people ahead of the body and eyes behind the head; he must not act willfully. So he waited until he gained success with internal refinement, reckoning that now he could endure the pressure of his soaring soul strength. Only then did he embark forward.

He didn't know if it was his imagination, but he felt a chill as he stayed in this place in the form of a soul.

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Chapter 348: Traveling Soul (Part 3/3)

Chapter 348: Traveling Soul (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

The early morning might be the quietest time of the day for the wetlands jungle. The activity of the birds and the beasts between the trees had plummeted to the minimum, and whatever sounds that made their way to Gear were largely blocked off.

Any slight abnormality would be magnified under such an environment, evoking a sense of bizarreness.

Luo Nan's soul remained unmoving. He took in this experience in detail. A dozen or so seconds passed, and he grew more certain that the chill he felt wasn't an illusion. The chill even seemed to possess a certain pattern. It was like a wisp of air moving in a circle, and it traveled back and forth inside Gear.

And there was a soft diditata sound accompanying the chill as it circulated within the building. Perhaps it was because he had been listening to the sound for a while, but he felt that there existed a faint, yet exquisite relationship between the two.

The exquisiteness made it so that one would perceive illusions at any given time.

Luo Nan was in his out-of-body state. The precision of his mental senses had climbed to the highest summit. Normally, he wouldn't have been able to detect the subtle relationship contained within the chill.

"Right. This is right."

Luo Nan liked this sort of discovery. This detail fit in nicely with the research and conclusions he made on the mysteries of Gear. His explorations during astral travel started off nicely.

He was about to stay here to engage in further study, but his brain heated up for a few seconds, and he recalled his primary purpose for today's actions. He could only suppress his impulses, and go through the ground floor with his incorporeal soul. He headed toward the central control room located on the underground fourth floor.

The feeling of his soul going through the ground was quite a marvelous one. The soul body relied on mental senses. Normal matter wouldn't cause any interference. But Luo Nan was used to the perceptions of the body, so it was inevitable that some mental barriers would appear in his mind.

Within his 'eyes,’ the earth and steel structure formed numerous layers of shadows. It was akin to plummeting through thick clouds. They appeared solid and imposing at first glance, but then they turned as indistinct as smoke when he collided with them. He very nearly lost his sense of orientation, becoming uncertain whether he headed up toward the skies or down into the earth.

Such a feeling triggered the appearance of memories from the bottom of his heart.

He had experienced a similar scene a week ago, but that scene was more vivid and real. Bloody rays had pierced through an ash-gray layer of clouds, and he had gone through them just like now. An incredibly vast view of the world had been presented before him.

Today, Luo Nan came here in secret. He came here to chase after that incredible experience.

He had long wanted to do this, but his recent situation prevented him. His situation was a hopeless mess, so the Xia City branch kept him under strict surveillance. They protected him practically twenty-four hours a day. They sent him to school. They picked him up after school. On campus, Xue Lei always wanted to stick close to him. And there were sentries on rotational duty outside his home at night.

Needless to say, things were tight at Gear as well. There was always construction work. All sorts of people came and went, hiding their true intentions. Monitoring occurred both inside and out. It was truly as if there were eyes coming from all directions. Luo Nan was up to his ears in work. He really was unable to find a chance.

Today, he managed to astral travel through his great efforts. Naturally, the first thing he did was come here to try. The situation was now unfolding just as he intended.

He had deliberately gone to Ocean Sky Cloud City to observe Gear from afar because he wanted to trace back the actions that led to that experience. And his first decision after coming back to Gear was to go to the starting point of that real experience. He was going to the central control room located on the underground fourth floor.

Luo Nan had seen it yesterday afternoon. The central control room was entirely renovated, installed with a completely new control console. Its holographic projection showed that all equipment and installations were on standby. There was only the flashing of two or three electronic lights.

Luo Nan stood before the control console. His mind in recollection was akin to entering the ocean with waves upon waves of receding tides. The ocean churned with excitement, causing the temporal scene to appear as if in a vast space, boundless and endless.

Although he was clearly in soul form, Luo Nan subconsciously performed the action of drawing in a deep breath.

"Come, then! Now is the time to witness miracles!"

Luo Nan's telepathically touched the control console and extended inside to capture that feeling within his memories.

The control console was ice-cold. Its digital lights flashed. Then... no further response came.

Luo Nan waited a full twenty seconds before daring to confirm that his tracing attempts had suffered a most merciless failure.

"What's wrong?"

Luo Nan still remembered what he experienced that day. He remembered the entire process that caused him to be transported from the central control room to the tree hole located over a thousand meters away.

Luo Nan remembered looking at the ruins of the smashed control console. The fellow named Tank had destroyed the fire safety module. Luo Nan had tried to activate it once more by using the external neuron to directly connect to the underlying system. He had been sent spinning the moment he connected to the energy module…. Oh?

Yes, the external neuron!

Luo Nan's soul spun in place for five or six revolutions, his mind still retaining emotions of vexation that were difficult to dispel. His mind really had been muddled. It was very probable that the external neuron had acted as a primer, as a key, at the time. Otherwise, an average Joe could just waltz in and uncover the shocking mysteries of Gear.

Back in the day when his mother designed Gear, there was also that man who possessed the external neuron. Using the external neuron as a safeguard was the most rational choice.

Luo Nan wanted to open the treasure chest, but he forgot the key at home.

All right, this was a wasted trip. Next time, when he had the chance…. Wait. It was only 4:30 A.M. He still had time. With the flying speed of his soul, it was completely possible to do a round trip!

With the slightest stirring of a thought, Luo Nan's soul flew straight up. He went through layers and layers of earth, rock, and metal to directly soar into the skies above Gear.

"Oh?"

Originally, Luo Nan was going to immediately leave, but he suddenly felt something when his soul body traveled within the building structure. The lingering chill within the air seemed to cut with minute ripples and undulations at the soul body at several locations. It felt wonderful.

Luo Nan couldn't but think of what had happened before.

His soul body stopped in place, and his mental senses naturally covered the entire building, taking the structure of Gear into his mind.

There seemed to be endless discoveries waiting to be unearthed when it came to the marvels of Gear. Outside, Gear was seamlessly embedded into the Heaven and Earth Format as a tiny part. Inside, Gear had subtle and exquisite components that together formed a harmonized whole.

According to what Luo Nan learned recently, Gear could be generally described as a precision-running mechanical system.

Luo Nan had endlessly observed Gear over the past many days. He observed each part one by one, and could generally discern them. Within the building, there was the central control room, the underground laboratory, the above ground laboratory, the activity room, and the atrium. There were several pieces of independent areas. They were all parts of this machine, and each fulfilled their respective functions.

The machine was constantly running, but each component was fixed. This caused a problem: If the components weren't moving, what was moving?

A proper engineer probably would have gone mad when faced with this problem, but Luo Nan's thoughts were influenced by his many days of living in this world. He naturally turned to another train of thought.

The components didn't move. Then what moved was some kind of an extraordinary power.

The cultural courses he recently took touched upon knowledge involving the mystic arts. For example, the formations of the Orient, the magical spells of the west, and other similar stuff. Ability users used materials, temperature, terrain, the atmosphere, and so on in arrangements. This was to better draw and drive energy, creating a marvelous structure of coalescence and energy.

Researchers of the Society even included the Wuhou Eight Formation of folklore and other similar mystic arts as references.

Luo Nan didn't care the least about the Wuhou Eight Formation, and its effect which was akin to a stone immovable by the flowing river. He was just driven by the new thoughts that had popped into his mind, and he flew up a certain distance in height to gaze down from afar. He scanned Gear from inside to outside once anew several times, opening up new trains of thought.

He thought, Was that chill, coming from nowhere, created by air-conditioning?

According to the superficial knowledge Luo Nan learned from Worker Zhai over these past few days, this sort of mechanical system should have some sort of primary motor to provide motive power to parts, which then realized functions, allowing the transmission to connect the two parts of motive power and work. There were also auxiliary components that, for instance, controlled operation.

Luo Nan, a non-mainstream engineering apprentice, would find it truly very difficult to distinguish the marvelous designs of the well-blended mechanical structure. However, tracking the flow of energy was a different story. Luo Nan could roughly judge the locations of transmission, the locations of accumulation, and the locations performing work.

Luo Nan's mental senses immediately following the flow of the chill. In and out. To and fro. He followed for a few cycles, eliminating components one after another, gradually shrinking the scope until he reached the westernmost side of Gear.

This place had a diameter of twelve meters and a depth of fifty meters. It was the atrium.

According to Luo Nan's perception, the chill was divided in layers, and each of its flow had a different source. However, practically every layer arrived there in the end, accumulating in its spiraling, in all its movements. The diditata sound was clearest here.

Luo Nan's soul sunk down to directly enter the atrium. Heart answered with a sensation as he did so. As expected, the psychic pressure of the circulating current was a factor higher here than the other locations in the building. When his soul body cut into this area, ripples clearly undulated on the mental plane, akin to the ripples formed when a pebble was tossed into a deep well.

With this 'toss,’ Luo Nan was able to confirm the exquisiteness, the subtlety of this flowing energy coalescing here. And this told him that he wouldn't have grasped the changes within were it not for him being in an out-of-body state, were it not for the sharp increase in the precision of his mental senses.

Then, what came after the accumulation of the spiraling flow of energy?

Why did Luo Nan have an impression that this place was like a deep well? This was because there seemed to be something missing in the atrium, based on the quantity of flowing energy that was coalescing. An order to control the energy flow was missing. The element to lock the whole thing in place was missing.

Was it the external neuron? Or perhaps….

Luo Nan floated within the atrium. He was silent in thought for a while before suddenly strengthening his soul. Based on his current ability, doing the strengthening was as difficult as drinking cool water. The visualization diagram, composed of a tetrahedron, an inscribed sphere, and an outerscribed sphere, immediately appeared in the void, enveloping his soul within.

The instant this figure manifested within the atrium, Luo Nan discovered that the surrounding chilly flow of energy had been stirred!

The flow speed was increasing, going through the visualization diagram, in and out, coiling around, moving step by step.

The visualization diagram acted as a pole, and the stirring of the pole gave the gathered flowing energy a lot of order. It also consolidated the energy quite a bit. Most notable were the changes with some messy information. They were gathered up because of this stirring, gradually becoming logical.

There was a way!

The response grew clearer and clearer with the circulation of the flowing energy. Luo Nan's mental senses were even tinged with color. A faint gray glow gradually filled in.

Luo Nan was no stranger to this.

In this week, whether it was the day he had that experience, or the times when he was half-asleep and half-awake in silence, there was always this glow entwined in his memories, reminding him of the existence of a magical world.

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Chapter 349: To the Cloud (Part 1/3)

Chapter 349: To the Cloud (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

This gray-white glow of paint became motivation in Luo Nan's perspective. He couldn't help thinking, Can it be? Can the circumstances back then be recreated without using the external neuron?

Luo Nan wanted to know more, and his mental senses naturally expanded, allowing him to discover that his soul strength was constrained—it was constrained within the atrium, unable to breach outside no matter what he did. It just revolved within the atrium, its speed rapidly increasing.

Soul strength didn't possess kinetic energy, nor did it really have vectors to speak of. These were just philosophical elements discussed within the Society. Luo Nan was unable to give an accurate definition, but whether it was an illusion or a genuine sensation, his soul strength undoubtedly appeared in such a state.

He thought about the practical physics course he took in middle school. He had seen a particle accelerator. It accelerated charged particles in a vacuum using electromagnetic fields. The particles accumulated more and more energy, before ultimately colliding with each other.

This was what Luo Nan felt right now.

His soul strength was constrained in this way. It revolved at soaring speeds, forming and sustaining wave after wave of tremendous psychic pressure. The pressure was so much that the line between the mental and the material gradually blurred. This was a structure of the mental plane, and it forcefully revealed itself in prominence.

Thousands of layers of curtains soared, following the surge of psychic pressure. They warped one after another; distant ones pulled closer, and close ones cast afar. It looked like one great mess, but for some reason, after several changes, the thousands of curtains actually interweaved to form a stable structure. No matter how warped the mental plane became, few changes occurred in the main section... although it was still complicated to the point of madness.

"This scene seems familiar…. Stop!"

Luo Nan gave up analyzing with firm resolution. The deeper he sank into the mental plane, the more he came to know the complexity of its mysteries and secrets. They were endless, enough to wring one's mental energy dry. Luo Nan really didn't have the energy to think from different angles.

The cycling speed continued to increase, catalyzing Luo Nan's soul strength to some kind of limit. His perception on the mental plane quickly began to crumble, and soon he lost perception of the cycling, of the psychic pressure, and so on.

The corresponding thoughts were annihilated. It was akin to a skyscraper whose structural frame was erased, immediately causing it to collapse and fall apart.

Luo Nan instantly fell into a sheet of chaos.

If any bit of consciousness still remained under these circumstances, then only existence itself was probably all that was left.

The world went still before exploding apart!

There was an indescribable period of time. It might have been a second. It might have been an hour. But Luo Nan was completely unaware of what happened during that time.

By the time his basic perception was restored to him, he just sensed the weak feeling of existence as one of the few things remaining. The feeling took on the form of incomparable greed, and it rapidly expanded. It took all ability of thought and perception that had been lost, and seized them back completely, digesting them anew.

The endlessly rising psychic pressure disappeared without a trace, and Luo Nan's soul turned light and calm, transparent inside and out.

Everything was being restored. Everything was improving. But everything changed into something different.

In fact, a whole new world appeared before Luo Nan's eyes.

The gray-white glow appeared once more, acting as the universal background, drawing blurry and hazy silhouettes. Soon, the silhouettes became discernible. They were mounds and mounds of clouds. Coils and coils of mist. The hail-fire of ice crystals. And between the pressed and torn cracks of clouds was a blood-red flowing glow, as if a conflagration burned in the area below.

Luo Nan stared at it all, taking the time to confirm that it wasn't an illusion, that it wasn't a memory, that it was occurring in this very moment. This was the scene collected by his mental senses.

He had seen a similar scene in the past. Though the process had been different last week, he had looked down from above to view such a scene. He had gone deep within, for a short, yet incredible journey to the cloud!

Success! This was it!

Luo Nan wanted to wave his arms and yell in exhilaration, but this was something he couldn't do as a soul. He could only settle for the next best thing. He welcomed the astral winds wrapped in the ice crystals of his memories.

Wait, where was the wind?

Luo Nan discovered the anomaly at last. He tried to control his soul body to enter the endless cloud layer before him, but he was unable to get even a millimeter near no matter how much he exerted himself. It seemed as if a piece of invisible glass stood before him, cutting the two areas apart.

Then more problems came out.

Luo Nan discovered that he was unable to engage in an all-encompassing view with his soul. He was constrained to something like a bird's-eye view. The sensation of the invisible glass together with this view made it all feel like he was sitting in an airplane. The thick glass window separated him, leaving him only to gaze at the boundless sea of clouds.

If Luo Nan never had that first experience, he would probably praise the marvelous scene before his eyes. But there were no ifs in this world; there was only reality. This situation of immobility, of being trapped, was absolutely not what Luo Nan desired!

Moreover, this led to another problem. Right now, he wasn't in the atrium of Gear. He also hadn't moved to the cloud world. Then, where was he?

The thought barely formed, and Luo Nan felt some irresistible force repelling him. It took him, who was infinitesimally close to the cloud world, and smacked him down over and over. Then the world spun before his eyes. He couldn't help his scream, and by the time he snapped out of it, the world changed back to its most normal appearance.

He had returned to the atrium within Gear.

"Oh my... god!"

The middle obscenity and thought were forcibly erased by Luo Nan. He had nothing to say toward his mother's masterpiece. He was just pissed off with himself.

He returned to the normal world, and his all-encompassing senses returned as well. They covered Gear from inside out, taking the structure of the atrium and the gathering energy flow into his clairvoyance. He saw everything to the finest detail.

So my senses are sharp this time? Luo Nan gritted his teeth in frustration. The range of his mental senses simply exploded, driven by his emotions. They broke away from the constraints of the atrium. There was no wall blocking them, but there should be some sort of retaliating whiplash for his actions!

The feelers of his mental senses extended fifteen kilometers out in the blink of an eye, reaching toward an area that was twenty kilometers away. They easily covered the entire campus of Acumen College, bringing Cloud City Water Village and most of the large activity area within their perception.

Luo Nan was shocked when he snapped out of his minor emotions. This wasn't the directional clairvoyance he used atop Ocean Sky Cloud City. This was an omnidirectional radiation.

A radius of twenty kilometers. That was a range of over a thousand square kilometers. The entirety of Pingjiang District was just that large!

The space was enormous, climbing up to the heavens and digging down to the earth. The sheer amount of information from the living beings, even if from simplified Life Sketches, was of a terrifying quantity. It was an astronomical number.

There was an instant when Luo Nan felt he was about to explode. He used all his efforts to constrain his out-of-control mental senses, seeking to reduce the impact. But soon he received the latest feedback.

The impact seemed quite illusionary?

The information that should have come did come, but the expected impact didn't occur. The soul simply engulfed the large quantity of information, digesting it, like drinking a glass of plain boiled water.

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Chapter 350: To the Cloud (Part 2/3)

Chapter 350: To the Cloud (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan's mental senses covered over a thousand square kilometers, simultaneously portraying the Life Sketches of hundreds of thousands of living beings, projecting millions and millions of stars. The level and range of his mental senses were outstanding. But the first feeling Luo Nan got was far from great. He was unable to get a sense how much his soul could endure. He couldn't help thinking,

Can it be? Are the powers the same? Has Formatting Theory been stimulated from cultivating here in Mother's work, causing another eruption in uncontrollable growth?

Luo Nan knew the dangers of the out-of-body state, but the extent of expansion, the explosive tempo, far exceeded his expectations. Though Luo Nan possessed the God Gear upheld by the external neuron, though Luo Nan's liver flowed with energy, allowing the Body Gear to constantly rotate, his body might not be able to bear it!

Luo Nan didn't dare stay in the atrium any longer. He immediate soared upward. But he felt a subtle sensation the moment he cut through the aftermath of the flowing energy all around him, and a thought suddenly appeared in his mind.

It seems like the changes with my soul are quite big this time?

The details surrounding his mental senses far exceeded any previous instant in abnormality. Perhaps other aspects were involved aside from a growth in volume. Unfortunately, the details were too many and too tedious. They felt blurry, and Luo Nan was unable to judge what they were within a short time frame.

Luo Nan couldn't achieve a clear understanding, and he didn't force it. One problem appearing often led to a series of problems appearing. He needed to return home as soon as possible. He disregarded the external neuron. The utmost priority was to confirm whether or not his body and soul structure would collapse in imbalance once more.

Luo Nan's thoughts churned within Gear before taking the step back home.

Luo Nan soared in the dusky sky of the early morning, his mental senses already covering the route back home. His perception penetrated everywhere, stopping at nothing. Skyscrapers were like masses of smoke. They were practically nothing, Luo Nan rushing straight through. His phantasmal flying soul was like a demon.

The more he experienced these things, the more he felt that something was off.

His soul strength had to have increased, but with time as a buffer, Luo Nan felt that the increase in volume wasn't as terrifying as what was previously indicated. At most, it was equivalent to the the amount the Wraith Sign fed from its prey during the time the Wraith Sign made its first hunt. Luo Nan had some leeway to deal with this sort of increase after forming the Body Gear.

But at the same time, his sensing region was endlessly changing from his high speed movement, and the range it covered grew greater and greater. He had already broken through a twenty kilometer radius, and this range continued to slowly increase.

What was the root cause for this increase?

Luo Nan's mind was distracted, but the speed he was traveling at as he made his way back far exceeded his speed when coming. It took a total of six minutes to get home, and this was far from his limits.

There weren't any changes with the situation at home. Luo Nan's aunt and uncle had tormented themselves for the greater part of the night, but they fell asleep sometime throughout it all. The entire house was very quiet. About a kilometer away on the community streets was the bodyguard dispatched by the Society. His eyes were blazing bright as he guarded the monitoring devices.

However, whether it were the devices or the bodyguard, none of them had any reaction toward Luo Nan in his out-of-body state.

It wasn't that they were unqualified. Astral traveling, what Luo Nan was doing, was an activity on either the absolute realm or the abyssal region of the mental plane. The vast majority of B-rank ability users would be blind to Luo Nan even with open eyes.

Luo Nan's soul remained atop the roof of his house. His body, fast asleep below, was like an enormous vortex. His soul was instinctively attracted to it.

Luo Nan didn't enter his body in the first instance when faced with this attractive force. He felt slightly hesitant.

This was an excellent touchstone to test the increase of his soul strength and the resilience of his fleshly body. However, dangers lay here as well. If he couldn't stuff his soul inside, he would probably be the biggest laughing stock of the Society for earning an unprecedented nickname of being a homeless soul. Though, there wouldn't be any deadly crisis to speak of.

And Bai Xinyan, who recently suspended her duties to have some fun, would probably be quite delighted to stuff him in a health pod for treatment.

No way in hell would that happen!

Luo Nan was irritated with his own indecisiveness. A blade would come at him no matter what decision he made. He couldn't avoid it forever. What was he hesitating for!

His resolution firm, the soul sank down, its form melting like ice. The inexhaustible surging soul strength rushed into the vortex that was the body and accurately locked onto the external neuron. It infused within in an orderly fashion.

The external neuron filled up and then naturally overflowed, forming the image of the vast ocean iceberg structure. But with the external neuron as a frame, the soul strength didn't overflow without order. And so the God Gear was formed in this way.

The pressure endured by the body began at zero, and continued to rise.

Luo Nan's eyelids twitched as he lay on his bed, maintaining a half-mast state. He lay there, experiencing the changes occurring with his order frame.

The pressure continued to rise, akin to the rush of a great tide. The God Gear and the Body Gear were like waterwheels. They rumbled as they rotated within the flow of water. Not only did they dispel the frontal impact of the tide, they even borrowed the power of the tide and transformed it into energy, nourishing the fields of blessing.

It looks like there aren't any problems?

From the past until now, Luo Nan's cultivations in the eyes orifice gradually completed, but there was always a tiny little hole—an upper bound to what could be endured. The eyes orifice was far from reaching a level where he could display the full power of the God Gear. He could only protect the lower limit; that was, ensure that the God Gear and Body Gear could mesh and rotate in harmony. The God Gear and Body Gear significantly differed when it came to volume, but the fear of the consequences was too great to change it.

But right now, with the energy flow of his liver unobstructed, the eyes orifice was able to reach his inner organs. The lower limit had increased massively, unbeknown to Luo Nan. The Body Gear and the God Gear had meshed and were rotating. The circulation of blood and energy increased in speed, causing a sharp increase in consumption. But the blood of the liver continued to replenish and adjust, similar to the recharging of batteries. The nourishment of moisture caused growth and development that was everlasting.

But then Luo Nan's Body Gear absorbed too much power, and in this instant, his internal heat grew much stronger. The energy of the liver naturally began to flow away to the fascia, the fingers and toes, and the eyes orifice, giving them rapid growth, nourishment, and refinement. These changes occurred up and down his body, increasing the strength of it

From this, Luo Nan could see that not only weren't there any problems, there seemed to be a possibility for further increases in his cultivation speed. This was absolutely great news. Of course, the increase in soul strength was still within the scope he could control. This was even better news.

Luo Nan confirmed at last that the uncontrollable growth of the soul had merely been a misconception. However, the explosive expansion in the range of his mental senses was fact. Why was this?

He simply sat up in his bed, taking the notebook from his bedside. He flipped to a blank page, then started to write and draw.

The same actions lead to results that are several times more in quantity than ones in the past. Following normal logic, this means that the process of the actions are naturally more effective. There are improvements to their application.

But every operating link is absolutely unique in the current situation. They have to be executed to the letter. This means that the changes have to come from the soul itself.

But I've already eliminated the element that's the increase of soul strength. This leaves...

The structure? The nature?

Aha!

What is the soul? What sort of form does the soul exist as?

Such questions were far beyond Luo Nan's cursory scope. The research of the inner world, developed for several dozens of years. The details of human civilization's several thousand years of religious studies, philosophies, mystic arts were all incapable of producing an explanation that could convince everyone when it came to this question.

Luo Nan was unable to resolve this question. He could only put it aside as he drew closer to reality. Time was of the essence. He needed to make another trip to Gear and confirm the usage of the external neuron.

Oh, the external neuron…. How do I take it with me?

Luo Nan suddenly became aware of this problem and he immediately felt like a fool. He never had the ability to move objects with his soul!

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Chapter 351: To the Cloud (Part 3/3)

Chapter 351: To the Cloud (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

The facts proved Luo Nan's worries to be true.

When he entered the out-of-body state through his usual method of extracting his soul, the external neuron didn't react whatsoever. It remained a long serpent of lightning, spiraling within his head. It gave off an unperturbed feeling that went along the lines of "You can come and go, but I'm going to stay here."

Yet it would be an injustice to say that he lacked all control over the external neuron. The moment Luo Nan used a more traditional method, the stirring of thought, the external neuron changed places within his head. Its curling lightning flickered and flared, echoing from afar.

Just by looking, Luo Nan knew things wouldn't be easy.

Luo Nan made a few strokes with his pen on the loose-leaf notebook. The problem still remained, but an idea grew clearer in his mind.

The out-of-body state. Using telepathy to spur action. These all appeared to be matters of the mental plane, but in fact, this assumption was wrong. Disregarding the out-of-body state, according to the recent theory he learned, telepathy should actually be something like the guiding of energy through intent.

Luo Nan went on to describe the relationships between several essential elements. Call all the energy that could be accumulated by the human body to be 'vital energy.’ Vital energy circulated through the entire body, gurgling like water. The external neuron was a parasitic life form; it was a fish that lived in the water. And Luo Nan's thought was like a small stone.

Thought itself didn't possess the power to directly push the external neuron, but it could strike the water to incite waves. These waves were large enough to startle the fish, causing the external neuron to affect changes.

As for why the external neuron could accurately assess Luo Nan's thoughts, it might be because the external neuron was capable of making intelligent judgments, or there were even subtler mechanisms at work. Luo Nan was subjectively inclined toward the latter.

"So from this perspective, I will need to use the interference power that resides between the mental and material planes in order to drive the external neuron…. Then I have no other option. I'll need to reverse the flow of energy?"

Luo Nan practically broke out laughing.

The most effective method Luo Nan had in achieving interference power was coupling the God Gear with the Body Gear formed from the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. The overwhelming dominance of the God Gear versus the Body Gear was the cause of his current problem. It was a problem of direction. Before, Luo Nan always exerted power from the mental plane toward the material plane. Now, he had to do something unmaintainable. He had to do the reverse.

Theoretically, there was nothing stopping Luo Nan from adjusting the direction of application of the order frame formed from coupling the God Gear and the Body Gear. The initial work had to be carried out within his own head, and for the sake of caution, Luo Nan had to exercise strict control over the intensity of interference.

The glow of the heart lantern of the eyes orifice flickered, no longer illuminating above and outside heaven and earth. The glow no longer illuminated through the inner organs. Instead, the heart lantern of the eyes orifice and the lightning serpent of the external neuron shone upon each other, gradually infusing a wisp of warmth.

The external neuron rumbled in vibration, crackling as it flared with lightning. It appeared to be a bit uncomfortable. It would occasionally coil up. It would occasionally pierce around. It would occasionally stretch out. It was like a transforming heavenly dragon, magical beyond compare.

If he were to disregard the consequences, what he was doing was truly akin to playing with a novel toy. It was utterly fascinating.

Luo Nan saw that the form of the external neuron constantly changed, but he noticed that its nature didn't change. It remained the core frame for the God Gear, the vast ocean iceberg structure's power running deep, but it was stable in its heaviness.

One question: As the core of the God Gear, was the God Gear of the material or of the mental?

Luo Nan didn't have a clear answer, but he did have an unexplainable understanding. The distinction between the material and the mental wasn't that clear, at least in this very moment.

Luo Nan carefully experienced this feeling. The flow of intensification of interference between the mental plane and the material plane, the flaring of the heart lantern of the eyes orifice's blaze. It had gradually become a furnace to smelt and refine the true gold that was the external neuron.

Without heat, one wouldn't know the temperature of the fire. Without heat, one wouldn't know the metal's nature.

Similar feelings stirred within Luo Nan when he followed Gym Master Xiu's teachings in refining life essence. Only when one truly put his hands to the task could he receive certain information, could he brand certain impressions.

Perhaps this principle could be used upon the external neuron?

In any case, Luo Nan immersed himself in this process of refining true gold. He was completely oblivious to the passage of time. This lasted until the HexaEar began to push information to him, vibrating against his eardrum. It sent a clear notification to him.

A new day had begun.

Right now it was 4:55 in the early morning. According to Luo Nan's daily routine, it was already his morning exercise time.

"Oh shoot!" Luo Nan was startled awake. He smacked his head with his notebook in shock at the time.

Or maybe I should spend some more time refining?

The thought barely formed, just to be suppressed by Luo Nan. It was already time for his morning sessions. Gym Master Xiu always had been strict about matters of impulse making a mess of his tempo. He warned Luo Nan, expressively prohibiting it.

He couldn't push the schedule back. Recently, he strictly followed his schedule in work and rest. The security measures set up by the Society were done in accordance to his schedule. Sudden changes would cause a lot of people trouble.

Needless to say, he aborted his plan on exploring the two gears.

Luo Nan couldn't help feeling depressed. He could only suppress his impulse and adjust his mind, using the tao yin he learned early on to sort through these tiny weed-like emotions.

A few bumpy minutes later, the powerful force of inertia pushed him back on the right track. His morning session was forty minutes long, and his morning run took around twice the time. Luo Nan returned home at seven, and his uncle had finished making breakfast as usual, waiting for Luo Nan so that they could start eating.

His aunt was in the living room. Her head was lowered as she fiddled with her wristband. Her face had slight makeup, and she didn't have the dispirited feeling one might expect out of someone who had a hard time sleeping. She saw that Luo Nan had come home and nodded at him with her jaw. "Today, there's something your uncle needs to do a bit early. Today's morning rhythm is faster because of this."

"Oh," Luo Nan responded. He couldn't help pondering things in his mind. How could he make his aunt and uncle feel at ease? He would have to trouble Secretary He for this.

Luo Nan headed upstairs to wash up. He reached the stairs, where he saw Mo Peng come over yawning. Mo Peng gave Luo Nan a bleary-eyed, "Morning," as he headed down the stairs.

They merely brushed past each other, and Mo Peng remembered something. He went, "Hey!" and reached out to grab onto Luo Nan's shoulder. But his fingers weren't even able to touch Luo Nan's clothes when his palm cut across. Mo Peng very nearly sprained his shoulder.

"Why are you running!" Mo Peng complained loudly.

"You're just too fat." Luo Nan turned to look at Mo Peng. Currently, the level of his body's movements was as different as heaven and earth when compared to Xue Lei’s and Crag Burst’s with their physically enhanced bodies. But he was strengthened by the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. Little fatties like Mo Peng, who lacked tempered bodies, could only dream of stopping Luo Nan.

Mo Peng pointed at Luo Nan with a fat finger. "Oh, okay. So it's in with the new and out with the old. You're just living off one person but helping others in secret. Something good just happened, and to think, I wanted to tell you."

Luo Nan rolled his eyes and headed to his room.

"The hell, man! You've just been hanging out with that Leister all day and everyday. Haven't you ever thought about when was the last time us brothers have gone out for some fun?"

Luo Nan already entered his bedroom, so he said in passing, "I'm in Acumen College. You're in Sixth Middle. If you want to hang out, just skip class and come over!"

Mo Peng gave him a big thumbs up. "My bro is psychic!"

Luo Nan finally looked him in the eyes. "You've... been skipping class?"

"Quiet, quiet!" Mo Peng jumped in fright. It must be known that his mother was in the living room. He pushed Luo Nan inside. He was about to say something, but when he saw just how clean Luo Nan's room was, he couldn't help mocking him.

"Perfectionist. OCD. Neat freak."

Luo Nan prepared to kick this guy out.

Mo Peng shrunk back. "All right, all right. I'll talk about proper matters. Have you received the compensation from Frost River Reality yet?"

"Uh, what?"

"It's because of that time at the city center. With all the chaos. They're giving every customer on site higher membership status as compensation. Those who aren't members gain membership. Those who are members go up completely to the next level. Other than that, they're giving out luxurious gift bags or something. Have you gotten yours yet?"

From Luo Nan's perspective, there weren't any good memories of Frost River Reality. He entered the bathroom and adjusted the water temperature, asking in passing, "Then so what?"

"So what? After an increase in membership status, the cost is at least twenty percent off, okay? And there's the coupon they've sent us. It's practically eighty percent off. Stacking these two together means that it's practically free. It's the best time to go out and have some fun…."

Luo Nan sneered, "Y'all can go if you have the guts. Just don't go looking for me the next time you enter the police station."

"We certainly won't have the mood to go to the Frost River Reality in the city center, but haven't they opened a branch near your school, in other words, Cloud City Water Village? Their equipment is supposed to be the best out of the whole city. Bro, the time to show off has come—hey, hey, what are you doing!?"

"Showering. Out of my way." Luo Nan gave Mo Peng a push. Right now he could easily crush this chunky littler brother with his current strength. He simply pushed him out the door.

Mo Peng didn't give up trying to convince Luo Nan, "Running and training like this everyday, even if you get some muscle, what use is it? It's better to take the social route, so you have the chance to show off. Still don't understand? This is a group date. I promise that I will bring the highest quality girls from Sixth Middle. You can't abandon the people of the Mo Family, of the Luo Family. At the very least, you must—"

"Let me know when you can truly make it happen. I'm pressed for time."

"Listen to me, bro. With the few friends you have, Mom will certainly be worried about you forever. You'll be a mama's boy forever. Oh, I mean aunty's boy…. Hey, what about that apartment in Blue Bay? Are you going to let it collect dust?"

Luo Nan had always wanted to go out and live by himself. This wasn't a secret in his home. However, the earthquake in September and his repeated trips to the hospital last month had ruined his hopes.

But Mo Peng didn't know the reason why Luo Nan wanted to live by himself. It was mainly for the sake of synthesizing drugs in secret. At this time, he had no motivation to do so. Plus, Luo Nan went through a series of incidences where he offended major powers. Luo Nan really didn't know if it was better to move out and thereby draw firepower, or to stay near family to better assist them in case something happened.

It was really annoying to think of these matters. Luo Nan simply closed the door, ignoring Mo Peng's shouts outside. He entered the bathroom to go shower.

The HexaEar suddenly transmitted information to him the moment he stood under the showerhead. It was none other than Zhang Yingying.

The message was very short. It consisted of two sentences.

"Be more active! Don't let people look down on you!"

This message came out of nowhere, and Luo Nan replied with a question mark. Zhang Yingying didn't respond. It seemed that she was still brooding over the message he sent yesterday.

Fortunately, there was a document attached to the message.

Luo Nan browsed through the document as he showered with warm water.

This was an internal report Peony made to the firm. There was no doubt that it was related to the search task of the Mutant. Luo Nan could see that Peony had a better grasp over the comprehensive situation after brewing in thought over the course of the night. She already proposed a program of action of the greatest feasibility.

Luo Nan was certain that he would be incapable of producing such a plan if it was required of him.

But the document was different from the one shared yesterday in the cloud space. This report was presented to the high-level members of the firm to read. It contained more sensitive details.

For example, an evaluation of the partner.

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Chapter 352: Paying Tuition

Chapter 352: Paying Tuition

Translator: Strivon

It was 7:15 a.m. Luo Nan hurriedly dug into his meal with several bites. He grabbed his aunt's super-stuffed meat pie and a cup of milk, and he sat inside his uncle's SUV. He displayed the extraordinary power of the Appetite King as he ate and drank the rest of his breakfast completely clean before the car could even leave the community. He opened the window and threw the empty paper cup quite accurately into a roadside trash can. The level of his moving target shooting skills blew the minds of the majority of people on the street.

Uncle Mo Haihang shot Luo Nan a glance as he closed the window. "That's not a magic trick, right?"

"How can it be? See, it hasn't been a waste for me to learn martial arts." Luo Nan still remembered clearly the scene of his guardians racking their brains atop their bed. Luo Nan felt ashamed. He subconsciously spoke in jest, "Look at my skills, my aim, Uncle. You should take me to shooting one of these days. It's been a few years. I don't even remember which way the door opens in the shooting center."

"Sure, it's rare for you to ask something," Mo Haihang readily agreed. Then he casually asked, "How's school been treating you these days? I mean, has your social circle gotten any bigger?"

Luo Nan could feel that his uncle's words had a deeper meaning behind them. He grunted a few times and said some vague things in worry. It was not very convincing, but then Luo Nan recalled a matter he was dealing with. He changed his speech superficially, asking for guidance.

"Uncle, how do you work together with people? There was a school society activity that I participated in. We formed temporary teams to do stuff together, but I don't understand how to do things better."

Mo Haihang responded while driving the car, "So it's a team, eh? Then you need to understand your role in the team. Whether it's the leader or the planner, the technical staff or logistics, make sure everyone is satisfied with their role."

This answer was too comprehensive. Luo Nan was dissatisfied. He said, "These are team positions…."

"Yes. Since we're talking about working together, naturally we need to talk about the team."

Luo Nan rolled his eyes. "I want to know how to get the respect of others in the team from the point of view of an individual."

Mo Haihang's eyes remained on the road, not looking at Luo Nan. He laughed in reply, "The concept of respect is too vague. There isn't a universal standard. Everyone's role is set in a different way, so the way they express their respect is different. A fellow who believes himself to be the leader may express his respect to his subordinates as praise. But would the target of that praise believe he is being respected if he doesn't believe that he is a subordinate?"

"...Makes sense."

"So, don't talk about the relationships within the environment if the environment hasn't taken form yet. The environment can change as it pleases. For example, respect can be a reward or a price. Your temporary team needs to first become a qualified team before further discussion."

Luo Nan withdrew from this topic; listening to his uncle, an intellectual, speak was very brain cell-burning. He closed his eyes and looked at Peony's evaluation in the internal report.

"The person known as Crow has an unknown level of profession. The initial judgment for Crow's temperament is introverted. Crow's not good at communication, and Crow lacks initiative. It may be more suitable for Crow to be considered an 'aid.’ There may be room for bargaining for future collaboration."

This was his partner. The operation hadn't even started and she's seizing power in the team dynamic. How unduly! And she wants to bargain!

Luo Nan admired Peony's acuity and judgment, but this sort of behavior made him feel unwell. It also made him doubt Peony's plan.

It must be known that this outsourcing of work was a form of compensation given to him by Her Majesty Empress Wu. Whatever the case, he wouldn't be given less than the anticipated value. The way Peony expressed herself clearly showed that she was in a relatively normal position within the firm. She didn't have a feel for her boss's intent.

Hm, hold on a sec. This didn't seem like Peony's style!

Luo Nan read the words, being fastidious about the phrasing, and he suddenly understood. The so-called 'bargaining' was perhaps not a shot at reducing funds for the outsourced worker, but instead a solicitation in recruitment for future work.

This was quite a brilliant move if this was the case. At the very least, she was able to understand some of Her Majesty Empress Wu's intentions. But Luo Nan decided that it would be better to first consult with He Yueyin before arriving at conclusions.

Luo Nan felt very tired with this sort of person on the team who wanted to seize the upper hand.

Then Mo Haihang spontaneously spoke to Luo Nan, "I have a general idea of what you're thinking about. You feel that there needs to be a target or a paradigm in order to do stuff. If you really don't know what to do, then learn from me. I feel that us two are quite alike. See if what I say suits you."

Luo Nan immediately went teary-eyed. This is just what I wanted!

"I have a personal motto. Take a look." Mo Haihang sent him a message. It was very short, consisting of only two sentences.

He who stands on his tiptoes does not stand firm. He who stretches his legs does not walk easily.

Luo Nan was lost in thought for a time. He had read this classic script when he was a kid, and recently he followed Gym Master Xiu in studying classical martial arts. Gym Master Xiu crammed him full of this kind of knowledge. He recognized that this was a saying from "The Book of the Dao" by Laozi.

The first sentence meant that when one looks afar by standing on their tiptoes, they stand unsteadily. The second sentence meant that when one stretches their gait to make large strides for faster movement, they won't be able to get far.

These two sentences were followed by, "So, he who displays himself does not shine; he who asserts his own views is not distinguished; he who vaunts himself does not find his merit acknowledged; he who is self-conceited has no superiority allowed to him..." and so on in a long series. There was a general idea: Actions that were made carelessly and impatiently, selfishly and boastfully, were unreliable. There were also deeper meanings: Sometimes one must retreat to make progress; one must let things take their own course, and things will naturally resolve, and so on.

Fine, this was, indeed, a style of doing things. It matched his uncle, whose words and actions were low-key in daily life, quite well. However... However, the current circumstances weren't like this!

Mo Haihang didn't know the knot in Luo Nan's heart. He even asked, "Do you understand?"

"I understand. Oh, Uncle. Do you have anything else?"

"I do. For instance, 'A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving'...."

"I know."

"Then there's also, 'Know the masculine. Hold the feminine. Be the fountain of the world'...."

"'Know the white. Hold the black. Be an example for the world. Be an example for the world, forever virtuous and unchanging. Return to the infinite…. The carving of wood forms tools. The sage uses the tools to become the ruler, thus keeping the great whole undivided.’"

Luo Nan was scared. He simply recited out the entire passage. There could be a hundred sentences or eighty sentences within "The Book of the Dao" by Laozi. It made no difference to him. This really wasn't what he needed.

Mo Haihang laughed heartily, "Look, you've already thought about what to do. Your mind is obviously very clear. Why do you need to ask me?"

"...."

Luo Nan knew that he had been played with and was left speechless for a time. Actually, he wasn't interested in any possible methods. It wasn't absolutely necessary to keep Peony down. If it were up to him, he would rather stay idly in his corner in peace and refine the external neuron. He wanted to carefully experience this process of refinement and see what sort of results he would ultimately obtain.

However, matters had to be attended to before he could obtain this peace and quiet.

There was no use telling others of this bind he was in.

Mo Haihang twirled his fingers around his temples. "Let me guess what you're thinking. You want to do something, but you don't know whether or not you can do it. So you want to find a paradigm of success. Like a formula. You want to input all sorts of parameters and get the complete answer."

Luo Nan gulped. "...I just want a reference."

Mo Haihang nodded, but then he shook his head and sighed, "Nanan, how old are you again?"

"Sixteen."

"What a great age. Back when I was sixteen, I knocked a classmate up. My dad found out and kicked me down the stairs, leaving me with a bloody mouth."

Holy cow, what gossip!

Luo Nan's jaw dropped to his chest, not closing for quite some time.

Mo Haihang's eyes were glued ahead. He was smiling quite delightedly as he recalled memories of his irretrievable youth. But Luo Nan ultimately was the final topic of the day. "I haven't given you a smacking since you turned ten, am I right?"

"Uh, I think so."

"A kid in his teens. Second time developing. The stage of puberty. The rebellious period. What a wonderful stage in life, and it passed just like that?"

Is Uncle very disappointed that he never had the chance to beat me up?

As Luo Nan cursed under his breath, new words poured into Luo Nan's ear, "Do you think I should be happy that you're mature for your age? Or should I be worried that there are problems with your physical development and mental growth?"

Luo Nan raised his head in astonishment, meeting Mo Haihang's cold and clear gaze. He understood the seriousness within them.

"Humans have never been perfect creatures. The evolution of this species is one filled with trial and error. At most, we get by with some good-enough luck. So, society is very cruel, but it always gives people a bit of room for trial and error. This is true especially so for young people. Your father's Societal Format Diagram has a separate box for students. Those that are in it are people who 'pay tuition.’"

His uncle's words had the certain earnestness of a scholar. Luo Nan was a bit confused. He didn't know what sort of attitude he should respond with. In the end, he just mumbled in agreement.

Mo Haihang continued with what seemed like an interrogation, "Then Nanan, tell me. Why are you so stingy with 'tuition'? Are you prepared to repress all flaws and wait till a more brutal stage to lose everything?"

Luo Nan didn't even have the energy to grunt. He felt that today's uncle was completely different from his normal uncle. Perhaps the matter from last night made his uncle make some cognitive associations, and right now his uncle was probing his behavior.

Luo Nan really wanted to say that it was a misunderstanding. There wasn't any odd organization that found him. But he thought a bit deeper. The nature of the situation he was facing was quite similar. Wasn't this an issue that Her Majesty Empress Wu and her people created?

His brain churned for a while before he barely thought of something to say. "So you're saying I should wade the river by groping for stones, feel my way around, and fall down a few times, right? You uncle and aunt are like a wolf and a hawk, okay? That's enough, I know that Uncle, you don't like my student life."

Luo Nan did his best to disrupt the atmosphere. He grumbled, "’Know the masculine and hold the feminine. Know the white and hold the black. No honor and hold disgrace. Suffering is fortune.’ I can handle it. Isn't that enough?"

Mo Haihang quietly looked at him; the serious, cold, and clear intent ultimately washing away from his gaze. Warmth returned to him as his smiled and said, "If only. Right, the thing I just mentioned to you about when I was young. You need to seal your mouth shut. Unless you really want me to beat you."

Luo Nan blinked his eyes. "Didn't you say that I should have the courage to pay 'tuition'—oh god!"

Luo Nan felt a breeze by his ear. Mo Haihang had grabbed onto it. Of course, he didn't use force. Even if he did, it would be useless against Luo Nan who was strengthened by the heart lantern of the eyes orifice.

The car became quite lively, and the automatic driving system of the car displayed its function properly.

Within the noisy laughter, Luo Nan knew that certain matters had changed into something different, and he had to get used to these changes.

The car had yet to arrive at Acumen College, but far away in a certain park in the River Wu District, an enormous crow flapped its wings as it flew off into the sky. It followed the river of the city and the green vegetation surrounding it as it flew in low altitudes. A rubberband tied to its leg faintly vibrated, immediately sending information to the crow.

About ten minutes later, Luo Nan entered the school campus forty kilometers away in the Pingjiang District. As for Ink, it already found its target, and it plunged into an ordinary SUV parked by the roadside.

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Chapter 353: Inhabited Area

Chapter 353: Inhabited Area

Translator: Strivon

Within the car, Old Jin's gluttonous nature didn't change. His hand held a bag of food. This time it was a popular snack; roasted donkey meat with four long slices of flat bread stacked atop each other, alternating meat and bread. It was very thick.

The greasy red meat bread went inside Old Jin's mouth the moment Ink flew inside. He bit it in half with one bite, the roasted chunks of meat dribbling with oil, seeping into his beard. He ate quite energetically.

Seeing these things, Luo Nan's sensory organs felt conflicted. He didn't know whether to feel full or hungry.

Sitting in the back seat, Peony's behavior was opposite of Old Jin's. She sat in absolute silence. She held a book in her hands, reading it. The book was a paperback, something rarely seen these days. The thin pages and the print were extremely delicate, but the book appeared to be quite well-used. The pages were warped and old.

Luo Nan easily used his senses. The words "The Lotus Sutra" could be read on the warped cover of the book. Luo Nan recalled that this was a Buddhist text.

This was something very rarely seen.

When reading, Peony lacked her usual easygoing charm. She sat ramrod straight, her long slender fingers resting on the pages, seemingly moving yet not. Ink made quite the noise when it came crashing inside, but she lifted not even her head. This wasn't arrogance. This was genuine concentration.

Luo Nan felt that the world was aware and was full of irony. First was "The Book of the Dao,” then it was "The Lotus Sutra.” What was going on today? Would someone bring out the "Holy Bible" later today?

Nobody turned superfluous after Ink squeezed its way in. The ordinary SUV started up and entered the high-speed magnetic rails, following the signs toward Man City. They were leaving Xia City.

According to the schedule, today's main item was still a meeting; an on-site meeting. Trigate Security arranged the entire team to do an on-site investigation of the situation regarding the Mutants that infiltrated. They also arranged it to introduce more detailed information.

Peony only closed her book after the car started. She put in a bookmark and looked at the book with quite a cherishing expression. Perhaps this book held some significant meaning to her.

Luo Nan made this conjecture based on his own point of view.

In any case, Peony clearly didn't intend to chat with him about sutras or private matters. Her gaze shifted to Ink, and her eyes curved into charming arcs once more.

"Crow, you nearly caused Mr. Ink to be late."

The odd names and the beings they were attached to would make those who weren't familiar with this team have their scalp go numb. Luo Nan recalled the small dialogue last night that had to do with these names. That conversation was the longest they chatted last night.

Perhaps Peony's preliminary judgment of his character was largely derived from this?

Luo Nan was not an expert on such analysis. He simply disregarded her and maintained his silence.

Peony expressed herself quite actively, "For the sake of improving efficiency, we can change the way the team moves. For instance, Mr. Ink can be together with me from beginning to end. This is to avoid all sorts of sudden occurrences from causing awkward circumstances."

She didn't describe what the awkward circumstances were in detail, but Luo Nan could roughly imagine it.

Peony asked, "Does Mr. Ink need to recharge?"

Recharge? Luo Nan was stunned for a moment before understanding. Peony was asking about how things worked between him and Ink. Luo Nan didn't respond directly. Instead, he gave a small lie.

"If you don't mind, then I'll have Ink accompany you for a few days. I can connect at any time."

Ink was able to tell that the two were talking about it. It cast pitch-black pupils to the slender figure in the backseat, not blinking an eye.

"That's great." It seemed that Peony didn't hear the tiny bit of ill intent in Luo Nan's words. She just reached out a hand and patted Ink on its ash-white beak. She teased the enormous rook as she said, "From the intelligence gained last night, the area of importance where the targets have infiltrated ranges from the west side of the River Wu District all the way to outside the main city district. The situation with the recycling stratum is slightly more complicated. I plan to find a temporary place to live in within the River Wu District to engage in all-day reconnaissance."

Luo Nan thought of his little nest within Blue Bay…. All right, he obviously wouldn't offer it.

He didn't possess Peony's outstanding intelligence analysis ability. He didn't speak, doing his utmost to keep his mouth shut. He would talk after they had reached the site to go investigate.

The ordinary SUV weaved in and out of the early morning traffic. It took about half an hour for the SUV to enter the River Wu District and the bordering Forestwall District. They were outside the main area of Xia City by now, and they set off toward Trigate District to the west. According to the normal driving route, they would be able to reach the surrounding wilderness in an hour if they went along satellite towns at high speeds. There wasn't anything to say about the route to the Trigate District located several dozen kilometers away.

But reality proved itself to be complicated. It was impossible for the Mutants who had infiltrated Xia City to stick close to the high-speed route for their advancement. On the contrary, they followed their instinct to seek luck and avoid calamity. They avoided places where there were many people, such as the main traffic roads guarded under martial law. They acted quite rationally.

The ordinary SUV left the main road soon after it left the main city district. Four gears touched the earth, and thus began the bumpy journey. The roads here were extremely bad, a first that Luo Nan had ever seen in his life. It was as if an air raid had rained down on this place. There were craters everywhere.

Old Jin, who sat in the driver's seat, grasped the steering wheel. He had switched from automatic driving mode to manual mode. He just yawned, giving the riders in the car complex emotions.

Old Jin was silent most of the time after the few words he spoke in the very beginning. He just expressed himself by stuffing his stomach full of food. He wasn't cold or friendly. He gave off an aura of a guy who just cared about clocking in and clocking out of work.

He said it himself—he was just a driver.

Luo Nan sought nothing else from a driver. He was just baffled. What the heck was the government of Xia City doing? There were people living here. It was a standing living area. Even the roads at the recycling stratum were much better than the ones here.

Actually, there were several things quite in line with the recycling stratum on the two sides of the road. There were short buildings strewn at random, many of them being temporary buildings. However, they looked quite new based on their paint job. He could even vaguely see kids playing by the side of the road, giggling in fun.

Luo Nan recalled the data and was certain that they were at the edge of the Trigate District. Trigate District was once the station for Xia City's garrison camp, having been decommissioned not too long ago. Military had guarded this place year-round, causing clear differences with the modern metropolis. Traces of things having been moved could be seen everywhere as well.

Then someone came calling through the wristband, "Miss Peony, hello. I am Axel Thue of Trigate Security. Please report your location."

This Axel Thue fellow was the intelligence officer on the Trigate Security's action team. He was in charge of contact work, and he was in charge of explaining the data during yesterday's meeting. He was an astute man.

Peony started up the position sharing function on her wristband, and Axel Thue soon responded, "I see you guys."

A large transport vehicle was parked to the side of the road just ahead. It turned on its lights as his voice fell. The body of the vehicle was pitch-black, and it started up, signalling Luo Nan's party to follow it.

The ordinary SUV was quite suited for the surrounding environment, but the dual-purpose military-police transport vehicle of Trigate Security was more eye-catching, though the equipment and people it was transporting had it easy. The transport had attracted the gazes of quite a few people when it was parked by the road. When the transport began to move, kids riding skateboards, go-karts, and so on tailed behind the transport. They played quite exuberantly, producing a rather comical scene.

The party of people went through this inhabited area under this odd atmosphere until they arrived at a relatively spacious zone. The two vehicles, large and small, parked. There was a high point not too far away on the right-hand side. A reservoir was built there, and vegetation was dense. There was dark green in the distance, even though it was autumn, and it was rather pleasing to the eyes.

The door to the transport cart opened up, and the personnel of Trigate Security jumped out with cries. Most of the people were carrying equipment that had to be set up once they hit the ground. And within the transport was a complete, modern command center. All sorts of equipment were laid out perfectly, and there were at least thirty people working inside.

Intelligence Officer Axel Thue appeared from the stream of people. He worked toward the ordinary SUV. Peony got off the car as well, extending a hand for a light shake. "Mr. Axel Thue, Director Wu isn't coming today?"

Axel Thue was just about to report on this matter when Peony had seized it first. His aura unconsciously grew a bit diffident, and his report turned into an explanation, "Director Wu is participating in a last minute meeting. He is unable to come here. I represent him in apologizing to Miss Peony and Mr. Long Seven."

"Is Long Seven here already?"

"Mr. Long Seven came here a little earlier. He said that he's going to check out the reservoir."

"Oh, really."

Peony gazed off into the distance with a subtle smile. She was dressed more or less the same as yesterday, wearing slim-fitting hunting clothes, most suitable for her tall figure. But this time, she didn't wear a ponytail. Her long hair was tied up in a bun, gathered in place by her wide-brimmed hat. The brim of her hat obstructed much of her charming eyes, but the shadow it cast accentuated the contours of her face all the more. She was explosively beautiful.

Ink had just flown out of the car to undoubtedly serve as a prop.

"We have detected the reservoir to be a place of importance."

Intelligence Officer Axel Thue had lectured far too much yesterday. He subconsciously sought to explain, "Trigate District used to be a river channel. The largest freshwater river around Xia City came through here to enter the ocean. But then the military implemented a destruction project during the Third War for the sake of defending against Mutants breaking through from the river channel. The river bank was changed, and the river dried up. Today, this place is a low-lying area, but the groundwater system is still very complex. It needs to be observed with care."

As he spoke, a child around six or seven suddenly ran in front of them. The child opened his mouth and asked, "Are you here to fight gangs?"

The kids from the inhabited area had followed them, and they finally arrived. They might be young, but they were quite interested to know what was going on. Plus, there was an enormous crow here. It was very eye-catching, so they naturally gathered over.

"Gangs?" It looked like Peony was far more interested in this topic than the history of the Trigate District.

Unfortunately, the reckless kid was dragged away by his companions, who ordered the kid to stop talking nonsense. Then the group of kids just faced the beauty, the large vehicle, and the crow with great interest. They stood in a circle and watched, and some even sought a chance to get something for cheap.

They clamored over the body of the vehicle, the first ones having it easy and the latter ones having it hard. They wanted to touch Ink who was on top of the vehicle, but they chased Ink to fly into the sky. Thus, Ink avoided the clutches of evil.

"It's very rare for kids inside the city to be this wild."

There was a deeper meaning behind Peony's words. Axel Thue understood tacitly. "Yes, they should be inhabitants who moved out from the recycling stratum. Rumor has it that there are some naturalized vagrants mixed inside. The social relation is extremely complicated. The military withdrew from this place quite poorly, suddenly turning it to an unregulated zone. Many people want to seize the opportunity for some conveniences."

"Are gangs very rampant here?" The person who asked this wasn't Peony, but a man who had returned who knows when. It was Long Seven, or in other words, Snake Seven.

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Chapter 354: Mistake in Direction

Chapter 354: Mistake in Direction

Translator: Strivon

Today, Long Seven wore clothes well-suited for the outdoors. He wore a leather jacket and a pair of short leather boots. A plaid scarf was even wrapped around his neck. He looked like a male model on the runway, giving off an extremely casual air. He and Peony were the most attractive people in the action team.

But he intrinsically possessed quite the work ethic. His body was covered with dust, and there were cobwebs stuck to his leather jacket. He had clearly gone to the reservoir, and he had done more than just take a look.

Long Seven patted the dust off his jacket before asking, "Are the influence of gangs spreading faster than the government’s right now?"

Axel Thue didn't want to talk about this, but Long Seven and Peony both had their eyes fixed upon him. They appeared to be very interested in this subject, so Axel Thue could only chat and explain, "See that road over there? The one that's half-fixed."

Everybody noticed the road in question to various degrees when leaving the city. An old highway extended out to this area from the main city district. It was a two-way road with twelve lanes in total. It was quite wide, but it should have been constructed quite far back for there weren't any high-speed magnetic rails installed. No follow-up construction occurred as well. There was even some shape to it where it extended out from the city. It was unknown where it started exactly, but the road disappeared amongst the buildings of the city.

"There are already thirty years of history to this road. It was initially designed to be the main road to the east and west of Xia City, and it joins up with the war transport roads to the wilderness. But when super-conductive technology became practical, main roads began to turn to the direction of magnetic rails. So, this road was scrapped."

Axel Thue projected a digital map and drew a line on it. "But this geographical location is still quite good. Through this road, one can go straight to the recycling stratum of the River Wu District. So it's natural for criminal channels and related activity to be lively around here."

Luo Nan recalled something when Axel Thue talked about this. He fought upon this road in the past. It was the time with Jack.

'Gangs' were just a small episode. Today's primary objective was the discussion over the next move regarding the Mutant infiltration.

Actually, looking at Trigate Security's attitude, Luo Nan believed that an official reconnaissance search would start immediately. But whether it was Trigate Security, Peony, or Long Seven, everyone was much more patient than he imagined.

They continued to hold the meeting, and the meeting went on and on. The subject started from the river channel, went to the riverbank, then to the inhabited area. They went through these areas one after another without taking any breaks all.

They just barely finished talking about the inhabited area before following the most probable route for the targets' advancement. They gradually pushed closer toward the main city district, stopping at the roadside at any time for information collection and discussion among the meeting members.

Perhaps this was a sort of reconnaissance and search from their perspective?

Frankly speaking, Luo Nan had been full of interest for the meeting yesterday afternoon. During yesterday morning, he could be considered cautious and conscientious. But by lunch today, his patience began to plummet. Ultimately speaking, he was already used to using extraordinary powers as an efficient and direct manner to resolve problems. He kept a respectful distance from so-called modeling, probabilities, and other mathematical problems.

Yes, He Yueyin had mentioned this tendency in her course before. She called it 'Extraordinary Logic.’ This tendency was quite widespread in the inner world. Luo Nan never thought that he would subconsciously assimilate this as a newcomer who had just entered the inner world.

He was forced to admire Peony and Long Seven as he watched them. These two people, one an elite of the Hidden Indigo Firm, the other a Burner, were both part of the circle of the inner world. He really didn't know how they were able to put up with its challenges.

Luo Nan finally retreated in defeat. His mind completely withdrew to the school campus, just in time for lunch.

Luo Nan and Xue Lei's morning classes were different. They only got together after morning class was over to get and eat lunch together. Acumen College's lunch break was extremely short. They would have to eat fast in order to squeeze out some free time. Luo Nan and Xue Lei both had noon classes; this made the timing tighter.

The two had their heads buried in their food all the way until they sat on the campus shuttle. Only then did they have the time to chat.

With noon classes about to start, Luo Nan mentioned last night's matter with the eyes orifice. Xue Lei naturally was generous with praise. "Nanster, you really are god-like. You've reached this stage in the internal refinement technique. You've already gone to the next level."

Xue Lei even spoke emotionally, "Back then I was just giving medicine to a dead horse, trying everything in a desperate situation. I wanted you to learn some breathing techniques to help alleviate your symptoms. I never thought that you would advance by leaps and bounds in this cultivation! Even the gym master said that you are the number one in forging ahead in his many years of teaching disciples."

Luo Nan laughed, "I'm even thinking about the next steps."

"Gym Master Xiu said it before. Since you've already started with the eyes orifice, there's no harm in walking this road until the end. Recall this, 'Seven orifices, six roots, the gates of life and death. Perception and the profound shine upon each other to confirm life and nature.' The profound has seven orifices. Perception has six roots. One is heavy on life. The other is the cultivation of nature. The two mix and validate each other. This is the dual cultivation of life and nature."

Xue Lei's words were half-literary and half-vernacular. Luo Nan had been working hard recently, taking extra lessons and doing his homework. He was able to get a general understanding of what Xue Lei was saying. Xue Lei wanted him to cultivate the rest of his sensory organs, from the eyes orifice to the ears orifice, the tongue orifice, the mouth orifice, the nose orifice, and so on. Cultivating in the nine orifices and six roots would drive the inner organs, cultivating the entire body and polishing one's nature.

"The gym master said it before, but I'll mention it again. The concrete steps in reasoning will require direct contact with the gym master. Do you want to head over tonight?"

"Of course, let's go. I can have the gym master assess me, so I can avoid pursuing the wrong path."

In other words, Luo Nan had to push the time to probe the mysteries of Gear even further back. This wasn't the first time Luo Nan felt that there wasn't enough time, but similar emotions of sorrow were likely to appear more frequently in the future.

Xue Lei also asked about the outsourced work. He was curious about its situation.

Luo Nan picked a few interesting things to tell him, and was unable to refrain from mentioning just how long and painful the meeting was going.

Xue Lei grit his teeth just by listening. "We don't understand the world of professionals. If it were me, I'd probably go crazy. Your work is a bit different than what I imagined. When can you actually do stuff?"

"God knows.”

Luo Nan's heart was very conflicted. In fact, he really hoped to obtain some knowledge and reap some income. But when things really went deeper, he wasn't able to keep up. He was able to understand eighty percent of what they said yesterday afternoon, while he was only able to understand sixty percent of this morning. He was afraid that this afternoon would become even more miserable for him. He was forced to admit,

"The difference between my composition of knowledge and these professionals’ is far too large. And Zhang Yingying wants me to seize the initiative and be active. How the heck do I do this!?"

"Nanster, I think you're going about this wrong." Xue Lei shook his head. "The gym master said once: The greatest taboo in cultivation is to know one and understand half, to have bits and pieces of knowledge. Assembling such knowledge together, believing it to be logical, is the path to death. If you can't keep up in lessons, you might as well not learn at all. Therefore, when the gym master teaches his students, the first thing he does is divide people in classes and grades, so that he could teach in line with the student's ability. Your circumstance right now may not be as dangerous, but it also sounds like it doesn't really matter. I feel that Senior Sister Yingying is quite right. You should seize the initiative."

"How do I seize it?"

"Heck if I know! In any case, I think that since Her Majesty Empress Wu has outsourced this work to you, no matter how much Sister Yingying exerts herself in her firm, Her Majesty Empress Wu's ultimately believes in you. Her Majesty Empress Wu feels that you can do it, which means there has to be a way to do it. Otherwise, isn't she purposefully making things difficult for you?"

Xue Lei's words weren't emotional, but Luo Nan could hear the meaning within. His heart immediately stirred. Her Majesty Empress Wu selected this work to be outsourced to him, originally as compensation for him. There was no reason to deliberately make things difficult for him. She had Peony be his partner for the purpose of filling his flaws, now that he thought about it. Otherwise, if that old woman really put her mind to it, Luo Nan wouldn't even have a scrap of pride left.

All right, Luo Nan could admit that the level of professionalism that Peony displayed had really scared him. He had been dealing in someone else's expertise with no expertise of his own, so naturally, he fell downwind in every aspect.

Xue Lei added, "Actually, I feel that you've done things quite well in the past. The time at Frost River Reality. Red Fox and Papercut were both screwing with you, but in the end, they all accepted you. Then, of course, there's last week. We weren't able to help you at all, and you were able to settle everything by yourself."

Luo Nan coughed, “Oh, please…."

"Don't be modest. I chatted with Crag Burst a couple of days ago. He said that you can be totally considered a powerful B-rank ability user with that devil ray by your side. And don't forget your heaven-defying pure sensing ability. Your current position in the Xia City branch is right behind Old Man You from back in the day. He he, Old Man You didn't have two Extraordinaries looking out for him back then like you."

"Really? I've done things quite well?"

Xue Lei rolled his eyes. "How about we stop acting cute! Or do you want me to praise you from the very beginning. Fine, I'll speak the truth. I especially agree with Crag Burst's words. Your pure sensing ability is absolutely heaven-defying. I hear that Cat Eyes simply changed the direction of her ability just because of you. She plans on focusing on long-range perception. She's giving up on all-encompassing perception."

"There's even this?"

This was the first time Luo Nan heard of these things. He blushed with great embarrassment for a time. Cat Eyes was one of his believers, in a certain sense, but this had been an accident from start to finish. She wasn't even willing, and her heart was unreconciled. Luo Nan wasn't Tyrant Nan. He wouldn't force himself upon her. Instead, he deliberately kept some distance from her. But now it looked like the distance was pulled a bit too close.

Fine, Luo Nan kept some distance from practically everybody. He had the HexaEar, and communicating on the Psychic Wave Network was awfully convenient. Xue Lei entered the Society a month later than him, yet he was able to chat and gossip about all sorts of stuff. In comparison, Luo Nan practically lived under a rock, so no information reached him.

It’s all about the temperament. The temperament!

Xue Lei didn't know of Luo Nan's current emotional regrets. He continued, "When we chat, I find myself suspecting that your ability is still in an explosive growth period. Your numbers are different for every operation. Sister Yingying said that your soul-attached state had an upper limit of five hundred meters during the time at Frost River Reality. When your body and soul are merged, the radius of your sensing limits is eighty meters. But last time at Ocean Sky Cloud City, I was on the 88th floor and you were on the viewing platform, the 142nd floor. There were around sixty-two floors between us; that's nearly three hundred meters. Your body and soul should have been merged at that time too…."

Luo Nan laughed, "The benefits of following the gym master in cultivation is shown here."

Xue Lei was delighted to hear these words. His smile was so large that his eyes disappeared. "So, Luo Nan, there's nothing to worry about. There's no need to be anxious. In the entirety of Xia City, aside from the two Extraordinaries, when it comes to individual people with all-encompassing sensing, there is no one who can compare to you."

These words were quite familiar to his ears.

Luo Nan suddenly asked, "Did Yingying seek you out to be a solicitor?"

Xue Lei's grinning mouth froze in place before gathering into a fawning laugh, "I just feel that Sister Yingying's words make a lot of sense."

"...I think so too."

Xue Lei gave Luo Nan a thumbs up, only to turn it upside down to give Luo Nan two fierce stabs.

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Chapter 355: Little Monkey

Chapter 355: Little Monkey

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan chatted quite happily. Most of their words were said in jest, after all.

His consciousness hung upon Ink's body. They were still in a meeting over yonder, which was not surprising. There was merely the addition of a meal. Peony and Long Seven behaved very professionally, and Ink took the opportunity to show off an important element to his enormous body.

This crow ate nearly the same amount of food as a man.

After the meal, the party of people had another meeting on the roadside. Ink stood very steadily atop the roof of the ordinary SUV, its roof rack perfectly matching with Ink's thick claws. It was just that Ink's head hung down. It had already entered a half-sleepy, yet awake state.

The bird had been quiet and calm for a long period of time, and it was affected by digestion. This used up a considerable amount of the bird's physical and mental energy. Acting like this was against its nature as well. So Ink shivered and made two loud caws the moment Luo Nan's telepathic mind cut through. It flapped its wings to fly without the slightest hesitation. In the blink of an eye, it soared under the lofty skies lit by the glow of the sun.

Ink's pitch-black feathers felt refreshed under the rays of the sun. Trembling in the wind, they were suffused with a luster of dark indigo. It looked quite dazzling. The exceptional contrast of shadow and light fused together, causing Intelligence Officer Axel Thue to click his tongue in wonder. He couldn't hold back from voicing his suspicions with a tone of teasing.

"This crow is mighty and imposing, and it understands human nature. It can be considered an excellent beast."

Ink flapped its wings after Axel Thue's voice fell, turning directions. It flew far away, soon vanishing into the distance.

Axel Thue blurted out, "Uh." He put a hand to his forehead as he looked into the skies. "What happened?"

Peony didn't even raise her head. "You can ignore it."

Ink spiraled in the skies for a while and found its target. It changed its direction slightly, and soon arrived above the old road that went through and out the city. It followed the road as it flew ahead.

Seizing the initiative did not necessarily require him to immediately go boss around the members of the action team. Such heavy actions were shameful, and Luo Nan was unable to do it.

His many years of experimenting on his body had forced him to develop a cautious personality. As long as his head didn't run feverish, he didn't mind collecting extra information and material to be used for making decisions.

The action team was doing such matters, but unfortunately, the field was far too different from Luo Nan's expertise. He couldn't be useful. Luckily, Zhang Yingying had urged him on from many different sides, letting him see the truth in time. Otherwise, he would have continued to follow behind the behinds of the action team, only to waste his time in the end.

Of course, before he could begin with anything, Luo Nan first had to test for the upper and lower bounds of Ink's abilities, especially Ink's range of perception. This gluttonous fellow must not fail to meet his expectations.

Luo Nan had experienced three different circumstances that affected his mental senses: the out-of-body state, the merged body and soul, and using his believers as fulcrums. The discrepancy between the range of his senses during these states were distinguished by orders of magnitude.

Using as basis his out-of-body state, where his senses could reach a range of twenty kilometers, the normal merged body and soul state would have a limit of two kilometers. Following this, using Ink, one of his believers, as a fulcrum should yield a limit of around two hundred kilometers. If Luo Nan deliberately augmented Ink, then this limit could be increased even further.

However, Luo Nan already learned from his prior experiences that Ink, with its brain capacity, was unable to handle information that was too complicated. 'Packet loss' and 'dropped frames' were common occurrences. A period of time was needed to adapt as well.

Honestly speaking, Luo Nan should have done this work a couple of days ago. But Luo Nan had far too many things to attend to that he completely forgot. He pushed this back until today.

"Then let's measure the lower limit…. Huh?"

When things came to pass in reality, the situation that occurred was a bit unexpected. Where was the packet loss?

Something like high-speed magnetic rails had opened up between Luo Nan's main body and Ink. No switching was required to transmit the information. The information just went straight to the destination. No, actually, there didn't even seem to be the process of transmission. The distance of space was warped for some bizarre reason.

This feeling was odd, yet familiar.

Luo Nan spent a bit of time in recollection and barely remembered that something similar had happened back at Frost River Reality. He had formed the star river from the Life Sketches, and he had used this method to pull the Wraith Sign to him. The Wraith Sign had evolved into a colosseum, to slaughter the Human-Faced Arachnid raised by the Order of Justice.

The Wraith Sign was a Darksider life form; after all, it was an existence belonging to the mental plane. It made sense that he was able to summon it. But Ink possessed a material body. The circumstances were very different, yet the effects were reflected in the transmission of information.

In any case, with the existence of this connection, the only element left that could restrict Ink's sensing ability was the limits to what its body could endure.

This made things a lot easier.

Ink had been the test subject Luo Nan most commonly experimented with during the period of time when he was doing experiments over and over. There was naturally quite some magic to Ink for it to be able to live smoothly and steadily until now. And it had already stepped to the next level in Luo Nan's Formatting Theory System. It was on the office worker level. The connection between Ink and Luo Nan was even more inseparably close. This further catalyzed its underlying abilities.

Luo Nan was eager to start testing.

Ink turned into a streak of shadow as it flitted past the buildings on the sides of the old road. Luo Nan felt like Ink was as a scout in a strategy game. The fog of war was peeled away everywhere Ink passed, revealing a path that was a couple hundred meters wide.

But the scene revealed in reality was desolate. There was something more luminous to the eyes. It was the drifting and changing star river.

Luo Nan didn't have any definite thoughts of doing anything. He was just displaying his personal strength. After all, his personal strength had pushed Cat Eyes into changing her development path from long-range perception to all-encompassing perception. Just based off this, Luo Nan felt that using the Life Sketches to build the starry sky was the best thing to do right now.

Luo Nan opened up a small piece of the starry sky, using Ink as the core. This piece resonated with the vast and hazy star river of his main body's senses, covering the existence of all living beings within.

For fear of incompleteness of his clairvoyance, Luo Nan sincerely scanned every set of stars, not wishing to overlook any detail. Peony didn't contact him during this time, and since things remained as such, Luo Nan continued to scan down the road at a speed of around eighty kilometers per hour.

Luo Nan scanned for half the afternoon. The school societies activity time was about to begin. Luo Nan reckoned that Ink had nearly flown all the way back to the main city district, yet he was unable to reap any gains.

Luo Nan began to become aware of the difficulty of this work. He didn't have a clear direction, so he could only continue scanning until the end. A scan radius of three hundred meters was already at the peak of Xia City. But with how big Xia City was with its city center and its outskirts districts, this method of his was far too stupid.

Ink's sensing radius is too small. Should I switch bodies and come?

It happened right when he was mulling over this matter. A special response flickered within his senses, coming out of nowhere.

Luo Nan was elated. He didn't care whether it was the target or not. His attention instantly focused over. Under the starry sky formed from Life Sketches, a dot of light fell down, marking a spot on the star atlas. The surrounding scenery reified in layers, revealing the concrete setting.

Luo Nan sighed when he saw the view. He felt very disappointed.

This should be the recycling stratum of the Forestwall District, and a stream of people was gathered in this area. The target that Luo Nan had found was not a Mutant. It was a middle-aged man. He wore quite a particular set of robes, looking a bit like Fairchild. The pale gray color gave off a plain appearance.

The middle-aged man was located in an enclosed house. It wasn't a large house, but its arrangements gave off a brimming feeling of ceremonies. The man stood at the front of the stage, reading text to others in the room, acting like a priest.

Luo Nan had acted far too hastily with his 'gaze.’ He was too close to the material plane, and the motion triggered was a bit large. The middle-aged man seemed to detect it, his head leaning slightly in a bit of confusion.

Such a scene immediately caused Luo Nan to think of secret orders. This place truly appeared to be a religious location.

Yes, it turned out that the middle-aged man was an ability user.

The number of ability users in Xia City, with its Explorers Society, orders, government, military, as well as various financial groups, didn't even add up to two thousand people. Their numbers weren't large nor small. Luo Nan's luck must be good to just randomly bump into one. Or was his luck bad?

Also, the difference between ability users and normal people was great when it came to the levels of their Life Sketches.

Ah man, I'm really such an idiot.

Back at school, Luo Nan smacked his forehead. Ink, who was flying in the air, had its wings nearly cramp up. Luckily it recovered amidst a fall, fiercely flapping its wings to restore altitude.

Nothing had come to mind for a whole afternoon. The Life Sketches of ability users were special, and those of Mutants were naturally far different. This was an obvious fact. He had obtained similar verdicts in the past, but today, he actually wasted a whole afternoon!

Luo Nan was sick of his own head.

It was Luo Nan's own fault for stumbling across someone else's sermon, and Luo Nan was unwilling to cause side issues to arise. But he subconsciously performed another scan the moment he sought to cancel his focus, and he felt a sense of familiarity for some unknown reason. He concentrated his mind once more, and he saw someone familiar.

Yes, this one was a bit familiar-looking. He saw him today. It was the kid who jumped out in front of the action team members back at the reservoir in the morning. The kid wanted them to go after the gangs in the region.

This kid appeared to be six years old at most. He was mixed with the adults in the room, appearing rather conspicuous.

He can't actually be here... to take lessons?

Xia City's traditional political power was quite strong. When it came to religious faith, minors had to step back while adults had the freedom of choice. A little kid running over from far away to listen to a priest's sermon was very unconventional, even if his parents were accompanying him.

The thought just churned, and Luo Nan didn't think deeper. It had nothing to do with him, after all.

But Luo Nan had a sudden realization when he saw the kid. It seemed that he had flown a bit too far, a route of an hour or so. He wouldn't be able to coordinate with Peony if something were to happen.

He decided to go back the way he came.

At the same time, this priest of an unknown sect called an end to today's session, perhaps because his mind was uneasy. The group of people left the room in an orderly fashion.

The kid made his way outside, wrapped within the crowd of people. He rightened an electric scooter on the roadside, and rode it down the old road to the west.

Huh? He's by himself!

Luo Nan discovered this irrationality. Plus, it was obvious that the electric scooter the kid rode had been modified. Using Ink's speed as a reference, the scooter's speed was absolutely going over fifty kilometers per hour. This speed, on a simple structure that was completely open, was simply as fast as lightning.

Watching, Luo Nan broke out in a cold sweat for him.

There weren't many cars on this abandoned old road, but that was because not many dared to. Those who often went on this road had connections to gangs. They charged and shoved through, seeking stimulation.

What the heck are the kid’s parents doing!?

Luo Nan thought for a while. They were going on the same route, in any case. He might as well follow the kid. It was better to be safe than sorry. His mind wouldn't be at peace if something truly did happen.

Ink flew in the skies above, the kid completely unaware of it. He stood on the scooter, holding onto the handlebars. He looked quite free soaring at high speeds. He did some fancy zigzags when he met slopes, moving around as agilely as a monkey. His sense of balance was truly formidable, enough to engender admiration in Luo Nan.

Well, I'll just call you 'little monkey' then.

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Chapter 356: Receptacle, Nature, and Trigger (Part 1/3)

Chapter 356: Receptacle, Nature, and Trigger (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

The little monkey was quite young, yet he was already a super enthusiast of this old road. He simply drove this plain and crude electric scooter to the same effect of driving a large horsepower motorbike.

Luo Nan followed the kid closely for some time and made sure that this fellow didn't encounter any problems. He finally pulled his eyes off the kid to go research his own matters. He switched clairvoyance modes. The deep, starry sky unfurled with starlight, but all he did was check for special structures within it.

Of course, a dark cloud large enough to cover the starry sky would certainly be a big fish.

Currently, the enormous population of Xia City exhibited its astonishing effects to Luo Nan. There were two thousand ability users and two hundred million people in the city. The ratio was a hundred thousand to one. To pick an ability user or a Mutant out of all these people was certainly not an easy task.

Especially using Ink with his clairvoyance radius of two hundred meters. Even though Luo Nan was able to shame Cat Eyes, a professional, this range was not enough in the face of this modern metropolis. Plus, the stars, be they many or few, roamed around the spread, left and right, top to bottom. Their structures were ordinary and normal, containing universal similarities. Normal people were the overwhelming majority.

No matter how splendid the stars, one would become dizzy when looking at them for too long. The vast and hazy star atlas, the complicated structures, were like a labyrinth. Prolonged contact would cause fear.

Luo Nan really wanted to shut his eyes and look away, but he thought about how the targets were alive, how the targets could move at will, and how the star atlas was constantly changing. He could only grit his teeth in perseverance.

But he felt something after an unknown amount of time passed. Perhaps it was because of how long he looked at the star atlas, but there existed a different power within the star atlas, existing as a faint glimmer.

It might be a misconception on his part…. At the very least, there were some special characters that showed up below when he watched the little monkey, but they lacked a clear distinction from other people.

Ink took half an hour to fly back to the origin point, due to having to follow the little monkey's speed. The exploration on Peony's side had already come to an end. They had returned to the inhabited area from before. They were staggered apart, and Luo Nan could only go looking for them. He continued along the same route as the little monkey.

Luckily, nothing bad happened as the kid returned to the inhabited area. The little monkey soon met up with his companions at some empty area, and he immediately joined them in playing children battles.

Ink spiraled in the skies above, taking in the entire scene below. In the background, Luo Nan felt a little suspicious. It was hard to tell the ages of these kids, but they should be five years and older. Luo Nan was in educational institutions at this age, and he never had the chance to be this wild.

It was very popular for kids to be enrolled in early education nowadays. This was of universal importance to the parents. Practically no kid could avoid it. However, the inhabited area was a place existing outside of the conventional world. This wildness and freedom were not at all the style of the citizens of the metropolis. Talk of vagrants naturalizing into society wasn't a baseless claim.

Luo Nan looked at it from a different perspective. After the little monkey had joined his companions, the subtle feeling of discrepancy grew larger upon the star atlas. However, it still wasn't clear enough.

