178 Enchanted Forest
Images from Wu Yu’s memory flashed before him. This man was a doctor before the apocalypse. He witnessed the moment Wu Yu first realized his special ability. The excitement and apprehension could almost be felt from the memory. He also saw Wu Yu’s first arrival in Chongqing. Standing at a corner of a Chongqing street, Wu Yu watched Chen Shao, riding a four-meter-high horse, pass by him as if no one else existed. This memory was incredibly clear in Wu Yu’s mind because of its significance.
Cong Xia continued searching with anxiety. He quickly skimmed through, not intending to delve deep into Wu Yu’s past, and without much time to do so. Most of the memories flew by too quickly for him to catch more than a fleeting glance. However, he awkwardly discovered a secret between Wu Yu and Chen Shao.
He saw scenes of Wu Yu pressing Chen Shao against a wall, passionately kissing him; of Wu Yu tearing at Chen Shao’s clothes; of Wu Yu using an ice ring to restrain Chen Shao’s hands, their naked bodies intertwined. These memories occupied a significant portion of Wu Yu’s mind. Perhaps they were recent, or maybe they were too profound for Wu Yu. Either way, Cong Xia was forced to witness several explicit images.
Cong Xia felt his face warming up. Although he didn’t want to admit it, voyeuristically witnessing someone else’s intimate moments brought an odd sense of satisfaction to men, even if he wasn’t particularly interested in these two.
Shaking off his indecent thoughts, Cong Xia delved deeper into the recesses of Wu Yu’s mind. He desperately hoped that Yao Qianjiang was an exception. The thought of a puppet jade existing in Cheng Tianbi’s mind was unfathomable. When he finally spotted a very inconspicuous jade fragment emitting a faint dark glow in a corner of Wu Yu’s thoughts, his heart sank.
So it exists, in Yao Qianjiang… and in Wu Yu… This couldn’t be a mere coincidence. Yet, this doesn’t prove that only evolved humans have this. At that time, Zhuang Yu’s mind contained too much information. He was overwhelmed and hadn’t thoroughly searched. What if every mutant had this embedded in their brain?
The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.
Wsankdt bkxplzq vs pvyu nyzx, Usdt Dky vldvyvkhlzu pvalvnble swv y pvayde sq ldlatu vs yrrasynb vbl rwrrlv fyel. Kwpv yp bl oyp ycswv vs vswnb kv, Ubldt Mkydck’p hsknl pswdele yp kq qasx y ekpvydv alyzx, akdtkdt pweeldzu cu bkp lya.
“Usdt Dky, Usdt Dky!”
Fvyavzle, Usdt Dky srldle bkp lulp. Ubldt Mkydck tlpvwale vsoyaep Ew Zw, “Rv’p vkxl qsa usw vs oyjl wr.”
Ew Zw’p nsdekvksd bye clnsxl tayhl. Ebkzl Usdt Dky oyp lmrzsakdt bkp xkde, bl zspv vaynj sq vkxl. Tl nswzed’v elzyu ydu zsdtla. Tl rwzzle yzz bkp ldlatu qasx bkp caykd, xlatkdt kv okvb Ew Zw’p oyvla ldlatu, vstlvbla vblu qsanlqwzzu rwpble ytykdpv vbl elpvawnvkhl Uyxcakyd ldlatu, rwpbkdt kv wdalplahlezu kdvs vbl ldlatu nsal.
Mbl knl sd Ew Zw’p cseu tayewyzzu alvaynvle. Paldnble kd polyv, bl zssjle yp kq bl’e clld qkpble swv sq oyvla, ps olyj bl nswze cyalzu pkv wr.
Ubldt Mkydck srldle vbl essa yde nyzzle qsa Ew Zw’p pwcsaekdyvlp, vbld, byzq-pwrrsavkdt Usdt Dky, zle bkx swv sq vbl assx.
Gp pssd yp vblu pvlrrle swv, Hbwydt Zys awpble shla, plljkdt ydpolap okvb bkp lulp qasx Usdt Dky.
