C10 Waking from His Dream

Yu Wen flicked her wrist, and the iron blood glow along with the Electronic Pattern on her hands faded away, reverting back into bracelets on her wrists.

She was supremely confident that her combination of moves could reduce even a steel plate to shreds, much less a person made of mere flesh.

Moreover, even if Jie Mu had some unique traits, his internal strength was merely at the third level, hardly enough to withstand her assault.

Yu Wen let out a sigh. The flurry of moves she had just unleashed should have been fatal to Jie Mu, or at least come close.

Thankfully, she still had two Nine-fragrance Light Pills, gifted to her by her master. These were the sacred healing medicine of Fragrance Light Valley, with a single pill potent enough to save Jie Mu's life.

Just then, Jie Mu, who had been slammed against the boulder, abruptly opened his eyes!

With a jolt, Jie Mu's body caused the boulder behind him to crumble into rubble!

In a swift motion, Jie Mu closed the distance with a quick step, appearing before Yu Wen in the blink of an eye, his speed so rapid that she couldn't even react.

His fist connected fiercely with Yu Wen's abdomen.

Yu Wen was hurled through the air, but Jie Mu was relentless, instantly pursuing her.

His foot struck Yu Wen's back, sending her crashing to the ground and creating a human-shaped crater.

Meanwhile, on the elevated ground flanking the ancient road, a man donned in a purple mask stood aloof, observing the battle below.

Despite the scorching summer heat, he was clad in a long robe and a purple mask, which would appear suffocatingly hot to most.

Yet, standing next to him, one wouldn't feel any heat at all, but rather a chill.

Visible steam emanated from around him, a testament to his formidable internal energy fending off the oppressive weather.

Jie Mu, pulling Yu Wen up by her hair from the ground, delivered another powerful punch to her abdomen.

Yu Wen, overwhelmed, spat out blood.

But her indomitable spirit kept her gaze fixed on Jie Mu, devoid of fear, her eyes ablaze with the flames of combat.

A crimson light began to emanate from Yu Wen's hands once again, swiftly enveloping her entire arms.

With a swift motion, she broke free from Jie Mu's grasp and delivered a kick straight to his chest. Yu Wen then spun in mid-air, seizing Jie Mu's arm and unleashing a powerful elbow strike with all her might.

Yet, Jie Mu managed to catch her final blow.

His right hand clamped down on Yu Wen's elbow, while his left hand deflected her other arm, and he aimed a palm strike at Yu Wen's head.

Yu Wen quickly raised her right hand, channeling the Machine Arts to fend off Jie Mu's grip, and blocked his palm strike. Her left hand then snaked underneath, striking Jie Mu in the abdomen.

But she wasn't finished. Yu Wen spun around and landed another punch, her fists driving together into Jie Mu's chest with the "One Fist to Split the Way" technique!

Jie Mu was sent flying once more, crashing down to the ground with a heavy thud.

Yu Wen remained standing, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. This time, she dared not retract her Machine Arts, remaining on high alert as she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

She had never anticipated Jie Mu's moves to be so formidable.

Fearless as she was, Yu Wen recognized the grim reality: continuing this exchange of blows would lead to only one outcome.

Death.

Jie Mu rose to his feet again, dusting off his clothes and emitting a chilling, heart-stopping scream.

Dark clouds obscured the sun, and beads of sweat began to trickle down Yu Wen's face. As the sweat fell, both prepared to clash once more.

In that fleeting moment, an ice-blue lotus appeared before them.

Yu Wen, caught off guard, felt a sharp pain at the back of her head and lost consciousness.

The strange individual wearing the purple mask stood behind her, effortlessly tossing Yu Wen aside.

The disparity in strength was so vast that Yu Wen hadn't even perceived his attack.

Jie Mu, devoid of any reason, charged forward, intent on claiming the life of this formidable adversary.

But the masked figure's strength was overwhelming.

With a slight shift, he evaded Jie Mu's heavy punch, seized his arm, and with rapid precision, targeted several critical points on Jie Mu's chest.

Instantly, Jie Mu found himself immobilized, completely at the mercy of this mysterious figure.

The person gently laid Jie Mu on the ground and with a simple gesture, the temperature plummeted within the immediate vicinity, a layer of frost swiftly encasing Jie Mu's body.

In the midst of the South's scorching June heatwave, the occurrence of such a miraculous spectacle was a testament to the profound depth of his inner strength.

He channeled his inner strength into his palm, merging Dark Strength with the cosmic energy, which coalesced at his command.

