C5 The Secret of Her Body!

Yem Yu nodded emphatically. "Mhm."

Tang Tianyuv shook his head, his thoughts a blur. He had just caught a stone weighing over ten kilograms with a single hand, a feat that completely shattered his everyday understanding. As he was about to speak, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a force emanating from all around him.

Just ten minutes earlier, this force had nearly choked him, provoking him to vomit on the spot. But now, it seemed to have softened. Though it still pressed into him, the sensation was no longer painful. Instead, he felt a tingling numbness, akin to the buzz of a mild electric current.

Closing his eyes, he sensed his strength returning. He had been on his feet in the shop for over twenty minutes, yet he felt no need to sit and rest; fatigue was absent.

The force continued to surge at him. Tang Tianyuv could almost visualize every meridian and fiber of his being intertwining with this energy, transforming noticeably. It was like watching a parched riverbed swell with spring waters or barren branches sprout new leaves.

It felt like a baptism in energy—refreshing and soothing.

Lifting his arm, he noted the weighty stone still in his grasp, yet his limb rose with ease. For the first time, he experienced a profound sense of "strength" in his arm. An invisible power coursed through his blood and meridians, bolstering each muscle and joint, heeding the directives of his brain, and ultimately raising the stone.

He shifted his legs and pressed down, the loose stone tiles beneath his feet emitting a faint "creak." The sound was soft, yet to his ears, it surpassed the most exquisite symphony.

For the first time in his life, he grasped the true essence of "strength." He thought of the bodybuilders he'd seen in Holo-Brain videos and the hotheads in life who resorted to fists over words. He now understood their mindset and was profoundly touched.

Indeed, when you truly feel power, it can transform your entire approach to thinking and acting!

"Bro, bro! What's happening to you?" Yem Yu's voice, laced with urgency, snapped him out of his reverie.

"I'm okay," Tang Tianyuv reassured the girl before him with a gentle smile. "Really, I'm better than I've ever been."

Yem Yu's pretty face had been etched with alarm, but upon hearing his words, she exhaled in relief, patting her chest as she said, "You just stopped moving and went silent all of a sudden. You scared the life out of me."

Tang Tianyuv too released a long sigh, one that seemed to expel a decade's worth of pent-up gloom. He had an inkling about what was happening now.

As it turned out, his foster parents had been utterly mistaken. Black Stone Lane wasn't at odds with his fate; quite the opposite, it was his sanctuary, the sole place capable of healing his ailments. The peculiar energy here was precisely what his body craved. To put it simply, it was like a tonic for his system.

But his constitution was so frail that it couldn't even handle this tonic, a condition akin to what traditional medicine calls "too weak to sustain nourishment." When he first encountered this energy, the shock was too intense, triggering a host of negative physical reactions. Yet, once he persevered through the initial shock, his body laid down the groundwork to assimilate this nourishment.

And so, he began to feel increasingly at ease, more in tune with the energy.

Now, he felt immensely powerful, even if it was just a delusion. He might not withstand a single move from someone well-versed in physical cultivation, but in comparison to his former self, he felt a newfound strength.

"Xiao Yu, I have a question for you," Tang Tianyuv said after some thought, eager to resolve his curiosity. "Being here, have you sensed any sort of power?"

Yem Yu pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "No, nothing."

"Not even the slightest?" Tang Tianyuv pressed. "Right here, have you felt a force from all around, trying to penetrate your body?"

"Brother, you're freaking me out," Xiao Yu chided with a playful scowl. "Talking about something drilling into my body gives me the chills."

With a mischievous grin, Tang Tianyuv glanced deeply in the direction from which the energy surged before saying, "Let's head back."

On their way back, it was clear that Yem Yu would be the one treating. Tang Tianyuv had been keen on walking back to gauge his current physical endurance, but considering Yem Yu was a girl, he wisely opted for the comfort of her treating them to a ride instead.

By the time they arrived home, the afternoon sun was high. Mrs. Zhang was lounging on the balcony soaking up the sun. Catching sight of Tang Tianyuv and her beloved daughter approaching amidst laughter, her face darkened. She leaped to her feet, berating him, "Tang Tianyuv, you deadbeat! You owe me a year's rent and have the nerve to charm my precious daughter? I'll break your legs!"

