Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Trial of Pain

Ye Chong’s astonishing stamina had never been depleted so thoroughly before! That strange move his opponent had used just now had completely drained his mind, not just physically, but mentally as well—the exhaustion in his spirit far exceeded that of his body. His mind was hollow and aching, as though it had just been washed clean, leaving him in extreme discomfort.

So this is what Mu meant by “spirit”?

Ye Chong had always taken care to remember every word Mu had ever said. This move had completely overturned his understanding of combat. Rui Bing was flung aside like a piece of rubbish by Ye Chong. Seeing the situation take a favorable turn, Shang immediately popped out, clicking his tongue in amazement: “Yezi, you really don’t know how to show pity for a beauty, do you? So, how did that feel just now? Yezi, you’re so shameless! But, well, you sure took advantage beautifully this time! Heh heh!” Shang let out a string of strange laughter.

Ye Chong ignored Shang, instead fixing his gaze on where Rui Yu would land, while doing his best to recover his strength. His situation was dire—waves of unprecedented fatigue and weakness crashed over him, threatening to break down his mental defenses. He fought desperately to hang on.

Just one more hit! Just one strike and I’ll defeat her!

Ye Chong muttered to himself, hypnotizing his flagging will. The image before his eyes grew ever blurrier; the white training uniform of Rui Bing, flying through the air, looked like a cloud drifting farther and farther away. He struggled to keep his eyes open, but they refused to obey, slowly closing on their own. His consciousness felt as though it were separating from his body, unable to control it anymore. He could barely stand, swaying unsteadily—he had never felt so weak. His body, usually so strong it hardly seemed human, now offered him no support at all. His empty mind tempted him to simply lie down and sleep.

But an indomitable will kept him awake—he could not sleep! The enemy was still before him! Sleep, and he would die!

Shang, too, noticed something was wrong and called out anxiously, “Yezi, lie down already! They’re not going to kill you! Don’t force it—your spirit is too overdrawn! Your brainwaves are unstable. Lie down, now! Don’t push it!”

As Rui Bing was flung through the air, she tapped her toe on a passing mecha, gliding like a great bird to land before Rui Su. She stumbled as she touched down, steadied herself, then swept Rui Su along like the wind, carrying her out of the modification room.

Ye Chong could barely make out the shape of a white cloud drifting out of the room.

He could not hold on any longer—he fell to the ground with a thud and slipped into unconsciousness.

Rui Bing, too, could not keep going after carrying Rui Su out of the room. Her body went limp, but fortunately Rui Su reacted quickly, catching her sister as she collapsed. Gone was her usual resolute, warrior-like demeanor; now she was nothing more than a wounded, pitiful young girl, rousing infinite compassion in those who saw her.

Tears streamed down Rui Su’s face as she rushed her unconscious sister to the hospital, her heart wracked with anxiety. It was all her fault, her momentary petulance leading to this disaster! For the first time, Rui Su truly regretted her own behavior.

Students of Blue Ocean Academy watched as Rui Su, weeping and carrying someone in her arms, ran out of Ye Chong’s modification room. What on earth had happened in there? Witnessing this scene, students and teachers alike let their imaginations run wild.

Rui Bing’s condition was far worse than Ye Chong’s! While Ye Chong had only suffered severe spiritual depletion with barely any physical harm, Rui Bing had not only spent immense mental energy executing her ultimate move, but also suffered heavy damage when Ye Chong broke free of her psychic restraints. Though she had trained her body for years, she was still no match for Ye Chong’s beast-like physique—those two punches he landed on her were very real.

But the most devastating blow was Ye Chong’s grasp.

It was already remarkable that she hadn’t fainted right there and then! Had it not been for her concern that if she collapsed, her sister would also be in trouble, she might well have given in to the urge to black out immediately.

That grasp dealt a spiritual blow to Rui Bing that was incomparable.

For a girl who strictly observed and believed in every tradition, what could be more terrifying than this?

Though everyone was curious after seeing the “Witch Su” emerge from Ye Chong’s room in tears, no one dared approach within ten meters of the modification room. Even the head of Modification Room No. 1 had fled far away.

Ye Chong’s cold stare and ruthless reputation had spread like wildfire through Blue Ocean Academy. While he might not inspire fear, at the very least, no one dared provoke him.

And so, undisturbed, Ye Chong slept right there on the floor for an entire day. It was not until the next day that he finally woke, his head splitting with pain and his body utterly drained.

“Awake?” came a calm voice in Ye Chong’s mind.

Clutching his head, Ye Chong gasped, his voice hoarse: “Yeah, but my head hurts like hell!” His head felt as though it might split open, and there was nothing he could do about it.