Luo Nan simply let Ink find a place with vegetation, and Ink stopped atop the branch of a tree, allowing Luo Nan to observe at close range. He looked down below, casting a net as far as the eye could see. Luo Nan was scared of missing something, so he locked onto a limited number of targets. He watched, searching for any patterns or clues. He prepared to draw meticulous Life Sketches of the little kid and his companions to further search for discrepancies.

He had just clarified his direction of action when Ink was discovered by these kids. They sure possessed great eyes.

"It's that large bird from this morning!"

Luo Nan didn't know who blurted the words out, but the words caused the group to surround and stare intensely at Ink. There were even little devils throwing rocks, wishing to hit Ink.

This action immediately drew the reprimand from the others, "Don't be hasty! There's a gun that can shoot nets in my dad's car. We can capture the bird alive and sell it the gang later. We can get a high price!"

That little f***ing pipsqueak!

The little monkey was quiet compared to his companions. He didn't utter a sound, and this somewhat comforted Luo Nan. At least this kid isn't an ingrate. I didn't watch after you in vain.

But in any case, a little monkey could never prevail against a dozen of brats. Luo Nan wasn't willing to become someone's target practice, so he immediately had Ink flap its wings and fly away.

The group of kids grew anxious upon seeing this. They already took Ink to be food upon a plate. They saw this broiled duck fly, and they found its departure hard to accept. They shouted and screamed as they threw stones like hail. It was all absolutely useless, however.

The kid who offered to grab the net-shooting gun moved quickly. His dad's car was by the road. The kid opened the trunk and took out the net gun. He took aim and was about to pull the trigger, but for some unknown reason, his mind suddenly went blank, and he lost control of his legs. The earth became like the waves of the sea. It rippled back and forth. The trigger was pulled, but the muzzle was aimed at god knows where.

"Earthquake! It's an earthquake!"

The frequency of earthquakes in Xia City had somewhat dropped in the recent month, but people were still very familiar with this sensation. The people staying in the inhabited area were extremely sensitive, because their housing structures had issues with their durability. The sensation right now was quite intense.

Some kids’ legs went weak, causing them to fall to the ground.

There were some adults at the side of the road watching the bustling kids. They were confused by their shouts, but they were even more baffled.

Earthquake? I don't feel an earthquake!

Of course they didn't feel it. This was because Luo Nan had unleashed an attack on the mental plane through Ink. The target was none other than the group of kids. The intensity was very subtle. It wouldn't hurt anybody. It just caused one's reactions to be sluggish for a while, causing their minds to be dazed.

Ink flew high into the sky. A feather dropped to the ground, and the curtain to today's search operation had dropped as well. But the plan he had in his mind of seizing the initiative and amazing the world with a brilliant feat had ultimately failed to fall into reality.

It was hard to do work that was valued at millions and millions.

Even if it was in the form of compensation.

Luo Nan had gone from passiveness to activeness over the course of an entire fruitless day, his experience that of an ebbing tide. In the end, he realized that there were many matters in this world that could not be resolved in a single spurt of energy. His mood subconsciously became much calmer.

From his perspective, the search for the Mutants wasn't a particularly pressing matter. It was the entire day he squandered with the vast and hazy starry sky. It was clear yet not clear, and he had no sense of where to begin. Luo Nan had things quite difficult.

Thus, Luo Nan came to realize that he placed more importance on Formatting Theory, on his cultivations.

When night fell, Luo Nan simply tossed Ink over to Peony. He also didn't have the mood to go peeping on secrets and the like. Instead, he and Xue Lei went to the Divine Yu Gym in the Boshan Building.

Gym Master Xiu was reportedly moving his gym these days. Luo Nan believed that the gym was completely desolate, but he never expected to see the entrance to the front courtyard to be brightly lit and there to be a bunch of people present. Those were the parents of the students. They were waiting outside the practice grounds of the front courtyard.

Luo Nan was baffled. "I thought he stopped classes?"

"This is the last class. The gym master feels that class 5's progress in their fundamentals just so happened get stuck at a node. He wants to teach them for a few more days. It can be considered destiny if at least one could become enlightened…. The courses have all been free over the past few days."

"Oh." This was what the Gym Master Xiu could achieve.

The course was pretty much over when Xue Lei and Luo Nan had arrived. Luo Nan followed Xue Lei's intentions and simply entered the training ground, where they saw Gym Master Xiu.

Luo Nan was simply stupefied by the entrance to the grounds.

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Chapter 357: Receptacle, Nature, and Trigger (Part 2/3)

Chapter 357: Receptacle, Nature, and Trigger (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

Xiu Shenyu was quite different than how he normally was when he was instructing children. He was completely different.

The cold and gloomy expression that Luo Nan was oh so familiar with had flown off to god knows where. What Luo Nan saw was a middle-aged elementary school teacher with a gentle and smiling face. His four limbs were touching the ground, his body bent into a crawl. With his figure extended out and his spine swaying, he looked like a giant lazy cat.

The group of seven and eight year olds were copying him. They meowed and purred in delight, and they even spontaneously discovered new skills. They flipped, rolled, pounced, and turned. They were very lively.

Luo Nan really was stupefied.

Xue Lei felt that he had to explain things. He coughed, “This is the cat form that the gym master uses specifically to establish the children's foundations. You may be able to see the dog form in the future as well. This is the path of Beast Form Mimicry. You know, there are two animals that kids are quite familiar with in the city. It's easier for them to refer to these animals."

"Oh, really?" Luo Nan was still a little dazed.

Xue Lei understood what Luo Nan was thinking. He said, "The gym master has always been very nice to children. Thinking back to the days when I attended the basic classes, it was a solid education with a long-term influence. But when I switched to the specialty classes and was taught personally by the gym master…. Man, oh man."

He cherished the memory, yet he also grimaced in pain, his emotions complex.

Xiu Shenyu saw them and acted very calmly. They couldn't tell if Xiu Shenyu was anxious at all about his form collapsing. Xiu Shenyu remained on the ground, guiding the children to crawl around in a circle. He had the children spread their limbs and move their joints. He even reminded them to control their breathing. The scene could be described as order within chaos. Control was present from beginning to end.

They practiced all the way around the grounds before Xiu Shenyu stood up, beckoning Luo Nan and Xue Lei to come over.

The children still had reign over the grounds as they wildly played... er, practiced. Luo Nan and Xue Lei carefully made their way around the group of overly energetic little fellows and stood by Xiu Shenyu's side. They looked at Xiu Shenyu, and this time, Gym Master Xiu had donned on his usual dull expression. It was as if his languid, relaxed, and casual expression was just a dream.

Luo Nan wasn't stupid enough to ask about this change. He just obediently reported his recent cultivation progress.

Xiu Shenyu asked a few details, confirming that Luo Nan really did make progress in his cultivation. He didn't appear surprised by it, just nodding his head. In the end, he asked, "You have finished cultivating in the eyes orifice. Your pace is fast, and your foundation is strong. You can be considered talented. Continue cultivating down the path of nine orifices, six roots. You don't have to rigidly adhere to the order. You should try all of them."

"Try all of them?"

"You will only know the reason when you try them yourself." Xiu Shenyu didn't believe there was much to say about this matter. He spoke a single sentence and changed to an item that he felt was far more important. "Begin from the six roots and nine orifices. Perceive all around. Worldly thoughts are like the tide—very dangerous toward cultivators. Therefore, true knowledge and clear experiences are of the utmost importance. Know yourself and call the truth. Know people and call the light. Knowing people and knowing yourself must be done equally."

Luo Nan could only understand half of it, but hearing Xiu Shenyu talking about knowing people, he was reminded of today's squandered afternoon. He couldn't help asking, "There seems to be thousands upon thousands of different types of people in this world, but when it comes to the level of life, they are like a myriad of streams converging in a single channel. The differences are extremely small. There are many places that are specious. How does one distinguish between them all?"

Xiu Shenyu glanced at him and gave a gentle nod. There was praise contained within his actions, similar to when Luo Nan narrated his extraordinary progress in cultivation. He said, "We, as cultivators, start from three places when it comes to knowing the self and knowing people. The root receptacle, the root nature, and the root trigger. These three, whether they be in teaching others or in self-cultivation, must all be seen clearly."

"The root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger?" Luo Nan was stupefied.

"These are Buddhist terms. I've borrowed them, but in doing so I've slightly alienated the words. It's more of a metaphor. In your terms, the so-called root and its development is a person's basic order frame."

Xiu Shenyu’s explanation of things thus far was understandable to Luo Nan.

"As for the differences between the three…. Something material can be the receptacle, therefore possessing a volume of storage. Let good and evil be the nature, distinguishing direction. And the appropriate action can be the trigger, the reception of the power of fate. Simply speaking, when looking at their cultivation prospects, one must look at their natural endowments, which can divided into talent, nature, and chance. These key factors must be totally clear before a person can choose the best path, and the best person be chosen for a path."

Luo Nan believed that not only was Xiu Shenyu teaching him how to cultivate, he was also elucidating on the teachings themselves. As a teacher, these words were undoubtedly plucked from his heart. In any case, Luo Nan and Xue Lei both perked their ears to listen in careful detail.

"As the classic literatures sayeth, 'Taoism requires one to be affluent, while Buddhism requires only the self to achieve enlightenment.' I won't mention the controversies within. The schools of thought are different, and the disciples they take in have differences as well. This is clear and easy to see. Most of these differences come from the root receptacle, the root nature, and the root trigger. The principles can easily be understood, but to distinguish them in practice, this is the important point…. Xue Lei, don't listen to what I'm about to say. Your root receptacle is thick, your root nature is simple, but your root trigger is far from starting. What you need are pure ideas. You won't obtain any benefits from learning the techniques to distinguish between these powers."

Xue Lei cowered, and he obediently walked into the distance to go act as a temporary instructor for the children.

Luo Nan believed he understood. Xiu Shenyu was actually using Xue Lei as a living example, displaying how to subdivide between the root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger.

The effects were excellent. Luo Nan already constructed a bit of a spectrum in mind.

"Listen carefully."

Xiu Shenyu reminded Luo Nan once more before teaching him how to discern between the different paths of receptacle, nature, and trigger.

Luo Nan was merely learning some guiding principles right now. It was still very early for him to get started.

But just these few principles were superb enough in themselves, especially the level of enlightenment needed to distinguish them. They pointed directly at the most mysterious and profound level of the human body and mind. It was likely that these principles could deal with some of the issues Luo Nan had with Formatting Theory.

Especially… Especially with what happened this afternoon….

Luo Nan felt his soul strength stirring. He tweaked his ears and scratched his cheeks for a time, wishing to immediately return to the inhabited area of Trigate District. He wanted to keep a close eye on the little monkey and those wild little devils, and carefully examine them again.

Unfortunately, this was something impossible to do tonight.

It was rare for Xiu Shenyu to give advice with such earnestness. He needed to have Luo Nan understand the mysteries within. "With this discussion of this power, tonight I've imparted on you the path. First, know your mind and nature. Think it over a lot, and delve into studying. Know that your foundation for tolerance is thick and heavy. You can bear it. Since you've asked on your own accord, it seems that you have a direction. You should have encountered corresponding problems at a very appropriate time. Receptacle, nature, and trigger. Combining these three will be akin to spring returning to earth and the awakening of countless living beings. Growth will naturally occur, and though its character is soft, its nature is firm. The results should be decent."

Luo Nan nodded in earnest. Right now, he understood a little about the true meaning of the phrase, "If a man in the morning hears the right way, he may die in the evening without regret." Of course, death was a huge exaggeration. It would be best if he could immediately do some testing for verification.

Xiu Shenyu was certainly able to infer some things by looking at Luo Nan, but he had to crush Luo Nan's urges and impulses. He continued speaking, "I'll reiterate your memories when it comes to the orifices, and I'll clarify the six roots once more. This is a technique where you must know yourself with absolute clarity. You need to combine this technique with the technique of subdivision I just mentioned. You must contemplate time and time again. You must polish yourself everyday. And you must continue to cultivate. You need to quell yourself to tranquility, for you must not advance prematurely.”

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Chapter 358: Receptacle, Nature, and Trigger (Part 3/3)

Chapter 358: Receptacle, Nature, and Trigger (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

Xue Lei acted like a large cat for a while before coming over. He just so happened to catch some of Xiu Shenyu's words, and was very surprised by them. "Gym Master, Luo Nan just opened an orifice, and you're teaching him this much stuff. He may not be able to digest it all."

"This may have been the case in the past, but there aren't any problems now. The cultivation of the nine orifices and six roots is the sole truth when it comes to the dual cultivation of life and nature. He has made further progress in cultivating nature, so that trend of imbalance still exists. It isn't a mistake to forge forward bravely in cultivating life."

In layman's terms, nature was the cultivation of the mind, while life was the efforts of the fleshly body. Luo Nan was able to understand the gym master's words, but what did he mean about him making further progress in cultivating nature? It seemed to have nothing to do with his progress in the eyes orifice.

With the technique of subdivision between the receptacle, nature, and trigger to lay the foundation, Luo Nan had absolute certainty in Gym Master Xiu's insight. Luo Nan's thoughts turned to a different path as he subconsciously recalled the special experience at Gear in the early morning. He became lost in thought.

Then suddenly, his mind went on alert. Someone's hand came probing over, and Luo Nan tried to slip away... but it was ultimately useless. Gym Master Xiu had his hand on his shoulder, exerting subtle force, indicating that he should change his stance.

"Crouching tiger."

Luo Nan hesitated for a moment, before obediently kneeling to the ground. He extended his back forward and over his elbows, and his legs naturally curled up. He turned to a different sort of large cat—a sleeping large cat.

This movement belonged to the tao yin techniques he learned before. He could do it without any difficulty.

And the many days of practice had imprinted this movement into his consciousness. He naturally did the true breathing corresponding to this stance. He was like a fierce tiger in its lair, seemingly tense, yet not, seemingly lax, yet not. Within the languidness seeped the tension of the kind of beasts. Within a marvelous equilibrium, looseness and tightness cycled back and forth everywhere in the body and mind.

Xiu Shenyu squatted down and gently pressed against Luo Nan's forehead. He opened his mouth and spoke.

Frankly speaking, Luo Nan was unable to hear what he was saying at first. He just felt something strange. The sound waves didn't seem to be transmitting through the air. Instead, they followed Xiu Shenyu's palm and seeped into his skull, rumbling like thunder.

The sound of thunder entered Luo Nan's brain, stimulating the latent orifice on the forehead into vibrating. This feeling then spread to the rest of his body. The thunder and vibration pressed forward layer by layer, causing the Body Gear to shake as its internal links were subdivided. Nine orifices, the internal organs, and twelve nodes all resonated in earnest. The six roots of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and thought suddenly knew their places.

Only now was Luo Nan able to distinguish Xiu Shenyu's words clearly. And thanks to the experience brought about by the sound of thunder, the new knowledge had become a validated experience. It was tantamount to a synchronized memory between the body and the mind.

And so, his Body Gear constantly turned, and his God Gear answered. Coupling made these two gears move evenly, endless amending the details. Luo Nan gradually disregarded Xiu Shenyu's voice, as he cast his full mind to the delicate adjustments of the frame of body and soul. He looked at how blood, energy, and other fluids circulated and transformed among the inner organs, layer by layer. It was akin to water flowing within the mountains. The water flowed above ground and below ground, circulating between and within mud, dirt and stone.

Luo Nan watched until a certain degree, and his intent stirred. He felt the vital energy boil in his heart, chest, and spleen. The blood and energy circulated upward to reach the face of the head. Then it took a slight turn, and suddenly Luo Nan had a mouth full of saliva. It was sweet and moist, like drinking nectar.

With further clarification from Xiu Shenyu, Luo Nan was clear on the direction of his next step.

The orifice of the heart opens from the tongue, and the spleen has an orifice via the mouth. Though the mouth and the tongue are distinguished, they are in fact one orifice. And in classical theory, there are talks of the heart and spleen being two sides of the same coin. Luo Nan had simultaneously opened up two systems of inner organs: the heart and the spleen.

It looked like there was some truth to this. Before Formatting Theory had truly formed within Luo Nan, he had developed the Appetite King skill first. His digestion was like a great valley of water, providing his body with sufficient energy. The spleen and the stomach gained this ability.

And ever since he started practicing martial arts from Xiu Shenyu, his body became robust with blood and energy. His heart truly was the master of his blood, and it worked quite nicely with the drainage of the energy of his liver. There was a saying, "Fire is born from wood, and earth is born from fire."

So, the liver, heart and spleen were three sets of systems that were connected to each other. Whether it be the circulation of blood and energy or the inter-promotion and inter-restraint between the five elements, all of it made sense. Luo Nan didn't delve any deeper into this.

He paid more attention to the experience of the Body Gear's operation. But he also felt as if a pool of nectar had been opened up with the root of the mouth and the tongue. The liquid constantly spilled over, sweet and juicy. There was also the heart and the spleen, which utilized the mechanism of the inner organs to transform breath into internal energy. Life essence became abundant and solid, and vital energy went into a boil with just an instant of heat and refinement. The vital energy spread everywhere to the tendons and muscles, causing Luo Nan to break out with a layer of sweat in the blink of an eye. His blood and energy flowed smoothly. This method should be quite decent.

Luo Nan maintained crouching tiger for quite some time. Some of the children on the training grounds looked at Luo Nan with interest. They believed that he was like them, crawling over with meows and purrs.

Xue Lei was given a scare. He wanted to stop the children, but he was stopped by Xiu Shenyu instead.

One of the children didn't understand the seriousness of the situation, simply bumping into Luo Nan. Luo Nan remained in that state of subtle experience. He did not move an inch, but his body was soft and flexible, as if it possessed no bones at all. He didn't feel even an ounce of pain when the child bumped into him.

The child rubbed and pressed against Luo Nan in fun and delight, and quite a few other children followed suit. They laughed as they gathered over, taking Luo Nan to be a large pillow. They pressed and bumped against him, not slowing at all.

If Luo Nan could truly maintain his experience, then he would have been divine. He made a low growl as he extended his body. He was like a sleeping tiger who was startled awake. With this stretch, the skin and flesh naturally rippled with force. Latent energy bubbled forth, and the surrounding children fell to the ground, yet not a single one was injured.

Luo Nan saw that the ground was full of laughing children. His childish heart reverberated, and he rolled like a cat or tiger, spreading his four limbs out and stretching his muscles and tendons, appearing very lively.

The group of children were excited that someone had come to play. They jumped over screaming.

Xiu Shenyu finally called out for them to stop.

Under the impulse of the appropriate trigger, Luo Nan had a flash of insight. However, since his foundation was not firm, there was a chance of an accidental danger occurring if he were to continue playing around.

As Xiu Shenyu waited for Luo Nan to stand up, he turned to Xue Lei and said, "His tendons and muscles have been nourished. From today forth, he can train in punching techniques. From tomorrow forth, you two will spar."

"Sparring so soon?"

"Does he have time to go learn punching techniques at his leisure?" Xiu Shenyu's lips were angled with a hint of sarcasm. "In any case, it’s for him to adapt to his new physique, and to practice his reactions. It's fine to just teach him a few random moves.... His ambitions lie elsewhere, after all."

Xue Lei watched Luo Nan, who scratched his head and said, "The gym master is amazing."

From Luo Nan's perspective, his cultivation progress was reflected upon his fleshly body, upon the operation of the Body Gear. But for him to describe it in completion was not an easy task. After all, there were far too many specious things within the classical theories. He only had a smattering of knowledge. There were many concepts that he seemed to understand but really didn't. Most of it was given to him by instinct, the memory of his body.

Tonight, what truly touched upon his soul was a different set of knowledge that Gym Master Xiu imparted. It was his words on the root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger.

This set of knowledge was like a clear border and outline being laid down. It made his mind feel a lot clearer. It was little bit like....

Right, it was like the feeling he got when he drew.

When Luo Nan first learned how to draw, how to make quick sketches, he instantly knew how to utilize composition, lines, light and shadow, and other methods to draw figures that were true to life. He felt like he could draw the entire world.

Of course, the facts later taught him how to be a man.

But this whole new realm that he just accessed, this clear feeling of a realization of talent, was the most beautiful illusion of this world.

If this could touch upon reality, this feeling would become much more alive.

Reality…. Perhaps it was there.

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Chapter 359: Sibling Seizure (Part 1/3)

Chapter 359: Sibling Seizure (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

Gym Master Xiu's lessons weren't long. He stated that he had already taught the things that should be taught in the near future. All that was left was for Luo Nan to experience things for himself.

Luo Nan wasn't in a hurry to leave. He and Xue Lei sent off the students of basic class 5 before heading to the back courtyard. They helped Gym Master Xiu clean up and pack boxes, only leaving the daoguan at around nine.

Luo Nan and Xue Lei parted ways at the underground parking lot in Boshan Building. Luo Nan got into a security car dispatched by the Society, and he saw that the driver of the car was the same as last night's. He recalled that the driver's last name was Qin, but he wasn't too certain.

Neither of them were very talkative people. They just nodded as greeting when they saw each other. Luo Nan sat shotgun, leaning back against the seat. As the car sped along the highway, Luo Nan minded his own business, closing his eyes in thought.

Right now, three systems of inner organs, the heart, liver and spleen, were driving the rise and fall of the blood and energy in Luo Nan's entire body. Blood and energy soaked everything in his body. They soaked his muscles, bones, tendons, and so on. The blood and energy traversed up to the face, where the eyes orifice was like a lantern, and the orifice of the mouth and tongue was like a pond of nectar. Blood and energy naturally spun. It was marvelous and outstanding.

However, Luo Nan had few stirrings when it came to the mysterious changes occurring in his body. As of now, his mind was completely focused on the knowledge of the root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger. His thoughts flickered unstably, occurring again and again.

Then came a flash of insight. It seemed to mix with the dazzling starry sky of this afternoon. It drew out a whole new composition, but it shattered in the blink of an eye, causing Luo Nan to be excited yet frustrated.

Stop stop stop stop!

Gym Master Xiu had said it already. This sort of subdivision technique of insight absolutely could not be done in a fantasizing, guessing way. He needed to start from a realistic point. The best thing to do was to mix the internal and the external; that is, to see clearly the self and know others. Gradually become familiar with them and find an assessing principle of logic most suitable for himself.

These ideas faintly fit into the concepts of Formatting Theory that only belonged to Luo Nan. They lay well within Luo Nan's liking, and they made him not dare approach things recklessly.

So Luo Nan made a decision. He would dedicate the entire weekend to practice what he obtained this night in earnest. For this sake, he needed to push back all the plans he had for these two days.

Luo Nan's current position in the Society was not the same as it was before. There was an entire security team following him, so he had to set out early if he wanted to make last minute changes to his schedule. This was to avoid inconvenient mishaps.

He immediately contacted He Yueyin. There wasn't much to hide with this matter. He simply told her that he needed to finish up and sort through what he newly obtained.

He Yueyin naturally supported him.

Luo Nan chatted with her for a bit before hanging up the call. His mind was a little more tranquil now, and he began making simple arrangements to his schedule for tomorrow and the day after.

For Saturday, he could hide in his room. He could continue familiarizing himself with lessons of the nine orifices and six roots. He could also ponder over the applications of the root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger. He could think them over and try things out. With the remaining time, he would continue refining the external neuron and see if he could make progress. During this period, he would allocate part of his consciousness over to Ink for experimental verification.

Sunday would be adjusted according to the progress made on Saturday. Such a schedule over the course of two days was completely packed. It was incomparably full.

If everything went smoothly, he could use this to stir up rumors. He could delve into the mysteries of Gear without anyone batting an eye…. That would be awesome!

Luo Nan was quite satisfied with his plan. He opened the loose-leaf notebook, turning to the simple schedule, and made adjustments. Once everything was ready, he took a deep breath, and with a good mood, he gave the bodyguard driver next to him a smile.

"It's been tiring these past few days. I'll be good and stay at home for tomorrow and the day after. I hope everyone can relax for a bit.”

Driver Qin wasn't good with words. He was a very steady person. Luo Nan’s time at the daoguan was unfixed, leading Driver Qin to spend nearly an hour in the underground parking lot. However, Driver Qin remained tranquil and calm. He gave off a much more reliable feeling than Old Jin of the Hidden Indigo Firm.

He just smiled toward Luo Nan, making no other responses.

Right when the car was about to resume a state of silence, Luo Nan's wristband vibrated. Someone was calling him.

He saw the caller ID and thought, Now this is very odd. Mo Ya's name was clearly shown on his wristband.

This older female cousin had gone to Man City for a full month, going wild at a music festival and angering her mother into exploding with fury. Aside from Luo Nan being hospitalized twice giving quite the scare, causing Mo Ya to come back once, no news came from her most of the time.

Why was she calling him now?

The moment the call was connected, Mo Ya smacked him with a question, "Do you remember the favor you owe me?"

Don't you know that I blocked a bullet for you!?

Luo Nan nearly blurted this out, but in the end, he merely asked, "What favor?"

"Look at your call history. September 26th, 7:18 p.m. Remember now?"

"...."

"Forget it. In any case, you owe me a lot of favors. I won't care about this one. You just need to remember that you promised to pay me back; I want to use your apartment for a party!"

Luo Nan finally broke free from his insightful thoughts on the root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger. He obediently swept his gaze to his call history and did his best to remember for a few seconds, before finally recalling the matter.

It was the night before he had truly come to understand Formatting Theory. Mo Ya really did provide him with some cover... but it wasn't that useful. He was brought home the day after by his aunt.

Luo Nan was disinclined to bicker about with Mo Ya. "Right, I remember now. I think you asked for a day in the middle of October. What's today's date? Oh, you didn't show up because of the music festival."

Yep, for the sake of attending the music festival in Man City, Mo Ya had set aside everything else. She was gone for the entire month, so naturally she missed all the appointments she had in Xia City.

Mo Ya snorted coldly. "Aren't I arranging things now? Let me tell you. I will be back around the fifth, and there will be a celebration party on that day…. Don't be nervous. This has nothing to do with you. I have a very good friend who can put things in order. You just clear out your apartment."

"It's been about a month since I've been there."

Luo Nan grumbled a few words. This was the truth. Since October began, he was always running around between the hospital and his aunt's house. His drug synthesis equipment might have all turned to ash. He no longer needed to do drug experiments now, but his grandfather's notebook, the relevant equipment, raw materials, and so on, all needed to be properly arranged.

Right, Octopus had already made some initial results on his end. He was anxiously awaiting the contents of Luo Nan's grandfather's notebook. Luo Nan should give Octopus the notebook.

Luo Nan went with the flow. "All right, I'll find the time to clean up. I'll talk to you later."

"Don't dillydally. Tomorrow is the weekend. Get to it. Hurry up and do it."

Luo Nan nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. "No way!"

"Wow, so blunt."

"Monday, I'll get it done on Monday."

"Monday is the 5th. The 5th is Monday. Are you getting a clean-up party ready for us?"

"I have something very important to do during the weekend!" Luo Nan crushed and spat out the words 'very important,’ trying to make Mo Ya realize the severity of the situation.

Realistically speaking, this was indeed very serious. He had given He Yueyin a call, seeking to cancel all of his scheduled plans for tomorrow. With how efficient Secretary He was, this matter was surely already arranged by now. If he were to turn his head and retract it, He Yueyin's authority could not be maintained, let alone his reputation.

If he didn't follow the plan and went to go out by himself, then things would become even more serious. It was the same as taking He Yueyin's customs and crushing them beneath his feet.

But it was impossible to let Mo Ya know of this matter, let alone have her understand it. Luo Nan just felt stifled and broken.

Mo Ya went silent for a while. She spoke a few seconds later, "Is it very important? An appointment?"

Luo Nan moaned, "Sis, I'm not lying...."

It was right in this instant that Driver Qin gestured something to Luo Nan with his hand.

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Chapter 360: Sibling Seizure (Part 2/3)

Chapter 360: Sibling Seizure (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan was slightly startled. His attention deviated as he went to look, and it turned out that he didn't take the common commands course for nothing. He was immediately able to discern the meaning of the series of gestures.

"You can use the time from tonight until tomorrow's B time slot, before handover occurs."

The B time slot spanned from 5:00 to 7:00 in the morning. It was the period of time between when Luo Nan woke up and when Luo Nan started class. During this time, he would perform his morning exercises and eat breakfast.

Driver Qin's intentions were very clear. He was suggesting that Luo Nan use this time period to handle the matter. In any case, from night until morning, it was their team on shift. It was easy for them to do a last-minute change in tasking.

Luo Nan's mind stirred. Tomorrow morning was unacceptable. His aunt's house was located on the eastern side of the Nade District. He would have to go through half of Xia City to get to the River Wu District from there. There wasn't enough time.

As for where they were currently, they haven't even left the River Wu District. They could make it to Luo Nan's apartment in ten minutes if they changed directions right now. The drug equipment was of most importance over at the Blue Bay Community. He would dump the raw materials into a portable cooler, take the cooler and his grandfather's notebook, then leave.

As for cleaning up…. Well, screw her!

Luo Nan's thoughts arrived at this point, and he switched his tone. "How about this, sis? We can pick up the pace. I just so happen to be in the River Wu District. We don't need to wait until tomorrow. Right now I will go there as fast as possible. I'll take whatever needs taking. Then you have your good friend take over from there. I'll give her an hour."

"Yeah, this is fine. I'll ask her."

As soon as Luo Nan's thoughts started running, his mind became quite agile. He continued amending the plan, "It's okay if she doesn't come over tonight. I'll change the security door to take in a secret key, which I'll give to you later. You can be the middleman, and everything will be okay."

"Excellent," said Mo Ya in rarely heard praise. "Though you've been to the hospital more than Acumen College, your brain capacity has seen growth. Do you know what this means?"

"...GTFO!"

Luo Nan hung up the call without a trace of politeness, but it was unavoidable for him to be a bit embarrassed. He gave Driver Qin a nod and expressed his thanks, "Brother Win, I owe you for today."

Driver Qin laughed, speaking for the first time tonight, "Then where to next?"

"The Blue Bay Community."

It only took them ten minutes, in line with Luo Nan's estimation. The security car sped into the parking lot of Blue Bay Community, and Driver Qin was scrupulous in his bodyguard duties. He got off the car to walk together with Luo Nan.

Accidents didn't occur too much in this world. At least, tonight was very normal. Two minutes passed, and Luo Nan returned to his small nest that he had left over a month ago. This was the only real estate property that was under his name. He had inherited it from his father, whose trail was unknown.

Mo Ya's so-called cleaning party was an exaggeration. There was an AI housekeeper keeping watch. A month had passed, and although Luo Nan didn't dare say that the apartment was untainted by even a speck of dust, he considered the place to be quite clean and tidy. There wasn't even the smell of a human.

Mo Ya called him again as he went up the stairs. Her good friend unfortunately couldn't make it, so it was fine for Luo Nan to use the secret key method he talked about before.

Since things were like this, Luo Nan wasn't going to stay too long in this place. He simply walked straight to the study as soon as he entered the door. He took out the crucial items.

The black suitcase atop the desk, the portable cooler in the bookcase, as well as the leather notebook hidden in the secret drawer.

The drug synthesis equipment and raw materials were destined to be dealt with sooner or later. Luo Nan didn't really care, but when he saw the raw materials, he suddenly recalled that of these two items, at least half belonged to Mo Ya.

It was very difficult for Luo Nan to engage in drug research, even if his grandfather had left behind educational funds as a foundation. Luo Nan had been young at the time, merely hitting ten years old. Over the course of five years, Mo Ya had provided him with financial aid. This was the number one reason why was he ultimately able to persevere down this path.

Mo Ya was right. He really owed her far too many favors.

But he thought of today's matter. It didn't even count as a favor. When was the last time a favor was asked between this brother and sister? Luo Nan felt unbearable with the most essential problem; he was growing further and further away from his normal family life.

Luo Nan chuckled. He wanted to lift up the suitcase and the cooler, but Driver Qin had rushed to do it for him. His physique was healthy and heroic. He carried the two boxes like he was pinching two rice straws.

"Thank you, Brother Qin." Luo Nan felt slightly embarrassed. He had tried to take the two items back to no avail, leaving him to rely on Brother Qin.

He took the most important item of all, the leather notebook, into his hands, placing it with his loose-leaf notebook. He looked around the room, then easily covered the space with his mental senses. He confirmed that he didn't miss anything, and the two exited the apartment and went down the stairs. He didn't forget to set up the secret key to the door, sending Mo Ya the digital key upon generation.

Sending the secret key was easy. It was done in a few minutes. They entered the elevator by the time it was done, and Luo Nan let out a breath of relief. Finally, a matter was resolved. As for what Mo Ya and her good friend would do next, it had nothing to do with him.

Driver Qin maintained his silence as the elevator went down. He didn't do anything and the space was narrow, making the atmosphere a bit awkward. Luo Nan simply thumbed through his grandfather's notebook, looking at the familiar and complex molecular formulas, as well as the handwriting that was either neatly or slovenly done.

He had already gotten started with Formatting Theory, and he had a foundation with internal refinement. The Body Gear and the God Gear coupled in interaction, while his soul strength continued its violent and uncontrollable growth. His awareness toward his mind and body far exceeded that from before. He would look at the contents of this notebook later, with all these things as a foundation. Even if he would find things hard to comprehend, his level, angle, and way of thought were greatly richer than before.

He could probably get a general understanding of his grandfather's thought process. It seemed like these notes were talking about how to use molecular targeting drugs to realize an activation with specific neurons. This realized self-growth and differentiation, reconstructing or strengthening neural circuits, thereby affecting the development of the body's organs and ultimately forming the Self-Format.

But this notebook's contents were merely the records of experiments in the end. The pertinent theory was scattered and messy throughout the notebook. It was impossible to form a whole system no matter how many times he tidied the information up. The most intact depiction of the theory was the figure and words atop the title page.

Luo Nan flipped to the title page. He saw the properly hand-drawn figure and the messy handwriting.

A tetrahedron, an inscribed sphere, and an outer-scribed sphere formed the visualization diagram. This diagram had already fused into his soul. There was also the twenty-word mantra, "My heart’s a prison. My heart’s a furnace. My heart calls for a lens. My heart calls for the nation." This mantra existed alongside his breathing from beginning to end.

Luo Nan had reached this step, but he was still far away from reaching a true understanding of Formatting Theory. He was incapable of ascertaining the image and significance that Formatting Theory, as well as this figure and these words, that his grandfather, his mother, and that person had in their eyes.

However, a thought suddenly formed in his mind: The way I currently view the world with clairvoyance is far different than how normal people view the world. It is reasonable to say that my grandfather and them should have been the same as well. It should be close, at the very least. I didn't possess this skill before. Maybe, I should start from this angle and follow the contents of the notebook once more?

Luo Nan squeezed the pages as he thought deeply to himself. A cough came from the person next to him, and he suddenly snapped back to reality. Only then did he discover that the elevator had stopped moving. The floor indicator light showed that they were on the underground 2nd floor, the parking lot. The metal doors were closing straight ahead.... Most importantly, there was a couple standing outside the elevator. They should have just finished with shopping, for they were carrying large and small bags of stuff. They were looking at him dazedly.

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Chapter 361: Sibling Seizure (Part 3/3)

Chapter 361: Sibling Seizure (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

"Apologies."

Luo Nan scrambled out. The metal doors detected the human body, opening back up again. Driver Qin followed him out, still remaining silent, as if nothing had happened just then.

The two cautiously avoided the person who they suspected to be mentally unwell. They rode the elevator up. In the end, Luo Nan's skin was tender. It was hard for him to avoid feeling embarrassed. He repeated his previous words, "I'm sorry, Brother Qin. I was lost in thought just now."

Driver Qin responded with a smile as usual, "No worries, Mr. Luo. Are we heading back now?"

"Yes, let’s head back," Luo Nan said as he closed his notebook. He didn't dare to continue looking. He had all sorts of matters squeezed into a single mass: his cultivation, Gear, outsourced work, security threats. Just adding researching the notebook into this was tantamount to tearing him apart into three pieces. He might not be able to endure it.

But when he sat in the car, the silent atmosphere caused his thoughts to brew. Luo Nan was unable to stop himself. Thoughts and ideas came thick and fast, some being particularly meticulous.

The words imparted to me by the gym master about the root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger—the subdivision of talent and nature—can conform with the Life Sketches. The internal refinement of the nine orifices and six roots is a way to polish the body. It is a way to form a more true 'self-portrait.' The recordings within my grandfather's notebook mostly consist of targeting drugs that influence the nervous system of the human body…. Maybe I should stop thinking of a unified theory, and instead just make a reference. Then perhaps I will make some progress?

Oh man, I can't take it any longer. What to do?

Luo Nan smacked his forehead with his closed notebook. He felt both vexed and excited. Emotions surged from the bottom of his heart, each wave higher than the previous. It made him restless in his seat, as he wished to verify his own thoughts. But he didn't know where to start.... This time, it wasn't because he was at a loss. Instead, it was because there were far too many places he could begin at.

Yes. In this moment, the radiating insight within Luo Nan's brain was like the lightning of a thunderstorm. It flashed and flared intensely within the sea of his mind, branching with hundreds of thousands of streaks. It was like the crazed dance of a golden serpent, every streak whipping out within his heart.

The more he thought, the more tormented he felt. Luo Nan sat shotgun as he pressed his notebook against his head. In the end, he caved in, giving in to the impulse of his insight. He drew in a breath of cold air, flipping open the leather notebook. He was about to write something on it, but a shred of reason still remained in him. He flipped open his own notebook and found an empty page. Then, he began to write at tremendous speed.

The technique of subdivision. The internal refinement technique. Psychotropic drugs. Life Sketches…. Some of this crucial knowledge were familiar and came fluidly. Others only existed as concepts. However, they referred to each other in an overall system, and Luo Nan unconsciously formed a fuzzy, yet grand network. Everything was covered. Everything was explained.

The insights came like lightning, while his writing speed was far too slow.

Luo Nan's legs shook with anticipation. The writing beneath his pen was done meticulously and neatly in the beginning, but in the end, it became slovenly and without form. Many thoughts simply became simple symbols in substitution. Some were even the sketches of emotions at will.

In this way, Luo Nan soon filled up three complete pages with his pen. He wrote until his brain was suddenly empty, and the tip of the pen could no longer drop to the page. This burst of inspiration came to a grinding halt.

Perhaps, he could only remember half of it... no, a third!

Sweat seeped from Luo Nan's palms, back, and forehead. He didn't care. He just flipped through the few pages within his notebook from front to back while reading. Some of the writings were far too illegible, but he tried to recall and decipher some of the abstractions, and he attempted to supplement them anew.

It was a race between himself and time, himself and his memories. It was also a competition between himself and his most mysterious and unfathomable inspiration. He flipped through page after page like this, annotating, supplementing. Soon, he filled up seven more pages. This was more than what he had written down during his inspiration.

Then he flipped through the pages a third time. This time, the pressure was much less. He looked over the ten pages that were completely packed with words, feeling more relaxed as he got closer to the end.

Excellent, the compensation was much more timely. Over half of his thoughts still remained as traces. Some were even quite full and accurate.

Luo Nan's wristband vibrated, and Luo Nan completely ignored it at first. But then Driver Qin coughed to alert him, and only then did Luo Nan glance at the caller ID. Luo Nan's scalp went tense.

“Aunt?" gasped Luo Nan.

"Where are you? Do you know what time is it? Why aren't you home!" Mrs. Luo Shuqing's tone was filled with repressed emotions, the pressure underlying everything. She was probably very angry.

"I'm…." Luo Nan's mind went blank. Right, where was he?

He turned his head to look at Driver Qin. Driver Qin turned on the headlights of the car, indicating to Luo Nan to watch the signs up ahead. Luo Nan saw a road sign and immediately recited its words, "I'm at Rongxing Road. Cough, it's outside the community. I'll be there soon."

Luo Nan was only able to confirm the time at this moment. He had been fine without knowing it, but his cheeks spasmed when he saw the time. 23:47. It was practically midnight.

And at the same time, Luo Nan confirmed that the security vehicle he was riding had already stopped outside the community. He didn't know how long it had been since they stopped. In the driver seat, Driver Qin sat upright quietly, maintaining his silence until now. This was his usual style.

Luo Nan had to express his thanks. Otherwise, his recollection of his insights would have been interrupted, making it impossible for him to fill ten pages with inspired writings.

"Much thanks, Brother Qin." Luo Nan revealed his awkward and clumsy tongue once more. He came to a screeching halt, not knowing what else to say.

Driver Qin chuckled and did something rare for him. He spoke, "Cultivating. I never had the time for it, especially when I first learn a new move.... When I started learning martial arts, when I just learned some skills from my teacher, I would tweak my ears and scratch my cheeks in impatience, itching to master the skills the next day. And when I discovered my special ability... well, that's something that doesn't need saying."

Driver Qin was good at understanding others, and Luo Nan's emotions of awkwardness were substantially alleviated. Luo Nan was in no rush to go back home, now that they were right at the entrance to the community. There was his current mental state, and he also held the boxes of drugs. There was an eighty percent chance that these items would be confiscated on the spot if he were to take them home.

Luo Nan slowly adjusted his breathing, calming his mood. He easily asked about Driver Qin's circumstances in what could be considered idle chatter, "Brother Qin is a martial artist as well. Are you dual cultivating in martial arts and in your special ability?"

Driver Qin gave a subtle nod. "I was learning martial arts at the Luhe Gym when I inexplicably awakened to my ability. Then my martial arts became less and less pure. This made my master very angry."

He had spoken modestly, but Luo Nan felt veneration for him. "The Luhe Gym. So Brother Qin is under Mr. Giant Arm."

Mr. Giant Arm was an exceptional man with a pair of thick muscular arms. Luo Nan had an utterly deep impression of the man. The power of Giant Arm's pure fleshy body could penetrate steel, the strength of his fists absolute. It was quite inconceivable. Luo Nan only came to find out later that Mr. Giant Arm was a powerful man ranked in the top ten of Xia City in terms of strength with the fleshly body. He was outstanding with the level of B-rank.

Driver Qin quite revered Giant Arm as well. "Mister has purely tempered the fleshly body. His arts are the purest of the pure. I not only have been distracted by my special ability, my temperament is also a bit too gentle. I'm not quite suited for Mister's punching techniques. I have only learned some superficial knowledge.”

"Your special ability and your martial arts can't push each other to higher heights?"

Driver Qin chuckled, "My special ability is far too slanted for defense. Mister's punching techniques pay particular attention to explosiveness. There are uncompromisable aspects for both sides in the end…."

Luo Nan gave a grunt in response and subconsciously studied Driver Qin. But he forgot that his mind today was quite stimulated. His soul strength was also quite lively. He subconsciously observed him with clairvoyance.

In an instant, Driver Qin's body seemed to dematerialize, while a simple set of stars were arranged within. The stars were connected to each, forming a special image.

This was a Life Sketch…. Oh, there was more!

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Chapter 362: New Picture (Part 1/3)

Chapter 362: New Picture (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

Within and outside the simple and abstract Life Sketch of Driver Qin were countless grains of stars. They appeared intermittently, radiating rays of subtle warmth.

Luo Nan couldn't hold back from taking out previous Life Sketches he drew to make comparisons. The most particular were that of Cat Eyes and Zhang Yingying, people who he had observed in great detail. Every single star that appeared for their Life Sketch shone bright and radiant, contrasting intensely with the deep darkness of the void.

Upon paper with the same background of darkness, were silver-white dots akin to the drops of candle wax. Between them lay connecting lines that were hard to distinguish between being present or nonexistent. Such a scene was undoubtedly affected by the visualization diagram. When looked at independently, it appeared like an abstract symbol.

Only when these sketches of terrifying scales were pieced together did they cause one's senses to no longer be entwined with the details. Only then did the sketches form the grand and magnificent view of the vast and hazy starry sky.

This was why Luo Nan called them sketches. They were outlines of just-finished compositions. They were sketches and drafts lacking the details sculpted within.

As for the star atlas before his eyes, the greatest difference from before was embodied within the details. Hundreds and thousands of stars were scattered within a fixed scope. Their luminosities differed, and their magnitudes varied. Some owned a radiance that dazzled the eyes, while some could barely be seen. The limited yet clear star atlas had become complicated due to this. At the same time, it changed into something much more lively. Even the tiniest of areas were drawn with exquisite and trustworthy details.

It was like being on a high plateau where the atmosphere was crystal clear, far away from the light pollution of the metropolis, allowing one to see the splendid night sky. It was enough to make Luo Nan forget that this was merely the frame of a body and soul for a single ability user, and nothing more.

The current Luo Nan was far different from how he was back when he first drew the Life Sketches. He extended his hand and gestured across the stars like a deity, but he had spent a bit too long staring at Driver Qin in this spellbound state.

Even Driver Qin with his steady nature couldn't refrain from coughing to alert Luo Nan.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Luo Nan had said such words at least three times this night. Luckily, Driver Qin didn't mind, resuming his usual quiet state. He just responded with a smile.

Luo Nan couldn't understand it. Why did his clairvoyance suddenly appear with much more detail when it came to Life Sketches? In any case, he knew that he should be getting off the car and going home.

He gracefully declined Driver Qin's good intentions to help once more as he got off the car. Luo Nan lifted the two boxes out from the trunk, the notebooks clasped under his left arm. It was a bit awkward, but he could still walk.

He bid Driver Qin farewell, then he headed straight home. He walked to the road of the community, and there was no other person in sight under the streetlights. This sort of scene compelled one's thoughts to go wild. Luo Nan's mind subconsciously began to surge.

Why did he become interested in Driver Qin? It was because of his words. It vaguely conformed with Gym Master Xiu's words dealing with the root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger technique of subdivision.

Those awakened with supernatural powers could comprehend the root receptacle. On the other hand, temperament fell under the root nature. He walked a different path than Mr. Giant Arm. This was the problem with the selection of the root trigger.

This was the principle. According to Gym Master Xiu's teachings, Luo Nan needed to find a suitable place to begin. Luo Nan's direction had been very fuzzy during the lecture, but after experiencing his burst of insight, as well as the clairvoyance he used on Driver Qin, the situation subtly changed.

Luo Nan suppressed the impulse to go looking for people and adjusted his breathing. He let his feverish mind cool for a second.

He first walked to the detached garage outside of his aunt's master bedroom. This was a three-dimensional garage that was quite a common sight among the properties of the middle class of the city. It was divided into two levels, and each of the two cars of the household were placed on each level. It used a converter to adjust the level, taking the required car out. The space was a bit small, and its functions were simple. It couldn't hold a lot of stuff.

However, there was a wooden door installed atop the lawn in the back of the garage and at the edge of the yard. Opening this door revealed a flight of stairs that led to an underground space.

This was an underground storeroom. Rumor had it that Mo Ya had hidden it from the rest of the family back when she was in her second year of middle school. She spent a year's worth of time digging out the space by herself. Unfortunately, she was found out, and she had to pay a considerable fine to the community.

The sophomore Mo Ya of middle school was a standard young girl. She treated this secret space like a tree house. She later grew out of it, no longer playing here. She gave this place to Luo Nan, letting him store some sensitive materials inside.

This storeroom was the greatest reason why he was able to conceal his independent drug synthesis from his aunt and uncle for the past five years.

There were favors all around... so he especially had to lower his head toward Mo Ya.

Luo Nan took the boxes and placed them in a secret compartment within the storeroom. He turned around and was about to leave when a thought suddenly stirred within his mind. He placed the two notebooks he had clasped under his arm in the secret compartment as well.

Luo Nan placed both books, not just one, because he was worried. He was worried that if he really did take the notebook with the recorded insights back into his room, he wouldn't be able to sleep this night. He needed to continue with his good tempo of work and rest; he wanted to avoid destroying it with exhaustion.

Making this resolution was not easy. Luo Nan practically looked back every three steps. This lasted until he reached ground level and closed the trapdoor. Only then did he let out a long breath of relief. He walked back to the house, welcoming his aunt's reprimanding.

Though there were many variables, he still endured a lecture when he got home. But this night, Luo Nan had experienced many things. It was a fruitful night.

Callously placing the notebook in the underground storeroom was an effective action. It helped Luo Nan strictly follow the needs that Gym Master Xiu had laid down when it came to the meridians. Blood and energy had to be raised and lowered before sleeping, refining the life essence of the body. This was to be done to ensure that the inner organs, the four limbs, and the hundreds of bones proceeded in parallel from inside to out. The energies circulated in layers, conforming with the nine orifices and six roots. Only then did it conclude.

Therefore, tonight required several times more work when compared to purely cultivating the eyes orifice. A large chunk of time was set aside for it. By the time he woke up from his meditative state that teetered on the edge of clear and unclear, it was already a bit past four in the early morning. It was just about time for him to start on his morning exercises.

If future nights were all like this, then he probably wouldn't need to sleep anymore.

Luo Nan smacked his lips, savoring the fresh feeling of the newly opened orifice. The orifice of his mouth and tongue was producing liquid, which tasted sweet and refreshing. It was completely different from the nasty breath he used to have in his daily life upon waking up.

Luo Nan naturally swallowed the liquid, and the liquid steadily flowed. He moved his tongue, feeling quite nimble. Unfortunately, the clumsy actions he made with his mouth when talking was ultimately caused by his wisdom and temperament. This newly developed skill was wasted on him.

He had experienced this small change with his mouth and tongue yesterday. Currently, the most he could say that this did was save him a bit of mouthwash. It wasn't really something to get excited about.

Luo Nan was still expecting its true marvels to reveal themselves.

Today was November 3, 2096. It was a Saturday, the day Luo Nan had planned to do his closed door cultivation.

Perhaps it was compensation. His guardians were very busy these days. It was the start of the month routine statistics period for the SCA. Luo Nan's uncle was a high-level member and a technological expert. He had to be present to supervise. His aunt was a senior member of HR in a large company, and a new department was recruiting. She had to work overtime for this, so she didn't have time to be at home. This gave Luo Nan a stress-free, distraction-free environment....

Luo Nan came back home from his morning run, his mood turning great once he found out all this information. His appetite rose quite a bit.

But he was far too naive.

Mo Peng, who should still be sleeping in as was his usual custom on weekends, had shuffled down the stairs at seven o'clock. His round, plump body brought with it a different vibe to him. He saw that his dad and mother weren't paying attention to the home for now, so he smacked Luo Nan with a question,

"Have you arranged things on your end yet?"

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Chapter 363: New Picture (Part 2/3)

Chapter 363: New Picture (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

Without a doubt, Mo Peng was talking about the recreation plan at the Frost River Reality of Cloud City Water Village.

This shameful gamer. He endlessly nagged Luo Nan, having heard that gaming in virtual reality promised no headway. Not to mention the idea of beautiful women joining them.

Luo Nan really didn't have the energy to argue with him. He could only stall. "All the students have gone home for the weekend. Who would specifically run to the large activity area for a meetup?"

"That's true, then Monday…. Oh, are you trying to get me to skip class?" Mo Peng's expression gave off the heroic feeling of a squire risking his life for his lord, but underneath it was the wretched action of passing the buck.

Luo Nan simply headed to the living room. He used his uncle and aunt as an excuse to escape from Mo Peng's nagging.

Mo Peng followed him, "Monday, next Monday! It's a plan!"

Luo Nan responded harshly without ill intent, but he was unable to stifle the bad thoughts in his mind. Any more nonsense and I'll call over Zhang Yingying and have her fix you up proper.

Breakfast barely passed, and Mo Peng wasn't one to stay idle. Aside from normally sleeping in, Mo Peng's weekends were rich with activity. He was the first to head out the door.

Soon his aunt and uncle left. Of course, his aunt just had to lecture him. She even setup the AI housekeeper's operation mode. This made Luo Nan feel that he was infinitesimally close to being a mama's boy.

Who was the one who said I’m a mama's boy? Oh, it was that useless Mo Peng!

This sister and brother pair. Did God send them down just to torment me?

Luo Nan rolled his eyes as he tidied up his bowl and chopsticks. He restrained his temper as he cleaned up the kitchen and dining room. At this time, the "native species genetic and ecological preservation" job had begun a new day. Peony led Ink to meet with the Trigate Security's action team for the start of another meeting. Their plan for today was to study the Forestwall District. Tomorrow's plan was to study the River Wu District.

If everything went smoothly, Luo Nan would be able to slack off at this job for the next two days, spending this time and energy to mull over and experiment with the newest gains he had obtained.

"I'm finally back on the right track!" Luo Nan let out a long breath of relief as he retrieved the two notebooks from the underground storeroom near the garage. He went straight back to his bedroom, determined not to leave for the rest of the day.

In his bedroom, Luo Nan sat cross-legged on his bed. He flipped through the pages filled with countless insights within his notebook, the mere glance causing blood-boiling emotions. It was akin to fire being lit within a well filled with oil, causing the explosive sound of combustion to ring over and over.

Luo Nan took in a deep breath, knowing that if he didn't control his emotions, it would be very hard to truly sink deep in thought. However, he had repressed his emotions for an entire night. He hated that he was unable to tackle these ideas while dreaming. It was easier said than done for him to suppress his emotions.

"Might as well let it flow instead of stifling it..." Luo Nan muttered to himself. He drew back his lips into a smile, and his impassioned and surging soul strength was like a flood bursting a dam. It flowed every which way.

The sky was sunny and cloudless outside the room, but gloom cast into the lake of his mind. The vast and hazy starry sky unfurled within Luo Nan's mind, covering a range of several dozen square kilometers. There were a thousand households in the community, and the Life Sketches of thousands of living beings were reflected within.

As the living starry sky manifested, the suppressed impulsive flames of his heart diffused throughout the starry sky. Soon, all heat had dispersed, leaving behind merely traces of the fluctuations of life, resonating with the stars that filled the entire sky.

Luo Nan was unaware, but his heart and mind had become crystal clear. He was in a most limpid state. This wasn't his meditative state; it surpassed it. He felt the interference and resonance between himself and other living beings, and he automatically had a direction to begin with.

He didn't get tangled up in anything. He simply stirred his thoughts, and the core vast star river, the visualization diagram, naturally appeared. This was the Format Pyramid structure, consisting of a tetrahedron, an inscribed sphere, and an outer-scribed sphere. It matched with the thousands upon thousands of Life Sketches in the distance, converging together.

The long river of starlight spread past the Format Pyramid, seemingly drowning completely. Clear levels were revealed within the Format Pyramid. They were regular and thorough, without a hint of disorder.

Starting from the night at Frost River Reality, Luo Nan's Format Pyramid had converged and fused with the Life Sketches into a star river. However, they were still independent. They moved according to their respective rules. Only where their domains clashed did the Format Pyramid clearly display its dominance.

Yet this time, under the radiance of the long snaking river and myriad of stars, there seemed to be some subtle changes with the motionless yet majestic Format Pyramid.

"There has been a change," Luo Nan talked to himself.

Under the countless lightning strikes of insight, Luo Nan's thought process had changed substantially. The foundation of his body and soul, the Format Pyramid, had to have corresponding changes as well. Only then could it prove its realness.

The intent of his mind illuminated down from above, probing inside and outside the visualization diagram completely. What had once been a vague feeling transformed into a clear understanding. The previous Format Pyramid was a composition comprising geometric figures. It could be considered a conceptual expression. The current Format Pyramid was a set of figures with a lot more details, dots, lines, and faces joined together, revealing a conformation of light and shadow, and giving off an even more marvelous sense of realism.

Similar details continued to increase to the extent that it was a bit inappropriate to call the Format Pyramid a concise conceptual figure. After all, concepts were concepts. The corresponding idealized figure was far too rigid.

The thought barely stirred, and the visualization diagram, which was already jam-packed with rich details, was like a sandcastle built upon the ocean shore. It collapsed just like that, scattering countless flowing silver-white rays into the void.

Holy cow!

Luo Nan's mind instinctively went tense, but before anxious emotions were able to boil up, the clairvoyance of his mind was crammed with thousands upon thousands of stars of varying luminosities.

That's right. The conceptual composition of dots, lines and faces had suddenly transformed into thousands upon thousands of stars. They unfurled, turning into a splendid constellation. The space between them formed a matching structure, and looking at the whole, Luo Nan could vaguely see the traces of rules outlining the tetrahedron, inscribed sphere, and outer-scribed sphere.

Luo Nan stared, stupefied for a while. His visualization diagram had transformed from conceptual geometric figures into a more real composition of stars and constellation structure. Wasn't this none other than a Life Sketch?

This situation was very similar to the situation last night when he used his clairvoyance on Driver Qin!

Luo Nan wanted to bite his fingers. Emotions of bewilderment, stupefaction, and excitement entwined together.

The self-constructed Life Sketch completely blasted apart the barrier of rules between the Format Pyramid and the living starry sky. It was like an exquisite mathematical conversion. It took two independent domains and drew them under the same rules, further expanding the richness of the content within, and increasing countless details that could be researched.

Looking from this point, his attempts had truly started only recently. This was a breakthrough, and it invigorated his spirits.

But from another perspective, the dissimilation and decomposition of the visualization diagram that accompanied him for many years had real impacts, forcing him to perform some mental constructions.

All right. For instance, the constellations in the skies above never had rays of light connecting dots to form figures. It was the will of the people to imagine their outlines, reflecting the special cultures of humanity. It was the result of imagination turned concrete.

Perhaps this principle could be used upon the Format Pyramid?

Luo Nan suddenly became lost in thought as a certain question spawned out of nowhere. This question invaded his thought process. Grandfather's research in Formatting Theory back in the day…. Was his objective an abstract concept? Or was it a concrete phenomenon?

Luo Nan chose the latter.

It was impossible for a pure abstraction and its general symbol to develop with rich and meaningful content, if it lacked a concrete, detailed, and accurate phenomenon as a support. Even if such an abstraction was able to develop, it would be that of sheer fantasy and daydreams.

In other words….

Luo Nan picked up the leather notebook and flipped to the title page. He looked straight at the concise lines of the figure, but what appeared before his eyes was clearly a profound and magnificent starry sky.

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Chapter 364: New Picture (Part 3/3)

Chapter 364: New Picture (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

Of course, the starry sky atop the title page was merely an illusion, but the changes within the Format Pyramid were real.

Luo Nan felt restless sitting on his bed. He got up and walked around in a circle. An intense premonition came upon him. He studied Formatting Theory for over five years. Perhaps it was only now that he was able to truly touch upon the doorstep to the core research of his grandfather's work.

"What do I need to do next? What do I need to do next?"

Luo Nan's mind remained clear, for he had done arduous and crucial preparations to tackle today's juncture. However, he never expected to start up this smoothly. It was so smooth that it was out of control. After the star atlas transformation of the Format Pyramid, all his previous plans were completely invalidated. He needed to follow the new structure and sort out another rough train of thought.

But the true problem didn't lie with the fact that his trains of thought were too few. Instead, there were far too many!

He flung himself onto the bed, picking up his own loose-leaf notebook. He wrote and wrote, venting out his thoughts. Soon, seven blank pages were crammed full of words, figures, and symbols. Yet this was still not enough. Impulses of attempts jumped endlessly from his mind.

Luo Nan never expected to have such a day bursting with insights.

It was already 11 o'clock by the time he snapped back to reality from recording his insights. The AI housekeeper followed its programmed schedule and made lunch, inviting the only member of the household at home to eat at the dining table.

Luo Nan spent an entire morning burning his mental energy. His energy consumption was out of the ordinary. An alarm went off within his instincts, and he simply brought the notebook downstairs as he prepared to use lunchtime to further mull over his thoughts and write. He wouldn't tarry at all.

He shoveled a few spoonfuls of food in his mouth as his mind wandered, drawing and writing another half a page of words and symbols. Luo Nan felt all right with things. He could continue like this at the dining table.

But a notification message reminded him of something at this moment.

"The lunch session has arrived. Shed some sweat, young man!" the HexaEar vibrated, and Xue Lei's thick timbre laced with stifled laughter was exceptionally amused. This was a notification that they recorded a few days ago when they had the leisure. This was to ensure that Luo Nan exercised control over his daily schedule.

Gym Master Xiu's teachings were inherently very strict. Luo Nan had to pay the most attention to habit and tempo. He had to know good cultivation habits and and efficient tempo. This was the foundation to realizing results in martial arts. The requirements were high, particularly after Luo Nan succeeded with the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. This was unavoidable, perhaps due to his extremely special circumstances. Every day, he had to do morning sessions, night sessions, and lunch sessions by the dot, not shaken even by thunder. He couldn't be lazy. Xue Lei was a good friend, and he acted as a serious and rigid supervisor.

Having strictly controlled himself for over ten years, supervising externally and pressing internally, Luo Nan had already formed an initial tempo for cultivation. However, his tempo became a bit messy because of his commitment to internal refinement, which yielded real results. He had yet to completely adapt to these changes.

Luo Nan looked at the time and struggled mentally for a little while. In the end, he still closed his eyes, pushed his notebook aside, and ate faster.

The benefits he just accessed with the mouth and tongue orifice displayed themselves at this moment. The digestive acids of the stomach displayed a clear increase in its energy conversion function. Luo Nan vaguely felt essence energy trickling down his throat along with the tasteless and calorie-heavy nutritious meal. As Luo Nan ate, the essence endlessly circulated throughout his entire body, replenishing his own energy.

"The pace is extremely good, and the vital energy of the inner organs is stable. There isn't any clear imbalances. According to Gym Master Xiu, a thick root receptacle means a sturdy foundation, sufficient to bear.... Huh?"

Luo Nan suddenly became aware of something. As he subconsciously ate his food, he had nearly jabbed his chopsticks into his nose. But he was also unable to deal with this sorry situation, as his thoughts continued to churn. "Gym Master Xiu has helped control the progress of the Body Gear. Though it is weaker than the God Gear, every step is solid. Planting thick roots into the soil of the body that is akin to a mountain is an absolutely decent process. In comparison, the God Gear driven by Formatting Theory has been a road of wild and violent progress. The growth is uncontrollable, giving me a great deal of troubles. If a second explosive outbreak were to occur from the drive of insights, this little life of mine may no longer exist."

His thoughts were clear. Luo Nan's back was drenched in sweat. He flipped through his notebook once more, completely crossing out some extreme and bold plans of his. He looked for some conservative and gradual plans, carefully mulling over them.

"That's right. When it comes to researching Formatting Theory, my current root receptacle isn't thick, my root nature isn't clear, and my root trigger is super early. I need to carefully sculpt and solidify my foundation before making any more plans. The way I express my thoughts when quick sketching is actually very suitable for this."

Luo Nan smacked the table, making a firm resolution in his heart. He stuffed a few mouthfuls of food into his mouth, tidied up a bit, and went up the stairs to perform his noon session.

He did a set of exercises. While his vital energy circulated within his inner organs, while his muscles, skin, and flesh trembled as he fixed himself in the proper stance, Luo Nan naturally seized a bit of calm. He easily shifted his attention to the living starry sky of his clairvoyance, beginning his afternoon research.

Compared to the lightning strikes of insight in the morning with its series of bursting intensities, his mind was steady in the afternoon. His mental state was much more moderate, and he merely quietly observed the marvelous and splendid starry sky.

Instead of viewing at the starry sky with the logic of Formatting Theory, he used the acuity of an artist.

Luo Nan had been in the middle of a vicious battle fraught with dangers when he first mulled over the drawing method of the Life Sketches. He had been pressed, and time was of the essence, exhausting all the things he learned and experienced then. At the time, he had the experience of the out-of-body state, the pattern and tempo of soul breathing, and an understanding of a configuration for the operating structure of energy and information. With his many years of speed sketching as a foundation, having drawn thousands upon thousands of sketches, Luo Nan was able to utilize the keen ability to grasp the characteristics of people quickly and easily.

He was quite proud to be able to integrate super complicated elements into such a grand and gigantic work of art.

But from the harshest perspective, a rushed drawing and a meticulous work were far different at the competition level.

In the end, the Life Sketch was merely a sketch. It was drawn through the method of speed sketching. It imitated the form and appearance, grasping a general impression. It was far from perfect in many details, such as in composition, scale, and structure.

Needless to say, the current Luo Nan lacked in quite a bit. He didn't have the ability to endure, nor did he have the acuity, knowledge, and experience.

But now, by learning arts from Gym Master Xiu, by continuing to cram the fundamental knowledge pertaining to the world, by putting coupling between the God Gear and Body Gear into practice, Luo Nan had repaired one flaw after another. He was like a young artist with a modicum of success in art. He looked back on his own initial training drafts and was appalled by the sight. He knew where he was lacking, and he knew how to go about fixing them.

There existed an overall order to the living starry sky, but the figures themselves were lacking in precision. The image was large, but of no real use. A basic mold was already formed with the starry sky, but there was practically no room to add detail.

If Luo Nan wanted to amend the star atlas-transformed Format Pyramid, Luo Nan would have to reify the star atlas. This was his direction.

Luo Nan slowly adjusted his breathing, and the starry sky formed from the joining of Life Sketches was like a just-completed composition. It was the draft of a structure recently drawn. It simply waited for Luo Nan to use his pen, go line the work with more exquisite layers of light and darkness, and make key details appear.

Thousands upon thousands of amendments had to be made to the star atlas. It was an enormous undertaking without compare. Yet, it was the steadiest and most solid step Luo Nan could take. Of course, the first thing that had to be molded and revised was still Luo Nan himself.

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Chapter 365: Hidden Rules (1/3)

Chapter 365: Hidden Rules (1/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan wasn't in a hurry to start on the initial formulation of the direction, just as a standard artist was never pressed to put his pen to paper. This was especially true in his case, where he wasn't facing a blank sheet of paper, but rather a deep and complex starry sky.

Luo Nan flipped through the loose-leaf notebook in his hands and found a blank page. He wrote solemnly with his pen:

The first item starts with me. Push myself, and others shall be pushed as well.

Looking at his current circumstances, the simplest and smoothest option he had available when it came to truly revising the Life Sketches should lay with external clairvoyance. Driver Qin was an excellent example. With the degree of detail in Driver Qin's Life Sketch, the answer was simply placed before his eyes.

But Luo Nan was fully aware that this wasn't enough. He lacked the link of a self-reference. It was extremely hard for him to see the flaws within his own work. The initial version of the Life Sketch had been affected by Luo Nan's level of understanding at the time. He nearly lost the space to add a further step in detail. There was a lesson to be learned from this.

But something must be known. Observing the self through clairvoyance was what made cultivating difficult. That was what it meant to know one's own limitations. Gym Master Xiu had emphasized this to him last night using similar words, and Luo Nan had mentioned very early on that he was no expert in making 'self-portraits.’ He wasn't being modest.

Of course, looking at the situation from a different perspective, high consumption often represented high gains. Though such a method of doing things promised great difficulty, it was a process with set standards and principles. Only when one polished themselves to become clear could they shine clearer upon others. This was the essence of the root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger technique of subdivision.

Luo Nan chose a road where the beginning was rough but the latter was easy. To get on this road, he would need to climb the steepest peaks. Only in this way could he solidify his foundation and avoid the fatal danger of the uncontrollable growth caused by Formatting Theory to the greatest degree.

Luo Nan paused his pen for a moment, before writing down more words.

Second item: Observe first, then replicate in multiple dimensions.

Luo Nan was using drawing techniques to take a picture of the living starry sky. It didn't matter whether it was speed-sketching or drawing; they both used techniques that weren't baseless or imaginary. They needed one to truly observe the subject.

There was nothing much to say. Luo Nan's target of observation was none other than himself. This wasn't a simple tracing of his own reflection. Instead, it required him to study his body and soul frame in lucidity. Luo Nan needed to grasp its form, its soul, and match it with its star atlas-transformed form.

There existed all sorts of elements, many of which involved the mental plane. The number of ideas were numerous and chaotic. To accurately chase them down was no easy task. The only way to advance might be to look at the many different perspectives, the many different levels of the Body Gear and God Gear, the visualization diagram, and the root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger. And then find the highest common factor among them.

This undoubtedly would increase the amount of work Luo Nan had to do, but he already resigned himself to doing things the hard way, not the easy way. He had chosen the steepest path, so he didn't mind carrying a bit more burden.

Luo Nan's mind remained slightly active with thoughts upon writing these two lines. The thoughts seemed clear, but they weren’t. It was hard for them to fully form. Luo Nan just subconsciously spun his pen and used his other hand to lift yellow page after yellow page doused with sweat.

His gaze streaked across his loose-leaf notebook, and he ran his eyes over the dozen or so pages of information filled with his insights. A moment later, he casually thumbed through his previous writing. This included a limited number of drawings.

If he hadn't recorded his insights, the amount of meaningful content in his loose-leaf notebook would be small, though the notebook itself was thick. The most valuable thing within should be the two psychic drawings he made.

One drawing was a bit small. It was the outline of the Wraith Sign he had drawn back at school a while back. It was quite abstract.

The other drawing was now a tangled mess thanks to a highlighter, but the overall composition contained crucial details. It was much more concrete, containing rich symbolic meaning within.

Yes, it was the prison sketch. Luo Nan had been confined to a detainment room on Ship Lanshan. He had drawn this diagram under the catalysis of insight. From this, he was able to comprehend the mysteries behind the phrase 'my heart’s a prison' and truly obtain supernatural powers.

My heart’s a prison?

A jolt suddenly went through Luo Nan's mind. The obscure thoughts suddenly shone bright. Since I have to make revisions, how can I let these points escape me?

He moved his pen on the spot, forming words on the same sheet of paper as before.

Third item: Scale the key links down.

The three principles were arranged in order on paper, an expression of the scope shrinking in succession. After a substantial level was touched upon by the third principle, Luo Nan could start doing work.

'My heart’s a prison' played the special role of a nexus within the course of Luo Nan's research in Formatting Theory. If Luo Nan truly wanted to get started, it was quite appropriate for him to choose this node.

Having gone through many impacts and experiences that honed him, the current Luo Nan bore a crystal clear idea rising from the bottom of his heart: In essence, 'my heart’s a prison' and Formatting Theory itself might be the manifestation of some kind of enforcing rule. As with the incident back at Frost River Reality, Luo Nan had sensed such things from the depths of the mental plane. It was an inconceivable order frame, internalized within the structure of his body and soul, ultimately achieving results.

Following this recent period of time when he learned techniques from Gym Master Xiu, Luo Nan found a suitable explanation in oriental metaphysics.

Unity of heaven and man.

There were also similar words within classical scriptures of the Dao. For instance, "Man follows the earth, the earth follows the heavens, the heavens follow the Dao, and the Dao follows nature."

All right. He had to admit that there were far too many meanings from the words of oriental metaphysics. There were often many different sorts of interpretations, requiring one to bite the words and chew the characters, nailing them down one by one. It was quite easy to be pulled down into the gutter by them.

He just used this sort of image to casually draw the typical visualization diagram in his notebook. It was none other than the composition formed from a tetrahedron, an inscribed sphere, and an outer-scribed sphere.

Here, the inscribed sphere symbolized the Self-Format, the outer-scribed sphere symbolized the Heaven and Earth Format, and the tetrahedron in the center represented the Societal Format.

Looking from a perspective of a pure cultivator, Luo Nan could put a temporary hold on the Societal Format. He needed to put more of his attention on the relationship between the Self-Format and the Heaven and Earth Format.

Of course, this topic itself was far too large. It was incompatible with his principle of scaling down.

Luo Nan simply gave up this avenue, no longer sparing any additional thought to the overall frame. He just sculpted over the details. In other words, he gave up the logic topic of how to form the Heaven and Earth Format and chose the next diverging path. That is:

"How can the Self-Format be used to reflect Heaven and Earth's creation?

...It seemed like this scale was still too large. Then Luo Nan could only continue downward in his selection. Luo Nan's mind grew clearer and clearer as he went down in level, and the basis of his selection grew more and more definite as well.

He shouldn't even be thinking about fundamental theories and such matters. Right now, he had yet to reach the level of forming a theory to explain phenomena.

Discovering the problem. Observing the phenomenon. Gathering data. Then summarizing it all into a basic logic. This was everything he could do from now to the near future.

If Luo Nan wanted to start from the basic phenomenon, there was one fact that was extremely clear: What was the most substantial benefit Luo Nan gained after comprehending 'My heart’s a prison'?

A low rattling cry rang out within the quiet bedroom.

The answer was the dark chains.

The inconceivable instantiation of this form had aided Luo Nan in going into the out-of-body state, and had subdued a clone of the Human-Faced Arachnid. It accumulated gains from every instance, seizing Luo Nan and placing him onto the fast lane for uncontrollable growth.

Then, why was there... Oh, Luo Nan gave up on the 'why.’ Right now, he simply wanted to know just what sort of form, just what sort of changes, did the dark chains have after the star atlas transformation. Just what would be different if he pulled it out from the middle of the Format Pyramid!

This was none other than his first work in observation.

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Chapter 366: Hidden Rules (2/3)

Chapter 366: Hidden Rules (2/3)

Translator: Strivon

The vibrating cry of the chains diffused throughout the mental plane, continuing endlessly.

But as Luo Nan waited, the familiar dark chains faded away within the core of the living starry sky. A section flashed out of sight, giving Luo Nan no chance to view a concrete form.

"Tsk, has my previous efforts all gone to waste after the star atlas transformation?"

It was hard for Luo Nan to stop his imagination from running when facing an unexpected situation. He tried to use clairvoyance deep inside of the Format Pyramid Star Atlas, but the thought barely stirred when he seemed to see some sort of dissolved structure in the surroundings of the Format Pyramid.

"It's the outer-scribed circle."

This fuzzy outline of a sphere represented the Heaven and Earth Format. It was akin to an inflated bubble, one that had expanded rapidly to its limits, only to pop and shatter. Stars flickered and died within to become part of the depths of the wider starry sky.

Luo Nan wasn't clear on what this phenomenon represented. At the very least, his frame of body and soul—the God Gear and the Soul Gear—had yet to have any bad reactions.

Before the thought could even settle, another structural layer dissolved as well. It represented the tetrahedron. Its situation was quite similar to that of the outer-scribed sphere. Its stars scattered and spread, noiselessly merging into the living starry sky.

The two outer structures cast away and dissolved, becoming two dazzling waves of smoke. They branded the eyes for a moment before disappearing nearly without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Luo Nan's scalp went numb. If this were to happen to the structure representative to the Self-Format, his mental defenses would crumble before anything would happen to the frame of body and soul.

He feared what might come!

While Luo Nan was dealing with an upheaval of emotions, the last remaining structure in the core region, the spherical star atlas silhouette, became like a morphed heart. It suddenly expanded and contracted along with his breathing and heartbeat. Again it expanded, and again it contracted….

The expansion and contraction occurred six times in a row, nearly taking all of Luo Nan's attention and shifting it to this unusual motion. But it was merely almost.

Luo Nan finally paid attention to the outline of the Self-Format. He looked at its expansion and contraction with wide eyes. It swelled greatly, but shrunk only slightly. It began to increase in size in this inconceivable manner.

With a mere few cycles of this expansion and contraction, the spherical star atlas had already expanded to four times its original size. Yet its density didn't shrink because of this expansion. On the contrary, more and more stars could be seen at the core region, gradually forming a silver spherical cluster of stars.

The form of the tetrahedron, the inscribed sphere and the outer-scribed sphere was history by now. The only thing left was the splendid and brilliant cluster of stars. It was akin to being within the real universe, the core of a galaxy formed from thousands of stars.

"It hasn't collapsed. That's good."

Luo Nan was able to find joy within suffering. He was just about to observe the change in greater detail when sounds of the chains rang again from within the splendid and brilliant cluster of stars. He had nearly forgotten about the chains, but it carried a special rhythm to its vibrations. It covered every corner of the scope of his perception.

At the same time, an incorporeal yet boundless power accompanied the sound in its progression. It dispersed everywhere in the starry sky, warping the deep darkness in all directions. It caused the entire sky of stars, the thousands upon thousands of Life Sketches, to spiral around.

Luo Nan was able to sense it clearly; there was a veiled set of rules carried by this incorporeal yet boundless power. The rules came out layer by layer, intruding into practically every single Life Sketch.

A headache and vertigo was Luo Nan's first response.

It was because the first to be impacted by these rules was the general order in all directions of basic space. The living starry sky distorted. What was far became near. What was near became far. What resided up above suddenly plummeted down below…. Luo Nan's understanding was shattered to practically nothing.

This could not continue on.

If an artist were to have the concept of space, one of the most basic concepts in art, blurred, then his drawing would fundamentally no longer contain meaning.

Luo Nan wished to restore the awareness of order. He sensed deep inside the living starry sky, using his interference ability and borrowing the material plane to anchor his position once more.

The Body Gear and God Gear were meshed and rotating for this end. The light of the eyes orifice formed a heart lantern, driving the flow of energy of the inner organs, while also casting its light toward the boundless starry sky of the mental plane.

The subtleties were magnified as a result of his clairvoyance.

The boundless river of space, the thousands upon thousands of constellations—they naturally conformed with the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. Yet each had their differences. Some were dark without light. Some transformed to become especially eye-catching. But their darkness or brightness had nothing to do with the material space when it came to above and below, far and near.

Things were even messier now!

Like riding a tiger, it was already impossible for Luo Nan to get off this ride. He could only continue to use his clairvoyance. The heart lantern gave off a beam of sensing light, touching these glittering targets one after another.

In an instant, the warped physical space no longer had any meaning when it came to distance. The heart lantern of the eyes orifice was like a beam of light descending from outside of space. It came from the mental plane and pierced into the solid world of reality.

Darkness assaulted Luo Nan's senses, but they were pierced though in the blink of an eye. The barrier between the material plane and the mental plane appeared before Luo Nan in this moment, weak and powerless.

The light and shadow of reality interweaved and combined under the illumination of the heart lantern, projecting a fuzzy shadow of a human. The image gradually grew clearer.

Luo Nan was able to see a muscular and powerful black man. He was half-naked, his upper body bare for all to see. The man sat cross-legged in a hidden room in stillness. The clear contours of his muscles trembled subtly, revealing that he wasn't as tranquil as he appeared on the surface.

Luo Nan recognized this man. Black Tiger Baze. Deputy Head of the Knights of Equity in Xia City's Order of Justice. This man was a power ability user with the gift of a super strong fleshly body.

Back during the incident at Frost River Reality, this fellow had been An Weng's dauntless subordinate. He had been an enemy to Luo Nan's party, fighting a dazzling battle against the Ears of Truth Fairchild. But in the end, he became one of An Weng's offerings of sacrifice in order to release the might of the Scales of Truth.

During the sacrifice, the exchange of the chaos element in Baze's body had caused a near-complete collapse of Baze's previous foundation. In the end, he was saved by the merciful Fairchild. Fairchild asked Luo Nan to grant a helping hand, and Luo Nan implemented an order frame, preserving Baze's life.

Baze relied on Luo Nan's order frame in order to live. From this sense, Baze was the same as one of Luo Nan's 'believers.’

But Luo Nan reached the conclusion that he lacked the power to dominate this wild and untamable beast of a man. Luo Nan also lacked the interest to command Baze. There were many times when Luo Nan simply forgot about him.

Luo Nan never thought his subconscious clairvoyance would settle upon this man.

Based on Luo Nan's current acuity, knowledge, and experience, as well as the close relationship between the two, the heart lantern of the eyes orifice fell upon the quintessence of Baze.

The bones and muscles were powerful, yet the internal body was weak. The inner organs were strong, yet the vital energy was scattered. Baze's original frame had collapsed to nothing. It was only by relying on the order bestowed upon him that Baze was able to live to this day.

Baze was still in convalescence nowadays. Even though he had the support of the order frame bestowed upon him by Luo Nan, Luo Nan knew only a smattering of knowledge back then. There were many vague spots in his information. The relevant amendments and adaptations were large undertakings.

Luo Nan could feel Baze's hardships and impatience, but Baze was still as tenacious and callous as ever.

Perhaps the focus of the heart lantern of the eyes orifice had fallen on Baze for too long, for Baze seemed to sense something. His eyelids trembled slightly, before he soon opened his eyes. Luo Nan could see that Baze's thick lips were tilted up a little, carrying a bit of a sneer. It was unknown whom or what this was directed at.

Baze lifted his arms in the next moment, raising his head toward the sky. He sat in this bizarre posture of devoutness, seemingly seeking to embrace a divinity within the empty air.

He opened his mouth to reveal a rough voice, "Come then! Bestow onto me rules! Point me toward the path ahead! And I will repay you with valor and strength!"

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Chapter 367: Hidden Rules (3/3)

Chapter 367: Hidden Rules (3/3)

Translator: Strivon

Oh, this untamable and wild fellow!

Luo Nan would never go so far as to consider himself a god, let alone would he be bewildered to the point of being lost from a few words of offering from Baze. The radiance of the heart lantern of the eyes orifice pointed straight at Baze's essence, naturally applying the technique of subdivision Luo Nan just learned from Gym Master Xiu. Oh yeah, Fairchild had told him a few key circumstances last time they met.

Luo Nan had formed a general judgment of Baze’s character.

This fellow would forever chase power, stopping at nothing. He only had his sights on power. He didn't care about being bound to any conditions, especially those from so-called gods, doctrines, and other illusory things.

The root receptacle could be remolded, the root nature could be controlled, and the root trigger was appropriate…. Huh, it looked like this was possible to do.