Startled, Tang Tianyuv fumbled for his keys, unlocked the door in haste, and before darting inside under Mrs. Zhang's lethal glare, he called out, "Bring me some tools tonight; I need to cut a stone." He then bolted inside and secured the door behind him.

The outside world was left to the thunderous banging on the door and Mrs. Zhang's enraged howls, "I'm cursing my luck for installing that damned triple-locked security door! Have I trapped myself?"

Inside, Tang Tianyuv exhaled deeply and stretched out on his bed, savoring the comfort. He examined the stone closely. Its black hue was innate, not artificial, confirming it wasn't Worm Iron Ore. But what was it, then?

He could sense a faint energy emanating from the stone, an intangible force that streamed into his forehead, bringing a sensation of warmth and comfort. Tang Tianyuv contemplated threading the stone on a cord to wear it, hoping it might enhance his health.

Yet, after much deliberation, he resolved to split the stone open. He had an innate hunch that something resided within, and the energy he detected didn't originate from the stone itself but from whatever was encased inside.

What could it be? The fabled Universe Energy Crystal?

Lost in these thoughts, Tang Tianyuv drifted into slumber, only to be roused by a gentle yet persistent knocking as the sun dipped toward the horizon.

Bolting upright, he noticed the growl of hunger from his belly. He approached the door and whispered softly, "The earth stands firm, the mountains grand, the rivers span eternity."

A light giggle echoed from outside the door, followed by a voice that teased, "The door faces the East Sea, where the three rivers have flowed for ten thousand years. Bro, hurry up and open the door—it's me."

Tang Tianyuv cracked the door open just enough for a petite figure to slip through, bringing with her a whiff of perfume—it was Yem Yu.

These secret phrases were lifted from an entertainment novel Tang Tianyuv had read long ago. Back then, he had just settled into his new home, and Mrs. Zhang had yet to uncover his lack of ambition. Yem Yu would visit daily to hear his stories. Despite Tang Tianyuv's frail health, his mind was sharp, and he spun tales with such skill that he captured the young girl's affection. Over the past year, Mrs. Zhang's demeanor toward him had soured, but Yem Yu's warmth remained unchanged. The secret phrases, which had become their code, came into official use as Mrs. Zhang increasingly prohibited Yem Yu from visiting him.

Yem Yu's cheeks were rosy with excitement, and she set something down on the table with a conspiratorial grin. "Brother, I swiped some of the braised pork ribs my mom made today. Give them a try."

Tang Tianyuv couldn't help but marvel at her thoughtfulness. Just as his stomach had started to grumble, here were the pork ribs, as if on cue. He pictured Yem Yu sneaking them from the kitchen, a warmth spreading through him, though he quickly refocused on the task at hand. "Did you bring the tools?"

Xiao Yu replied, "I did some research online. Ordinary knives won't cut this stone; we need a high-hardness alloy blade, and we don't have one at home. So, I brought a saw instead."

Noticing Tang Tianyuv's concerned look, she reassured him, "Brother, don't worry about the stone. I've got it covered."

Tang Tianyuv gave his chest a confident pat and flashed a carefree smile. "I couldn't possibly let you handle such heavy labor. Xiao Yu, rest assured, I'm up to the task."

The braised pork ribs were delectable, yet neither of them had their minds on the meal. Under the lamplight, the black stone gleamed with a subtle shimmer. Tang Tianyuv stood with one foot on the stone, tugging at it with both hands. A fine dusting of black powder sprinkled onto the ground. As the saw cut about half an inch deep, the powder drifting down turned a vivid red, inexplicably lifting their spirits.

"Bro, you're incredible. This is really Worm Iron Ore!" Yem Yu whispered excitedly.

Tang Tianyuv's eyes sparkled with anticipation. The deeper the sawtooth penetrated, the stronger he felt the invisible force within. Even if the stone wasn't the fabled Energy Crystal, it surely concealed something of value.

With a gentle tearing noise, the stone split neatly in two. Yem Yu bent down anxiously to inspect the halves, which were a uniform, deep red throughout. A sigh of slight disappointment escaped her lips.