ABRIWMTHM Chapter 5
by VolareThe scene felt as if someone had pressed the pause button.
There was a near suffocating silence, and the man gently closed his eyes, the terrifying aura around him finally retracting a little.
“Reason.”
It was still just two words, but Shi Xing felt something different in his tone, sounding… weary.
“The injury is too severe; a mental power has penetrated into the mental sea and remains inside. Aside from mutated star beasts, currently, only the mental power of Blue Star humans can delve into others’ mental seas. But the Nest has no therapists, and Blue Star humans who have not passed the maturity period cannot treat such severe injuries…”
Shi Xing looked towards Doctor Wang. “Can I take a look?”
Doctor Wang hesitated. “Major General Fei’s mental power is currently very unstable, and you just entered the maturity period.”
Shi Xing was about to say it shouldn’t burden him too much when Chi Yao’s voice preempted him, “Fu Qing.”
A powerful mental force instantly expanded, forming a protective barrier that enclosed both Shi Xing and Chi Yao.
Chi Yao took the lead. “Let’s go.”
The major general attending to Shi Xing pushed him into the isolation room where the mental power barrier was constructed by him. Shi Xing felt it and confirmed it was SS level.
There were no obstacles in Shi Xing’s line of sight.
After careful observation, Shi Xing confirmed, “The residual mental power from the inner star beast is something the Nest cannot handle. A therapist is needed.”
“How much of the mental threads remain inside his mental sea?” Chi Yao asked in a low voice.
Shi Xing furrowed his brows, wanting to say something but suppressed it.
Chi Yao did not consult him further.
As he delved deeper using his abilities, there was an uncontrollable leakage of mental power during the process of using his talent, and Shi Xing stopped only when he felt he had reached his limit.
“Fortunately, the necrosis is on one side of the core area, while the outer and other side’s mental threads are continuously approaching to supplement it.”
With a crack, after just a short time of using his abilities intensely, the crystal stone in Shi Xing’s hand shattered into powder.
The energy inside had been completely drained by him.
The medical staff promptly brought a new crystal, and Chi Yao picked up a piece. “A-level red ore, not bad.”
The red crystal rolled across his long fingers and was finally placed firmly in the palm of Shi Xing’s hand.
“You are the second Blue Star human I have seen who can completely drain the energy from a crystal.”
If it weren’t for the odd situation, Shi Xing would have wanted to ask who the first one was.
Chi Yao continued, “You can see mental power.”
This was not a question that required Shi Xing to answer, merely a pure observation.
Blue Star humans generally perceive the condition of others’ mental seas using this method, delving into mental seas with their mental power.
Shi Xing was different; he didn’t need to unleash his mental power while using his talent. As long as it was within his field of vision, mental power, mental threads, and mental seas could manifest before him.
Mental power, mental seas, and mental threads are higher-dimensional forms of energy existence. In other words, Shi Xing could see the flow of higher-dimensional energy.
Shi Xing was not surprised when Chi Yao said this.
When the man asked him about the amount of mental threads, he must have had some guesses.
Those whose mental power reaches the 3S standard line possess top-notch perception abilities. Shi Xing felt instinctively that Chi Yao was definitely among them, so even if he couldn’t see Major General Fei’s mental sea, he could make a vague inference through his extraordinary perception abilities. Therefore, asking about the number of his mental threads was itself a form of probing.
Shi Xing was not annoyed by this. He knew that someone who had just entered the maturity period saying they had a solution wouldn’t make people more convinced. Rather than being questioned and explaining that entire process, he preferred to prove himself actively.
Chi Yao said, “What do you mean by ‘fortunately’?”
Shi Xing replied, “The mental threads at the center of the mental sea are the strongest and most difficult to repair. Fortunately, the injury is slightly away from the core. As long as we ensure a therapist arrives in time, the core’s mental threads can still be preserved, allowing for self-healing after treatment.”
If all the mental threads in the core area became necrotic, even if an S-level therapist arrived, it would be futile. After treatment, this officer would inevitably face a downgrade in mental power, which would be difficult for such a gifted individual to accept.
After hearing this, the man did not express much joy. His long eyelashes cast a shallow shadow under his eyes as he calmly said, “Then we must ensure he can hold on until the therapist arrives.”
It is true; if the mental power went berserk, there would be no talk of subsequent self-healing.
Chi Yao turned and left the isolation room, and Shi Xing was pushed out right behind him.
The staff, following the orders of a certain lieutenant, projected all the files on Shi Xing in the Nest.
Confirming there were no issues, Chi Yao asked, “Shi Xing?”
Shi Xing responded, “It’s me, Your Highness.”
“If I give Major General Fei to you, how confident are you?”
The staff member was startled to realize something, but the Emperor had been on the throne for a long time, and his thunderous methods were heavily intimidating. Any decision was certainly not something he could interfere with. In a panic, the staff member broke into a cold sweat.
Shi Xing said, “If I can control it until dawn, about 70 to 80 percent. After dawn, I cannot guarantee the limit.”