Ekvb y pszlxd lmralppksd, Usdt Dky dseele kd nsdqkaxyvksd.
Chen Shao originally sat on the sofa nearby, but now misunderstood Cong Xia’s expression. Immediately, he straightened his posture and furrowed his brow as he looked towards the bedroom, clenching his fists in secret. After a while, Wu Yu’s subordinates helped him out, and Chen Shao saw that he was doing fine. Unable to hold back his annoyance, he rolled his eyes and leaned back into the sofa, no longer giving it another glance.
Wu Yu was taken back to the guest room to rest, and Cong Xia and the others found an empty room to hold a meeting.
“Did you see it? It’s exactly the same as Yao Qianjiang,” said Cong Xia with a sigh.
Cheng Tianbi said in a low voice, “Then, I must have it too.”
Cong Xia responded with a sense of urgency, “It’s still too early to draw conclusions. Perhaps I have it as well, and everyone here has it. This doesn’t necessarily prove that only natural force-evolved individuals experience this.”
“There’s at least an eighty percent chance it’s the case,” Zhuang Yao said. “We’ve been unable to explain the source of the ability for natural force-evolved individuals to borrow power from heaven and earth. If the Puppet Jade incident is confirmed, then the conclusion becomes evident: the reason why natural force-evolved individuals have their godlike powers is that deep within their minds, there exists a Puppet Jade, granting them this extraordinary ability.”
Cong Xia murmured, “It’s still just speculation.”
“Face the reality; you know it’s more than just speculation,” said Zhuang Yao.
Cong Xia held his head. The idea of a Puppet Jade deep within their minds didn’t seem like a good thing at all. Who knows what this intangible Puppet Jade has done to their brains? Granting godlike powers to natural force-evolved individuals is certainly not a gift in vain. What terrible purpose does the Cambrian Consciousness conceal? In essence, it wants to utilize natural force-evolved individuals… for what?
Zhuang Yao’s expression turned heavy. “The ultimate goal of the Cambrian Consciousness is to eradicate humans, the species that has disrupted the balance of the Earth. If we start from this premise, then the abilities it bestows upon natural force-evolved individuals are undoubtedly meant to counter humans, placing them in opposition to humanity. But the current situation is the complete opposite: natural force-evolved individuals are humanity’s greatest hope to resist the Cambrian Consciousness. This contradiction… makes people even more worried about what hidden schemes the Cambrian Consciousness has yet to reveal.”
Cheng Tianbi added, “Perhaps it’s just not the right time yet. I personally don’t feel any Puppet Jade influence, nor have I sensed any impact on my mind. I’ve always been making judgments based on my own thoughts. Of course, if the Puppet Jade indeed possesses some manipulative power, it wouldn’t make me feel any different.”
“That’s the problem; even if the Puppet Jade has done something to you, you wouldn’t know,” said Zhuang Yao. “The scariest part is that you would believe all your decisions are your own, while in reality, they’re influenced by the Puppet Jade. Although we can’t sense any abnormality in you now, this Puppet Jade is like a timed bomb, waiting to explode at a critical moment.”
The mood among the group was heavy. The natural force-evolved individuals, representing humanity’s ultimate fighting strength, were supposed to be the last hope for rebuilding humanity. However, they were now shrouded in deep suspicion due to the Puppet Jade incident. While they were trying their best to improve themselves, striving to reclaim and seal all the Puppet Jades, and stop the Cambrian Consciousness from eradicating humanity, they realized that the very natural force-evolved individuals they had placed their hopes upon might be controlled by the Cambrian Consciousness.
Even the source of their powers could be part of the Cambrian Consciousness’ plan to deliver a deadly blow to humanity. They were like a group of clowns dancing on this land, attempting to change their fate, but they had forgotten that this land, no, the entire planet, belonged to the Cambrian Consciousness. They were but tiny specks of dust in relation to the entire planet, and the Cambrian Consciousness mocked them as they pranced around, preparing to declare their ignorance in the cruelest manner.
This suffocating reality, once fully confirmed, left them uncertain about whether humanity’s hope truly existed. If the planet was meant to perish the human race, what could they use to resist?
