C9 Strength Increased Yellow Level Late Period

The sun's rays spilled across Fei Liang's sheets, heralding the start of a new day. Fei Liang awoke and stretched languidly.

As he lay in bed, his thoughts lingered on Mu Ye Yingzi, an enigma he couldn't unravel. "Enough of that," Fei Liang shook his head, murmuring to himself, "What's the point in dwelling on it when my power is so limited? I should just go with the flow. My energy is better spent focusing on Qin Qiang and possibly his family."

"Meier, how many energy crystals do I have for a power boost?" Fei Liang asked, his thoughts still shadowed by Qin Qiang, his teeth clenched in determination.

"Mr. Fei, I was beginning to think you'd either forgotten or were pretending to forget," Meier replied with a playful roll of her eyes. "You have two hundred and four crystals—no, make that two hundred and five. It's just enough for an upgrade, which will take you straight to the Yellow Level Late Period."

"Do you really see me as that forgetful?" Fei Liang retorted with a roll of his eyes, checking his stats: Spirit: 337; Body Strength: 332; Reflexes: 314; Attack Strength: 327; Defense Strength: 332; Combat Power: 659; Explosive Power: 74; currently at the Initial Stage of Yellow Level.

"Only two hundred and five crystals? But isn't that enough to enhance me to the Profound Level Early Period?" Fei Liang inquired.

"That's not how it works. Haste makes waste," Meier said firmly. "Besides, this is after your Spirit Bead has been absorbing fifteen crystals daily."

"Okay then," Fei Liang conceded with a hint of disappointment, "add fifty crystals to both my mental strength and physical strength."

"Understood, Mr. Fei," Meier nodded, confirming the details. "Post-enhancement, your mental strength will be 437, your physical strength 432, and your reflexes will exceed 400. You'll have 105 crystals remaining. Is that what you want?"

"Confirmed!" Fei Liang declared resolutely.

A sharp intake of breath followed, and in the next instant, an unbearable pain assaulted Fei Liang's head, ravaging his entire body.

"Argh!" Fei Liang groaned in agony, writhing on the bed as wave after wave of pain crashed over him. Sweat soaked through his clothes, and all Fei Liang wished for was the blissful escape of unconsciousness.

Yes, passing out at that moment would have been a mercy. The agony was undeniably more intense than before, yet a voice within urged him, "Don't black out. You must not faint!"

Fei Liang was desperately holding on.

It felt as if thousands of ants were crawling and biting all over his body, as if countless thorns were piercing his flesh, and swarms of locusts were draining his blood. The suffering was indescribable—'miserable' didn't even begin to cover it.

He writhed and rolled in pain. Time seemed to stretch into centuries before the torment finally began to ebb away. Fei Liang lay on the bed, gasping for air, his breaths shallow, as if he were at death's door.

Time passed—whether it was an hour, two, or more, Fei Liang couldn't tell. Eventually, he began to regain his strength.

"Name: Fei Liang. Age: 20. Spiritual Energy: 437. Body Strength: 432. Reflexes: 406. Attack Strength: 415. Defense Strength: 422. Combat Power: 837. Explosive Strength: 71. Cultivation: Yellow Level Late Period."

"At least it wasn't for nothing," Fei Liang murmured, reviewing his stats.

"It was definitely worth it. But right now, Mr. Fei, your strength is somewhat lacking," Meier responded.

"Lacking? How do I stack up against Old Zhang?" Fei Liang immediately regretted his question.

As expected, Meier didn't hold back. "You're way behind. Lee Shanfeng could take down three of you single-handedly. So even though you've reached the Yellow Level Late Period, you're not much stronger than someone at the Yellow Level Middle Period."

"Is it really that bad?" Fei Liang lamented.

"That's why," Meier advised earnestly, "to truly harness your strength, you need real combat experience."

"Real combat? You mean going back into that Apocalyptic Civilization?" Fei Liang inquired.

"No, that was just a simulation. You were actually in the Spirit Bead Space. This time, you'll be training in an actual Zombie world," Meier said with a cunning smile.

"The last one was just a simulation? Not real?" Fei Liang was taken aback. "What do I do now?"

"First off, Mr. Fei, you need to conjure up a protective shield using the energy of ten Crystal Worlds to safeguard your consciousness from harm, as we're dealing with an other-dimensional space. You'd need the cultivation level of the Soul Separation Stage just to project your consciousness there. Physically crossing over requires even greater power. But since you're the master of the Spirit Bead, you get some special privileges," Meier explained, batting her eyelashes.

"And if I don't have this protective shield?" Fei Liang inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"Without it, there's a very high chance you'd end up an idiot with your current strength," Meier replied gravely.

"Then let's set up that shield," Fei Liang said, shuddering at the thought. Becoming an idiot was not on his agenda.

"You should also consider upgrading the shield to the first level with another ten Crystal Worlds' energy. That way, it could withstand a full-force attack from someone at the Profound Level Middle Period for ten seconds, or a single strike from the Profound Level Late Period. It could be a lifesaver in a pinch!" Meier advised.

"Let's do that, then!" Fei Liang agreed without hesitation. Life-saving measures were not to be skimped on.

"How many levels does this shield have?" Fei Liang asked, still curious.

"I'm not sure, but with your current power, Mr. Fei, you can only manage the first level," Meier responded crisply.

"Only ten seconds, though," Fei Liang commented, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"That's quite impressive already," Meier countered, a touch of annoyance in her tone. "In the Spirit Bead Space World, it takes three seconds to exit under normal conditions and five in combat. Securing ten seconds is quite valuable."

"That does sound pretty good," Fei Liang acknowledged with a nod. "So, dying in the Spirit Bead Space World doesn't necessarily mean I'll become an idiot?"

"Not necessarily. There's a chance of revival in the Spirit Bead Space World," Meier said with a mischievous grin.

"Heh, that's a relief," Fei Liang breathed easier.

"However," Meier continued, causing Fei Liang's heart to skip a beat once more.

"Mr. Fei, given your current state, if you were to enter the Spirit Bead Space World and experience death, you'd indeed risk becoming a complete fool."

"What exactly are you implying?" Fei Liang asked, a sense of urgency gripping his heart.

"Well, it's all about accumulating revival opportunities. Once you, Mr. Fei, advance your cultivation to the Yellow Level or higher, each increase in strength will count towards earning revival experience. You can accumulate up to thirty instances, but you're limited to using it just three times within the same world," Meier explained in one go.

"Really? So, haven't I leveled up once already? That means I should have one revival opportunity available, shouldn't I?" Fei Liang questioned, puzzled.

"Revival opportunities begin ten days after the bond with your master is established," Meier clarified.

"I see, I'll keep that in mind. Meier, please proceed to send me for my training," Fei Liang said, nodding in understanding.

"Of course, Mr. Fei," Meier responded.

The first level protective barrier was engaged, and with a burst of white light, Fei Liang's consciousness plunged into the Spirit Bead Space.

Back on Earth, Fei Liang lay in bed, seemingly deep in slumber. Only the ticking of the clock on the white wall, its hands steadily moving, bore witness that time marched on unabated.