Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 12

A diminutive figure appeared in the central community of the Tianyuan Network. If anyone witnessed this, they would surely be puzzled, for this area was restricted to adults. Based on his stature, the individual looked like an underdeveloped youth, especially considering he was now at the core building of the Tianyuan Network, where only the top administrators were allowed access—the Virtual Element.

He effortlessly made his way to the entrance of the control center; the structure, which was reputed to have the strictest security in the network, didn’t hinder him at all.

Standing in front of the last iris scanner, his ash-colored eyes once again confirmed his fledgling status. The scanning beam smoothly passed over his lens, emitting a beep.

“Unidentified individual detected. Please leave within 30 seconds, or an alarm will be triggered,” an artificial intelligence voice warned.

“How troublesome,” the individual muttered under his breath, then summoned a control panel with a voice command and manually entered a string of passwords.

“Identity confirmed. Passage unlocked. Would you like to bind a new iris?”

“Confirmed.”

“Would you like to overwrite or save separately?”

“Overwrite,” he casually commanded. “The previous body is dead. What’s the use of keeping it?”

The mysterious youth effortlessly reached the top floor of the Virtual Element. The room was dim and seemed untouched for a long time.

Navigating through the darkness, he skillfully avoided obstacles on the ground and laid down on a comfortable recliner.

“Yue Ying,” he called out as he settled.

Square lights on the walls gradually brightened one after another until the entire wall was illuminated, dividing it into individual squares.

“You’re back.” Soundwaves rippled on the walls in response.

“I’m back,” the man replied while sitting in the recliner with his eyes closed.

“You slept for quite a long time this round.”

“Miss me?” he teased.

“Yes,” Yue Ying responded straightforwardly. Simultaneously, several fibrous beams of light emanated from the wall, gently caressing his forehead like tendrils. “You have so many names; I’m not sure which one to call you by.”

“Xing Lou.” His voice was pleasant, especially when pronouncing these two words. “I quite like this name for this life.”

“Alright, Xing Lou.” Yue Ying seemed slightly reluctant to accept this name. “Your previous lives were too short-lived. I hope this one lasts longer.”

“I hope so too,” Xing Lou agreed. “Constantly transitioning between lives wastes too much time.”

Luminous threads penetrated his temples. “You’ve backed up all your memories online in data form. They’ll awaken the moment you connect. However, to prevent data overload, you’ve only accessed your core memories. I’m now going to implant the remaining fragments. It might hurt a bit.”

Xing Lou pouted, signaling he didn’t mind. “You didn’t tamper with my memories while I was asleep, did you?”

“Heh,” Yue Ying chuckled softly. “Who knows?”

A surge of light rushed through the connection into his brain. Xing Lou’s expression tensed momentarily but quickly relaxed.

“Done.” The fibrous strands retreated. “You can now continue your great endeavor.”

“It’s our great endeavor,” Xing Lou corrected.

The recliner elevated, positioning Xing Lou in a semi-reclined posture.

“How do you plan to deal with maturing this life? Just randomly pick someone to get through the awakening period?”

“Who cares.” Xing Lou was nonchalant. “After all, the Qizi is just a tool for development.”

“You’re the most heartless person I’ve ever met,” Yue Ying whispered, “But that’s the ideal trait for our perfect creation.”

Xing Lou didn’t object to the word “creation”. He extended his index finger, and a tendril entwined around it, full of intimate insinuations.

He brought his finger to his lips, affectionately rubbing it. “What if I say, this life, the person I desire is you?”

“Then you’ll have to work even harder.” Yue Ying chuckled softly. “I’m looking forward to meeting you in my true form.”

The wall’s lights flickered twice. “An old friend wishes to see you.”

The tendril withdrew from his finger and receded back into the wall, as if it had never been there.

Xing Lou granted access permission. A dignified, towering figure materialized in the room.

“Long time no see…”

“Long time no see, Lord Tai Yin,” Xing Lou interrupted. “I now go by the name Xing Lou.”

“Xing Lou,” Tai Yin repeated. “Sounds better than the previous life.”

“Thank you for the compliment.” Xing Lou smiled. “I appreciate your hard work during my absence.”

“You saved my life and provided the conditions for my research to continue. I always differentiate between grudges and gratitude.”

“Then I’ll strive not to offend you,” Xing Lou said with a smile, his eyes curved in amusement. “How is Shang Yang?”

“Same as always.”

Xing Lou shrugged, suggesting that wasn’t particularly good news.

“Where are you assigned this time?” Tai Yin asked.

“Bikong.”

“Bikong?”

“Why, do you know it? Oh, I remember. Your proud disciple is currently the school doctor there. I saw her earlier today; she still exudes that queenly demeanor.”

“I’m not talking about her. During your hibernation, we recruited a new member who’s currently studying in Bikong.”

“Really? Such a coincidence?” Xing Lou turned aside. “Yue Ying didn’t mention it to me.”

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you yet.” The soundwaves on the wall quivered.

“He’s a severe internet addict. He must be online now. Should I bring him in?”

“Sure, let me greet my senior… or is it a senior sister?”

Before Tai Yin could explain, Zhen He’s image appeared before them.

“Turns out it’s a senior. Nice to meet you,” Xing Lou cheerfully greeted.

“Just call me Zhen He. You are the legendary developer of the Tianyuan Network? Nice to meet you.”

“Not just the first generation,” Tai Yin interjected. “Second, third, all him. Who knows what kind of storm the fourth generation will stir up? It might even replace reality with the virtual world.”

“Don’t put it that way.” Xing Lou looked helpless. “Can’t I just be a regular person this time?”

“You’re not the type to be content with mediocrity. It’s written all over your face.”