Zhuang Yao spoke with a deep voice, “There’s no need to be overly pessimistic. At least, we still have a glimmer of hope in Cong Xia’s ancient jade. Its appearance was the greatest variable that the Cambrian Consciousness couldn’t foresee. It’s also the only power we can rely on to counter the Cambrian Consciousness. The ancient jade taught humanity how to cultivate, advance, and escape the fate of self-destruction during advancement. It even created Cong Xia, a person who is not constrained by the Cambrian energy but can instead use it to aid humanity. The ancient jade is the hope left by our ancestors. They foresaw the day when the Cambrian Consciousness would destroy humanity and left behind the ancient jade to help us survive this calamity. As long as we find a way to seal the Cambrian Consciousness, we can surely put a stop to all of this.”
Cong Xia clenched his fist, “You’re right, the ancient jade can certainly help us seal the Cambrian Consciousness. We must not slack off and continue doing what we are doing now—collecting Puppet Jades and searching for a method. Humans are the most intelligent species on this planet; we won’t just perish like this.”
Cheng Tianbi added with a more intense tone, “We must not give up. From now on, if I sense any abnormalities in myself, I will inform you immediately, and if you notice anything different about me, you must remind me promptly.”
“Agreed!”
Liu Fengyu furrowed his brow, “So, should we tell other natural force-evolved individuals about this matter?”
Zhuang Yao shook his head, “Not for now. It would cause panic, and this information cannot be leaked.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Cong Xia said, “I just tried to extract a bit of energy to touch the Puppet Jade, but the time was too pressing, and I failed.”
Zhuang Yao advised, “Don’t do that again next time. We don’t know the purpose and significance of that Puppet Jade. Touching it rashly may have unforeseen consequences, and regardless of the consequences, we can’t afford them right now.”
Reminded by Zhuang Yao, Cong Xia also felt a little fearful, “You’re right. However, there probably won’t be another chance. All the natural force-evolved individuals in mainland China have already reached the Second Stage.”
“Not necessarily. I guess the ‘Iron Man’ in the United States is also about to break through to the Second Stage. They only have one precious asset, and they’ll spare no effort to ensure his safe advancement. So, I believe it won’t be long before they come to China seeking us out. But, likewise, you must not attempt to touch the Puppet Jade until we understand its purpose or its impact on people.”
Cong Xia nodded, “I understand.”
Zhuang Yao asked, “By the way, did you find anything else when you searched Wu Yu’s memories?”
Cong Xia immediately thought of the unusual relationship between Wu Yu and Chen Shao. Those embarrassing scenes quickly flashed in his mind, making his face turn red. He replied, “There’s nothing important… just some irrelevant *stuff*, it’s not suitable to talk about.” He realized that lying in front of Zhuang Yao was foolish, so he quickly added, “It’s some trivial matters that have nothing to do with us. At least, we don’t need to deal with Wu Yu right now. If we ever need to use this information someday, I’ll definitely share it. But since it’s unnecessary at the moment, I have some sense of morality and don’t want to reveal others’ secrets for momentary satisfaction.”
Zhuang Yao nodded, understanding his stance.
Wu Yu had just advanced and was physically weak, requiring at least three days of rest. They had no choice but to wait. Cong Xia decided to rent the entire inn, preventing Da Cheng from receiving other guests. Da Cheng was delighted since the inn usually had very few customers.
In the blink of an eye, they had been in Taiyuan for five days. Deng Xiao was feeling anxious early in the morning and asked, “Can we return within a week? If not, Abu will definitely be worried.”
Zhuang Yao was also a bit anxious, but he didn’t show it, “Let’s see how Wu Yu’s recovery progresses.”
“Cong ge, why don’t you just heal him directly?” Deng Xiao asked.
“He doesn’t have any external injuries, only depleted vitality. I can’t help with that; he has to recover on his own gradually,” Cong Xia replied.
Deng Xiao looked at Chen Shao, “Is Wu Yu better now? He’s been lying down for three days.”