Right now, Luo Nan lacked the most in his observation and verification. His thoughts churned once more, and the beam of light from the heart lantern of the eyes orifice fell downward, piercing the space between Baze's eyebrows.

Luo Nan was startled in this instant, becoming terrified. Under the living starry sky, the cry of the chains grew clearer. The incorporeal yet boundless power fused with the beam of light coming from the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. It ignored spatial distance, and was nondiscriminatory, as it pierced inside Baze's body.

The interference ability of the heart lantern was not worth mentioning in the face of a power B-rank ability user. But it carried that fantastical and warped power, and this power instantly displayed its effects upon Baze's body.

Baze's reaction was great. His cheeks contorted as the muscles of his body spasmed violently. Yet throughout all this, Baze's lips remained spread open, revealing an ugly and unbridled smile.

Bang! The hard bed beneath Baze split apart inexplicably, sending particles flying into the air. Baze stood up, his feet touching the ground. He staggered a bit, but he still maintained his posture with extended arms and a head held high. He was more like a mad believer than any other.

Actually, this fellow was merely excited. The only thing he believed in was power... power that was his own.

Baze's foundation had been eroded by the chaos element, and he was tormented over and over by the half-baked rules Luo Nan bestowed upon him. His life force was at its weakest. His inner organs, muscles, tendons, skin, and flesh possessed only form; their functions were in disorder.

But in this moment, the fantastical and warped power of the living starry sky came pouring in under the illumination of the heart lantern of the eyes orifice. The warped power of enforcement represented some sort of hidden yet powerful rules of order.

Baze didn't really lack anything, save for a force of order that could conform the chaotic functions of the human body. So, he rejoiced in the internalization of these rules, even when these rules were chains and fences that were hard to break free from.

Anything was fine, as long as he possessed power.

For others, these rules of order represented a prison. But for Baze, it was the hardest backbone, the strongest framework. This was the foundation and insurance he chased after all this time.

Baze staggered a few steps before standing steadily in place. His gaze was sinister, glowing with a faint green aura. He had been held back for over twenty days, and was akin to a hungry and vicious beast that wished to hunt in the wild jungle… with his hunting ground none other than the metropolis outside.

In the next moment, Baze gave the metal door to the sealed room a hard kick. The door frame and the door were smashed out of the wall, flying outside.

There were members of the Order of Justice who were responsible for taking care of him. They conveniently monitored him. But one by one they became as dumbstruck as a wooden chicken. They saw Baze walk out with large strides and hands raised up high toward the ceiling. Perhaps it was toward a realm on an even higher level, but Baze yelled devoutly and madly,

"I praise you!"

Baze was clearly very pleased with the incorporeal yet powerful rules of order. The power he was reacquainted with in this moment made him feel that the price he paid was well worth it.

The Xia City Order of Justice was undoubtedly the weakest it had ever been these days. Baze regained much of his peak power after having his frame of body and soul remolded. Even First Oblatum Zheng Xiao, who was temporarily in charge of administering education, didn't have the courage to stop Baze. He just allowed Baze to swagger away.

Luo Nan felt that he did a bad thing…. He watched Baze laugh heartily out the door, and inexplicably felt a bit of a guilty conscience. Luo Nan shook his head, leaving a little telepathic intent to act in vigilance. Then, he continued his journey of clairvoyance within the heart lantern.

A weirdo such as Baze was merely an exception in the end.

The light of day gradually dimmed. Xia City's world of night was rapidly restoring with vigor. In a dimly lit alley, a drunk woman was grumbling incomprehensible words. She even tore off her denim shorts to cover her forehead in an attempt to block the beam of light invisible to the naked eye. This action was also an attempt to block the terrifying fetters that came with this light.

Of course, her actions were useless.

The drunk woman cursed loudly, and she dumped the contents of a bottle of alcohol she hid on her body upon her head. The alcohol ran down her hair, dripping onto her tender and soft shoulders. The liquid soaked her provocative tight-fitting shirt.

Such actions were unable to sober the woman, and the drunk woman stumbled out the alleyway. She bumped into a few smiling hoodlums, and the empty bottle of alcohol exploded to pieces upon the heads of this group of blind morons.

Luo Nan smiled wryly, and the heart lanterned changed focus once more.

This time, the focus pivoted to a point over a hundred kilometers away. It fell outside the main city district of Xia City. The beam of light from the heart lantern fell, and a wraith traveling through empty space suddenly stopped at precisely this time. Upon its body were dark chains pulling out from the greatest depths of the mental plain. The chains shattered, but incorporeal fetters and powerful pressure followed closely, making it instinctively shudder all the more. It didn't move for a time, no matter how much its handler spurred it.

The heart lantern illuminated with its clairvoyance in waves. Luo Nan heard a hoarse caw coming from Ink, and Ink flew up into the night sky, ignoring the curses of its agitated crow friends. Luo Nan even saw Xie Junping in some sort of religious venue. Xie Junping raised his head, looking all around, at a loss.

There was more. There was one more person. The slender figure lay silently upon a hospital bed. His eyelids moved slightly, but they didn't open in the end. Corresponding to this, a lone star, hidden for a long time, streaked across the living starry sky. It wound around half an orbit before fading away once more, and everything returned to tranquility.

Luo Nan observed for a full cycle, the glow of the heart lantern growing all the brighter. The light reflected into his heart, causing Luo Nan to suddenly wake up with a realization.

The living starry sky was being warped, but the order that appeared within this deformation was actually something he was very familiar with. He was even more familiar with this than the multiple interpretations of spatial order in modern physics.

Luo Nan lowered his head to look at the loose-leaf notebook he held in his hands. Upon the page was a typical drawing of the visualization diagram he had just drawn. There was also the title page of his grandfather's notebook and its general outline of Formatting Theory.

The structure consisting of a tetrahedron, an inscribed sphere, and an outer-scribed sphere.

If Luo Nan didn't have this intuitive and concise figure and its corresponding theories placed ahead, Luo Nan would have probably been lost within the bizarre rules of the living starry sky.

Yet right now his mind was very clear. The distortion of the living starry sky wasn't something new. Instead, he was the core. He drove the starry sky, and the starry sky was warped and divided into levels by him.

The distance of the thousands upon thousands of Life Sketch weren't based on spatial distance, but on a foundation of usefulness toward him. They formed many levels, which could be named the following: Student, Office Worker, Clergy, Politician….

Yes, after transforming into a star atlas, the Format Pyramid intuitive structure had dissolved, but it seamlessly merged into the framework of the living starry sky.

Its rules were no longer that of geometric shapes, appearing simple and intuitive through a high level of generalization. Instead, it was now hidden in the depths of the living starry sky, appearing in an objective and subtle form.

The vast and grand living starry sky was on a mental level that stretched limitless. Though he was a young and clumsy student, Luo Nan was already able to obtain an answer when faced with this.

Wait, hold up, let's not get in over our heads. Let's just keep observing!

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Chapter 368: Disposing Milk (Part 1/3)

Chapter 368: Disposing Milk (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan discovered once more that his train of thought had ran way too far. There was only one thing he must do in the very initial stages: observe the dark chains and nothing more.

But then, something totally unexpected happened. A phaseless transformation occurred with this thing the moment Luo Nan made contact. It transformed into an incorporeal power and covered the living starry sky. It naturally extradited to the level of 'My heart’s a prison,’ where its range expanded largely in an instant. The connections were very complicated. A typical person would find it hard to partition and discover their applications.

Look at the influence of the Self-Format on the living starry sky. How was it possible to distinguish them clearly from inside and out?

At present, the core of the dense cluster of stars continued to maintain an outline of the Self-Format. It could match with the typical visualization diagram.

As for the Societal Format, its tetrahedron form had become ancient history. This thing could be said to consist of the entire living starry sky. In any case, from the perspective of Formatting Theory, the Societal Format used the self as the core to form a societal structure that one could utilize for himself.... There were no faults with this judgment with the current state of the living, striving starry sky, having suffered from a distorting strength.

These two items consisted of everything Luo Nan had observed thus far. As such, there was no place for the Heaven and Earth Format in his observations!

It would be unavoidable for Luo Nan to harbor suspicions where he stubbornly insisted with his own ideas, with these circumstances before him, and with observing the dark chains. Luo Nan simply pondered things over. He could widen the focus of his observation target a bit.

Luo Nan still remembered the teachings Gym Master Xiu had imparted upon him half a month ago at the daoguan. In a deep meditative state, he had seen the internal structure of the Self-Format. He just remembered the weaved chains, dense like a spider's web, mysterious and enigmatic. Wouldn't such an environment change with the dematerialization of the dark chains?

With this thought just formed, Luo Nan feared further complications from arising. He hesitated no longer, the radiance of the heart lantern changing focus. This time, his telepathic intent smoothly penetrated within the dense cluster of stars, meeting thousands upon thousands of stars head on. They radiated with an intensive brilliance.

Luckily, such glaring light only radiated on the mental plane.

The heart lantern of the eyes orifice flickered slightly, spontaneously adjusting the strength of its interference and changing the mode of coupling. The heart lantern took the impact of this wave of glaring light and reduced it to nothingness.

Luo Nan once heard Gym Master Xiu say, during inner observation, that the heart lantern of the eyes orifice acts as the head of the nine orifices and six roots. After all, everyone was used to using the eyes for observation. People use the eyes to see images. This was what the mind was most accustomed to.

This was especially true for Luo Nan, who grasped the marvels of the effects of coupling. Coupling produced an interference between the mental and material planes, akin to a glimmering wind. No matter how dark, remote and indistinct the land was, all could be seen. Its information was also much richer than before when Luo Nan made contact. He felt the immersion when the information passed through and integrated with his consciousness.

In this moment, Luo Nan felt as if he had collided with the center of a galaxy. It was as if he were enveloped by the dense cluster of radiating stars. They surrounded him in all directions, near and far. At the forefront of his telepathic intent, Luo Nan felt as if he had encountered an enormous black hole. It was desolate and dark, simply seeking to engulf his mind completely.

This experience was different from that of his last deep meditative state.

Luo Nan's mind sped straight into the depths of the black hole. The heart lantern of the eyes orifice pierced through the deep darkness, illuminating the deep space below.

"Oh man, this can't be a coincidence." Luo Nan was a bit surprised. The scene illuminated below largely matched up with the scene from his memories.

The star atlas transformation of Formatting Theory had been a violent transformation, but the core area of the Self-Format actually had its basic structure maintained and unchanged. The core area manifested itself as a bottomless pit of deep space. The dark chains stretched endless here. They crossed and weaved, spiraled and entwined, forming a complicated and dense structure.

Of course, the changes in detail were still very large.

The last time Luo Nan's mind pressed into this area, the space seemed deep and dark. It was indistinctly silent, as if this place was a black prison built by a demonic god. All hope was bound and locked, for this place possessed a desolate and unwavering might. Back then, he had just barely gathered up the vital energy of his entire body for the purpose of feeding the flame of his soul located in this deep prison. But the energy had been consumed near completely by the giant net of chains. Only pitiful scraps remained, trickling down.

So Gym Master Xiu had assessed that “the art cannot be used upon his own body,” and Gym Master Xiu even said that he “took in external powers.” This was what Gym Master Xiu meant by his words.

However, the situation turned different after the passing of several days. Luo Nan had refined a foundation. He achieved success with the eyes orifice. He even comprehended the technique of coupling, the God Gear and Body Gear meshed and rotating. The application of interference between the mental and material planes had deepened in layers. Luo Nan made progress with one item after another. His progress was clear and true.

His progress was reflected here. He could see that the stability of this deep space seemed to be a little shaken. From time to time, subtle knockings were introduced within, leading the thousands upon thousands of chains to rattle. He examined carefully, noticing that there were some restructuring changes as well.

If Luo Nan had to describe these changes, he would say that the star atlas transformation had affected this place. The deep black prison's luminosity and temperature had increased. It was difficult to describe the changes using different words.

The heart lantern of the eyes orifice viewed internally, obtaining images. Luo Nan's mind didn't need to sink too deep. Separated by several layers of chains, Luo Nan could clearly see the aureola below. It carried a slight heat, which rose up like vapor. The heat closely entwined with the vital energy that would come passing in from time to time.

A step further down, Luo Nan could see the flame of his soul radiate brightly within the net of chains. It was extremely lively, especially when the heart lantern's beam of light that was cast upon it. Their two energies merged, and the flame of his soul seemed to get excited. It exploded in detonation, the flame flaring high. It simply broke through the bottommost layer of the chain net, nearly burning through to the middle section.

Luo Nan could vaguely see that half of the net of chains hung down from its rigorous and closely woven whole. Perhaps this was due to a chain being severed. It pressed low against the edge of the soul-flame, subjected to an intense heat. Its form was warping.

All right, this is great!

Luo Nan already confirmed something. The star atlas transformation of the Format Pyramid was a reflection of the influence and application that Formatting Theory had toward the external. This meant that the black prison was a reflection of Luo Nan's level of control and manipulation over Formatting Theory.

The previous him could only be described as a user of Formatting Theory. He was like a driver or a jailer. He had to strictly follow the set rules of Formatting Theory in order to use Formatting Theory.

But his current circumstances were reflected clearly. No matter what changes were brought from the star atlas transformation of the Format Pyramid, the external power that was Formatting Theory was swaying in terms of its repression toward Luo Nan's core power. Luo Nan was gaining more and more autonomy, fixing the rules and actions.

His progress was definite and unquestionable.

Luo Nan couldn't help his mind from going wild in imagination. If the soul-flame could cover the entire black prison and completely burn the thousands upon thousands of dark chains to ash, now what sort of situation would that be!

Luo Nan let out a long breath, feeling like he had obtained great gains today. He put a halt to the internal clairvoyance for now, giving a successful conclusion to today's daytime closed door cultivation.

The time of day was already late. His uncle and aunt should be coming back home. It would be bad for Luo Nan to continue hanging out inside his room.

He leaned back to lie on his bed. He stretched his body, warming up his muscles and bones, and relieving the strain from sitting still for a long time. But just as his arm unfolded, a certain sensation collided into his mind. It made his body freeze on the spot.

His soul strength seemed to have grown again... explosively!

Above the God Gear, the water level of the vast ocean iceberg had been raised by a large section at an unknown time. The water was abundant and overflowing, its pressure heading outside. The external neuron, which acted as the core to bear this pressure, was trembling slightly.

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Chapter 369: Disposing Milk (Part 2/3)

Chapter 369: Disposing Milk (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

"What the hell!"

Luo Nan really jumped out of his bed, his head expanding by a factor in an instant. This didn't make any sense. He wasn't in an out-of-body state, he didn't sense the Wraith Sign make a hunt, nor had he done anything else…. Fine, he had done quite a bit today.

But how was what he had done related to the surge in soul strength?

He immediately retrieved his mind and returned to a more tangible plane. He observed the coupled situation of the God Gear and the Body Gear. The water level of the vast ocean iceberg continued to rise with no intention of stopping.

Luo Nan had already jumped out of the mental plane, yet it wasn't the end? Could the 'My heart’s a prison' form be creating a vampire?

Why…. There it was, yet another 'why’!

Luo Nan composed his mind, putting aside these side problems. However, he grudgingly returned to the mental plane. He focused his mind, seeking the crux of the problem.

The entire Formatting Theory system had already fused into the living starry sky. Luo Nan already knew the answer in advance. He understood how these powers worked. There were many things that came intuitive to him.

The chains were no longer tangible, so the Formatting Theory system that covered the starry sky had become an incorporeal prison. Luo Nan had gotten rid of a single link in the chains, but the prison was simply one solid whole.

Under the constraints of the invisible rules, the various life under the starry sky more or less affected Luo Nan. Most of their effective forces were subtle and minute, but as many little drops make an ocean, these forces naturally formed quite the scale.

Luo Nan looked from this perspective, and he suddenly had a hypothesis. He conjectured an idea.

Using the out-of-controlled growth of soul strength as the basis, and looking from the current status of the living starry sky, Luo Nan believed that a whole Formatting Theory system didn't merely consist of Luo Nan as a single person model. Instead, the system was a vast structure that covered all living beings within the range of his senses.

It resembled a planetary system. Luo Nan was the sun within the center of this celestial system, possessing an enormous mass and forming an attractive force. The sun attracted the other celestial bodies in the vast starry sky, and these bodies revolved around the sun in orbit.

The few believers interacted with him on a deeper level. They were the planets, asteroids, and comets in the planetary system. The vast majority of the other people, however, held shallow roles. They were located far in the distance, enough that they couldn't be considered to be a part of this planetary system. Yet there existed an iota of a relationship to an extent.

There wouldn't be much to say if this was merely a planetary system. However, there existed more links in how people affected each other.

Using Coupling Theory to explain, the Formatting Theory system comprised several gears pieced together. These gears ranged all sizes, and they were located everywhere. Under the power of a strict system, the gears were undivided, as if one whole, forming an exquisite structure internally. Every level, and every step. Every set and every difference. They meshed together to form an exquisite transmission. These rivers of forces ultimately converged, gathering at the core of the Formatting Theory system. In other words, they collected upon Luo Nan's body.

Luo Nan thought deeper. With more gears, with more sets of gears jointly operating, wouldn't it be like an enormous space-warping machine? A production line, established to be the core, collected energy and materials from various levels. This could be treated as the foundation; the production line was producing more and more soul strength.

The function of this production line was far too powerful. It was completely uncontrolled, and it continued to boundlessly produce. This would continue until a surplus in production capacity arose, causing an economic crisis.

What Luo Nan was facing was none other than the dangers of a surplus.

Was it good to have more soul strength? Of course it was good, but please first grant him a supernatural fleshly body, so that he could completely digest and utilize this soul strength.

A supernatural fleshly body was, of course, wishful thinking. Luo Nan didn't possess one, and this was equivalent to having insufficient purchasing power. He couldn't afford this soul strength even if he really needed it. Even if Luo Nan gritted his teeth and took out a loan, the pressure from long-term interest would overwhelm him.

There was an imbalance between production and consumption, so dangers naturally emerged.

Having thought to this point, Luo Nan's brain began to go crazy. He couldn't prevent his imagination from running wild. He felt like a factory owner who was unable to find a market to sell his product to. He felt like a clumsy capitalist.

Luo Nan had to get rid of these excess goods. If he could dump it away like pouring milk into a river or tossing it into a incinerator, he would gladly do it.

The problem was, Luo Nan wasn't even able to find a channel capable of carrying this product. The external neuron's Hollow Depository had once been a deep lake. Today, it became completely filled.

As for a furnace that could incinerate soul strength…. He was forced to admit that such thoughts would be quite fanciful in imagination.

Luo Nan began pacing around his bed, but he was unable to completely cast himself free from a wild imagination. Of course, he wasn't truly seeking to find an incinerator. Instead, he was following down the line of thought regarding the economic crisis.

With his recently obtained knowledge of the basic concepts of mechanical design, Luo Nan was barely able to support an odd thought:

He should intervene. In a situation with sufficient capital, an intelligent factory owner could totally change the function of the production line and produce new products. He could open new outlets, open new markets. A little more consumption was nothing to fear!

Tsk, he had said that all he would do was observe. It looked like he was going to violate this once more.

But this idea that popped out of nowhere was truly beautiful. Luo Nan couldn't help himself from expending the mental energy. He pondered some more. Actually, he didn't need to remodel the entire production line. He just needed to add one more link, and that link would take the product and continue the endless consumption...

...in refining life essence!

This was Luo Nan's first thought. Gym Master Xiu had said that this sort of technique in refining essence to energy needed the participation of the mind. In turn, the technique tempered and refined the mind, raising its level. It was a sort of extraction and refinement process for soul strength.

However, this task was a large one. This was particularly because of the maturity that was akin to jade forming purple smoke. The maturity was not quite there yet. If he were to endlessly refine from morning till night, Luo Nan's life essence would be burned dry quite early on, and he would descend into the flames of madness.

Then what should Luo Nan burn…? Luo Nan was affected by his wild imagination with incinerators. His thoughts concentrated on burning and refining.

Then there was suddenly a bang. Luo Nan had kicked the bottom of the bed frame. He ignored the pain, taking his strength and venting it on the bed.

Let's burn and refine the external neuron!

The so-called reverse flow of energy occurred with the Body Gear leading and driving the Soul Gear, increasing the applications of interference. Luo Nan could totally maintain a consumption of soul strength this way. And looking at things from this perspective, the Body Gear was like fire, and the external neuron, with its Hollow Depository, could store a lake of crude oil rather than a lake of soul strength!

If the flame were to be placed below, wouldn't everything be burned away?

Wait….

Only now did Luo Nan have the time to suck in a breath of pain and massage his toes. The pain gave him a sense of danger, and he was forced to admit that this idea was too ambitious. There was no actual phenomenon of this occurring. There was no data to support his idea. One bad move and he would land in an irremediable situation.

Let's talk about alternatives. First, he needed to do a few experiments and collect some data before making plans. After all, the external neuron wasn't a part of his body. Who knows just what sort of consequences would be produced after a long period of refinement.

And so, a while passed, and the idea of remodeling the production line didn't fall into reality. It was more practical to go with disposing of milk.

Now, how to waste it... er, consume it?

Luo Nan scratched his head. His toes still ached a bit from pain. He sat back on his bed and subconsciously flipped through his notebook, seeking to find an insight that could resolve this problem.

It was very unfortunate. Insight was a tricky thing. It never appeared in limited situations with far too many restrictions. In the end, it was hard for the power of his imagination to solve practical problems.

Luo Nan flipped through the two notebooks and was unable to find a reasonable way to do it. Until... he saw something from the corner of his eyes. He swept his gaze to something yellowish-green between the pages.

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Chapter 370: Disposing Milk (Part 3/3)

Chapter 370: Disposing Milk (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan's fingers paused to reveal two yellowish-green pieces of paper pressed between the pages of the loose-leaf notebook. The paper appeared rough, but was surprisingly shiny.

These were the paper talismans that Papercut had given him. They were of high quality, personally created by the rather famous psychic, Mr. Gao, of the branch. Luo Nan used it to train in soul strength activation techniques and strengthen the applications of his interference ability.

He had crafted small paper men last week at Ocean Sky Cloud City. It was a successful application of soul strength activation.

This was originally a good method to 'dispose of milk.’ Back then, Luo Nan had relied on it to consume his excess soul strength and reduce the pressure upon his body.

But after Luo Nan comprehended the technique of coupling, forming the frame of the God Gear and Body Gear, his interference ability was no longer bottlenecked. He could reach ten times the effect, consumption, and the like when compared to before from using just a bit of force. He could rest.

But he had yet to abandon soul strength activation. He would always take the time to practice. Right now, just two paper talismans remained, but he had saved around two dozen small paper men. These paper men were pressed between the two paper talismans.

With a single breath of air, the tiny paper men fluttered into the sky, only to be scattered onto the bed and the floor. They turned alive like little monkeys the moment they touched solid ground. They seized Luo Nan's clothes and cuffs, striving to be the first to jump back onto him. Some simply crawled onto Luo Nan's shoulder, treating Luo Nan like monkey mountain.

These were no paper men. These were clearly paper monkeys!

Luo Nan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He shook his shoulders, flinging the group of paper monkeys off.

This was the Heart of the Ape Technique Papercut had taught him, but it was far too lively. Luo Nan wanted to seek Papercut out later to learn the Intent of the Horse Technique. This technique could do the same things as the paper horse talismans of fiction. They could carry heavy loads and travel with haste. They could soar across the lands. They were quite magical.

Luo Nan's anxiety had eased a lot when he saw how lively the paper men were.

He had been depressed by the occurrence of his symptoms over and over, and had lost his calm. He thought once more. He had the coupling technique as a foundation. His situation wasn't as difficult and bad as it was in the beginning. What did it matter even if his soul strength had another explosive increase in growth? If opening the eyes orifice wasn't enough, then he would open the second orifice, the mouth and tongue orifice. If this still wasn’t enough, then he would open the ears orifice, life orifice, and the death orifice. Wouldn't he reach equilibrium after achieving success in the six roots of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind?

Luo Nan patted his cheeks and collected the paper monkeys. He stuffed them one by one between the pages of his notebook, taking the time to organize his thoughts. Finally, he contacted Papercut through the HexaEar.

"Brother Papercut, is there a large move in soul strength activation?"

"A large move?" Papercut was outside chatting with people in a tea house. He didn't immediately respond when he received this message.

"A move that's very powerful and consumes a lot of energy. Can we use soul strength activation to bestow power in a charm or amulet, preparing for a big move in advance without worry?"

Papercut heard Luo Nan's words and nearly choked. He apologized to the female friend opposite of him, stood up, and walked to an empty corner. He chuckled, "My Boss Luo. If I possessed such a big move, then don't you believe that I would have broken through to B-rank by now?"

Luo Nan was a bit disappointed. "Then that means that you don't have one."

"Let's disregard whether or not I know of such a move for now. The problem lies in the limit to how much the paper talismans can sustain. Old Gao's paper talismans are of the best quality in all of Xia City. However, when the interference power reaches a certain degree, there is naturally nothing more to discuss. Therefore, activation classes on my level live a life in a supportive role. We rely on flexibility to live our day to day. Boss Luo, you have the strength to be more than this. You can transform yourself to the control class. You have this gift."

Papercut had a very good temperament and personality. Even though Luo Nan had interrupted his date, Papercut was very patient. Not only did he explain to Luo Nan, he even offered a suggestion, "I spoke of this with you before. The Society has dedicated combat machinery. Though they may not compare to the Deep Blue Walkers as a whole, their might is still considerable. With your realization and level in interference ability, and with you learning the subtle operations and mechanical theory from Old Zhai, you can certainly create great stuff!"

Luo Nan went, "Oh, oh." Papercut believed him to be emotionally stirred. Papercut also felt it was a bit unfortunate for Luo Nan to continue learning activation techniques. After all, Luo Nan was a talent, able to learn the psychic Heart of the Ape Technique in such a short period of time. There was no one like Luo Nan in the entire Xia City.

Very few people showed interest in becoming an activation class. The activation class would find themselves weaker losing another up-and-coming youngster.

However, Papercut maintained a bright and open mood from beginning to end. He smiled. "Excellent. I picked up a Flywheel Arm a while ago. Though I haven't began sharpening it, it is still the most fundamental of combat machinery. If you want to get started, you can use it to experiment. I'll bring it to you when you have a free day."

"Okay. If you're not busy, Brother Papercut, we can meet next week on Monday."

Although Luo Nan had spoken this way, he really didn't have much interest in shifting over to the control class. It was because this class would often cause him to think of Deep Blue Walkers. But the way Papercut talked made it quite awkward for Luo Nan to refuse.

Moreover, he didn't really want to possess a large move. He just wanted to find a channel to dispose of milk; that was all.

Luo Nan was disappointed, and he prepared a few polite words to end the call. However, Papercut still listened to his circumstances with care. "Headquarters has been quite honest recently. It seems like Deputy Secretary-General Gong ate a big loss. He shut himself behind closed doors upon returning."

"Things have been fine. The branch is taking good care of me."

"Then you suddenly wishing to possess a large move…. Oh! Mrs. Yuan, you're...?"

"Sorry, something suddenly came up. I need to go handle it. Let's chat later."

"Uh, okay. Later…."

Though she said they would chat later, the beautiful Mrs. Yuan didn't have the patience to hear his words. She didn't have the least bit of intent for 'later.’ She strutted out of the teahouse, and soon faded into the crowd of people.

"Can you believe the nerve of that woman! She specifically came over to have the last word!" Papercut sighed, loosening his collar. He walked back to his original seat and leaned back, looking relaxed. A smile could be seen on his chubby face.

"Brother Papercut?" Luo Nan was unable to see the circumstances on Papercut's end, but he was able to surmise that something unpeaceful had happened. And it was largely related to his call with Papercut.

"Am I disturbing you?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing. The more good-looking the girl, the harder it is to coax her. Plus, I was harboring evil intentions because I think she’s beautiful…. Anyway, what were we talking about?"

"Brother Papercut, since you're busy, we can talk on Monday in person."

"It's nothing…. Waiter, give me another dessert." Papercut sounded quite relaxed, and he continued to chat with Luo Nan with all smiles. "If you really feel guilty, then later you can introduce me to a female student from Acumen College. Has to be at least twenty years old. I fear becoming a beast if she's too young."

Luo Nan stammered a few vague words. Even he was unclear on how to approach this.

Papercut chewed on his dessert, his words muffled, "Oh, right. We were talking about large moves. If you really want to possess a large move, then you don't need to seek it within the activation class. Open up your train of thought. There are many things that suit you in this world. For instance, you can focus on an honor point mission over at Headquarters. Its number is RT8313. Perhaps it will be a pleasant surprise for you."

"Headquarters?" Luo Nan instinctively felt on edge.

Papercut understood, so he continued talking to assure Luo Nan, "The mission is posted at Headquarters, but fundamentally it's located in Xia City. You'll know once you see."

The operation of the HexaEar was a complete realization of telepathic control. As Luo Nan and Papercut talked, an intent flashed, and the interface switched to the official mission announcement board of the Wilderness Explorers Society. Luo Nan locked onto the relevant information.

"RT8313…. Information gathering. Wu Zhao?"

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Chapter 371: Dripping Sword (Part 1/3)

Chapter 371: Dripping Sword (Part 1/3)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan scratched his head within his bedroom. The post felt inexplicably familiar.

Papercut chuckled mischievously in the teahouse. "Do you see it yet? Empress Wu posted it three years ago. Its details are to collect samples of soul strength and analyze its basic nature and principle of generation."

"Dang, that's a big topic," Luo Nan sighed. With the power of his imagination unleashed, he could only stay a respectful distance away from the essential questions of basic research.

From this, he could see the foresight and spirit of an Extraordinary. Oh, right, Her Majesty Empress Wu wasn't an Extraordinary three years ago.

However, Luo Nan was unable to understand how this was related to a 'large move.’

"He he, this is where the awesomeness of Her Majesty Empress Wu lies. She wants to collect data on the soul strength of all the ability users in the world. It's like gathering fingerprints, DNA, that sort of information. It's more or less a bit taboo. Though the reward in honor points is quite generous, there haven't been many people willing to take on the task since the beginning. Progress has been quite sluggish. Later, she thought of a method…. Look at attachment 2, it has information on the reward agreement for the data collection."

Luo Nan didn't act in accordance to Papercut's intentions. The feeling of familiarity was growing stronger and stronger within him. He couldn't help thinking, Where have I heard this before?

His social circle was very small, after all. He had very few choices. He soon smacked his thigh hard. "Empress Wu's Secret Techniques. Spreading the name of Wu throughout the land under the heavens!"

Papercut laughed, "Aha! You know it too. Bamboo Pole must have taught you it."

"Yes, yes. I have a rough understanding."

Luo Nan had heard of this important event of the past from the "Notes on the Major Characters of the World" course. It hadn't come to mind for a moment because Her Majesty Empress Wu had far too many brilliant achievements. And Bamboo Pole was more biased toward describing people's personalities and temperaments. Although the impacts of the event were large, Bamboo Pole only spent a few minutes to explain them. The context and details were left as an extended school assignment. He let Luo Nan go do his own homework.

Luo Nan didn't really touch upon this subject due to time constraints. He allowed the subject to pass by.

He only knew the following about this world-shaking event. Her Majesty Empress Wu had displayed her incredible spirit. On the mission announcement board, she publicly taught a stunning attack technique, causing the entire world to instantly explode with shock.

The study of contemporary supernatural powers was still in its early stages. Advanced research results had yet to be disseminated to the public then. Most of the world's ability users were still in an instinctive and ignorant state when it came to utilizing their abilities.

Her Majesty Empress Wu seized these people's mentality and publicly released a master level technique very suited for those on the Awakened level. The temptation instantly smashed apart most people's mental defenses.

For a time, cultivating the Empress Wu's Secret Techniques became common practice. Besides the Awakened, the higher level Architects and even the Extraordinaries practiced and studied it.

From that moment on, Empress Wu's fame truly caught on in this world.

Papercut helped fill Luo Nan in on the details, "Before Her Majesty Empress Wu released the Dripping Sword secret technique, she paid a large price in building a special data collection network. She borrowed the wind of revolution and spent two years to gather valid samples from forty thousand ability users of various levels…. She waited a year, then released a technique that is suited for those of the Architect level, B-rank ability users, at the beginning of this year. The current number of valid samples haven't been counted up yet, but there should be a decent number. I'm guessing that there will be a couple hundred."

The number was less, but looking at the number of B-rank ability users, the proportion was quite high.

"Today marks the third year. Her Majesty Empress Wu has already advanced to become an Extraordinary. We're all just guessing here. This year, or maybe next year, it is very likely that she will bring out an even higher level technique... on the Extraordinary level!"

"How imposing!" Luo Nan was forced to admire Empress Wu.

"Yeah! These techniques have become staple goods since they were released on the network. However, it's always good to have some skills by one's side."

The more Papercut thought, the more reasonable he felt. He pushed forward this suggestion even harder, "Her Majesty Empress Wu's techniques are famous for being dependent on one's proficiency. The same Dripping Sword may allow one person to slaughter a ruffian like a dog, while another person may find it hard to kill a chicken. I have confidence in your control ability."

"Dripping Sword…." Luo Nan finally opened attachment 2. He looked at the name of the technique displayed and was lost in thought for a moment.

"How about you first learn and see? Her Majesty Empress Wu's techniques are more slanted toward the mental side. They don't require too much from the fleshly body. It's really suited for you. I've already learned the Dripping Sword. It is indeed out of the ordinary. At the very least, I've encountered some surprising results."

Papercut sent over a document through the HexaEar upon speaking.

"Her Majesty Empress Wu personally created the teaching materials for last year's intermediate level training course. It has something to do with the Dripping Sword. It's described in great detail. There are even firsthand displays and demonstrations during the lecture. Only us of the Xia City branch can enjoy this treatment. Even a year later, the course material could be sold for nearly ten thousand. It even contains some of my notes. It's fine if you take a look; after all, there are limits to my talent in this field."

"Thank you, Brother Papercut." Luo Nan knew these sorts of notes were kept in secret. Papercut was expressing his faith in Luo Nan by giving this to him.

Papercut didn't mind. He said, "This is nothing. I've seen your recent progress. Secretary He will rearrange your course schedule, and this will be touched upon. This is just some special treatment arranged a bit earlier. Anyway, I also owe you for the matter with Old Zhai."

"Worker Zhai?"

"Old Zhai is a skilled person, but he's lacking in his gift for cultivation. He has always been just a step away from awakening, so some resources have always been unavailable to him. He is able to earn honor points by acting as your teacher. If he exchanges them for resources, his chances of success will increase sharply. It doesn't matter whether or not he succeeds. At least this gives him a bit of comfort."

Luo Nan didn't agree with Papercut's words. "You've described it wrong. Worker Zhai is tutoring me. He has taught me much…. I still need to thank you, Brother Papercut, for finding me such a great teacher."

"Dang, I'm touched. Let's not be formal, bro. One of these days I'll call up OId Zhai and we'll all have a good meal together."

"Of course."

Luo Nan committed this to memory. And so, Luo Nan would have two appointments with Papercut. This didn't really matter, except that he had to introduce him to a student…. How annoying!

Right when he was about to end the call, Luo Nan's mind became clear. He had very nearly forgotten his idea of disposing milk. He pondered over Papercut's description of the Dripping Sword. It didn't seem to consume a lot of energy, so he rushed to ask,

"Are there any teaching materials for the B-rank technique?"

"The technique is to be used by Architects. It's called the Heart Searing Blade. It's supposed to be very sharp, but I do not recommend that you touch upon it now."

Papercut drank his cold cup of tea in a single gulp as he began to give Luo Nan an earnest lesson, "Nanster. Though it's true that quite a few people view you as a powerful B-rank ability user, aren't there some minute differences in the end? How about you first look at the Dripping Sword. This technique is quite amazing. It highlights the defining characteristics of Her Majesty Empress Wu's techniques. Let's talk the next step when you feel like you can freely use it, okay?"

"I know, I just want to collect some material in advance." Although Luo Nan spoke this way, he felt guilty in his mind.

Papercut hesitated, but in the end responded, "There is a demonstration video of Her Majesty Empress Wu in attachment 3. However, it's a lecture targeted for those of the Architect level. People like us won't understand even if we listen. As for the teaching materials, the high level discussion class this year really does contain these details. You can ask Secretary He for the relevant materials. The branch's database might even have video archives of this year."

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Chapter 372: Dripping Sword (Part 2/3)

Chapter 372: Dripping Sword (Part 2/3)

Translator: Strivon

"Sister Yueyin?" Luo Nan felt even more diffident now. He felt like he was biting off more than he could chew. He Yueyin probably wouldn't support this.

Papercut added, "However, if it involves an individual's understanding, then it is best to find someone who attended the class at the time. Those who have been taught face-to-face are better. There are very few B-rank ability users from the branch, and even fewer of them are mentally slanted. Old You, Horned Demon, Old Gao, Mr. Bai…."

He stated a list of names. They sounded quite familiar to Luo Nan. Weren't these the few psychics of Xia City?

Old Man You was one of the members of Xia City's Iron Triangle. The other two members were Ouyang Chen and Her Majesty Empress Wu.

Horned Demon was said to be an adventurous madman. He had self-destructive tendencies. He spent day after day sloshing about in the Wilderness looking for stimulation.

Old Gao was the manufacturer of the paper talismans Luo Nan possessed. He was the successor of a line of Daoist priests. He was a half-disciple of Old Man You.

As for Mr. Bai, Luo Nan was quite familiar with this man. He once fought side by side with Mr. Bai, and Mr. Bai had even examined and treated Luo Nan. Mr. Bai's daughter was Bai Xinyan, a mysterious doctor of medicine who held a strange position.

Luo Nan suddenly realized that the psychics of Xia City were quite odd. There were four in total, not including Luo Nan, who could be considered half a fake copy of one. They might not rank high among the thousands of ability users, but they were all of the Architect stage, powerful B-rank ability users.

Were there only a few ability users above B-rank in the entirety of Xia City?

Fourteen of these people were recorded within the eighty-eight branches in the entire world. These fourteen people were at the top of the list. Within this list, psychics occupied nearly a third. This was quite amazing.

Luo Nan got a little lost in thought, but Papercut pulled him back to reality. "I can help you ask Old Gao. It's just that this fellow's a bit of a profiteer. It is very likely that he'll try to make a killing off you."

Oh god, how much did you have to pay for that huge wad of paper talismans? Luo Nan suddenly felt that he should really find the chance to express his thanks to all his teachers who taught him his skills. Perhaps some alcohol would be good.

Back to the topic. Luo Nan really didn't want to owe Papercut more favors. Luo Nan thought for a moment, before saying, "Maybe I can seek out Mr. Bai."

This old mister seemed to have a good temperament. He should be better to talk to than Profiteer Mr. Gao, at least by a little.

"Right, you let yourself be treated by White Salt for so long. It can be considered fate. He certainly cares for you. Just don't mention…."

"I know." Luo Nan understood tacitly. This family of father and daughter didn't get along well. This was not new.

Wait, why does it sound like I'm the one who has to go asking around?

Luo Nan gaped with his mouth, but he was speechless. This was his matter, so naturally he had to do it himself. But with his homebody personality, the pressure was enormous in actively contacting someone, let alone asking someone for help.

Mr. Bai was his senior, after all, and he was one that he wasn't particularly familiar with.

In any case, Luo Nan couldn't have Papercut act as his substitute for this matter. He had to grit his teeth and do it himself.

At the same time, he suddenly thought of something. He only gained progress when he underwent his closed-door cultivation. His soul strength always went out of control every time he made progess, and each time he had to spend a lot of mental energy to wipe his own butt. Was this worth it in the end?

***

The next morning, at breakfast, Mrs. Luo Shuqing acted a bit odd. She felt that there was something a little off with Luo Nan. She couldn't but ask, "What are you tangled up in?"

"Oh?" Luo Nan stuffed a large piece of meat into his mouth before raising his head. He donned an expression of innocence.

"Your eyebrows are knotted up, and you're saying you're not in a tangle?"

Luo Nan just barely swallowed the piece of meat before continuing to play the fool. "Tangle? Oh, my frontal lobe and limbic lobe are really battling it out."

At the end of the day, Mrs. Luo Shuqing had quite the academic achievements in psychology. She circled around mentally and understood. In psychology, the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex represented rationality and self-control. The limbic lobe represented impulsive emotions. Together, the two lobes could represent the struggle between long-term benefits and short-term benefits.

Luo Nan spoke these words smoothly, using his quick wit. However, there were some real emotions contained within them.

He didn't seek out Mr. Bai last night because he wasn't too familiar with him. It was too late at night. Luo Nan was scared that he would bother Mr. Bai’s rest. Frankly speaking, his introverted homebody self had flared with anxiety, appearing as fear of interpersonal relationships and dragging him down.

Instead, Luo Nan asked for a big favor from Secretary He. He learned that there was a recording of the high-level discussion course in the branch's database. However, he was unable to obtain it.

He Yueyin told him quite honestly that he shouldn't bite off more than he could chew. The Heart Searing Blade was a B-rank technique, involving far too many elements. Many of these elements were unique to an Architect's knowledge. It was bad to forcefully train without a firm foundation.

In essence, Luo Nan couldn't even reach the criteria of an Awakened due to the imbalance between his body and soul. This was a matter regarding criteria; it didn't change even though he possessed a superb combat ability.

A missile that could explode at any moment was indeed more intimidating and deadlier than a refined rifle. But their degrees of control where one could just aim and hit lay completely opposite.

Luo Nan even asked He Yueyin last night about disposal of milk. Oh, he didn't ask directly. He asked how to obtain a large move. However, the worsened state of the imbalance between his body and soul was seen through by He Yueyin in an instant. They went back and forth for a long while, and Luo Nan just barely avoided getting examined. That night, he wasn't able to cultivate and obtain any more progress.

With things going this roughly, Luo Nan couldn't help being emotional. However, he had forgotten that his aunt was quite suspicious of everyone these days. She was worried that Luo Nan had gotten involved in some certain things.

The vague words full of underlying meanings left Luo Nan's mouth, and Luo Shuqing suddenly grew tense. "That firm. Did they come and try to recruit you again?"

Luo Nan mentally slapped himself in the face, cursing, "Me and my big fat mouth!" to himself. He rushed to assure Luo Shuqing, "They haven't. They haven't contacted me at all these past two days. They were just making small talk back then."

Luo Nan didn't explain it well. The more he explained, the more suspicious Luo Shuqing became. Luo Shuqing put down her bowl and chopsticks, seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the situation.

Mo Haihang had been swiping through the display on the table at this time, reading the news. He suddenly spoke up, "Actually, you can give it a try if there aren't any dangers to it. Youngsters should try and make mistakes. Only when one makes mistakes can they gather good information…."

He brought out his theory on trial and error once more, and this time he went a step further, "You can totally go to someone's firm and give it a try. See if it suits your heart. Draft a contract if you want to do it, and bring it back to have your aunt help examine it. You're in high school right now. We can put financial affairs and independence on the agenda."

Luo Shuqing turned to glower at her husband, but she suddenly understood something and frowned. She didn't say anything. The number of people in a tangle had increased by one.

Clearly his aunt wanted to get to the bottom of this!

Luo Nan long knew what his aunt and uncle were worried about. He saw through the so-called trial and error with a single glance, and he couldn't avoid becoming depressed. He began to ponder as he mentally groaned about how this was all a misunderstanding. To put these two guardians’ minds at ease, should he go seek Zhang Yingying for help? Have her arrange a setting and perform a double act?

Breakfast abruptly ended amidst this tangle and probing.

Today was November 4 of the year 2096. It was a Sunday. The mistake of this early morning seemed to cause the schedule of the entire day to open up with a bad start.

After breakfast, his uncle, aunt, and even his cousin all went out the door to do their own things. Luo Nan continued to park himself at home. He quickly observed the star atlas-transformed Format Pyramid, and was terrified by the continuous growth of the vast ocean iceberg's water level. Luo Nan gloomily left his meditative state, hugging his head in distress.

All work pertaining to Formatting Theory could not be delved deeper into until he found a suitable channel for disposing milk. The subdivision technique of the root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger could not be considered as well, since they were too closely linked together.

As for the internal refinement technique of the nine orifices and six roots, Luo Nan had already reached maturity during his morning session. There was no need to overdo it like drawing legs on a snake.

He was going to spend an entire day at home. He had to do a bit of something, right?

Luo Nan rolled on his bed for two circles. In the end, he had no other choice. He could only follow Papercut's suggestion. He opened up the mission announcement page for "Soul Strength Information Gathering," and he flipped to the teaching materials of the Dripping Sword that Papercut had sent. He wanted to see if he could discover any pleasant surprises within.

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Chapter 373: Dripping Sword (Part 3/3)

Chapter 373: Dripping Sword (Part 3/3)

Translator: Strivon

There were no two ways about it. Today, Luo Nan possessed ample ambition.

Last night, most of his thoughts circled around the Heart Searing Blade, this legendary secret technique that would allow him to dispose of milk. As for the C-rank technique Dripping Sword, Luo Nan merely skimmed over it a few times. He didn't delve too deeply into it.

Luo Nan only knew that this technique mainly involved condensing water vapor out of thin air to attack the enemy's weak point. It was a bit like a wizard's technique from a fantasy novel, just that the sound and light effects were less impressive.

At the moment, Luo Nan wanted to get deep into it. He first looked at the original video recording of attachment 2 within the RT8313 mission of Headquarters.

Last night, he actually wanted to look at attachment 3, but he unexpectedly didn't have read permissions. He could only see a summary and so on. Only ability users at the Architect stage and beyond had the ability to see the whole thing. It was really annoying!

Licking his lips, Luo Nan waited for the video to buffer.

The video demonstration in the attachment used the high-fidelity standard of reality-level. The file size was enormous. Even with the special network form of the HexaEar, a period of time was needed to ensure a smooth playback.

The file size was in direct proportion to its value. After all, this was a teaching demonstration targeted for the ability users of the entire world, and it was personally demonstrated by Her Majesty Empress Wu herself.

Luo Nan chose the highest quality mode, reality mode, thanks to the suggestion of the HexaEar's AI assistant. This was the fourth layer function of the Psychic Wave Network, the Simulator. The current Luo Nan had already resolved his issue with interference ability. He could now use this function completely stress-free.

Luo Nan closed his eyes, naturally sinking into darkness. Soon, gentle rays of light slowly pervaded through the dark. The light gradually deepened and changed, ultimately forming a scene of entwined obsidian gray and dark crimson. A confluence of noise and the pressure of a head-on wind arrived. Luo Nan choked on the earthy acrid air, and he felt the sensation of his skin being dry and rough at the same time. Luo Nan was instantly brought into the empty and vast wilderness.

Such simulator guide sequences were not a strange sight for Luo Nan. Luo Nan just felt that the Psychic Wave Network's simulator was on a more meticulous level than the Burner version at Frost River Reality.

Luo Nan had already set on the path of the nine orifices and six roots technique. The stimulation of these nerve cells instinctively stimulated the response of the inner organs, muscles, tendons, skin, and flesh. Luo Nan needed to plant a reminder in himself. This was to make up the disparity between the perception of his mind and fleshly body. This was to avoid getting booted out.

Luo Nan raised his head to look far into the distance. Right now, he was located at the peak of a hill. This was the highest point relative to his surroundings. The dark red earth was cracked layers upon layers, extending limitlessly into the horizon. This was, without a doubt, the Wilderness.

In the next second, Luo Nan's attention was forcefully captured by the clean and sharp slender figure ahead. Luo Nan was alerted as to who was the leading actor in this world.

Her Majesty Empress Wu!

Empress Wu was just ahead, only leaving a silhouette for others to see. She was wore hunting clothes that fit her body well. The design was narrow at the waist, and the color was of a dark red. She paired it with brown boots, highlighting her aggressively long legs. Her outfit matched her gorgeous beauty quite well.

She carried something fairly eye-catching. She hefted a light gauss rifle on her shoulder. A simple and low-key ponytail covered the body of the gun, but the gun still reminded Luo Nan that they were in a dangerous wasteland.

The color of her outfit was quite similar to the color of this wasteland. It could act as camouflage, it appeared quite professional, yet it also gave off a wonderful fashionable feel. This formed quite the marvelous balance…. Fine. Any guy who would find themselves faced with a stunning beauty would find similar reasoning.

The rifle was not so different from a fashionable woman's purse from Her Majesty Empress Wu’s perspective. They both fulfilled the visual arts….

Luo Nan's mind went wild as he tried to move about in this reality. There should be enough space left behind to interact in this enormous recorded reality, but Her Majesty Empress Wu showed no reaction at all the entire time Luo Nan walked up to her side.

Interactive resources haven't been saved?

As Luo Nan's thoughts spun, Her Majesty Empress Wu suddenly turned around. Her bright and beautiful face appeared without reservation, right in his breathing range.

Luo Nan actually took a step back.

Luo Nan obviously recognized Her Majesty Empress Wu. Although he never officially met her before, he had seen photos, videos, and other materials in Bamboo Pole's "Notes on the Major Characters of the World" course. There existed materials of every kind.

Especially on a woman as stunningly beautiful as Her Majesty Empress Wu. The various materials were more complete for someone like her.

Of course, Her Majesty Empress Wu was extremely beautiful in Luo Nan's opinion, especially the way she laughed. In various video recordings, he always saw her reveal a smile. The smile could be reserved, bold and unrestrained, intimate, teasing, or fierce. It infused those recordings of someone who was already quite beautiful, bright, and dazzling with vivid life.

During the course, Luo Nan believed that Bamboo Pole had specifically chose such materials. Her Majesty Empress Wu remained famous for all these years. Luo Nan came to find out that of all the recorded materials, whether they be photos or videos, Her Majesty Empress Wu had never left behind any expressionless moments in any of them.

I just felt it was all fun at first, but after careful thought, my hair stood on end.

Ahem, these were Bamboo Pole's original words. The words came from a footnote about Her Majesty Empress Wu's temperamental nature. These words left an incomparably deep impression on Luo Nan.

Her Majesty Empress Wu in the reality recording was smiling as well, of course. It was a professional smile, like that of a well-qualified host—oh, no, it was more like the smile of a tour guide.

In fact, this was a reality experience of travel and adventure.

With the aid of reality technology, those with aspirations could totally say hello, shake hands, and even exchange a few flowery words with Her Majesty Empress Wu ahead. It was no problem at all, not that Luo Nan thought about it.

But Luo Nan withdrew. He withdrew quite shamefully.

Being within reach of such a beautiful face gave him pressure as large as a mountain.

Was this a flare-up of his incurable homebody anxiety? Luo Nan would like to believe that this was due to the remnants left behind from Bamboo Pole's lecture on that day.

Needless to say, Her Majesty Empress Wu was famous for her beauty in her early years. Her face could be said to be openly beautiful. Her facial features and contours were without flaw. But the space between her eyebrows gave off an exceeding air.

Bamboo Pole was a man who had perused through countless beauties. In this respect, he had the following to say:

The so-called 'exceeding air' was a sort of oppressive force. People are often shown a smile from Her Majesty Empress Wu, but they could feel a sort of unquestionable domineering force. When she acted charmingly, you had to indulge. When she acted gracefully, you had to be satisfied. When she acted fiercely, you had to tremble. When she acted callously, you had to fear.

Any highly intelligent life form possessed relatively clear self-awareness. Thoughts of instinct were centered on the self. No one wanted to become someone else's prey.

But Her Majesty Empress Wu's exceedingly good looks was turned into a sharp weapon by being strengthened from her spirit. And this weapon pointed to the weakest spot in people's hearts.

Perhaps Luo Nan had scared himself. Right now, he shivered as if he was facing a sharp blade. Only when he pulled some distance did he relax a bit.

Such a reaction hurt Luo Nan's self-esteem more or less.

Damn it. If I'm like this when I see a virtual image, would I not immediately kneel when I see the real person in the future?

Luo Nan slapped himself in the cheek. A wave of reverse psychology, commonly seen in those of his age, stirred restlessly within him. It was so much that he wanted to use the interactive function to do something. He wanted to retaliate.

But then subtle vibrations transmitted through the ground at this time. Strange hululu noises were mixed within the wind, blowing past the ears.

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Chapter 374: Condensation Ring

Chapter 374: Condensation Ring

Translator: Strivon

"Our target has arrived."

Luo Nan faced Her Majesty Empress Wu's side. He saw how well her parted bangs paired with her fluffy ponytail. It gave off a flavor filled with grace, but the impact was reduced.

Her Majesty Empress Wu's voice was a little flat when compared to her stunning appearance. Her voice was rather deep, and she spoke a bit slowly. She enunciated her words extremely clearly, her tone fluctuating up and down. When paired with her smile, it made one wonder whether or not there were hidden meanings behind her words.

Luo Nan felt like he was going to have a mental breakdown.

Luo Nan drew in a breath and turned to look down from the hill. An ugly hairless beast had turned up down there. Its shoulder height was definitely over two meters, its body was fat and large, and long tusks protruded from its mouth. It uttered no sound with its closed mouth as it charged over, its layers of fatty flesh jiggling around. It was only fifty meters away.

The scene suddenly turned tense, but Her Majesty Empress Wu explained in neither a leisurely nor urgent manner, "This is a pleated boar. A low-level Mutant common in the Wilderness. There's practically no research value to it, but its skin is thick and its blood is ample. Its charging power is decent. They are quite a headache in large numbers."

As she spoke, Her Majesty Empress Wu unloaded the light gauss rifle off her shoulder. She didn't aim. She fired with a single hand in a free and easy-going manner.

The metal bullets landed accurately on the head of the pleated boar, the place where its flesh was the thinnest. They burrowed deep inside, but with a ripple of flesh, the bullets soon fell to the ground. Blood flowed like a waterfall, covering its face with blood.

The pleated boar was a bit dazed, but it shook its head and charged straight over without regard. Its state sufficiently proved that it was thick-skinned and full of blood.

Her Majesty Empress Wu didn't move at all. She just smiled and continued saying, "The effect of simple physical attacks isn't great. Military firearms need a certain degree of focused fire in order to be effective. But as ability users, we can do this…."

The moment her voice fell, blood burst forth from the eye sockets of the raging pleated boar. This enormous Mutant let loose a sharp shriek inharmonious with its size. Its body stopped, and it nearly tripped over.

Luo Nan looked at the left eye socket once more. A hole had burst open from there in mangled flesh. One of its eyes had gone blind.

Luo Nan was baffled. What just happened? He didn't see Her Majesty Empress Wu do anything special.

Having lost one eye, the boar became extremely wild. Even if it had problems with its sense of distance, it charged over at an even faster speed than before.

At this very moment, a virtual screen opened up next to Luo Nan's body, the product of excellent video editing in the form of AR. It zoomed in on the instant the boar was injured, aiding the newbie that was Luo Nan. It restored the original sequence of events as Her Majesty Empress Wu explained.

The virtual screen clearly showed translucent drops of water coalescing out of thin air the moment the pleated boar charged. The water penetrated the pupil, causing the fragile eyeball to burst... but that was all that happened.

Her Majesty Empress Wu said, "I just executed a strike of the Dripping Sword. The effects aren't considered great. The reason I did this was to show everyone an important matter. In practical application, you shouldn't overestimate its lethality. After all, this is merely a skill on the Awakened level. Improper use would cause a situation to worsen."

It sounded quite reasonable, but weren't her true intentions to dissuade people from making mistakes?

Luo Nan had yet to emerge from the shadow of shame, so he couldn't help harboring some subtle thoughts, a negative guess.

But in the next second, the pleated boar had its other eyeball explode a good twenty meters away.

The situation looked the same as the last time. The pleated boar gave another roar, but the sound was cut off halfway. Its stout body lost balance, and it simple fell to the ground, sliding forward. It was now around five meters away from Her Majesty Empress Wu, its limb twitching with its remaining instinct having lost all its kinetic energy.

Luo Nan gaped. This time he really didn't understand what the boar's problem was.

Her Majesty Empress Wu took two steps forward at this time. She was like a field researcher. She bent on her knee by the pleated boar's side. She let the dry red dirt touch the head of the pleated boar.

Then, her long fingers streaked across, and the firm iron skull of the pleated boar was sliced apart.

It was only when Luo Nan witnessed such an inhuman action that he recalled her identity as an Extraordinary. Oh, wait, she hadn't been one three years ago…. Luo Nan really didn't know just how many times he had been pinned down by this train of thought.

This dissection scene was quite bloody, but it also helped restore the truth of what happened. Luo Nan was like an observer of the scene, and he walked two steps forward as well. He saw that the brain tissue of the pleated boar had completely turned into a mass of paste.

The way the boar was killed, even an enormous elephant would simply die. But why were the effects so different between the first and the second attack? Was Empress Wu cheating?

Luo Nan was trapped in malicious speculation. It was hard for him to escape these thoughts, but Her Majesty Empress Wu already said the answer, "In terms of destructive power, this is sharpening. The dripping attack's effect was augmented with dual bursting. And for the sake of controlling it to penetrate the eye and enter the brain, there was also another augmentation of guidance."

Her Majesty Empress Wu explained the essentials of this attack with a smile. As once stated before, the 'Sword' of the Dripping Sword was actually a sort of attack where the mental plane interfered with the material plane.

In principle, the attack was a special circuit formed through soul strength. It utilized ample soul strength to absorb the moisture in the atmosphere. A series of augmentations of sharpening, exploding, distancing, accelerating, and guiding were realized through this. This was a technique that could instantly kill.

The core circuit structure of the Dripping Sword technique was called the Condensation Ring. Only through this structure could moisture be rapidly gathered. Sharpening, distancing, exploding, and all sorts of effects could only be realized upon this foundation.

To achieve this, soul strength needed to occupy a position close to the material plane. One had to sculpt the shape, but its roughness didn't matter, nor its durability. The important thing was to instantly form abrupt and explosive power.

"It's not easy to absorb moisture out of thin air; wasted opportunities are highly likely. Therefore, the most ideal application is via the enemy's eyes, mouth, and other places with some moisture. Using the enemy as fuel allows for an explosive result when compressing and gathering moisture to the extreme.”

Her Majesty Empress Wu held an honest attitude. She spoke of the shortcomings of her technique in battle without concealing anything. "I'll repeat once more. Pure droplets of water don't possess killing power. One needs to prepare sharpening, distancing, accelerating, exploding, and guiding—five augmentation effects in order for the attack to be useful. There are also six structures, each independent. Aside from the core step of the Condensation Ring, other effects are added or removed based on the concrete situation. Because of this, one must maintain a high degree of calmness and clear-headedness when using this technique in battle. However, it is very unfortunate that a considerable proportion of people is unable to do this. It has nothing to do with talent. The problem lies with one's nature."

Isn't nature part of talent? Luo Nan really wanted to use the subdivision technique of root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger that he just learned to debate with Her Majesty Empress Wu. Unfortunately, doing so was meaningless in this virtual world.

Her Majesty Empress Wu explained the structures of the six circuits comprised within the Condensation Ring. The virtual screen zoomed in on the model in sync with her explanation. It even showed demonstrations, explaining the matter in simple terms. It was very clear and understandable.

The clarity of the reality-level recording created astonishing results when paired with the powerful broadcast function of the HexaEar. Aside from theory, Her Majesty Empress Wu casually coalesced the circuit structure. Though this was for the sake of demonstration, it was a meticulous manifestation. One could perceive just how extraordinarily difficult it was to do from the fluctuations and changes of soul strength.

No wonder the file size of this recording was so enormous. Just how many resources was needed to recreate details on this level!? Special techniques of the inner world had to have been applied to it.

In this reality, Her Majesty Empress Wu even took the chance to do some marketing. "This is an attack that is slanted for mental use at the present stage. It is a structure of art. Ability users can fully use the plasticity of soul strength in order to form a functional structure through the power of interference. From here, ability users can control the composition of many more types of matter, realizing the supernatural effect of warping reality with the mind."

Luo Nan nodded over and over as he listened. He recalled the attack method of the Wraith Sign, the Human-Faced Arachnid. Its attacks were often realized through complicated yet special structures. However, that fellow completely lacked a material foundation. It could only cast shadows upon the mental plane.

There was also the so-called 'configuration' that Jack had mentioned. Configuration was namely the operational structure of energy and information. It was displayed extremely clearly upon the body of a Burner.

Then Her Majesty Empress Wu mentioned high-end applications of the Dripping Sword, continuing the topic of structural arts. From what she said, it wasn't that difficult to make water droplets rupture. The hard part was to coalesce the pellet, sharpen it like a blade, and attack the enemy without harming one's self. In order to realize this, the shape of the Water Ring had to be sculpted extremely meticulously. The structure had to be stable, making efforts to do so very taxing on the mind. Many people lacked the resources, making it so that they were unable to reach perfection.

The consumption was far too great. Lack of resources was the problem?

Luo Nan was sensitive to the topic of consumption. His ears instantly perked up. Could it be that this small droplet of water, that appeared and struck instantly, could consume large quantities of soul strength?

Luo Nan's interest soared by severalfold in an instant.

It was very unfortunate that Her Majesty Empress Wu didn't demonstrate the so-called high-end applications. This made Luo Nan's negative thinking explode once more: Were you unable to achieve such results at the time?

The recording ended with Luo Nan wishing for more. He had yet to look at the notes of teaching materials that Papercut had sent over, and he already obtained his own understanding just from starting with Her Majesty Empress Wu's explanation.

The core of the Dripping Sword lay with the precision of control and improvisation just before the fight, but the most fundamental part still lay with precision. The most fundamental requirement was to sculpt the relevant sculpture on the millimeter scale. A large mold would be ineffective.

Precision was necessary! Luo Nan was a precision-slanted mentally enhanced ability user. His mental senses were first-class in terms of sharpness. He naturally had the cognitive foundation for configurations. Luo Nan possessed enormous superiority in this field.

Papercut was right. It seemed that this technique was specifically created for him.

Oh yeah, he could also be considered an artist. Structural arts could be a type of visual arts in a certain sense!

The thirst Luo Nan had toward the Heart Searing Blade was tossed beyond the highmost clouds for now. Luo Nan couldn't help wanting to practice this C-rank technique. His ambitions were high. He wanted to start at a high place.

Luo Nan disdained this sort of short-term, unstable structure. He wanted to make a most sophisticated structure if possible!

Luo Nan immediately followed Empress Wu's advice and turned on the humidifier in his room, increasing the moisture content in the air. He followed the explanation step by step, trying to carve the structure with soul strength.

Though Luo Nan's ambitions were high, he naturally possessed a cautious temperament. He wasn't a fatty; he didn't seek to eat the entire complicated structure of the Dripping Sword in a single bite. Instead, he disregarded the five types of augmentation structures for now, putting his full focus on the Condensation Ring.

The origin and foundation of this circuit structure lay in mentally interfering with the material plane. There was nothing to be discussed if one could not open a channel.

Looking at the zoomed-in microscopic model, the Condensation Ring's structure appeared like a flat and smooth donut. There was nothing in the center. Its rules as a whole were not complicated. But to accurately portray the three-dimensional curvature inside and outside the ring with soul strength was enough to make many people kneel in defeat.

This was the difficulty Her Majesty Empress Wu stressed.

The atmosphere in Luo Nan's bedroom was gradually becoming more moist. Luo Nan tried and failed a mere two times before succeeding in manifesting the relevant structure in the void.

This Condensation Ring's diameter was only 0.02 millimeters. Just achieving this feat would crush the overwhelming majority of Awakened.

Of course, the effort required for sculpting was more than usual since this was Luo Nan's first time. The HexaEar timed him; it took Luo Nan 4.7 seconds. Adding the time it took for water molecules to accumulate, the time already rushed past ten seconds.

As for the structure of the Condensation Ring itself, it was hard for Luo Nan to smoothen it out. The amount of time the droplet lasted compared to the amount of time it took to coalesce was pitiful. It lasted only 0.4 seconds. It was useless in combat.

But what was the saying again? Practice makes perfect!

Aside from the scale being smaller, doing this sort of work was the same as drawing a complex circle when compared to the Human-Faced Arachnid's operational structure of energy and information. It was not hard at all if Luo Nan disregarded precision and detail.

Luo Nan was unsatisfied with this. Who said that its soul strength consumption was great?

But this was really convenient in allowing for a lot of practice. Once an instance was made, one didn't need to pay further mind to it. It gathered moisture by itself, then it would break apart. Luo Nan just paid attention to making the next one, continuing to adjust.

It took three to five seconds for each one, meaning that Luo Nan made twenty per minute. Soon he grew familiar with the structure of the Condensation Ring. He quickly was able to reduce the amount of time it took to shape most instances of the Condensation Ring into two to three seconds. In one minute, he could now do it thirty times.

Thirty repetitions within a minute with most instances being defective. It was difficult for Luo Nan to achieve results.

Was it dry as dust? Was it frustrating? Perhaps some people would feel that it was dry as dust, that it was frustrating, but Luo Nan didn't believe it was so.

Everything depended on the details.

When Luo Nan relied on a huge amount of practice when he learned speed drawing and sketching, he slowly ground it out. When practicing outlines, he pulled out lines of similar lengths. It required tedious repetition. But in actuality, whether the lines were stiff or soft, whether the lines were rough or meticulous, the hand was able to perceive their differences clearly. People had a sense of aesthetics, allowing them to accurately grasp these things. The sense of accomplishment soon followed.

Yes, only with exquisite thinking could one touch upon a level of greater subtleties, grasp the bits of changes, and get the sense of accomplishment from gradual progress.

Her Majesty Empress Wu had said that the Dripping Sword technique was a sort of structural art. Its subtle deformed shape was a type of visual art. Luo Nan's perception, Luo Nan's sense of aesthetics, was able to appraise this. So Luo Nan was able to borrow upon his experiences of success from the past to know what sort of level he achieved. Luo Nan possessed the mental preparation for the dry and dull practice in the early stages of training.

The distance wasn't that far. Progress could be seen. Why not just complete it in a single go?

Luo Nan really did take the action of forming the Condensation Ring to be like drawing. He followed his routine from back in the day, doing a short period of training with an empty mind. Then he no longer shaped the Condensation Ring in haste. Instead, he used more of his mental power in contrasting his work with Her Majesty Empress Wu's example. He carefully copied it, amending his work.

He was slow at first, but he began to increase in speed the moment he gained some understanding. Then he slowed again. Then he sped up again. In the end he was like a hurricane. Luo Nan forgot about the number of times he practiced. He had recorded it in the HexaEar at first, but later he didn't have the mind to do so.

Around two hours passed, soon reaching lunch time. Luo Nan's mind suddenly had a burst of insight. His soul strength was his brush. It was his carving blade. He moved it in an exceptionally fluid and quick manner. The sculpting process was practically nonexistent to him. A strand of psychic thought was like a stamp pressing steadily down, and the Condensation Ring was engraved on the boundary between the planes of the mental and the material.

This feeling was like a swiftlet taking flight from the water. It slashed out shallow streaks on the surface, instantly forming a beautiful scene that was captured by camera, forever retained.

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Chapter 375: Old Posts

Chapter 375: Old Posts

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan's mind went blank. It was in this moment that a small drop of water, the size of a fingernail, came out from nothing, forming from thin air. It hovered quietly before his eyes, moving slightly and refracting the sunlight that came shining through the window. Colors of every variety could be seen. It was beautiful.

Luo Nan's mind was flooded with a sense of satisfaction. He grinned, relaxing his psychic intent, and only then did he feel weary....

Weary?

Oh, I see. The technique requires little soul strength, but forming the Condensation Ring involves mental energy, focus, and even the physical foundation of the nervous system. It was impossible to use all of these indefinitely.

Luo Nan fell back, his arms spread out on his bed. Cool water vapor hit his face directly. A few drops of water fell on his cheeks, forehead, and some even sprinkled on his arm and collar. It was very refreshing. He moaned in comfort.

Huh? Luo Nan suddenly opened his eyes. He saw a mist of water drift down before his eyes, instantly wetting his body and everything in his surroundings.

F***K!

Luo Nan leapt to his feet, but he was too late. The spray of mist had ended with the sheets of the bed meeting calamity. It was damp, dripping wet. It felt utterly uncomfortable. The two notebooks were on the bed. They were covered completely in droplets of water. Fortunately, the covers were made of leather. They were fine after some wiping.

As for the sheets, Luo Nan would have to move them to the balcony to dry.

What the heck happened? Was there a resource crisis with the humidifier as well?

Luo Nan touched the wet parts of his face. His first reaction was to turn the humidifier off. He looked at the device, be it seemed to be operating normally. Luo Nan then released his mental senses. He observed the air humidity as well as the changes on the mental plane.

From this, Luo Nan was able to discover clues.

The residual fluctuations of interference between the mental and material planes were surprisingly intense. The sources were different, and the numbers were plenty. But the degree of fluctuations stayed largely the same. They clearly affected the moisture in the air. Luo Nan formed a ballpark guess from all of this.

The sculpted structures of the Condensation Ring had become quite reliable during the latter half of his training. The Condensation Ring's capability continued to increase, and after a certain quantity of water had accumulated, the water bead state naturally appeared.

Luo Nan put his full focus on pondering the Condensation Ring structure. He wholeheartedly immersed himself in training. Only the very initial parts of his training remained as an impression. The beads of water lasted longer and longer, while the speed at which they dissipated grew slower and slower, gradually increasing the scale. In the end, several hundred water beads hovered in the room. This lasted until Luo Nan's mind relaxed, releasing his control all of a sudden. The structures descended into disorder, practically exploding all at the same time, turning into a dense mist of water.

This was probably what happened. Luo Nan shook his head and sighed. He tidied up a bit and moved his bed sheets to the balcony. He walked two steps before he saw water glimmering from the corners of his eyes. It was a recently manifested water bead.

Oh, this one was interesting.

Luo Nan stared at the water bead as he held the bed sheets. He was able to confirm that all of the water drops had exploded into nothing. This was certainly true. However, according to his mental senses, this bead of water had just recently coalesced. Its source was none other than the result of Luo Nan's last instance of training.

Luo Nan could perceive it. This last Condensation Ring structure that Luo Nan sculpted was the most perfect one in terms of shape. Its precision had reached a certain level. A wave of turbulence had caused all the gathered moisture to scatter, but the fundamental structure of this Condensation Ring was unlike the others. It didn't burst. Instead, it tenaciously remained there. As time passed, it gathered moisture once more to form a water bead.

This gave off the sense of endless growth.

Luo Nan's attention was completely focused on the water bead. His perception grew all the sharper, and he discovered that the Condensation Ring in the core of the water bead maintained an exceptionally close connection with him. It constantly consumed his soul strength.

The consumption wasn't large. It was mainly a trickle, but it was endless.

Perhaps other mentally enhanced ability users would feel some pressure as they maintained the Condensation Ring for long periods of time, but Luo Nan's soul strength was affected by the high output of the Format Pyramid's production line. The income every second was severalfold greater than the quantity consumed by this single Condensation Ring. It didn't hurt. It didn't even tickle.

Large amounts of soul strength was produced, yet only small amounts were removed. If this was called 'consumption,’ then Luo Nan's entire world was in an economic crisis.

Luo Nan’s lips pulled into a wry smile. Since such a situation was involved, Luo Nan instinctively observed himself internally with clairvoyance to look at the state of the God Gear. His thoughts instantly froze the moment his psychic intent cut through.

...It dropped?

The scene was completely different from what he expected. What had once been an overflowing vast ocean iceberg actually dropped a bit. It was lower than yesterday's normal position. This drop was astonishing. No wonder Luo Nan had felt exhausted.

Luo Nan was a little stupefied. It didn't make sense. The consumption of the Condensation Ring had to be multiplied by a thousand, by ten thousand times in order to reach this result.... Huh?

Luo Nan subconsciously hugged his bed sheets even tighter to his chest. The moistness of his sheets made him recall the mist of water sprayed in the room.

Well, just think about it. A simple Condensation Ring didn't require a lot of energy consumption, but if there were several hundred of them existing simultaneously, several thousand being produced one after another, the amount of consumption was not something that one could stare idly at as this process continued.

Multi-tasking was particularly resource-intensive. This was very normal. It was possible for this amount of consumption to be able to exceed the output of the Format Pyramid within a certain period of time.

In other words, as the several hundred beads of water exploded apart, Luo Nan's large volume of training truly turned into a method of disposal of milk. He had dumped his surplus of soul strength, stock and barrel, into the river.

No, there were consequences for disposing milk. But what did any of it matter? Forming mist? Evaporation? Sublimation?

Luo Nan started from a wry smile, but it later turned into a bellow of laughter. He even tossed his wet bed sheets up into the air in celebration.

Even if the input and output were not entirely proportional, and the effects could not be said to be a radical cure, it was a pleasant delight to be able to resolve this threat. During times when symptoms often recurred, Luo Nan had never imagined that this matter would be resolved this easily. This was a rather effective contingency method he had reaped.

Luo Nan's stress was immediately dispelled to nothing. The sense of freedom he now had was far too refreshing!

Luo Nan's mood became great. He cast his gaze at the water bead. At this moment, it was as if he was staring at a pearl.

The Condensation Ring gathered water vapor. There should be a limit as to how much it could gather. The volume for the growth of the water bead had already stagnated, ultimately stopping at the size of the tip of a pinky finger. It was around a centimeter in diameter. It couldn't be described as conspicuous, but it was rather eye-catching when it refracted light.

Luo Nan thought for a while. He decided not to disperse the water bead for now. He wanted to see how long it could last. He wanted to see how much soul strength it could consume in total. Later, he would certainly test out the five auxiliary structures, with the core of the Condensation Ring acting as the foundation.

With the bed sheets already hanging over the balcony, Luo Nan headed downstairs to eat.

The water bead orbited around his body in a rather lively manner. This was done without him needing to apply the reinforcement of the Heart of the Ape Technique. Luo Nan's soul strength was inseparably close with the water bead. The water bead was an extension of his body, and it was displaying more and more astonishing functions with the passage of time, with the power of habit.

Once something became habit, one would subconsciously forget about it.

Luo Nan forgot about the water bead next to his body as he engaged in a battle of human nutrition with the AI housekeeper. There was nothing else on the table. His ability to stuff his stomach full was as sound as usual. Luo Nan kept himself occupied as he gulped down his food in large bites. He wanted to flip through the teaching materials and notes that Papercut had sent him. But he thought about it, and he continued to flip through the mission announcement page.

There was nothing else on Her Majesty Empress Wu's mission announcement page, but there was a forum below. It was in the form of a traditional message board. There were twenty messages filling a page, and there was already a terrifying number of over 1800 pages.

There were only a few Awakened in the entire world though!

He recalled that Zhang Yingying had mentioned this before. The number of recorded Awakened in the entire world numbered less than 70,000. By performing some mathematics, this meant that each person had to have posted at least five times in the discussion area.

Though this amount was accumulated in the span of three years, though there were certainly quite a few disputes going on, though several messages might be of low-value, the sheer quantity of posts truly indicated that Empress Wu's announcement was a worldly event in the inner world.

The effects of 'Spreading the name of Wu throughout the land under the heavens' could be seen here.

The reply area was configured in the reverse order by default. The latest message was at the top. It was posted ten minutes ago. Its content was that of a 'daily kneeling.’ There were two more messages an hour earlier, showing that the discussion was still a hot topic.

Luo Nan wanted to understand the atmosphere at the time. He configured the reply order to be in chronological order. He started from the beginning. The first several pages he skimmed through mainly had posts of "Is it real or not?", "What a beauty,” “This is my cup of tea,” and other useless information. Occasionally, there were comments of "Careful, it's a trap to collect your soul print,” "These are first time measurements,” and other young information. Of cours,e there were also "A modern Wu Zetian? Wow!" and other troll information.

It was very clear. Three years ago, Her Majesty Empress Wu wasn't considered a particularly exceptional character within the scope of the inner world. She had yet to possess global fame. However, it was none other than this matter which had caused her to soar past the heavens, painting this matter of 'Spreading the name of Wu throughout the land under the heavens' in a legendary light.

Luo Nan more or less felt admiration for Empress Wu. Though Empress Wu's Mystic Techniques didn't live up to being as godlike as they were described, the sort of influence they caused was real, and Her Majesty Empress Wu was able to shoulder it.

Luo Nan skimmed through a few pages before changing his methods. He would go crazy going through 360,000 posts. To truly look at them one by one would fill up his time for the next dozen days.

Luo Nan used the AI filter function of the HexaEar to eliminate the useless chatter of information. He just looked at the best replies. Although he did this, there were still over two hundred pages of posts.

Many of them were tests of the Dripping Sword. Some had a single line of data. Some were experimental demonstrations. There were even brutal recordings of in-combat use. These were the reactions to this skill from the entire world of several dozens of thousands of ability users.

But these dry goods weren't the most popular of the best posts.

In the era of mass entertainment, messages that were funny and silly were bound to absorb the most attention. Luo Nan watched a series of exercises, applications of the Dripping Sword in a comedic manner, all sorts of absurd accidents, and all sorts of stupid disasters. The high difficulty of the Dripping Sword made it so that such videos were brimming with vitality.

Luo Nan saw a weirdo use his own mouth to rapidly coalesce a water bead. The result was an exploded mouth. Luo Nan couldn't hold back from laughing stupidly at the dining table. He watched several videos, nearly missing the time for his noon session.

Luo Nan returned to his bedroom for his noon session. He glanced at the balcony and saw his bedsheets sway slightly. His mind suddenly stirred, leading him to walk straight over.

Today's weather was cloudy. Sometimes there was sunlight, sometimes there was not. The drying effects were quite typical on this day. His bed sheets were light in color. They didn’t have any decorative patterns. But there were shallow traces of halos on it. They just so happened to form a half-blurred silhouette of a person.

Luo Nan used the visual photography function of the HexaEar to take a picture of his bed sheets in this moment. Of course, he let the water bead hovering in midair enter the camera view. He put in the title, "A morning's training in exchange of rain." And he posted it on the message area.

This was sharing, right?

The subtle thoughts of the teenager weren't clear to the teenager himself. But in the end, his brain was clear. He posted in anonymous mode, only showing his place of registration, which was none other than the Xia City branch. Of course, there was also his registration time. Just one look would reveal that he was a budding newcomer.

This newest message soon appeared at the very top of the page. Luo Nan looked it through twice; no response yet. So he happily headed to do his noon session.

It was already one o'clock in the afternoon by the time Luo Nan cycled and filtered vital energy through the three inner organs of liver, heart, and spleen. Luo Nan always held complete focus when it came to cultivating. His mind was filled with such elements. He pretty much forgot about the picture he uploaded and other minor matters.

Luo Nan shifted his attention to the water bead that continued to remain. Through his mental senses, Luo Nan came to find out that its core, the Condensation Ring, remained stable. Perhaps this little thing could continue to exist as long as Luo Nan's soul strength was endlessly supplying it.

This Condensation Ring was undoubtedly an excellent carrier. And Luo Nan tried to further grasp the five auxiliary structures of sharpening, distancing, accelerating, and so on.

Luo Nan was just about to replay the reality recording and study the relevant information when he suddenly remembered an excellent post he had skimmed through during lunch.

The poster started with stating his dissatisfaction toward his firing speed in practical combat. He was skeptical of Her Majesty Empress Wu, believing her to be a fraud. He started off with finding faults like looking for bones in an egg. He began with the recording, analyzing the authenticity of the recording frame by frame.

Though he had major doubts of the authenticity of the video, he began from a practical angle, using a variety of analysis techniques. He captured and analyzed the soul strength fluctuations that Her Majesty Empress Wu had produced twice in practical demonstration. The data was very detailed.

This was an excellent starting point for Luo Nan to replay from.

The reply was extremely long, requiring the use of several posts. Actually, this thread was a series of posts linking to one another. The responses themselves were of quite the size.

These replies followed a cascading mode. They were scattered among posts of various hot spots. If a lurker found interest in a post, he just needed to make contact telepathically and he would be able to see a string of posts come out. Of course, he could choose to view them in bullet commenting mode, but that was too chaotic. Luo Nan didn't like it.

However, normal people would find themselves affected by the hot spots when looking at the posts. Luo Nan paid more attention to the reply chains that were larger in size. He wanted to lock onto the latter half of the lesson, but he unexpectedly stopped halfway.

He saw a hot spot that was made up of a chain of over a dozen thousand replies.

There was a video that left him a deep impression. It attracted his attention. It was not long after the start of the original recording. Her Majesty Empress Wu had her back to the viewer. It was the moment when she suddenly turned around.

The original poster had spat out a few words. "I unexpectedly took a step back when I saw the beauty. This is unscientific, so I got suspicious…."

The connected replies instantly went off-track. "Oh man. Seeing the original poster take a step back makes me feel relieved. There was quite the regret at the time."

"Step back +1, Regret +1."

"Step back +1, Regret +10086."

"I can't be the only one who pounced at her, right?

"Raise your hand if you pounced over."

"Does it count if I knelt and licked her boots?"