At the center of his palm, an ice-cold lotus flower materialized out of thin air. With deliberate calm, he pressed the lotus into Jie Mu's body.

Jie Mu's form was instantly shrouded in frost, which then gradually began to fade away.

In his dream, Jie Mu watched in terror as enormous eyes slowly opened in the sky above, the agony in his soul nearly unbearable, his mind reeling from the overwhelming shock.

These colossal eyes surveyed the world, intimidating the cosmos, and stirring the heavens!

The entire world trembled at their unveiling.

At that moment, a majestic golden light burst forth, bridging heaven and earth.

The next instant, the world was suffused with a distinct aura, starkly different from that of the Blood Fiend.

The light bathed the land, and the vast long wind swept across the world, clearing the Evil Atmosphere and the gloom!

Before Jie Mu could grasp what was happening, a massive fissure abruptly opened behind him, swallowing him whole in an unguarded moment.

Back in the present world, the man in the purple mask held Jie Mu with one hand and approached Yu Wen.

He effortlessly conjured a miniature lotus flower and implanted it into Yu Wen's mind.

A frost enveloped her instantly, and as it receded, her wounds significantly healed.

He placed them both onto the academy's carriage.

He then moved to the horse's side, tenderly smoothing its mane, receiving an affectionate nuzzle in return.

With that, his figure vanished, leaving the ancient road behind.

As he disappeared, the temperature on the road soared back to its previous swelter.

Meanwhile, in a distant, expansive laboratory, the middle-aged man with glasses watched the masked man resolve the situation and finally allowed himself to relax.

He addressed the people around him, "Alright, we've reached a stopping point for now. Let's take a break. I don't expect anything else to happen in the next few days."

"Let's start preparing for what's next."

His colleagues, clad in white coats, also settled into their chairs, visibly exhausted.

The workload had been overwhelming, and without the aid of the supercomputer, capturing the data would have been an even more formidable challenge.

...

Time flew by, and Yu Wen gradually came to. The pain that engulfed her body left her bewildered; she couldn't recall the recent events, yet her body ached and tingled.

It was then that she realized she was actually lying in Jie Mu's embrace, his hand resting on her shoulder.

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but noticing that Jie Mu was still asleep, she took another glance at him and thought to herself, "He's actually quite handsome."

As this thought crossed her mind, she seemed to recall something and, seizing Jie Mu, she kicked him out of the carriage with great force.

Jie Mu, just waking up, was clueless about what was happening when he saw a foot coming at him.

He knew this foot all too well; it had kicked him countless times over the past three years. Instinctively, he didn't resist and was sent flying.

Lying on the ground, Jie Mu rubbed his belly and let out a wry smile. The kick had the same familiar force—merciless, yet perfectly painful.

Such precision could only come from Yu Wen, who had mastered the Machine Arts.

Jie Mu got to his feet, dusted himself off, and yelled up at the carriage, "Hey, you brute, what's the big idea kicking me as soon as you wake up?"

Yu Wen, her face still flushed from their earlier close encounter, pouted and ignored Jie Mu.

With a sharp command of "Go!" she spurred the carriage forward.

Jie Mu, left with no time to argue, had no choice but to chase after her at a breakneck pace.

Thankfully, his training in Lightness Skills at Fragrance Light Valley had paid off. Even with a sudden burst of speed, catching up to a carriage not yet at full throttle was well within his capabilities.

Jie Mu dashed to the rear of the carriage, seized the wooden railing, and with a deft effort, leapt aboard.

No sooner had he landed than Yu Wen's fists, a mix of embarrassment and irritation, met him head-on. Unlike before, she didn't knock him off; instead, she pinned him to the carriage and pummeled him thoroughly.

Having endured the thrashing, Jie Mu kept silent. Deep down, he sensed that Yu Wen hadn't really put her full force into it. Back in Fragrance Light Valley, a beating like this would have left him with more than just bruises; there would have been some internal injuries to speak of.

Still, he wouldn't dare voice these thoughts. With no clue about her current mood, speaking out of turn could earn him another round of her fists. And then, he'd have no recourse, likely ending up chasing after the carriage all the way to Duross City.

After venting her frustration on him, Yu Wen seemed to feel better. She turned her attention to driving, setting a brisk pace toward Duross City.

Inside the carriage, Jie Mu massaged his sore spots, his mind replaying the day's events. He remembered drifting off, but what transpired afterward was a blank. All that came to mind was an immense golden radiance, mysterious and unexplained.