Chen Shao rolled his eyes, “How would I know?”
“Aren’t you guys on the same team?”
Chen Shao scoffed, “Nonsense.”
Yao Qianjiang flipped through the book on his leg and said without looking up, “I have a lot of things to handle too. How long do we have to wait?”
Zhuang Yao said, “You were also lying down for three or four days at the time. Have some patience, Prince.”
Deng Xiao couldn’t sit still anymore, “I’ll go upstairs and check.” He took a few steps, then came back. Wu Yu, accompanied by some people, was slowly walking down from upstairs.
Everyone’s attention turned to him.
Wu Yu smiled lightly. Although his face still looked a bit pale, his walking posture showed no signs of weakness. It seemed like he had recovered. He said, “Sorry for keeping you all waiting. I’m feeling much better now.”
Yao Qianjiang rested his chin on his hand and looked at him, “How does it feel to advance?”
Wu Yu extended one hand and gently moved his fingers. His slender fingers gradually turned into transparent ice blocks, emitting a faint creaking sound as he moved them. A hint of white cold air emerged, and he sincerely smiled, “Perfect.”
Yao Qianjiang nodded, stood up, and asked, “Very well, then let’s not waste any more time. Xiao Zhuang Yao, what should we do now?”
Zhuang Yao looked at Cong Xia and asked, “What do you think?”
Cong Xia said, “Let’s go outside; your abilities have a destructive nature, and we don’t want to demolish the house or show anything others shouldn’t see.”
The group walked out of the inn and headed towards the distant ruins.
Standing in an open area, Cong Xia continued, “Zhuang Yao and I have considered several possibilities. The most likely scenario is that your abilities both erupt simultaneously, creating a combined destructive force several times more powerful. Another possibility is that you can complement each other’s weaknesses at an energy level. Even though you both wield water energy, the way you express it is different. So perhaps, one of you can complement the immobility of ice, while the other can alter the hardness of water. Or, these two possibilities might occur simultaneously. In any case, because no one has ever experimented with this before, no one knows what will happen. Therefore, we need your cooperation. But one thing I believe is that when you two work together, you will undoubtedly generate great power.”
“Let’s give it a try,” Wu Yu said.
At this moment, the group stood in the center of the original road, now covered in waist-high wild grass. On both sides were dilapidated houses that looked weather-beaten and could collapse at any moment.
Zhuang Yao suggested, “Let’s use these houses on both sides as targets.”
Yao Qianjiang and Wu Yu stood at the forefront. They glanced at each other, and Yao Qianjiang said, “If you don’t have enough energy, let me know early on. We can stop early; I don’t want to waste too much effort.”
Wu Yu calmly replied, “Prince, worry about yourself.”
Both of them extended one hand and interlocked their fingers. Suddenly, a tremendous force surged out of nowhere, blowing their clothes and hair with the wind. Even the people standing behind them were forced to take a step back from the shock.
They felt the water energy within their bodies boiling! The turbulent sensation was so intense that they could only describe it as boiling; there were no other words to capture the feeling. The water energy inside them seemed to be calling out to each other, rushing towards their connected hands. Threads of white smoke emanated from the position of their hands, and the air seemed to freeze in that moment. In the next second, a column of water and ice intertwined and erupted with tremendous force. They twisted together like a braided rope, shooting out at an extremely fast speed. The surrounding temperature rapidly plummeted.
The water and ice column hit the ground not far away, causing severe vibrations. They saw the wild grass on the ground instantly coated with dew, which then instantaneously froze into frost. The frost shattered into powder as the ground trembled.
The entire ground was covered with a layer of frost, which continued to spread until it reached both sides of the road. A water wave soared into the air and splashed onto the dilapidated houses. In the next second, the water wave froze into ice, and the houses crumbled like weeds, shattered and collapsed. As the water wave and frost continued to expand, the steel and concrete buildings on both sides of the road became as fragile as building blocks. It was as if they had experienced the most severe earthquake, rows and rows of buildings turned into ruins, accompanied by the collapse of ice, transforming the area into a genuine wasteland.