"The new posters tooting their horns, haven't you read the whole thing? The original poster shared his analysis below. Everyone here took a step back. There are fixed procedures in the recording. Its purpose is to keep you perverts a distance away."

So it was like this all along! A sudden realization dawned on Luo Nan upon reading this. He wasn't the only one to have been humiliated in taking a step back. This had been the common experience of every participant.

The irresistible elements within this understanding patched up the teenager's injured heart.

But Luo Nan's thoughts took another turn, and he was confused once more. Were the pressure that pierced his heart in weakness and the terror formed within him caused by programmed procedures?

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Chapter 376: Centennial Skill

Chapter 376: Centennial Skill

Translator: Strivon

Emotional memories were often deep memories, yet recollection of them often appeared warped. In Luo Nan's impression, his step back was a true and willful reaction. But this hot post's analysis was reasonable and convincing. This presented a contradiction.

"Should I believe in the data? Or should I believe in the feeling?"

Luo Nan chose to believe in the former for the time being, but he still held onto some doubts. He continued to read on ahead, hoping to obtain reasons that were more decisive and persuasive.

By this point in the replies, the group of horn tooters were all exposed. The replies barely made its way back on topic, but it didn't take long for the latter messages to head strongly off-track. Someone with the ID "Won't Exchange Gold" posted an emoji with a fierce expression and clenched fingers along with three simple words:

"Well I'll say!"

This Won't Exchange Gold was certainly a famous person. There followed a long series of replies chained to his reply. They all quoted the content of his words, neatly forming a new core topic.

"Head Gold has finally revealed himself!"

"Queen Wu, Queen Wu. Careful of the hoodlum!"

"So it was Won't Exchange Gold!"

"It was Won't Exchange Gold all along!"

"Head Gold! This must mean that he'll head to Xia City!"

Most of these comments were made three years ago. Some people called Her Majesty Empress Wu by her nickname back in the day. The atmosphere was very lively.

But this wasn't the most explosive point. After several dozen cascaded messages later, a certain ID quoted Won't Exchange Gold's statement as well. The contents were simple. It was a string of ellipses.

But the simple dots encouraged a group of people with too much time on their hands to come crying and shouting over. The cascaded replies served as a commemoration. It was not surprising that they were lively. It was the following person who was truly the source of all evil, the originator of corruption.

Wu Zhao.

The situation in the past was unknown to Luo Nan, but today, Her Majesty Empress Wu's ID was dyed in a purple-gold color. This represented that she held a most distinguished identity. It was a symbol of the Society's veterans, powerful members, and people with true authority.

From her personal reply on, the comments had truly exploded. The dense overlap of posting time allowed Luo Nan to vaguely feel the fiery atmosphere at the time.

However, there was something very strange. There were still people who came to pay respects at this temporary hotspot even until today.

Luo Nan finally swiped to the very end. He saw that the latter replies were mostly, "Head Gold is dead. I burn offerings to him,” "Ambition isn't far. The soul has returned,” “I don't believe that Head Gold is gone. I will sit and wait,” and similar words.

Missing? This famous figure had been missing for three years. The scope of possibilities had shrunk to become extremely small.

Luo Nan subconsciously opened Won't Exchange Gold's personal page. The overall color was gray. But there were lines and lines of information describing ranks, positions, accomplishments, and honors. All this still remained. Looking at this, Luo Nan understood. Back then, Head Gold was also a purple-gold-level authority. He had been a Branch President and the Deputy Secretary-General of Headquarters. He was an elder, a veteran, of the first class. A B-rank strength assessment was low for him. He was truly in the B+ ranks. As for A-rank, that was left for the level of Extraordinary.

It was just that he had gone missing for several years. He must have missed the qualification certification procedure that occurred once every decade. The relevant status was temporarily frozen. The ID display also became average and mediocre. Only this locked page and the old posts back in the day still remained as vestiges of his existence.

Though Head Gold was described this way, Luo Nan seemed to have heard his name from somewhere before. It was probably from Bamboo Pole's course, "Notes on the Major Characters of the World." Luo Nan shouldn't have heard about Head Gold from anywhere else, but... thinking about it, there was a case of an extremely famous Extraordinary going missing in recent years.

The Maple Pavilion Case.

Luo Nan thumbed through Bamboo Pole's materials, and his memories of Bamboo Pole's lecture became clear.

This Mr. Won't Exchange Gold was actually a legendary person. Rumor had it that he was a capitalistic tycoon and was the number one wholesaler after the war. His net worth was in the trillions. But by random chance, he awakened with supernatural powers. He became obsessed from this moment on, to the point of exhausting his entire fortune for the sake of further progressing in his cultivation.

Perhaps God was stirred by his resolution to throw away his money for the sake of cultivation, or perhaps the supernatural gift he awakened to was just that astonishing. Around the 80s, he stepped into the realm of Extraordinary, becoming the number one, the topmost existence on the planet.

He returned to his old business after this, entering the ocean of commerce and opening a chain of hotels called the Maple Pavilion. With his status being boosted by having brains and by being an Extraordinary, the hotel chain spanned the entire world in just a few years, rushing into the top one hundred. Compared to his fortune from his earliest days, his net worth at the time surpassed it.

There were no two ways about it. Mr. Won't Exchange Gold was the real deal. He was a true life winner. He experienced successes and wonders.

But normal people didn't know of the world of experts. Though Won't Exchange Gold had opened his hotel chain in the eighty-eight major metropolises of the entire world, he felt that this wasn't enough. He began to operate and open his hotel chain into the Wilderness, to do business with the vagrants.

In the beginning, he really did manage to succeed in operating a few hotels. He gained quite a bit of reputation among the vagrants. But he rushed to the Wilderness yet another time to inspect the new hotels, and this time he suddenly encountered an accident and went missing.

According to the results of the investigation at the time, Won't Exchange Gold's disappearance location spanned a mountainous area of nearly two thousand kilometers. Nothing remained in this area. A powerful force had pierced the earth's crust, detonating a dormant volcano and changing the the terrain.

Though the power of Extraordinaries was oh so terrifying, it was no f***ing use at all in this situation. Those who were missing remained missing. During the lecture, Bamboo Pole had mentioned this person. He wanted Luo Nan to understand that Extraordinaries weren't some omnipotent gods.

It was really quite the coincidence. The specific time that Won't Exchange Gold went missing was within twenty-four hours of his posted message in the reply chain. It was the last trace of him in a public setting, right before he left the metropolis and entered the Wilderness.

The message could be considered his last words, in a sense.

Luo Nan finally understood why there was an extraordinary amount of chained replies in such a boring topic. It was actually due to such a reason. The end of a twisted legendary tale was clearly hidden within.

Luo Nan sighed. He couldn't but be emotionally affected. He sighed again and closed this meaningless analysis post, not wishing to look at it for the time being.

If a youth, whose greatest goal in his life was to become an Extraordinary, were to encounter such a situation, he would be depressed for a day and a half. Fortunately, Luo Nan's goal was a bit distanced from this realm. Luo Nan adapted a bit, no longer looking at the posts. There were other references available to him.

Luo Nan had yet to go over the teaching materials and notes that Papercut had sent. He prepared to spend half the afternoon to learn. But he discovered something unexpected after opening the materials. The teaching materials actually centered on the reality recording, and it was integrated much more closely.

There was nothing to say. Luo Nan could only boot the reality recording while linking reading mode. He began to work hard.

The teaching materials naturally did just a passing mention of the beginning 'cutscene.’ It mainly started after the discovery of the pleated boar, when practical combat began.

Sure enough, things were as Papercut said. They were both materials, but Her Majesty Empress Wu's personal explanation of teaching materials was much more detailed. It also went much more in depth than even the best replies and posts on the network.

In the morning, Luo Nan was able to train the Condensation Ring to a certain level in a mere two hours of time. Because of this, Luo Nan held some fixed suspicions toward the difficulty, practical combat power, and so on of the entire set of the Dripping Sword technique.

However, Luo Nan was forced to reassess his own superficial understanding when he saw the teaching materials that Her Majesty Empress Wu had personally created.

Her Majesty Empress Wu performed a decisive analysis toward the foundation of the Condensation Ring as well as the five auxiliary structures. She even described her thoughts when making the video, supplementing it with many applications of the technique, involving a variety of real combat environments, unexpected circumstances, changes in techniques, and so on.

Luo Nan could feel that Her Majesty Empress Wu used the Condensation Ring as a foundation, and atop this foundation she easily added or subtracted auxiliary structures. She even increased or decreased the Condensation Ring itself. She focused on the enemy's eyes and mouth, the two parts where one could do the most damage. From here, one could create over a dozen main categories and hundreds of types of killing techniques.

Luo Nan didn't really understand some of the other categories, but his forehead sweated after a short few words involving the nervous system. A tiny little water bead, through various forms of nerve stimulation, could realize deadly, delusional, paralyzing, torturous effects, among others.

Every single move all possessed strong maneuverability… as long as your control ability could reach a certain standard. As such, there were countless permutations and boundless limits. It was simply inconceivable.

It was a pity. It was really a pity. Papercut, this fellow, didn't have a gift in this area, and his interests weren't high as well. His recorded notes were a bit superficial. It looked like he didn't really enjoy it.

Luo Nan just hated himself for feeling diffident last night. He had just wanted to stay out of hot water when faced with He Yueyin's admonishment. He wasn't able to obtain the video file of the Heart Searing Blade into his hands. He even skipped the Dripping Sword.

He looked through the teaching materials and notes from beginning to end once more. He wished to continue, feeling unsatisfied. He needed to go through all the materials once more.

He didn't expect to discover something at the end of the notes, however. A video material. It wasn't long, around three minutes in length. It was a summary speech made by President Ouyang. Papercut had recorded it on a whim at the time.

There were a hundred or so people sitting in the ring-shaped conference room at the time. The backbone force of the branch had converged here. Luo Nan raised his eyes to look, and he found a few familiar faces.

Ouyang Chen and Her Majesty Empress Wu were standing in the center of the conference room. A little to the side, Old Man You was sitting in his wheelchair, taking his own corner of space. The three big shots of Xia City neatly presented themselves. This mid-level training course was already top-notch in standard.

This made Luo Nan harbor greater expectations toward next year's training course in the spring.

Generally speaking, the concluding speech of a presenter was often quite vapid. They were mainly for adulation, possessing no real meaningful content. At first glance, Ouyang Chen's path of speech was like this as well, but the method and gravity of his assessment was to Luo Nan's liking.

President Ouyang said, "In the modern research of supernatural powers, fifty years have been spent starting from nothing to create the division of categories we have now. Within this period of time, over seventy thousand different types have been counted when it comes merely to the application of skills. Good and bad mingle, like bud and sand flowing together. Crooks are mixed in with honest folk, like fish and dragons being mixed in together. I believe that the overwhelming majority of them don't possess any practical value that can be passed on for the far future.

"These skills are either so simple and crude, so many and complex, or so profound and difficult. There are no exceptions to this. In the future, we will probably only be able to view them in museums. Through these museums, people would sense just how barbaric growth has been for our era.

"But last year, I saw Lady Wu release the Dripping Sword. Its requirements for use aren't high. Its energy consumption isn't large. The overwhelming majority of mentally slanted Awakened can use it. However, to use it well, to use it sufficiently, and to use it at the desired level, isn't a simple matter.

"Upon witnessing today's class, I am more confident than ever that this simple technique can squeeze out an Awakened's potential completely dry and exhaust an Architect's imagination. Even those at the level of Extraordinary can unearth things of value from here."

The conference room in the recording went into a bit of an uproar, clearly showing that the Society members were quite unwilling to accept President Ouyang's high evaluation.

Ouyang Chen soon explained himself, "It may appear that the Dripping Sword doesn't touch upon anything essential, but by relying on six simple structures for the interference of the mental to the material plane, an exceptional amount of variations can be realized. It is like a fundamental element of matter. An entire world can be created.

"We should be paying attention to the core of this technique, the Condensation Ring. It possesses inconceivable possibilities. Through an extremely concise structure on the micro level, it can realize a highly efficient gathering of water molecules. It can completely take the place of the Extraordinary ability 'Enter the Micro.’

"How can it act this way? I don't have the answer for now, but this technique, which turns the simple into the complex, the complex into the simple, a shifting between the simple and the complex that is done at will, is extremely mature, complete, and high-level. It is so much that I believe it to be an accomplishment a hundred years ahead of its time. Even at its present stage, there is nothing to add or remove. There is nothing to be picky about.

"As a user, I know that it is so, but not why it is so. But as a researcher, I am forced to bow and pay respects to this genius and marvelous design."

The President Ouyang truly did turn toward Her Majesty Empress Wu, who held a faint smile, and bowed.

The recording ended here.

"...Truly kickass." This crude expression of admiration was delivered to both Her Majesty Empress Wu and President Ouyang.

The following was an inaccurate description: A water molecule's diameter was approximately 0.4 nanometers. Even with Luo Nan's stormlike increase in soul strength, in terms of precision, he could barely access the micron level. There was quite the distance to the nanometer scale.

Who knows how long it would take to effectively gather water molecules in normal circumstances with Luo Nan relying solely on soul strength.

But nowadays, there was this small basic structure that could do this. Luo Nan was unable to clarify the marvels within it at all with his current level of systematic understanding.

His puzzlement was hard to dispel, yet he was full of admiration. A certain thought had even pass Luo Nan’s mind: It seemed acceptable to bend one's head toward this legendary woman.

Half the afternoon passed by the time Luo Nan finished going over the training materials and notes. The tiny bead of water, gathered by the Condensation Ring, still remained by Luo Nan's side. It was still the size of a fingernail, the maximum limit of its volume.

According to Her Majesty Empress Wu's thoughts, Luo Nan's method was that of an arduous and thankless type. But even that legendary lady would never expect Luo Nan to have a production line producing a steady, uninterrupted flow of soul strength.

In the case of spending one's income, Luo Nan didn't need to budget his money in his situation where income and spending were completely out of proportion. He just needed to have the will to spend, and things were fine.

He stirred telepathically, controlling the bead of water himself. It was like a sword-ball from novels. It jumped and flew, moving freely as Luo Nan pleased to and fro in the room.

This manifestation of supernatural power gave off a greater sense of accomplishment than the silent and stealthy Siege Hammer technique.

Only half the day remained for Luo Nan's closed door cultivation. The plan couldn't keep up with the changes. Luo Nan's cultivation plan fell far from expectations, since Luo Nan had dedicated much time to wiping his own butt.

Now that the Dripping Sword had become the greatest unexpected gain, it should be firmly grasped. What about the star atlas transformation of the Format Pyramid? Wasn't that a big bother?

In any case, Luo Nan already developed a keen interest, and even some feelings, for the Dripping Sword.

One always treated the savior of one’s life quite well.

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Chapter 377: Seizing a Divine Rebirth

Chapter 377: Seizing a Divine Rebirth

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan made the resolve to grasp the five auxiliary structures of the Dripping Sword in a single spurt of energy. Luo Nan believed it to be possible. The five structures of distancing, accelerating, sharpening, exploding, and guiding all revolved around the Condensation Ring. They were built upon the Condensation Ring. The structures weren't that complex. The precision required was measurable.

This was especially true of distancing, accelerating, and guiding. These three structures increased the quality of control, and were merely extensions of the Condensation Ring. It only took Luo Nan an hour to obtain a pretty good mastery of them. Of course, credit had to be given to a certain busy training platform of his: the Condensation Ring and its stable nature. Luo Nan was able to continue training with it over and over again. He didn't need to worry about the crude auxiliary structure exploding. He could easily start over each time.

Luo Nan could already make the bead of water, which was the size of a fingernail, fly and dance in the room. If he spurred it with all his strength, the water bead could slash across the air in a streak of water, its light visible but not its shadow... before splattering against the wall.

It was truly a tragic car accident. The three auxiliary structures exploded on the spot. All the water gathered by the Condensation Ring remained on the wall, trickling downward.

Only the Condensation Ring itself stood the test.

Luo Nan knew that training indoors wasn't appropriate. He cast his gaze toward the courtyard covered by the sun.

The Condensation Ring continued to accumulate water as it was spurred by Luo Nan to crash through the mesh screen of the window. The window allowed air to go through, and the Condensation Ring was already on the micron level. The fine mesh had no effect upon the Condensation Ring.

Upon flying out the window, it took two seconds for the auxiliary structures and water to be replenished to normal.

Luo Nan observed the water vapor gather and condense around the Condensation Ring, and felt quite the sensation. He controlled the water bead to fly back and forth, feeling refreshed.

Without the restrictions imposed by ceiling and walls, the water bead began to fly randomly in the courtyard. It flew in circles, expanding its distance bit by bit. In the end, it passed the eaves of the community, piercing between the branches to simply fly out over two kilometers away.

There were many people coming and going in the community on this weekend, but none of them noticed the water bead that flew above their heads. Even if one could sense it, the most they would perceive was a mere flash of light. It was impossible for them to understand the truth behind the scenes.

The water bead could naturally reach wherever Luo Nan's soul strength could cover, for it was controlled by soul strength. In any case, Luo Nan was able to comprehend Her Majesty Empress Wu's ideas while he worked the water bead.

As the distance grew in length, more and more soul strength had to be expended in order to the maintain the connection between him and the Dripping Sword. The multiple auxiliary structures had to be calibrated as well.

While utilizing them, Luo Nan also had to pay attention to the problem of wear. After all, this involved the interference from the mental to the material plane. The rules between them weren't straightforward, leading to meaningless consumption and interference.

There was only one way to maintain the most efficient coordination between them, and that was to practice! It was impossible to understand the exquisite and complex relationships stored within without experiencing hundreds and thousands of mistakes.

Needless to say, the consumption was enormous in a training filled with mistakes. According to what general knowledge Luo Nan currently grasped, the limits of a mentally enhanced Awakened would be drawn out completely in half an hour merely by calibrating the three auxiliary structures. This was the case even when the Condensation Ring’s fundamental structure was undamaged like it was now.

However, Luo Nan absolutely didn't even need to spare a thought to the issue of consumption. He just felt quite refreshed by the sensation of pointing anywhere and having the water bead shoot there in this range of a dozen square kilometers.

Luo Nan continued to think, deducing down from this logic. He thought that if he went in his out-of-body state, he could possibly bring the Dripping Sword out for a run on the streets. Plus, the sensing range of his soul body was extraordinary. If he was at Nade District, he could cover the entirety of Nade District. If he was in the River Wu District, then he could also cover the entirety of the River Wu District.

How did this sort of Dripping Sword compare to the flying swords of ancient legends? Those swords could simply slice off someone's head.

The thoughts coursed through Luo Nan's mind, but in the end, Luo Nan simply shook his head in self-mockery. Controlling changes was very difficult, let alone the fact that the Dripping Sword was very limited when it came to lethality. The most basic juncture had determined his train of thought to be merely that of a delusion.

The out-of-body state was just like the shadow-soul of ancient metaphysics. It had no material carrier. Though it could travel a kilometer in a single night, it was absolutely powerless toward the material world. It lacked all interference power whatsoever.

So, the moment he would enter the out-of-body state, the Condensation Ring would naturally, would naturally....

Luo Nan's brain suddenly became stupefied. His mind went blank for a while, and all his previous thoughts were completely wiped clean. Then his following thoughts were like grasslands after heavy autumn rain. They flourished with endless rampant growth.

What would happen? After going into the out-of-body state, what would happen to the Condensation Ring?

True, a material carrier was required for soul strength to affect the material world. If he tried to form the Condensation Ring after his soul had left his body, it would forever be impossible for him to sculpt and shape it, for the interference power was not enough.

But he currently had a Condensation Ring already created. It was embedded in the boundary zone between the mental and the material planes. Although its nature was quite subtle, its existence could be considered real in the material plane.

He had pretty much already created the machine.

This machine could automatically collect raw materials, which were the water molecules. It could advance in production. All that was left for Luo Nan to do was to supply it with fuel, which was his soul strength. That was all.

In this way, wouldn't the Condensation Ring be a medium for when his soul leaves his body? It was a carrier. Though the path was a bit windy, it seemed that through it Luo Nan could realize interference.

Wasn't this so?

Luo Nan lay on his bed, cutting off all his thoughts. He might as well just try it out instead of wasting time thinking. Even if he failed, he would just lose a precision-level Condensation Ring. In his current stage, this would be nothing more than losing a blue grade item!

Luo Nan performed mental preparations as he decisively entered the out-of-body state. His soul body, plucked out of his body, floated outside the window in the next second. He floated side by side with the water bead the size of a centimeter. They floated under the warm afternoon soon.

It was already past midday, but the sunlight that came shining in at an angle, and the dense yang energy in the air, turned into invisible astral winds as before. It endlessly disturbed the soul body, sharply increasing the consumption of soul strength.

This was the reason why very few of the B-rank ability users would astral travel in day time when they first attained the realm of the out-of-body state. It was a competition against nature.

Luo Nan was a student. He was only able to be this willful by relying on the production line of the Format Pyramid, the unending production of soul strength, to replenish his energy.

Luo Nan continued to disregard the issue of consumption. Currently, he was only focused on the Condensation Ring. So far, the water bead had yet to collapse in the material plane. It had no evident wear and tear as well.

As for the Condensation Ring, it was very stable, situated at the core. It steadily consumed soul strength.

Everything was calm, like still breeze and quiet waves. Everything was natural.

This feeling was akin to the scene of the instant a swiftlet slashes the water before flight, captured by a camera lens and preserved on a photographic plate. Though the streak of water was shallow, it was engraved for near eternity.

And when Luo Nan infused it with soul strength, it was like painting a simple photograph with fresh colors, obtaining vitality through a different form.

Perhaps the analogical image he chose had some issues. Right now, Luo Nan's heart was filled with swiftlets, leading him to a close yet vain realization; a realization that involved the relationship of mutual interference of the mental and material worlds.

Luo Nan felt as if an operator had distorted time and space in an extremely small manner the moment Luo Nan's interference took place. This operator cut off an extremely minute section from Luo Nan's experiences in the endless river of time. The operator then used soul strength to bestow it with new meaning.

A ghastly encounter. This subject was far too profound. Luo Nan's brain lay at risk of explosion from overcapacity were he to think just a layer deeper. Additionally, Luo Nan's train of thought had clearly ran off-track, and so Luo Nan decided to give up on this subject.

In any case, the facts before Luo Nan's eyes proved his original idea: There were absolutely no problems with continuing to operate the Condensation Ring after entering the out-of-body state.

The two naturally exchanged and crossed. A relationship between karma and time continued to thrive. Who was contributing to whom? Who was attached to whom? It formed a very interesting circle.

Luo Nan came up with a faint conjecture. Perhaps other mentally enhanced ability users used similar methods in order to interfere with the material world via a soul body. They must first make a stable tool that they could attach to. It could be the Condensation Ring. It could also be the so-called 'hot air balloon,’ 'glider,’ and so on. A small object embedded between the mental and material planes was all that was needed. It was just like something out of this philosophy:

Humans created tools to use. This distinguished them from all the other animals. Then they changed the world.

Of course, not just any Condensation Ring could realize this function. The Condensation Ring created by Luo Nan was still a blue grade item. However, it was possible for it to upgrade into a purple grade item.

The precision of this Condensation Ring certainly breached a certain threshold, meeting strict standards. Only in this way could it maintain long-term stability in the boundary zone between the mental and the material planes.

Only in this way could the Condensation Ring become a tool, a machine, and not some vain attempt.

Luo Nan's soul flew to the skies. His soul strength continued to act upon the Condensation Ring, forming a definite and solid interference force. The water bead's intrinsic carrying capacity was still quite weak. Luo Nan had tried to exert a bit more force, and the water bead had dispersed into mist. However, the structure of the Condensation Ring still remained firm. It continued to gather water.

If Luo Nan wanted to go a step further in building this structure, he would certainly need to perform adjustments.

Luo Nan tried pondering the techniques involved, but the current state of his brain was really overexcited. His train of thought drifted unsteadily, remaining very hard to control. He possessed insight over the subtle operations. It burst in a string of luster. But Luo Nan was unable to retrieve the shattered thoughts that led to this, and his mind was turned into soup.

All right, let's act like an Awakened. He mustn't forget anything due to his excitement. Perhaps he overlooked something. He should think further once more. Which factors were relevant? What were the ones he had yet to consider?

After pondering ineffectively for a period of time, Luo Nan changed his approach: What issues have yet to be resolved over the past two days?

The economic crisis of the Format Pyramid. Its star atlas transformation and reconstruction. The subdivision of the root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger. Her Majesty Empress Wu's outsourced work. The suspicions of his aunt and uncle. The setback with exploring the mysteries of Gear….

Only after sorting through these items did Luo Nan discover that there were still many unanswered questions regarding his body. He was still in a peaceful phase. If the threats of Headquarters, Orders, and Quantum Corporation were to be added up, wouldn't his life be pretty much over?

Luo Nan wanted to rub his head by reflex. He wanted to see just what sort of person took all these threads and disturbed them into one mass. However, what moved was a soul. The body lying down on the bed in the room didn't move an inch.

This was the inconvenience of astral travel…. Oh!

The insight of light moved like a blade, instantly severing all his chaotic thoughts. It coursed like lightning, its powerful radiance rending the sea of his mind. The hazy and dim world shone bright and clear for a time.

Something was stimulated by the insight of light. It existed within the housing of his brain, yet this object was not part of his flesh and blood. It emerged, endlessly trembling from the soul strength coming in and going out of it.

The external neuron!

Luo Nan had finally realized it. His mind was filled with the thoughts of the out-of-body state. In this state, wasn't the source of material plane interference none other than the external neuron?

On that night, his soul astral traveled to explore the mysteries of Gear. But it was difficult to pass through its doors. Luo Nan speculated that it was because he didn't bring the external neuron.

Then he had tried to use purely soul strength, and he had failed. After that, there followed the situation with the reverse flow of energy. He tried to have the material interfere with the mental by increasing the refinement, yet it proved ineffective.

But today, the Condensation Ring fell down from the heavens. It brought him to wind in a bend, unexpectedly taking his soul body and easily having it cross the major juncture of interfering with the material world.

With the support of the Condensation Ring, the out-of-body soul possessed the initial step for interference ability without needing a fleshly body. Wasn't it logical that this sort of method could be used upon the external neuron?

Right, right, right?

The thoughts once formed could not be stopped. It was impossible for Luo Nan to continue thinking. The soul body immediately pounced back into the bedroom, restoring the not close yet not distant connection with the fleshly body. The psychic intent was created, and it stimulated the external neuron to produce a response.

This was no surprise. The lightning serpent that existed in his head radiated with lustrous light. It bore its fangs and brandished its claws as it roamed toward the outside.

Lightning penetrated through the space between his brows in the next moment. Luo Nan instantly severed the direct connection between his soul and fleshly body. The external neuron lost its guidance upon leaping out of Luo Nan's body. It automatically began to retract. But at this time, Luo Nan's soul strength drove the Condensation Ring to meet the external neuron head on.

On the mental plane, lightning collided with the Condensation Ring structure.

There was a way! If there wasn't any interference, how could there be a collision?

Luo Nan's delight lasted only for a millisecond. The enormous force of impact from the external neuron crushed the Condensation Ring. The gathered water bead simply shattered into mist. Not even a trickle remained. The three auxiliary structures augmenting the water bead were wiped out in an instant as well. As for the Condensation Ring itself, it shook violently.

Luo Nan's mind sank into thought. Was the resilience of the Condensation Ring not enough?

Before his rising and falling emotions could find a foundation, the lightning of the external neuron instantly split apart. It actually followed the structure of the Condensation Ring, twisting and changing, rolling and flowing. Like a special ink following traces in the void, it infused within the structure once again.

Luo Nan's soul strength was, conversely, subjected to a pulling effect. It followed the traces remaining in the void, walking the paths once more. Luo Nan experienced this process quite clearly.

Oh, that wasn't it! This wasn't padding. This was simply using the Condensation Ring as a mold. The lightning was the guide, which meant the external neuron's main body would arrive soon after—holy sh*t!

Luo Nan watched his proud work, the Condensation Ring, with wide eyes, as it simply exploded from the external neuron. Luo Nan didn't have any luck at all.

Though Luo Nan had talked about how the Condensation Ring was on the level of a blue grade item a gazillion times, when things came to a head, Luo Nan's heart spasmed. He barely managed to avoid shrieking. There was a period of time when he hated not being able to beat his chest and stamp his feet. In this gap, a certain stimulation flashed within his mental senses. It was like a red-hot iron, and it pressed upon him.

Luo Nan was unable to hold it back. Even though he was in the soul-body state, he still cried, "Holy!”

A structure appeared in the void, coursing with lightning.

Its diameter was 0.02 millimeters, and its thickness about a quarter. The shape was smooth and round, without edges or corners at all. It was like a donut ring, but its volume couldn't be compared to it.

This hollow structure floated in the void, steadily plundering and absorbing Luo Nan's soul strength. At the same time, it absorbed water molecules from the atmosphere, rapidly forming quite the scale. It gathered into a first-class bead of water. The refraction of the sun's rays created seven colors, rich and diverse, as if it were a concentrated rainbow.

This was the external neuron, yet at the same time, it was the Condensation Ring.

Was this a dove occupying a magpie's nest? Or was this a divine rebirth!?

The external neuron, a damnable and incomprehensible thing, had replaced the micro-structure sculpted by interference power, forming a completely new Condensation Ring.

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Chapter 378: Dark Cloak

Chapter 378: Dark Cloak

Translator: Strivon

A long metal thread, approximately eight centimeters long and appearing like spider's silk, radiated lightning on the mental plane. It had turned into a donut ring with a thickness of 0.005 millimeters and a diameter of 0.02 millimeters before Luo Nan's eyes. It just weaved and knit this way, and perhaps it coalesced and shrank, to ultimately form a miniature structure on the micron scale. It revealed marvelous characteristics between the material and mental planes.

Fine. In any case, Luo Nan had never once truly grasped the volume, mass, and material of the external neuron.

Luo Nan was very cautious of the new type of Condensation Ring floating before his eyes. He carefully made contact with his soul strength, and the Condensation Ring matched him in an impeccable manner. Luo Nan's thoughts spun and he found controlling it to be effortless. He felt that there wasn't much difference between this version and the previous version of the Condensation Ring.

Luo Nan was careful and cautious at first but when everything went so smoothly and naturally, he was unable to clearly distinguish the differences between the two versions of Condensation Rings. He just controlled it subconsciously, letting the water bead dance around in the bedroom.

Luo Nan's remaining brain capacity was in complete occupied in thought. He was thinking, what was the concept? What was the principle? What was the pattern... So many goddamn questions!

Luo Nan was stupefied by the magical transformation of the external neuron. After a series of useless thoughts, he finally recovered the drive he ought to possess. The emotion boiled, knocking down all of his thoughts.

Though this divine rebirth was a marvelous fortune as it possessed a profound theory within that pointed to the essence of the cosmos, it was not enough to surpass the ecstatic emotions that were bubbling in Luo Nan's heart.

No matter how great profound theories were, it was impossible for them to surpass reality. Wasn't this true?

Luo Nan was already clear on the practical significance brought about by the changes. From now on, he could carry the external neuron to any place his soul body could reach.

Of course, this also included Gear.

People’s minds were quite strange. No matter how intense the thirst is in people’s hearts, they are still able to maintain calmness even when their goal is out of reach. But as soon as one confirms that the goal is within reach, all previous practice instantly breaks apart.

The pleasant surprise brought by the external neuron had yet to fade. Luo Nan's mind was occupied by thoughts of Gear.

Luo Nan already confirmed that Gear harbored a great secret. It was simply a giant hidden treasure for him. And the key to unlocking this treasure was most likely the external neuron and its own great hidden secret. Perhaps their secrets could only be revealed when the two make contact.

Luo Nan didn't know if this conjecture was correct. After all, how could he know if he doesn't try?

Luo Nan was unable to control his emotions. He was simply impatient and itching to go. His soul body flew three laps around the room before he thought of three reasons:

The first. Today was Sunday. The construction team wouldn't be working. There weren't any idle employees there.

The second. The external neuron was a structure on the micron level. It was tantamount to the cross-section of a strand of spider silk. It was tiny—microscopic. No one would notice it coming and going with his soul carrying it in the out-of-body state.

The third. It was still quite early in the day. He could make a round trip in five minutes. There was plenty of time for exploration. If everything went smoothly, he could return in time for dinner. If things do not go smoothly, he could go back to Gear after dinner.

All these reasons supported going. Every condition was fulfilled. What was he waiting for?

Before he finished his thoughts, his soul body simply went straight out of the room. The window screen and the like were nothing to him. He arrived at the courtyard, only to flicker once more and leave the community. He flickered again and broke into the high skies.

Clasping the external neuron in the form of the Condensation Ring, Luo Nan's soul body flew at blazing speeds. Practically nothing affected them. Light traces of water could still be seen in the courtyard, but there weren't any traces in the air.

The afternoon four o'clock sun seemed to become part of the dense forest of skyscrapers. All that remained were the boundless rays dying the clouds as before. The time was approaching rush hour. Small and medium-sized flying vehicles traveled back and forth upon the high altitude traffic layers.

The late autumn sun was warm but the high altitude winds were cold. The two weaved, melting a bit of Luo Nan's impulsive emotions. He came to a sudden realization. The external neuron possessed a material body. God knows what would happen if it were to collide with something else in this high-speed travel.

There weren't any problems in hastily unearthing the hidden treasure, but what if he were to accidentally lose the external neuron? He was carrying it on him right now. If that happened, he might as well bang his head against the wall and die in a ball!

Luo Nan had nearly flown out of Nade District by then. He immediately stirred with psychic intent and his soul body's flying speed slowed a little. He also kept some distance away from the highest traffic layers. As for the external neuron in the form of the Condensation Ring, it floated in front of Luo Nan's soul body from beginning to end. The bead of water it gathered suffered from too much wear and tear due to the high speed travel. It was unable to completely form. Though it was continuously being replenished, it was still several times smaller than its peak phase.

An odd thought formed in Luo Nan's mind as he saw this situation. In the next moment, Luo Nan used his soul strength as a guide, absorbing the external neuron directly into his soul body. In this manner, two merged to become one, moving in tandem. As long as Luo Nan doesn't get into a car accident, the external neuron would remain in good health.

The taste from swallowing the external neuron was very subtle for the soul body. This was because a relationship of the transmission of soul strength constantly existed between them. As soon as the external neuron was absorbed, the transmission relationship was completely integrated into the soul body as well.

The process went approximately as follows: Firstly, the soul body infused soul strength into the external neuron, which was reshaped into the Condensation Ring. The power didn't do anything before, but it suddenly possessed the characteristics of interference ability, and it began to gather the water molecules in the void.

The water bead was constantly suffering damage from the high-speed flight, yet it was also being continuously replenished. The early process of the accumulation of water molecules existed on the nanometer scale. Luo Nan couldn't do anything with it. But then, with time, the water vapor accumulated to a scale that allowed Luo Nan to observe it.

The taste was akin to having the soul body swallow in and spit out water vapor. It was a peculiar sort of breathing, naturally causing a connection to form with the external world.

Traditionally, the soul body merely possessed the standard of a shadow. It was certainly impossible to realize this kind of connection. In fact, the source of this phenomenon had its origins in the new version of the Condensation Ring. The Condensation Ring radiated out interference power. Using the gathered water molecules as a medium, it affected the soul body itself, permeating its every inch.

And then...

Luo Nan suddenly stopped his high-speed flight. He floated in the skies above as light streaks of flying vehicles whistled past below him. It seemed that the entire metropolis was operating at high speeds. Only he was independent of it, distanced from the world below.

Luo Nan didn't have the leisure to be emotional. He merely found an interesting processing machine for soul strength quite unexpectedly.

This machine swallowed 'nothing' and spat out 'something'. It absorbed '0' and its output was '1'. It burned 'nothingness' and it coalesced 'substance'.

This was none other than the Condensation Ring. This was none other than the external neuron.

As interference power gradually diffused through his soul, there seemed to be a set of incorporeal yet qualitative framework of energy channels being stuffed inside his soul body. It was like putting on flesh and fascia of the same nature.

Fine, this description was far too exaggerated. More realistically speaking, under ample interference power, there seemed to be a layer of firm, incorporeal yet fantastical, gradually folding and plating Luo Nan's soul body.

Figuratively speaking, the soul body seemed to have turned into a cloak. Luo Nan's core consciousness resided in the center. Through this cloak, his consciousness made contact with both, the mental and the material, worlds simultaneously.

The cloak became the cross section of the mental and the material. It intersected with the two planes. It was thin to the point of nothingness but it had marvelous effects.

Luo Nan's consciousness was bound in the cloak. There was a sense of independence. There seemed to be an indescribable distance between him and both, the mental and material, planes. The sensation was quite subtle.

At the moment, Luo Nan no longer resided on any one of the planes. Instead, he existed in the interval between the two planes of mental and material. Wherever his mind's intent faced, that was the direction it fell.

Of course, his soul body in its current state was naturally more inclined to the mental plane. The resistance there was the smallest for him, verging on the brink of nothing. To forcefully interfere with the material plane certainly required a great deal more consumption. More links would be involved as well... But no matter how great the consumption, the fact remained that Luo Nan had made a breakthrough!

Luo Nan's consciousness suddenly flashed and the incorporeal cloak moved. It fluttered within the storm-like soul strength, smacking and heaving against the void.

A wind was born out of nothing under the rays of the sun. It turned into a fine strand of current, creating a vortex. It swept far, several dozen meters away, along the high-altitude traffic layers. And only then did it dissipate.

As the air current went far away, Luo Nan's mood whirled in a similar manner in endless unrest. But when the air current dissipated, his mood had expanded to its limits.

Just look. Such a crude attack was able to cause such unrest visible in the material world. What did this prove? This proved that Luo Nan had stepped out of the stage of a shadow-soul, for now he could truly interfere with material world. Through the minute Condensation Ring, he could channel interference power to the entire world.

This sort of progress was akin to jumping from the ground and into the cloud-filled skies. But this was only logical under the catalysis of the external neuron. It was natural.

Because this was a jump from nothing to something. It was a qualitative change from zero to one. One gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things, evolving into unlimited possibilities.

From this perspective, there was no overstating how hugely significant it was. Frankly speaking, everything was brought about by the external neuron.

How did it do it?

What in the world is this item?

What else can it do?

It could serve as the frame of Luo Nan's God Gear. It could be the manifestation of a structure of nothingness. It could be the backbone upon which to transform soul strength. Everything it revealed of itself seemed to be merely unearthing the tip of the iceberg. It could certainly do much more. For instance:

Gear, Gear, Gear, Gear, Gear....

Whatever doubts Luo Nan had in his mind, he also had the same amount of expectations toward Gear. He knew that this attitude wasn't healthy, but he couldn't hold it back anyway.

The soul suddenly resumed its flying state, accelerating in speed. His current connection with the external world became more and more real, and his perception of the late autumn sun as it set and the high-altitude cold winds grew clearer and clearer. So much so that he forgot that he was in the form of a soul. He pumped himself up, yelling to his heart's content.

Luo Nan didn't deliberately strike out in the material world, nor did he possess the substantial power to disturb the void, but the incorporeal attack rapidly spread in all directions on the material plane. Luckily, Luo Nan was concealed deep enough on the material plane. He had done something major at a depth unreachable by the overwhelming majority of ability users.

Even if he had caused a major mishap, Luo Nan was unable to change it.

He cut into the Pingjiang District of Acumen College in the blink of an eye. Within his mental senses, which had a range of two dozen kilometers in radius, Gear was in distant sight.

There was nothing else that could attract Luo Nan's attention beside Gear in this very moment. But the areas within Gear did possess different magnitudes of attraction.

The moment Luo Nan's mental senses covered Gear, he locked onto the westernmost area of the building. It was fifty meter deep with a diameter of twenty meters. It was the atrium.

With a sudden jump, Luo Nan's soul body cut into Gear and arrived within the atrium. He floated in the center.

Emotions of urgency and expectation suddenly changed upon his arrival. Luo Nan began to feel nervous. No matter how much he had looked forward to it, no matter how impatient he was, these emotions had completely transformed into nervousness. Not a single wisp escaped.

But the fluctuations of his shifting emotions didn't affect his perception.

Within the atrium, the entire structure of Gear guided and developed the chilly flowing energy. It was just like what Luo Nan had experienced that night. Wave after wave accumulated here. Upon being transferred here in an orderly manner, the flowing energy lost all direction. It turned chaotic.

A diditata sound cried out here on the mental plane. The sound appeared to possess a clear rhythm, but it lacked any direction. It was like a combination lock that had been deliberately spun into a mess. It had waited for a successor who knows the secret to come crack it open. Of course, the successor also needed to bring a special key.

Luo Nan's soul floated above as he suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart. He earnestly used his senses for a moment, confirming the present circumstances. There weren't any changes between now and that night, so he would follow the same plan as last time. He gave himself a reinforcement and stirred the chaotic flow of energy once more.

Last time, Luo Nan's reinforcement appeared as the typical visualization diagram—the geometric figure consisting of a tetrahedron, inscribed sphere, and outer-scribed sphere. But following the star atlas transformation of the Format Pyramid, the symbol displayed this time had turned into a whirling nebula. Its appearance was substantially different.

But the effect was the same. They bestowed this space with the impetus of order. The process of cycling acceleration began, akin to a particle accelerator.

Once this process started, it was no longer an option to decelerate or stop.

Luo Nan's soul floated by itself in the atrium, calmly embracing the crazed scene of layers upon layers of constraint, rotation, and acceleration. He experienced the myriad of curtains of the mental plane flutter, intersecting layers and layers of bizarre information.

Luo Nan had long known that the mental plane held in his eyes was different from the mental plane held in the vast majority of ability users. Mainstream theory on the structure of the mental plane divided it into three zones, one region, and one realm. It was a simple definition. However, from Luo Nan's perspective, the mental plane was a deep structure consisting of many layers of curtains. There were hundreds. Thousands. Tens of thousands. Endless.

The vast majority of phenomena on the mental plane could be easily explained by the universal theory of the inner world. In comparison, Luo Nan's perspective was far too complex. However, Luo Nan had never encountered an explanation capable of describing President Ouyang's Logic World, capable of being more accurate and close-fitting than his 'many curtains' perspective.

Yes. Logic World.

Luo Nan had never stopped thinking about the strange phenomena in the atrium these past two days. He could already feel it. The atrium cyclotron he perceived now was actually a bit similar to the Logic World. At the very least, they were both methods of warping the mental plane. Of course, there were many differences between them.

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Chapter 379: In the Cloud

Chapter 379: In the Cloud

Translator: Strivon

From Luo Nan's perspective, President Ouyang's Logic World was a complex structure channeled through the mental plane. It pulled the distant plane over, forcefully linking it with the material world. It was like casting a fishing line. It appeared to be a very casual action, but its aim and logical nature were extremely powerful. It was just that outsiders had no way of knowing.

And under the form of the atrium cyclotron, Luo Nan's bestowed order was the core. Luo Nan stirred hard with his order, causing the surrounding region to warp and weave, pushing outward layer by layer. It was like holding one end of a bedsheet then twisting and moving it with force. This allowed the other end to whirl along, pushing distances close and far.

On the other hand, the Logic World had already finalized its blueprints. It was only a matter of building upon them. The atrium cyclotron had to first transform itself from the inside out before ascertaining distance. One was the construction of a house; the other...

A telescope.

However, the soul strength was applied differently between the two. The structures and algorithms were different. It was highly likely that the difference in results would be the difference between heaven and earth. Luo Nan had suspected, all this time, that his extraordinary increase in his mental sensing range after that night was due to the telescope structure.

At the time, as the telescope was gathering information, gradually becoming plentiful, the gray-white light spread and weaved on the mental plane. The scene gradually grew concrete, revealing a wonderful landscape of high clouds.

But as the perspective of the telescope drew nearer, Luo Nan was still separated from the real environment by a layer. He was stuck here last time.

It was impossible for Luo Nan to truly touch the cloud world, which he yearned for day and night, just by relying on the telescope structure.

But now, he had the external neuron.

The external neuron didn't have any clear reactions during the initial stages of the telescope's formation. But the process was influenced by the external neuron along the way. An odd cloak had just formed, already revealing special characteristics.

Within the high speed revolution of the atrium vortex, the cloak rippled and warped. But it also maintained its inconceivable flexibility and independence from beginning to end, while continuing to display interference effects toward the mental and material planes. Precisely because of this, the myriad of curtains flapping on the mental plane realized a connection with the surrounding material environment through the cloak.

It was just a little smaller, but it was just like what had happened with the formation of the cloak. A breakthrough was realized. It allowed Luo Nan the ability to achieve a small result similar to the Logic World, a warped independent region existing next to his soul body.

The problem was that the most powerful attribute of the Logic World still resided in logic, the decisive element in its construction. Luo Nan didn't possess this sort of logic. Upon realizing interference between the mental and material planes, the relevant region could no longer be considered that of the telescope structure. It didn't possess order; it was something that was purely superfluous and increased the burden to the soul.

The cloak turned a bit sluggish in a few seconds. The superfluous structure directly influenced the efficiency of the soul strength conversion rate. As the situation turned serious, the external neuron, which acted as the transformation center, was finally stimulated.

Signs of instability appeared, for the first time, upon the Condensation Ring structure constructed from the external neuron. A line whipped out from the Condensation Ring. It reached out from the core of the Condensation Ring, engaging into a new fabric on the microscopic level.

This action was done completely independently by the external neuron. Luo Nan was not consciously involved at all. In fact, the scale of this fabric delved below the micron level, outside the precision of his senses. If it weren't for the fact that the external neuron and his consciousness were tightly linked together, Luo Nan wouldn't have even been able to sense the finest details.

Even so, Luo Nan's heart gradually turned from pounding emotions to high-spirited ones. Though the fabric of the external neuron was unclear to him, the chilly flowing energy and the changes in the curtains were clear and easy to see.

As the rotation accelerated, the chaotic order from the distortion and interference between the mental and material world began to reveal sections with rules. The corresponding interference power no longer clashed and fused against itself. Instead, it accumulated layer by layer, revolving and cycling, realizing a certain projection with the telescope structure.

If the angular velocity of the telescope was considered to be a 'ten', then the region where Luo Nan could interfere and warp would have an angular velocity of 'one'. For every ten revolutions of the telescope, the interference area would have one revolution. They accurately followed a rhythm, but the tempo was gradually increasing.

10:1, 10:2, 10:3....

The angular velocity of the telescope was relatively stable, but the angular velocity of the interference region continued to increase. Clear signs were already forming on the material plane.

Within the center of the atrium, rays of light clearly distorted the void. They cried like the plucking of strings, vibrating without end. If Luo Nan hadn't angrily destroyed the majority of the lighting monitoring system two days ago, these rays of light would not be hidden from anyone.

How would Luo Nan have the leisure to attend to this?

Luo Nan's soul resided in the core of the distorted void. He experienced the scope and speed of the distortion first hand. The cloak was no longer sluggish, instead it accumulated astonishing quantities of potential energy with increasing speed. Luo Nan's emotions were pushed to greater heights as well. He was trembling inside and out, in both body and mind.

Luo Nan had guessed right. No matter the state of the external neuron, its existence had an extremely important significance toward Gear.

It was like a key. It was inserted into the keyhole and twisted in accordance with the corresponding rules. The heavy door was slowly opening toward him.

10:4, 10:5!

In other words, when the telescope structure, which was driven by his soul strength, made two revolutions, the interference region then made one revolution. Their angular velocities were perfectly rhythmically connected in this moment, and Luo Nan's consciousness instantly went white.

Because in this very moment, the piles of gray clouds that had always been in his mind collapsed downward without any warning. It was as if the entire sky was falling heavily down upon him!

Luo Nan only realized it in the next second; the heavens hadn't turned over. Instead, he had pierced through the cloud-filled skies.

Heaven and earth had swapped places.

Luo Nan crashed in the depths of a few unbounded cloud layers of gray. With the existence of the cloak, Luo Nan still had some real experiences in his perception of the external world.

Under the backdrop of dull lighting, clouds piled in layers upon layers, mist flew around, and cracks were ground upon in the clouds, revealing a coloration akin to blood. At the same time, a chill was let out, as well as the ear-piercing scream of winds.

This place was like a high-altitude region. It was probably the upper troposphere. The air currents were intense and violent, bringing about an endless tsunami of mist. They carried mist, water drops, and ice crystals that rumbled across fiercely and wildly.

The astral winds split apart the cloud layer at their gaps with their gale. Luo Nan could see a vaster space below the thick layer of clouds. It was like the fields below were covered by a conflagration. Blood-red light shone through the gaps between the clouds. This was the light that shone upon here.

"Yes, this is it! This is the place!"

Luo Nan looked all around with his eyes. He saw the cloud world that appeared in his dreams time and time again and he was taking in this incredible yet real scene. Even if he didn't know his bearing, finding it hard to distinguish between east and west, the pressing and wavering emotions that had built up over the course of ten days were finally knocked dead. Like hammering in the final nail, they were slammed to the ground.

Luo Nan yelled once more, spurred by passion and excitement. This time the cloak lifted mist and ice crystals that rumbled into a gray-white wave of air. But soon, the wave was leveled by the whistling astral winds of the high skies. The wave was destroyed amongst the flowing clouds, disappearing without a trace.

A portion of the vileness of the environment was seen here.

Well, it didn't matter how terrible the environment was. Luo Nan had entered this place with his soul body. The impact he received was tantamount to nothing. It wasn't like last time, when he came here confused yet effortlessly in his fleshly body. The fleshly body didn't have the ability to fly, so he just plummeted straight down from the dusky sky to the ground. He couldn't help but feel panicked. He braced himself for several dozen seconds as he feared crashing into the ground and being pulverized down to his bones. He could only eject himself out from this world.

Back then he never thought that it would be this hard to come back inside.

In any case, it was hard for his imagination not to go wild when faced with this vast expanse of land and as he experienced such a strange situation.

In the final stages, Gear's atrium transformed from a telescope to a launching silo under the magical effects of the external neuron. Luo Nan had been transported directly to this unknown base, somewhere in the middle of the clouds. God knows how far away he was from Xia City, from Gear.

A few hundred kilometers? Luo Nan had never heard of such an environment near Xia City. Over ten-thousand kilometers? Well, this was quite a fantasy. This was an arrogance on the level of extraordinary powers.

It was useless to indulge in flights of fancy. Though this time it was quite difficult to enter, after entering, things became easier than last time by a thousand-fold. Luo Nan decided to carefully observe everything and collect as much information as possible, so as to provide a basis for subsequent judgments.

Observation and reconnaissance had always been Luo Nan's forte. Pure observation combined with the living starry sky allowed for an effective observation radius of over twenty kilometers. Aside from Extraordinaries, whose powers were impossible to grasp accurately, Luo Nan's sensing range was considered to be of the most top-notch category in today's world. Plus, Luo Nan now understood himself quite well. The moment Luo Nan comprehended the principles and applications of the telescope structure, there was a clear target for the channeling of Luo Nan's soul strength. Luo Nan made conscious calibrations for optimizations as well. There was also a great deal of potential still waiting to be unearthed.

"Continuing like this, it wouldn't take too long to observe an area with a radius of twenty-five kilometers... But can anyone tell me where in the world are the layers of clouds in the skies over fifty kilometers in thickness? There's no end in sight."

Luo Nan's faculty of memory was at the peak stage of a youngster's; his knowledge of geography was passable. He remembered from a previous course that it was impossible for the thickness of a cloud layer to surpass the height of the troposphere. The troposphere was the highest along the equator of the earth at around eighteen kilometers. The troposphere at the poles was around eight kilometers in height. What the hell was up with this fifty kilometers of cloud layer?

Yes, he had been too cowardly last time. He only lasted a dozen seconds before he was pushed out. From looking with his clairvoyance, he realized that he could have been falling for a full five minutes and still not be out of the thick cloud layer.

His soul body floated in the middle of the cloud layer, stupefied. At this time, the cloak interfered on two sides, coalescing mist for him. The mist formed a fuzzy outline of a humanoid figure. It was highly likely for this figure to become more lifelike with the passage of time.

Luo Nan didn't care about this. He felt that something was off.

The thickness of the clouds needn't be mentioned. The blood-red color shone for ages, never retreating, within the warped split gaps among the clouds. He had believed that this color was due to a great flame burning below, or perhaps the effects of a volcanic eruption. He was prepared to use this to further clarify his specific coordinates.

But right now his mental senses, which he was oh so proud of, weren't able to sense anything other than the cloud layer, let alone being able to verify the presence of some volcano... In other words, was there really a volcano?

Luo Nan sank deep into puzzlement.

He continued observing. The living stars unfurled before him revealing the ecology of this misty area within his sensing range in the form of a simple picture. Several believers, around the core star cluster of the Self-Format, began to display their effects. But the living beings further away were different from those in the past...

This was quite an embarrassing batch of living beings. The vastness of the cloud area was inconceivable, but the density of living beings was truly worrisome. Luo Nan was only able to discover a couple of kittens within his sensing range of two dozen kilometers in radius. There were just very few.

Right, what were they just now? Kittens?

Before Luo Nan's thought became clear, a thick sheet of mist exploded silently around a dozen meters away, the smoke dispersing in all directions. A shadowy streak of dark-crimson flared out of thin air. Its haste was like lightning as it struck the cloud layer and threw itself toward Luo Nan in the blink of an eye. The thick and solid arm came over like a storm, its sharp claws warping Luo Nan's perception.

Boiling killing intent only now exploded in manifestation. A terrifying attack, akin to a volcanic eruption, was launched not on the material plane but on the mental plane.

Calamity was on Luo Nan's doorstep, leaving no room for the workings of thought. Luo Nan could only perform the most instinctive reaction of all. He used the cloak to interfere with the mental plane to the maximum, caring for nothing else, and his soul body simply escaped to the deepest accessible depths on the mental plane.

The fuzzy figure formed from the coalescence of mist shattered to pieces with a rumble, becoming water and smoke once more. The attack on the material plane had struck thin air.

However, the most fatal of attacks still lay within the mental plane.

Luo Nan had been thinking of volcanoes just now, and right now there truly was a volcanic eruption on the mental plane. It was as if Luo Nan had returned to the very beginning when he had experienced the terrifying might of the Human-Faced Arachnid. He watched the enormous wraith burn and expand in the void as it roared toward the skies. The enormous wraith's claws came slashing over, creating a smoking and flaming column, akin to a real volcanic eruption, as it slammed through the cloudy skies.

The mental plane jolted and shook. The burning demonic claws, full of desire to destroy, chased the tail of Luo Nan's soul body. The wraith crushed several hundred layers of the mental world's curtain structure in its wake, moving like a shadow behind Luo Nan.

Luo Nan could feel the breath of the grim reaper.

However, the grim reaper's scythe was unable to hook onto its target. Luo Nan didn't know just how deep he had dived into the mental plane. He just knew that the burning claws had finally reached their limit after crushing through nearly a thousand curtains.

No matter how explosive its killer action was, burning and warping most of the mental plane, it was ultimately unable to slam its way into the layer where Luo Nan's soul body was located. It had just missed him by a tiny margin, but this made all the difference.

And in reality, the powerful attack struck nothing but air. The dark-crimson shadow ignored the laws of physics completely, the figure stopping at will. It was like a steel nail hammered within the clouds. It seized the space where Luo Nan's mist figure once resided, glaring at it with fierce and sinister eyes.

What was that?

Luo Nan was both startled and furious. He was stressed way past normal by now. He had relied on the luck of his soul body to escape. If he had come here with his fleshly body, wouldn't he have been smashed into meat just now?

No, based on the speed and power of the attack just now, Luo Nan would have simply been completely destroyed. Not even a corpse would remain. It was very fortunate that last time he had not encountered these circumstances. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been a today to speak of...

Right now, it was like Luo Nan had entered a wildlife sanctuary. He had sat in a fully-armed tourist bus and had close contact with a dangerous beast, separated only by transparent glass.

As for the beast, it crouched among the cloud layer, revealing its sinister body. It was probably between five to seven meters in height. This huge discrepancy was due to the beast’s stooped body. Its body was akin to an ape's; its forelimbs hung down, making it hard to determine its height.

In any case, it was a giant monster.

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Chapter 380: Forgotten One

Chapter 380: Forgotten One

Translator: Strivon

The beast's skin shone with a dark-crimson luster. It had muscles upon muscles, and the very top of them was paved with a layer of fine scales. Its bare skull was wrapped by a thick layer of wrinkled skin. One of its demonic traits was the center of its forehead, which was heavily sunken in. It had two protruding eyes with sangria-red pupils. The base color was a dark yellow, and there was practically no distinction between its mouth and nose. All this formed an over-ripe dark purple area. At that moment, it was drooling. It was ugly and fiendish.

Just looking at this image, one would certainly believe it to be a Mutant. It was a bit like a gibbon in form, but it was a hundred-fold uglier.

Luo Nan didn't know if this fellow was part of a discovered Mutant species. In any case, he had no impression at all. He just temporarily named it Mushed Mouth Ape.

In that moment, the Mushed Mouth Ape locked gazes with Luo Nan with its sangria-red pupils. They were fixed upon him. Though the enemy couldn't attack him, it was clearly and easily able to lock onto his concrete position on the mental plane. This mere action surpassed the ability of the overwhelming majority that Luo Nan had encountered in his life.

About a minute passed and the Mushed Mouth Ape probably got bored of the meaningless staring contest. It slowly sunk down with its muscular body, vanishing within the cloud layer. It's gaze never left Luo Nan's position until the very end. Its eyes were turbid, but possessed a cruelty and greed only possessed by hunters.

This made Luo Nan understand that the Mushed Mouth Ape took him to be prey. It had no intention of giving him up, at least within a short time frame. Just give the beast a chance and it would break through the distance of the mental plane and kill Luo Nan without the slightest hesitation. It would tear Luo Nan into pieces, swallow, and digest him.

A moment of time passed, and Luo Nan's thoughts were proven true.

The Mushed Mouth Ape never left. It maintained a high degree of patience and intense desire, constantly roaming in Luo Nan's perimeter. It began to stir. Once in a while it would make a move, launching tyrannical and overbearing attacks. Although these attacks were unsuccessful, they were able to apply a good deal of pressure onto Luo Nan.

Just looking from this perspective, the Mushed Mouth Ape couldn't be considered an apex predator. After trying and failing at a surprise attack, it turned to a contest of endurance and fixed force. It was a deadly marathon.

Luo Nan controlled his soul body in the depths of the mental plane, avoiding the range of the Mushed Mouth Ape's attacks. This was indeed extremely exhausting for Luo Nan. He had to use the cloak to engage in fixed interference at all times. The soul strength consumption was considerable.

But there was something that needed to be emphasized once more: Luo Nan wasn't scared of the consumption. He wasn't scared of the consumption. He wasn't scared of the consumption!

Important matters have to be spoken three times.

It wasn't easy to move in the depths of the mental plane. The current speed of the soul strength consumption already exceeded the output of the production line, but only by a little. It was like the evaporation of seawater from the sun. The amount was considerable just by looking at its quantity, but compared to the overall volume of the ocean, this little consumption could be neglected for the short term.

If Luo Nan really wanted to, he could definitely engage in this marathon with the Mushed Mouth Ape for the course of several days and several nights to see who would be the first to fall.

But Luo Nan wasn't a masochist. He wasn't willing to waste precious time on this meaningless cat and mouse game. He observed for half an hour before using all of his energy to accelerate, causing his soul body to fly at astonishing speeds and forcefully throwing off the Mushed Mouth Ape's pursuit. He finally retrieved peace and quiet.

Though Luo Nan was able to break away from the threat, the cloud area that he was brought to by the external neuron Gear far exceeded his expectations. There was such a terrifying beast residing here.

During the first half hour of the chase, Luo Nan didn't merely observe the Mutant. He also used scouting techniques that he had recently learned. He orbited around a core area, weaving in his flight and doing the utmost to expand the range of his senses.

He was unable to obtain definite data for the moment, but he was able to roughly estimate that the area covered by his soul body's high speed travel exceeded a dozen thousand square kilometers. This was vast empty space with a diameter reaching a hundred kilometers—the size of Xia City's core district.

Not only was he unable to discover the limits of the cloud layer, his sense of up, down, left, and right became blurry. Only one thing was very clear. There were tracks left behind in this empty region by the Mushed Mouth Ape he had encountered, and the size of this region was equivalent to the Xia City's core district.

Luo Nan stopped thinking about how there were a few kittens. Though there were only a few in this hundred kilometer area, these burly, vicious, and tyrannical “kittens” were apex predators. Just these few made this space crowded.

They moved about like lightning, their range of activity was terrifying. Luo Nan tried taking the initiative to lock onto two of them, but was only able to follow them for a few minutes before they leapt out of the limits of his senses. Then a new Mushed Mouth Ape came charging in at the same time.

Last time Luo Nan was here, he had been free-falling in his fleshly body. He was only here for a dozen minutes. He was able to escape meeting them head on. This was simply great luck.

Oh, he seemed to have overlooked something... Something that needed to be smoothed out.

First of all, the encounter at Gear's atrium with the marvelous external neuron proved that his mother, and of course 'that' person, had come here in the past.

Secondly, regardless of how his mother's future would turn out, they really did escape from this place unscathed.

Luo Nan had a rough estimation of the Mushed Mouth Ape's strength. Just from looking at its attack power, he thought it should be above B rank but not quite A rank. And it seemed that they lived in groups. One might say they were quite terrifying. There were a limited number of similar places in this world where even Extraordinaries had to make their way around, lest they fall into dire straits.

Did his mother already possess this sort of power back then?

Luo Nan was unable to form judgment from the words and writing in his memories pertaining to his mother. He was unable to deny this possibility, yet he was able to come up with other explanations. For instance, the cloud world wasn't this dangerous back then.

This thought had popped up in Luo Nan's mind because he noticed that the only living being flying within the cloud layer were the Mushed Mouth Apes. It was extremely lacking in variety. It didn't really make sense to him, even with his limited knowledge of ecology.

Even Mutants were a sort of living being. Every living thing needed certain things to survive. Food was the most basic requirement. The Mushed Mouth Ape really did possess an extremely strong hunting desire, but the cloud environment was far too lacking in variety. Luo Nan had only discovered this sole species of organism from the beginning until now. There weren't any other species, and there weren't any minerals or vegetations highly dense in energy for these mutants to absorb. This place didn't possess the basic necessities for life.

There was more. Even though they kept their distance from each other and maintained vigilance, Luo Nan was unable to see any desire in them to slaughter one another. Cannibalism couldn't possibly be common practice among them.

Of course, this assessment assumed that the Mushed Mouth Ape was a Mutant—a living being. If these things were merely phantasmal species found only in the most desolate of journeys, if these things were could be considered apparitions, than he had no clue on the matter.

Was this the case?

The possibility was extremely low. Luo Nan was unable to draw Life Sketches of the Mushed Mouth Ape due to a powerful magnetic interference. However, the Mushed Mouth Ape's searing and berserk life energy could not be faked, let alone its true desire to hunt.

Luo Nan summed it all up and arrived at a conclusion. It was very likely that these Mushed Mouth Apes were affected by special elements, which caused them to recently enter this area.

For instance, they might have come here chasing prey.

Aside from its brilliance and skills in its hunting techniques, the Mushed Mouth Ape that tried to kill him had chosen its actions very appropriately. It hunted with prudence and patience. It seemed that it had had much practice. From this, Luo Nan made a simple conclusion. The Mushed Mouth Apes must have a target possessing the following characteristics, at least recently.

The target was good at moving around the mental plane. It was very likely to possess the ability to interfere with the material world.

The target possessed a means to counterattack, enough to have these Mutants that were B rank in power suffer a defeat.

The target primarily moved within the cloud area, but it was very likely to have gone to other places and thus provoked all of these troubles.

All right. All of this was definitely true... Luo Nan's thoughts, which had been somewhat messy this whole time, finally became clear. But once they did, Luo Nan's first thought was to smack his own face.

If he had guessed correctly, then the target was none other than someone he had personally thrown in here. It was none other than Snake Tongue!

Yes. He had quickly entered and left the cloud world on that day via Gear. Luo Nan held Snake Tongue, who suffered from whiplash after her magical spell, at the time. He had acted in a flurry at the time. He didn't remember how he had tossed Snake Tongue away. He thought carefully. Yes, it was very likely that he had tossed her away here.

This seemed to be the case. Snake Tongue was in an astral travel state. The whiplash of her Nightmare Vine Spell shouldn't be enough to kill her, meaning that she should have been here for ten days by now.

Luo Nan was a layman when it came to magical spells, but he did form an understanding of Snake Tongue on that day. He knew that this woman was one of the world's few experts in spellcasting. Her mind was extremely formidable. No matter how fierce the whiplash from her spell was, it was unlikely that she was held back for long.

Following this line of thought, the current situation could be explained quite well.

Of course, this was pure speculation. Maybe there was something hindering his mind, causing a mistake in thinking. Luo Nan's mind may be acting in a way that defeats its purpose.

In any case, Luo Nan's current mood had the first signs of slippage.

Luo Nan had resolved countless difficulties and finally entered the cloud world. The joyful feelings of accomplishment had been utterly destroyed early on by the volcanic attack of the Mushed Mouth Ape.

But before tidying up his emotions, he thought about the wretched Snake Tongue.

Just think about it. The cloud world, a mysterious and marvelous place, was a great secret that his mother had hid for many years. Luo Nan didn't even have an outline, and he had tossed this wandering soul in here for ten days of torment.

What if Snake Tongue destroyed an extremely valuable clue? Or what if the clue was deliberately hidden or spread by Snake Tongue? Then what would Luo Nan do?

The more Luo Nan thought about it, the more anxious he became. Luo Nan resolved himself. He would find Snake Tongue. If she was alive, he wanted to see her personally. If she was dead, he wanted to see... If she was dead, he would need to see some convincing proof.

Luo Nan thought things over. He chose to follow a Mushed Mouth Ape and spend some time observing it before making a decision.

However, the shadowing didn't go smoothly. Luo Nan's chosen target wasn't the same one that had acted against him before. He had chosen randomly. The fellow was a bit smaller but as tough as nails. Luo Nan was out of range of the Mushed Mouth Ape's attack since he resided in the depths of the mental plane. However, the Mushed Mouth Ape was still able to detect him.

The long period of shadowing made the target react greatly. The Mushed Mouth Ape turned around to chase Luo Nan several times, but every time it failed to touch his true body. This caused it to turn extremely rash. It constantly circled around, refusing to cooperate.

Luo Nan was annoyed as well, but at the same time he couldn't help but let out a breath of admiration. It had such keen senses and possessed attacks that oppressed both the material and mental planes simultaneously. The realm accessible by the Mushed Mouth Ape was simply that of perfection.

From the intelligence obtained by the Society, every ability user would always be slightlyslanted because the natures of their abilities were different. Extraordinaries were an exception to this.

For instance, the Burners. The Format of Fire was able to strike the Human-Faced Arachnid, a Darksider life form, but it was somewhat lacking in destructive power on the material plane. Burners weren't like the Mushed Mouth Ape. The destructive power was astonishing no matter the plane. There was no clear loss in the conversion of energy.

As for how the Mushed Mouth Ape was able to do this, how much valuable experience was Luo Nan able to obtain with just a few moments of observation? Luo Nan did have the intention to study the Mushed Mouth Ape deeply, but it was hard to do. He could only drool at the Mushed Mouth Ape's technique.

Time passed like this, minutes and seconds ticking away. Luo Nan knew that it would be hard to discover clues pertaining to Snake Tongue if this were to continue on. He was about to change his train of thought, when a bizarre sensation spread over to him from the other side of the void.

It seemed to be a physical sensation of the fleshly body.

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Chapter 381: Drawing to a Full Stop

Chapter 381: Drawing to a Full Stop

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan confirmed that the connection between the soul and fleshly body still existed even though it passed through the void. It was just that the distortion was very intense. The connection was weaker than ever before. It was completely impossible to estimate the distance. Perception details also became problematic.

Luo Nan was somewhat panicked about the sensation coming from over there. Nothing else mattered. He worried the most about his aunt and uncle coming home and discovering a corpse on the bed. He would be sent straight to the hospital.

Even though Luo Nan had a thousand hopes to do a deep search in the cloud world and quickly ascertain traces of Snake Tongue being alive or not, his current life awaited at home. He had to kneel and give up right then.

The psychic intent stirred, and within the core of the Condensation Ring, the new form of the external neuron broadcasted the corresponding signal. The soul cloak changed its manner of interference and the world changed in an instant.

In the depths of the cloud layer, the Mushed Mouth Ape, that Luo Nan had been toying with for a long time, was hopping with fury. But the threat that was disturbing it for a while suddenly disappeared without a trace. It was as if the threat was never there in the first place.

This Mushed Mouth Ape was stupefied. It circled around in place for quite a while before angrily leaving.

Luo Nan returned to the normal world—back to a familiar place. It was exactly the same as last time. He was in the tree hole of the Withered Tree Sandbar a thousand meters away from the main building of Gear.

Sure enough, there was a clear and deliberately set method of entering and exiting the cloud world. Luo Nan felt both astonishment and respect to his mother's design from back in the day. Unfortunately, this son was unfilial, having casually thrown trash into the cloud world and causing an incident.

The sensation with his soul and fleshly body was much clearer now, and Luo Nan knew that it was just a false alarm. His aunt and uncle hadn't come home. Instead, his wristband was vibrating. Someone was trying to contact him.

However, if it were his aunt and uncle calling him, it would be quite the headache.

The wristband couldn't compare to the HexaEar. It didn't possess the telepathic function to answer a call from eighty kilometers away. Luo Nan knew that he had to go home. He made a circle around the tree hole, reluctant to part, and flew straight into the air. He felt Gear in the distance using his senses once more before soaring away.

Luo Nan set a new record in astral travel speed on his way back. It took him only four minutes to travel eighty kilometers. This meant that he had maintained a speed of 1200 kilometers per hour. He was infinitesimally close to the speed of sound.

Actually, it wasn't impossible for him to reach the speed of sound. It was just that Luo Nan didn't know what would happen to the external neuron if he were to break the sound barrier. So he acted with caution. He would experiment when he had the leisure.

Luo Nan returned home and hurriedly checked the incoming call. His soul easily returned back to his body, merging with it as one. Only then did he realize...

The external neuron!

The thought barely stirred but only then did he discover that the external neuron had returned to the depths of his head. It had even transformed back to its original form of a long thread of lightning. It spiraled and wound, forming the vehicle for the God Gear structure. It supported the vast ocean of soul strength.

How very automatic! If the Condensation Ring structure had come in instead...

Luo Nan shook his head in a fluster, getting rid of the thought of water entering his brain. He stood up and shook his neck then looked at the caller ID on the wristband.

It was impossible for Luo Nan to have picked up the first call. The caller had called two times before stopping. Luckily, it wasn't the people he was most worried about, his aunt and uncle. Instead it was someone familiar but unexpected.

Luo Nan blinked his eyes. It was actually Mo Han, also known as Sister Pomegranate, ranked 16th among the younger generation of his aunt and uncle's family. Luo Nan dialed back, his heart full of suspicion. Mo Han picked up the phone quickly, saying, "Hello, hello." She was in a very noisy environment.

"Pom... Sister Han, I was taking a shower just now, so I didn't have my wristband on me. Were you looking for me?" Luo Nan forcefully swallowed some dangerous words and smoothly uttered out some lies. He adopted the persona of a good boy.

Mo Han changed the environmental mode on her wristband and her voice became clear shortly after. Her mood seemed decent; she didn't bicker about whether Luo Nan telling the truth or not. She giggled and said, "I just confirmed with Peng 17. I will be there tomorrow night at seven on the dot. Little Nan, be prepared to receive me."

"Tomorrow?"

"Isn't it tomorrow?"

Fuck, I forgot about this tormenting matter!

Luo Nan gaped with his mouth, but the words of refusal never came out. Mo Han was a lively and swift girl. She was the middle child in the Mo Family, and she took Luo Nan to be a little brother to a certain degree. She even visited him in the hospital after the matter at Frost River Reality...

Speaking of the last time at Frost River Reality, why wasn't this sister even the least bit scared?

Ah, that's right. Their group of people were brought to the police station early on. Their impression of that night was merely that of a group brawl. There was a degree of separation when it came to finding out what happened through the news.

And so, was Luo Nan the only one with a mental shadow?

With feelings of absurdness, Luo Nan ended the call with Mo Han and gave Mo Peng a call. He hit Mo Peng with a question as soon as the call went through. "What the hell is with your endlessly expanding gaming team?"

Mo Peng shrieked from the other end, "You think I want her to come? We're clearly trying to get a group date going! Pomegranate coming along is the same as giving the rest of our family a pair of eyes to watch us! So you need to quickly find someone. Find a hot handsome man to distract her! You can't let her get in the way of our brotherly plan!"

"Plan your little sister!"

"I don't have a little sister. Find my older sister."

Luo Nan thought about Mo Ya, who was just about to head away again, and he immediately shivered. He spoke without a hint of politeness, "How many people are you bringing over? Which idiot spilled the beans?"

"Uh, you totally got me."

"..."

Luo Nan was so stupefied by the current situation that he wanted to cry. He simply hung up the phone and looked at the time. His aunt and uncle would be back home any minute. It was a bad time to go astral traveling again. He had to wait until night before making any further decisions.

He had drawn his soul body back, but Luo Nan's mind was still on the cloud area. He diligently pondered over how to quickly survey the geography and sky-shape to find Snake Tongue. He didn't have a clue for a time.

Luo Nan thought for a long while before changing angles. He remembered that there was a very important problem.

Where in the world was the cloud area?

Boundless thick clouds beyond common sense. A burning red glow that circulated between the cracks of the clouds. Powerful Mushed Mouth Ape flying back and forth... Every element was extremely distinct, but they were like a randomly drawn mask when gathered together. They were hard to distinguish.

These elements, which constituted a mask, went against the logic of reality. So much so that Luo Nan was even considering that the cloud area might be a place not of earth but of a fantasy world.

Luo Nan decided not to think about this idea of a fantasy world; he had to ponder the question from a realistic and observable perspective. He wouldn't mull over the thickness of the clouds, nor would he focus on the source of the bloody glow. He started from the Mushed Mouth Ape as he had observed it the most.

The Mushed Mouth Ape was undoubtedly a Mutant species. They had the tendency to gather, and they possessed powerful strength. According to Luo Nan's knowledge, high level Mutants' territorial instincts were quite powerful. Only a few of them were this powerful and formed communities, and the area where they resided was relatively fixed.

If Luo Nan could discover the real name of this species, there was a very high chance that he could determine where the cloud area was in this world.

Luo Nan gave it a shot. He took the image of the monster, turned it into a telepathic signal, and searched for it on the Psychic Wave Network. But he wasn't successful. There clearly wasn't any publicly available information.

Luo Nan had the idea of looking up classified information, but this would be much more troublesome. Right now the Xia City branch was gradually putting into practice a classified system. One must apply for permission to access classified material and use relevant resources.

Aside from an extremely small number of special material, the requirements weren't that high, but there would be access records left behind for future recourse.

It was said that this classification of the database was done after the branch exchanged large amounts of intelligence with the military. This was certainly done in accordance with He Yueyin's style. No matter what other people thought, He Yueyin was slowly but surely changing the way ability users of Xia City did things.

Luo Nan passively applied for the smart search service, but he suddenly came to his senses and canceled the application.

He was being somewhat selfish. He wasn't willing to divulge too much information about the cloud world... After all, he himself had yet to figure out his mother's legacy. Was it any good to make it known to everyone?

The more Luo Nan thought about protecting his mother's legacy, the more Snake Tongue's existence became a thorn in his mind. In any case, Luo Nan had to find that witch as quickly as possible!

Luo Nan nearly headed back to Gear filled with killing content, but reason ultimately prevailed. He couldn't go and resolve these issues before eating dinner, and so he forced these thoughts back down.

Luo Nan needed to adjust his mood. He thought for a bit, and applied for the privileges to access the database. He borrowed material, such as "The Great Encyclopedia of Mutants: Inner World Edition" and a few other resources in the form of images and writings pertaining to Mutants. He even fetched the video material of the mid-level training classes from last year. These were supplements to the teaching materials and notes that Papercut had sent him.

Until dinner was over, Luo Nan had to stay at home and act like a good boy. Using the precise and flexible Dripping Sword was actually a great way to pass the time.

Luo Nan didn't deny it. He now had very special feelings toward the Dripping Sword. The Condensation Ring was truly a great achievement, let alone the Dripping Sword itself and its efficiency.

It drew from the external neuron to form a backbone structure in converting soul strength to interference power, thereby forming the Soul Cloak. The Soul Cloak gave him the choice of applying the interference direction toward either the mental or material plane. It liberated Luo Nan from his frail fleshly body. Needless to say, Luo Nan had quite the feelings after entering the cloud world.

Once a person develops an intimate attachment to a certain technique, they also develop an amble drive. At first, Luo Nan only practiced the technique as a way to pass time, but then he started really studying it, and his level was subconsciously rising.

It was just that working on the core of the Condensation Ring's structure was the same as perfecting something that was already outstanding. The few auxiliary structures also had to be carefully pondered. Speaking of which, Luo Nan was very curious. After the external neuron has a 'divine rebirth' into the Condensation Ring, is it possible to add on auxiliary structures? If it is, then what sort of state and effects would occur?

As soon as these thoughts formed, Luo Nan simply entered the out-of-body state, and the Condensation Ring structure manifested from the void of his consciousness with a slight stir of intent. The structure was carved into the void, while the external neuron leaped out to follow the structure and wind itself into the form, seeming to possess intelligence.

Because the process was extremely short, Luo Nan found it hard to distinguish whether or not his consciousness was directly controlling the external neuron as it formed the Condensation Ring.

There was more. Luo Nan was able to faintly sense a subtle feeling from the center of the hollow structure of the Condensation Ring. It was from the cyclotron acceleration back within the atrium of Gear. It was the structure of the key that opened the door to the cloud world.

Holy cow! It had a memory function!

Luo Nan was truly convinced.

The structure in the center of the Condensation Ring was already below the nanometer scale. It was impossible for Luo Nan to study it with his current ability. Waves heaved in his mind twice before he returned to practicing the Dripping Sword.

Luo Nan first experimented. He took the three auxiliary structures of guiding, distancing, and accelerating and probed their characteristics. He pieced these characteristics together to discover more about the structural design of the Dripping Sword.

The distancing structure could be considered a regulator. It ensured that soul strength maintained continuity and stability in long-distance applications.

The accelerating structure was like the nitrogen oxygen acceleration system of a modified vehicle. It was responsible for explosive acceleration in bursts.

The guiding structure affected micro-operations. It increased the degree of sensitivity for operating the main structure.

The three structures complemented the basic Condensation Ring. Every time a structure was overlaid, the Condensation Ring would find an increase in both controllability and explosive power. As for the sharpening and exploding structures, these could be considered attack modules. They mainly acted upon the coalesced water bead. Luo Nan had yet to experiment with them.

Luo Nan was really worried that the Condensation Ring would reject these auxiliary structures after seizing a 'divine rebirth'. So he cautiously made room to try it out.

The early stages went well. The new version of the Condensation Ring easily accepted the few auxiliary structures. Although there were differences between the new and the old, control went rather smoothly.

But then right before he could feel delight, Luo Nan saw the Condensation Ring branch out with lightning. The lightning gushed into the three auxiliary structures and could only circulate for half a cycle before the auxiliary structure totally collapsed. It was hard for the structures to endure the lightning.

"Huh?" Luo Nan actually didn't feel any frustration when faced with this scene. He only felt a sense of familiarity.

Wasn't this situation exactly the same as when the external neuron first joined with the Condensation Ring? Luo Nan thought about the minute structure in the core of the Condensation Ring. Could it be? The new version of the Condensation Ring still had extra energy to also give the auxiliary structures a 'divine rebirth'?

Luo Nan carefully sensed the entire process of the auxiliary structures' annihilation. He knew the scene well, and he couldn't let the external neuron take all the blame. Actually, these few auxiliary structures were quickly made in practice. They weren't formed in careful polish like the Condensation Ring. The structures were far too rough, and their stability was insufficient. There was leakage everywhere as soon as the lightning channeled through them. There was no value to using these structures as models of reference.

In other words, to let the external neuron be a pampering uncle, Luo Nan would need to take these auxiliary structures and carve them with the utmost care. He had to make them beautiful and bright in order for it to work.

What defects these were!

Cursing was cursing. Luo Nan more or less expected this. This sort of precise and delicate painting style was really in line with his aesthetics. If he could really do it, wouldn't the end result be a Dripping Sword structure completely built from the external neuron?

Metal... Oh, actually Luo Nan didn't know what strange material the external neuron was made of. It wasn't really metal, but its pliable, tough, solid, and mailable constitution was like the sword-balls of novels.

It would be great fun to bring it out against an enemy. The enemy would believe it to be merely a bead of water, when actually it was a solid kernel. Its penetrative and destructive power would be increased by tenfold, no a hundredfold.

