Chen Shouyi immediately tried it.

Entering tranquility became more proficient, as simple as eating and drinking.

In just a breath, he settled into meditation, falling into a deep state.

Half an hour later, he opened his eyes.

"Can't see any obvious effects in the short term!" Chen Shouyi thought to himself.

Since completing the marrow refining phase and moving to brain refinement, the progress had been exceptionally slow, seemingly stuck, unable to advance further. Now, a whole month had passed, and the brain remained a dark shadow in perception.

The brain is the most complex and mysterious part of the human body, the core of life.

All human memories originate from here.

Just as the human eye cannot see the back of one's own head, perception from the brain cannot easily sense everything within the brain.

This refinement can only slowly and indirectly infiltrate through perception, requiring long-term effort.

"But this time the meditation was deeper and more focused. It should be more effective than the second optimization." Chen Shouyi rubbed his throbbing temples, calming his mind.

He got up, picked up a water cup, and took a sip.

Then he lay down on the bed, eyes closed, and sleepiness overwhelmed him. He quickly fell into a deep sleep.

...

"I've heard Anzhong Province has fallen?"

"How is that possible?"

"Seems like it. A friend of mine is a train station attendant. He said the railway to Anzhong Province is indeed shut down."

"This is big news. Anzhong Province is right next to Jiangnan Province."

"What's there to worry about? It's far from here. How threatening is a Barbarian God anyway? A nuke would still kill them."

In front of the newsstand, the crowd was buzzing with discussion.

In the morning, Chen Shouyi rode his bicycle past here and overheard the conversations.

With communication restricted, rumors were rampant, some were true, some were false, and some exaggerated, not to be taken seriously.

Like Jiangnan Province—is it peaceful?

Naturally not very peaceful. It hasn't been since the mutations began.

The God of Courage, God of Hunting, and the God of Fury have all invaded Jiangnan Province successively, and the warfare is almost constant. Particularly the God of Hunting, which remains unresolved.

But to say it is extremely precarious would be an exaggeration. Apart from a few regions, most areas are still under human control, with general stability maintained.

Such is the situation in Jiangnan Province; other places are likely similar.

Chen Shouyi was about to leave when he saw Liu Jie on the road, stunned to see her disfigured left arm. Since the last exploration of the insect nest, he hadn't seen her, assuming she was outside the Safe Zone. Yet she was actually disabled.

Her face was dignified and serene, devoid of the flirtatious charm and shrewdness of the past.

Chen Shouyi stopped his bicycle and walked over: "What's wrong with your arm?"

Upon hearing the voice, Liu Jie looked up, her face bright with a smile: "Oh, it's you, Chen Shouyi. It's been a while. As you can see, my left arm is gone."

"Shall we sit over there in the park?" Chen Shouyi suggested.

Liu Jie said openly: "Sure!"

The two reached a nearby small park.

It was still early morning, with a gentle breeze, lots of people exercising, most practicing either the thirty-six body refining techniques or swordplay.

Chen Shouyi glanced at them, returned his gaze, and asked: "What happened?"

"It's nothing serious; just got my arm broken by a barbarian during a mission." Liu Jie said with a confident laugh, seemingly unbothered.

Though losing an arm isn't trivial for a Martial Artist, even if it's the less dominant left arm, it significantly weakens one's overall strength.

And that's just strength; the psychological impact is more profound, especially for a young, pretty woman.

Chen Shouyi remained silent for a while and asked, "What about the barbarian?"

"Killed him; otherwise, I'd be dead. It's actually good; my parents opposed my martial pursuits, worrying constantly after I became a Martial Artist. Now they needn't worry." She said with a relaxed smile.

"What do you do now? Any arrangements by the city?"

"Yes, I'm a Martial Arts Teacher now." Liu Jie replied.

"Teaching's nice; peaceful and safe." Chen Shouyi remarked.

Nowadays, Martial Arts classes are mandatory from elementary to university level, there is a huge demand for Martial Artist level teachers, eagerly sought after.

"Yes, I'm quite content. Compared to those sacrificed warriors, losing one arm is very fortunate." Liu Jie adjusted her hair, revealing a subtle charm.

"By the way, you must be a Great Martial Artist by now?"

"Yes!" Chen Shouyi replied.

Actually, he was a Martial Artist.

But there's nothing to boast about.

"Impressive! Had I possessed your prowess, I might still have my arm." Liu Jie self-mockingly chuckled.

Clearly, she cared deeply about it. Who wouldn't, especially a woman who values beauty?

But even being a Great Martial Artist wouldn't make a difference; even Xiao Changming and Lei Ruiyang—the two Martial Artists—died.

"The alternate world is so mysterious, even harboring Barbarian Gods. Perhaps someday your arm could regrow?" Chen Shouyi comforted.

"Thanks for the good words, though I doubt it'll happen. I have classes in the morning, so I'll have to stop here. I'm teaching at the Martial Arts Academy if you ever want to visit; anything is fun!" Liu Jie laughed sweetly, getting up to leave.

Fun?

Fun with what?

Watching her long legs and graceful silhouette, countless chaotic scenes flashed in Chen Shouyi's mind. He quickly shook his head, dispelling these impure thoughts.

Such indecent thinking, disrespectful to women! How could he think like that?

She simply meant it literally.

Like dining, chatting, playing games.

And she was probably just being polite; they've only worked together once on a mission, barely acquainted.

Chen Shouyi refocused his mind, preparing to head to the alternate world for training.

Arriving at the bicycle parking spot, he found his bike missing; he hadn't locked it earlier, leaving it on the roadside, gone in such a short time.

He scanned the area.

With peak commute time, the streets teemed with cyclists, obliterating any trace of his bike.

"Damn, even dared steal a Martial Artist's bicycle?"

It was unlikely he'd retrieve it now!

Standing on the street corner, he looked dejected, holding insufficient currency, compelling him to return home for more cash to buy another. Then he headed downtown.

ps: Without the pressure of eating shit, there's truly no motivation.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.