“According to the data, this is a residual effect of severe spiritual exhaustion. It can be addressed through a brainwave recuperation device, natural sleep, and other methods.”

“A brainwave recuperation device? We don’t have one of those!” Ye Chong kept holding his head, when suddenly something seemed to dawn on him. “Ah, are you Mu?”

“Without a doubt,” Mu replied.

“What about Shang?”

“As agreed, he must remain quiet for eleven days.”

Suddenly recalling that strange move, Ye Chong grew excited, forgetting his pain. “Mu! Was that move the woman used what you called spirit? Didn’t you once say your attacks lacked spirit?”

Mu was silent for a moment before replying, “Insufficient data; unable to determine.”

Ye Chong was disappointed. “Unable to determine? Hmm… but I really think it was! That feeling was terrifying! It made me feel as though resistance was futile! But, if you’re piloting a mecha, it doesn’t seem possible to imbue your attacks with spirit, does it?” Absorbed by this question, Ye Chong forgot all about his pounding head, his hand moving from his brow to prop up his chin.

“Yezi!”

“Hmm?” Ye Chong’s attention shifted to Mu.

“Doesn’t your head hurt?” Mu suddenly turned demonic, employing a cruel tactic.

At once, Ye Chong’s attention returned to his own head, and the pain he had momentarily ignored surged back like a tide. He let out a wail, his hand flying back to his head as he gasped and gritted his teeth: “Damn you, Mu! I can’t believe you’re so shameless!”

Mu thanked him politely, “Thank you for the compliment. According to the data, that word clearly carries strong personal emotion, and is not suitable for assessing the nature of something. Yezi, you should savor this rare pain.”

“Mu, isn’t there any way to reduce the pain?” Ye Chong, tortured to his limits, surrendered.

Mu replied calmly, “There is a way.”

Ye Chong saw a glimmer of hope and quickly asked, “What is it?”

Mu explained, “This method requires no medication or bodily injection. It is safe, effective, produces remarkable results, and can be applied immediately with instant effect…”

Ye Chong sucked in a breath. “Manual knockout pain relief?” Back on Garbage Planet, he had once overexerted himself in the consciousness training center, pushing the nerves controlling his hands past the critical threshold, resulting in intense pain. Mu had used this very method to relieve him. It was a memory he would never forget.

Mu said, “That’s correct.”

The pain continued to assault Ye Chong’s mind in relentless waves. His consciousness felt as though it were a solitary reef standing amid a stormy sea—sometimes engulfed, sometimes exposed, as the painful waters washed over him again and again, eroding even his faint resolve. Who knew when it would end?

Such torment! Ye Chong felt he was losing his mind. Better a quick pain than a long one—he said to Mu with tragic resolve, “Well then… Mu… just do it! But make sure you’re accurate!”

Mu replied serenely, “This method is not recommended at this time.”

Ye Chong couldn’t help but ask, “Why not?”

Mu said coolly, “This phenomenon is extremely beneficial to your spiritual cultivation—provided, of course, that you experience it in full.”

Ye Chong let out a miserable cry. “Then why bring it up at all? Wasn’t that pointless?”

Mu, evidently in agreement, replied, “Indeed, it was pointless.”

Ye Chong could no longer bear it and burst out cursing, “Damn you, Mu! You… you… how could you…” He was close to fainting.

Mu said, “To enhance the effect, it’s only natural to increase the stimulus somewhat.”

Ye Chong, drained and weak, replied, “Mu… you’re too sinister…”

Mu responded, “According to the data, everything I’ve said is truthful.”

Ye Chong couldn’t be bothered to argue—the two, Mu and Shang, were both trouble.

“How long did I sleep?” Ye Chong asked, struggling to fend off the waves of pain.

“Twenty-eight hours and thirty-six minutes,” Mu answered precisely.

“Twenty-eight hours?” Ye Chong muttered feebly, then, as if remembering something, jumped up despite the pain. “Ah, then I must have missed class!” He had no personal interest in classes, but as part of a fair exchange, he felt obliged to do his job well.

“No need, I already attended in your place,” Mu said calmly.

“You attended for me?”

“Mm.”

“Of course, in the virtual net you and Shang are just too powerful. I bet those identity verification systems are useless against you. How was the first day of class?” Ye Chong asked, curious.

“According to the data, the word ‘feeling’ is not applicable to any non-biological entity.”

“Mu, you’re still as unromantic as ever.”

“Yezi, your head…”

“Ah—Mu, you… you’re ruthless…”

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