Uh, Luo Nan still needed to ponder over it some more. The external neuron was a very precious item. What if some almighty person takes it after he throws it out as a hidden weapon. Luo Nan would really find death to be preferable if that were to happen.

Luo Nan began a new round of practice with his mind tangled in these emotions. The five auxiliary structures far couldn't compare with the Condensation Ring in terms of their complexity. But to reach the required level of exquisiteness and precision was something that requires a large amount of hard practice.

Luo Nan's greater brilliance and fortune when compared to others lay here. His first step was to create the 'blue-grade' or 'purple-grade' Condensation Ring and use them as reference templates and as standards. The external neuron after a divine rebirth was the same as having a carrier and a test instrument that would never suffer from wear and tear.

The few auxiliary structures were all lacking in terms of precision. None of them could pass Luo Nan's subconscious standards. Even if one could fool past Luo Nan, the uncle that was the external neuron would feel that the quality of the housing was not enough. Lightning would burst forth from the structure, and the defective product would immediately disintegrate.

This was a grindy process. Luo Nan original intent was to pass the time until dinner, but he never thought he would waste so much time on these structures. Except for dinner time, Luo Nan spent four or five hours all the way until his evening session trying.

There was no other way. When one's brain was excited, one's focus was heightened. It wasn't easy to reverse direction.

And so, in this devil-like period of concentration, Luo Nan's two days of closed-door cultivation drew to a full stop.

End of Book 7

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Chapter 382: A Large Tonic (Part 1/2)

Book 8: The Hunt

Chapter 382: A Large Tonic (Part 1/2)

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan wasn't doing very well mentally the next day. He sat in the classroom, dispirited. It was as if his brain had dozed off during class. Half of whatever the teacher said didn't even enter his ears.

Xue Lei was only able to meet up with Luo Nan before the third class that day. He was very surprised by Luo Nan's state. "You broke your routine?"

"I was up all night," Luo Nan answered flatly.

He practiced the Dripping Sword all the way until midnight. Then, after his night session, he couldn't control himself and re-entered the out-of-body state. He walked through half the district, entered the cloud world from Gear, and continued the search for Snake Tongue. He was becoming more and more familiar with the environment there.

Luo Nan didn't obtain anything useful from his search. He didn't sleep the whole night. Instead, he tormented himself going back and forth. He could have became a lot more than just dispirited.

Xue Lei was a clever person. His first response was, "Did you push back your morning and night sessions?"

"I didn't," Luo Nan rolled his eyes and yawned.

Xue Lei spoke very seriously, "It doesn't matter that you did your sessions on time. Energy, blood, temperature, and consumption are very complex in their circulation. It’s very demanding on your body for you to be playing around like this. At least half the efficiency is lost."

"Then what should I do? Maybe I should just sleep during class. Can you keep a look out for me?"

"...All right."

Luo Nan tapped him, "You're a bad friend!"

Luo Nan's head was already buried into his arms before Xue Lei could retort. A few breaths passed, and Luo Nan was asleep.

Honestly, Luo Nan had experienced far too many unexpected changes even though he never stepped a foot out of his home the last two days. He had taken in far too much information and learned far too many things. His brain was already at its limits. He really couldn't take much more. In any case, this was a general class - such a huge auditorium gave him the best cover.

Before falling asleep, possibilities of being awakened during his sleep flashed within his mind. For instance, Xue Lei calling him, Peony calling out to begin a search mission, a call from the Society, and so on...

But it was hard to predict the future in this world. What woke him from his sleep wasn't any of the above elements, but rather a stimulation coming from the mental plane. It came from a place that was seemingly close, yet ungraspable.

"The Wraith Sign?" Luo Nan's mind grasped the most crucial element, but before he could really understand this thread, a searing sensation suddenly exploded. The sensation followed the invisible connection on the mental plane, rumbling as it struck the God Gear.

The situation was akin to a meteorite plummeting through the sky and slamming atop a vast ocean glacier. The God Gear shook greatly, upheaving massive waves of soul strength. Several tidal surges were instantly formed, and they came pouring down.

"Whoa!"

Luo Nan was truly caught off guard, but the frame of the God Gear, constructed from the external neuron, remained quite stable. However, the feeling of pain and danger brought upon by the impact was true and real. Luo Nan screamed, and every single one of his muscles tensed, then exploded forward. His entire body jumped into the air.

Luo Nan's knee slammed against the bottom of his desk. The desk and chairs of the auditorium were fixed against the ground. Luo Nan's entire body crumpled into the shape of a shrimp after the large bang. He hugged his knee, sitting back down.

This gave Xue Lei, who was beside him, a scare. Xue Lei's first reaction was to jump over and act as a shield - he believed that Luo Nan had suffered from an assassination attempt from Headquarters or another organization of similar power. He had to prevent a second attack from landing.

The auditorium went quiet, and the lecturer on stage spoke coldly, "What are you two doing?"

The low murmurs that had filled the auditorium rapidly grew into an uproar of laughter in the next three seconds. The classroom discipline collapsed in an instant.

As one of the best schools in Xia City, Acumen College was never a place where one could spend their days in leisure, but the classroom discipline didn't go as far as to be like the military. Acumen College's method when dealing with rambunctious students was to penalize them with point deductions on exams for conduct and stringency.

For students like Luo Nan, who disrupted the auditorium or Xue Lei, who had jumped up in a manner as oppressive as a mountain. Not simply letting the blade fall and kill the chicken to warn the monkey was simply unfair to the class at hand.

The lecturer on stage was a middle-aged woman in her forties. Her facial features spelled good-nature, but her expression turned callous when taking in Luo Nan and Xue Lei’s unruly behavior.

"Get off. I'm fine!"

Luo Nan struggled free from Xue Lei's grip, enduring the pain in his knee. This was none other than the scene he saw when he stood up. Luo Nan was more weary than ever. His reactions were quite lacking compared to how he was usually, leading him to become slow at speech. Luo Nan could only remain in his dumbfounded stance. He could do nothing else.

Xue Lei was more or less the same as before. He had yet to switch out of his bodyguard role!

At this moment, the young female teacher's assistant walked over to the lecturer's side. She whispered a few words, and the middle-aged female lecturer's anger was seemingly mollified. The lecturer said coldly,

"Can the two students please stand up."

Luo Nan and Xue Lei glanced at each other before standing up obediently.

"Your names."

Both Luo Nan and Xue Lei had accepted their fate. The spoke their names with their heads lowered, their voices a bit muffled.

The female lecturer didn't care. She merely said, "You two students. If one of you isn't feeling well, you can go to the infirmary. Get treated as soon as possible. There is no need to affect the other students during class."

"Yes, yes, he's gone a bit hysterical. I'll take him right away..." Xue Lei finally came to. He simply ad-libbed a story of Luo Nan being a mental patient with him as his assistant. He helped Luo Nan step down the stairs as the group of students laughed.

Luo Nan's knee really was injured. He limped as the two left the auditorium in a sorry manner, neither of them daring to raise their heads.

Right as they left, Luo Nan's dazed mind recovered. He noticed something. The young teacher's assistant who talked to the lecturer, was actually someone familiar.

Tian Si.

Luo Nan and Tian Si never made contact after the incident at Ocean Sky Cloud City. Luo Nan assumed that Tian Si needed some time to sort out her emotions, but he never thought that they would meet again in such circumstances...

It was an inappropriate time to say hello. Luo Nan and Xue Lei hurried away, but the end-of-class bell rang before the elevator could reach them. Luo Nan only realized it after Xue Lei - this was the final class for the morning.

This fact really hurt Luo Nan. It wasn't worth causing this much trouble for the sake of a few minutes.

Luo Nan's wristband vibrated at this time, revealing the caller ID.

Luo Nan answered the call in a hurry, "Senior Sister Tian, thank you for just now."

The caller was none other than Tian Si. Her tone was graceful and calm, like a friend who one often had contact with, "It's nothing. Professor Wu has a good character. She asked for your names, but didn't scan through the class system. She just wanted to give a warning. Otherwise, you would get points deducted due to conduct."

"That was thanks to Senior Sister's help. Let me treat you to a meal later."

Luo Nan had spoken without thinking, suddenly feeling that his words sounded very familiar. It seemed that he had said such things more than once in recent days. Actually, this was quite normal. His interpersonal relationships became more complicated as his social circle increased in size. It was inevitable for there to be social niceties. What else could he say besides words like these?

The moment that these thoughts formed in Luo Nan's mind, Tian Si sighed quietly and said, "It’s just a small matter. If you're thanking me like this, how can I thank you?"

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Chapter 383: A Large Tonic (Part 2/2)

Chapter 383: A Large Tonic (Part 2/2)

Translator: Strivon

Oh right, this was in line with the perspective of a victim from Ocean Sky Cloud City...

Though these were Luo Nan's thoughts, Luo Nan felt quite affectionate when he heard Tian Si's sigh. His mind became much more lively and quick-witted than usual. He immediately laughed and said, "Then Senior Sister can take me out for a meal as well."

Tian Si responded extremely quickly, "Tonight?"

"Tonight?" Luo Nan started, "Tonight I have an event..."

"Really?"

Suspicion could clearly be read in Tian Si's tone and perhaps even a bit of disappointment as well. This made Luo Nan feel quite embarrassed.

The gears churned in Luo Nan's brain, and he suddenly came up an idea, "Oh, that's right, why don't you come tonight as well, Senior Sister?”

Tian Si was surprised, "You're inviting me?"

"Yes, actually you know everyone who's going. It's Mo Peng, Mo Peng...Remember them?"

"They're your cousins, right? Last time at Frost River Reality..."

Her voice suddenly dropped, while Luo Nan's brain was becoming more and more perceptive. He knew that Tian Si was afraid that things would be awkward. After all, the last outing was actually meant as an chance to establish relations between Luo Nan's third older cousin, Mo Qiu, and Tian Si. It seemed that such an outcome did not occur and would certainly not happen in a second attempt.

Well, such a slip was inevitable with Luo Nan's level of social communication ability. He really didn't know how to remedy the situation, but Tian Si chuckled and said,

"All right then. I'll just bring along Tian Qi - he's closer in age with you all. Last time he had a decent time. I heard that he still keeps in contact with your family."

"Oh, so such a thing was happening." It didn't matter whether Tian Si was telling the truth or not, as long as she didn't mind going. Luo Nan let out a breath of relief. Such plans, from his perspective, could be considered as killing two birds with one stone.

Mo Han and Mo Peng were both devil incarnates. There should be some older people around to give them pressure. From their experience of the get-together with Tian Si and Mo Qiu, the inclusion of Tian Si would create an awkward atmosphere. Let's see how those two fellows will deal with this!

Uh, weren't these thoughts of Luo Nan a bit despicable?

Luo Nan ended the call with Tian Si and shook his head. His thoughts took another turn, his expression darkening. Tonight's event was a small matter. The exceptional power and its information that the Wraith Sign just transmitted over was the crucial problem that needed to be understood.

It stood to reason that the Wraith Sign still resided within the Bloodflame Order. People let it 'graze' everyday; they let it consume other Human-Faced Arachnid clones to strengthen itself. In the objective of city safety, the Wraith Sign was simply a top notch street cleaner.

Such actions by the Wraith Sign had brought on quite a bit of trouble to Luo Nan in the past. It imbalanced the road of between his body and soul, making it a longer walk.

However, ever since Luo Nan built a clear-cut frame of body and soul—the coupled rotation of the God Gear and Bloodflame Order—the negative effects brought upon by the sudden hunt and consumption of the Wraith Sign grew smaller and smaller. Luo Nan was more than happy to let it reside in the Bloodflame Order, so it could collect bits of secret information.

But in that very moment, it could be said that the explosion on the mental plane was the most intense impact that Luo Nan had ever received from the Wraith Sign.

According to Luo Nan's estimate, the fluctuations from the turmoil in that very instant spelled the Wraith Sign encountering a powerful foe. The Wraith Sign had unleashed its full power and had emerged victorious. It ate its fallen foe, causing an impact that was akin to a meteor striking the earth.

The true intensity of the link lasted only an instant. Luo Nan didn't have the time to see it; he missed it just like that. Then there was the awkward event in the auditorium, which distracted him. By the time Luo Nan had the leisure to pay attention to what was happening with the Wraith Sign, the Wraith Sign had already calmed down.

Luo Nan was only able to see the Bloodflame Order's herder from the Wraith Sign's perspective. It was none other than Elder Mo Lun. He was in the form of a soul, appearing as a body of black smoke. He flew with haste, and Luo Nan could see that his smokey body, which was hard to pick out, was unstable. He was in a sorry state, having likely been injured.

Luo Nan had looked up information on this Elder Mo Lun recently. He knew that Elder Mo Lun was a backbone force of the Bloodflame Order. He dual-cultivated in the very rare combination of spellcasting and martial arts. At his peak, he was an existence that made even Extraordinaries raise their eyebrows.

It must be stated that Elder Mo Lun wasn't even sixty; he was in his robust years. He should be at his peak. Unfortunately, he had received a critical internal injury during the division of his Order. Things were no longer smooth for him. It became even harder for him to break through the boundary to become an Extraordinary. His bodily functions rapidly declined, causing him to rely on spellcasting techniques to support the organization.

Though these were Elder Mo Lun's circumstances, Elder Mo Lun was able to suppress an elite of the Society, Mr. Bai. He was quite amazing, really pushing Mr. Bai into a sense of urgency. The martial power from the ignition of life force and the summoning of the Bloodflame Will was extremely terrifying.

So therein lies the problem: who was able to injure this experienced B-rank ability user? Back then during their encounter, He Yueyin had relied on the Psychic Wave Network to summon a long-ranged attack from President Ouyang - even that attack didn't result in this much damage.

If the enemy Elder Mo Lun encountered really was on President Ouyang's level, then it would be impossible for the Wraith Sign to prevail in combat, let alone consume the enemy.

Right, so then what did it eat?

Luo Nan's God Gear structure was gradually stabilizing, but it was still affected by the impact. The vast ocean iceberg's water level continued to sharply increase, along with a wonderful sensation of a sudden rise in temperature. Luo Nan observed this for a moment, and he discovered that there were two different sources of force clashing in conflict. They affected each other.

"Clearly the Wraith Sign hadn't swallowed another clone of the Human-Faced Arachnid. It had swallowed something else, and the difference in nature was quite large. Much effort was required to digest it after the forceful consumption..."

Luo Nan made a series of reasoned assumptions, but he wasn't able to come to a conclusion.

It must be known that the thing understood as the Wraith Sign possessed a nature of chaos. It moved purely based on instinct. It only lives in the present, possessing zero concept of past or future, let alone relevant memories. Plus, Luo Nan didn't know how to examine the memories of his believers. Even if he did know, he wouldn't be able to begin. He could only stare blankly at the stealthy escape of Mo Lun and the Wraith Sign.

There wasn't anything he could do. He just set a reminder with the Wraith Sign. He would immediately shift his consciousness over whenever a significant change occurred with it. He wanted to clarify the situation.

Lunch time was extremely tight yet precious for Luo Nan and Xue Lei. Naturally, they would politely decline going to the school hospital. After Luo Nan's knee clotted up, the two ate lunch and went to their midday classes.

Luo Nan was currently cultivating in the eyes’ orifice. Now there was the addition of the mouth and tongue orifice, the inner organs needed to be attended to as well. His cultivations required more time. After everything was done, he had only a moment to nap. He closed his eyes for what felt like a blink and it was now time for class. It was hard for him not to feel emotional. Yes, it could be said that he had some complaints.

"Three sessions. One in the morning, one midday, and one in the evening. It's not easy to stick with this schedule. The time in a day is split into three sections by the three sessions. It'd be great if I can concentrate fully on cultivation, but a minor change can make it hard to complete just two sessions..."

"So do you know why many martial artists like to go into seclusion upon reaching a certain level? It is to avoid being disturbed by the external world to the greatest degree. In any case, since you're cultivating in this world, you will be influenced by the turbidity of it. How can you expect to keep the working routine and have everything be smooth sailing? However, you must not use these words as an excuse."

"I know already discipline, brother!" Luo Nan groaned. He stretched on the electric shuttle, the bone, flesh, and tendons of his entire body crackled as they tightened.

The restlessness didn’t go away, and the vast ocean iceberg was a bit lacking in stability due to the rising temperature. However, when it coupled with the Body Gear, the interference power formed was much more livelier than before.

Luo Nan proceeded with his midday session of cultivation. He felt the heart lantern burn luminously, his spiritual pond overflowing along with the rise and fall of his vital energy. It was as if a stream was formed from the spring sun thawing snow. It seemed warm yet cold, and the stream would wrap around the inner organs. The refinement process became three times more effective, having been nourished by the stream.

This was the sign of that the mouth, tongue, and eyes orifice working together in harmony. Luo Nan originally felt that he needed ten days to achieve this -- he never thought he would have results so soon. Not even three days had passed.

Luo Nan couldn't avoid thinking about the 'large tonic' that the Wraith Sign had consumed, and wondering if it was correlated.

From the signs that were present over Luo Nan's body, Xue Lei nodded over and over as he heard them, "Tempering the fleshly body is indeed the entry way. We will practice sanshou, Chinese boxing, this afternoon and exchange some blows."

Luo Nan shot a glance at Xue Lei's arm, which could be a match for his thigh in size, and didn't continue with this topic. He just asked, "Tonight at the large activity area. Frost River Reality. You're coming, right?"

Xue Lei obviously wouldn't refuse. He even reminded Luo Nan, "Don't cause trouble. Make sure you go home early."

"Make what trouble!" Luo Nan shrugged, "All right, then let's first meet at Gear."

"First practice sanshou," Xue Lei emphasized again.

"I have class today."

"Isn't 'Notes on the Major Characters of the World' the only one left?"

"It's a new class," Luo Nan blinked. He reached a hand to grasp the air. A small bead of water was in his hand when he opened it again. It appeared to be stuck to his palm, but it was actually floating. It whirled and spun.

There were only two more courses for school in the afternoon. They involved writing, and Luo Nan wasn't really interested in them. He didn't pay much attention to the specific details during class. He just made subtle movements with his fingers, causing the small water bead to revolve between them.

This water bead wasn't the external neuron in the form of a divine rebirth. It was coalesced later. The total set of the Condensation Ring and the five auxiliary structures roamed around his fingers. It was like a dull blade slashing against his skin, yet it looked like it could crumble at any time.

This was not a misconception. If Luo Nan were to brush the water bead with force from his fingers, then the result would simply be akin to detonating a bomb at his fingertips. He would suffer some.

Luo Nan's physical control was quite lacking. He would certainly suffer a setback if he exceeded the time limit. The better method of training was to rely solely on using the mind to control. It was one of the small skills for daily cultivation that Her Majesty Empress Wu had taught in Xia City branch's mid-level training course. However, Luo Nan's mind wasn't completely focused on it right now.

After the Wraith Sign sent the signal to Luo Nan, the unlucky Elder Mo Lun experienced an hour or so of torment in his escape before finally returning to a secret rest point. He began to communicate with others.

He was at a large fitness center of a senior member's suite. The interior decoration of the room was mostly in a mauve color, and the lighting was a bit dim, bringing a bit of an exotic atmosphere.

Aside from the two wooden chairs in the corner, most of the space in this decently sized room was filled with exercise equipment. There were yoga mats, treadmills, bicycles, ellipticals, and so on. There was even a small swimming pool in the corner. Elder Mo Lun's fleshly body was already there. He sat naked and cross-legged in the swimming pool.

But Mo Lun's soul didn't return back to its body. Though returning back to his body would aid in the recovery of his injured soul, it would also make his fleshly body worse with its hidden injuries. Mo Lun could only endure it for now.

Mo Lun's soul just floated in the center of the room with the Wraith Sign at his side. Of the two wooden chairs in the room, one of them was left unused. It was left for Mo Lun. It was a display of respect even though he wasn't sitting in it.

There were six people gathered here, core members of the Order who had received the information. Having seen each one of these people on and off over the past month through the Wraith Sign, Luo Nan was able to recognize and identify all of them.

The person who sat in the other wooden chair was the current First Oblatum of the Bloodflame Order—Lady Halder.

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Chapter 384: Bloodflame Order

Chapter 384: Bloodflame Order

Translator: Strivon

Lady Halder was a woman who gave off a deep impression. Luo Nan wasn't the sort to be good at recognizing people -- being a homebody and all -- but he was never able to forget her from when he first saw her.

Yes, Luo Nan was forced to admit that Lady Halder had an excellent figure. She was in her forties, and right now she wore a wool-knitted dress of deep violet. The stockings of the same color was the perfect match for her black suede high heels. She donned an easy-going hair bun atop her head with a few locks of hair falling down the sides of her forehead. She was graceful yet decisive, like a dame who has been of eminent status for a long while.

She possessed facial features that were a bit western, as well as a still and secluded gaze coming from deep eye sockets. A strange and slender blood mark could be seen on her right cheek, giving her a callous and unyielding aura. She appeared to be more like a long practiced and successful career woman upon deeper inspection.

Indeed, she was a business queen in the normal world. The high-grade fitness center where everyone was at was one of her businesses. She inherited the Citadel Financial Group from her late husband, rapidly expanding the business over the past ten years. The Citadel Financial Group owned the shares of several well-known fashion and exercise brands. In the domain of entertainment and fitness, she held a shocking influence that grew larger time and time again.

Luo Nan had looked up her information before. Lady Halder was a legendary person in Xia City. During the dark era of the Bloodflame Order with their internal divide, the First Oblatum at the time retreated during the chaos that stemmed from a clash of doctrines. This lead to the Order's sacrificial vessel to be destroyed, causing irreparable damage to the Order.

During this matter of life or death, it was none other than this lady who cut down the skull of this First Oblatum, her predecessor and her husband. She was able to resist the fierce whiplash from the Bloodflame Will thanks to her absolute conviction. Within the raging blood-flame, she succeeded the throne to become the First Oblatum. She relied on her rapidly expanding financial resources in the normal world to stabilize the Order during its weakest period, forcing this branch of the Bloodflame Order to continue on.

The bizarre mark of blood on her right cheek was the remnant of the Bloodflame Will's ultimate ordeal. It was evidence of her hair-raising achievement from the past.

She was famously known as the Black Widow in the inner world, having decapitated her husband. She was infamous, but her prestige was unparalleled within this branch of the Bloodflame Order. Practically everyone was overawed by her unyielding nature and her iron blood. Mo Lun, an elder, was extremely respectful to her.

Right now only Lady Halder was sitting down in the room; everyone else was standing. Second Oblatum Yin Le, who Luo Nan had once crossed paths with before, was leaning against a treadmill down the corridor in the neighboring room. Her body language expressed that she was at great ease..

She started out as Lady Halder's crucial secretary. Though she no longer held a position in the financial group, she was the person in charge of the Frost River Reality project, as assigned by the financial group. The position was humble yet important in the normal world, and within the Bloodflame Order, she was one of the successors who Lady Halder paid great attention to.

In addition to Yin Le, there was a muscular man standing respectfully by Lady Halder's right side. He too was a critical character in the Order. His name was Meng Chong, and he was a trusted agent who had followed Lady Halder since the beginning of her career. He once served as captain of security.

There was unreliable intelligence that he was Lady Halder's lover, but above all, none could deny that Meng Chong was powerful. He was the only person to survive the ultimate ordeal of the Bloodflame Will in this branch of the Bloodflame Order, aside from Lady Halder and Elder Mo Lun. It was reasonable to say that his body contained monstrous power, but he was extremely low-key. He never participated in any rankings. It was hard to determine an accurate assessment of him.

There were three other people. One was an old man with a rather pedant air. He was another elder of the Order, Elder Jiang Yuanzhen, and he was proficient in the original doctrines. He was around a dozen years older than Mo Lun, but he was more of an expert in theoretical work. His qualifications in the order were slightly worse than that of Mo Lun.

Jiang Yuanzhen used to be play the scholarly-grandpa role, but his status in the Order was later raised by Lady Halder. Though he was useless in terms of combat power, his and Mo Lun's existence made this branch of the Order give off some 'orthodox' ambiance during the present era of destroyed sacrificial vessels and clashes of powerful ideals.

This old gentlemen was currently the most worried out of all them. What he worried wasn't the injured Mo Lun, but the candidate for becoming the sacrificial vessel, the Wraith Sign. Of course, they called it the 'mold' in the Bloodflame Order.

"How is the mold? Mo Lun, do you have any confirmed news? What the hell did you do?"

Jiang Yuanzhen expressed himself in a very impatient yet lost manner. He was a standard theorist, while his innate supernatural power placed him on the level of C- rank.

The Order had performed observational experiments on the Human-Faced Arachnid. Under normal circumstances, a clone of the Human-Faced Arachnid resided on the boundary zone between the abyssal region and the absolute realm of the mental plane. This was a domain that only Extraordinaries or a B-rank ability user specialized in mental sensing was privileged to. It was absolutely impossible for the typical ability user to even perceive it. The Human-Faced Arachnid only approached the material plane when it sought to capture its prey.

Actually, in the strict sense, there wasn't anyone currently in the Bloodflame Order who fulfilled either one of those criterion. Lady Halder had used a special channel to obtain the herding technique. It was this technique that allowed them to capture a Human-Faced Arachnid clone and create the mold for a sacrificial vessel from it.

Within the core characters of the Order, only Lady Halder, Elder Mo Lun, Second Oblatum Yin Le, and Ren Hong were able to utilize this powerful technique. None other than these four people could see the Wraith Sign under normal conditions.

Mo Lun couldn't stand the old fellow. He was unwilling to respond. Lady Halder didn't volunteer to respond either, as she was deep in thought. Yin Le, on the other hand, was just about to respond, but Ren Hong, who stood close to Jiang Yuanzhen, opened his mouth a step earlier.

"Old Jiang, the mold is very normal right now. It is digesting its food, and the structure of the Bloodsoul Temple is becoming more complete. The sound of the Bloodflame is extremely clear."

Ren Hong was very close to Lady Halder in age. He was in his forties, and he had a very ordinary appearance, but his words and actions were mature and proper. Normally he hid the key facts, like not showing the mountain nor revealing the water. But when he preached, he possessed quite an inciting power. He was a backbone of the Order, purely relying on the business of the Order to rise up. He often discussed theories and preaching methods with Jiang Yuanzhen, so they had quite a close relationship.

Jiang Yuanzhen didn't have any apprehension with Ren Hong. At his age, he treated Ren Hong like a little kid. He grabbed Ren Hong, like how one would snatch a toy, and said agitatedly, "Let me hear! Let me hear!"

Ren Hong gave Lady Halder a helpless glance. Lady Halder's eyes were slightly closed, a sign of approval.

"Don't take too long!"

Ren Hong gave him a warning before grabbing Jiang Yuanzhen by the wrist. He adjusted the frequency of the soul strength fluctuations and drew Jiang Yuanzhen's soul strength within. He acted as an amplifier, allowing Jiang Yuanzhen to be able to hear the sound coming from the depths of the mental plane.

"Blood! Blood! Blood!"

"Flame! Flame! Flame!"

The impetus and monotonous sound continued on without end. It was like a gradually rising platform. It pressed from the mental plane, piling layers upon layers with no signs of stopping at all. Yet, because it come from nothingness, there was always the risk of collapse. Hearing this sound for too long would cause the inner organs to spasm and contract.

But Jiang Yuanzhen listened to this sound with great ease, as if he was listening to nature. His eyebrows were raised high from laughing so hard. "Oh man, oh man. It's like the mold ate a large tonic pill. The Bloodsoul Temple's two thousand one hundred and twenty steps, the Bloodflame Dao. Right now there's..."

"One thousand seven hundred and fifty-five steps," Ren Hong confirmed the number instantly. Then he said, "Time's up."

"What, so fast?" Jiang Yuanzhen wanted to act dumb, but Ren Hong gently yet firmly rejected Jiang Yuanzhen's request. Ren Hong even pulled some distance from Jiang Yuanzhen. Jiang Yuanzhen wanted to continue to pester him for a moment, but Ren Hong used his eyes to remind Jiang Yuanzhen that the First Oblatum was present.

Jiang Yuanzhen was hand-picked by Lady Halder. He was scared of her. His cheeks twitched, and in the end, he didn't drag the issue. He turned to give Lady Halder a smile, then he raised a finger as he did some calculations. "Last time Mo Lun notified the number of steps to be one thousand five hundred and sixty-nine. Oh man, one hundred and eighty-six steps in an instant?"

Yin Le added, "Old Jiang, there was another successful hunt last week that wasn't announced. There were already one thousand six hundred and five steps at the time."

"One hundred and fifty steps is far too much. Especially since the final part of the Bloodflame Dao occurs after the one thousand six hundredth step. Though these steps can't compare to the very last one hundred and twentieth steps, the Blood Altar...it isn't easy to build these steps... What in the world did the mold consume to possess this much energy?"

If Luo Nan hadn't been spying on the high-level communications within the Bloodflame Order through the Wraith Sign recently, then he would have certainly been confused about the whole ordeal going on right now.

Actually, the so-called Bloodflame Dao was the Bloodflame Order's quantitative measure of the Bloodsoul Temple implanted within the body of the Human-Faced Arachnid. It was divided into six levels with every four hundredth step forming a section for the first five stages. The final stage of ascension consisted of the last one hundred and twenty steps.

Though this was a quantization, there were visual associations to these steps.

The hell-like structure of lava that was internalized within the Wraith Sign had its center built upon layer by layer. They looked like mountain peaks formed from the piling of cooled lava. The mountain peaks rolled and turned and consisted of many pores from the mountain rocks. Magma trickled in and out from within; a molten river that constantly changed the terrain of the mountain.

But no matter the changes, there were majestic and marvelous structures separated by the varying heights of the mountain. Some were palaces, some were caves. They were structures of the mountain, combined together into one whole.

This was the embryonic form of the Bloodsoul Temple. There were buildings formed everywhere, representing the completion of the fourth stage. The following fifth stage was the formation of an altar at the summit.

The sixth and final stage was none other than the last hundred and twenty steps -- the Blood Altar. Through the Blood Altar, the Bloodflame Will would be internalized into the entire mountain, forming the complete Bloodsoul Temple.

Luo Nan lacked a deep understanding of secret orders, but just by

looking through his senses, the whole process seem to be quite ordinary with its gradual advancement. Aside from grazing, the endless sacrificial offerings, refinement, and both mysterious and intrinsic magics embodied the Bloodflame Order's accumulation of power.

Jiang Yuanzhen was an internal member of the Bloodflame Order. He didn't look at things as simply as someone like Luo Nan might. Jiang Yuanzhen was constantly worried about the Bloodsoul Temple. "The first two-thousand steps are fine. It's the last hundred and twenty that are the hardest. Just based on the size of our Order right now, giving sacrificial offerings day in and day out is still somewhat a strain. If only we could have more offerings like this..."

Ren Hong concurred, "That is so true. The Order of Justice started earlier than us. It is said that they've sent a Human-Faced Arachnid clone to their headquarters even before the incident with An Weng. In other words, it is very hard to gather complete Human-Faced Arachnids no matter how much one herds in Xia City. It is hard to avoid asking others in order to allow the mold to grow. Currently, it appears that the mold's ability to devour has some considerable room to grow, which is good."

Yin Le was a bit more pessimistic, "It is still difficult to judge on a case-by-case basis."

Jiang Yuanzhen's hands clapped together, "We need to ask Mo Lun. This time was dangerous, but to truly seek a road to aid the blood sacrifice requires endless beneficence."

As his voice fell, a mass of light and shadow unfurled out from the center of the room. Mo Lun hadn’t been part of the conversation, but he was able to have the core members of the Order understand his current situation through an image. This image was formed by first transforming memory into energy and information that could be read by special equipment. The special equipment then transformed it into an image.

Mo Lun's act of recreating memory appeared to be a simple action. In fact, it was nothing for someone like him: a profound researcher of the mind and soul. Mo Lun's powerful and efficient skills made Luo Nan feel rather inferior.

The changes of light and shadow were the re-creation of Mo Lun's experience at the time. It was hard to avoid the processing distortions caused by the subconscious thanks to human beings' thought characteristics, but this re-creation was still good enough to be used as a reference.

The scene of the incident was very familiar to Luo Nan. He thought carefully for a bit, then he was able to recognize that it was the recycling stratum of the Dual River District. Gangs were rampant here, and negative emotions were aplenty. This was the most optimal place to be for a Human-Faced Arachnid.

Mo Lun briefly introduced the background. He transmitted his voice directly via thought using the mental plane. Due to the mental connection between Mo Lun and the Wraith Sign, Luo Nan was able to hear Mo Lun clearly.

"Back then I was just doing the routine hunting rounds when the mold suddenly became very excited. I thought it had found prey, so I immediately approached. But all I saw was a bird..."

"It can't be a bird, right?" Jiang Yuanzhen wielded his age to speak quite casually to Mo Lun.

Mo Lun didn't bicker with him. He just responded normally, "Actually, I discovered it wasn't a bird when I got closer. It was a Winghand Bloodbat."

Winghand Bloodbat!

Actually, Luo Nan was already stupefied when he saw the image. Mo Lun's commentary just confirmed it for him.

It truly was a Winghand Bloodbat. Luo Nan had participated in the Trigate Security meeting last week, and this Mutant was the first thing they introduced. Luo Nan's impression still ran quite deep. He knew that this thing possessed a highly infectious virus of the mutation type. With the virus, it can even control living beings and Mutants. The Winghand Bloodbat was an extremely large threat. The premium for this thing out of Trigate Security's offered rewards was ranked among the best.

This can't be a coincidence, right?

Luo Nan found such an amazing coincidence hard to accept. However, he found it even harder to imagine that this sort of dangerous Mutant still had different channels to enter and leave Xia City so easily. If so, then the world would truly have a crisis on its hands...

If the Wraith Sign had truly devoured one of the targets mentioned by Trigate Security, would there be anything left over of the Winghand Bloodbat? Trigate Security's had said to capture them alive or to see proof of its death. They emphasized this as the utmost importance!

Well, whether it be the Wraith Sign or Mo Lun in his out-of-body state, they both hung about on the mental plane. Even if they killed a Winghand Bloodbat, they wouldn't be able to take the dead body with them.

Luo Nan immediately became excited. He stared at the scene of the light and shadow, trying to find surrounding landmarks to confirm the location.

However, as Luo Nan carefully observed the continuous re-creation of the scene through light and shadow, he felt that something was off. Yet, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

Jiang Yuanzhen was quite astonished, "Was it really a Winghand Bloodbat? How did it enter the city? The city defense forces must have gone blind... Oh, it seems that there's something different with this one?"

Mo Lun responded, "Actually, there are some differences between that one and the variety in the Wilderness. I've been suspecting that this thing isn't really a Winghand Bloodbat."

The image of light and shadow gave them all a close-up view. Immediately, whether it was the core members of the Bloodflame Order or Luo Nan located a couple districts away, everyone was able to see the problem.

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Chapter 385: New Species

Chapter 385: New Species

Translator: Strivon

"It's way too thin!" Jiang Yuanzhen was the one who spoke again, and his words were spot on.

This Winghand Bloodbat was thinner than the ones Luo Nan had seen in video by a factor. Though it had been a few days, Luo Nan still remembered the material provided by Trigate Security. There was a scene where countless Winghand Bloodbats were flying around under the setting sun. They weren't large in size, but each one of them were savage and burly canine beasts. Their claws were sharp, their muscles bulged and their skin was smooth, for they lacked hair. They were darker in color from normal bats, but one could tell their strength from how hard they could flap their wings. Just one glance would tell anyone that the Winghand Bloodbat wasn't a beast to be trifled with.

However, this Winghand Bloodbat encountered by Mo Lun appeared to have had development problems. Its wingspan was twenty centimeters at most, and it was withered and thin. There was only its eyes, blood-red, giving off an air of extreme madness.

It wasn't even eleven-thirty in the morning when it happened at the recycling stratum. The sun was pretty much at its peak, the time when its light covered the most area. This Winghand Bloodbat fluttered between the light and shadows formed by the sun. It made a bizarre sound, “bulabula”, as it flapped its webbed wings.

It was in breeding season according to Trigate Security's data. It obviously wouldn't be able to find the same species of the opposite sex within the scope of Xia City. This made it all the more impatient. Perhaps it was none other than these emotions that attracted the Human-Faced Arachnid into considering it a target. The Wraith Sign immediately pounced over in the same impatient manner.

Unfortunately, these two vicious creatures weren't dealing with the topic of breeding, but rather in a battle between life and death.

A normal person would at most see the shadow of a bat spiraling in the sky. They were unable to see the deeper mysteries, but with the light and shadow, Mo Lun’s memories at that time were recreated. The level of detail was quite rich.

This was also Luo Nan's first time seeing the memories of an ability user on the mental plane. He was unable to take his eyes off of them.

The clash between the two sides exploded in an extremely direct manner.

The Wraith Sign revealed its Human-Faced Arachnid body, a treacherous form with six eyes and eight legs, and it unleashed a chaotic and berserk mental attack. The Winghand Bloodbat reactions were a bit late, but its counter attack was also quite fierce. It didn't use its claws or any material weapons. Its pair of blood-colored eyes just darkened, and a bloody mist surrounded its body. A thousand human faces could be seen within this storm of mist, as well as aberrant specters woven within. The scene was treacherous and savage.

Such a scene was far beyond everyone's expectations. Though Jiang Yuanzhen knew that this was a mere recreation of the scene, he still let out a gasp over in the gym.

The perspective drew close, making it apparent that Mo Lun was extremely startled at the time. He had subconsciously drew closer for observation.

The Wraith Sign revealed inconceivable battle instincts. When faced with the bloody mist, it instantly withdrew its explosive mental attack, and the void around its body warped. Perhaps it was due to how much the Bloodsoul Temple had formed within it; this was a sign of interfering with the material world.

Its momentum appeared to have weaken, but its mysteries were boundless, and it sought a distant victory. It was simply like a miniature black hole.

The clash between the two sides proved this: the bloody mist collided along the edge of the warped space and warped involuntarily, losing the imposing flame-like vigor. Instead, the bloody mist became trapped. It was being consumed. Not much remained after a breath's time.

As for the Wraith Sign, its demonic body expanded by a factor. Luo Nan believed this to be the exact moment when the Wraith Sign sent over the 'meteor'.

By this point in the situation, it was practically the Wraith Sign's overwhelming victory. However, no one ever expected the Winghand Bloodbat to counterattack when it had already lost most of its bloody mist. It invoked its savage nature, and its thin-as-bones body suddenly expanded. It bulged into a sphere, and it exploded without giving the Wraith Sign a chance to react, bloody fog spraying everywhere.

A shiver ran through the hearts of all witnessing the scene, and including Luo Nan. In his eyes, what had exploded wasn't a single Winghand Bloodbat, but a million of them.

This bloody fog made even the frontal Wraith Sign retreat. It simply fled to the depths of the mental plane, hiding for now.

But Mo Lun was too close. The bloody fog sprayed him head on, instantly causing his perspective to shake. His internal energy became chaotic, and the image ended here.

"So it turned out to be trouble not of one's own making," Jiang Yuanzhen sighed, waving away his nervous emotions. There was a bit of self-ridicule in his actions, but soon he said, vexed, "I even thought about going to the Wilderness if the Winghand Bloodbat was useful and just kill a bunch of them. They're just as effective as blood sacrifices, but I think I'm wrong after looking at that scene for so long."

He was indeed wrong. Everyone present was a veteran ability user, having gone to the Wilderness several times -- at least a dozen times each. The Winghand Bloodbat wasn't a rare species. Everyone had encountered them before. However, they never expected Mo Lun's memories to be like this. Just based on the bloody mist attack, they were able to see that something was wrong. As for the direct suicide bombing attack, not even a veteran B-rank ability user would walk out unscathed.

"Is there anything left of it?" Lady Halder cut into the conversation, causing the gym to instantly enter a serious state.

Mo Lun understood Lady Halder's intentions. She was saying whether or not there were any samples remaining of the attack that injured him. In general, this was a very difficult thing to capture, but Mo Lun said,

"Yes."

An extremely fine silk-like bloody line seemed to manifest out of thin air as he spoke. It was sent from Mo Lun's soul, and it was displayed before everyone's eyes.

The bloody thread was only a millimeter in length, but it was incredibly thin. It resembled a severed spider silk, were it not for its bright and bloody nature. Someone like Jiang Yuanzhen, who had old eyes, might’ve not be able to see it clearly.

The characteristics of the bloody line were very strange. In the few seconds it was revealed before everyone's eyes, it seemed to expand a bit, elongated a bit, and even wiggle its tail end. It was like a living insect.

Mo Lun spoke of what he observed of the bloody thread recently, "I am unable to define how this thing exists for now. It appeared within the Winghand Bloodbat's body, but right now it also exists on the mental plane. It is endlessly consuming and paralyzing my soul body, and it is rapidly growing stronger..."

As he continued to search for words to describe it, Lady Halder already had a few words that said it all, "It’s biological fission reproduction. It's a type of mental microorganism or perhaps, a virus."

Jiang Yuanzhen smacked his chin, "Human-Faced Arachnid!"

Everyone understood what he meant. Yin Le subconsciously straightened and said, "It sure is alike. Could it be a Darksider life form? A species we haven't discovered yet?"

Darksider life form?

Luo Nan, who could be said to be an excellent listener, became interested in an instant. This thing is a Darksider life form? If that's true, then its the second type he's seen with his own eyes.

Luo Nan had researched the Human-Faced Arachnid quite a bit these past times. He looked up the Society's internal archives in detail, but he didn't find many results. Darksider life forms, or Darksider species, were new concepts. They haven’t even been known for two years yet. There wasn't a complete system formed, so the available data was pitifully small.

Luo Nan suspected that he could write a few papers based on his understanding of the Honor Society, listing out several phenomena. He could totally submit them to top journals within the Society and make honor points until his fingers bled from typing.

So in the end, he still had to rely on himself.

Luo Nan observed the blood virus and discovered that it was quite different from the Human-Faced Arachnid. It was just as Mo Lun said. This thing's had quite an ambiguous position. It shifted back and forth between the mental and material planes. In essence, because of its living environment, in the border between the mental and the material, it could be considered as an 'amphibian'.

From what Luo Nan observed so far, the root of its developmental growth was all in the mental plane. It didn't have the function to draw nutrients from the material world.

But it was incapable of submerging into the depths of the mental plane. Following the customary division of the mental plane -- Three Zones, One Region, One Realm -- this thing only had activity on the upper-most part of the shallow zone. It was like a mosquito larva on the water's surface, but Luo Nan was uncertain what would happen as it split and reproduced. After all, it was able to harm Mo Lun, but it was not done solely based on skill.

Luo Nan was able to detect that as the mental plane released the blood virus, the Wraith Sign, which was recuperating in the depths of the mental plane, suddenly stirred, its attention alerted by instinct. However, perhaps it saw how weak this thing was, how it wasn't even large enough to get stuck between its teeth, and it lost interest.

Perhaps it still needed to be cultivated?

Luo Nan studied the blood virus, and the others weren't idle as well.

"Is it a parasitic species as well?" Ren Hong tried to determine, "If so, then that Winghand Bloodbat was an injured host? Was this sort of parasitic relationship chosen at will or assigned?"

He probably just wanted to express his thoughts, but the meaning behind his words was like a gust of wind that blew through the room, causing the atmosphere to become ice-cold.

With the complexity of Mutants and the pitiful level of research that humanity uncovered, it wasn't an odd thing to discover a new species out of nowhere -- especially a Darksider life form that leaves neither trace nor shadow.

However, the fact that it was parasitic made people quite unhappy.

Within the study of Mutants, parasitic and symbiotic relationships were actually quite common. In the most crazy era of mutation, a large number of insects and microorganisms on this planet suffered from the warped mutation, evolving similar abilities. They brought about terrifying chaos for a time.

People often said that the emergence of ability users in the new era was the product of a parasitic or symbiotic relationship. They said that special viruses had entered host cells, causing mutations. However, this sort of theory was hard to accept. Human beings, as a species who possessed higher intelligence, were instinctively disgusted by this threat to their self-awareness.

"Nine out of ten Darksider life forms are parasitic. There is nothing to be said."

Lady Halder ignored her instincts through her powerful will. She paid heed to the moving blood virus before her eyes, carefully observing it for a period of time. Then she softly said, "The blood essence of the fleshly blood drives the viral replication on the mental plane. This sort of interference method appears to be berserk, but in fact it is precise and mysterious...is it hard to get rid of?"

"It shouldn't be hard for me as long as I'm careful. It will take a few days, but if we want to increase the number of specimens, then we will need to continue observing it."

"How's the situation now?"

"I've already arranged for people to handle the scene, but given its nature, I have yet to begin collecting samples.”

"You will accompany me for the trip back to the scene of the incident."

"Yes."

There was no room for anyone else to interject within this conversation between two core members of the Order. Lady Halder only changed topics when the plan was made, "Based on Mo Lun's state, he will not be doing any herding for the short-term future. We need to choose a candidate. Let's discuss, people."

Everyone's expression turned solemn.

This was a very realistic matter Lady Halder spoke of. The founding ceremony of the Bloodflame Order was on December twenty-first. There were only forty days left and the mold of the Bloodflame Order had entered its fifth stage. Things were going smoothly, but progress could not be interrupted.

Actually, with the ebb of the incident with the Human-Faced Arachnid, as well as the continual hunting operation, it became harder and harder to find a clone of the Human-Faced Arachnid in Xia City. Just a moment of ease would likely cause irreparable consequences to the sacrificial vessel.

Why was Lady Halder interested in the parasitic life form in the Winghand Bloodbat? It was because she saw a possible alternative in it.

But before she could confirm the feasibility of this plan, there was very basic work that had to be completed.

Jiang Yuanzhen coughed. He took advantage of his age to take those somewhat significant yet had-to-be-considered matters and spoke out, "Four herders have been designated with the herding technique that we possess. Aside from Mo Lun, there is our First Oblatum and our two Second Oblatums. We have three options to choose from, but the First Oblatum needs to make preparations for the ceremony. She has to harmonize frequencies with the Bloodflame Will every day. It's hard for her to attend more than this task. That leaves our choices to be two, Yin Le and Ren Hong."

"Who do you choose?" Lady Halder asked directly.

"Ren Hong." Jiang Yuanzhen responded in a very decisive manner, casually glancing at Yin Le as well. "Yin Le is running around handling external matters everyday. She's very busy. How can she have the time to herd?"

Yin Le smile wryly and bowed. She didn't disagree with this old man.

Jiang Yuanzhen’s thought process was as followed; Second Oblatums should put their full focus in doing their tasks for the Order. The business battlegrounds were something only a professional could handle. The old gentlemen gave Yin Le quite some face in this regard.

"Ren Hong?" asked Lady Halder. She seemed to have muttered these words to herself, but yet she seemed to be asking.

Ren Hong was a bit uncertain of her intentions, but he still spoke with a lowered head, "I am willing to take up this duty for now. I will follow whatever the First Oblatum arranges."

Lady Halder didn't express an opinion towards this. She continued to name, "Meng Chong."

Meng Chong replied honestly, "I'm not an expert. I don't have an opinion on this."

"Yin Le?"

Yin Le was a person involved. She could only say, "I'll follow the boss's orders."

She acted in accordance to her habits formed from serving as a secretary. She didn't call Lady Halder “First Oblatum”, but rather, “Boss.”

Lady Halder swept her gaze across everyone in the room. In the end, she rested her gaze on the one who had yet to speak. She asked, "Wu Kui?"

Wu Kui was a normal man who could disappear into a crowd at anytime. He had a short and stout figure, and he gave off zero sense of presence. Luo Nan's long period of observation yielded no information on what the heck this person did. Luo Nan had no idea why he was a core member of the Bloodflame Order.

He spoke in a manner that was uncharacteristic as usual, "First Oblatum, you decide."

Luo Nan had seen such a scene many times before. The Bloodflame Order's decisions were decided by Lady Halder's words alone. Aside from Jiang Yuanzhen, who purely did research and theory, no one had any thoughts of their own. In the end, these were just words for show. The others typically didn't have their own opinion.

Except for Mo Lun...

Mo Lun suddenly interjected, "I feel that there's something off. The matter with harmonizing the Bloodflame Will doesn't involve only the First Oblatum but Ren Hong as well! Right now he is the main force in sermonizing. The forty year ceremony of founding is at hand. He needs to participate in the series of advance ceremonies. This cannot be avoided."

Jiang Yuanzhen retorted, "In the end, he isn't the First Oblatum. He should be able to squeeze out a bit of time."

"The problem lies with the Bloodsoul Temple upon entering the fifth stage. It has already established a connection with the external world. It is more susceptible to interference from psychic waves. The ceremonies at hand will involve powerful psychic waves and the harmonization of the Bloodflame Will. These things will likely affect the growth of the Bloodflame Will's structure. Even if the direct consequences are hard to determine at this time, do we need to brave this danger for the sake of blood sacrifices?"

Jiang Yuanzhen's expression changed slightly as he listened. He immediately changed his stance, "We have to prevent this!"

Lady Halder gave a slight nod, "Then it's Yin Le."

A bunch of words had been spoken, but in the end it was Lady Halder who made the final decision. And Mo Lun was always the one to provide her with the best justifications.

These were the rules when the Bloodflame Order discussed official business.

Lady Halder turned her eyes to Yin Le, "The founding ceremony is on December twenty-first. Nothing must be lost. You can have someone take over the work you have on hand for these few days. Hand them all over. Have less things on your mind. I will assign Meng Chong to follow you. You must do things in a foolproof manner."

There was no one who offered any further opinions. Yin Le walked forward, nodded in agreement, and said, "Yes, Boss."

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Chapter 386: Super Accurate

Chapter 386: Super Accurate

Translator: Strivon

With matters over the Bloodflame Order coming to an end, Luo Nan couldn't help feeling vexed. Right now he was on a wild ride that was becoming increasingly impossible to get off.

Luo Nan could see the exceedingly strong determination of the core members of the Bloodflame Order; they rushed to reconstruct their sacrificial vessel for the founding ceremony. From a freak combination of factors, the Wraith Sign replaced their original mold. This was an irreversible process.

If Luo Nan were to retrieve the Wraith Sign at this time, the Bloodflame Order would become a giant enemy. Only death would be able to reconcile the animosity between them, but the situation would only stay stable for fixed period of time if he allowed things to continue on like this. He would have to retrieve the Wraith Sign sooner or later, and the longer he dragged it on, the bigger the headache.

Or the Bloodflame Order could let the Wraith Sign go free, but how was that a possibility?

Luo Nan threw these annoying problems to the back of his head for now, and he recalled that Lady Halder wanted to go back to the scene for re-investigation...Luo Nan wanted to go as well!

Even if the Winghand Bloodbat had been blown to smithereens, the tiniest of clues could serve as a great aid for his reconnaissance work with Trigate Securities.

Luo Nan strove to recall the video data, searching for the corresponding area. With the luck of having the Internet search function from the information age, as well as the support of the HexaEar's consciousness search function, this mere impression of his memories soon returned results.

Luo Nan felt the results weren't enough. He utilized all his network privileges, using the real-time street view mode of the Psychic Wave Network. He mobilized public cameras for further confirmation.

The social order of the recycling stratum was an utter disaster. Many of the cameras were destroyed there, but Luo Nan was able to stitch together images after spending a bit of time. He found the area where the incident most likely took place, and he discovered a harsh stain of blood over there.

There was a person around there taking pictures at this time, acting very carefully.

This was the place! According to what Mo Lun's on words, Mo Lun had already arranged for people to handle the scene...yes, this old man was quite annoying. He did things meticulously.

Luo Nan wanted to be the first the savor the meal, but his luck was terrible.

He looked at the time. His first round of classes were ending soon. After class, he would find a quiet place to enter the out-of-body state and astral travel. It would only take him two minutes to get to the River Wu District...

Luo Nan's plan was an excellent one, and the preliminary work was in place as well. However, the biggest 'boss' at the moment wasn't being cooperative. Atop the stage, the scholarly instructor for the writing class said, "Let's not end class yet. Let's do an in-class exercise for the following time. Basic character analysis."

...Teacher, just let me astral travel!

When faced with the writing session class continuing, especially when it was for a pop-quiz, Luo Nan wanted to kneel in defeat. He couldn't even 'sleep' on his desk if he wanted to.

What should he do?

With how seriously shrewd Lady Halder was, there wouldn't even be scraps left over when she was done with the scene.

Luo Nan's mind was a mess, but the teacher didn't care at all. The teacher simply tossed out the requirements for the writing exercise. The goal of the exercise was character analysis. There was a series of requirements that the student had to follow with their own words. The very first requirement was quite simple.

Describe someone who gave you a deep impression, and make sure you know enough about this person. Loved ones, friends, and students are all fine. Began by describing their appearance.

Of course, this involved a series of details such as the facial structure, mouth, nose, eyes, eyebrows, and so on. All of these were required for this exercise.

The amount of options Luo Nan would have had two months ago were far fewer than today. It was much easier for him today. He brought out someone who he interacted with the most and stuck fairly close to normal convention. Xue Lei was his writing subject.

The writing teacher must have had a voyeuristic desire. Next he wanted a series of information that included the address, health status, family, education, love (marriage) history, religious orientation, actions, and mindsets.

In the end, interactions and relationships with the subject had to be listed out as well. For instance, specific examples of moments of assistance or sabotage between the subject and the writer.

The classroom protested with mutters. Wouldn't some people find friendships ended because of this?

Luo Nan wrote quite easily. This was like a sketch that was pieced together by words. This was his expertise. He just needed to pay particular attention to those details that exceeded normal logical thought.

Perhaps it was due to the relaxed and smooth state that Luo Nan was in currently, but the floodgates of his mind burst open. He wrote and wrote, his thoughts flying away about Xue Lei.

It was like just what the teacher had tried to formulate to the students. One person's ability is limited in the gathering of people's social relationships, while the help of friends and social collaboration was highly efficient. Why did he even think of the super inefficient method of ditching class?

Luo Nan's train of thought linked together. Though his pen hadn't been one of divine inspiration, he knew what he had to do next.

He cast out a strand of intent, and Ink answered several dozen kilometers away.

Luo Nan didn't have the time these last two days to pay much attention to the action progress of Trigate Security. He just separated a very basic strand of psychic intent. It was fine to just ensure that Ink was obedient.

Actually, the search mission had official started on Sunday. The professionals could freely operate now. Peony and Long Seven had brought separate teams to gather clues. They convened daily for reporting and analysis, but they had yet to make any progress thus far.

That is to say, luck played a very important role.

Luo Nan activated the psychic intent he left with Ink, and his consciousness descended. Ink was already accustomed to this. It just flapped its wings twice, expressing a welcome.

The instant Luo Nan's consciousness arrived, he felt that something was a bit odd.

Since Ink's intelligence level was low compared to a human, there was no pressure when Luo Nan descended with his consciousness. There was nothing to be worried about. They had made contact in this manner many times in the past, so Luo Nan was very familiar with the associated sensations.

Because of this, Luo Nan immediately felt that something was different when he shifted his consciousness this time. It was like listening to a familiar song with the same singer, but there were clear differences between the live version and the recorded version.

It seemed like the effects of his closed door cultivations over the weekend were much larger than he anticipated...well, this was normal. Luo Nan had come from a basic Format Pyramid to a living starry sky viewed through clairvoyance. Outstanding changes had occurred with the state of his inner organs, nine orifices, six roots, and soul.

These changes were comprehensive, affecting all aspects of Luo Nan's body and soul structure and their internal/external relationship. However, because the aspects involved were so vast, there were many things that could only be experienced when they were put into practice.

Like the case here with Ink. After the Format Pyramid had transformed into the star atlas, Luo Nan hadn't seen any links to the relationship with his believers. In essence, they had turned clear in this moment.

He now discovered the effects from entering the atrium cyclotron. His act of observing from the mental plane had naturally manifested a 'telescope' mode. Through warped and entwined mental curtains nearby, he was able to obtain high-fidelity information from afar in a special form. This was the most crucial reason for his recent large increase in mental sensing ability.

Before, Luo Nan had only considered the changes the telescope mode brought solely to himself. Right now he was able to see that Ink had become an important fulcrum and reference within this mode. It was like the Cepheid variable stars of the universe. Astronomers relied on the cycles of their varying luminosities to revise parameters and accurately measure interstellar distances.

But this was Luo Nan's perspective. Every detail that came through Ink seemed to exceed his requirements for precision. It was so much that he had a faint feeling -- a feeling that was impossible to accurately describe.

What was the reasoning behind this?

Ink grew excited from the presence of Luo Nan's consciousness. However, his emotions wasn't understood by others.

Right now Peony's group was on the rooftop of a high-rise in the Forestwall District. They used viewing binoculars to scan the district. Ink stood atop a binocular, its claws latched onto the outer shell. Things were fine as long as it didn't move. On the other hand, a single movement made the lens wildly shake, making it hard to observe through the binoculars.

Peony didn't even raise her head. Though she viewed from afar with the binoculars, her fine fingers were able to accurately pick the target. She tapped Ink straight on its beak, "Mr. Ink. Do you have an opinion?"

There was a bit of naivety to the question, but also a hint of teasing.

Luo Nan unconsciously rubbed his chin back in the classroom. He finally snapped back to reality from the changes with the super precision developments. He made contact with Peony through the 'rubber-band' on Ink's leg. He really didn't know how to deal with this woman, so he simply called out some coordinates.

"Go here."

"Oh?"

Peony stopped adjusting where the telescope was point at. She stood up straight and stared at Ink with slightly raised eyebrows. There was the rarely seen expression of surprise on her face. She immediately communicated via soul strength. "You've discovered one? Are you sure? What's your source of information?"

How could Luo Nan tell her? He was unable to find an excuse, so he simply closed his mouth and didn't answer. He wanted to say, "Just play it by ear", but he was scared that Peony would get angry, so he simply had Ink close his eyes and act confused.

Luo Nan only realized it after he had done all this. Peony knew that there was someone behind Ink. Closing Ink's eyes was pointless!

Luo Nan was so embarrassed that he was inconsolable.

However, Peony didn't get angry. She snapped her fingers, faced the Trigate Security assistants around her, and said, "We need to change locations."

Oh, oh, oh! This was an excellent result! Was this the legendary version of pretending to be awesome by playing by ear?

Ink still maintained the appearance of dozing off, but it was actually taking in all the changes around it, and sending the information back to Luo Nan. Luo Nan saw how Peony, an elite character who was very difficult to handle, had to follow his thoughts and actions, and he felt super great inside!

Then a thought suddenly came to mind. The Bloodflame Order still had people there, and soon, Lady Halder and Mo Lun would arrive as well. Luo Nan had the mind to warn Peony, but the cockiness he held earlier would immediately crumble if he did.

After a moment's hesitation, Luo Nan found himself an excuse. Perhaps he could pull some extra information if Trigate Security and the Bloodflame Order were to make contact.

Oh, this was an excellent idea!

Trigate Security's work efficiency was quite high. After hearing Peony say there were clues, they simply had a low-altitude flying vehicle sent to them. It took only twenty minutes to complete the transfer.

Peony and the group of support personnel arrived at the target location mentioned by Luo Nan. They were a step faster than Lady Halder's group, who were further away.

Lady Halder didn't step forward when she saw Peony and the others arrive. She just had the on-site personnel of the Order negotiate with Trigate Security.

As far as Luo Nan knew... The Wraith Sign wasn't a factor. That fellow had switched zookeepers. Right now it was being nursed at the Bloodflame Order's headquarters.

Luo Nan relied on none other than Ink.

Ink flapped its wings, soaring into the air. It spiraled within the shadows of tall buildings. Many pairs of eyes pointed at the enormous bird, sheltered by the surrounding doors and windows. Some were excited. Some were frightened.

Luo Nan didn't know that this crow was actually a celebrity within the River Wu District of the recycling stratum.

News of last month's battle against Jack had spread through this place by the gang channels that were everywhere. The residents who lived here knew, more or less, that strong mysterious power had crushed Jack's gang, the original owner of this territory.

The main force of the strong mysterious power was a big burly man -- someone who lacked characteristics. Therefore, the people automatically chose a more exciting symbol.

A large crow.

Mysterious power had outputted to use the special ability of the crow. Calamity would fall when one heard the cry of the crow, causing the person to go insane and lose consciousness. As such, the well-armed sniper squad of Jack's gang had been easily smashed through.

In the end, the mysterious power didn't take over. Jack's domain was ultimately divided between powers of various sizes, but not taking over was considered a free and casual action by the mysterious power. This made it so that the residents, who had been tormented by the gangsters for a long while, possess some feelings of hope toward the mysterious power.

Perhaps if the mysterious power were to take over the recycling stratum, a new and entirely different life would be brought about?

Driven by such emotions, the re-emergence of the giant grow caused the hearts of quite a few of the residents to rise and fall like the tide. It also made the gang members, who had gathered in the area due to the unknown value of the scene of the unknown incident, to be scared witless.

Luo Nan didn't understand the cause and effects within, but he could feel the real mental influences upon the surrounding that had been brought upon by people witnessing Ink's appearance.

Their psychological state of the past could be described as the random scattering of magnetic sand. But Ink, who weaved between the shadows of the tall buildings, turned into a powerful magnet. No matter where the grains of magnetic sand fell, they all stood up straight, orienting to Ink's position through opposite magnetic poles.

From the perspective of the living starry sky, the hundreds of stars were subjected to the gravitational pull of Ink's star. They possessed vectors that were incomparably uniform.

At the same time, the stars that weren't affected by the magnetic force became especially conspicuous.

There was a considerable portion of them with vectors, but these vectors had no relationship with Luo Nan's constructed system.

The sources for some of these vectors could be seen with a single glance. For instance, the people of Trigate Security. They obeyed Peony's commands, and they obeyed the plans of their superiors. Their system possessed two stars, and they revolved around them.

There were some sources that could not be seen. For instance, the on-site handlers of the Bloodflame Order. Even they didn't know where their big boss of the Order was. But in the end, they were members of the Bloodflame Order. They had experienced many of the Order's activities throughout the years, causing their energy and Bloodflame Will to have a minute connection with their First Oblatum.

The center of the living starry sky was orderly and clear. This was where Luo Nan's Self-Format was the ruler. Here, these connections of the Bloodflame Order were like pedestrians that violated traffic rules, randomly entering traffic. They brought chaos, both big and small, that were clearly identifiable.

The length of these connections exceeded the limits of Ink's perception and crossed the scope of the living starry sky, but the jaywalkers all walked in the same direction. All these connections converged at fixed intervals, and Luo Nan was able to guess that...

There was a 'dark star' difficult to see with the naked eye, and it unleashed an invisible yet powerful gravitational pull.

Ink spiraled for two circles before expanding its flying orbit without batting an eye. It slowly brought the possible position of the dark star within sensing range.

The hard-to-see dark nebula emerged within the living starry sky a dozen seconds later.

Using the crow, Luo Nan cast his gaze at the target through shared vision. He saw that there was an excellent viewing angle on the northwest side of a skyscraper. In the middle of the skyscraper, Lady Halder's cold gaze pierced through the glass wall and cut into the scene of the incident.

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Chapter 387: Impulsiveness

Chapter 387: Impulsiveness

Translator: Strivon

So, it turned out that one could fiddle around with their mental senses to do something like this. Thoughts ermerged in Luo Nan's mind.

The telescope mode of clairvoyance was clearly a system. Each one of his believers, including Ink, was a node, providing aspects and perception details that could be cross-referenced and supplemented.

With only certain details, it isn’t enough to paint a perfect picture; these details were mapped on to one another. This caused the closed-off system formed from the framework of Formatting Theory to cover more and more aspects. As a result, existences that lacked a system became especially prominent. It didn't matter how minute these existences were, they were all enlarged, allowing Luo Nan's senses to turn exceptionally sharp.

Such effects were incomparable when used for advanced vigilance, and there were more ways of applications as well!

Lady Halder certainly saw Ink as well. Perhaps she knew that this crow was out of the norm, but she absolutely wouldn't expect that there was another person who was using the crow to directly observe her from dozens of kilometers away.

There was another person who was very sensitive—Peony. She probably sensed how abnormal Ink's flight path was, so she raised her head and looked. It was impossible to guess her thought process, but her gaze quickly pointed at the skyscraper where Lady Halder was located, as well as the relevant floor.

From Luo Nan's perspective, it seemed that Lady Halder and Peony crossed blades with their gazes.

Luo Nan wasn't certain whether or not Peony had seen Lady Halder, but Lady Halder's gaze was certainly locked onto Peony.

Well, the one that’s going to take the hit is you…

Luo Nan felt secretly delighted after successfully shifting the blame after getting into trouble. He felt a sense of accomplishment.

This was the first time he had done this successfully, and he was already a teenager!

He wasn't worried about Peony's safety. He knew that the most powerful woman in Xia City stood behind her. Though Lady Halder's Bloodflame Order and Citadel Financial Group were one of Xia City's powers, they were quite lacking when compared to Her Majesty Empress Wu.

Peony, as a person involved, appeared to not really mind. Perhaps she didn't feel a sense of danger.

She answered a call at this time, the smile on her face turning all the more radiant. Her eyes crinkled, and whether it was the members of Trigate Security or members of the Bloodflame Order, all couldn't help but steal some glances at her. It was hard for their hearts not to get excited....but there was a reaction in the living starry sky!

"Darling, are you here yet? How's my arrangement?"

A fatal blade!

The atmosphere became very bizarre, but Peony ignored it completely. Her mind had completely separated from the mission, and her mood could be seen in her smile. She spoke smoothly, "It's no problem as long as you're happy. We'll all be in the skies tonight in celebration for you!"

It should be her boyfriend... but what the hell was this love-spoiled expression?

After writing class, it was time for school society activities. Luo Nan was now free to mull over the confrontation at the Dual River District in the recycling stratum.

At that time, a lot of information weren’t revealed, or perhaps some did appear, but Luo Nan wasn't able to see. In any case, Luo Nan was certain that there would be meetings held about the situation, be it on the Bloodflame Order's side or on Trigate Security's side. Everything was going smoothly for him. It shouldn't be hard to piece together information.

Luo Nan had wrung out all the benefits he possibly could, and now he was staying out of it. He felt a bit like a villain, but it made him feel really good. In this situation, it didn't matter what other people felt. It had nothing to do with him.

Luo Nan waited at a parking spot, his mind still pondering over the perception system. It was just as he previously thought. He had discovered an excellent method to anticipate danger. Though there were many shortcomings, it didn't seem difficult to make up for them.

He just needed to expand his number of believers and spread them into the various districts. They could be seamlessly combined to form a closed system. For targets outside of his system, especially ability users that possessed their own self-logic, Luo Nan would be able to mark them down one by one.

He wouldn't need to have bodyguards or deal with personal security. Even the Skynet system that covers the entire city wouldn't be as keen as him. If powerful ability users like the First Oblatum of the Order of Justice or Deputy Secretary-General Gong Qi were to come and try to kill him, the instant they step foot into Xia City, Luo Nan would know their exact position and location from hundreds of kilometers away. He would then notify President Ouyang and Her Majesty Empress Wu to intercept.

Oh man, he was getting emotional just thinking about it!

As for expanding the number of his believers...Luo Nan scratched his head. The electric shuttle just so happened to arrive, and he boarded, still scratching his head. He had a subtle feeling creeping up on him.

Luo Nan was convinced that he had never truly regarded himself as a 'god'. He just saw Bamboo Pole's paper, and borrowed the relationship between believers and gods to describe the various mysteries of Formatting Theory. That was all.

So, he didn't act like those modern day secret orders. He didn't meticulously mull out doctrines, ceremonies, and so on,nor did he use these methods to expand the number of his believers. Luo Nan had Ink and the Wraith Sign as non-human believers. Rui Wen, on the other hand, was a special case. The true number of human believers he possessed was only three.

Baze, Xie Junping, and Cat Eyes.

Baze was someone who lived life resolutely. His nature was shaped by the many years he spent in the Order of Justice. He could be said to be a plug-and-play device. He didn't need any time to adjust into becoming Luo Nan's believer.

Xie Junping wasn't part of the circle of the inner world. He was ignorant and completely unaware. Luo Nan also deliberately watered down the relationship to a point where he nearly forgetting about it. He just set it aside, waiting for him to pick it up.

Cat Eyes, on the other hand, was probably the only one he truly received. She was the only one of his believers who was consciously aware, and the process with her could not be described as smooth at all.

Cat Eyes certainly was the one responsible for this matter. But even so, her suicidal actions and the series of developments had left a bad taste in Luo Nan, the beneficiary’s, mouth. This was especially true of mental torture.

More essential connections were highlighted after the star atlas transformation of the Format Pyramid and the dematerialization of the chains. Luo Nan inspected his believers one by one, and he discovered that Cat Eyes was extremely dispirited. Her mental state was worrying.

This was absolutely not a state that Luo Nan wished to see.

Luo Nan ran his fingers through his hair as he sat in the last row of the electric shuttle. In his moment of pondering, his mind unconsciously shifted through the living starry sky to look at Cat Eyes once more.

It was early afternoon. Normal people were working or studying. Ability users were cultivating or completing missions. Now what about Cat Eyes?

She was sitting cross-legged on the floor of a room,her messy hair sprayed out over her camisole. She was in her panties, revealing large sections of smooth light-brown skin. She appeared to be hungover, and she subconsciously played with the alcohol bottle hooked between her fingers.

There at least a dozen bottles of alcohol around her. Most of them were completely empty. They were randomly toppled over. The room was a giant mess.

Holy cow...she would truly become trash if this were to go on!

Luo Nan felt this was not okay, and a sudden impulse popped into his head. He simply said, "Why don't we talk?"

The psychic thought was born, and Cat Eyes froze, her monotonous actions coming to an end. The bottle of alcohol by her foot rolled away.

Only when Luo Nan saw her statue-like figure did he realize that he hadn't used the HexaEar to speak to her. Instead, he had directly channeled his thoughts to her.

Needless to say, this method was the biggest taboo among ability users, especially among mentally-slanted ability users. This was the same as being stabbed once more in a bloody wound from Cat Eyes' perspective.

Things became awkward for Luo Nan, but before he could even think of apologizing, Cat Eyes exposed a bizarre smile. She pressed her hand to her forehead and went up her hairline, tidying up her hair a bit. Her appearance was a bit similar to Luo Nan's now, save for the serious air of depression she gave off, as well as a hint of self-mockery.

"Sure, but I'm going to teach dance later. Boss, do you want me to skip class?"

"Uh, it's okay."

"Class ends at eight in the evening."

"No problem." Luo Nan only realized that he had a social gathering to attend at night after saying these words. He could go seek out Cat Eyes tomorrow instead, but the words had already came out of his mouth. It would be too passive of him to change his words. He might as well kill two birds with one stone, "Just come the the Frost River Reality at Cloud City Water Village. I'll wait for you there."

"I'll be there at eight thirty."

The talk ended here without the use of any electronics during the entire conversation. The pure exchange of thought had flowed naturally, as if it had been done countless times.

Cat Eyes held an apathetic expression, as if she had finished an ordinary phone call. She picked up a full bottle of alcohol, skillfully opened the cap with her fingers, and started chugging. Her actions were too violent -- the yellowish alcohol spilled out from the corners of her lips. The alcohol flowed down her chin, neck, and collar. It flowed all the way down to her bulging stomach, absorbing into her clothes. It was so bad that every guys in the world would stare blankly at how far down the liquid flowed.

The wet camisole pressed against her body, revealing every detail and curve of her body. Nothing was spared. Such a scene...

Luo Nan blushed and quickly severed his mind. He unconsciously exerted a bit more force with the fingers that ran through his hair, scratching his scalp to the point of pain.

Only when he felt pain did he truly snap back to reality. I really called that sister over. Why did I do that? To talk about what?

Is it to apologize for taking her in as a believer? But I haven't researched how to "unfollow", so why don't you first wait a bit?

Or maybe since you, little girl, are already in this situation, why don't you properly listen to Uncle's words. Warm my bed. Dance for me. Serve Uncle to his delights. Let me enjoy the benefits of your future splendor?

Fuck, my impulses!

Luo Nan hugged his head, dispersing the senseless and foolish thoughts. He then looked up to the ceiling of the electric shuttle, grinning without a sound. He really didn't know what to think of himself.

The HexaEar vibrated during this tangle. Someone from the Society was calling.

Could it be that Cat Eyes wanted to back out? She won't be coming tonight?

Luo Nan, this wimp, already had such expectations. However, Cat Eyes wasn't the one calling. It was Papercut.

"I'm here, Nanster. This place is completely empty. You're still not done fooling around?"

"Huh? Brother Papercut, you're...ohhhh, I'll be there soon." Luo Nan just remembered the appointment he made with Papercut last night. What was it again? Papercut wanted to bring him something?

Luo Nan just remembered that Papercut wanted to bring him combat machinery that could be used by the control class. This came to happen because he asked Papercut to teach him a big move. He was misunderstood; Papercut assumed Luo Nan wanted a way to defend himself, and he was so nice as to deliver the goods directly to Luo Nan.

Honestly speaking, Luo Nan wasn't very interested in combat machinery from the past. Right now he had the Dripping Sword; nothing else needed mentioning. However, Papercut had came over, giving Luo Nan a chance to express his thanks, as well as a chance to discuss insights about the Dripping Sword and the activation class.

Luo Nan and Papercut had only started chatting when another call started to come through. It was Xue Lei. "Nanster, you're done with class, right? I'll be at Gear soon. I'll warm up my muscles for now."

Oh man, thank-you Brother Papercut!

Luo Nan could tell that Xue Lei wanted to start the sanshou boxing training, and he praised Papercut in secret. He hurriedly interrupted Xue Lei, "Brother Papercut just got there. He even brought along a combat machinery. Apparently, it's very interesting. Let's check it out and try out its power together."

Xue Lei was a bit stunned by this, "Brother Papercut is teaching you something new?"

He had taken Luo Nan's excuse seriously.

Luo Nan chuckled, glossing over the situation. Honestly speaking, he was uninterested in hand-to-hand combat.

Part of it was because he felt like he was not meant for this sort of stuff. Another part was because he was too strained by the amount of work he had to do. From the internal to the external, From the fleshly body to the soul, from the self to his believers, from Gear to the cloud world...he really couldn't spare half a minute. He didn't have the energy to start another project.

He could only apologize to Xue Lei for his enthusiasm for now.

Luo Nan arrived at Gear earlier than Xue Lei and saw Papercut walking in and out of the reception hall with hands clasped behind his back. He was looking at the construction team doing work.

He looked like a supervisor at first glance, but his jolly and plump face wasn't threatening at all.

"Brother Papercut." Luo Nan came up and greeted him, "Let us go to the bar in the passageway at the bottom of the lake. Construction's not done yet on the surface, so it's a bit messier. It should be much cleaner underground."

"It's okay. Try working with it later. It's better to have some open space." Papercut waved his hand, deliberately flashing his left wrist and attracting Luo Nan's gaze.

Luo Nan saw that a black wrist guard was wrapped around Papercut's white plump wrist. It was rather eye-catching. Papercut even deliberately bent his wrist twice; the material of the wrist guard appeared to be quite tough and flexible, but Luo Nan was unable to tell anything else.

"What's this?"

"The Flywheel Arm, man."

"Oh, so this is it..." Luo Nan finally recalled what Papercut said last night. He was going to bring combat machinery, and this was the name of the combat machinery. The name gave off a feeling like that of an artificial limb, but Luo Nan never expected it to look like a wrist guard. He never expected it to bend so easily.

"Is it made out of some flexible metal material?"

"Its composition of metal isn't high. After all, the majority of known metal materials aren't suitable to be controlled via the interference from soul strength. Particular attention is required for the pairing."

Papercut took off the Flywheel Arm and gave it to Luo Nan, "You'll know once you try. This thing is quite light. Here, I've sent you the manual."

"There's even a manual?"

"Of course, there's even after-sales support," Papercut chuckled. He helped Luo Nan put it own and taught him the basic methods of use.

Luo Nan put on this toy, and he felt some differences between it and normal sports wrist guards. It was a bit thicker, aside from the different material. The sensation of it on his wrist was very distinct. Luckily, it utilized memory material. Luo Nan only needed to bend his wrist a few times to feel comfortable wearing it.

Comfort wasn't something that was key for combat machinery. Even Papercut said, "Though it is very light, it is very easy to use. You don't even need a teacher. You'll know what to do with a glance. As for the speed, destructive power, and so on. It's mediocre in all of these qualities. But it's quite fun for a toy. It's just for you to experience the techniques of the control class and see if it spurs some interest for you to research deeper into the control class. Have you understood the manual yet?"

Luo Nan didn't utter a sound. He turned his wrist, looking at the complicated structure of the Flywheel Arm. With careful observation and looking at the manual, Luo Nan discovered that this toy was weaved into several different layers, and each layer was independent. They were like warped scales, cascaded layer upon layer. There appeared to be ten pieces in total; not as fragmentary as one would expect.

They seemed to be very tightly interlocked. Only when Luo Nan deliberately pried them apart did they reveal a tiny crack. These armor plates were integral parts of the Flywheel Arm and served as attacking weapons as well. The structure was quite ingenious.

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Chapter 388: Flywheel Arm

Chapter 388: Flywheel Arm

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan examined both the exterior and interior of the gadget and got a general understanding. Only then did he nod and follow the explanation in the manual. He reached with his arm and pointed at the jungle before Gear, but Papercut promptly stopped Luo Nan, indicating that he should pay attention to the construction workers inside and outside of Gear. "Be a bit more low-key. Go deeper inside."

Luo Nan smirked, revealing a wry expression, "It's nothing. Everyone knows quite a bit already..."

Papercut knew what Luo Nan meant, but he couldn't say it out loud. He just chuckled and pulled Luo Nan into the depths of the jungle.

Before they could even walk two steps, Xue Lei appeared from the corner of a small pathway in the jungle. He saw the two pulling each other and was a bit stupefied, "Where are you guys going?"

"Yo, Leister, you're here," laughed Papercut in greeting. Papercut and Xue Lei were quite familiar with each other.

"Brother Papercut," Xue Lei returned a greeting. In the end, he finally figured it out. "You've come for lessons."

Luo Nan, who was in the middle, started sweating a bit when he heard Xue Lei's words. Luckily, Papercut's response was quite vague as well, "I've come to check the goods. Let's check it out together."

"What goods?" Xue Lei wasn't quite on the same page.

Luo Nan's gaze was sharp. He could tell that these goods were of sinister design with a single glance. Xue Lei wanted to seize him to do sanshou training together. There were even training cloths in his hands!

How could he let Xue Lei prevail? Luo Nan immediately made up his mind. Today, he would rely on Brother Papercut for protection. He would certainly hug this thick leg even in death. He would have Xue Lei feel awkward enough to not be too forceful.

The thoughts flashed in his mind, and Luo Nan used 'trying out the control class" as an excuse. He pulled Xue Lei into the jungle, then turned his head and said, "Brother Papercut. Everyone's here today. If you're free tonight, let's all go together."

Papercut went, "Ha," expressing his surprise. He knew Luo Nan's nature quite well. Luo Nan was quite pure, but how could he understand the ways of the world? He had taught Luo Nan lessons for over a dozen days in the past, but he had never seen this kind of treatment then.

In general, fatties knew themselves quite well. Papercut asked, "Where did this idea come from? You're not just inviting me, right? Who else is there?"

Luo Nan knew that his invitation was given too abruptly, and he didn't dare let Papercut have much time to think. He just laughed, giving better reasons and bargaining chips, "Just come, come! Let's have fun together. I invited Leister. Yes, and also... Also, Cat Eyes...."

"Huh?" Endlessly new tones of voice were heard from Papercut throughout this day. There was no other way to express his confused thoughts. He just barely tidied up the overall context and couldn't refrain from being skeptical, "Who did you just say? Cat Eyes?"

"Cat Eyes?" Xue Lei was stupefied as well. Could it be that Luo Nan's get-together was not the same as the one he mentioned today at noon?

Luo Nan gaped, wishing that he had a smooth mouth. Today was a typical case of not thinking over the details and wanting to be lazy, but instead, he had piled all his troubles atop each other.

Hey! Don't rush to conclusions!

Luo Nan was suddenly blessed with inspiration. He blinked his eyes. There was an excuse he could use, and he didn't need to fake it. He swallowed and began speaking the heavenly-fallen masterpiece, "Isn't this because she changed her specialty...?"

Papercut believed to have understood upon seeing Luo Nan's subtly embarrassed expression. He nodded and laughed, "You really think that Cat Eyes gave up pursuing all-encompassing perception because of you? Who told you?"

"This one," Luo Nan turned his gaze.

"It was me." Xue Lei half raised his arm, confessing obediently. His source of information was the gossip circulating on the Psychic Wave Network, which possessed a lot of inferences in nature. He couldn't avoid feeling a bit embarrassed right now.