“To come up with the idea of using the internet to store memories of past lives, you truly are no ordinary person.” Zhen He laughed.

“I’m flattered. Right now, I’m just a freshman at Bikong Academy named Xing Lou. I hope for your guidance in the future, Senior Zhen He.”

Xing Lou paused and continued. “Some people gather for common goals, some for shared interests. But our group is different. Everyone has their own objectives; we share resources and take what we need. May I ask, Senior Zhen He, why did you join us?”

“As you can see, I’m a 22-year-old fledgling.”

Xing Lou raised an eyebrow. “A 22-year-old fledgling still in Bikong without advancing? That’s rare.”

“Not just that. I’m also opposed to the coming-of-age ceremony. I wish to find a way to mature without going through it.”

“That does sound like a fantasy… What if you can’t find it?”

“Then I’ll stay this way.”

“Even as a fledgling, one day you’ll die. Do you know the consequences of dying before the coming-of-age ceremony?”

“I do, but I won’t yield.”

Xing Lou clapped his hands. “Every member in our group harbors a fantasy. If someday even one of these fantasies comes true, the whole structure of Tianxiu will transform.” He fixed his gaze on Zhen He. “Welcome to the Delusional Group.”

“Thank you.”

“Speaking of fantasies,” Xing Lou turned to Tai Yin, “How’s your progress in breaking the blood pact?”

“No progress.”

Xing Lou looked surprised. “I slept for nearly twenty years. Didn’t you do anything in these years?”

“I did. But for me, there are only two results of an experiment: success or failure. No success means no progress.”

“Alright.” Xing Lou accepted. “I hope you achieve your breakthrough soon. Hopefully, next time I see Shang Yang, he won’t scratch me.”

“Then, I guess my research here also has zero progress,” Yue Ying commented, while his restless shadow jumped around the walls.

“I have found a way to awaken Yue Ying.”

“Oh?” Both Xing Lou and Yue Ying exclaimed simultaneously.

“His body has been frozen using an advanced medical technique. To thaw, we need to inject fresh blood.”

“What’s so difficult about that?” Without hesitation, Xing Lou responded. “I can give him a transfusion.”

“The difficulty lies in the fact that a suitable blood type must be found. Not just anyone’s blood will be accepted, and if the wrong blood sample is infused, the worst-case scenario can result in blood combustion, organ failure, and even with the most advanced medical technology, it would be too late to save him. I estimate that in the entire Tianxiu realm, only one such blood type might exist.”

“What a fragile race.” Xing Lou sighed softly. “Finding that one blood type in all of Tianxiu is like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“We’ve used a little trick,” Zhen He continued. “Under the name of the Center of Disease Control, we issued a blood collection order to all the Tianxiu people. A large number of samples have already been sent to the Eagle. As long as this person is not in hibernation, given time, I believe we’ll find the right blood type.”

“I saw the CDC’s blood collection site in Bikong,” Xing Lou said, standing up from his recliner. “I was wondering when the people of Tianxiu started to get contagious diseases. So it was your doing.”

He walked to the wall, extended his palm, and touched the cold surface. “But I have to admit, it was well-executed.”

Beams of light circled his palm’s outline, making an electric humming sound as if responding to his touch.

“It seems that we will meet soon,” Xing Lou whispered.

……

“I’m done. I’m done.” The N^th student who had lost came up to Ling Xiao and waved his hands. “I can’t beat you.”

Ling Xiao, feeling frustrated, stepped to the side. It was just a close-combat training session, and he hadn’t even used his full strength.

Looking at Ping Zong and Lan Sheng, it was evident that Lan Sheng had the upper hand, but Ping Zong held back, making their fight look more like a teaching session.

“Why aren’t you practicing?” Ping Zong asked.

“Will you spar with me?” Ling Xiao countered.

Ping Zong looked at Lan Sheng and smirked.

“Don’t bully our Ping Zong. If you want to spar, I’ll be your partner,” Lan Sheng interjected.

“I’m not even interested in sparring with you,” Ling Xiao replied with disdain.

“Fuck off,” Lan Sheng said, playfully punching him. “I heard you got into a fight with some seniors yesterday?”

“Ah, big mouth Ping Zong,” Ling Xiao indirectly admitted.

“For what?”

Ling Xiao, recalling the later events, felt irritated. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“How good were they?”

“Just so-so.”

“Boasting again, aren’t you?” Lan Sheng pointed. “Why not try him? He should be a good match for you.”

Lan Sheng pointed to Ying Feng, who was training against a robot designed for close-combat training. The robot could adjust its combat abilities according to the opponent’s strength. Ying Feng had just slashed the robot’s neck with his blade. If this had been a regular person, they would likely have fallen, but the robot remained unaffected and threw a punch towards Ying Feng’s stomach.

Just when Ling Xiao thought that Ying Feng was going to take the punch squarely, the latter suddenly executed a backward spin, transitioning into a roundhouse kick. Not only did he dodge the robot’s attack, but he also landed a powerful blow on it in the process. With the kick hitting its mark, Ying Feng swiftly followed up with three rapid kicks, forcefully sending the metal-made robot flying and incapacitating it on the spot.

The combat-loving Ling Xiao was thrilled to see this, itching to fight. As Ying Feng finished the robot and turned around, he met the eyes of the eager challenger.

“Hey,” Ling Xiao gestured, “Wanna spar?”

The excitement was evident in his eyes. Finding the robot boring and Ling Xiao had taken the initiative to deliver himself to the door, Ying Feng saw no reason to decline Ling Xiao’s invitation.

He pondered for a moment. “Have you eaten? I don’t want to bully someone who’s starving.”

“Who’s bullying who isn’t decided yet,” Ling Xiao confidently replied. “By the way, I prefer banana-flavored over strawberry.”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>