This power to demolish and decay stretched for over three hundred meters, obliterating nearly a hundred houses on both sides of the road. Five minutes ago, the scene was of abandoned houses surrounded by overgrown weeds, like a ghost city. Five minutes later, it showed collapsed houses with a frozen ground, resembling a snow city. Despite being the same location, the difference of five minutes seemed like two entirely different worlds. The temperature in the air had dropped by at least twenty degrees.
Everyone was left speechless and shocked, including Yao Qianjiang and Wu Yu themselves, who caused all of this. They couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed. Although their energy was completely depleted, and their legs felt a little weak, the destructive power they had created made them shudder with excitement from the depths of their souls.
Zhuang Yao murmured, “So this is the power of two natural energy users of the same attribute combining?”
Cong Xia swallowed nervously and spoke the truth that others hesitated to say, “It’s terrifying.”
Zhuang Yao added, “No wonder Jacqueline was so eager to meet Chen Tianbi. The combined power of two natural energy users is far beyond one plus one equals two. Referring to the strength displayed by Wu Yu when he released energy before his advancement, the destructive force generated by two people working together is more than thirty times greater.”
Cong Xia questioned, “But how did she know about this? She probably hasn’t seen any two natural energy users of the same attribute collaborating before.”
“We’ll only know when we meet her. It seems meeting her is inevitable,” Zhuang Yao said, looking at Chen Tianbi. “You also wish to have such power, don’t you?”
Chen Tianbi nodded, “I’m afraid this is the true power of natural energy users. Primary attribute users and derived attribute users divide this ability in half.”
“Not only that, but you’re all still constantly evolving. This is only the power of the second stage. Can you imagine the impact you’ll have on this world when you reach the third or fourth stage? You can easily destroy a city by then…” Zhuang Yao clenched his teeth, not finishing his sentence.
Cong Xia and the others understood what he was thinking. They were eager for the natural energy users to become stronger, but at the same time, they were afraid. Once this immense power was ultimately exploited by the Cambrian Consciousness, what would they do? Faced with such destructive power, all they felt was despair.
However, they couldn’t let their fear of the Cambrian Consciousness hold them back. They had to keep becoming stronger to have any hope of opposing it.
Yao Qianjiang sighed, “I never expected…”
Wu Yu also murmured, “Neither did I…”
Zhuang Yao said, “Wu Yu, do you know why we are going to Qinghai?”
Wu Yu fell silent for a moment and replied, “I know. I have a rough idea of your ultimate goal and the direction of your actions.”
“If that’s the case, shouldn’t you contribute something to the future of humanity?”
“You will eventually have to come out of your seclusion in the mountain city. Sooner or later, you will have to take on the responsibilities you should bear. Especially with your cooperation with Yao Qianjiang, the power is so formidable. It is the strength we need most when we go to Qinghai. If you don’t help us, when humanity is completely destroyed, it will be your turn sooner or later.”
“Let me think about it. Before you go to Qinghai, I will give you an answer,” Wu Yu replied.
“Good, I hope you can think it through by then,” Zhuang Yao said. “I think there’s no need to continue the experiment now. You both have depleted your energy, and the situation just now is enough to illustrate the point. Let’s go back.”
They all walked back to the inn in silence. Most of them were still trying to process the shocking scene they had just witnessed. Whenever they turned around, they could see the vast expanse of white behind them.
Chen Tianbi and Cong Xia walked at the back. Cong Xia couldn’t help but hold Chen Tianbi’s hand. He knew that the man beside him was one of humanity’s hopes, but he could also be a tool for the Cambrian Consciousness to deal with humans. Regardless of what Chen Tianbi was, he was the most important person to Cong Xia. No matter the cost, he wouldn’t let the Cambrian Consciousness succeed.
*******************************
Other Novels:
Managing a Divine Beast Kindergarten in the Immortal Realm
Second Life Translations' Comment Policy
1. Be kind and respectful. Comments with curses will be put under moderation.
2. No links to other websites or asking for links.
3. No spoilers!