Papercut looked at these two sixteen, seventeen year-old teenagers and felt that the matter of education was a long road. He felt a great sense of responsibility, and he explained patiently, "This isn't called changing one's specialty. It is just focusing on choosing a more appropriate route of development. In the past, people looked forward to Cat Eyes's long-range perception the most, okay? You don't need to be embarrassed because of this, but you also can't blindly gossip about it. After all, spreading these rumors is the same as spitting on one's reputation. One bad move and both sides will be slandered!"

Luo Nan and Xue Lei obediently listened to the lecture with lowered heads.

Papercut thought about the get together tonight and didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Cat Eyes actually agreed? She doesn't feel awkward at all...?"

She really doesn't feel awkward. She's depressed.

Luo Nan was discovering more and more that inviting Papercut to be an overseer was quite a decent choice. He could act as a buffer, at the very least, and help Luo Nan get through the most awkward early stages of meeting. As for eliminating misunderstandings in deep conversations, Luo Nan could only play it by ear.

With the conversation reaching this point, it became awkward for Papercut to refuse. He was also worried about these two teenagers who weren't good at social conversation. They might cause something bad to happen even with good intentions and rip cat eyes a new one.

Cat Eyes was very well known in the Society for her strange temperament.

Having decided to participate, Papercut didn't waste his breath, conserving his strength for the get-together at night. He sighed and brought the conversation back to the main topic, "Come on. Let's first operate the Flywheel Arm."

Though Luo Nan didn't have much interest in this sort of combat machinery, he would still choose this one over sanshou boxing training if he had to choose one or the other. He pumped himself up, preparing to follow the requirements of the manual, and he mobilized his interference power.

Papercut wanted to teach him how to aim instead, "This toy's safety factor is quite high; it's not easy to hurt yourself, so you can stand in all sorts of stances without issue. However, you need to know that this isn't like those energy beams that shoot out from the palm of your hand; that would be far too stupid. Clawing your fingers, extending your arm, it's all wasteful."

Luo Nan was a bit bewildered by what Papercut said, "Then what sort of stance should I use?"

"There are many! This most effective technique is the throw! Just imagine throwing a dart, or throwing a fist, or cleaving with a chop of the hand... and so on. It's all okay."

Luo Nan swung his arms stiffly, "Like this?"

Xue Lei smirked at the side, "Zero foundation."

Clearly, Xue Lei already made some judgments from the many times Luo Nan avoided sanshou boxing training. He gave Luo Nan this jab.

Luo Nan pretended not to hear him. He tried the Flywheel Arm twice, beginning by mobilizing his interference power and pouring it into the wrist guard to start it up.

As the God Gear and Body Gear meshed and turned, the heart lantern of the eyes orifice lit up, illuminating Luo Nan's skull. Just as before, this was the sign of the formation of interference power.

Though Luo Nan hadn't focused too much on cultivating the internal refinement over the past two days, his foundation was truly thick and sturdy. Under the drive of many factors, such as the aid of the Wraith Sign's meteor-like boost, the eyes orifice was not the only things that was a success. There was also the mouth and tongue orifice. It had turned into a spiritual pond of nectar, and it resonated with the heart lantern of the eyes orifice from afar.

In the internal refinement technique, the heart lantern and the spiritual pond were like the spring sun melting snow. The cold and warmth stimulated each other. When it came to the interference of the mental and the material planes, the spiritual pond became overflowing with nectar upon the lighting of the heart lantern. This nectar became the most excellent lantern oil, as it connected with the heart lantern and aided its flame.

And so, three orifices were integrated to one. The strength of the interference power surely wouldn't stop at a three-times increase, right?

Luo Nan originally wanted to follow the manual and engage in control, but he had instantly went into full gear.

His arm trembled slightly, and a long hissing sound was heard soon after. A standard circular slice was ejected out from the center of the wrist guard. It was first flung into the air in a spiral, but suddenly, it increased in speed. It went forward in the air in a perfectly straight path. With a thunk, it penetrated the tree ahead. The slice could barely be seen.

Luo Nan noticed that the overall process was not like that of throwing a dart, but of releasing a guided missile. The Flywheel Arm was a launch tube. It just tossed the projectile out. The true purpose of the interference power was to drive the slice to kill the target.

Otherwise, with the sharpness, speed, and trajectory of the slice, the first thing penetrated would be Luo Nan's palm.

The safety features were set up quite well. The power was indeed very mediocre. It was lacking when compared to ordinary firearms. Of course, it was fatal toward normal people, but for ability users, the question was up for consideration.

As Luo Nan thought about this, Papercut laughed and said, "This is the emergency slice-shot. It's for when you're faced with a sudden attack. Its purpose is to scare people. You've just exhausted your energy, right"

Luo Nan still needed to get used to the changes in interference power after integrating three orifices to one. He just laughed, appearing to agree tacitly.

Papercut continued to teach him the knick knacks, "Have you noticed it yet? The emergency slice-shot was shot out from between the many layers of armor plates. They are all like this. Nothing can be fired from the upper layer. This is because the active force between the layers is utilized. There is ample 'friction for fire'. Can you feel it? That this is the mechanism?"

Luo Nan still didn't talk. He had his mind sink into the inner layers of the Flywheel Arm. He applied his interference power once more, and felt an irregular slice in the middle. It reverberated between two layers, and it revolved at low speeds under the same pressure. It moved slightly as it endlessly accumulated energy.

"Excellent. You're ready and waiting for action, like pulling a bow without shooting, increasing the power layer by layer. Nanster, you sure are gifted in the control class..." Papercut let out a sigh of admiration, then he let out yet another subconscious sigh. Could there be another up-and-coming change of specialties from the activation class before his eyes?

Luo Nan followed Papercut's explanation and controlled the slices that were becoming all the more lively within the wrist guard. The inner layer of the wrist guard that stuck to the skin increased in temperature, but there weren't any clear changes in temperature with the outer layer. The shielding effect was first class.

Xue Lei's senses were quite sharp. At the side, he was able to perceive a few subtleties, and he gathered closer in curiosity. He even reached out to touch with his hand, but Papercut swatted his hand away. "What if Luo Nan can't control it and it explodes?"

Luo Nan rolled his eyes, "I feel like I can still hold it."

"Then continue. This toy will certainly be more powerful the more it accumulates energy."

This was true.

Luo Nan was able to feel the slice accumulate physical energy, as well as rely on its overall structure. It relied on a special material to endlessly absorb interference power. Clearly, this was where the uniqueness of this single structure lay.

The technology that the Flywheel Arm possessed was much higher than what appeared on the surface.

Papercut spoke faster, introducing Luo Nan to the firing mode, "There's a computer chip built into the Flywheel Arm if you want to attack with it. It can link up with smart devices, and you can preset the flight path beforehand. You can also choose from special shapes for the slice and calculate obstacles, air resistance, and so on. You can use it to snipe under complicated environments. It has a lot to offer. Plus, we all have HexaEars, so we're saved quite a bit of effort."

Luo Nan followed Papercut's words and engaged in wireless connection. Sure enough, an exquisite interface popped up on his retina. Numbers that changed in real time in accordance to the immediate environment appeared before him.

Through the HexaEar, all operations could be controlled telepathically. Luo Nan randomly chose a target, and the interface used dotted lines to represent the available paths and so on. At the same time, the interface also indicated the percentage of accumulated energy for the most optimal effect.

Wasn't this like playing a video game?

Luo Nan didn't have any specific feelings, good or bad, toward this stupid method of operation. He was a rookie. The more complete the aiding functions, the better for him. But a true master would certainly dislike these programmed settings.

Before the thought could finish, Papercut already added, "There's more. If you feel super kick-ass, then you can choose mental control. It tests how long someone can maintain continuous operation. Really kick-ass people can have a dozen slices orbit around their body, like controlling a dozen flying swords. Close combat. Long-range attacks. You become someone unkillable, a terrifying foe..."

"So this is the true way to use it!" Luo Nan shook his arm slightly. The Flywheel Arm was used by the control class, so micro-control should be of big importance.

Papercut spread open his hands, "That's what it's described as, but it's different in practice. Just look. To maintain the structural function, the shape of every composite slice is different, so the flight trajectory is different as well. Plus, there are all sorts of joining combinations. If you don't use a smart device to perform calculations, a typical person wouldn't be able to keep it together. Perhaps those on the Architect, Extraordinary level could do it, but what's the point on counting on this thing when you reach that level?"

"That's true." Luo Nan raised his hand, firing it in smart mode. The irregular slice was dark in color but sharp, instantly opening a path through the jungle barrier. The thick branch, Luo Nan's target, was sliced away, and the slice soared into the air before turning around. The slice buzzed as it spun, sounding like a miniature chainsaw. Branches broke wherever it passed, demonstrating a rather terrifying might.

Luo Nan had unleashed a boomerang weapon. The irregular slice came back in a loop, its speed gradually decreasing. It fell back to Luo Nan's wrist like a tired bird returning to its nest. It joined together with the wrist guard as Luo Nan continued to infuse his interference power within.

Papercut smacked his chin, "All right, this marks the beginning. Your operation of the Flywheel arm is too rigid. Whether it’s in smart mode and free mode, you can switch the modes in the middle of a mode. You can change the direction, increase the power...in real combat, you choose to use the smart control mode and install a flight path, you can suddenly switch to mental control mode. Save your worries and energy. The adaptability and flexibility is quite sufficient, but there will still be surprises."

"That's true."

Luo Nan continued to practice within the jungle. He didn't forget to let Xue Lei have a taste in the middle. This was to placate Xue Lei and distract him, so as to prevent Xue Lei from jumping to the topic of sanshou boxing practice.

Time passed very quickly. The sky already turned dark, and the three people had already tortured the nearby trees quite enough. They were ready to go back.

Luo Nan's wristband vibrated at this time. Tian Si was calling. Her tone was a bit tense, "Junior Nan, I'm really sorry. There's a little matter I need to handle with my school society. Tian Qi is doing some experiments, so it will probably be a bit late before we can go."

"Gotcha, Senior Sister Tian." Luo Nan didn't want to give Tian Si stress. He was still counting on this senior sister to hold down that worthless Mo Peng.

Next to Luo Nan, Papercut was baffled, "Who is that? Is she also going to the get-together?"

Luo Nan spoke in passing, "She's one of my senior sisters. There's also going to be her little brother. They're coming with us tonight."

"People from outside of the circle?" Papercut was shocked.

Luo Nan became diffident from Papercut's reaction. He could only avoid the important facts and dwell on the trivial ones, "It's Tian Si. The one who became a hostage at Ocean Sky Cloud City. You've met her before, right?"

He knew he couldn't continue hiding it after seeing Papercut's expression. He could only add, "There are also two relatives of my family and maybe their friends. It is supposed to be a get together at Frost River Reality. I'll just say hi to them in person, and later we can talk about our stuff."

"You, oh you!" Papercut really didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He just reached out and tapped him. He opened his mouth, not to vent but to say, "You have much to learn. It appears that there are quite a few people attending. Have you reserved a private room?"

"Private room?" Luo Nan went into a state of shock.

"I knew it!" Papercut sucked in cold air between his teeth. Luo Nan had really sunk way too far into his homebody nature.

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Master of the Stars

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Chapter 389: Discussing Talent

Chapter 389: Discussing Talent

Translator: Strivon

"You've invited many people, all who are close to you. Of course you need to reserve a private room! And you have to keep in mind that the two circles don't really fit well together. You can reserve two rooms. You can just run between the two." Papercut was basically holding his hand throughout the entire dinner. He was an instructor for elementary courses, but he never thought that he would be responsible for teaching the most basic of social knowledge.

Luo Nan couldn't help being embarrassed. After all, he hadn't been concerned about tonight's event at Frost River Reality at all. He had felt that they were just going to a gaming center, and that bringing people along was fine. How was he supposed know that there would be so many details to take care of when being the host?

It was true now that he thought about it. A special room had been reserved for the meet up with Mo Qiu and Tian Si.

"I will reserve one immediately." Luo Nan was a bit flustered as he rushed to contact Frost River Reality. Normally, their business was so good that he wouldn't even have half a chance, but his luck was good. Someone just so happened to cancel, and he also had special privileges given to him as compensation for being a victim at the Frost River Reality incident. This allowed him to seize a medium sized room.

However, the idea of booking two rooms was something impossible to achieve.

"If we can't split, then we can't. This fatty doesn't look old. With my appearance, it should be enough for me to pretend to be young." Papercut gave himself a few words of comfort before sighing, "Let's go then. Let's go wait first. I'll teach you a trick. Since you're the inviter, the minimum courtesy you have to extend is to be earlier than the guests."

The new flagship store of Frost River Reality still maintained its usual high-end image. Its venue was located above Aurora Cloud City. This was the sixth building in the Cloud City Water Village complex. This was the sixth step in the stair-like complex form. Aside from the main building, it was the highest building.

Monday wasn't the liveliest time of the week. Luo Nan's party arrived late in the day, but they made it there before the evening peak caused from all the office workers getting off work. Though this Frost River Reality hadn't been open for long, it still managed to attract quite a number of players. A tide of students came from the surrounding large activity area, becoming the main consumers for this time period.

The main theme of the flagship store of Frost River Reality this week was the Wasteland. Under technological reality, which could be easily mistaken for the real thing, streams of people from the glorious metropolis of modern day society stepped into small villages of decay. The feeling was quite bad.

Frost River Reality was adorned with reality technology. It was like a hungry beast swallowing in streams of people in large bites, and practically no one was spat back out.

"Their business is really exploding!" Papercut clicked his tongue in astonishment.

Luo Nan and the others had yet to enter. They sat in a beverage shop that was standard to every Frost River Reality, the Frozen Star. They ordered three drinks as they waited for Mo Han and Mo Peng to come.

The Frozen Star was also decorated in Frost River Reality's Wasteland theme. It was covered in this theme. All the cups were exchanged for dilapidated wooden and metal products. The furniture was changed as well. Sitting here was like sitting in some vagrant tavern in the Wilderness, if one were to ignore the clothes that people wore. Oh, if one ordered a beverage worth more than a hundred credits, one can get a cup with a vagrant cloak wrapped around it.

"There's just one word for this. Burn! Burn, money, burn!” Papercut sipped his drink as he judged this place, "The activity planner had probably gone to the Wilderness before. The background is quite like the real deal. It's limited to this beverage shop though. What the hell is up with that small town? No one dares to do construction in the Wilderness. They would all get flattened by the Mutants."

One could tell that Papercut was just this sort of sincere person from this playful conversation. He couldn't hold back from showing off, but this was all he said. Soon they got more personal and started talking about the Flywheel Arm.

Papercut was still teaching Luo Nan a few things to take note of. "This toy's components are joined together in an exquisite and complicated manner. It is not robust at all. Think back to that emergency slice-shot. Wasn't it strenuous to dig it out from the tree trunk? In a typical medium-high intensity fight, the ability to recycle components isn't high. As a conventional weapon, it possesses considerable logistics pressure."

Luo Nan wasn't ready to use the Flywheel Arm as a conventional weapon. He just used it to practice control over his interference power after merging three orifices into one. It was better for him to increase his number of contingency methods.

In any case, logistics was quite a realistic issue. Right, didn't Papercut say that there was after-sales support?

Luo Nan asked about this, and Papercut laughed heartily, "I was waiting for you to ask that. Of course there is after-sales support. You even know him. It's Old Zhai, man!"

Luo Nan was shocked, "This is Worker Zhai's work?"

Papercut shook his head, "He wasn't the chief creator, but he created one of the auxiliary designs. He was also in charge of the components in the beginning."

He looked all around him and whispered, "Actually, the Flywheel Arm was a joint project between the Society and the government. Its main purpose was to research materials that could be easily interfered with, as well as the matching and structural design. Unfortunately, the project was scrapped halfway. Most of the research was unpublished. The Flywheel Arm was the only concrete result, but it's quite lacking in power. It's impossible for follow-up research to occur."

"You all know that Old Zhai is very enthusiastic about this sort of thing. And, this is the first time he participated in research with the Society. He can't give it up. He took the opportunity created from the scrapping of this project and bought the intellectual property rights to this toy with his own money. He even changed it to be handmade. Unfortunately, he has yet to be successful. Right now he is only maintaining after-sales support. He has put quite a bit of money into it."

Luo Nan shook his head, "It's far too hard if it's just Worker Zhai doing it all by himself."

Papercut shrugged, "So this counts as me marketing the item for him. If the goods are free, then the after-sales support is no go."

"That's for sure." Luo Nan answered decisively.

Papercut spoke emotionally, "Old Zhai is certainly on the expert level when it comes to mechanical design, but his ability and talent is mediocre. He didn't have the strength to support it. It really is impossible for others to believe that he could successfully build an ability user weapon. He also lost his drive in the past two years, but something changed the last time you visited him. I don't know what happened, but you gave him motivation. He has been very excited these days."

It's good to be excited, but Luo Nan didn't forget that Gym Master Xiu's dynamo core was still in Worker Zhai's possession. Worker Zhai was doing deep research on it. Naturally, making progress was the best thing that could happen.

Xue Lei had an understanding of Worker Zhai, just not as deep as Luo Nan. An image came to mind, and he faced Luo Nan and whispered, "Is it that Worker Zhai doesn't have enough soul strength…?"

Luo Nan laughed when he heard Xue Lei's words. These were typical amateur words. "All right. Let's say I'm assessing your strength. If I say you have a certain amount of pounds for your punching force, then you have a certain amount of strength. Understand?"

A light bulb instantly went off in Xue Lei's head, "Understood."

The measurement of soul strength must be done comprehensively. The Society has an all-around measurement standard. There were four basic measures: depth, intensity, sensitivity, and affinity. But it was quite lacking to say that these were precise quantifications.

Therefore, it was hard for Luo Nan to say what was the crucial element in inhibiting the growth of Worker Zhai's strength. Soul strength was too mysterious and complex, after all.

Papercut gulped down his drink, ice-cubes and all, "Talent, talent, talent! I can state its importance three hundred times and it wouldn't be enough. This is especially true in our field. If you start off as a blank slate and you're unable to reach a certain level, then you won't be able to reach it for a lifetime! Though Old Zhai has some skills, he's just lacking that little bit. He won't be able to make it in his life. As long as he can't, then the many tempering methods to increase one's power become completely meaningless."

Luo Nan and Xue Lei glanced at each other. They both couldn't quite accept it.

Xue Lei felt that, on one hand, some of his own skills were thanks to having the guidance of a famous teacher. On another hand, his skills were the product of his hard work and training. Talent wasn't the decisive factor.

Luo Nan thought to his grandfather's Formatting Theory. If he had talent, the talent's foundation was his grandfather's theory. He had used drugs to build and shape every step along the way.

Papercut was probably able to guess what these two teenagers were thinking, but he didn't care. Of the sixty-thousand ability users in the world, nearly ninety percent lacked the aptitude. It was impossible for them to truly awaken. They could only be whittled away in torment under a state of being neither high enough nor low enough.

Seeing the light yet having one's hopes obliterated was truly one of the most painful experiences in the world. Without long and vast experience, the two little fellows were incapable of truly understanding this community.

This had to be learned through experience...

The two sides locked gazes. The energetic youngsters and the negative uncle communicated without words, and the crackling of static noise rang through the air. A gap to talk just so happened to appear. Xue Lei couldn't hold back from asking, "How is it possible for there to be zero tempering methods to increase one's power? The gym master once said, 'All people possess the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit. Essence overflows and energy flourishes. Energy flourishes as spirit is ample.' They're linked down like this. If there isn't enough soul strength, then it's impossible to strengthen and exercise the body!"

Papercut laughed, "The physically enhanced and the mentally enhanced are different. The former is based in the material world. As long as one cultivates in the right way, they can build layer by layer and temper inside and out. There will be a day for when the clay hut breaks through to become a palace."

"But the mental plane is illusory and drifting. The birth of an ability often forms out of nothing. There's no flesh involved, and it can't be increased through large volume of exercise. The main thing still lies in the fact that the differences in nature between the material world and the mental plane are far too large. It is impossible to find a connecting point. Even if one can find it, every situation is different, like a chicken speaking with a duck."

Luo Nan was actually quite thoughtful, "So you're saying that interference power is very important."

Papercut put down his empty cup, "That's right! Interference power is extremely important! President Ouyang once said that the modern theory of supernatural powers isn't complete. Only when interference is applied can soul strength be infused into a systematic experience that could be understood, realizing the most crucial task of observation and understanding. Only then could effective growth be realized by relying on the material world as a foundation. The more powerful the interference ability, the faster the growth..."

Papercut then saw Luo Nan's pure and innocent gaze and had to immediately retreat in defeat, "I know that you are an exception. Your interference ability was so trash in the beginning, but your soul strength was able to rapidly soar. You're the only one. Formatting Theory is really out of the norm!"

Luo Nan loved hearing words such as these. His eyes beamed as he smiled. However, he didn't believe that this small point could completely reflect the special characteristics of Formatting Theory.

"No, my Self-Format is also constructed atop the material world. It is constructed on a special structure of the nervous system. It's not that it doesn't have interference power, it's just that a one-way channel is very likely to form. It can only interfere the mental via the material. The other way doesn't work. This drives the rapid increase of soul strength, causing a critical imbalance between body and soul."

Papercut blinked, as he was surprised that he actually understood, "What you said makes a lot of sense. If you could be seriously studied and analyzed..."

Luo Nan rolled his eyes, "No cutting! I don't want to be a lab rat."

Having spoken to this point, Luo Nan thought of Octopus. Octopus borrowed Luo Nan's grandfather's notes and formulas and had already made some progress. Hopefully, Octopus could produce some brilliant results.

Perhaps, Formatting Theory was truly flawed, but Luo Nan had shown that these flaws could be overcome through self-practice upon his own body. With aid from Gym Master Xiu's guidance, as well as comprehending Coupling Theory, Luo Nan was able to turn this one-way street to a two-way street that ran in parallel without hindering each other. Such an experience could be completely integrated into Formatting Theory, making it more convincing of its validity and possibly become a hot topic within the inner world and perhaps even the entire world.

The momentum was excellent right now.

Luo Nan laughed involuntarily.

"Hello, penny for your thoughts?" Xue Lei saw Luo Nan laugh foolishly for some strange reason after talking about lab rats. He was a bit worried about problems occuring with Luo Nan's mental circuits.

Only now did Luo Nan realize that he had forgotten his manners. He waved his hand quickly and said, "It's nothing. I just feel that President Ouyang's description is quite perfect. Last time at Frost River Reality...I'm talking about the one in the city center...Fairchild had said similar words, like 'observation is order' and so on. But he didn't mention the words 'system of experience'. This premise of President Ouyang's is quite an excellent one."

From Luo Nan's understanding, the so-called 'system of experience' should be the resulting set of observations and understandings from the deduction and development of practice and validation.

Those ability users who found it hard to become Awakened lived their entire lives in the material world. Though they have a bit of talent in supernatural powers, it was insufficient when compared to the experiences of everyday life. Instead, these ability users found it easy to be lost within the illusory mental plane. They were unable to tell what was supernatural and what was fabricated.

Only when one realized interference and had it enter one's normal realm of experience could soul strength become a real and non-virtual existence. Only in this way could one discard the chaotic barriers to awareness and have one's innate potential transform bit by bit into supernatural powers.

Therefore, it was so very important to possess a stable, effective, and long lasting interference method...huh?

A light bulb suddenly flashed in Luo Nan's head as an idea suddenly popped out. A little deduction gave off a complex feeling. Luo Nan might as well try his idea in practice. With a stir of a thought, a precise structure was engraved on the border between the mental and material planes.

The Condensation Ring.

This was a cold beverage shop. Water vapor was most abundant here. In the blink of an eye, a water bead coalesced out of thin air. It floated in the air above the table in the middle of the three people.

Whether it was Xue Lei or Papercut, everyone around them was sharp. They immediately sensed the water bead and locked their gazes upon it.

Papercut was quite shocked, "The Dripping Sword? My good man, you're this good at it already?"

Luo Nan gave a wave of his hand and said, "Let's first not talk about the Dripping Sword and focus on the Condensation Ring. So, I believe that this little thing may be more suitable for Worker Zhai. It doesn't require that much interference power to form this thing, and Worker Zhai possesses an amplification device as well. Even if some of the precision is lost, Worker Zhai's level should be able to make up for it. Once one is successfully produced, he would have a fulcrum forever and ever..."

Luo Nan spoke everything in a single breath, following his own train of thought. Then he saw Papercut with a blank expression of 'not this again'. Clearly, Luo Nan had said these words in vain.

Luo Nan also felt that he didn't describe things clearly. He prepared to clarify, "I'm saying that..."

"Nanster, where are you? We're here."

Mo Peng communicated perfectly, his voice cutting into the space and hanging in the air. He was at the entrance to the cold beverage shop, and he was taking the lead. He led a grand squad of people inside.

Luo Nan subconsciously counted, one, two, three...seven, eight, nine.

Nine people!

The cold beverage shop was densely packed with people coming and going. It had also been decorated in accordance with the reality-theme, creating the atmosphere of a dark pub. The shop's space became quite crowded with the sudden burst of people coming in.

Luo Nan was confused; why the hell are there so many people?

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Chapter 390: Reserved Room

Chapter 390: Reserved Room

Translator: Strivon

Luo Nan didn't even need to mention it. Even Papercut, who was the teacher of etiquette as well as a professional in saving the day, was a bit dizzy when he saw this group of kids come barging in. He said, "This many people?"

He began to consider whether or not to escape from the front lines when his body suddenly moved. Xue Lei was dragging him, "Brother Papercut. You have to do something. Just look at Nanster's expression."

This is why nerds hate meatheads so much!

Papercut tried to struggle free to no avail. He could only resign himself to his fate, shake his head, and say, "Then first, let's entertain them. Don't be too serious about it. Hey, it's time to say hello!"

Actually, Luo Nan understood that he needed to greet Mo Peng with a wave without needing Papercut's advice. The group of people bustled over, practically clamoring over each other, and the leader, Mo Peng, was super excited. "Don't waste any more time! Let's start now! Go to Frost River Reality! The wasteland's winter!"

Luo Nan had mulled over how to greet these people, but he immediately shut his mouth upon hearing Mo Peng's words. However, Mo Peng wouldn't let him go that easily. He grabbed Luo Nan by the shoulder and said, "Those who haven't met should get to know each other. This is my pal and brother Luo Nan. He's one who has turned to the dark side, a traitor of Sixth Middle, going to Acumen College instead. He's atoning for his sins today; all expenses incurred are his to bear!"

Well, this saved Luo Nan from introducing himself...

Luo Nan drew in a breath and faced the gazes of nearly ten pairs of eyes. He actually wasn't nervous at all. He just didn't know how to cover everything. Until now, he had yet to see everyone's face clearly.

He just noticed that Mo Han was behind Mo Peng. His train of thought deviated.

The Condensation Ring was still in effect above the table. No one had noticed the floating water bead for now, but it would be better to not leave it there for too long. Luo Nan was worried about revealing his hidden side, so with some interference power, he had the water bead and Condensation Ring collapse to nothing. However, this made the insight that had popped up earlier in his mind go away as well.

Seeing how Luo Nan was half a beat slow in reacting, Mo Han gave Mo Peng a jab, shaming him for speaking such nonsense.

Papercut was also unwilling to pass his responsibility onto others. He came out to help, "We have a lot of people, so let's not block the entrance. Let's first go inside. We can take our time talking then."

Luo Nan finally revealed a smile, "Yes, let's go to the room."

The more people, the livelier the venue and the greater the details. No one cared about the few flaws as parties after parties of people battled it out in Frost River Reality. The AR-guide, an image of a burly tavern owner, welcomed them.

"Come then, adventurers. Change your equipment before you brave danger. Do you have a set equipment room?"

Luo Nan cried, "Lucky!" in his mind, and thanked Papercut for his reminder. He turned to lock gazes with Papercut and said, "Number one-fifty-six."

"All right, Mr. Luo. I wish you and your companions a good harvest."

Right now there were twelve people in total, nine from Mo Peng's side and three from Luo Nan's side. The followed the guide through the passageway and entered the reserved room. Everyone was a frequent visitor. After pouring through the box, one by one they stepped into the scanning area for measurements and the synchronization of data.

As a girl, Mo Han did things quite carefully. She took the opportunity to pull Luo Nan over and laughed, "Let me take this chance to introduce them."

A pair -- a boy and a girl -- just so happened to walk shoulder-to-shoulder into the scanning area. They weren't that tall, and Mo Han pointed at the rather cute girl with a round face, "This is my best friend, Ruan Zihui. That's her partner, Tong Hui. Together they form the Hui-Hui Combo or Gray-Gray Combo."

"You're finished, you stinky pomegranate!" The round-faced girl Ruan Zihui gestured with her fingers in the shape of a gun, firing shots at Mo Han.

Her boyfriend, Tong Hui, was also a master of energy. He immediately turned to be back-to-back with Ruan Zihui. He made a gun with his fingers and shot a pose under the lighting of the scanning area.

At least half the people in the room yelled at him, and his girlfriend jabbed him with her elbow. The two came out giggling, the atmosphere of the room becoming more relaxed.

Luo Nan relaxed a bit as well. If the people who had came were all such happy characters, then things would be easy to handle for him.

The thought was just processed when he saw a tall girl walk into the scanning area. She wore a black and white striped cashmere sweater. Below that were tight-fitting jeans. Her figure was excellent, especially the straight contours of her legs. Her physical appearance was first-class. She had a beautiful face as well, donning a faint smile, appearing slightly reserved.

Luo Nan did a double take, and Mo Han whispered, "Don't get the wrong idea. She already has someone."

"I know."

Luo Nan felt quite wronged. He wasn't blind. When the girl had entered the scanning area, she had handed the coat on her arm over to a blond man next to her. It was clear that this man possessed Western blood, and anyone would be able to tell that the two weren't related with a single glance. That could only mean that they were girlfriend and boyfriend.

Mo Han raised her voice, laughing as she said, "Yue Qin has taken it upon herself to be the attractive one in our group. Right now she's already accepted Mr. Turner’s pursuit and they're in the getting-familiar-with-each-other stage."

"I will seize the moment to pursue her!"

Someone had shouted this loudly. Yue Qin didn't hear him as she had alraedy left the scanning area. As for the very gentlemanly Turner, he returned Yue Qin's coat and faced the one who just yelled with a laugh and a shaking fist.

"Whoa, Luo Biyao?" Luo Nan saw the person who had shouted just now. It was actually someone familiar to him.

The short yet well proportioned and lively Luo Biyao was an eccentric brown-haired teenager. He was Luo Nan's classmate back at Sixth Middle, and they had a friendly relationship. He was also Mo Peng's best friend.

Aside from him, it seemed that they were all part of Mo Han's circle.

Luo Nan found it interesting. This get-together was Mo Peng's suggestion, but what was going on with this situation? Luo Nan turned to ask, "Have you been overpowered today? There's none of your people!"

"Though the gathering is in the name of friendship, how could I share resources with other people?"

Mo Peng talked himself up to the heavens, but he fell back down in a blink of an eye, "Fine. Little Pomegranate's mouth is far too quick. I'm afraid of going crazy; the entire Mo Family knew by the second day. However, I never thought that you would truly dare to bring out a Tall-Fat Combo to deal with me!"

Mo Peng was practically gritting his teeth by the end of his words.

He then changed the topic, chuckling mischievously, "But tonight, I'm also keeping an eye on Little Pomegranate. I'll see what this lass is up to!"

Mo Peng's meaning was very clear, and Luo Nan was a bit shocked, "She has a boyfriend!?"

Out of Mo Peng's party of nine, there were only two other people, a boy and a girl, that Luo Nan didn't recognize. The others he either knew very well, or they were paired off with others. This left...

"Yue Zheng. He's Yue Qin's older brother. He's two heads taller than us. I heard that he's interested in Pomegranate, but Pomegranate's interest is still unclear."

Luo Nan's gaze shifted over, and he saw the medium-sized Yue Zheng. Their genes were probably amazing, for he was a lot like his little sister Yue Qin. One was handsome, and one was beautiful. They were both eye candy, and they were clearly more mature than their age.

Luo Nan really found it hard to imagine him paired up with the lively and brisk Mo Han.

He put this matter to rest for now and asked Mo Peng, "There's still one left..."

"She's prepared for you."

Luo Nan started up a sweat, "Prepared for me? For what?"

"The last remaining single girl. She's gentle and quiet, quite decent, right? Qiu Peipei is her name. She matches you quite well."

The last remaining girl was truly as Mo Peng described. She was quiet and graceful, with an appearance rather pleasing to the eye...wasn't this called an unwanted matchmaking?

Mo Peng smirked as he glared at Mo Han. Mo Han didn't know what the brothers were saying, but she didn't hesitate in giving them the middle finger.

"You can just ask Mo Han. I was quite interested in her, but Sister Pomegranate said something about ‘not having devious thoughts' and 'you'll never get a turn!' Luo Biyao and I are on the same boat, but things are even worse for me. Isn't it very clear who she was prepared for?"

Luo Nan was speechless. He was discovering so many things that he couldn't keep up with Mo Han and Mo Peng's train of thought. He could only retreat in defeat. Then a call just so happened to come through. It was Tian Si.

"Senior Sister, you're here?"

"Sorry, Tian Qi and I just got here..."

"You're just in time. We just entered. Senior Sister, you should come to room one-fifty-six."

Mo Peng's ears perked up when he heard the words 'Senior Sister.' He even came closer to Luo Nan, and Luo Nan pushed him away by the head. This person was truly thirsty. He forced himself close. "Senior Sister? Nanster, I knew it! You're not that far gone. You don't just have the Tall-Fat Combo, you actually have some moves..."

Then do you know who has the most sensitive ears and could be considered to be part of the Tall-Fat Combo out of everyone in this room?

Luo Nan shot a glance towards Xue Lei and Papercut's direction. Papercut was pinching his rather large stomach; his face was at a loss.

After a laugh, Luo Nan felt that something was off. He looked around the room but was unable to pinpoint the problem.

Mo Peng asked, "So a few more people are coming. Are they all little sisters? Big sisters?”

"Two...oh man!" Luo Nan finally figured out the problem.

A medium-sized room of Frost River Reality was actually a standard locker room. Everyone was allocated their own locker, which were arranged in a ring-shaped order. Aside from storing clothes, the most important thing was that the appropriate reality equipment, in accordance to individual scans, was delivered via the Frost River Reality system. It was a one-to-one match.

There were lockers for twelve people in a medium-sized room. The number was perfect just before Tian Si and her little brother joined. Now there wasn’t enough lockers. This was Luo Nan's mistake. He didn’t pay attention to the allocations of the medium-sized rooms.

Right as he was thinking about how to remedy the situation, a knock came from the door. Someone believed that it was a server, so they shouted, "Come in."

The door opened, and the room became silent in an instant.

Tian Si walked in with a faint smile. When she saw how many people were in the room, she became a little shocked, but there were more people who were dumbstruck by her arrival.

Today, Tian Si dressed quite simply. Her thick coat hung down to her elbows, and her casual white turtleneck sweater paired well with her black treasures. She also wore short high heels of the same color.

She had tied her hair into a fluffy ponytail, and locks of hair hung over her forehead. She had on some light makeup, combining the typical colors of black and white. It gave off a bit of experience, but it didn't give off a deep materialistic air. Instead, there was a refined charm.

Tian Si was a beautiful woman, presenting a fabulous early model to the little sisters in the room of what the passing of many years could do.

Tian Si found Luo Nan in the group of people. She gave him a gentle smile before delivering the perfect tone of surprise, "I never thought that there would be this many people. I came late; please don't be offended, everyone."

She was humble and her smile was the most kind. Even if her words were an empty conventional greeting, it caused everyone to have a good impression of her.

Luo Nan, Xue Lei, and Papercut was all decently familiar with her, but the other guys in the room all had their eyes light up. They paid no heed to Tian Qi who had entered behind Tian Si.

Mo Peng was shocked from the moment Tian Si entered the room, "Hot damn! Nanster, you've truly put in the effort this time. But why do I feel that she looks familiar? Uh, is that Tian...Tian..."

"Senior Sister Tian Si."

"The one with us at the Frost River Reality last time..." Before Mo Peng could shamelessly finish his words, Luo Nan had already begun nodding his head.

Mo Peng gaped as Mo Han came up to them, "Nanster, you invited her? She and Third Brother Qiu weren't successful. How do we explain this later?"

There were too many whispers going on here. Luo Nan was afraid of giving people the cold shoulder. He raised his voice and said, "Well, Senior Sister has taken good care of me at school. This chance just so happen to arise, so I invited her to have some fun. Tian Qi also came last time. No one is a stranger to one another."

Tian Si took Luo Nan's introduction as a chance to bring her little brother in another regard, "This is our first time meeting most of you. Please take care of us."

Her gaze flew back to Luo Nan after she finished her words.

"I think I know why Third Brother Qiu wasn't successful."

Mo Peng no longer kept his mouth in check, so Luo Nan gave him a shove.

At this time, Tian Si headed over to Luo Nan, and Tian Qi followed with a strange expression on his face.

Everyone in the room was affected by the atmosphere. Everyone could see the difference. Tian Qi wore his heart on his sleeve, his expression like that of a bulldog fighter. On the other hand, Tian Si was able to conceal all her negative emotions when it truly came to it, even though she felt awkward that she had been invited by Luo Nan. She put everyone's mind at ease.

She faced Luo Nan with another apology, "I'm sorry, I was unable to escape some duties from the school society."

"It's nothing, it's nothing. Didn't I just say? We just switched for equipment..." Luo Nan responded without thinking, but then he recalled the trouble he just discovered. He didn't know how to proceed. The one who was put into awkward circumstances was now him.

In any case, Luo Nan had an open mind. He would admit to his mistakes. There wasn't anything worth hiding. He scratched his head and said, "Senior Sister Tian, can you and Senior Tian Qi wait a moment? I miscalculated the number of people when I reserved the room..."

Papercut was simply stupefied. Yes, observing the room wrong could be excused, and honestly acknowledging one's mistake wasn't a problem. However, what the hell was with this awkward and blunt reply? It was like Luo Nan was trying to tell everyone about his severity in homebody-sickness.

He pressed the call-service button on the wall before nimbly rushing over with his plump body. He gave Luo Nan a jab and interrupted Luo Nan's words, "Nanster, you're with me. Xue Lei, you're with him...Mo Peng. We can share lockers and make space for two. As for the equipment, I've already called the manual server. We can get scanned directly. It will be fast."

Tian Si had met Papercut before at Ocean Sky Cloud City, plus his build was quite recognizable. She knew that Papercut was Luo Nan's friend and was highly likely to be someone with supernatural powers. Naturally, she wouldn't neglect him. She immediately spread her lips into a smile, "This sort of thing happens a lot. There's no need to trouble you..."

Papercut bowed and said, "It is natural to serve a beauty."

Upon finishing his words, Papercut gave Luo Nan a glare. The meaning was, 'Kid, learn a little, okay!?'

It was just as Papercut said, there were always people willing to serve a beauty. Subsidizing Tian Qi was no problem as well.

Mo Peng greeted Tian Qi in a very familiar manner.

Tian Qi cooperated as well, "There's no need to be troubled. Big Peng and I can share a locker."

Actually, these two were very familiar with each other. The seventh sibling of the Mo Family, Mo Cheng, competed often with Tian Qi in electronic tournaments. They were quite equally matched, and Mo Cheng would often bring Mo Peng along, so Mo Peng and Tian Qi met quite a few times. They weren't strangers. But the more things were like this, the more they didn't understand. Tian Qi and Luo Nan didn't have their lives intersect with each others’ much. How did their relationship mature to this degree? Why did Tian Qi come despite the awkwardness?

This subtle relationship was like a tiny bug. It bore into their hearts, tickling them.

Then, Luo Nan went to introduce the others to Tian Si. Oh, it seemed that he didn't really mention Papercut or Xue Lei. The situation was far too messy.

Then someone suddenly spoke, spinning the conversation back to the previous topic, "Let's just switch rooms."

The moment the words were spoken, most of the people spun around looking blankly for who had spoken. Its source:

Yue Zheng.

While in the line of fire of everyone’s gazes, this person held an expression akin to soft clouds and gentle winds, "I bumped into a mate on the way here. He’s a mid-level here. He specifically told me that if we wanted more space, we can upgrade. A room opened up in the luxury rooms in area A."

As he spoke, he revealed a radiant smile. His gaze cut across Luo Nan and stopped upon Tian Si's face, "When meeting new friends, I feel that it's better to have a bright and spacious environment. Everyone can have a better time playing."

At the same time, Luo Nan heard Mo Peng squeezed out a sound from his throat, "Fucker!"

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Chapter 391: Zero Fluctuation

Chapter 391: Zero Fluctuation

Translator: Strivon

The atmosphere in the room turned quite odd.

Yue Zheng's smile, as well as the meaning behind his words were quite vague, but the direction in which he faced was quite clear. It was enough to let most people fill in the various details in their minds.

He was pretending that what he said was a coincidence. Was he intending on trampling on Luo Nan and the other's faces?

Was he trampling on Luo Nan and the other's faces to show off to Tian Si?

Huh? It seemed that all the ideas were pretty much the same....they all involved trampling on Luo Nan's face.

Ruan Zihui shot Mo Han a glance, and she saw her best friend frown. She then giggled and said, "What's the point of switching? In the end, we have to go to area ABC. The size of the room isn't worth a damn."

"Wow, you said some dirty words." Tong Hui made a fuss over nothing.

"I was made dirty by you long ago!" Ruan Zihui unexpectedly let out some shots, causing everyone present to be greatly shocked. Unfortunately, she was not an old hand at banter. She stopped after a single sentence and couldn't hold back from laughing as she squatted down with hands covering her face.

She had made her own bed and had to lie in it, having even Tong Hui stupefied on the spot. The focus of the entire room was drawn askew by her.

Mo Han watched her with shock. She thought,

All you had to do was take a side. There's no need to go this far!

In any case, Ruan Zihui really did sacrifice her in the Hui-Hui Gray-Gray way, changing the atmosphere. Though there was no teasing or joking, the boys and girls were trying to hold back their laughter. They took the matter of upgrading the room and threw it to the back of their minds.

Yue Zheng gaped, unable to speak the words he wanted to say. It was very clear to him; it was too difficult to force the atmosphere back to the way it was, and one bad move would be very damaging to him. In the end, he wanted a certain someone to have a good impression of him. He didn't want to crash into the wall instead.

Yep, from the moment Tian Si first entered, Yue Zheng was certain that she was her most favorite type of prey. She knew appropriate behavior, and she knew when to advance or retreat. She possessed grace, and she wasn't that much older. The gentle and mature bearing she revealed was what he was infatuated with the most in recent years.

Though Mo Han was youthful and beautiful, in comparison, her temperament was quite thorny. One bad move and he would wish he was dead from the torment.

Yue Zheng's gaze remained neither close nor distant upon Tian Si's body. The more he looked, the more he felt that she was his taste.

He was still unclear on why this outstanding beauty would be friends with Luo Nan, a typical homebody brat. However, he dared to gamble on his two eyes that these two people weren't that close. Luo Nan's polite performance clarified that quite well.

Oh, he had been a bit hasty in the beginning. After all, this was Mo Han and Mo Peng's social circle. Being too forceful would likely be counterproductive. He could wait until they entered the gaming grounds, then things would be different.

A smile appeared on Yue Zheng's face. He shrugged and pretended that what had just happened never happened. He didn't mention upgrading rooms anymore, and he took his time in taking off his outer garments to prepare to swap for his equipment.

Bright lights flashed in the room suddenly, then came upbeat music and a background voice, "Adventurers! I admire your valor! Now, advance towards the region of greater danger!"

"What the heck?"

"The equipment's locked."

"We're upgrading rooms!?"

"Yue Zheng, what the hell did you do?" Ruan Zihui shouted once more.

Everyone's accusing gaze shifted toward Yue Zheng. No matter what you want to do, this sort of ‘act-first-and-report-later’ attitude was far too becoming!

But Yue Zheng donned an innocent appearance. He was halfway through taking off his coat, so one sleeve still hung from his upper arm. He just froze in place like this, facing a dozen gazes with a blank expression.

It was right in this awkward and tense moment that someone knocked on the door. The door then opened, and a young man in a crisp suit came walking in. "Zhengster, why are you hesitating about upgrading a mere room. It's just a bit more on my tab. I can act first and report later, man...whoa, there really is quite a few new friends."

How wonderful!

Yue Zheng's entire face lit up in an instant. He never thought that his mate would put on such a show. Perhaps it was acting, or perhaps there was some other cause. In any case, Yue Zheng was now freed from a passive situation. It was truly an elated turnaround!

He tore off the clothes that hung on his arm and drew in a breath. Then he laughed as he walked over, "Brother Fan, you're too fast."

The young Mr. Fan who just came in was clearly a clever character polished by society. He bumped his fist against Yue Zheng's chest, expressing an intimate attitude. Then he turned to the room and revealed a flourishing smile, "My last name is Fan. I'm Fan Qu. I'm in charge of a few things in this branch, and it's been almost two years since I started. This is my first time meeting most of you, little brothers and sisters, but you're all Zhengster's classmates. Zhengster's my little brother's childhood friend. Let's not be strangers everyone."

Fan Qu spoke quickly, but he enunciated each word clearly, "There are many guests today. Please do not mind if there are some aspects neglected. I have provided some fruit plates and refreshments in the luxurious room, a compensation for the little brothers and sisters. You can always contact me directly for booking a room when you come here in the future. If you're unable to get a hold of me, you can drop my name. I will also do my best to make satisfactory arrangements."

The more Yue Zheng heard him speak, the more his heart felt at ease. He had looked down on Brother Fan, one whose social bearing was thick and dense in the past, but his opinion of Brother Fan changed greatly today.

Brother Fan was indeed a very busy person. He answered his phone after the moment it took for him to speak. He waved goodbye to everyone with a smile, leaving with large and quick strides.

Though Brother Fan had came and went in a hurry, his visit was akin to taking a crappy hand and recycling it anew, from Yue Zheng's perspective. He was going for the royal flush, and he held all the cards he needed. It was hard to lose.

The more things felt under control, the more smoothly Yue Zheng behaved. He didn't need to show off any more. He just needed to show his hand. He faced the crowd and adopted a most magnanimous gesture, "All right, I didn't know that he would play this hand. I'm afraid all the data has been transferred already. Let's go then. It's not far at all."

Having said this, he rushed a smile at Luo Nan, "Junior Nan. I didn't mean for this matter to happen, and I know that it's quite frustrating. How about we have a discussion? Give me this chance. Tonight's my treat, even if its as an apology to everyone. This also gives the senior sisters and junior brothers of Acumen College a show of face."

Yue Zheng's words were said beautifully, especially after being 'wronged'. He acted so humbly that his words flowed cleverly, so clever that it was like words of Ruan Wenhui, a Chinese master of the literature arts. People were speechless.

Yue Zheng gazed around the room upon speaking, making a mental estimate. Right now he should have taken over Luo Nan's role as host. Then he continue with deep plowing and careful cultivation. Just look, wasn't that Senior Sister Tian looking quite amazed?

Tian Si was truly quite amazed. She was able to guess Yue Zheng's intentions, but her amazement lay in the fact that Yue Zheng was toying with his own life. Though she had yet to truly understand Luo Nan's supernatural abilities, it was not enough to hinder a basic understanding.

For people like Yue Zheng, Luo Nan would probably be able to kill them without a sound, with just a stir of a thought!

With such thoughts formed, it was hard for Tian Si to not feel terror deep within. This fear was formed from the reverence she had toward Luo Nan for breaking away from the laws of society. And right now Luo Nan's wooden expression was a sort of mask or disguise from her perspective. Perhaps that mask would be torn in the next moment, revealing the face of the grim reaper.

She glanced at Yue Zheng in the blink of an eye. Yue Zheng just so happened to lock gazes with her. He gave a slight bow and a smile from a distance. He was feeling confident and outstanding, but from Tian Si's perspective, his appearance was akin to nothing other than rotting flesh and bones.

She shivered, subconsciously shifting a bit in Luo Nan's direction. Then, under the eyes of the crowd, she reached her hand out to touch Luo Nan's upper arm. With a slight hesitation, her hand slipped down to hold Luo Nan gently by the arm.

"Junior..."

Just how many bulging eyes were there in the room at this moment? Chaotic thoughts spun and flew. Of course, Yue Zheng's expression instantly darkened.

Luo Nan was weird. He turned to look at Tian Si. He was a bit uncomfortable with how Tian Si had suddenly closed the distance. He opened his mouth to ask why.

But at this time, Papercut suddenly popped out. He chuckled, "Let's not be in a bind. Let's not be unreasonable. The data has already been transferred, and its impossible to get it back. We can just go experience the luxury room for a moment. I have yet to be in one in my life!"

He waved his hand to shoo everyone out, "Go, go, go. Everyone go. Don't forget your clothes and personal items. Hey, Nanster. When you and Tian Si finish talking, hurry up and come over."

Though most of the people in the room wanted to see what would happen, Papercut's little method was able to make these boys and girls, who lacked the strength to even truss a chicken, leave. Even Yue Zheng, whose mind was quite frozen, involuntarily left.

In a few breaths time, the room became completely empty.

"Senior Sister, is something the matter?"

Luo Nan's reactions were just a bit lacking, that’s all. He wasn't truly retarded. Though he didn't completely understand the ways of the world, he could see that Tian Si's heartbeat was erratic and fear was breeding in her heart. The hand that pulled his arm was quite stiff, like she had encountered a scare. Her mind also seemed to be in quite the bind.

And it seemed that he was the reason why for all of this?

Luo Nan had to be a lot more open with someone like Tian Si, a character who knew half the facts. He had gradually gotten used to the new distance he had with Tian Si, so he laughed and said, "What are you afraid of?"

"I-I'm worried about you getting angry." Tian Si's voice was a bit hoarse, She had trouble controlling her breathing. She was nervous, when all was said and done.

"Me?" Luo Nan was baffled.

"I'm a bit surprised as well."

Papercut spoke out of nowhere as he stood by the door, startling Tian Si once more. But she saw this plump young man chuckle simple-mindedly, creasing the skin of his face, and felt that it was rather pleasing. She calmed down quite a bit.

Xue Lei stuck his head in from outside the door and grinned, "That Mr. Yue needs a spanking. He's sick for wanting to trample on people."

Papercut chuckled again, "Nanster is normally well-tempered. I know this, but I didn't think that he would be able to be so calm when that happened. How remarkable."

"Who?" Luo Nan was a bit uncertain, "Are you talking about me?"

"Who else is there? That bro trampled on your face today. He wasn't even willing to overlook or spare you. I was really scared that you would mentally snap and clean him up just like you did with Tank. Motherfucker, speaking of that guy, do you know how hard it was to clean up the scene back then? That bro was complete paste, Just the slightest force would cause his skin to slip from his flesh. It's as if he had been pressure cooked."

Luo Nan's expression was that of complete innocence. He had been so busy recently that he didn't have the time to consider dead people.

Tian Si finally came back to reality. It seemed that Luo Nan had no intent to kill, but she asked carefully in confirmation, "You're really not mad?"

Luo Nan became depressed, feeling like he had been wronged, "You thought that just because he blathered away and talked big that I would want to kill him? Wasn't everything he did absolutely meaningless? He was never able to persuade anyone from beginning to end, and that included his sister, and you expected me to be angry? Brother Papercut, the few lives I have taken with my own hands all began with them seeking to kill me first. They also destroyed my mother's work. I'm not the type to go killing indiscriminately, okay?"

"Of course, of course you're not. Nanster, you're so impressive!" Papercut gave a big thumbs up.

Tian Si couldn't help feeling that their conversation was strange. The talk of taking a few lives was seriously contrary to the logic of normal society, but such talk was so casual and natural when it came out of Luo Nan's and Papercut's mouths.

And, on the side, Xue Lei's expression didn't really change as well.

In the end, they were different from normal people. It was hard for Tian Si to calm her heart-rate. She had no choice but to breathe deep and slow and try to calm down.

Luo Nan felt her actions clearly and was uncertain of himself when seeing them. He turned to ask, "Was there a problem with how I handled things?"

How was Tian Si to answer? Though she was a cunning and eloquent person who could fit into many situations, she was completely unable to display her skills during this time. She really admired herself for thinking of creating a situation to converse with Luo Nan in private.

In the end, it was Papercut who helped her out of trouble once more, "That's not what we all meant. We weren't praising you...I just want to know. How were you so sure that this Yue kid didn't win anyone to his side? He played his moves out quite well, especially when that Fan kid came over. I really didn't know that boys and girls these days had these sort of ideas. Tian Si has experienced them before, but the others might not have.”

Luo Nan especially liked this topic. He immediately laughed and pointed at his own head, "Sensed it."

Papercut had been teasing him. He never expected there to be truly an answer. He was stupefied for a time, "You can sense this too?"

"Of course, it's very clear."

It must be stated that Luo Nan truly didn't understand some of the ways of the world, but when it came to sensing the hearts, minds, and energies of people, there were few people who could beat him in the entirety of Xia City, let alone this room.

It was just as he said. Yue Zheng was just like a large ant endlessly ramming into a tree when it came to this matter. The living starry sky illustrated him as a bleak star. This bro's 'gravitational force' didn't form any effective fluctuations at all. There was little effect on the people present during the time.

Yue Zheng's influence, no matter how high its wave crest or low its wave trough, didn't have a single moment that touched upon a level that required Luo Nan's attention. It just quietly dissolved into the abyss of the vast sea of stars.

So, there were really no fluctuations within Luo Nan's heart.

He was prepared to explain it to Papercut, but Papercut had already given up, "All right. I still need to help you out in a little bit with Cat Eyes. Spare me the brain power. Let us go to the luxury room to experience it thoroughly. Oh, you went to a luxury room last time at the other, destroyed, Frost River Reality at Fudong, right?"

Luo Nan gave a grunt. His mood was a bit bad, since Papercut wouldn't let him explain himself. His stomach was stuffed with words.

They hurried to the luxury room in area A and saw Mo Peng's spittle fly through the air. He was describing the 'heroic feat' of a certain someone back at the Fudong Frost River Reality.

"I've never been to this place before, but Nanster should have."

"Oh, he doesn't like this sort of place?" Luo Biyao acted as Mo Peng's support in a very familiar way. The two matched perfectly.

Mo Peng chuckled, "He doesn't like it, but he's no match for bad luck! Last time the Fudong Main Street's Frost River Reality was attacked by terrorists. The luxury room was smashed to bits and pieces. I looked at the police report after the matter. Nanster and the other's evacuation route included the rooms of area A...it seemed that one of the rooms was the starting point?"

"Whoa, Nanster was a victim?" Tong Hui had heard Mo Han mention this before, but he didn't have much of understanding back then. He was really curious.

"Of course! Not to mention, a third of our current party were victims. There was Sister Pomegranate and I, and Senior Sister Third Brother, Brother Qi. We were all victims. But none of us fooled around as big as Nanster. He was of the last group to come out. Oh right, there was also Xue Lei. He was one of the last ones too. His father was the captain of the special police who was in charge of the protect and defend mission!"

Mo Peng's arms were waving and feet were stomping as he spoke. Luo Nan and Xue Lei glanced at each other. Both of them had their mouths shut, wishing to maintain low profiles. Luo Nan wanted to be done with this group, so that he could converse with Papercut, Cat Eyes, and the others. He didn't care about Mo Peng's show at all.

However, Yue Zheng, who stood within the center of the large room with its bright flowing lights and first class sound effects, had an ugly expression when he heard the words 'attack', 'destroyed to bits and pieces', and so on.

At this time, a call came through to his wristband.

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Chapter 392: Taking Sides

Chapter 392: Taking Sides

Translator: Strivon

Fan Qu was the one calling. Yue Zheng just accepted a favor from him, upgrading their venue. In any case, he had to demonstrate an attitude that was out of the norm, "Hello, Brother Fan. Looking for me?"

"Do you have time to talk?"

Having heard him, Yue Zheng walked deeper into the suite. In any case, right now there wasn't anyone paying attention to him. He closed the door upon entering the suite and found a sofa to sit. Only then did he discover how tense his muscles had been.

Motherfucker. How did such a small scene become like this!?

Yue Zheng couldn't hold back a sigh before saying, "Brother Fan, you can talk."

Fan Qu said, "I suddenly recalled something when I left. Is there anybody of your group from Acumen College?"

"Yeah, what's the matter?"

Yue Zheng turned his head as he spoke. It was quite a coincidence. Through the crack of the suite's door, he just so happened to see Tian Si, the peaceful beauty, standing next to Luo Nan. She had a faint smile as she listened to Mo Peng brag. Her bearing and manners were truly incomparable!

"There's a girl. Is her name Tian Si?"

He gasped.

For a second, Yue Zheng almost believed that he had his mind read by Fan Qu. After a panic, he realized that this was probably a coincidence. He gave two grunts and said, "Yes, there is."

Fan Qu's tone was relaxed, "How do you know her?"

Yue Zheng also tried probing as well, "A younger alumni of Sixth Middle brought her. He transferred over to Acumen College when he entered the next grade. What's the matter? Do you have a grudge with Tian Si?"

Fan Qu laughed in a very exaggerated manner, "If I have formed grudges with a beauty, then I have failed in life. It's nothing. I'm just asking. You know, I've taken two years of advanced studies at Acumen College before. This Tian Si is an officer of their Alumni Society. I've crossed paths with her before, and I just recalled her. She probably forgot me completely by now."

"So it was like this." Yue Zheng thought to himself that this Tian Si was often recognized as a good resource at school. It’s got to have been at least three years since Fan Qu came out of advanced studies, and he still remembered her.

The more the resource was like this, the more effort Yue Zheng was able to muster...but he needed the chance to make a move!

There was something Yue Zheng couldn't figure out at all. Tian Si was such a beauty. She had the figure, and she had the way with words. She was a refined and graceful character at Acumen College. Why was she acting all docile toward Luo Nan, such a stiff. wooden kid?

Even if a girl wanted a fallback guy, normally she wouldn't choose someone like him, right?

Fan Qu laughed at this time, telling him, "Zhengster, you came at just the right time today. I just so happen to have a few friends from nearby colleges; Acumen College, Cloud City School of Business. People from all over, and all sorts of people. Come and play when you have the time. I'll introduce you to one another."

Arrogance was baked deep in Yue Zheng's bone. He wasn't the sort to agree easily. He just asked, "Who are they?"

Fan Qu said a few names, and Yue Zheng's eyes lit up. Yup, they were famous characters in the circle of the second generation rich.

Though his family was considered part of the upper-class in Xia City, his family was still lacking when compared to the names Fan Qu mentioned. During normal encounters, it was hard to avoid fawning over them and flattering them. He didn't like that. To meet them in this sort of gaming center was a more ideal situation.

"Okay, I will go for sure. Brother Fan, help me...introduce." Actually, Yue Zheng wanted to say 'refer', but he was affected by his pride, so he switched words.

"No problem, no problem." Fan Qu laughed heartily on his end, feeling great. Then he said, "Wait a moment," out of nowhere. It seemed like he had some work he had to do.

Yue Zheng replied, "You're busy Brother Fan. We can get in contact later."

Fan Qu said, "It's nothing," but later he still bid goodbye for the moment. Yet at the very end, he suddenly said, "Zhengster, I see that you're quite troubled with the people you're with. How about I bring over the two from my end and link up with you over there. This will give you support, and later you can return the favor."

Yue Zheng's heart started beating faster, and he said, "That's inappropriate. It's inappropriate. I should be the one going over first to say hello."

"It's nothing. Your Yue Family's pharmaceutical business is so big. Everyone is equal. Everyone there is familiar with it. You all have some relations with each other. Giving friends support is what should be done."

With Fan Qu speaking in such a way, Yue Zheng had no strength to refuse.

He thought about that group's history and level. If two people really did come over bringing drinks, delivering a fruit plate or something, his reputation within this circle would be completely supported.

"Okay, Brother Fan. Then I will thank you first."

"It's nothing. It's nothing. We're bros for life after all!"

Yue Zheng chuckled as he ended the call. Fan Qu, on the other hand, drew in a deep breath. His heart-rate had accelerated, and he felt that this was his chance to show great face.

His thoughts took another turn, and he suddenly felt a bit unfortunate.

It was unfortunate that the people in this luxury room were poor students. Though their attractiveness rating was high, they weren't people in normal circles. It would be best to greet a few friends that he normally mingled with in the following situation, then he would properly depart. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to show off, like wearing fancy clothes at night.

The thought was formed, and Yue Zheng could no longer control himself. He used the search function of his wristband as he laid on the sofa. He searched to see if there were any friends nearby doing activities.

He just wanted to give it a try is all. How was he to know that he would be so lucky. There truly was a batch of people nearby. They were here at Cloud City Water Village. Though they weren't in the same building, they were only a few steps away.

Yue Zheng hesitated slightly before waving his hand and snapping his fingers. He used his usual manners to make contact from someone in that group. "Hello, Old Su. I'm pretty close to you. Just see where I am...Aurora Cloud City. The flagship store of Frost River Reality, yes. The one that just opened. I'm with a bunch of kids here, my little sister's friends. It's quite annoying babysitting them."

He kicked his heels against the ground, pretending to create small talk. Then he began to press, "Come over to play. We can chat at the very least. You're talking about the attractiveness level? You know my little sister has good taste....hahaha, yep. You also know my taste."

"Sure, come shake them up. Shake them in the car, or shake them in bed, if you have the skills that is. Oh right, just drop dead if you ruin my little sister's plan. And drop dead if you steal my prey!"

Yue Zheng laughed as he ended the call and suddenly clapped. His restless legs stomped the ground, propping his body up. It was as if warmth channeled through his body from head to toe, making him full of strength for the time being.

He walked out the suite with large strides, and he began to ponder over what sort of activities to do next. He mulled over the atmosphere for now. For instance, he could be a bit more low-key, conceal his claws and teeth, and let these people squander around while he waited for the two groups of people come in one after another. Then he would enter the stage brilliantly, instantly being reborn with a body of gold.

His thoughts led him to be quite pleased with himself, his mouth in a wide smile. At this time, he just so happened to hear Mo Peng, the jabbering dude, speak once more, "Nanster, I saw that you no longer have doctor's orders when you scanned. Is your body completely recovered?"

"My state's fine." Luo Nan grunted in response.

"Since your body is fine, let's all go to area A. The more people, the livelier the game!"

"Me? I'll just..."

Luo Nan was just about to refuse when Mo Peng came up to him and whispered, "You, me, plus Pomegranate -- us three have preference status from the incident at the other Frost River Reality. It should be able to cover for one reality battlefield without issues, and it should be able to cover the expenses of this luxury room. This kid Yue Zheng is quite fake. We can't lose face."

Luo Nan blinked. There was face to be lost from this?

The two didn't instantly reach an agreement, causing Mo Peng to be a bit worried, "So it turned out that all the saliva I used just now was wasted, poured into the desert. Not even a blade of grass, a blade of emotion, grew in your heart, kid?"

"What grew?"

Grass, emotion, did not grow in Luo Nan's heart. Yue Zheng, who just walked over, was the one with grass in his heart! If this group of people were to be urged on by Mo Peng and all ran out to play, then how would Yue Zheng show up all flashy? Would he just kneel and cry alone in the room?

With a startled heart, Yue Zheng did not care for anything else. He rushed up with a few steps to try to seize the initiative back. Of course, he had to wrap everything with dignified reasons, "Since we're in the luxury room, let's make good use of it. There are many things here that can completely substitute for the facilities of area A. Like simulating the clan hall..."

As he spoke, Yue Zheng utilized the highest privileges of the room to configure and setup. He heard the lockers on the four walls in the ring-shaped space ring with a sound. Within this static sound, high-end back massage chairs slid out from beneath the lockers. They gathered together in the center, forming two sets of half-moon structures.

"All these chairs are connected to the central AI server and equipment specifically allocated for the room. They can completely realize the highest level of reality experience. There's no need to line up at area A. We can setup the battlefield here. We can enter the Wilderness, Ocean Soul, and other groups of war."

Yue Zheng borrowed some of the vocabulary used in advertisements in a great effort to sell to the others. It was effective. Some people couldn't hold back from going, “Wow.”

Needless of anything else, the visual effects alone were first class.

Luo Nan turned to look at Papercut, giving the meaning, Are you interested?

How could he be interested? Without professional boot-up guide equipment, whatever reality effect was simply a joke for someone like Papercut, a mentally slanted ability user. There wouldn't be any true feeling of realness.

Papercut shrugged. He knew that Luo Nan didn't have the patience to stay here, so he took the initiative to say, "You guys go ahead and play first. Nanster, Leister, and I will take a walk outside. See if there's some drinks or something..."

He was just being polite, but he never expected Yue Zheng to have taut nerves. Yue Zheng quickly laughed and said, "There's no need to go to such trouble. There's a drink fridge in the room. It's over there. Drink as much as you want. The cost is included with the room. Oh yeah, we have fourteen people. Perfect for a seven versus seven, right?"

Papercut chuckled.

Mo Peng stepped back at this time, jabbing Mo Han within the crowd. Mo Han tried slapping him back, but Mo Peng smirked and avoided the attack. He whispered as soft as he could, "Hey, we doing it?"

"Doing it!" Mo Han responded coldly. In the beginning, she didn't really feel anything toward Yue Zheng, but a girl's vanity was always satisfied when someone was chasing and flirting with her. However, reality told her that he wasn't a pursuer, but a hunter with too many male hormones. She was just prey at best.

He certainly had no face. Plus, Yue Zheng, this scoundrel, wanted to stomp on Luo Nan's, her’s, and Mo Peng's faces.

Mo Han was never one to be bullied. Her eyes swiveled as she raised her voice, "Let's first consider everyone's opinion. I want to go to the Uncanny Valley. Last time I didn't have my fill of fun due to the incident. Today, I want to grab it back no matter what. Then there's Frost River Reality especially. It left me with quite some fear...who's coming with me? Peipei? Gray-Gray?"

Mo Qiu's temperament was not one to refuse people, surrendering to Mo Han after a few 'ah's’, and Ruan Zihui was her best friend. She knew how to coordinate as a team during crucial moments. She raised her hand innocently, "Okay, okay."

She instantly turned to Tong Hui and spoke in a spoiled manner, "You're coming with me!"

Tong Hui wasn't stupid. He knew that this was the start of big drama. Of course, he had to follow his girlfriend's steps. Of course, he also used this chance to display his affection, "No problem. I'll go wherever you go!"

"Whoa!" Mo Han got goosebumps when dragging over this pair of love-dogs to her side. She took away four people this way and wiggled her eyebrows in a provoking manner toward Mo Peng.

As for Yue Zheng, who was he again?

Mo Peng chuckled. He was not to be outdone, "I feel like it’s better to get some sweat going. I want to go to the Warzone."

Luo Biyao's position was clear. He grinned and said, "I think so too. In such a big gaming center, exercise is number one."

Mo Peng asked, "Brother Qi, what about you?"

Tian Qi was in a pickle. He wasn't really looking forward to the luxury room's equipment. He was just confused about the excessively vague attitude of his sister.

He really wanted to say that he would follow his sister, to drive off wolves.

But his skin wasn't thick enough in the end. Plus, he didn't think that Luo Nan, this wooden kid, would be able to do much. He gave Mo Peng's warm invitation a bit of consideration before reluctantly nodding.

And so, even Mo Peng was able to drag three people away.

Luo Nan's side, the ability user team and Tian Si, need not to be mentioned.

With just a few exchanges of words, only three remained of those who stood by Yue Zheng's side, including himself. The other two were his little sister Yue Qin and Turner, who considered their faces.

Yue Zheng felt his scalp go numb when seeing the situation in front of him. His mind was simply blank. How could such a good hand be on the verge of collapse once more? How would he deal with the situation when the two groups of people came in the very near future?

Yue Qin was Mo Han's good friend, but right now she was in a very awkward situation. Yue Zheng had been isolated step by step. She never had the option to take a side. She was angry at Mo Han for deliberately disregarding her brother's face, and she was angry at her brother Yue Zheng as well for his inappropriate actions.

That moron! Would it kill him to maintain a low-profile for a dozen seconds? He completely destroyed that excellent hand of his early on! What a waste of a royal flush!

The most painful thing was that Yue Qin still had to find a way out for her moronic brother; it’s like a bug had infested his brain or something. Her brain spun a few circles before she suggested, "How about this? Let's all go outside to play first, and we can play Fighting Dance here when we come back. We should make use of this venue for maximum benefit..."

She turned as she spoke to hug Mo Han by the shoulder, embracing the petite Mo Han into her bosom. She appeared to be reserved and cold, but she smiled and said, "Wifey, we'll be on the same team later. We’ll make them shed blood!"

Mo Han knew that Yue Qin was doing all this for her brother, but she saw how Yue Qin easily said their old intimate nicknames for each other. She knew that this was quite rare from Yue Qin, a prideful girl. Mo Han's heart was about to grow soft, but she still spoke some hard words.

"You've been having an affair for so long. Don't come looking for me."

Yue Qin just leaned against Mo Han's shoulder, turning her head to Ruan Zihui, "If I'm having an affair, I want to find Yuanyuan too..."

Ruan Zihui sneered, "I'll make you go Gray-Gray from the Hui-Hui!"

“What about Peipei?"

"You, you all decide." The simple Qiu Peipei had long since knelt in defeat when faced with this clear yet hidden cat-fight. She hurriedly withdrew.

"Then save some time to come back, okay!" Yue Qin gently shook Mo Han's shoulder, practically acting like a spoiled child.

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Chapter 393: Errant

Chapter 393: Errant

Translator: Strivon

Yue Qin was famous for being a cold-beauty in the circle, but this didn't mean she was super serious all the time. Her family just had high standards, and her foresight was strong. She normally held a more reserved bearing.

But the more this was so, the deadlier it was for her to physically stick to someone like a spoiled child.

Mo Han's plan became a bit shaky. She kept sneaking glances at Mo Peng, whose mouth had opened slightly and drifted his gaze away. His expression spelled, "I understand, but I can't do anything about it."

Fighting Dance was very popular among their age group. It was a combination of exercise and play. The lighting effects were cool and well-liked, and the action design was very beautiful as well. It was very popular among young women. The superb sounds and lighting effects of the luxury room made it hard for the girls to resist.

As for boys, how would they refuse such eye-candy activities?

After all, everyone had come out to play. Grudges had their limits. The embarrassment they gave Yue Zheng just now was enough. As Mo Han's and Mo Han's attitudes softened, the tense atmosphere was dispelled.

Luo Biyao gave Mo Peng a jab, and Mo Peng knew that he would end up carrying the burden if he couldn't free Mo Han from this situation. He immediately adopted a different manner and said, "Okay, okay. We will first let loose before coming back. Everyone will have to go up on stage then. Especially you girls..."

How was this stepping on stage? This was clearly stepping down. Within the angry and odd laughter, all parties were finally given a way out, tidying up the atmosphere that was at near-collapse.

For Yue Zheng, the situation was the same as turning in full circle from the edge of a cliff. He was a bit dizzy. How did things come to this?

Once a group of people left the room, there was certainly no stopping the others. That meant he could only get in contact with Fan Qu quickly and tell him not to bring people over.

Yue Zheng felt agitated. Nothing was going his way; it was as if he was being sued. He had barely reasoned out what was important and what wasn’t when he felt something was off. He turned and saw the wooden kid named Luo Nan staring straight at him. His eyes shone, as if they were glowing.

Fucker, just one look and I can tell your contact-wearing eyes are looking at me making a fool out of myself!

Yue Zheng was angry at first, wishing to glare back, but then he felt an inexplicably diffident moment when he locked gazes with Luo Nan. He actually couldn't bear it and shifted his eyes away.

Papercut was baffled, "What the heck are you looking at him for?"

"He is the worst example when it comes to destroying a system." Luo Nan said it in a single sentence before turning his gaze to Yue Qin, "This girl's not bad."

He sized up Yue Qin, this tall and beautiful girl, as he spook. Perhaps his gaze was too direct, for Yue Qin had noticed within the chaos. She looked over, revealing a faint frown, before turning back again.

Papercut really regretted it over on this end. He had heard some stupid words that made his brain go crazy. However, this time he really was curious. He couldn't help asking, "Destroying a system? You're saying that..."

"Nanster, let's go, go, go!" Mo Peng, who could be considered to be the overwhelming victor, was extremely excited. He wanted to drag Luo Nan and run to the reality battlefield, but it was extremely rare for Luo Nan to see Papercut take the initiative in talking about theory and research. How could he let go of this chance so easily?

He waved his hand at Mo Peng, "Don't mind me. I have some things I need to talk about with Brother Papercut."

Before Mo Peng could respond, Papercut timidly said first , "Actually, it's not..."

His words were cut off by Luo Nan's bright glare. He was utterly defeated.

Mo Peng did his best to drag Luo Nan away but to no avail. He then thought about how hard it was to make the reality battlefield plan and could only grumble as he switched equipment. He pulled Luo Biyao and Tian Qi out the door.

Tian Qi looked back every step, worried about his own little sister's behavior. Tian Qi's mind was completely on Luo Nan. She was completely ignorant of her little brother's worries.

All right. This was quite more torturous already.

As everyone split into groups and left, the luxury room became practically empty. Yue Zheng's ears echoed with Fan Qu's complaints. The difference in treatment from back then and now was like the difference between heaven and earth. He had to endure it as he put his mind to wondering whether or not he should give those scoundrel friends of his a call as well.

It was in this moment that he saw Luo Nan lead the fatty over to the couch with the fatty whimpering all the way. As for Tian Si, she ran back and forth, providing drinks and refreshments.

FUCK!

Yue Zheng's brain nearly exploded from the sudden rush of hot blood, but soon Yue Qin dragged him away.

The last bit of disturbances made Luo Nan face the brother and sister pair with his gaze. His eyes never left them until they were out of the room.

"I want to explode as well." Papercut couldn't quite stand Luo Nan's blunt gaze. He could only pull Luo Nan and let him continue, "You said something about them being an example or something?"

"Destroying an already formed system."

Luo Nan accepted a cup of juice from Tian Si, rubbing the cup a few times in his hand. He used this to organize his words, "The brother used the most straightforward method. He strongly manifested his own existence by using money and contacts. He forcefully cut inside, hoping to use his own gravitational force to make all the stars orbit around him."

Papercut finally understood. He laughed and said, "He thought that he was a star, but in the end, he wasn't even an asteroid?"

"Indeed." Luo Nan didn't laugh; he held quite a serious attitude, "The people who came to this party tonight can be considered as part of a two-star system. There were two main proposers to this event. Me, and Mo Han and Mo Peng. We are the two stars. Brother Papercut, you, Xue Lei, and Senior Sister Tian are affected primarily by my pull. The others are primarily affected by Mo Han and Mo Peng's pull. There is also a mutual family pull between Mo Han and Mo Peng and I.

"This sort of structural system isn't stable, but Yue Zheng used the stupidest and most inappropriate method of all. His money and contacts are absolutely meaningless to people like you and I. From Mo Han and Mo Peng's friends’ perspective, they lack sufficient force. Yep, Mo Han and Mo Peng have decent friends. Yue Zheng was taught a lesson by our system."

"But his little sister understood that she needed to begin from within the system. She used her friendship, the attractive force that is fixed with Mo Han, within the system to help her brother escape from his bind."

"Yes, the easiest way to break through a fortress is to attack from the inside." Papercut laughed as he leaned against the sofa, his head looking at the ceiling, "From this perspective, it seems that you understand things quite well. So you just pretended to be naive all this time...Leister, and even Little Tian, were all able to tell as well. Be careful!"

Xue Lei chuckled, and Tian Si smiled. The atmosphere was quite relaxed.

Luo Nan merely shrugged, "Well, we had nothing to demand. If conflict occurs between our demands and Mo Han and Mo Peng's demands, then the resulting clashing force could possibly overwhelm or bypass the form of gravitational force of the two-star system -- family affection. In this case, the two-star system would most likely collapse and have an unbalanced split at the very least."

Papercut's smile suddenly stiffened on his face. The fuck are youngsters these days thinking?

He suddenly realized something. Everything that Luo Nan said was actually not particularly esoteric. He just used different vocabulary to make his ideas more suitable for universal situations. Strictly speaking, the result was still not particularly comprehensive.

But the fact that it was 'universal' made Papercut a bit uneasy.

Was this something that teenagers thought about?

Was this something a normal person should ponder over?

The core of Luo Nan's thinking was not brought into discussion due to today's matter. Instead, it formed into a universal and feasible truth from Luo Nan's perspective.

Looking at things from this angle, perhaps Luo Nan had already formed a sort of abstract system between his surrounding environment and human connections.

What the hell! It was fine to deal with theory, but Luo Nan was just a fifteen, sixteen year-old kid. Was it good to ponder over this sort of abstruse and abstract topic of life and society?

It was certainly not good! Papercut believed it to be so.

If one were to ponder such topics from youth to adulthood, the complicated and ever-changing interpersonal relationships would turn into rigid gravitational lines. Vivid and lively characters would turn into ice-cold symbols. This was a large step toward becoming inhuman.

Papercut hadn't witnessed such matters personally in the past, but he had heard quite a few instances of them. Those who opened up to first class supernatural powers early on, the gifted ability users that simply became Extraordinaries, and especially those leaders of secret orders, would merely leave behind a few legendary words. Most of those words involved topics like this.

Right now Luo Nan really had this sort of trend going on.

Luo Nan continued to talk, but Papercut was unable to hear even half of his words. He stared, fixated on Luo Nan from the side, observing this delicate fifteen, sixteen year-old kid. With a calm and detached attitude, Luo Nan stated his findings one by one, doing his best to filter his ideas to give them universal significance. A scene that would normally fill one with admiration made Papercut's back burst into a cold sweat.

Papercut suddenly opened his mouth to interrupt Luo Nan, "The brother and sister you're talking about, what are their names?"

"Huh?"

"The brother and sister. Their names?"

"They're..." Luo Nan gaped, unable to think of the answer for a time.

Screwed!

Papercut closed his eyes, he was now somewhat confident that Luo Nan was advancing on an enviable yet terrifying road. Maybe a new Extraordinary would emerge in Xia City in a few years, but this Extraordinary would be largely different from Ouyang Chen and Her Majesty Empress Wu who both had many years of tough experience...

Papercut had this premonition!

Papercut really didn't know what he should do. After all, he was way too far from the level of Extraordinary. Everything he knew was only on the surface level. He didn't have the ability nor qualifications to have a say on this matter, let alone have the qualifications to criticize Luo Nan about his choices.

He would have to ask the Secretary when he gets back. No...maybe President Ouyang would be better.

Papercut's silence didn't affect Luo Nan's excitement. All Luo Nan needed right now was merely a listener.

Actually, Papercut had somewhat misunderstood. Luo Nan's thoughts on whole systems only emerged today. The source was none other than the sensing ability system he learned from Ink.

This ability allowed him to see the active effects of a completely closed system. His train of thought naturally shifted to this topic when he encountered similar situations.

Of course, Luo Nan pondered it quite deeply. From this matter, he was able to tell that the system should possess centripetal force, otherwise the dual core system wouldn't work. When it comes to the acting relationship, the more hidden it was, the better; the stronger it was, the better; the higher the level, the better.

Yue Qin's method was an excellent example. It was able to deal with Mo Han, but it was meaningless against Luo Nan's side, a system built upon the ability user society, friendship, comrade-in-arms, and other elements.

But when these elements were compared with religious relations, then there seemed to be some difference. It made Luo Nan think of secret orders.

Luo Nan talked nonstop for quite some time, but he still held back thoughts that involved with the deeper secrets of Formatting Theory. The rest he talked about, not caring whether or not Papercut or Xue Lei would understand him or praise his ideas. Everything came spilling out of his brain. By framing his thoughts in language, Luo Nan was able to sort through the logic and re-examine his self-understanding.

This lasted until he finished the cup of juice completely, but Tian Si smoothly handed him another cup of juice, "Do you want another cup of juice?"

"Yes, thank-you."

Papercut mentally groaned to himself. He finally found a chance to interrupt, and he no longer cared about Luo Nan's happiness. He waved his hand and said, "Let's take a break, okay? Did you come to the gaming center just to chat? You might as well have gone to a coffee shop!"

"Didn't this happen by chance? Otherwise, I would have certainly found a coffee shop instead. Plus, we need to wait for Cat Eyes..." Luo Nan looked at the time. It was just past seven. "Let's chat a bit longer. There's still an hour."

Papercut would undoubtedly prefer dialogue that was lively and fun. He immediately shook his head and said, "Don't tell me anything about systems anymore. I'm dizzy."

"Then let's switch topics and continue the one we left off at the cold beverage shop."

“The cold beverage shop?"

"The matter about Worker Zhai. The matter about the Condensation Ring." Though Luo Nan lacked the insight back then, he still wanted to discuss with Papercut. From his perspective, there were far too many things that needed to be discussed and researched right now. Any one of them would make him exhilarated.

At the time, Tian Si delivered a hot drink into Papercut's hands.

Upon seeing this, Papercut had a good excuse to change the topic. "Properly learn etiquette, okay!? You called Little Tian over, then you had her serve tea and drinks to you?"

Luo Nan went, "Oh." Indeed, he had made a mistake. He had taken Tian Si coming over here for granted. It was a bit hard to let this senior sister go, but it was also hard for her to integrate within this circle.

But Tian Si had a flowery way with words. She saw the situation and frowned slightly, "Don't mind me. I like hearing you all talk. Well, if it's not convenient, I can go outside and walk around."

"No way, there's nothing inconvenient at all." Luo Nan felt that after the incident at Ocean Sky Cloud City, Tian Si could be more than half considered to be someone in the know. It really didn't matter for her to know about the matters of a few ability users.

Papercut could tell that Tian Si had the idea of 'advancing through retreating'. She was doing her best to integrate into Luo Nan's core circle and making every effort to get Luo Nan to have a good impression of her. Papercut didn't bother thinking about her intentions. He just liked that her actions gave him a chance to manipulate the situation.

"Exactly, there's nothing inconvenient. The main thing is that there's something wrong with the kid, Luo Nan's, brain. He came to a gaming center to talk theory...I'm annoyed listening to him. Little Tian, do you have any place you want to go? I'll keep you company!"

Papercut stood up upon speaking.

Tian Si first looked at Luo Nan, who finally realized that his etiquette was lacking. He was an obedient student in this regard, so he also stood up. "Then let's go have some fun. Last time senior sister went to area C?"

Tian Si looked at the three males in the room and shook her head, "Area A is quite nice too."

"Then area A it is!" Papercut reclaimed the authority of being an etiquette teacher. He clapped his hands upon reaching a verdict and turned to face Luo Nan, "Let me teach you one more thing. If you feel that you lack experience in this, you can use the HexaEar to execute the guide function. Check the homepage of the branch's gaming area for the concrete instructions..."

The group of people left the room.

Area A was just outside. Their minds weren't on this place at all. They just hung out and walked around.

Relatively speaking, Xue Lei was more engrossed than the others. He followed Papercut's pointers and learned a few setup methods from the branch's gaming area. He set it into his helmet and saw the effects.

"Wow, this is really useful!"

Papercut smirked, "So you came to get your muscles moving."

"The sensation I'm feeling isn't bad. Normally, playing this sort of thing is quite boring..."

Having solved the 'disease' that plagued him for many years, Xue Lei grew all the more interested in reality technology. He looked around him and a "whoa" slipped out of him as he found a certain place of interest. He grabbed Luo Nan and said, "Wait a moment. We're all here now. You're not going to play a round?"

Luo Nan didn't quite understand, "Play what?"

Xue Lei's mouth cracked into a smile, revealing white teeth under the helmet that covered half his face. "Ten Days in the Wilderness."

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Chapter 394: Hero Seats

Chapter 394: Hero Seats

Translator: Strivon

Area A of Frost River Reality was forever a place bustling with excitement. Though it might not have the most amount of people compared to other areas, thousands of figures rushed and clamored within the space. There were also large amounts of cheering, shrieking, and screaming coming from the onlooking personnel. The noises never ceased, not even for a moment..

This was the place where reality technology was the most unbridled. Guided by immersion equipment, players instantly arrived to an ocean region or the Wilderness from the bustling metropolis filled with skyscrapers. Danger lurked around every corner as they struggled to escape under the giant jaws of Mutants. They displayed their capabilities to the fullest, achieving success, winning respect, venting their emotions, and searching for challenges in this interactive hypnosis. However, the ultimate gain was the true thrill.

Indeed, the thrill was something that could be produced by the mere secretion of dopamine. It didn’t matter whether or not the experience was real, people were just that easy to trick!

Besides, who doesn't like playing games?

Luo Nan stood within the buzzing atmosphere of area A. He looked around at all the players completely lost in their games and was unable to say words of refusal.

Well, actually, there was an itch in Luo Nan's heart. Though virtual achievements, respect, and the like were meaningless to him, an ability user who tread the line between life and death countless times, being able to interact closely with his friends was quite the compelling force.

Luo Nan opened his mouth and was just about to respond when Xue Lei went, "Oh my god." He slapped Luo Nan's shoulder with ample force, but the force wasn't enough to represent anger. He said, "What are you hesitating for?!"

"Oh?" Luo Nan had an expression of innocence.

"He's not wearing a helmet, and besides, what are you expecting from a rookie?"

Papercut didn't know if he was helping Luo Nan talk or harming him. Then, he explained to Xue Lei, "There are two empty simulators available at the hero seats. Leister wanted to snatch the spots, but by the time you finished talking you two missed your chance. Actually, there are a thousand eyes keeping watch over there. It isn't that easy."

Xue Lei retorted, "I heard the probability of snatching one with a luxury room is several times higher than having a normal room. You never know, we might have gotten it?"

Hero seats? Snatching probability?

Luo Nan believed he had heard of these terms before, but there wasn't a precise memory. He once more felt the deep malice of the normal human world.

In the end it was Tian Si who was able to read his body language. She walked up to him and explained. Tian Si's voice was quiet, so she naturally leaned closely to Luo Nan's ear in this noisy environment. Her actions were very intimate.

Luo Nan felt the soft hair lightly brush across his cheek and collarbone. A faint aroma entered his nose as well. Everything was soft and fine if one were to not deliberately take in the sensations, as if there was nothing at all. This was in line with his taste.

Therefore, the sensation made Luo Nan feel quite comfortable. At the same time, Tian Si clarified the ins and outs of the matter quite clearly.

The so-called hero seats referred to the center of area A. One hundred simulators were laid out there, each with six degrees of freedom. These simulators seamlessly connected to the interface of the equipment worn by players. While giving a true sensation of reality, the simulators were able to allow the players to do more audacious actions without worrying about being overly immersed and injured in reality technology.

In addition, there were series of control indicators, such as accuracy and sensitivity. These simulators were fully upgraded as well, giving players the upper hand in battle. It was because of this that players called them Hero Templates. They naturally rushed like ducks toward them.

But the circumstances of area A were quite peculiar. There were a thousand players seeking to snatch the one-hundred seats every day. The supply and demand was seriously out of balance. It was because of this that Frost River Reality made the cost for using these seats to be on the highest level. On the other hand, they didn't accept reservations or bids. They just had random flash sales through their system, being nominally fair and open at the very least.

As for the probability for those who possessed luxury rooms versus normal rooms, these were just rumors passed down between players. The business never once confirmed this.

Luo Nan stated his own understanding, "So you might not be able to play even if you wanted to?"

Xue Lei sighed, "It doesn't matter if you aren't able to snatch a hero seat. In any case, do you want to play or not?"

"I'll play. You just lead the way." Luo Nan shrugged as he put on the semi-enclosed helmet he had in his hands on top of his head and followed Papercut's pointers. He went to the branch's gaming homepage and learned the adhoc guidance mode.

After some fiddling around, Luo Nan's mental senses smoothly retracted, no longer spilling out far and wide. This caused the immersion effect to increase substantially, and Luo Nan naturally placed his attention on the translucent face-plate before his eyes. He saw all sorts of real-time information of area A streaming down the screen.

And at the same time, the various AR effects in the surroundings were strengthened as well. The image of the gaming center gradually faded away, and it was as if Luo Nan had arrived at a dusty old town. Streets went left and right here, and there were all sorts of buildings located row after row. There were bars, stores, and training fields surrounding each other. There was also a rusty metal gate in the distance, leading out of the town. All this emerged in his field of vision.

Behind the metal gate was the real battlefield. Right now Luo Nan's current location was merely a service area.

Xue Lei turned his head to look all around. He found quite the suitable place within the complex and realistic AR images. "If we can't snatch a hero seat, then it doesn't really matter. We will go...hey!"

As Xue Lei lost his voice from screaming, Luo Nan saw an eye catching red message flash across the translucent panel. It said, "Players, take notice. Seats seventy-seven and ninety-nine are vacant in the hero area..."

"Snatch them!" Papercut shouted from the side.

Luo Nan subconsciously used his mind to make telepathic contact, but he soon realized that this wasn't the HexaEar and the Psychic Wave Network. Telepathic control wasn't worth a dime.

But then an image appeared on his translucent panel the next instant and the sound of alloy daggers clashing with ferocious beasts rang out in the last moment. Sparks sprayed everywhere, and blood-pumping background music entered his ears. There was also a vigorous male voice that spoke in a wild and dramatic manner, "The brutal battlefield welcomes a new hero. Look, the door to glory has opened!"

Luo Nan was stupefied on the spot, "T-This means I snatched one?"

"YES!" Xue Lei waved his arm fiercely before facing Luo Nan with delight, "Nanster, you did it! Today's luck...huh?"

The two were surrounded by special AR lighting effects. They knew each other's identity at first glance. It was in this way that the inexplicable happened. They had both obtained qualifications for hero seats. Achievement 'Double Hero Snatch' Get!

Papercut laughed and gave Luo Nan a push from behind, "How many old ladies have you helped cross the road these past few days? You with your god damn luck. Haul ass over there. There's a time limit for the qualifications."

"Luck?" The topic of probability was a mathematical problem. It was too reckless to explain using luck. Luo Nan was one who liked to be serious, his brain crashing for a time, entering into deadlock, but Papercut pushed him forward and Xue Lei led the way in front. The party of people headed quickly toward the hero area. They entered the closed area under the sighs and gazes of the envious.

Papercut and Tian Si were unable to enter this place. They were blocked by a beautiful projection wall.

"We've gotten rid of the people with fucking luck. Let's find a place to kill the time." Papercut chuckled as he adjusted his helmet slightly. Then he asked for Ten Days in the Wilderness, "Does Little Tian often play Ten Days in the Wilderness?"

Tian Si wore soft sensing equipment around her body. Her helmet was clasped beneath her elbow, and she gave off a bit of a heroic air under the dim lighting of the gaming area. She drew her lips into a laugh, "I play it, but I play the mobile version a bit more."

Papercut then invited her, "I also like to play mobile games. There's a strategy room here. Let's go play two rounds?"

Light flashed in Tian Si's eyes. She didn't refuse but nor did she agree. Instead, she raised a new topic. She copied the way Luo Nan addressed Papercut and said, "Brother Papercut. It wasn't luck that the junior brothers were able to snatch seats, right?"

Papercut beamed as he said, "How could this be luck? They've temporarily bound their HexaEars and made telepathic contact. Then there's also the Psychic Wave Network transmitting and converting the signal. It's the same as installing a flash sale plugin. Who can be faster than them? This is where the superiority of ability users lies."

There was many words in his sentences that were outside of Tian Si's scope of awareness, but this did not prevent her from being able to deduce the general meaning. And it was because she didn't understand that she couldn't help imagine the mysteries within. She was lost in thought for a time.

But soon she snapped back in reality. She found it a bit strange, "Then why didn't you tell them?"

"Pleasant surprises are hard to come by. Would they find delight in the truth? Especially that fellow Nanster. If he were to continue to develop like this, not only would he be precocious, he would one-hundred percent become a machine of theory. Don't you think so?"

This time, Tian Si could only smile.

Papercut invited her once more, "I just looked it up. The strategy room is over there. Do you want to go?"

"I..." Tian Si just started her sentence, but she found it a bit hard to continue. This was because the stuff she wanted to say had nothing to do with the so-called strategy room.

Papercut turned to look at her. Though there was a semi-closed helmet in the way, Tian Si inexplicably felt pressure in her heart.

At the same time, the light and shadow projected on the wall revealed the inconceivable martial might of fantasy. The gorgeous effects and the fierce clashes drew players to stop and watch and caused the players to cheer as well.

The scene drove her imagination, and it gave her impetus, "Brother Papercut, am I able to..."

Papercut probably didn't hear her because he was wearing a helmet. He turned around and waved his hand, leading her toward the strategy room.

Tian Si wanted to speak louder, but the thing known as courage came in spurts. She had run out of it, and ultimately the words never left her mouth. She glanced back at the projection screen, a little dispirited. In the end, she put on her helmet and followed Papercut.

She didn't know that Papercut was muttering to himself ahead. He sighed, "When seeing the sky outside the well, no one would want to return back to the mud...but you don't have the talent to jump out of the well. Thinking more about this matter would just harm yourself."

As for Tian Si's age and foundation, walking the path of physical enhancement and wishing to achieve results was almost impossible, even with a famous teaching guiding her.

As for mental enhancement...just one glance and Papercut could tell she didn't have the talent. Obviously, there was no point mentioning it.

Talent. Talent.

With these thoughts in mind, Papercut felt quite listless. So in this world, no one was able to find a cultivation method that was upright and frank; a method that started from scratch to become something; something that started from small to large, that was akin to a gradual accumulation of steps to reach a thousand miles?

What in the world was the foundation that they, as ability users, relied on? Who was able to give them a clear-cut answer?

An image of Luo Nan suddenly flashed in his mind. Perhaps only someone like him could do it. Only someone with super strong talent and was a freak that focused fully on studying theory could hope to break through this fog and point to the truth.

However, this sort of existence was absolutely not lovable. In comparison, even the vain and stupid Yue Zheng was more like a living person.

This was bad. Very bad!

Though Papercut probably wasn't qualified enough to make judgments on this matter, Papercut really didn't like this change in Luo Nan from the bottom of his heart.

"Curse my girly temperament!" Papercut walked a few steps with self-deprecating before using the HexaEar to make contact with someone.

At first he wanted to call He Yueyin; she was the Secretary, after all. However, his thoughts took another turn. Secretary He didn't really give off a strong sense of being human as well. Plus, Luo Nan, who could easily cause people to get lost five kilometers deep inside fog, might be on a higher level than his own secretary.

Papercut switched to a different contact when his thoughts reached this point, but the result was outside his expectations. He was left hearing, "Please leave a message."

"Back behind closed-doors." Papercut shook his head. He sincerely converted his thoughts to words and transmitted them over, "President. I want to ask something of you. It has to do with the kid Luo Nan's temperament...."

After entering the hero seats region, Luo Nan soon discovered that the placement area of the simulators formed a labyrinth. He soon parted ways with Xue Lei under the guidance of the AR guide.

But soon a dialogue window lit up to the side of the translucent faceplate, and Xue Lei's avatar appeared in a call. This was a team privilege gained after getting the luxury package. People without the luxury rooms could only send messages the old way.

"Nanster, let's not enter the battlefield just yet. Let's first make a room to play."

"Sure." Luo Nan was a typical rookie. He really was diffident when it came to immediately entering the exciting yet chaotic reality battlefield. Xue Lei's plan was in line with his intentions.

Right after they finished talking, Xue Lei and Luo Nan's luck began to rapidly grow. Avatar after avatar spawned on their screens. Some were instant messages. Some were notifications.

Mo Peng: This is dogshit. I tried snatching one a hundred of times starting from last month, and I was...

Luo Biyao: Let's go play rainbow bow in a bit. We might be able to earn back all the expenses tonight.

Mo Han: Don't you think that it's a waste?

Tian Si: Oh, I just saw this feature. Do your best.

This was an experience comparable to winning the lottery. News of it spread quite quickly within their small circle. Ruan Zihui, Tong Hui, Qiu Peipei, and others sent messages of congratulations a moment later. Even Yue Qin and Turner, who were in rather awkward positions, sent them a few words to express congratulations.

Of course, they never counted on anything from Yue Zheng.

Luo Nan was a bit disappointed when he arrived at hero seat ninety-one, the one that he snatched. Though Xue Lei and the others had hyped this thing up to the heavens, there wasn't that much of a difference between this and the fully-enclosed maglev cabin of the VIP room, at least from looking at its surface.

Fine. Perhaps taking the VIP room's experience out to the public area might be considered a good move.

Luo Nan started under the assistance of the guide to engage in the data link. It was a walk in the park, and he received Xue Lei's invitation thirty seconds later. The scene before his eyes immediately departed from Frost River Reality to a square platform akin to a dueling arena.

"We're not doing the Wilderness?" Luo Nan was quite baffled. It was too lazy of them to make this sort of battlefield.

"Who says it isn't? There are several fighting arena settings in the Wilderness. This place is part of the Flaming Hills, the Ring of Life and Death. It's quite famous, okay?"

Xue Lei appeared within the ring. There were four types of classes to choose from: Standby, Deep Blue, Mutant, and Fantasy. He chose what fit most with reality, a human hero of the Standby Class. Under reality effects, he was bound in exoskeleton armor, but he was taking it off piece by piece.

Luo Nan had a very ominous feeling when he saw this. He shivered in his moment of stupefaction and blurted out, "Let's switch stages..."

"Why go through that much trouble? Just come at me bro! Let's both choose Standby Human Heroes and fight melee combat without armor. We can practice sanshou boxing this way." Xue Lei squeezed his hands into fists, filled with impatience as he chuckled, "It's been happily decided!"

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Chapter 395: Stirring Anger

Chapter 395: Stirring Anger

Translator: Strivon

He had been set up!

Only now did Luo Nan understand that Xue Lei's thoughts on sanshou boxing training never faded away. This bro endured half an afternoon and half a night to finally use the battle invitation of the Ten Days in the Wilderness game and throw Luo Nan into the ditch.

Of course, Luo Nan could act as if he didn't hear Xue Lei. He could switch to a Fantasy type or Mutant type to avoid direct combat, but even though Xue Lei had pushed him into this ditch, there were good intentions behind his actions. It wouldn't be good of Luo Nan to waste his time..

Luo Nan's following moments were filled with pain.

This combat training in the ring was quite simple. Both people had chosen human heroes. They possessed systems containing built-in actions, and everything was supported and restricted by reality technology, but Luo Nan was tortured quite badly when facing off against Xue Lei, a true monster of physical enhancement.

Luo Nan lost what was most effective for him, long-range sensing. His soul strength was absolutely useless, leaving him to rely purely on the reactions of his body. He had nearly no experience in this, so Xue Lei was able to toy with Luo Nan as he saw fit....

Luo Nan was easily defeated ten times in five minutes. The losses were so much that he wanted to vomit.

None of their friends in the circle expected the two to play this sort of game mode. Each one of them had eyes bulging wide like dogs. Especially when Luo Nan died in the tenth battle through strangulation. Messages of the group began streaming down screens.

Mo Han: Nanster, I have a whole new level of respect for you. And Xue Lei, I can't even look straight at him!

Mo Peng: Don't cry Nanster. Stand up and rub it! I mean rub your neck.

Tian Si: Is this safe?

Ruan Zihui: I'm already in the Uncanny Valley. The two handsome fellows don't need to show me a horror movie, thank-you very much.

Tong Hui: You're clearly very excited.... I'm talking about my wife.

Luo Biyao: A love so pure that they kill each other!

The others left messages as well, including Yue Qin and Turner. They just took the tenth showdown to be tonight's special show.

Xue Lei secretly rolled his eyes, but he still did his best to avoid being affected as he taught Luo Nan seriously. He was a sincere person. He was trying to teach Luo Nan, not just showing off a variety of killing techniques. He was using live-combat to break through Luo Nan's shortcomings and heighten his experience.

He felt that things were sufficient after ten matches. A lot of time was wasted whenever a match ended, time spent on entering and leaving the match. It was simply better to set the room into an unlimited practice mode. He used the established movements of the system to accompany Luo Nan in practicing moves.

"This system of movement is quite reliable. The rhythm of traction is good as well. We can first follow these movements. Actually, whether it's sanshou boxing or the sequence of movements, its very important to grasp opportunity in battle. In other words, one must first have a good eye. It's okay to have strong eyes but weak hands for now. These words I can only say to you."

"It’s - it’s the gym master's words, right?" Luo Nan gasped.

Mo Peng and the others’ disturbance affected Luo Nan, who was far more disadvantaged than Xue Lei. However, his current state of concentration was definitely worthy of praise.

Though he had intentions of half-assing it in the beginning, his emotions changed after being easily defeated ten times and suffering from the pain over and over again. He normally wasn't even able to touch the edge of Xue Lei's clothes. The exception was when Xue Lei deliberately gave him opening to strike back for the sake of demonstration. This sort of result, no matter how natural and trivial, would make one angry when accumulated over and over again.

It was under this drive of emotion that, though Luo Nan's body grew more and more tired, his attention grew more and more focused. Not only was he was effective in blocking off external disturbances, his perception was clearer toward his surrounding environment...

"Fucker!" Luo Nan had been knocked down by a leg-sweep. He fell down in the ring, confused. He was confirming more and more the differences between the maglev cabin of the VIP room with this six-degrees-of-freedom simulator.

The maglev cabin he used in the past should be focused for Burners, ability users -- these special characters. The cabin was meticulously made for the sensations of the human body, reaching deep into the level of the nervous system. It was able to create observational influences down to the finest detail toward the operation of million upon millions of nerves.

Once started, the maglev cabain could truly form a corresponding template within the virtual world, approaching the functionality of the HexaEar. Activity in the virtual world was primarily consciousness-driven, but the stimulations and effects were still plenty. They were all fed back to the body.

The six-degrees-of-freedom simulator he was using was far too lacking when it came to precision. There was one exception. The traction applied to the body was quite outstanding. It was probably like the common saying, "The precision wasn't enough, but the power was abundant." Like the so-called iron-instructor who didn't recognize weak things such as emotions.

This was especially true because of what Xue Lei requested. He had raised the 'guide' to the maximum. Thanks to the traction and control of the simulator, one had to punch out in the reality battlefield to have their hero punch out. One had to kick to have their hero kick. And the scope of movement required was quite high. One mistake and the game character's entire body would freeze. One would leave themselves open to become a punching bag.

The simulator also applied a 'penalty stimulation'. The simulated sensation of being struck was unrestrained. Heavy strikes, falls, tears, chokes, and so on. They were all differentiated quite well.

Luo Nan focused on these properties, constantly adjusting his own movements. Xue Lei constantly adjusted his teaching techniques as well. From universal pointers to taking great pains at focusing on a set of movements, he drilled it in.

"Foresight. You need to have foresight. You must understand the movement, judge the movement, and grasp the rhythm between the forces of you and your opponent. The rhythm of the two sides contend with each other, but they must also fuse together. A perfect situation is when your crest meets my trough... good!"

Luo Nan's frontal kick was blocked by Xue Lei. The system judged that the attack was effective. The power forced Xue Lei's hero to take a step back, and Luo Nan seized the opportunity. He was just about to launch another attack when a yellow light lit up in the simulator. This was a warning given by the system; the operator had used up too much of their body's energy.

"Let's stop for now." Xue Lei raised his hand to stop. He had been constantly watching the state of Luo Nan's body. It wasn't worth squeezing Luo Nan completely dry for the sake of practice.

Then came a system notification, asking Luo Nan if he wanted to get out the simulator or not.

This was a soft warning. After all, Luo Nan had only caused a yellow indication. If it was a red indication, then the system would simply shut down the machine due to the risk of excessive stimulation.

Xue Lei become more and more in the habit of being a teacher. He was really becoming one. "Don't worry. Take a breather. Let's strike the iron while it's hot and come back to basic practice."

"Wouldn't the order be messed up if we practice the basics now?"

"It's fine. You've done your internal refinement technique quite well. Your nine orifices and six roots will certainly be sharp in the future, and you won't need to worry about your body control. You just need to keep a close eye on them and not be scared of falling into bad outcomes. Learning from setbacks is one of the best things you can do...in any case, this was what the gym master says."

"So no matter what, I'm going to be beaten bad!"

Luo Nan made a wry grunt, but he was still quite obedient. He would follow Xue Lei's idea to request practice mode from the system and get a virtual instructor to begin solidifying his foundation.

A message suddenly popped up during Luo Nan's casual behavior. "Hello, since you're a rookie you should be going to area B or C to play basic training. Doing basic training here is a joke!"

This message was only the beginning. Soon there was another message, "My god, some people really do try to pretend to be awesome!"

"You are all rookies, no doubt about it, but it's quite embarrassing to be acting like this in front of everyone else."

"The audience wants to change channels. If the channel can't be changed, then change the people!"

These messages were completely different from the messages of kind teasing from Mo Peng and the others. With this flood of messages, Luo Nan and Xue Lei felt a bit guilty. Those in their circle felt the same.

In the end it was Mo Peng who responded quickly, "You're set in public mode...that's not right. Who is bored enough to look up your small battlefield?"

Luo Biyao sent a message, "Hehe!"

The messages came in like a waterfall, and the matter soon grew clear. It wasn't really that complicated.

It was partially Xue Lei and Luo Nan's mistake. Neither of them were reality veteran. They hadn't set up the battlefield to be in secret mode, so their battle was broadcasted to the public. All one needed was to request to watch and they would see.

On the other hand, Luo Biyao had helped court disaster. It was this dude who edited videos of Xue Lei dominating Luo Nan and sent them to the internal forum of Frost River Reality. The title, "Mutual Love. Mutual Murder."

The video content was quite good. It was quite moving when viewed through Xue Lei's perspective, but since the interfaces shown in the video wasn't properly cleaned up, the technological whizes were able to find out where the video came from quite quickly. They called upon many people to observe.

But the following scene made all the excited observers become greatly disappointed.

The combat training Luo Nan and Xue Lei were engaged in was boring. The entire process wasn't worth holding it in to avoid going to the bathroom, and right now they were going to go do basic training. It was too much of a taunt toward the players who tried snatching those spots in the hero seats hundreds of times to no avail. No wonder some people had popped out.

"Damn this group of people."

Xue Lei just barely got Luo Nan into a routine and was about to reach an enjoyable stage in teaching. He wouldn't give up teaching that easily. He heard the words about going to area B or C and disregarded them. The degree of realism in the simulators over there were far too lacking from area A's. It would ruin their training. He would never agree based on this alone.

But this was the internet; when crowds surged, there were quite a few people who had no clue in what they were talking about. Xue Lei got angry looking at these messages and simply returned a reply to those in the public channel, "We managed to snatch seats. Why would we listen to you guys about how to play?"

Based on pure physical power, Xue Lei could annihilate a hundred enemies by himself, but he was far too lacking when it came to a battle of words. The opposition simply criticized, "Cheating trash. Let's do a spot-battle!"

The so-called spot-battle was similar to arcade battle. Winner stays on and the loser was kicked off, but the problem was, this mode had to be supported by the system. Otherwise, it was a stupid action that only served to harm one's self.

Xue Lei chuckled, "You also need a machine for this to work."

His voice fell, and words of bloody war already blotted the sky, shaking the ring back and forth. In the hero area, where war ran in turmoil and chaos, it was hard for there to be good people.

Luo Nan shook his head, "Don't think about it."

Sure enough, they were soon bombarded by messages. More importantly, a blood red war challenge smashed down. It's shaking effect was simply explosively annoying.

Luo Nan wanted to set their room to private mode, but then Papercut, who had been silently watching all this time, popped out. "What are you hiding for? Attack back."

"Can't win."

Luo Nan had a clear understanding of his own level. Just based on his exchanges with Xue Lei, he knew that he would be beaten bloody by his opponent

He really wasn't a masochist, so why should he try?

Papercut was happy to talk level with him. Luo Nan's current state of distress and torment was really in line with his taste. Luo Nan was acting like a normal sixteen-year-old boy.

Right now Papercut just wanted to watch the world burn. He donned the persona of a senior and able person. "I'm not talking about engaging purely in a battle of words. You guys are youngsters. You don't have enough experience; doing this training; rushing to get started without a clear goal in mind. It's hard to avoid putting in twice the effort for half the result."

It was very rare to hear Papercut talk in a way that showed his pride in his age and experience. In any case, Xue Lei and Luo Nan were happy to listen to the advice of a veteran ability user.

"Leister just said that he wanted Nanster to practice his strength of vision, and that it’s fine to have strong eyes and weak hands for a time. Am I right?"

Luo Nan acted as witness, "He did say this."

Xue Lei did not object.

"All right. If you take strength of vision to be the number one priority, then you'll be distracted in doing these movement exercises and basic exercises. He’s probably exhausted from this."

"Dual cultivation is what should be done." Xue Lei tried to maintain his authority as instructor.

"Don't you need to pay attention to efficiency? In terms of efficiency, it’s better to let Nanster learn long-range heroes. Nothing else matters. What's next should be aiming at moving targets and interrupting the opponent's rhythm. Adjust long-range and close-range step by step and setup a few different situations to try. This makes sure that the eyes are trained strong but the hands are weak...no wait, you'll have superb strength of vision. Try combining it with live practice when that happens and see if there are results."

Xue Lei was a bit shaken, "Know yourself and know your enemy. Seems reasonable."

But Luo Nan saw through everything, "Brother Papercut! You clearly want our team to fight with them!"

Papercut didn't hide it at all, "Nonsense! Toward a bunch of babies who don't know depth, there's nothing to talk about. We shouldn't just take it, we should slaughter them....am I right!?"

This was a blunt and clumsy provocation, but it was able to let the youngsters within their circle clamor in response.

"Attack them! Crush them!"

"Attack, attack, attack! Crush, crush, crush!"

These bad friends. Whether its attacking, crushing, or being crushed, they just want to watch a lively show. Soon large amounts of messages flooded the screen.

Xue Lei let out a long sigh. He knew that regardless of the effects of Papercut's proposal, he could expect that his sanshou boxing training would no longer have the possibility of continuing. Since the situation was so, what was there to get in a bind about? In any case, he had already been angry long ago!

"Fuck! Attack!"

Xue Lei moved swiftly the moment he let out these words. He simply chose a public battlefield and selected spot-battle mode.

The storm they set off had grown too big. There were at least thirty people who responded. The system sensed the information and automatically matched them with an 'infinite slaughter environment' and sent requests for every party to confirm.

"Fuck, the system's been promoted to super admin?"

"Greed over two peaches may result in three people killed...no, thirty killed!"

"Exploding, it's exploding!"

In the 'infinite slaughter environment', all combatants must kill their opponents or survive for the next half an hour for the match to finish.

Looking at similar cases, Xue Lei and Luo Nan would need to get rid of at least twenty or so people. The onlookers would then become the fisherman that catches both the sandpiper and clam when the sandpiper and clam wages war. The probability of snatching a spot was explosively high!

The shamelessness of the system exceeded the expectations of most of the parties, but this matter was soon becoming a public event. Under full public view, there were very few people who would cower.

In the end, only three people chose to run away with their tails between their legs. The remaining thirty-two people were swept into the battlefield, taking up a third of the space in the hero area.

The onlookers around the hero area, and even in the entirety of area A, were about to explode. They cursed the system in righteous indignation as they stuck close to the buttons that would allow them to snatch seats. They stared fixed at the live stream. They would start snatching like mad once someone fell in battle.

"Come. Fight! Get completely destroyed!"

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Chapter 396: VIP Lounge

Chapter 396: VIP Lounge

As area A turned into an uproar, Yue Zheng blindly offered another bottle of alcohol. He had given quite a bit of alcohol to the guests here.

Right now he was in the VIP room of Frost River Reality, a favor for him made by someone else that wasn't being put to good use at all.

Human relationships were like so: when lips touch and contact is made through the phone, favors, big and small, are being done. The plan of the luxury room had shattered, causing him to lose his chance to act awesome. He had received his fair share of regret from this and was forced to send his apologies. This was because the people of this circle all had families that weren't inferior to his. They were targets that he needed to seriously curry favor with.

Because of this, he specifically had Fan Qu prepare high-end fruit plates, alcohol, and the like as he humbly paid a visit to the VIP floor. The time he wasted going back and forth tonight had already ground down his arrogance enough.

Here, this circle of people contained both warm people and cold people, and the host was quite close.

Yue Zheng had heard of rumors that spread from people before about the host, Ju Maoxun. He was the president of the Cloud City School of Business' Elite Society. His external appearance was decent, but his temperament was explosive. He had a nickname: the Butcher.

Perhaps because this was his first time meeting Ju Maoxun, Yue Zheng couldn't see how Ju Maoxun could have a temper at all.

Yue Zheng was also able tell that today's lead wasn't Ju Maoxun. Instead, it was a young man with the same last name. He was introduced as Ju Ling, and he was Ju Maoxun's older cousin.

Ju Ling was around thirty years old. He wore a crew cut hairstyle and had a neat appearance. He wasn't talkative and didn't even touch a single drop of alcohol in this venue. The occasional gaze from him revealed no ripples of excitement. Not a hint of emotion could be read from him.

Yue Zheng didn't engage in further conversation with him. He couldn't stay here for long, and he just offered another round of alcohol. He didn't immediately leave, though. He waited outside the door for Fan Qu, wishing to ask him for specific information and clarify the focus of the communication that would follow.

During this time, someone made their way past the corridor, bumping shoulders with Yue Zheng.

Yue Zheng felt that this person was familiar the moment he saw him. He sized the person up, fearful of being uncertain of the person's identity. The person must have felt it, for he turned around to reveal a frown. He appeared a bit unhappy.

Yue Zheng was scared that he had offended this person, so he rushed to bow. He laughed and said, "Young Master Hu San. You're Young Master Hu San of the border herders, right? Last month at the Sky Crystal Biology Cocktail Party..."

This young man interrupted Yue Zheng, "Who are you?"

Yue Zheng took in a deep breath and revealed a smile, "Hello Young Master San. My name is Yue Zheng. My father is Yue Qi of Wuyue Pharmaceuticals."

"Oh, Wuyue Pharmaceuticals. Last year your business had gone quite well." Hu Huaying laughed. He was clearly young, but he brought out a rigid social attitude. He politely shook hands with Yue Zheng. This obviously meant that he didn't want to engage in deeper conversation.

Yue Zheng had just offered a round of alcohol. His arrogance had been grounded away, and he was intoxicated by alcohol. His courage was considerable. He took the initiative to strike up a conversation, "Young Master San must have come here with friends for some fun. I don't know which room, but I'll pay you a visit in the future."

"There's a chance. I'm picking up a friend. I can't stay for long."

The VIP room at the side opened up at this time, and Fan Qu bursted out suddenly and saw the two people outside the door. This gave him a fright, but he grew even more startled when he saw the faces of these two clearly.

"Young Master Hu?"

Hu Huaying saw that Fan Qu was working, so he just gave a grunt. He had no intentions of talking. He simply left.

It was at this moment that Fan Qu noticed Yue Zheng's expression changed slightly. When Hu Huaying turned the corner, he asked, "You and Young Master Hu...."

"We chatted a bit at a cocktail party before." No one would care if this sort of cheap big talk was found out. Yue Zheng naturally embellished his words.

Fan Qu nodded before pointing at the room behind him. He whispered, "If you're going to talk with those guys again, I wouldn't mention Young Master Hu's name."

Yue Zheng was shocked, "There's bad blood between--"

"It's nothing. Just don't cause another problem to sprout." Fan Qu's words were clearly not the complete truth.

Yue Zheng was a bit disappointed about this. Actually, he would have liked to engage in further conversation with Hu Huaying. The Hu Family was an upper manufacturer. Their primary business was to fulfill custom-orders of raw biological materials for the major pharmaceutical manufacturers. Not only that, they had a close relationship with one of the few A-level suppliers of Sky Crystal Biology--The Xie Family. This relationship had to be calculated within as well.

If only he could have used the opportunity to get to know him today, that would have been truly ideal....what a pity!

Fan Qu could read most of his thoughts, so he took the initiative to pull him some distance away. He whispered, "Actually, these two circles are not affiliated. Young Master Hu is in the business circle while Young Master Ju is in the military/government circle. There may not be many people with notable families in that room, but each one of them has authority and power. Did you see Ju Ling, or Lieutenant Colonel Ju? He just transferred from the City Defense Force to the Coastal Defense Force. He was even promoted a military rank. He could be said to have boundless prospects!"

"Lieutenant colonel!" Yue Zheng started. Ju Ling had merely reported his name when they were introduced to each other, but he never said his post. But to be at this rank in his early thirties, didn't this mean that he was on a straight path to become General?

"He's a lieutenant colonel, but in any case he didn't arrive here until a bit later. I heard he was attending Chief Liu Ge's banquet. Apparently he heard that Young Master Xun was here, so he came over to check...."

Fan Qu's wristband suddenly vibrated, and his mind went blank when he saw who the contact was. He turned to push the door open, "Young Master Xun. You were looking for me, sir?"

Amidst the puzzlement, Yue Zheng heard the man inside say, "Little Fan, call Yue Zheng back over...."

The tone was firm, and Fan Qu started as he rushed to say, "Zhengster was just chatting with someone outside. He didn't go far."

There was a moment's pause before the man said, "Okay, call him back in."

Yue Zheng had long since heard Ju Maoxun's voice. Towards this sort of behavior, it would be a lie for Yue Zheng to say that he wasn't hesitant. There was also Ju Maoxun's tone. If Yue Zheng hadn't been caught up talking with Hu Huaying outside, he would already be downstairs by now. Ju Maoxun wanted to drag him all the way back. What was he up to?

But this was just the way the world was. People say things differently in front of others versus behind their backs. Plus there was also a difference in status. Thoughtless words and actions were far too normal.

Yue Zheng had encountered similar situations often enough. He soon adjusted his mood, tidied up the equipment and clothing he wore a little, and entered, "Brother Xun, you were looking for me?"

Ju Maoxun stood up laughing. He didn't speak. Instead, the room full of intoxicated drunkards shouted, "Fuck, let's take their challenge. It's those two bastards!"

"Fuck them to death! Crush them to death!"

An aura of enthusiasm had actually gushed up in here in the time he was gone.

What happened? Yue Zheng was a bit stunned.

Ju Maoxun wrapped his arm around Yue Zheng's shoulder in a very intimate manner as they walked just outside a lively area. This was the core zone of the VIP room. There was a 3D projector in the middle, and this place could be used as a strategy room. Surrounding the 3D projector was a circle of maglev cabins. Some had people inside. Some were empty. Though it couldn't compare to area A's hero seats in terms of total scale, the technology here was top of the line. Each place had their own merits.

The bustling of the hero area was being streamed here in real time. Ju Maoxun's explanation wasn't needed at all. Yue Zheng was able to understand the process of events with a few more glances. Even if he wasn't clear on some of the specifics, he was able to understand most of it from looking at the team-chat log.

This was when he felt how truly fucked his luck was.

Xue Lei and Luo Nan were both able to snatch hero seats at the same time? The probability of this happening meant that the luxury room certainly helped aid them in their success. This fucking luck. This fucking luck.... Why the fuck was my luck given to them!?

Yue Zheng immediately had the impulse to flee the room. Unfortunately, he was unable to express such unreasonable actions. He didn't know what his expression was like at the moment, but he knew that it wouldn't be anything good to look at. After all, he got fucked in the ass.

Plus, he still didn't understand why Ju Maoxun called him back. He could only try asking, "Brother Xun?"

Ju Maoxun still had an arm around Yue Zheng's shoulder as he tilted his head over. This overly-intimate physical content made Yue Zheng rather uncomfortable, causing Yue Zheng's boldness to weaken.

“I heard Fan Qu say that the two who snatched those seats are friends of yours?"

"Uh."

Yue Zheng instinctively felt that things weren't good when he saw Ju Maoxun's expression. He wasn't willing to take the hit for Luo Nan and Xue Lei at all, so he responded very honestly, "I just met them today. They are relatives of my little sister's classmate. They're both from Acumen College."

"Oh, from the same school as Tian Si."

Tian Si? He also knows Tian Si!?

A certain string thrummed in Yue Zheng's heart. He turned to look at Fan Qu, but because of Ju Maoxun's pressuring touch, he was unable to move an inch. Soon that feeling was destroyed before Ju Maoxun's mask-like smile.

"Yes, they invited Tian Si over....they should be quite close."

The moment he added the last few words, Yue Zheng felt as if he heard a demon snicker from the bottom of his heart. The many grievances accumulated in his chest suddenly vented out, replaced with a different kind of breeding thrill, like the sparks underneath ashes of grass.

Ju Maoxun patted him on the shoulder once more and a light flashed in his eyes, "Well I say. These two fellows are blind. They have no skin. The anger they've provoked in this crowd won't be appeased with their deaths. Acumen College is finished if every one of their people is like this."

The true color of the legendary Butcher had begun to appear, and it came without being concealed at all.

Yue Zheng felt emotionally uncomfortable, but he had already loosened his mouth. He wasn't qualified to speak further and could only stare blankly on in silence.

But Ju Maoxun wanted him to continue to express his stance. He acted more intimately because of this, "Zhengster. Give these two little fellows a small lesson. You don't mind, right?"

Yue Zheng almost blurted, "I don't mind," but in the end, he still had a bit of basic self-esteem. His shoulders stiffly shrugged when the words reached his lips. He pretended to casually respond, "Doesn't matter to me, as long as my sister doesn't get too humiliated."

Ju Maoxun laughed heartily as he patted Yue Zheng on the shoulder with great force. Then someone shouted, "Fuck! The system’s gone into a cheap state. It's loaded the infinite slaughter environment. This is simply a giant reshuffle!"

Ju Maoxun turned to chide him, "The fuck you scared for? Just have the VIP room running idle for half an hour. We can join in time. Hurry up and drive them away. Let's go to their room and have some fun."

Yue Zheng stood to the side, feeling more and more awkward. Ju Maoxun finally took his hands off of him as he turned to ask Ju Ling, who had been quiet all this time. "Brother, won't you come along for some fun?"

Yue Zheng didn't hear anything. Ju Ling probably just gestured with his hands. Probably in refusal.

Only then did Ju Maoxun face Yue Zheng and say, "It's a lively time. Don't go. There aren't that many people who play Ten Days in the Wilderness here. There are still open maglev cabins. Come and have some good fun."

It wasn't as if Yue Zheng had never played with the maglev cabins in the VIP room before. It wasn't a rare occurrence for him, but it was hard for him to refuse an invitation offered by Ju Maoxun. He hesitated before saying, "My equipment isn't compatible."

"It's fine. Just rescan. Oh, hold on. Little Fan, there's a compatibility mode, right?"

"Yes, yes." Fan Qu didn't go searching for technical staff. He personally came over to calibrate.

By now, Yue Zheng was left in a position where he was unable to say any words of refusal. He said a nasally thanks and entered the maglev cabin under Ju Maoxun's eyes. He sat in the thick and broad seat. It was quite comfortable, but his heart was filled with uncertainty.

What in the world is Ju Maoxun up to?

No matter how much of a bind Yue Zheng was in, there was no shortage of hot topics for area A tonight. Over a thousand people watched and cursed at the scene. Some people even started gambling. All of this took the spot-battle of infinite massacre into a fiery bonfire.

With this many people watching, there was bound to be a considerable sum of people with sharp eyes. In the final loading phase of the environment, many people saw the anomaly out of the list of names.

"Oh fuck. Some people from the VIP area are in the mix."

"I was saying how the hell there could be over thirty of them. So it turns out a bunch of local tyrants make up the number. These means that five, six....seven spots will be squeezed out?"

"Twenty or so is enough too. Come on. Come and all get annihilated!"

"The VIPs can pilot fantasy types. Those are boss versions!"

"Sweep away the trash. Kill the boss!"

By now, who still cared about what the final result would be? Just giving them a good show was fine!

Who had once been the lucky fellows that were the targets of envy had become targets of amusement in the focal gazes of many. No matter the positives and negatives, it was all as sweet as syrup. This was the era of attention. The era of entertainment.

As one of the focal points, Luo Nan surprisingly felt the wonderful sensation of vanity. Perhaps his heart resonated with the emotions of the masses in this subtle mob mentality.

As Luo Nan explored the subtleties of his emotions, he laughed and simply changed hero characters.

He didn't spend much time at a loss for who to choose. He chose the same hero he used against Zhang Yingying when he first met her back at Ship Lanshan. He chose the trump card of the earth's military, the firepower hero Heiya. In their current environment, choosing a heavily armed hero was certainly not the best choice, but this was one of the only characters that Luo Nan could be described as being proficient with.

A few seconds passed, and the muscular high-ranking officer was already transferred. He arrived the cracked red earth of the Wilderness carrying the robotic dog Nubi.

This place had already become a public battlefield.

Xue Lei had been transferred to an area seven kilometers away. He was rushing over to convene.

They were enemies of the world on this day and were certainly everyone's target of fire. If they were to separate even further, it was high likelihood that they would get crushed to the ground by the other players.

Xue Lei's reactions couldn't be described as slow, but it wasn't enough to prevail over the magic power of luck. The distance between the two was extremely far. To convene quickly was a task of paramount difficulty.

The scanning results of the Fire-Eye platform drew the image of someone piercing across the plains for interception. The murderous intent was strong, and the player even broadcasted some words in the public channel:

"Purify the environment! Clean up the trash!"

"First finish cleaning up the trash before you talk."

Uh, this was the naive group.

There was a portion of people who spoke not a word. They lurked, cautious and vigilant. This was the economic group. They didn't want to trade at a loss.

But most players just fired shots after shots upon entering the battlefield, going on killing sprees. This was the casual group. If someone were to question them of their objective in joining the game, they would most certainly troll back.

"I'm having a great time fucking around!"

Yeah, things were quite complicated. Tired yet?

Luo Nan never had a fixed plan in mind nor had he thought of winning or losing. Ever since they were matched with the game environment and the battlefield of slaughter began, sanshou boxing training had ended. He just came to pass the time.

His consciousness merged into the character of Heiya, and he walked forward carrying Nubi along. However, he was a bit far from the center of the battlefield. The speed of the heavily-armed firepower expert was extremely lacking. It was unknown how long it would take for him to bring an enemy into the range of his fire coverage, especially with every character moving around at fast speed.

Within their circle of friends, Mo Peng and the others hated not being able to personally participate. They expressed themselves with ten times more vigor than Luo Nan, their group shouting loudly.

"Taunt! Taunt!"

"Huh?"

"Give Nubi instructions using voice control...."

Luo Nan did as was told, and he saw the tall and massive robotic dog, which carried two cases of ammunition, growl as it ran ahead. It turned, stuck up one of its robotic legs, and then.... sprayed piss everywhere.

Of course, the liquid that came gushing out was certainly a special chemical reagent. According to the preset system, a reaction occurred with the red earth, causing a bright yellow smoke to spawn and rush into the sky to become a twisted and sloppy dog face.

Heiya, this hero character, also followed established procedures. He swiveled over the thick barrel of his gun to point at the sky, and he loudly proclaimed,

"Targets! Go back home to the trash can where you belong!"

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Chapter 397: Real Set of Moves

Chapter 397: Real Set of Moves

"Fuck!"

How embarrassing....Luo Nan never realized that the result would be like this. He couldn't refrain from cursing under his breath while Mo Peng and the others in their circle laughed as a group.

Then someone went, "Hey!" and said, "Did another person just log on?"

Luo Nan didn't pay attention to what this topic led to. The entire battlefield of people had all taken notice of his existence, thanks to the taunt. Whether it were the naive, the economic, or the casual players, most of them had started heading over.

Luo Nan didn't just stand there like an idiot and wait for them to come over. He searched for the most suitable area to unleash heavy fire. He disregarded all other elements: a hill was enough.

He chose a nice spot at the top of the hills and he followed his familiar ways. He simply setup a platform to maximize his firepower, then he waited for people of every variety to come.

"A noob." When seeing this scene, the thousands of onlookers thoughts all synchronized: "He's totally a noob."

To choose this sort of heavily armed fire power expert in this environment was already noobie enough. Luo Nan chose a place without any cover at all. He was out in the open. Setting up a frame with a huge grin on his face....he was simply making himself a giant target!

The effects of the smoke taunt was good. In a short thirty seconds, some targets had entered the range of the Fire-Eye platform and were captured by its search radar.

The electromagnetic radiation alerted the enemy as well, causing the enemy to timely react and perform evasive maneuvers. Luo Nan silently pulled the trigger without any hesitation in manual mode.

"Too early!" Mo Peng, Tian Qi, and Luo Biyao shrieked.

A low hill could be seen far in the distance. It was shaved flat by the projectile and smoke and flame erupt everywhere. The visual effects were nice, but the actual effect on the battle was near zero even after a wave of bullets were sent over.

Since Luo Nan didn't hit, he just continued shooting.

Mo Peng couldn't refrain from screaming, "Can you take your finger off the trigger for one second?"

Before he could finish speaking, the enemy panicked amidst the streaks of bullets that blotted the sky. The enemy made an accidental sidestep and was hit by the torrent of bullets dead on. He froze, then was simply carried away by the fire.

Luo Nan randomly got his first kill this way. There was also the background commentator who groaned in a weak, "First Blood."

But area A went into an uproar because of this. The unexpected elimination brought about an unexpected opportunity. It was impossible to guess how many people pressed the grab button, wishing to become one of the lucky ones.

Mo Peng choked in shock from the result. Then he determined, "You drowned him to death! Just look at your ammo reserves...."

The hero Heiya had the Fire-Eye platform as his core ability. It was built upon a large weight-bearing exoskeleton armor. Though he lacked in movement speed, he was the hero that carried the most ammunition out of all the Standby types. He was fully equipped with three reserves for each ammunition type. Plus there was one more reserve that Nubi carried, for a total of four. The total weight exceeded a ton.

However, Luo Nan's heroic play had consumed one-fourth of a base ammunition reserve. This was the same as depleting one-sixteenth of his total ammunition reserves. This was truly a stupid newbie action.

He would have to face nearly thirty enemies. His methods would certainly leave him out of ammunition and in desperate straits near the end. Forget it, he was truly a stupid noob.

"Giant noob! Remember to leave a bullet for yourself. Otherwise you'll be jumping into a ring of fire!"

The so-called 'ring of fire' was a term used in the game. It meant that the player had lost the power to fight back, like they had become a circus animal, putting on a humiliating show for the public. There were all sort of marvels and oddities in the game, so Mo Peng was really scared about misfortune befalling upon his brother.

Because of this, he simply screamed at the top of his lungs, "Use burst fire! Burst fire!"

Enemies were approaching really close this time. There were five, six people who entered the range of the Fire-Eye platform one by one. These people weren't stupid. They spread out in their approach, coming from different directions. The search radar alarm was going off endlessly. Luo Nan turned his head all around, making a general assessment of the situation. Then....

He didn't say shit! He simply opened fire!

The Fire-Eye platform radiated a circle of beautiful curve shaped trajectories. Even if the battlefield environment was set to be day time, the trajectory was extremely dazzling to the eyes.

Raining fire down on all sides... Well, Luo Nan actually did listen to Mo Peng's suggestion. He used burst fire. It was just that when the speed was so fast, what was the difference between burst fire and automatic fire?

For the sake of keeping up with the paces of the six targets, Luo Nan even put Heiya's most powerfully equipped individual weapon, an electromagnetic sniper cannon, to use. It flashed out, and amidst the crackling sound of electrical currents, Luo Nan used up over half of its precious special ammunition.

Area A's onlookers all laughed, "He didn't run. What a super duper noob!"

In just a few breaths of time, two base reserves of ammunitions were completed depleted. Everyone watching let out breaths of amazement, "He's truly bold!"

But Luo Nan was not the only player in this game. Within the trajectories of bullets that came cutting in from all directions, Luo Nan reaped a double kill. The enormous might of the electromagnetic sniper cannon had smashed a Mutant player character into pieces.

At this time, some people were able to tell that there were some good points within Luo Nan's crappy gaming skills. His recoil control was decent, and his calibration ability was sufficient. He didn't really need to go great lengths to get a kill. Otherwise, even with the support of the Fire-Eye platform, it would be that easy to get a double kill.

The problem was that there truly wasn't enough space.

More and more people still continued to amass around Luo Nan because of the taunt skill he displayed earlier. Attacking people coming from all sides was very inefficient. There were too many chances lost to control the pace. There were at least five enemies entering the five-hundred meter range near simultaneously.

This was the effective attack area of the Fire-Eye platform, but with enemies coming from many sides, Luo Nan became someone with his hands and feet tied together.

Though none of the enemies were heavily armed firepower expert characters, there were still characters of the long-range specialty. Luo Nan's Fire-Eye platform was completely stationary. It was the perfect target. Bullet trajectories began to streak by him, some of them smashing against the defensive armor of the Fire-Eye platform. Sparks and smoke came flying out, and damage was caused to parts of the equipment.

Whether it was Mo Peng, Tian Qi, or Luo Biyao, all were listless. It took a while before a sentence was squeezed out in a half-dead manner, "First get the long-range...."

Luo Nan continued to follow the advice coming from his friends. He completely ignored the fire coming from all directions and concentrated his own fire. He depleted through half of his third base reserve of ammunition to finally submerge his target in bullets.

Third kill! And it was a kill chain achievement!

The system announcer's voice turned thick and powerful, "Heiya has activated killing mode!"

All right. This fighting style was not bad, at the very least.

Mo Peng and the other 'staff' didn't know whether they should be relieved or sullen.

Then Luo Nan asked them for help for the first time, "How does Heiya deal with close-range attacks?"

This terrible question, akin to sharpening a blade just before a battle, made Mo Peng angry to the point of falling over, "Close my ass! When an opponent gets close, they can do whatever the hell they want with you. Switch targets. Quick! Switch!"

The closest enemy had already pressed into a distance of a hundred meters.

It was a Deep Blue Walker character, an exoskeleton armor possessing both power and beauty. The mechanical rigidity couldn't be seen at all as it unleashed a weaving movement in its approach. It danced like a butterfly, which meant the player must be an expert. It was impossible for the Fire-Eye platform's search radar to lock onto this player.

In situations like this, one could only rely on manual control, but Luo Nan was left with only half a base of ammunition reserves thanks to his ammo consumption rate. He might not even be able to touch the opponent at all.

Luo Biyao sighed, "You can say 'gg' now."

"Heiya doesn't have close-range attacks?" Luo Nan stopped using his absolute technique of drowning his enemies in bullets and instead dug into his equipment search for a way to attack at close range.

Mo Peng watched with burning eyes. He hated not being able to simply reach out and take control of the Fire-Eye platform.

In the end, it was Tian Qi who said, "There's a handgun in the right-leg holster. The default fire mode is burst fire, but it should be changed to single shot. Otherwise, the recoil would be too strong...."

Luo Nan simply discarded the electromagnetic sniper cannon; it was in the way. And he reached for the outer-side of his right side. The corresponding equipment was triggered and a sinister looking handgun appeared in the palm of his hand. By the time he took it, the Deep Blue Walker had already entered a range of thirty meters. The Deep Blue Walker was pushing faster and faster, breaking through the sound barrier.

"Fuck. Not even enough time to lift the barrel!"

Luo Nan didn't even try raising the gun barrel. It pointed diagonally to the ground as a series of gunshots rang forth. The barrel, which was large enough to fit an infant's fist inside, jiggled slightly as a cloud of dust exploded from the ground. Flame and fluids burst amidst a scream.

The chaotic red earth suddenly swelled up, and a contorted and fragmented arthropod insect came screaming and struggling out. This action exhausted the last of its blood. It fell down, never to get up again.

"Heiya is killing people like the reaper! Who can stop him?!" The system announcer powerfully emphasized.

Area A's onlookers went into an uproar. Like the winds of the prairies, the grass-like emotions were pressed into a form shaped by momentum.

"Monstrous Mole Cricket! So there was an assassin player like this in this game!"

"Then he died."

"Did you see it? The radar didn't go off!"

Regardless of what character this player used, the player was able to conceal himself from the onlookers who had God View. This made the onlookers admire the player. But in the end, he was blasted into paste by Luo Nan's handgun. He died bitterly and miserably.

But, how was he discovered?

The intense progression of the battle situation didn't wait for the audience to clear up their doubts. The Deep Blue Walker was moving at supersonic speeds, pouncing before Luo Nan.

Its alloy blade pointed forward with the Format of Fire circulating upon it--cycloblade! This was already near the realm of fantasy. In reality, no one had seen such a thing used before.

The power of this blade could cut through anything like a hot knife through butter. The blade-light flashed, and the Fire-Eye platform's defensive armor was simply cut in two, like it was softer than a block of tofu. As for Luo Nan, he fell backward as his exoskeleton helmet split open to reveal a sorry state.

But the instant he fell, the powerful recoil of his handgun naturally pushed him back up, and the special ammunition burst forth with flame. He fired endlessly, simply emptying the remaining half of his base ammunition reserves.

In such close range, bullets would always achieve something as long as the trigger was pulled. The Deep Blue Walker let out a pained scream, and the impacts on the supersonic level gave quite the painful sensation even with the exoskeleton armor the reduce the impact.

Luo Nan used the recoil to create more distance between them. When his feet touched the ground again, he picked up the electromagnetic sniper cannon he had just discarded before, raised it, and aimed.

The Deep Blue Walker endured the intense pain in his chest and performed a classic evasive maneuver. At the same time, the muzzle of Luo Nan's gun ejected the metal projectile that was fully-charged with electricity.

The heavy projectile penetrated the neck-joint of the Deep Blue Walker's exoskeleton armor. The trajectory faced slightly upward, causing the head that was connected to the upper half of the chest to explode into smithereens.

One hit to hell!

The system announcer exploded, "Penta-Kill! Heiya is unstoppable! He's filling the garbage dump with the corpses of his enemies."

Luo Nan let out a breath of relief, lowered the barrel of his gun, and laughed.

The movement patterns of other characters might be hard to grasp for Luo Nan, but Luo Nan had taken Quantum Corporation to be one of his enemies. How could he not have studied their exoskeleton armors over the course of a month?

Plus, he had observed the Deep Blue Walker in frontal combat before. He really understood their typical movement patterns.

Grasp the rhythm and seize the timing!

Area A practical explode while Luo Nan smiled.

Luo Nan's series of movements, on-the-spot shooting, shifting his position using the power of recoil, dropping his gun and reclaiming his gun, and killing with a single strike was done over the course of a five or six seconds. He had killed two people, one after another, like a falcon swooping down the moment a hare is flushed out.

The entirety of area A's onlookers, let alone Mo Peng and the others, had a moment of silence before exploding into clamor.

"Holy shit. What the heck happened!?"

"Motherfucker. Completely read."

"He's a noob my ass!"

"Five empty spots, and I wasn't able to snatch a single one!"

The chaos of area A didn't affect the progress of the battlefield's slaughter. Luo Nan's actions, no matter how pretty, only resulted in two people killed. The remaining enemies didn't see the beautiful scene. They only knew that the targets weren't moving and that a barrage of bullets wasn't starting up again. This encouraged them, making them press on, moving closer to attack.

Having taken a blow from the Deep Blue Walker's cycloblade, the Fire-Eye platform had lost most of its functionality. It was difficult to self-diagnose and self-repair. Luo Nan was carrying an unwieldy electromagnetic sniper cannon in his hands as well as a handgun with empty magazines. His prospects were not looking good.

Another player rushed over in a mere five seconds. He had chosen a Mutant character. Fortunately, Luo Nan was familiar with it. It looked like an enormous wasp. Its name was Feng Huang. This was the hero character that Zhang Yingying had chosen way back on Ship Lanshan.

Luo Nan was really out of options now, but he ignored the imminent threat completely. Instead, he whistled. This was the signal for Nubi to load ammunition, as part of the system functions.

"Load your ass. Shut down!"

The player, who felt that victory was in his grasp, proclaimed this loudly. He would take Luo Nan's place.

Blade-light dazzled in the next second, severing the player's lower half as well as his poisonous needle in two. It was a fatal blow.

The blade-light banished, and a majestic figure equipped in simple exoskeleton armor appeared in the light's place, standing there like a guardian angel.

Xue Lei had arrived.

No one had seen exactly how he had arrived. In the short few minutes, Xue Lei had broken through the people surrounding and chasing him and crossed a distance of seven kilometers to make it to Luo Nan, killing all that were in his way.

Though he was striking while on the run, Xue Lei had noiselessly accumulated three kills. He had already started a killing spree.

Of the thirty-four people who first joined, ten had already been eliminated with eight by Luo Nan's and Xue Lei's hands. Of the thousand of onlookers, some had even forgotten to take the chance to snatch a spot. They stayed idle watching the live broadcast, their minds not accepting reality.

Among all the onlookers, Papercut could be considered to be the most calm. Such a result was quite natural from his perspective.

Perhaps in this following month, Luo Nan's basic qualities were still on the level of ordinary people, despite the terrifying accumulation of soul strength. However, his progress in cultivation stabilized his soul strength, causing his imbalance between body and soul to slowly find equilibrium. Luo Nan was certainly in a stage of rapid transformation.

His total strength was limited by his physical body; it couldn't be said to be exceptional. But his endurance, balance, coordination, reactions, and other indicators were already beyond the scope of normal people.

The foundation of a skyscraper, when compared to simple houses, possessed a completely different essence, even if the height was almost the same.

Whether it was the random spraying of bullets earlier or the reckless consumption of bullets, all were part of the process where Luo Nan observed and captured the tempo. Otherwise, separated by hundred of meters, it would be hard to attribute three kills, one and another, as luck.

This single point was made clear in the moment he made his fifth kill. Though his opponent had entered the realm of supersonic, the difference in their reactions were a light year apart. They were two worlds apart.

However, there was one thing that Papercut wasn't clear about. He simply asked, "That giant cockroach, how did you discover it?"

"Sensed it." Luo Nan was taking things leisurely. He slowly loaded himself with ammunition from the robotic dog Nubi while he answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hehe, the sixth sense of a homebody. Do you want to compare with us sisters?" Mo Han mocked without mercy. Papercut would never have an understanding that superficial.

Sense? Luo Nan was in the virtual world, affected by the guiding software. His soul strength was withdrawn. What the hell could he sense under the layers of transformations of electrical signals?

Motherfucker. Confused yet again.

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Chapter 398: Utter Annihilation

Chapter 398: Utter Annihilation

"Even if you did sense something, what was it that you even sensed?"

Luo Nan had answered very simply, but he wasn't lying or showing off. It was true that he had withdrawn his mental senses temporarily, but the sensations on the living starry sky level still existed.

For him, the gushing emotions of the people surrounding him were faint yet warm. They were akin to the floating dust between star systems, and they were affected by Luo Nan's Self-Format. They fluctuated around him, their details subdivisible. Luo Nan didn't have the time to study this at the moment, but there were clear targets, especially here. What posed a threat to him was naturally filtered out due the clear directivity.

There wasn't any loss in the level of the sensation from the conversion of electrical signals. In other words, the early warning response formed from the closed system had applicable areas that were far more extensive and profound than expected.

Such a discovery would never have been made were it not for rapid creation.

Luo Nan had this thought form in his mind while he was slowly loading his ammunition. By the time he finished, the battlefield situation had completely reversed.

Luo Nan and Xue Lei fought as one. Close-range defense and long range attacks: each had their own domain. The targets in close distance were cleaved down by Xue Lei, like he was chopping vegetables. Those a bit further in the distance became more and more familiar with Luo Nan's name.

Most of the Fire-Eye platform was damaged; its search radar was working intermittently. But there were two weapons that could always be used. Pure manual operation combined with clear directive senses that were supplemented by higher and higher levels of prediction and super reactions. All this formed a shooting accuracy that caused despair in Luo Nan's enemies.

Luo Nan had used three base reserves of ammunition for his penta-kill. Then he eliminated four more players, and he had yet to go through even half his fourth base ammunition reserves. The cold reaping left most of the combatants in despair.

The system announcer exclaimed, "A godlike man! Heiya has turned the Wilderness into a trash dump of corpses!"

"You're the one who's trash!" A certain piece of 'trash', who found it difficult to maneuver, couldn't hold back from letting out a series of curses before a metal bullet pierced his chest, sending him up in an explosion high in the sky.

Deca-kill!

Luo Nan got the ten-kill achievement after this kill. The system simply had the entire battlefield glow with a red light, making the place appear like a bloody sea with waves that churned endlessly. "Super God! Super God! All mortals are trembling before the feet of the unparalleled Heiya!"

No special effects were needed for the entirety of area A to be shaken up. Curses, exclamations, and cheering converged into a surge of uproars that swept through this space.

It must be stated that Luo Nan's sequences of movements to make kills against all odds were truly super beautiful. Even though each sequence happened in the blink of an eye, his body reaction and coordination, which far exceeded that of normal humans, caused him have his limbs’ usage be maximized. He appeared very relaxed, and all of this was fed through the hero seat via electrical signals to be cast into the reality battlefield. The game effects reinforced this in the background, causing Luo Nan to give off a feeling of overflowing calmness and confidence.

Luo Nan took his time reloading his ammo thanks to Xue Lei's protection. He reaped heads, one after another, in a rhythmic beat. He appeared calm and callous, hitting the g-spots of a group of young girls. Carefree shrieks never stopped. Ruan Zihui, Qiu Peipei, and Tian Si yelled and cheered again and again in the team channel. Everyone was extremely excited.

"Ohhhhh mannnn. Why didn't I see it before? What a schemer!" Mo Peng's heart was on fire once more. Before, they were the flames of worry. Right now, they were the flames of envy.

Luo Biyao was puzzled as well, "I remembered that he was a super noobie. It didn't seem like he was pretending before. Fine, I'm forced to respect his acting skills!"

Tian Qi also wanted to express himself, but then his sister asked,

"Tian Qi, is there anyone else in the battlefield from our room?"

"How can there be? There's only so many spots....fuck, I forgot to look. I totally forgot to grab the empty spot.” Tian Qi had yet to be on the same page. He just continued to be annoyed.

Tian Si dug deeper, "Really? Didn't someone say someone had 'logged on'?"

It was probably because the minds of women were more detailed, because Mo Han echoed, "Yeah, yeah. I remember someone saying this before."

"Oh yeah, I did say that." Tian Qi finally remembered though his mind was completely focused on the intense battle. He was too busy to care. He only felt odd once Tian Si reminded him. He skimmed through his memories and soon found the clue, "There really was someone in the battlefield, but he's being anonymous in the team channel. He set his status to offline...hello, who is it that goes so far as to bury your head in the sand? Who are you? Come out with it!"

"Pretty much everyone has talked in the team channel. Who does that leave?"

Mo Peng purposely spoke in a solemn manner, but soon he couldn't hold it back anymore. He burst into laughter, "Well, no matter who it is, let's see if he can take down the Super God Heiya! The one wielding a blade. I'm talking about you Xue Lei. You can only watch. You can't go help him out!"

There weren't any fools among youngsters nowadays. Even if the meaning was hidden by a layer of paper, anyone would be able to tell his intentions by just a little inference.

Yue Zheng was the one who had logged on. He had truly ran inside the reality battlefield. There were certainly some details in his thoughts, looking at how he maintained his silence until now.

Luo Biyao was still a bit suspicious, "It could be a VIP....maybe it's someone from another room?"

Yue Zheng had already steeled himself to be very thick skinned. Even if he was burned and ridiculed by others, he didn't show it at all. He maintained his silence from beginning to end. It was because of this attitude that his occasional interactions with Turner and Yue Qin had entered an awkward state of silence.

On the reality battlefield, Luo Nan suddenly put away his gun and said, "Withdraw."

As he spoke, Luo Nan left behind the Fire-Eye platform, which was already repaired and loaded full of ammo. He just carried his handgun, the electromagnetic sniper cannon, and some ammunition as he turned around and left.

Xue Lei covered his side without speaking a word.

By giving up this Fire-Eye platform, Heiya no longer lived up to the name of being a heavy firepower expert, but his movement speed increased quite a bit. He made a mad dash and soon left the hill behind.

They had just stepped forth when a bright light flashed in the distant sky. It was as if a shard of the sun had been cast down upon mortals. With this flash, the shard smashed down at Luo Nan and Xue Lei's previous locations.

The earth shook, and a pillar of flame surged to the skies from the hill. The abandoned Fire-Eye platform, as well as the surrounding corpses and the traces of battle that had yet to be removed by the system, all melted within the glowing flames.

"Oh my god. A mid-range particle cannon strike?"

Area A went into an uproar. As spectators, they were able to enjoy God View as a minimum treatment. After the stream switched perspectives, everyone was able to see an awesome looking bird-type robot five kilometers away. It had already spread and supported its wing-frame. Large pieces of metal wings reflected the sun, increasing the brightness endlessly. It was bright and dazzling.

The particle cannon came from this. Right now it was charging up for another one.

Such a weapon obviously didn't exist in the real world. This was a fantasy weapon. It was the least realist option available in the Ten Days in the Wilderness game, created through the pursuit of ultimate game-play and cool-factor. The bird-type exoskeleton was officially called Phoenix. It was quite the model fantasy type.

Though it was called Phoenix, it was incapable of flying freely in the sky. However, the attack range of the particle cannon strike was extremely far, and its power was enormous. The game system needed to balance it, therefore its attack frequency was reduced and its ability to make close-range attacks was erased. Even after all this, it could barely be considered balanced. However, there was quite a few people still obsessed with the power of mass killing, feeding their addiction through using Phoenix.

It wasn't a surprise for one or two of them to appear in a match.

However, there was a problem. This Phoenix that was clearly still charging up while another cannon strike chased after Luo Nan and Xue Lei as it bombarded down. The land behind the two turned into a sea of flame, and they came breaking through that flame.

"How can it attack so frequently?" The onlookers in area A were bewildered at first, but soon the perspective of the camera shifted, and then the area turned into an uproar.

There was another...no, there were a total of four Phoenixes. They were all three to five kilometers apart from Luo Nan and Xue Lei, far enough that the search radar couldn't reach them. Fantasy types like the Phoenix shouldn't be able to perceive Luo Nan and Xue Lei either.

But these were the facts: a series of two cannon strikes were performed with remarkable accuracy and with clear direction.

It didn't make sense. In this sort of hilly terrain, a few of the armor frames might have been able to find the right angle, but the others would be completely blind. How could they ensure accuracy?

Luo Nan and Xue Lei could be seen wildly dashing through the reality battlefield with the four Phoenixes greeting them with particle cannon strikes one after another. Though their cannon strikes came from different directions, they were all able to maintain incredible accuracy. Though Luo Nan and Xue Lei escaped death time and time again, their armor were on the verge of collapse.

"Have godlike gunners teamed up?"

"Looking at the list, they're all from the VIP room. Maybe they possess a special function or something?"

Most of the onlookers were puzzled. Something didn't quite add up. However, those within the team channel already reached an answer through the awkward silence.

In the end, it was Mo Peng who sneered out loud, "Godlike gunners? It's more like an omniscient observer!"

Before he could finish speaking, Luo Nan, who had been dashing endlessly, suddenly stopped. He grasped a gap between the charging time of the four Phoenix armors and lifted his handgun.

The God View showed that the nearest Phoenix to Luo Nan lay a thousand and five hundred meters away.

A series of gunshots rumbled out, and a small mound of dirt burst into flame seventy meters away. It was plowed through in an instant by the powerful handgun ammunition.

"The heck is he doing?" Before a group of people's thoughts became clear, a figure could be seen leaping out, avoiding becoming the mound. It was a Deep Blue Walker. Its speed was extraordinary fast, and it performed an evasive maneuver rather adeptly. It skipped and jumped, sometimes tumbling in between. It moved very smoothly.

But in face of the Super God Luo Nan, the Deep Blue Walker possessed the worst luck. The final bullet of Luo Nan's handgun struck through the armor dead on, striking a fatal blow.

Instant death!

Since much time had passed between the last kill and this one, this kill wasn't part of the last killing spree. The system merely rewarded him with a weak 'first blood'. However, the onlookers in area A were already subconsciously drawn toward the most dazzling star on the battlefield. Some of them even orgasmed.

"So smooth, not even forgetting to reap some kills when running away."

"That bro hid himself quite well. He must have been prepared to hide it out until the end."

"A calamity descended from the skies. No, that's wrong. A Super God descended from heaven!"

"....Huh? What happened to the particle cannon strikes?"

Finally there was someone who had discovered the problem. Henceforth, quite the deviation was formed with the second wave of particle cannon strikes. It was a difference so large that it spanned across the entire Pacific Ocean.

Luo Nan didn't feel like moving any more. He summited another tall hill and utilized his electromagnetic sniper cannon to strike targets one after another. The four Phoenixes, which were charging up, were the best targets.

Three of them were blown to pieces by giant explosions. Luo Nan began another major killing spree.

The final Phoenix armor was outside of Luo Nan's firing range. The Phoenix armor just barely calculated the coordinates and was just about to finish charging and fire when Luo Nan suddenly disappeared from atop the hill.

"Your target has left the game."

"Huh?"

Blade-light flashed the instant this player was stupefied. Xue Lei, who had moved with swift haste and in secret, struck a delightful killing blow. All turned to ash.

"FUCK!" Loud slamming sounds could be heard in the maglev cabins. Four participants of the battlefield, the second generation rich, left their cabins one after another, each of them gnashing their teeth.

Ju Maoxun hadn't joined the game, but his expression was extremely ugly.

Then someone blurted, "Brother Yue is trashy enough. He can't even hide well? If he just held on for five more seconds, then we would have surely eliminated those two....oh, where is he?"

With a shift of a gaze, a red light could be seen to have lit up outside the Yue Zheng's maglev cabin. The cabin then opened, and Yue Zheng practically tumbled out of it.

He had been forced to perform a series of evasive maneuvers by the bombardment from Luo Nan's handgun. The bullets brushed past his body time and time again, controlling his tempo completely and forcing him to make maneuvers that were growing exceedingly past his limits. He did them in a haze, and he was finished off while he was in a haze. The consequences of going past his limits had come to bite him.

He strove to keep his mouth shut, but he couldn't resist. The alcohol and snacks in his stomach came spraying out between his fingers. There was also quite a bit that came bouncing back onto his face.

The smell of the entire VIP room was truly unbelievable.

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Chapter 399: Losing Data

Chapter 399: Losing Data

The Super God Heiya had seized the battle-winning advantage, but he suddenly logged out. After his partner, who was unparalleled in close-range combat, beheaded the final Phoenix, he did the same. Their behaviors weren't in line with normal human logic, drawing the onlookers in area A to discuss spiritedly. Some even argued about whether or not there was shady business going on. The place was a complete mess.

The VIP room was a complete mess as well.

Yue Zheng struggled, with vomit, nasal fluids and tears gushing out of him. He was dreadfully affected by physiological and psychological effects at the same time.

The room's self-cleaning system activated, and a multi-function robot came to clean up. The rich second generation group avoided it like they were avoiding a viper or a scorpion. There was practically no one idle in the room.

Ju Ling, who had been sitting on the sofa this entire time, stood up and headed out.

"Brother!" Ju Maoxun yelled, rushing to chase after him. He also gave Fan Qu instructions just before he left the room, "Bring this unsightly bro....no, we're going to switch rooms first. You watch him and come over once things are swiftly tidied up."

Ju Maoxun disregarded Fan Qu's response completely after uttering these words. He went straight out and saw that Ju Ling was talking to someone through his wristband. Ju Maoxun didn’t need to go far.

Though Ju Maoxun let out a breath of relief, he also had quite the headache.

The disastrous failure in him trying to pick up Tian Si at Ocean Sky Cloud City led him to hate both Tian Si and Luo Nan. He was constantly looking for a chance to vent his malice. Tonight he had found out about Tian Si and Luo Nan's presence from Fan Qu. He wanted to embarrass them, to see unsightly expressions on the dog boy and girl.

It wasn't that he was physically incapable of simply intruding on on them directly, but this sort of method held no face at all. His cousin, a high ranking officer, just so happened to attending a feast on the floors above. The people attending had special identities, and he wanted to use the opportunity to play a few tricks and do things more sophisticatedly.

He never thought that his choice of using Yue Zheng to break through from behind enemy lines would go so badly. Yue Zheng had let his group leave their room super early, and then there was the disturbance with the hero seats. Ju Maoxun had the intention to play around in the game before making a move in reality: this was to warm up the venue. However, he never expected to be slapped in the face; there was always the risk of failure in anticipated plans.

Ju Maoxun was fully aware of the fact that his cousin thought very highly of himself. Today, his cousin had transferred from the City Defense Force to the Wilderness Combat Force; it was supposed to be a time to celebrate his accomplishments. Normally, it was nothing for his cousin to help Ju Maoxun set up a venue, but the matter had turned into such a vile state. It was unlikely for Ju Maoxun to receive the aid of his cousin now.

His mind spun like a windmill, thinking about how to persuade his cousin. He never expected Ju Ling to shoot a glance at him and speak normally rather than with guttural deepness accustomed by those in the military.

"Brother Weican. Yes, I'm still down at Frost River Reality."

Ju Maoxun's ears perked up the instant he heard "Brother Weican". The most ideal form of his plan for tonight included not only Ju Ling but also Brother Weican coming down.

He was not bold enough to believe the gossip and rumors he just heard. In any case, this information could only form a contingency plan.

Ju Ling gave him another glance as he said his name, "Yes, it's Maoxun. There's no need. I'm pretty much done here. I'm heading back soon."

Ju Maoxun went into a state of shock when he heard this, but he also didn't want to get on Ju Ling's bad side. He gestured over and over with his hands. Ju Ling ignored him, continuing to exchange pleasantries over the call. The words then took a sharp turn when Ju Maoxun was near despair.

"That's fine, then I'll wait a bit for you."

Ju Maoxun nearly choked on his breath, forgetting to be delighted.

Ju Ling ended the call and turned to look at him, "Weren't you waiting for him?"

Ju Maoxun knew that he couldn't feign ignorance with Ju Maoxun. He didn't cover it up any longer. Delight flushed his face as he cupped his hands in thanks, "Many thanks to you, Brother Ling."

Ju Ling had an indifferent expression, but his gaze was quite sharp, "The arrogance of the Chen family runs deep in their bones. They never do favors for nothing. It appears that there are some big plans this time."

Ju Maoxun thought to himself. Rubbish. He is the Vice President of his school's student council. Though his dad is the Vice Chief of Staff of the City Defense Force, this connection was a two-degree separation. Everyone knows that he has some other schemes in mind to search for you, someone of the Wilderness Combat Force, to go drinking with.

Thinking about it, wasn't Chen Weican about to graduate soon? Maybe he was starting to pave his road for the future. Was he not going to pursue further studies, and instead grow his career in the military?

The thought flashed and faded away. Ju Maoxun didn't care about what Chen Weican was up to. He just cared about his plan to trample on certain people tonight—whether or not he could execute the plan smoothly. He chuckled, "Inviting him for some drinks, meeting some subordinates, how is this a favor?"

Ju Ling stare fixed upon him, "What about going one step further?"

Ju Maoxun gave a sly smile, "That's what I owe Brother Ju Ling for."

Ju Ling suddenly smiled when he saw his cousin like this, "All right. There just so happens to be something you can help me with."

Ju Maoxun grew diffident, but he soon smacked his chest, "Brother Ling, just tell me what to do. I will certainly live up to your expectations."

The door to the VIP room behind them suddenly opened just as he finished speaking, and Fan Qu came rushing out. He saw the cousins of the Ju Family chatting outside and forced an awkward laugh before ducking down the corridor.

Ju Maoxun grew angry upon seeing this, "The fuck are you going? Aren't you switching rooms for us?"

Fan Qu hurriedly said, "Young Master Xun, I was just going to go handle this matter. Please wait a moment, sir."

"What about that Yue Zheng in the room?"

"I've already called for someone, yes, to come over. They'll ensure that he'll quickly sober up and they'll make sure that things are neat and clean."

Ju Maoxun saw that a service personnel had indeed come over. He grunted in approval, raised his chin, and let Fan Qu beat it.

While Ju Maoxun reproached Fan Qu, Ju Ling was in a state of thought, uttering not a word. This lasted until the service personnel walked past him and into the VIP room. Only then did he say, "In a moment before Chen Weican arrives, you will go to that room."

"Huh, you're not coming with?"

"No, you go first. You and Yue Zheng go together." Ju Ling glanced at his cousin one last time and spoke in a tone that did not allow refusal, "It has to be you two!"

Ju Maoxun was stunned. There was something fishy about this!

During Ju Maoxun's confusion, Fan Qu was extremely neurotic as well. It was super annoying.

From his perspective, Ju Maoxun's request to switch rooms was absurd. Everyone knew that resources like the VIP rooms had to be reserved in advance. Frost River Reality was booked to full capacity nowadays. It was easier said than done to switch rooms.

Fortunately, his luck was decent tonight. After a two minute delay, there were people about to check out from a VIP room. He used god-like control to stick himself onto the booking queue, reserving the room. He had just told the rich second generation group this when the VIP floor guide sent a message.

The people checking out refuse to leave. They want to request a renewal!

If it was only this, then Fan Qu could completely use reasons like 'store rules' to fob it off, but he heard two names from the guide.

"Young Master Xie and Young Master Hu are both there...."

Fan Qu's heart was about to explode. He had just barely managed to handle Ju Maoxun's questions when he walked a few steps around the corridor and arrived at Frost Room seven. The VIP room here had its door open, and the beautiful guide was at the entrance, dealing with the questions of the guests inside. She was in a dire situation.

"Why didn't you wait until we left before you started procedures?"

"Isn't Frost River Reality known for keeping data on all the VIP customers?"

"It is very normal to cancel a renewal. I admit that it’s normal for reserved customers to have priority, but we haven't even taken off our equipment. We haven't even left the door. Why don't you give us this out?"

"We're not trying to make things hard on you. Where's Yin Le? Have her come over and talk with us."

Fan Qu's heart turned even more bitter when he heard the name Yin Le. If this person really did come, his position as store manager would pretty much be demolished.

He was a quick-witted person. He was able to gain a general understanding of the situation from these scattered words without even entering the room. In the end, this was misfortune he, himself, had provoked by forcefully sticking himself on top of the wait-list. He performed a small violation of the rules for the sake of beating the other customers' reservations. He had started the initialization procedures ahead of time for Frost seven before the checkout process could be automatically completed.

This wouldn't had been a problem as long as the guests had sincerely left. However, these guests had changed their tunes, seeking to renew their time. The two procedures were at an impasse, causing this mistake to be leaked.

But what was the matter with the data?

Fan Qu pondered for a moment before mustering the courage to walk inside the room. He saw that there weren't that many people in the room. Aside from Young Master Xie and Young Master Hu—also known as Xie Junping and Hu Huaying—there was someone unfamiliar. This person had the appearance of a pale-faced scholar, and his voice was quite sharp. Most of the questions came out of his mouth.

"Oh my, apologies to Young Master Xie and Young Master Hu. I'm the manager of this store, Fan Qu. Terribly sorry for just now. There's probably some problems with the system connection; it is a newly opened store, after all. It isn't just this room. Frost two also has a similar problem. We are working on it right now."

Fan Qu bolstered his courage as he secretly used a trick. He prepared to kill two birds with one stone when it came to these two headache inducing matters. "It's certainly not a problem for you to renew your time, but it's hard for you to keep your room. If you three don't mind, can we change rooms?"

If Xie Junping agreed, Fan Qu would dare to let them go to Frost two, the room where Ju Maoxun and the others were at. It would be a giant swap, and it would eliminate this crisis once and for all.

He had planned this very well, but unfortunately the fundamental crux of the matter didn't lie here.

"Your name is Fan Qu, right? Let's not talk about the matter of renewing time for now. I want to ask you something first. Can you retrieve the data that was wiped by you initializing procedures?" Xie Junping was the one who talked. He dressed quite bizarrely. He wore the training clothes of the ancient style. Robes with buttons going down. The fit was loose, and he gave off the feel of an immortal Daoist at first glance. It was just that his expression was super dark. He was in a terrible mood.

"That's right. Who gives a fuck about this bullshit room!? We want the data! DATA!" The brother with the sharp voice was certainly a bit neurotic at the moment. He clapped loudly as he yelled in an extremely manic manner. It felt like he could lose it at any moment.

Fan Qu felt that things were odd. He asked curiously, "Young Master Xie, are you talking about the game data? I certainly have it saved on my end. You can seamlessly access it when you switch to any room...."

"Fuck your game data!" The neurotic brother jumped up, and it was a real jump. He jumped again, waving both fists in anger. "That was a magical spell structure that I derived through pain and effort. I just barely had a bit of insight when it was fucking ruined. RUINED!"

"It wasn't successful at all...." Hu Huaying could be said to be the most indifferent of the three. He had always disapproved of Xie Junping working on this stuff. He muttered this in a low breath.

The neurotic young man--oh, actually it was the former president of the Mystic Arts Research Society, Du Yong--had extremely sharp ears. He glared when he heard Hu Huaying, and simply let out a series of curses, "Fuck you retard. Amateurs shouldn't interrupt!"

Hu Huaying was disinclined to bicker with someone neurotic. He just silently gave Du Yong the middle finger.

Xie Junping's expression was dark as he fixed upon Fan Qu with his gaze, "We were using the projector of the VIP room to make design changes. It took almost an entire day of struggling for us to nearly succeed when you guys started your initialization procedures. Everything was wiped clean. And this stuff, I had huge plans for this stuff. Tell me right now, openly and clearly, does your system automatically save the projector data? Can my data be retrieved?"

Sweat beaded on Fan Qu's forehead. He knew that this matter couldn't be easily resolved. He didn't dare to respond directly. He said, "Young Master Xie. I will get in contact with the technical staff immediately. We will do our utmost to give you, sir, a satisfactory answer."

Xie Junping's foot moved. His previous temperament would have led him to stomp the ground. However, he had been studiously following the practices of cultivation in recent times, and such practices were effective. The nameless flames stirred in his heart, but he pressed them down. He mouthed to himself, "Adhere to forward progress. Control is paramount." And he no longer regarded Fan Qu. He turned to face Du Yong and said,

"Sissy, do you think someone else can produce it using the previous basic draft as a reference?"

Du Yong walked in circles, his heart filled with impatience. Quite a while passed before he said, "Of those versed in the mystic arts, I-I rather respect Tang Yi."

"Then contact her! Ask her to help!"

Du Yong gaped, whatever nerves and rashness he had were gone. All that was left was awkwardness and embarrassment.

Xie Junping grew angry when he saw this, walking forward and grabbing Du Yong by the collar, "You led me into this world, and now you're hesitating over something like this?"

Du Yong lacked the slightest bit of temper in this moment. He even spoke with a stutter, "B-But it's Tang Yi. She's not likely to regard...."

"How will you know if you don't ask?"

"Then, I'll ask?"

Xie Junping drew in a deep breath and released Du Yong's collar. He took two steps back and pinched his forehead in thought for a moment. Then he dialed a number through his wristband, and the call was answered a few seconds later.

He coughed and subconsciously took on a humble attitude, "Nanster, there's something I want to get your advice on. It has to do with....how do I say this? It's a problem that has to do with the mystic arts. Aren't you quite good, or, uh, quite interested, in this sort of thing? So, I want to ask something concerning magical spells...."

Xie Junping's current stammering appearance was far too different than his previous appearance. Even Du Yong, who was in a bind over whether or not to call Tang Yi, couldn't help but turn to look at him.

Xie Junping was in no position to handle this. He walked a few steps deeper into the room, grunting in answer. Then he suddenly raised his voice, "Huh? You're at Frost River Reality? Which store? Aurora Cloud City....holy shit!"

Xie Junping immediately became excited, "Hurry up and come up! Come up! I'm in the VIP area, Frost seven. Hu San'er and Sissy Du are here as well! You can't leave? Entertaining friends? Is it those....is it alright if I go to you? Which room? Area A's luxury rooms, Lu Frost. All right, we'll be there soon."

He ended the call and clapped, "Let's disregard this place for now. Oh, Sissy Du, were you able to get a hold of her?"

Du Yong responded bitterly, "Tang Yi is at a party tonight. Tomorrow she has an appointment. The day after tomorrow she has to catch up with some tasks. She's not accepting any work."

Xie Junping rolled his eyes, "Then forget her! Luckily, Nanster and his friends are all here. Let's go meet up with them. Yep, let's see if things might take a turn for the better."

His gaze shifted to Fan Qu as he spoke, "You. Prepare four elite-grade fruit platters and a sufficient amount of alcohol. No wait, forget the alcohol. Send the goods down to Lu Frost. Do it ASAP. You cannot be slow about this. Hello, hello, snap out of it. Did you catch what I said?"

"Lu Frost! Lu Frost!" How could Fan Qu forget about this room? He had personally given this room for Yue Zheng an hour ago for the sake of his face. There was indeed a youngster there called Nanster, and this youngster was also Ju Maoxun's target for tonight.

This youngster was deeply involved in several of tonight's matters.

Fan Qu's brain buzzed. Every word that entered his ear seemed to carry a tone of ridicule. He didn't utter a word. He barely agreed through a nod of the head, a habit built from many years. Then he turned around in a flurry, forgetting that the guide was behind him. A foot of his stepped on the guide's high heels, and his instantly lost his balance and fell forward.

"AHHH!" The guide shrieked.

Fan Qu's reactions were swift enough. He used his hand to support himself, avoiding a complete fall. However, his four limbs still touched the ground, and he staggered out of the room like a dog fleeing in a panic.

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Chapter 400: Heated Heart

Chapter 400: Heated Heart

"Magical spells?"

Luo Nan ended the call, unable to make any sense of the matter at this time. He didn't find Xie Junping's appearance at Frost River Reality odd, but the discussion here was on the topic of the mystic arts. Luo Nan didn't really get this logic.

When it came to mystic arts and magical spells, it certainly wasn’t a problem for Luo Nan to pass the buck to a few people and have them teach Xie Junping; Luo Nan's current network of contacts could certainly allow this. However, it would be best to prevent trouble from happening due to the discrepancy in knowledge between the inner world and the normal world.

What if Xie Junping encountered a fraud or something....Luo Nan felt that he should go help Xie Junping by acting as a gatekeeper first.

However, Luo Nan's main focus wasn’t here. The reason why he had logged out and abandoned his hero seat during his irreversible momentum towards victory was because Cat Eyes, an important character he invited, had arrived. She had contacted him via the HexaEar.

He left the room after he spoke with Xie Junping and stood at the entrance to wait for her. By the time the call ended, he had already perceived Cat Eyes' arrival but he was unexpectedly unable to recognize her instantly with a sweeping glance.

It was only until the woman stood before his eyes and stared quietly at him did Luo Nan lock onto the target.

Tonight's Cat Eyes moved quietly. She wore a light blue high-waisted skirt, a knitted white shirt for her top, and beige high-heels. She dressed plainly today, her clothing not bearing any patterns.

This was the first time Luo Nan had ever seen her wear a skirt. That's why he wasn't able to recognize her at first sight.

In any case, it must be stated that old habits die hard. Even though she was obviously dressed plainly, Cat Eyes covered herself up with a black motorcycle jacket. It was embellished with rivets, and it matched her hairstyle that covered half her eyes and a large earring on only one ear. She also had on flaming-red lipstick. All this gave off a dispirited aura that spoke, "I'm extremely beautiful, but I can engage in self-destruction at anytime."

Cat Eyes certainly must have drank alcohol before she came here. The faint smell of alcohol lingered around her as she stood before Luo Nan, but the faintness actually wasn't unpleasant.

Speaking honestly, Luo Nan felt that Cat Eyes dressed beautifully today. At the very least, it tailored to his taste more than the nightclub or hip-hop styles that he had seen before.

Cat Eyes tilted her head slightly, sizing him up as well. Luo Nan didn't know what was going on in her head, but under Cat Eyes' squinting eyes, he felt a hint of disdain as well as provocation. In truth, she was not giving off a feeling of good intentions.

Then, a smile blossomed from Cat Eyes’ eyes, eyebrows, and lips. It was a powerful display with her makeup, fashion, and modesty as a foundation. She extended a hand to hook under the crook of the young man's arm. It was just that the high-heel wearing Cat Eyes was taller than Luo Nan by four or five centimeters. This movement was like a morphed embrace of an old friend. In short, it was very intimate, especially when her soft red lips drew close to Luo Nan's ear and she gently breathed, "I have heeded your call, my master."

The alcohol and perfume fused together to create a warm and intoxicating magnetic force that seeped into one's heart.

Luo Nan's body instantly froze. It must be stated that he was certainly tense; this was the first time in his life that someone called him 'master', and from a beautiful woman within hand's reach, no less. The sensation of a soft, warm body could be felt on his arm.

In this moment, Luo Nan faintly felt the abnormal secretions of two or three different hormones. This led to an increase in his heart rate, blood pressure, and so on. The sensation of hunger also appeared.

However, more subtle psychological elements flourished after the instinctual reaction of the fleshly body. He was unable to discern further details, but all this led to the rise of stimulating elements that he was extremely sensitive to. His body didn't even move, and his eyes looked straight ahead and past Cat Eyes' shoulder as he whispered,

"What did you call me?"

"My master. The man who dominates me." Cat Eyes giggled softly, bringing upon an intimate breath that lingered around Luo Nan's ear and nape.

Luo Nan's eyebrows jumped up. Cat Eyes’ voice was sharp, but there was quite a metallic texture to it when she deliberately lowered her voice and whispered. It was like a light razor that scrapes against the skin. There was a hint of electricity within the comfort.

Cat Eyes’ actions and behavior were like so. She gave off a feeling of intimacy with her body, but there was an ice-cold warning and defiance at the deepest level. An even more intense destructive tendency was hidden deeper within.

"Tsk!" Luo Nan was a bit annoyed. Was this like the saying, 'No good deed goes unpunished?' He originally called her over to have a proper chat. All right, you can maintain your cold and indifferent attitude like before, but who are you trying to mock by donning this mistress persona?

Could it be that I truly need to destroy you?

This thought flashed through his mind, suddenly pressing the button of complex physiology and mental mechanisms in his body. He suddenly froze as an advanced line of thought broke through its shell. It was like a gorgeous yet sinister viper letting out a low hiss.

It would be easy to destroy her!

The thought was formed, and the first thing that reacted was his body's instincts. In an instant, all sorts of hormones exploded in their levels of secretion within Luo Nan's body. His heart rate, blood pressure, and hunger sensation all increased once more, forming a feeling of excitement and stimulation that he had never experienced before in his life.

The excitement and stimulation was so sudden and intense that an astonishing heat exploded from Luo Nan's inner organs. His body practically seemed to expand by a factor.

This sudden burst of energy acted upon his nervous system. Luo Nan subconsciously raised his arm and touched Cat Eyes' elbow, and he subconsciously clasped down with his fingers, holding a firm grip.

There were rivets embedded in the motorcycle jacket at this location. The metal kernel pressed into his palm, creating a bit of pain.

It was in this moment that Cat Eyes' teasing title came for a three-hit combo, "Master, is there something you need?"

"Ah!"

Luo Nan looked straight ahead, not looking at Cat Eyes at all. He only allowed Cat Eyes see the side of his face. The corners of his lips hooked up after he spat out a warm and dry breath. He put a bit of effort into the muscles of his cheeks, but compared to the restlessness of the living starry sky, his efforts weren't really worth mentioning.

The stimulation of the faint pain in his palm pushed out the rash yet tough emotions. It was akin to a ball of fireworks piercing through the clouds. It burned the living starry sky, shining with a brightness that caused the stars to appear faint.

The others were fine. It was just his closely connected believers who had minute deformations in the stellar orbits of their Life Sketches. There was the possibility of chaotic imbalances in the next moment.

Those who were influenced were certainly not limited to Cat Eyes.

Luo Nan finally felt that something was wrong. His thoughts churned again, and his impulsive emotions were buried. Only then were the ripples and the turmoil eliminated from the living starry sky. Luckily, a crisis hadn't formed. There were just faint undulation with his believers on a level that was hard to detect, and Cat Eyes, who was standing before him, was obviously unaware of it.

Therefore, in essence, Cat Eyes was merely speaking superficially. She was powerless to her own fate.

She was truly pitiful!

After suppressing the restless emotions, Luo Nan was restored his usual way of thinking. He focused on Cat Eyes and even felt a hint of pity for her....uh, such a description was too hypocritical.

In any case, Luo Nan was able to wipe away those extreme thoughts for now, but the differences in level, which had its origins in the living starry sky, naturally pushed his state of mind to higher heights. This wiped away most of his worries, allowing him to speak more easily and casually.

"Call me something else. This title is too laughable."

Cat Eyes was unaware that a fatal crisis had been unleashed in a breath's instant just now, only to silently scatter away. The negative emotions that filled her heart pushed their way to the surface, turning into endless mockery and provocation.

"How about, 'my boss'?"

"...up to you." Luo Nan had some awareness of being a 'boss'. Perhaps Cat Eyes held a similar image of him in her eyes. There was no point in forcefully changing her mind.

He was still holding on to Cat Eyes' elbow at this time. The two were joined together in a more dynamic fashion than before. It was all right when Luo Nan was affected by restless emotions, but there was something not quite right about it now.

Luo Nan was the first to let go. He softly said, "Brother Papercut will arrive in a bit. I'm here waiting for him. You can go inside first. Leister's there."

Cat Eyes was clearly shocked when she heard the names Papercut and Xue Lei. The situation was a bit different than what she expected; enough to make things a bit awkward….well, maybe.

"As you order, Boss." Cat Eyes finally released Luo Nan's arm. Her lips drew into a slightly intoxicating smile that seemed to be mocking him as she walked inside the room.

Luo Nan didn't budge a single inch for a moment. After she let go of his hand, the arm that was slightly flung away by Cat Eyes was still a bit stiff.

His words were simply an excuse. He had long since got in contact with Papercut; Papercut and Tian Si were in the strategy room right now. They would arrive soon. he knew where Papercut was at, what was the point of waiting to greet him?

The reason for this was to create a moment's cushion.

Tonight's occasion had already far exceeded what he had originally imagined. Without Papercut present, not only did he not know what to say, the current mood was also quite bad.

Yes, the restless emotions that Luo Nan just suppressed had resurfaced for trouble the moment Cat Eyes had left.

Gorgeous and bewildering light effects, the interweaving two-dimensions and three-dimensions in area A, were erected at the entrance of the luxury room. It made him even more agitated than how he normally would be.

It was natural for there to be advertising in dense areas with high people traffic. Eight out of ten of them were supported by handsome men and beautiful women. The Luo Nan of the past would have disregarded these advertisements, but today he had a different sensation when he saw the beautiful female stars flash past the screens.

It really was different.

Before, when facing Cat Eyes, the alluring fragrance, the attractive forces, and the mistress-like behavior were merely simple concepts and descriptions. They were concepts and descriptions that were used when thought appropriate. However, under the bewildering light and shadow, these rigid concepts were like the sensations that still remained in most of his body. They were faintly discernible, and they became alive one after another.

The structured world operated in established principles, principles that were turning more and more complex and chaotic.

Luo Nan subconsciously licked his lips. He waited a minute or so; he had yet to see Papercut arrive. Even Xie Junping, who wanted to come and ask for some advice, couldn't be seen at all.

Things were different in the room. Although only Cat Eyes and Xue Lei were in there, the atmosphere was actually quite good. They chatted delightedly. All of this was mapped on Luo Nan's sensing network. It was as if he was there in person.

Xue Lei was asking Cat Eyes about her profession. He was very curious about the life state of such an experienced ability user.

Cat Eyes raised a slice of fruit as she casually said, "I'm just an ordinary dance teacher. I partnered up with some people to form a dance studio. Primarily, we provide short term training in the entertainment circle, and occasionally we do some choreography."

"Wow, do you meet a lot of celebrities?"

"Not really. We mainly train newcomers, as well as stupid young women or two-faced women who stupidly dream of becoming celebrities. But there's quite a few of them who may go sell their company and sing for clients. It's very interesting."

Cat Eyes gave Xue Lei a smile as she continued to say, "If you have the time, you can come to my place, earn a bit of extra money, and get to know some beautiful girls."

She gestured in the air for Xue Lei, "Those girls would hate not being able to eat a young strong man with a nice physique such as yourself."

Xue Lei's face immediately flushed red. He waved his hand, "Well, I don't know how to dance."

"Traditional martial art can be considered a type of dance. Although the live-action movie market is down at the moment, there's always a market for superhero films, kung-fu films and the like. Many management companies are seeking people for this field."

"I-I'm still helping out with my gym master." Xue Lei couldn't quite get rid of the topic. He just barely found himself an excuse, but God knew that the Divine Yu Gym was closing for good. What can Xue Lei go help out with?

Cat Eyes went, "Oh," and said, "I had the impression that the daoguan is your life. Are you thinking of opening your own daoguan in the future and taking in disciples?"

"Yeah, that is my dream. To be like the gym master or Mr. Giant Arm of the Society...."

The discussion reached that of dreams and ideals. It should be fine to go inside, right?

Luo Nan drew in a deep breath and donned a mask of indifference before walking into the room.

Cat Eyes saw Luo Nan enter the room. She just pretended she didn't, holding an expression that was totally different from the intimate one she had outside. In the end, it was Xue Lei who let out a long breath. His burly body withdrew into the sofa, showing that he was unable to fight against this big sister, that Nanster had better come.

The luxury room was quite large. There were seats beneath the lockers for chatting and conversation, and there was also a sofa in the corner. Cat Eyes and Xue Lei sat on the two sides of the corner sofa. Cat Eyes was sitting in the middle of her side, while Xue Lei was sitting in the corner. They maintained a respectful distance for socializing.

Luo Nan looked at them and walked over. As he walked, he thought about sitting over by Xue Lei's side, but he soon walked past the coffee table in a lapse of concentration. He walked to the middle position, where Cat Eyes was sitting.

Xue Lei didn't think too much of the matter. He picked up a canned drink on the table, tossed it over to him, and said, "You haven't tried any of the fruits. The taste will be off if they sit out for too long."

Luo Nan took the drink and casually sat next to Cat Eyes. The sofa must have been too soft, for his body sunk down the moment he sat down. What had once been a respectful distance had shortened quite a bit in an instant.

He drew close to Cat Eyes' body once more when he reached out to grab some fruit. He didn't know what part of her body he touched; he just felt a shock go through his elbow. Plus, his mouth secreted a lot of saliva, perhaps due to the stimulation from his gastric liquid. His cheeks tingled, and his breathing changed.

Was he nervous? Or was he feeling pleasure?

Luo Nan wanted to do some self-analysis, but the thoughts in his mind were far too chaotic. They exceeded his previous thought of "destroying someone' a moment before.

Cat Eyes uttered not a single word.

Luo Nan took a sliced apple and took a bite out of it. He didn't feel anything from it, but his mouth secreted a lot of saliva once more.

Yes, it was sour.

Cat Eyes swayed her canned drink at this time, "This stuff is boring. Is there alcohol?"

"I think there's some in the fridge." Xue Lei immediately got up to go check. He looked inside and said, "There's one bottle of whiskey left."

"Is there ice?"

"There's a jar of it."

"Then bring them all over. Also bring some cups. Three of them."

"Huh?"

"Y'all will drink too. What's the point of a person drinking by herself?"

"We're not of legal age." Xue Lei expressed himself as a good kid.

Cat Eyes laughed freely, "The reason why minors shouldn't drink alcohol is because their organs haven't finished developing. The stimulation from alcohol will bury hidden damage. However, you are all already ability users. What are you afraid of?!"

Xue Lei was in a bind, but he still rummaged through the fridge.

Taking advantage of the moment when Xue Lei had his back to them, Cat Eyes leaned toward Luo Nan and leaned her red lips close to Luo Nan's ear, "Boss, if you want to take advantage of someone, alcohol is a good excuse....this is my suggestion."

She laughed as she said this, unleashing what seemed to be endless teasing... not only to Luo Nan but to herself as well. Her slender neck stretched forward once more, and her medium-length hair fell to her cheeks, like a light curtain that became the only thing that sheltered her face.

A sweet fragrance and the faint odor of alcohol drifted from between her hair and entered Luo Nan's nose in the most direct manner. His mind buzzed in an instant, distorting his internal and external senses. He just remembered turning as well, his lips brushing against her smooth and slightly damp hair and touching the side of her delicate and smooth forehead. His lips stopped there, finding it difficult to continue yet not willing to move away.

"You're here, Nanster!"

Xie Junping pushed open the door and entered in a rush, bringing in the bewildering lights of area A to shine upon the close pair sitting on the sofa.

His feet slowed in an instant, and Hu Huaying bumped into his back from behind. Further behind them was Mo Han's clear voice sounding out, "Hey, who are you guys?"

Xue Lei, who was the furthest inside, turned his head. A jolt ran through his hand and some alcohol was poured into a cup of ice while some alcohol was spilled on the carpet.

The luxury room became lively in an instant.

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Chapter 401: A Ripple of Imagination

Chapter 401: A Ripple of Imagination

Luo Nan had screwed the pooch!

People from Xie Junping's group didn't appear when one needed them to appear. Not one of them came. It was only during the most embarrassing time did these people come delightfully popping out one after another.

Well, forget about Xie Junping's group. What about Mo Han and Mo Peng? Weren't they having a good time at the reality battlefield, at the Uncanny Valley? Why the fuck did they come back?

Actually, Mo Han and Mo Peng came back because they were a bit worried. They didn't understand why Luo Nan gave up his hero seat when he was playing so well and had a great situation going on. He had told everyone that nothing was wrong through his wristband, but how could anyone believe him?

With Mo Han and Mo Peng coming back, the others came back as well like flapping geese. The only ones who didn't come back were Yue Qin and Turner. Those two should be purposely hiding due to the embarrassing actions of Yue Zheng.

But when it came to embarrassment, who could compare to Luo Nan in this moment?

The intimate actions between him and Cat Eyes were completely seen by Xie Junping, that idiot, with his own two eyes. Oh, and then there was Xie Junping. His angle might have been more slanted, but he probably was able to piece it together with Xie Junping's reaction.

Yep, it was Xie Junping's reaction.

That bro's reaction was far too exaggerated. He gaped, stunned, not saying a word. The first thought that came into his mind was to turn around and leave.

The fuck you want to walk away for!?

Even if Luo Nan and Cat Eyes were acting quite vaguely in a intimate way, what are you acting as an innocent boy for, you old player? Doesn't this encourage the others to have their imaginations go wild?

Luo Nan drew in a deep breath. Cat Eyes' sweet fragrance of alcohol still remained between his mouth and nose, and the fine sensation of her hair still remained on his lips. This suddenly woke him up and made him feel a bit grateful to this old player.

Since the matter was so sudden, Luo Nan had frozen on the spot. He didn't even think about moving out of the way. He still gave off an intimate feeling with Cat Eyes, when in reality, all he had were his lips on Cat Eyes' forehead.

If Xie Junping hadn't overreacted like this, then the situation would have turned even more chaotic. Instead of the current formation, Mo Han, Mo Peng and the others would have come charging in like bees. They would certainly have seen the whole thing head on. Now that would have been an explosive disaster!

Luckily, the current situation could be saved.

Luo Nan immediately straightened his back and stood up. He did this in such a rushed manner that his knee bumped into the coffee table. The bang rang out quite clearly in the room.

At the entrance to the room, Xie Junping was soon pushed inside as Mo Han, Mo Peng, and the others came in like a swarm. What had once been an empty room was completely packed in an instant. There was no fear of there being leftovers out of the fruit platters and beverages that Xie Junping brought.

Luo Nan took advantage of the chaos to drag his stiff and aching legs outward in the form of two steps. He nearly bumped into Xue Lei, who carried a plate with alcohol, in the process. His best friend shifted to the side, maintaining balance with the plate with alcohol. His dedication to his work was just like that of a real bartender. He had a pure expression that said, "I don't know jack about what just happened." However, his twinkling eyes long since betrayed himself deeply.

In comparison, the Old Player Xie Junping, after forgetting his manners at the very beginning, took it upon himself to form the model example of no-good friends with Hu Huaying. He chatted and laughed casually, saying, "Is Nanster getting to know a beauty?" After delivering the fruit platter and beverages, he quickly reversed the chaotic and suspicious atmosphere in the room, causing the room to become quite lively.

Cat Eyes acted quite steadily throughout all this. Her behavior didn't really change. It was as if everything that just happened was an illusion. She even gestured with a curl of her finger towards Xue Lei, taking a cup of whiskey from the plate he was holding. She swayed the cup slightly once it was in her hand, letting the ice and alcohol make a slow and monotonous clinking sound. Her actions gave off the feeling of casualness and at ease.

Luo Nan wanted to make way for Xue Lei when he felt that he too had also sunk down to the role of a server. Wasn't this like being a special service personnel? He couldn't refrain from gritting his teeth. He felt quite embarrassed, but then anger surged into his head:

If Cat Eyes wasn't scared at all, what was he scared of!?

The gazes of most people rested upon the sofa at this time. They were unable to see the situation. Cat Eyes was now sitting alone in the master spot of the sofa, while Luo Nan and Xue Lei stood together. There was a fixed distance between the two sides. If there was something that had to be said, then it would be the fact that Cat Eyes’ makeup, dress-style, and bearing gave off an extremely mature and charming feeling. It made these few young boys and girls stupefied just by looking.

Then, most of the people's eyes were drawn to the alcohol Xue Lei was carrying. Tong Hui of the HuiHui-GrayGray Combo struck the nail on the head, "Ardberg, a classic! Wow! You guys actually popped open some whiskey!"

The alcohol content of this whiskey was over sixty percent. The flavor was intense. It was certainly not suitable for youngsters to consume. Xue Lei had discovered this when he opened the bottle. He hurriedly said, "I'm not the one drinking. Whoever wants a drink can come over."

Luo Nan felt his mouth and tongue suddenly go dry in this moment. Perhaps it was because he was feeling diffident, but he felt that Cat Eyes' lingering scent refused to leave his lips. He saw the ice cubes soaking in the amber liquid and felt that it could quench his thirst quite well. The scent was strong as well. He picked up a cup and easily chugged it down.

"Holy shit!" Tong Hui was immediately stunned.

Luo Nan suddenly realized the problem. As soon as the alcohol entered his throat, a painful burning sensation surged through his nose and throat, even though the ice-cubes already diluted the drink. There was also an intense taste that was akin to smoke and baking fire. The surge was so strong that he nearly spat the alcohol out.

Luckily, the mouth and tongue orifice naturally circulated the spiritual pond of nectar upon being stimulator. The liquid moistened the area between the mouth and nose, lingering there and transforming into a burst of intellectual energy. The bottom level was rich in flavor as the liquid flowed down. Luo Nan had truly gulped down the entire cup of alcohol, all the while unaware.

Luo Nan didn't understand how to appreciate alcohol. He was satisfied with not making a fool out of himself. He was truly surprised by this effect of the two orifices of mouth and tongue.

Though this was the case, he absolutely wouldn't drink a second cup.

From the moment he was born, the only time Luo Nan had close contact with alcohol in his sixteen years of life was when he operated alcohol stoves. It was as if a fire burned through his entire body after the alcohol entered his stomach. It scorched his body, and the restlessness he just suppressed seemed to explode forth once more.

He didn't have anything he wanted to do in particular. He just felt that there were many ideas that were meaningless. He watched Cat Eyes turn her head to look above the sofa, getting a sense that she was a calm and composed beauty. He chuckled as he felt this to be more and more the case.

Mo Peng shouted, "Nanster, you sneak! You drank alcohol!"

Luo Nan rolled his eyes, "You're so god damn loud. I'm thirsty!"

He dumped the ice cubes still remaining in the cup into his mouth to prove it. It was all swallowed after some chewing. This was seriously an aggressive method. Mo Peng and the others felt a shiver through their hearts just from watching.

Tong Hui said in admiration, "I can tell you're experienced at this with a single look. I also chugged it down in a single gulp back then, but I simply sprayed it out on my dad's face. Could it be that eating ice cubes can keep the alcohol down?"

It appeared that he had the idea of trying it out at home.

Luo Nan gave him a moment of silence as respect. This brother certainly didn't possess the mouth and tongue orifice and its circulating ability of the spiritual pond of nectar. In any case, the two simulations created by the mix of alcohol and ice shouldn't be life threatening.

With such an interruption, the topic's direction went completely askew. The previous awkward atmosphere was pretty much dispelled. Luo Nan's state of mind became more natural as he took on the responsibility of the host once more and introduced people to one another.

Xie Junping and Hu Huaying were all older students of Acumen College. They were older than Mo Peng and the others by about five years. It would be easy for them to blend into the friend group if they could act humbly.

The third wheel was none other than Du Yong, or Sissy Du. Luo Nan had only met him once in the past by chance and could only give him a simply introduction. Well in any case, Tian Qi was here. Even though Du Yong had resigned as the president of the Mystic Arts Research Society in a sorry manner, it was easy for Tian Qi, a basic member, to give everyone a detailed introduction of Du Yong.

But Cat Eyes' identity made things hard. She just sat on the sofa, donning a smile that wasn't really a smile. She couldn't be described as close or distant. There was also the issue with her name. It was quite awkward introducing her.

"Dance teacher?" The group of boys and girls were quite confused. This didn't line up with Luo Nan's usual social circle.

Papercut and Tian Si had returned not too long ago by now. Papercut didn't even have time to greet Cat Eyes and be Luo Nan's teacher of etiquette, but he was a man of action, ready to shoulder responsibility. He pulled Tian Si to him and said, "Didn't you say that you've also garnered some interest in the mystic arts recently? Aside from the school society that your little brother is a part of, the Society actually has a few interest and enthusiast gatherings in the school as well. For instance, we are like-minded people who have gathered together. Cat Eyes is a veteran member of the Society. You two get closer to each other in the future."

Tian Si had yet to talk upon returning to the room. However, her gaze mostly fell over to the sofa, spending half the time on Luo Nan and half the time on Cat Eyes.

Tian Si's heart went into a panic from suddenly being seen through by Papercut, but, after all, she possessed a clever mind. She immediately understood the pretext, walked forward, leaned over, extended a hand over the coffee table, and said, "Hi Sister Cat Eyes. I am Tian Si. Please give me lots of advice in the future."

Cat Eyes remained sitting on the sofa. She merely extended a hand to touch Tian Si lightly. She appeared a bit cold as she said, "Advice is out of the question, but since you've entered this circle, there will be opportunities to exchange experiences."

Tian Si gave a gentle laugh, "I haven't officially entered."

"You're involved with a certain someone. Do you think the date is far off?"

Tian Si stared, her gaze locking with Cat Eyes'. Her eyes appeared to be hazy, but beneath the surface was a sharpness and coldness. There was also a hint of "I understand everything" contained within.

Her heart ached a bit, and she was stupefied for a time.

The two highly attractive women were separated by a coffee table. It was an exceptionally gorgeous picture, but under the dim lighting, the dark hues quietly shifted to the lead character.

There was an instant when the clamoring room suddenly went quiet, but this silence was soon drowned by Papercut's fake laughter.

Papercut had done things quite well, but he underestimated the power of the youngsters' brains.

"Something's a bit strange." Mo Han and Mo Peng whispered to each other, "Have you realized it? All the people Nanster know seems to be older sisters."

"Oh, or maybe aunties?"

Pierced through the heart!

Luo Nan held back a smile and shot a sidelong glance. Cat Eyes was very dispirited nowadays. Her lips were blazing red, and her half concealed cheeks were rather pretty and flirtatious. Their age difference was quite clear under the dim lighting when matched with Luo Nan, a fifteen, sixteen year old student. Perhaps she really was twice his age. It was normal to call her an auntie.

But once the power of the imaginations of young people were unleashed, not even standard weapons of mass destruction could stop it. Mo Peng said, "Could it be an improper love? A blazing fight within the harem?"

"Stop talking shit! Maybe they're just friends! Friends despite the difference in age!"

"But right now the problem is that all of the girls that Luo Nan hangs out with are all older than him. There's something odd about this trend. Why is it like this?"

"I heard Nanster's family circumstances is like this."

"What about my family?"

"I'm talking about his biological parents. His mom and dad aren't with him. He might be longing them or something. Perhaps he is more inclined toward an Oedipus complex?"

"You're seeking death!"

Luo Nan nearly shattered the empty glass in his hand through a strong grip.

Can you two be any fucking louder? Don't you know that a good portion of the people in this room are ability users? This is slander!

Two people in the room spat before the thought ended.

Papercut had just taken a glass of wine from Xue Lei and sipped a mouthful. He had come back a bit later, but he lacked resistance since he avoided the most awkward time period. He simply couldn't take it, choking on the peat-flavored whiskey.

The other one who spat was Xie Junping. In his case, he spat out mineral water. It was a bit odd.

Luo Nan saw that Xie Junping actually didn't touch a drop of alcohol. He didn't even drink any flavored beverages. He just held a glass of mineral water. Plus, did Mo Han and Mo Peng whisper that loudly? How was Xie Junping, who was almost five meters away, able to hear him? When did his eyes and ears turn this sharp?

Luo Nan studied Xie Junping seriously. The two hadn't met each other face-to-face that much in recent times. Xie Junping appeared a bit thinner than before, and his mind was running quite decently. It was quite funny that he was wearing very old-fashioned Chinese robes. Such outfits were worn by old uncles and grandpas for morning training. It was inharmonious with the gaming center no matter how one looked at it.

Yet, Xie Junping behaved quite professionally. It didn't seem to be cosplay. Luo Nan recalled that Xie Junping had mentioned something about magical spells and other factors. The situation was certainly quite odd. However, right now was not a good time to ask about this.

Luo Nan was able to see Papercut's penetrating insight of future at this time. For instance, Mo Han and Mo Peng were peers of the normal world. They shouldn't be put together with Cat Eyes and them. There were many subjects that could not be talked about.

Papercut narrowly avoided the danger of having alcohol burst out of his nostrils. He felt that he needed to increase his brainwashing intensity and faced Mo Peng and the other young boys and girls to infuse them with his words, "Us people really like those mystical and mysterious stuff. We get together quite often to exchange what we've learned. Cat Eyes and I just so happened to be in the area, so we took this chance to come over and have some fun. Please ignore whatever things that may ruin the fun."

"Oh, no wonder. Nanster wanted to enter the Mystic Arts Research Society before." Mo Peng knew of this matter, visualizing the situation perfectly in an instant. However, his gaze still remained shifting around the sofa area.

Harems and the like should have nothing to do with hobbies, right!?

Mo Han's ability to accept mystical and mysterious things was a bit lacking in comparison. He turned to ask her few best friends, "Mystic arts....like tarot cards?"

"Tarot cards are super effective!" Qiu Peipei, who had been quiet all this time, was actually a fanatic of this field. She was excited. This caused a new topic to ripple among these girls. Though it was quite distant from the cover up that Papercut made, this was truly the most ideal situation.

Luo Nan gave Papercut a 'like' in his mind. He remembered that he had said the same thing back at Ocean Sky Cloud City. Back then he fooled Xie Junping and Hu Huaying. Right now it was Mo Han and Mo Peng's turn. But it conformed well together. There were no flaws.

"Look, the Mystic Arts Society can certainly help." Xie Junping whispered to Du Yong with an expression of "I'm right."

Du Yong had a hybrid expression of restlessness of skepticism, "There are many branches in the mystic arts. Magical spells are a very specialized field."

Papercut's ears were sharp. He turned to look at him, "What did you say just now? Magical spells?"

Du Yong's patience had long since been eliminated by the many and complicated introductions earlier. All that was left was impatience. Papercut's words were equivalent to opening up a dam. He didn't care about the current occasion. He simply raised his voice.

"I've been in a club with Old Xie recently. We bumped into a fellow practitioner who said that they can draw us into this field. But there is a test of spiritual initiation that requires the assistance of magical spells."

His voice was sharp, and his words were quick. The field touched upon was mysterious. The few words surprised the group of young boys and girls.

Was everyone living in a different dimension?

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Chapter 402: Creation Teaching (Part 1/2)

Chapter 402: Creation Teaching (Part 1/2)

Papercut read the situation and gave Du Yong a meaningful look. The intent he meant to convey was to slow down a bit. However, Papercut didn't understand Du Yong. This neurotic guy was going through a meltdown from having a day's worth of bitter effort go down the drain. Du Yong would absolutely continue shooting his mouth off.

He began by mentioning how he made adaptive corrections to the magical spell arrays, shooting out a pile of jargon like a machine gun. Then he suddenly began to complain about Frost River Reality's management. He blathered until he completely finished venting his emotions and had the entire room staring at him. Half were stupefied; half were frustrated.

Hu Huaying saw the issue and wanted to stop Du Yong, but he was unable to stop him in the end. This brother had already sunk knee deep into this. He just spoke in front of everyone in the room to those involved in the mystic arts and said,

"Let me use the projector for a moment."

He fiddled with his wristband and connected the data to the projector. A complicated compositional diagram appeared in the gaming area in the center of the room, dazzling people's eyes. It was none other than a compositional magical spell array. It appeared rather complete.

The spell array could be divided into four layers. The lines of the overall composition was of a faint blue color, while the symbols at crucial nodes appeared in a dark red and dark gold color. The colors were of the reserved side, yet the composition was quite gorgeous.

"Wow!"

Mo Peng and the others all gasped in amazement. It was a well-pieced and perfectly-orderly array diagram. It gave off quite the artistic feeling. The special symbols, structural forms, and lines were full of the mystical feeling of beauty that said, "It seems pretty awesome even though I don't understand it." They didn't understand the theory Du Yong was talking about, but from the image, they were able to feel that what he was talking about was quite shocking. Of course, imagination helped fill in the blank.

Du Yong grew more restless when he saw the diagram. He waved his arm twice, causing the light and shadows of the spell array to distort. It took a moment for the projector to restore it.

"It's this god damn format. Fuck it!"

Luo Nan was always quite sensitive. He cast a sideways glance over to him after hearing the word 'format'.

"It's not that format. He's talking about the file format."

Xie Junping knew what gnawed on Luo Nan's mind. He saw that his friend was incapable of normal conversation, so he took the initiative to explain, "Our wristbands don't support the file format of this design diagram. We can only enter read-only mode and look at the results through projection, but the room's projector is allocated with a computer, so we can make alterations to the file. But we never thought that they would suddenly re-initialize the room; we didn't have the time to save our changes. The day's painful efforts are completely gone. Not only that, we also failed to test our changes."

His mood in the VIP room was quite bad, but he had settled down now that he was by Luo Nan's side. He was acting a bit self-deprecatingly.

"We were so close, okay!?" Du Yong yelled at Xie Junping, his emotions getting the best of him. But his sharp voice lacked force despite its sharpness. "It's all because of you. Giving up early, canceling."

Xie Junping spoke to him calmly and nicely, "You've already tried it over ten times in the past. Don't you remember? The teacher said that making the exact same mistake over three times in a row is called insanity. You're just feeling vindictive. I feel that it's best for you to calm down."

Oh man. It was rare to see Xie Junping reasoning with people.

Luo Nan chuckled to himself while Papercut came over from the side and whispered, "Does anything come to mind when looking at this thing?"

"Well, it's something that's not very good."

Luo Nan knew what Papercut was talking about. There was also the same type of spell arrays back at Fudong Main Street's Frost River Reality. And a member of Acumen College's Mystic Arts Research Society was involved as well. Wasn't his name Huang something? They made a fake Human-Faced Arachnid this way, which became the experimental product of the Order of Justice.

Luo Nan was still quite sensitive to such matters.

His gaze stopped upon the projection of the spell array. There wasn't much Luo Nan could say about it from the perspective of the mystic arts; he had a few basic concepts at most. However, from the perspective of the operational structure of energy and information, he had a bit to say.

He tried to straighten out the laws of order within, and he started from the three level structure of Formatting Theory as a habit. He observed the projection in a trance.

Papercut, on the other hand, simply asked the person involved, "Can this magical spell be used right away? I mean, you don't need to put this out on paper, right? You can you use the lines created by the projector."

"Yes, yes, yes. That's what the teacher meant." Du Yong nodded his head like he was pounding garlic. Papercut was actually able to tell with a single glance! His confidence toward Papercut and those of that Society instantly rose.

"Heard it yet? Hello?"

Papercut intended to privately talk to Luo Nan, but he saw that this brother was spellbound. He could only give him a light reminder; other people might not be able to understand this field, so don't rush. "First ascertain the surrounding information. Talk about things professionally once you have a direction. This should save some troubles."

This was a reminder from a senior, and Luo Nan was quite obedient. However, he really did have some vague concepts after skimming over the image a few times. And these concepts weren't rare when it came to discussing Formatting Theory.

Luo Nan reluctantly shot a last few glances at the image before bringing his mind back to the plane of reality. He glanced to the side inexplicably, and he saw Cat Eyes continue to drink alcohol over by the sofa. It was unknown how many cups she had downed.

"About Cat Eyes."

"I see that she's in a bad mood. Don't disturb her for now." Papercut indicated to Luo Nan that they should do things first amongst themselves. He also felt that he didn't quite pay attention to Du Yong a moment ago. He asked Du Yong to repeat himself once more. Only then did he smile and say, "It's quite a familiar situation, wouldn't you say?"

Luo Nan nodded. Papercut wasn't at the scene back at the incident at the other Frost River Reality. He certainly obtained the details from the post-operation briefing. And the main provider of information for this brief was none other than Luo Nan. Luo Nan obviously wouldn't forget, "It's exactly the same as the one back then. Are you talking about the Order of Justice?"

"It shouldn't be. If it was the Order of Justice, then the inner circle of the spell array would certainly show equilibrium or disequilibrium. It should be quite recognizable. I obtained an understanding after the fact. It seemed like in the past two years, the technology to form magical spell arrays through projection had already spread far and wide. Many orders have used them."

"Is that so." Luo Nan felt that the direction had turned quite muddled.

"This is my current direction; the spell array's main structure is quite complete. There aren't any ridiculous mistakes nor does it have the rigidity of a copy. It isn't a forgery intent to fool people. The drafting difficulty is also not high. Anyone can do it as long as they're patient enough. But the so-called adaptability and adjust-ability of it is quite interesting. It really tests the spiritual and creative aspects. It looks just like a written examination for school."

"Recruitment by an order?"

"It's spiritual initiation. It's exactly what it sounds like. However, there has never been an Order who has dared to do this in the past. They still focus on devout faith of their believers."

Luo Nan grasped the key information, "Never in the past?"

"Certainly not!"

"It doesn't have to be an Order, you know. It could be the Society or a firm like that of Her Majesty Empress Wu.

Papercut drew his lips into a grin, "This is the key information garnered from the surrounding information. I just asked Little Xie. Within the spiritual initiation technique imparted to them by their teacher, there are extremely clear-cut rituals and directions."

Luo Nan rolled his eyes, "Just talk plainly, okay?"

"Creation."

"Which one?"

"Creation, as in the Creator of all things."

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Chapter 403: Creation Teaching (Part 2/2)

Chapter 403: Creation Teaching (Part 2/2)

"You can really be the Creator?" Luo Nan was shocked. "The magnitude of the situation is already large enough. Which world-level order is it?"

"That's the problem." Papercut shrugged, "I just did some searching; there is no relevant information in the database, whether it is in the Society, Xia City's military, or Xia City's government. There aren't any records of this. In other words, this is very likely a new order. A new power, a new intelligence, that has yet to enter everyone's eyes. Aren't you going to consult with the Secretary?"

Luo Nan blinked. "Sister Yueyin? You want me to trouble her? Is this sort of situation rare?"

Papercut nodded, "New orders have always been this structured. There are indeed very little of them. In fact, there have been very few new orders in the past few years, even with the inner world expanding larger and larger. You understand this."

Luo Nan did indeed understand. The inner world was affecting normal society more and more. The skills of freshly trained talents such as him was enough to prove the existence of unrecognized talent.

Under this sort of circumstances, everyone held a conservative outlook when it came to a mature and high level 'new order' suddenly popping out of the woodwork.

Luo Nan was just about to contact He Yueyin when his thoughts took another turn. It was best to take this spell array and bring it to her to take a look. This could be considered a reference. He tried talking to Du Yong, "Can you copy the spell array for me?"

"No problem." The speed of Du Yong's response was quite suspicious.

Xie Junping filled in the gaps in explaining, "According to Teacher's words, spiritual initiation should involve the gathering of all sorts of talents and the aid of friends. Only then can the best plan be obtained. There's no need to act mysteriously and selfishly about it."

It seemed to be a very open order!

Luo Nan and Papercut locked gazes. Papercut asked in what seemed to be a casual manner, "Is it convenient for you to introduce us to the teacher who brought you into all this? Perhaps we know him or her."

Xie Junping was quite magnanimous. He didn't hold anything back, "His last name is Wan. We all call him Dean Wan. He works for a welfare center in the Forestwall District. He's the real deal."

This sort of intelligence acquisition made one completely lack the feeling of accomplishment.

An insight flashed through his mind right as he was shaking his head, and an image popped up in his mind. It was none other than a memory of last weekend where he controlled Ink in the Forestwall District for the reconnaissance work that was outsourced to him. Luo Nan had discovered an ability user there. That ability user was preaching, and even a little kid from the distant Trigate District had come over to listen.

Could it be the same person?

It was a messy mental association, and it was probably wrong, but the several factors—like preaching and the location being in the Forestwall District— increased the probability by several percentage points. If they were truly the same person, than his business would be far larger than previously imagined.

This was merely speculation; there wasn't hard evidence, and it was hard to explain from the special perspective of distant perception. Luo Nan didn't say much else to Papercut. He accepted the file that Du Yong sent to him and contacted He Yueyin through the HexaEar.

But all he got was a busy signal; the call didn't go through. This wasn't an odd thing. He Yueyin's busiest times of the day were at eight or nine o'clock at night. Unless it was a pressing matter, it had to be put on the back burner.

Luo Nan thought for a bit and planned a last-minute task. He pulled He Yueyin, Papercut, Xue Lei, and Cat Eyes into a group chat before sending He Yueyin a message and the file. This was a sharing between many parties.

Papercut gave the file a glance, "Oh, it's a cloud map. This is the most suitable software for drawing the spell array. It seems like this sect isn't that closed-off. This may be good news."

Luo Nan noticed that there was a clear icon on the file, "The HexaEar can read it, right?"

"Of course. Such practical functions have to be integrated into it."

Luo Nan saw Du Yong gnash his teeth toward the read-only projection, but he was unwilling to copy the file to the computer. He felt that there were some issues with this brother's brain. Still, he sighed and said, "Forget it. Just use mine."

He directly connected the HexaEar to the projector. There was no need to switch data streams. He simply opened it in the task window and opened the file in operation-mode. Not only did he remove the read-only limitation, he made it so that anyone could manipulate it.

He casually made a swiping motion, leaving a clear mark on the spell array. The mark stayed there. Then he erased the mark after. He played around a few times to confirm, "You can make altercations now. You can try to recall what you did before. Search for the feeling, and let us see your train of thought. Relax. This is constantly saved."

Luo Nan rubbed his fingers against each other half way through his words, looking thoughtful.

The feeling of light passing was quite interesting. It gave him a more direct feeling about the order and method of the operation of energy and information for the spell array. It made his once-fuzzy insights turn clear once more. He immediately became immersed in thought.

Du Yong was skeptical at first, but soon he found the instrument window of the cloud map software. His heart immediately swelled with enormous delight. He was right about to do work when he saw Mo Han and the other little sisters try working with it in their curiosity. He didn't even think before shouting,

"Don't break the template!"

His voice was admonishing to the maximal limit. Qiu Peipei, who possessed the quietest nature, took a step back in shock, not daring to speak a word.

Mo Han wasn't scared of him. She was mad that he frightened her friend, so she spoke disdainfully, "There's a rollback operation. What are you afraid of?"

Du Yong really had been shocked by his bad memories. He shook his head over and over. In these sort of times, he greatly rejected anyone who wasn't a professional.

It was impossible to communicate with someone this neurotic. Papercut was very clear on this point. He turned to look at the group of boys and girls, "Why don't you guys go play? Us professional enthusiasts can just talk things over in this room."

Mo Han looked at him with bulging eyes, "Hello? Are you trying to get rid of us?"

Papercut wasn't the sort of person to go bickering with a little girl. He turned to ask Luo Nan, "How about we switch locations first?"

He felt that data migration and the like should be easy with the HexaEar. It couldn't be simpler. Logically, if they were able to separate the people, then they can talk more about on other subjects.

But he saw Luo Nan focused once more on the spell array when he turned back to look. Luo Nan didn't look like he was going to break his concentration any time soon, turning a deaf ear to Papercut. Papercut was helpless, he could only give Luo Nan a light tap.

"Huh? Oh, hold on." It wasn't easy to get Luo Nan out of his trance this time. Luo Nan spoke a few random words, his gaze still parked upon the spell array structure. He even extended a hand to touch.

Du Yong's patience was much higher toward this 'fellow practitioner'. He was especially delighted at Luo Nan's concentration. He harbored some expectations and couldn't help asking, "Do you have any insights?"

"Yes, I have an idea. I feel that this spell array is lacking a bit of texture."

"Which one?"

"Texture. Matter. A sense of being real." Luo Nan needed to converse with someone. He formulated his words as he observed, "If you view the spell array as a building, then the structure and lines could be viewed as rooms and pipelines. This template of yours is like a blueprint. There's no material. There's no filler stuff. It's just like a hologram."

Luo Nan omitted something from his words; last time Huang's spell array had a physical medium, at the very least. His spell array was essentially on a higher level than this one.

This was the difference in the spell arrays.

And this difference wasn't due to a difference in the knowledge of mystic arts. Du Yong was the former president of the Mystic Arts Research Society. He was better than that Huang guy who didn't really know what he was doing.

It was likely that this difference existed on the mental plane in the form of thought and desire.

Luo Nan didn't go further down this train of thought. He wasn't a believer of this Creation Order. Belief and desire had nothing to do with him. He was more interested in other directions. Could some sort of other method be used in place of this sort of "texture"? More specifically, could soul strength and interference power be used as a substitute?

It was harder for Papercut to disturb Luo Nan when seeing his state.

Luo Nan was a talented character. He viewed the world differently from other people. He saw problems differently in terms of depth and perspective. The insights formed from such perspectives were quite valuable. Who would be responsible if they were destroyed?

After a moment's hesitation, Tian Si took the initiative to shoulder the responsibility of managing people, "How about we first go to area A to play? Junior Nan is clearly unable to act as host right now. I can entertain everyone, so as to avoid him from ditching people from Acumen College.”

"Wow! Sister Si is very heroic!" Tian Si's deliberate self-mockery clearly united the group of boys and girls. It also brought their ability to refuse down to the very minimum. It was very effective psychologically.

From another perspective, Hu Huaying was not an idiot either. He echoed Tian Si, "I approve of Head Tian's words. This group of mystic arts researchers have abnormal brains. One bad move and this little brothers and sisters from Sixth Middle might believe that people from Acumen College are mentally ill. Luckily, there's a VIP room above us. We have yet to check out completely from it. Let us relocate. Let us leave this place for them to torture themselves in."

The temptation of the VIP room was greater than that of the luxury room. It was stronger than the public area of area A. The words when spoken caused quite a few people's eyes to light up.

Hu Huaying gave Tian Si a meaningful glance, letting her first take the helm before turning to ask Xie Junping for his privileges. Xie Junping had booked the VIP room. They would need to relevant privileges to enter the VIP floor.

The group of boys and girls walked out the door, and Luo Biyao whistled, "Normal room, then a luxury room, then a VIP room. So we were here to play upgrade today!"

Mo Peng nodded as he drooled, "I've been looking forward to the beauties play Fighting Dance for quite some time. The lighting effects of the VIP room will certainly be superb. Let me decide the lighting clothing design; dance clothes; sailor outfits; flight attendant outfits and so on. Let us turn up the heat."

"You pervert!"

Ruan Zihui kicked him, and Mo Peng giggled as he pulled open the door to jump out. But how was he to know that there was something wrong with the weight. It was heavy one moment and loose in the next. Mo Peng used the wrong amount of strength, and his body staggered backward to collide with Luo Biyao's body. The door was pulled open, and someone outside fell head first inside to the ground.

"Huh?"

"What!? It's Yue Zheng!"

Though his figure was sprawled on the floor, he was recognized when he stood up. Right now Yue Zheng was wearing his gaming equipment, which had an anti-collision function. It didn't hurt physically, but it certainly hurt his pride.

Things had gone unfavorably in many aspects for Yue Zheng tonight. He had just crawled out of vomit only to face-plant on the ground here. His chin had struck the shiny floor, injuring his lips, teeth, and tongue. A fire swelled in his stomach as he crawled up to push Mo Peng.

"Fuck your mom! The hell are you doing!?"

Mo Peng was a bit embarrassed in the beginning, but when he was pelted with curses involving his mom, his expression immediately changed. The push was nothing in comparison.

He want to curse back directly, but his confidence was thick enough in the end. He sneered, "I actually wanted to ask you. How did it feel to contort yourself into all sorts of shapes for a fucking handgun?"

Yue Zheng's expression turned ash white, then it turned tense as the last rational thread in his mind suddenly snapped. He cursed once more, waved a fist, and smashed it toward Mo Peng's face.

The situation happened so quickly that everyone reacted instinctively. Mo Peng was a little fat, but he was a stout and nimble fatty. He toughened himself up year round at the reality battlefield. This let his reactions exceed that of a normal person's. At this distance, he didn't use his arms and legs. His stout body moved like an ox. His round head, which was bound in an angular tactical helmet, came ramming into Yue Zheng's stomach.

He exerted force through his legs and back; the resulting impact was considerable. Yue Zheng still had some alcohol in his stomach, and he nearly vomited again when struck by this impact. Even worse, he lost his balance, falling backward instead of forward as in last time.

Luckily, there was something to support himself against behind him. His shoulder pressed against someone's stomach when he stumbled backward, and his head collided with something that was a bit soft. A stifled scream was heard in the next moment.

Screams of pain formed a mass behind as the support behind him fell backward as well. Then came cold and warm juice. The liquid came showing down, stunning Yue Zheng in place.

His ears rang with Ju Maoxun's hoarse cursing.

"F***!"

Ju Maoxun was sprawled on the ground, likewise, a bit stunned.

It stood to reason that Yue Zheng's havoc was beneficial to him. Anyway, they were all students of Sixth Middle, and they were companions who had come to this place together. Their group would be the one to lose face were a disturbance to happen. He wanted to watch the fire burn from the other side, taunting others at their expense.

This was the most optimal outcome that he could think of. Even if Yue Zheng didn't cause trouble, he thought that he could do some urging in the back.

But...but how did things come to be like this?

The stupefaction lasted only for a short moment as the feeling on his face and body ultimately gave him a realistic explanation.

Yue Zheng was on top of him, and sticky juice had spilled all over his face. The glass of juice had even smashed into his head. Of course, the most painful part of him was his nose. Yue Zheng had smashed into it. The bitter taste mixed with the juice and poured into his lips. There was clearly some blood.

Ju Maoxun originally could have avoided it. The Elite Society he was a part of took part in the wrestling club. He had decent skills.

However, the problem was that there were too many people following behind him. There were two servers carrying alcohol and juice. He also brought two of his no-good friends for the sake of morale. There were four people in the tight space. No matter how skilled he was, there wasn't enough space.

Sure enough, something unexpected had happened!

What should have been a quick and easy trip to slap the enemy in the face had turned into him, the boss, taking the brunt of things. Ju Ling had ditched him!

So he had fallen into these straits.

It must be stated that this was area A of Frost River Reality. This place had the highest density of people in the entire population of Xia City, especially here in Cloud City Water Village. This was a large activity area. People came and went. The place was surrounded by players from several universities and high school students. There was an extreme overlap with his social circle. Falling here with four limbs facing the sky, nostrils overflowing with blood, and juice all over his face, there seemed to be the flashes of cameras all around him.

There didn't need to be a tomorrow. Just tonight, his reputation would be spread to all the major university forums.

This was the last rational thought that Ju Maoxun had.

Whatever face-slapping plan he had totally shattered in the next moment. Ju Maoxun, as he pushed aside Yue Zheng, who was still in a state of utter disbelief. Ju Maoxun struggled to get up, picking up the glass of juice by his side. He didn't care. He attacked the densest area of people.

"I'll cut you meat entrails to pieces!"

A heavy thud rang out, then came the scream of a girl.

The sound wave pierced the ears, and Qiu Peipei fell backward into Mo Han's bosom. Blood gushed from her forehead as the juice glass fell to the ground. It clanged as it spun, still unbroken.

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Chapter 404: True Target (Part 1/2)

Chapter 404: True Target (Part 1/2)

The situation had undoubtedly grown big.

In a short few minutes, the people involved: the service personnel, the police, the medical respondents, and countless onlookers crammed into area A of Frost River Reality. It was so packed that not even a drop of water could get through.

Qiu Peipei had been sent to the hospital for critical care. Mo Han and Ruan Zihui went along to the hospital to look after her. The remaining people continued to stand in opposition in the luxury room.

It must be stated that the police had arrived quickly. The government increased the level of control by at least two-fold over public venues like this one after the incident at the other Frost River Reality. Luckily this was the case; if the police had been just a bit slower, then Ju Maoxun would had probably be sent to the hospital as well by the multi-function robots.

The culprit was confirmed, and Ju Maoxun had yet to be able to stand up straight from the punch that Xue Lei had unleashed. His internal organs were spasming, transmitting negative effects through the nervous system and into the brain. This made it so that Ju Maoxun always felt that he wanted to vomit. His head was dizzy and nauseous. Yet one couldn't tell that he was injured from looking at the surface.

There were far too many onlookers and people involved. The dispatched police didn't clear out the area for now. Instead, they had rushed into the private room to understand the situation.

The police inquiry was quite simple. They weren’t interested in the complex grievances and hate. This was a common law and order dispute, after all. The recordings and the like were quite complete. It wasn't difficult to make judgments.

The results of the hospital examination had yet to be released, so the dispatched police recorded the social privilege numbers of the people involved as a formality. They informed the parties of the process of mediating disputes and civil prosecutions, then notified the medical examination site and deadlines. This was pretty much the typical police process.

Then the few who acted—this included Mo Peng, Xue Lei, Yue Zheng, and Ju Maoxun—had to go to the police for recording. It didn't matter for Ju Maoxun, as he was already a legal adult, possessing full behavioral capacity. As for the other three, their guardians had to be notified as part of procedures.

The expressions of the three turned ugly in this instant.

Mo Peng and Xue Lei were just worried about being reprimanded by their parents. On the other hand, Yue Zheng's situation was more complicated. Actually, upon awakening from his trance of stupefaction, he really wanted to kill himself by slamming against the floor when he saw the personnel within the room.

Did God specifically decide to torture him tonight?

"We will give up the lawsuit and ask for mediation." It was Yue Qin who spoke. She and Turner had rushed inside, immediately expressing their stances. She took out their guardian's electronic authorization. "I am the sister of a person involved, Yue Zheng. My father already knows that our stances will be taken for this matter."

Yue Zheng blankly cast his gaze over. He practically didn't respond.

She saw how her brother was shocked down to his soul and grew angry and annoyed, but she calmed herself down. She was ten times stronger than her brother. She already saw that Hu Huaying and Xie Junping stood by Luo Nan's side with dark expressions. In fact, she expressed her stance primarily toward these two young masters to hear.

Wuyue Pharmaceuticals must not offend the Xie Family and the Hu family. They were even more unwilling to give them a bad impression that could cost them money.

Yue Qin was able to explain the situation in a short few minutes to their father and obtained authorization from him. She had already done her best.

Unfortunately, it appeared to have little effect from looking at the current situation.

Yue Qin did not double down and speak false words. After expressing her stance, she stood together with her brother and helped him tidy himself up a bit. She took this opportunity to observe the situation within the room.

She had met Xie Junping in the past, and she knew that he was a flowery young master. He was a first grade silk pants. She left aside his strange attire, and focused on the fact that he stood by Luo Nan's side. His appearance was subconsciously like that of a helper. He didn't look like the protagonist at all.

She seemed to have misjudged the direction that this situation was going towards from the very beginning.

In fact, it didn't matter whether it was Yue Zheng, Yue Qin, or Wuyue Pharmaceuticals. They weren't important. Yue Qin's statement was just a small interlude. There were few people who actually listened to it.

At most, she was met with Ju Maoxun's fierce and burning gaze.

Ju Maoxun was certainly the most restless one in the room. He saw that his no-good friends from the VIP room had come down and that they couldn't help at all. They could only raise the atmosphere, chattering with the police in 'discussion'. They weren't scared. They could be considered threatening.

But there was a lack of a certain crucial character in this room.

Ju Maoxun looked left and right, not seeing what he wanted to see. He could only ask a friend, "Where's Ju Ling?"

"Uh, seems like he headed back upstairs."

Only then did Ju Maoxun realize that Ju Ling had disappeared after Yue Zheng and him had gone down stairs. Ju Maoxun's mind immediately exploded.

Right now, the police were still unleashing a torrent of legal education. Ju Mauxun was getting furious listening. He gave a fierce kick to the high-back chair to his side, "Speak this shit to a fucking lawyer. I want to get my injuries checked out now!"

This movement of Ju Maoxun's was quite violent. His internal organs were already spasming, and his actions gave him an even more terrible experience than before. He body bent into the shape of a prawn, and the acidic juice in his stomach sprayed out of his mouth, burning his throat in pain as tears and mucus came choking out.

Xue Lei, who had dealt him the blow to his pain, didn't even give him a sidelong glance. He obediently accepted the police's inquiry. His attitude was over ten times better than Ju Maoxun's. He was at most a little bit worried because of his parents.

Xie Junping and Hu Huaying stood up at this time. They were officers of Acumen College's Student Council. They had ample contacts. For them, conversing with the police was like how a long illness made a patient into a good doctor. They had ample experience in this. They were the best candidates for handling matters such as these.

Plus there was Tian Si, a communicative master. She filled in all the gaps. It appeared that everything was going towards an advantageous direction for them.

As for the few ability users in the room, they exchanged gazes with each other. It was still quite awkward.

Indeed, they had been gathered inside the room, studying the spell array, drinking alcohol, or something similar. They had some distance from the conflict that happened at the entrance. But to allow a delicate little girl be injured under their watch was a matter that greatly injured their pride.

Luo Nan wasn't in the mood to continue studying the spell array. He sized up Ju Maoxun, and recalled the past event back at Ocean Sky Cloud City. He was able to get a general judgment of the reason behind his actions, and he felt uncomfortable. He really wanted to find a way to fix things.

It was because of his concern that he heard the name Ju Ling through his mental senses. From reading Ju Maoxun's intense mood, it seemed that the situation was much more complicated than it appeared.

In fact, the current situation set the tone for the circumstances. Luo Nan couldn't help but ponder. However, he was useless toward what happen before, and it seemed like he wouldn't be useful for what would follow. The stifling feeling was uncomfortable.

His thoughts spun a few times before he grasped an opportunity. He pulled Xie Junping to him and asked, "Who is Ju Ling?"

"Ju Ling?" Xie Junping shook his head, "Never heard of him. He's not part of this circle. Maybe he is Ju Maoxun's relative?"

"Go ask." As he spoke, Luo Nan activated his living starry sky senses. He brought the entirety of Aurora Cloud City under his sensing range.

There were at least ten thousand people moving around in real time in Aurora Cloud City at the moment. To sort through the trajectories of these thousands of people would have been quite the painful process in the past, but today's Luo Nan, having mastered the first step in the warning senses in a closed system, could differentiate things according to threat level. This made things much easier.

His senses revealed much more subtleties in the circumstances.

The strongest malicious reaction didn't reside far. It was none other than Ju Maoxun. Luo Nan should have discovered this sooner. It was just that this person didn't really possess much strength, even though his ill intent was strong. The stimulation in his senses was quite weak. This coupled with the fact that he was immersed in studying the spell array, which made him subconsciously neglect Ju Maoxun.

The warning senses of the closed system, under a passive situation, was very likely to neglect a considerable portion of information.

Luo Nan had to pay attention to this point in the future.

Luo Nan continued to sort through the information and found two targets without spending much effort. They weren't malicious reactions, however, and they weren't even in Frost River Reality. They were on a floor higher.

What attracted Luo Nan to them was undoubtedly the special mapping of these two on the living starry sky.

Ability users! And one of them was on an impressive level. They caused clear distortions toward the surrounding starry space. Like the air being distorted by an invisible flame. If it was just two days ago before Luo Nan had yet to obtain the telescopic reinforcement when observing external forms, Luo Nan would probably only see a dark and fuzzy nebula mass.

Making a judgment from this level, this ability user should probably be at the B rank level.

There was something even more interesting, however. Though there was clear differences in strength between the two, the second person's constellation structure largely mirrored the first's. Plus, Luo Nan was quite familiar with it.

A regular tetrahedron of a Burner!

It wasn't surprising to see two Burners in Xia City. There were about three hundred of them according to the statistical data of the Society. Of them, more than half were in the military, while there was a small portion affiliated with Quantum Corporation. People had to come out, take a walk, and eat. It was quite normal to bump into some at Cloud City Water Village.

These two didn't seem to be connected with the conflict that happened below. Luo Nan didn't sense any malicious factors. The living starry sky clearly indicated that there were no substantial connections between those two and him.

Luo Nan didn't want to be mired by side issues. He just observed the powerful Burner he suspected to be B rank; the power this one could unleash ought to be shocking. Though the Burner's Format of Fire was contained, the pressure was able to penetrate the depths of the mental plane. Under the classical definition of the mental plane being divided into three zones, one region, and one realm, the pressure should be able to access the edge of the abyssal region.

If the ability user was mentally enhanced, then that would have been all right, but everyone knew that Burners were all physical enhanced. To achieve this sort of result through their secondary branch was already something on the level of Fairchild, the Ears of Truth.

So Xia City had a Burner on this level?

He Yueyin had explained to Luo Nan once before, but Luo Nan didn't remember it at all. Due to cautious consideration, Luo Nan had controlled his soul strength, maintaining a distance from the material plane and giving up observing things directly in reality. This was to avoid being captured in the opposite direction. That would place him in an awkward situation.

Luo Nan memorized the location and shifted his senses away. He didn't have any other discoveries. There seemed to be only this one exception.

However, the appearance of a B rank Burner was something he had to notify his companions about. This was avoid sudden incidents and influences. This was what his experience and his principles told him to do. A period of time ago, He Yueyin and the others had constantly emphasized such requirements when teaching him.

Luo Nan immediately announced this formation in the ad-hoc task window, "There's a suspicious B rank Burner and a C rank Burner. The two should be together. They are located above Frost River Reality."

"That's a high-end restaurant called Chief Liu Ge." Papercut filled in the details then gasped in shock, "B rank? That doesn't make sense. That’s already the highest level of a Burner, right?"

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Chapter 405: True Target (Part 2/2)

Chapter 405: True Target (Part 2/2)

It was common knowledge that all Burners were generally the same in terms of ability. However, through controlling the Deep Blue Platform and its equipped weapons, a Burner could achieve higher destructive power. Anyone would run when faced with a Burner allocated with a ten million ton nuclear warhead.

Luo Nan knew of this, but he didn't think further in this direction. A new train of thought popped up in his mind from Papercut's reminder. "I recall that Sister Yueyin said that B rank Burners hold officer ranks?"

"Yes, some hold considerable power, controlling quite a few special forces within the Wilderness Combat Force. For instance, there's Secretary He's father. He holds a post that's closest to Xia City. There's also a special forces within the Coastal Defense Force that Crag Burst was a part of. The commander back then was a high-ranking major general, his name Tian Bang. He is a really bullish character."

"Tian Bang?"

"Yes. He has the same last name as your senior sister, but they shouldn't be related. He's an orphan, part of the Deep Blue Platform project since childhood. He certainly has undergone deep alterations. This is internal information that's only circulated within the inner world."

Luo Nan nodded, "I understand."

If orphans and young children were involved in the Burner alteration procedure, than it would be hard not to suspect the lower limits of the government and the military. This was undoubtedly something that those in power wanted the commoners to avoid suspecting the most.

"Is the Burner here Tian Bang? The Coastal Defense Station isn't located that far from Xia City."

"It's hard to say. I haven't met the person before. I just heard that he's always floating out at sea all year round, engaging in one battle after another with ocean Mutants. He is a terrifying combat force. It's very troubling."

Papercut's eyebrows wrinkled as he spoke, "The branch's intelligence department had no reaction at all with such a powerful person entering Xia City. It looks like the man didn't come in openly."

"Oh really?" Luo Nan was quite calm. Whether or not it was Tian Bang, the person definitely didn't possess ill intent.

"Try contacting the Secretary again. The best thing to do is ask if her father knows of the matter. If it really is Tian Bang, then the situation is very taboo."

Luo Nan tried to call her, but he could only shrug his shoulders. He was unable to contact her, so he could only leave a message describing the latest situation and assessment.

At this time, Xie Junping also received details about the presence of Ju Ling through the phone. Ju Maoxun was still hoppity mad over there. He was stimulated quite emotionally, as if he was the one being bullied.

Mo Peng and Luo Biyao cursed at him a few times, for the people here could only watch with cool eyes of a bystander. Whether they were coming to a resolution or pressing charges, only Qiu Peipei's family was qualified to make the decision. Luo Nan and the others could only provide testimony as a party and witness.

With people and words coming and going, the more one became bored and gloomy. Papercut was really worried for Luo Nan not being able to deal with further issues arising. He pulled Luo Nan toward the sofa, talking as they walked.

"This is the reason why so many people don't like the normal world. When a conflict arises with authority involved, there's just a mass of clauses and rules. The more people you know, the more restrictions you have. Just look at Leister. He unleashed an awesome punch just then, but now he has to suffer for a very long time. He might even have to go to court."

Luo Nan became much more focused by the time they sat on the sofa. Papercut sat between him and Cat Eyes. Luo Nan asked him, "How do you normally handle such things, Brother Papercut?"

"Me? I get a pile of small paper men and send them to his house for a party. Yeah, something like that."

Luo Nan felt that his expression had to become very strange in this moment.

Papercut chuckled, "We possess all sorts of powers, how can we strictly follow the logic of the normal world in handling affairs? Unless this world has enough power to counteract us."

Cat Eyes swayed her glass of alcohol lightly as she sat down on the sofa. She cast a sidelong glance, "Retard!"

Papercut wasn't angry, "Aren't we just talking here? In any case, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. When you deal with others using abnormal logic, others will use abnormal logic to deal with you. We're in Xia City, so things are a bit better for us. Just look at Red Fox. He was there rooting out evil, but look at what happened to him. Sometimes I really wish that someone would look after me. I would live a regular life and pass my days peacefully. Perhaps this could have been done at Headquarters in the past, but unfortunately, it's impossible thanks to that son of a bitch."

Luo Nan handed over a fruit platter as a gesture of comfort. He asked while passing, "How many ability users are there like you?"

Papercut picked up a few apples slices, "What do you mean by 'like you'?"

Luo Nan thought about it and said, "Like those in the Society; they have a legitimate career. They earn money for a living, and they follow the rules of the normal world most of the time."

Of the few ability users he knew, Cat Eyes was a dance teacher. Papercut owned an arts and crafts store. Octopus and Mr. Bai were doctors. Mr. Giant Arm owned a daoguan. And Her Majesty Empress Wu's firm kept a close distance with the normal world.

However, there were also those like President Ouyang, who wholeheartedly spent their time doing research. There was also those like Bamboo Pole, who were quite reclusive and only did service for those of the same 'profession'. Crag Burst and Red Fox didn't have steady work either, but they lived their lives quite comfortably.

The inner world and the normal world converged and split just like this. There were many complex intersection, and the corresponding pulses were hard to grasp. It made one quite troubled

Papercut opened his mouth as he sought to respond, but he suddenly remembered that there was one more task that needed finishing tonight. He turned with a smile, asking Cat Eyes, "How about you explain it?"

Cat Eyes's expression remained the same as she poured the peat-flavored whiskey down her throat. She gave a leisurely sneer, disinclined to pay heed to Papercut.

Papercut didn't push it. He just shrugged and said, "In this world, the barrier between ability users and normal society is truly becoming thinner and thinner. Some people are opposed to this trend, while some people approve it. There are also some who just go with the flow. Xia City has fewer regulations and restrictions. While there are many people who go with the flow, there is also a sizable number of people in other cities who feel strongly about assimilation. They want to realize the era of ability users. There's also a portion of people who are extremely firm on maintaining distance. To maintain lineage."

It was unknown which of the words he said evoked her interest, but Cat Eyes' suddenly spoke after taking a drink of her alcohol, "Actually, they are all one group. The group of supremacists."

Luo Nan understood instantly, "So they believe they're more advanced than normal people?"

"Purists or maybe those who want enslave others." Cat Eyes said. She laughed, minding to herself before casting a sidelong glance at Luo Nan, "Like a certain someone, boss. Boss Luo. What do you think?"

The subject had gone wildly off-mark, plus she didn't seem to be asking. It was more like mockery.

Luo Nan didn't want to respond nor did he feel a need to respond. Luckily, Xie Junping had finished his phone calls and walked over, "Nanster, I got some information. Ju Ling is the son of Ju Maoxun's uncle. He served in the military for many years and just recently transferred from the the City Defense Force to the Wilderness Combat Force and Coastal Defense Force. He already holds the rank of lieutenant colonel. I hear he's a Burner."

Burner? Coastal Defense Force?

Luo Nan and Papercut locked gazes for a moment. They immediately thought of the two upstairs. No matter how many Burners there were in Xia City, No matter how abundant the soldiers there were in the Coastal Defense Force, one just couldn't pick out a B-rank bigshot at random, right?

"There's an eighty percent chance it’s him! This god damn luck!"

"Who?" Xie Junping wasn't willing to go on bickering with Ju Maoxun. He sat on the sofa, leaned back, and groaned. This was the first time he gave off the air of a silk pants young master since the day began.

Luo Nan did some more observing through the living starry sky. He felt that there were truly some subtle changes to Xie Junping's projected constellation. However, there was something more important to do right now, and that was to observe the suspicious character known as Tian Bang.

There weren't really any grievances right now, but what if a situation were to occur due to the relationship between Ju Maoxun and Ju Ling? Now that would be a headache to handle.

Right when he was about to go investigate, a person's voice sounded out by the entrance. Everyone had sharp ears. They heard the words, “Tian Si, are you here too? Great, gather everyone. We will discuss how the handle things."

Who the heck was this?

The voice sounded a bit familiar, but the arrogant and bossy attitude given off left a greater impression. It made one believe that it was President Ouyang, Her Majesty Empress Wu, or someone personal on a big boss level at first.

Luo Nan couldn't think of who it was at the first instant, but Xie Junping, who had just relaxed, suddenly sat up straight, "What the hell did he come here for? It's bad luck with him coming here. It'll be hard to stop this bro from acting and seizing this chance to talk to Tian Si."

Xie Junping hurried over as he spoke.

Luo Nan and Papercut locked gazes. They put their heads together and soon ascertained the person's identity. It was Chen Weican, the vice president of Acumen College's Student Council and chair of the Mutual Assistance Gathering. He was an elite face, but also a fellow who gave off bad vibes.

Chen Weican wore a casual suit not really compatible with the atmosphere of Frost River Reality, but he stood tall and straight and every movement of his was formal. He really did draw people's attention as he entered the room.

It was just that Xue Lei, whose heart might be still harboring troubles, might give him an iron punch if Chen Weican continued to walk into the crowd of people while still maintaining this attitude.

Chen Weican didn't notice Xue Lei. It could be said that he didn't take heed of anybody. He just stood there like a tree. He couldn't be compared to the quick-witted Tian Si, but he wasn't superfluous. He just waved his hand, strengthening his body language. He also made a call to someone through his wristband at the same time.

"I also hope that Frost River Reality will handle things in a timely manner. It isn't worth it for the existence of a certain trouble maker to affect the good praises from the numerous students. Manager Yin, you're almost here right? Okay, we will chat again once you arrive."

A light exhalation, and Chen Weican expression loosened a bit. He turned his eyes and saw that Tian Si was still standing in the same spot. He was a bit surprised, "Everyone's all summoned?"

"Everyone's already here. The police are here. Who else is there to summon?" Xie Junping drew close and chuckled, "Vice President Chen. It's rare to see you at a place like Frost River Reality. Which rich family are you entertaining?"

Chen Weican's gaze flitted across Xie Junping's face. He didn't show any emotion nor did he express hostility. The sense of being ignored was stronger, but it would be incorrect to say he was arrogant. It seemed that he was a bit distracted.

Luo Nan observed using his senses, a bit baffled, but what drew his attention the most was who Chen Weican talked to on the phone: Sister Yin. So she was still acting as manager at Frost River Reality. How unexpected.

Before this thought could finish, Luo Nan confirmed that this familiar target had entered the edge of his sensing range; she had drawn closer, and she was rapidly decreasing the distance between them.

Luo Nan didn't pay attention to the following exchange between Chen Weican and Xie Junping. He sat on the sofa with a furrowed brow. He was locked onto the target, and he observe her walk ever closer.

It didn't take long for him to observe the clear sounds of footsteps through deliberate filtering via his mental senses. She was about thirty meters way, and her footsteps stopped for a moment before soon picking back up again. A knock on the door occurred several seconds later, and a white collar beauty with an outstanding bearing strode into the room.

She had a refined appearance and a bearing that was out of the norm. She was the example of perfection amongst her age of light maturity. Her glowing eyes swiveled as she entered, drawing in the situation of the room.

The cold gaze paused for a slight moment when it rested on Luo Nan's face, but then it continued to scan Papercut, Cat Eyes, and Xue Lei. She hid it quite well. If Luo Nan wasn't expecting her, he might have neglected who she was.

The directive nature of her gaze was due to not only them being of the same profession, but them being enemies. There was no other possibility.

Sure enough, she was Yin Le!

Luo Nan was baffled. Shouldn't this sister be holed up at home, properly nurturing the Human-Faced Arachnid clone? What did she come out for?

The thought instantly formed and perished. To say that there weren't any omens lurking deep in his mind was incorrect. There was an omen, and it clearly appeared within the living starry sky.

In this moment, the B rank Burner separated several hundred meters away at Chief Liu Ge suddenly bubbled forth with an enmity that could not be detected before.

YIN LE!

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© Master of the Stars - Weight Loss Expert. Master of the Stars - Weight Loss Expert - Ongoing 101 To 403

Origin: http://samlib.ru/c/chernij_a_w/masterofthestars-weightlossexpert-ongoing101to403.shtml

Создан: 03/03/2020, изменен: 03/03/2020, 3416k

Стихотворение: Foreign+Translat

Series: @Other