Chi Yao glanced at Doctor Wang. “What about you?”
Before Doctor Wang could speak, Chi Yao coldly said, “Do not use the doctor’s conservative statements to dismiss me.”
Doctor Wang was sweating profusely. “I… have no confidence. Your Highness, you know that instruments cannot perceive the mental sea as precisely as Blue Star humans.”
“So, the most authoritative doctor at the Nest for treating turmoil is not as good as a Blue Star human who has just entered maturity.”
His words had no emotional inflection, but the lack of fluctuation made the doctor’s face red.
The staff member tried to salvage the situation. “Your Highness, Shi Xing is the most outstanding among the Blue Star humans of the same period.”
“I see that.”
It was not sarcasm, but felt even more like it.
The staff member choked, and Shi Xing took the initiative to say, “Your Highness, you should make a decision first.”
Realizing that Shi Xing was helping to mediate, Chi Yao swept a cold and angry glance at him. Shi Xing’s heart skipped a beat under that gaze, and he forced himself to smile back.
Holding back, Chi Yao decided, “You do it.”
Fixing his gaze steadily on Shi Xing, Chi Yao promised, “If Fei Chu can self-heal afterward, I can fulfill one of your requests.”
“Your Highness.”
“Your Highness!”
As the exclamations echoed, Chi Yao remained unmoved, his vision solely on Shi Xing.
Shi Xing finally pushed his luck a little. “Any request is possible?”
“Within my abilities.”
Sensing the other party’s sincerity, Shi Xing became serious. “I will do my best.”
The Nest remained closed, and until all the lights in the Blue Star human residences gradually went out, there was no sign of it being opened.
It was said that before the banquet, many influential figures in the Empire who were participating in the matching would visit the Nest. Yu Man wondered if tonight would be such a situation?
Hearing movement in the corridor, Yu Man peeked through the door crack and saw someone taking Shi Ran away.
Did someone want to see Shi Ran? Or did they want the staff member to recommend a few capable ones, choosing Shi Ran?
This thought made Yu Man, who prided himself on being stronger, angry, and he couldn’t help but secretly follow along.
However, the closure of the Nest wasn’t just a verbal warning. As he walked out, he needed permissions to pass through the checkpoints, which made Yu Man dare not get too close, and he soon lost track of them.
Looking at the closed door, he stomped his foot and had to turn back. Turning around, his peripheral vision swept across the gigantic floor-to-ceiling window, and upon realizing what was outside, Yu Man’s breath stopped.
Suspended in the air above the Nest were numerous black warships, almost covering half the sky. He… he couldn’t have seen wrong, right?
Sure enough, some remarkable figures must have arrived.
Shi Ran was led into the inner circle of the garden, which was usually not open to the public.
When he reached the place, the trunk of the Mother Tree loomed before him, the endless branches overhead, and under the tree were Shi Xing, the staff member, and a group of imposing soldiers all watching him.
Shi Ran had never seen a scene like this and felt anxious inside.
After the staff member let Shi Ran see Chi Yao, Shi Xing called his restless friend closer.
“Just do what I say, and I’ll explain the rest afterward,” Shi Xing whispered.
Shi Ran looked at the medical pod nearby, where the mental power fluctuations were abnormal, and hesitated. “Are we going to save someone?”
Shi Xing nodded. “A special situation.”
Once they were all present, Shi Xing led Shi Ran to the side of the medical pod, directing the rest to step back.
However, Chi Yao and Major General Fu Qing, who provided the protective barrier for Shi Xing, did not move. The former was someone no one dared to point fingers at, while for the latter, Shi Xing politely said, “Major General, I’m going to open the medical pod. Please withdraw your mental power.”
Fu Qing hesitated a little, but Chi Yao stepped closer to Shi Xing. “Withdraw it.”
It was impossible for Shi Xing to encounter any accidents near the Emperor, and Fu Qing withdrew his mental power and stepped back.
Before starting, Shi Xing explained to Chi Yao, “The calming mental power of the Mother Tree is useful for the Major General, but it’s not enough; it needs to be strengthened a little.”
Then Shi Xing opened the medical pod. At the moment the chaotic mental power burst forth and swept over Shi Xing and Shi Ran, the powerful and dense mental power from the Mother Tree followed closely, enveloping both Shi Xing and Shi Ran along with the nearby medical pod.
The two forces clashed initially, maintaining a balance, but as the Mother Tree’s mental power continued to strengthen, the turmoil was gradually suppressed within a threshold that could not erupt.
Before Chi Yao could ask, Shi Xing took the initiative to explain, “Blue Star humans within the presence of the Mother Tree will be sensed and protected. I just entered the maturity period, making me the weakest at this time; the Mother Tree would not allow Major General Fei to pose a threat to Shi Ran and me.”
In other words, as long as Shi Xing and Shi Ran did not move from their positions, the mental power of the Mother Tree would continuously suppress the turmoil.
Chi Yao pondered, “Then this method can also be used to assist in treatment in the future?”
Knowing he would be asked this, Shi Xing simply replied, “Continuously enforcing the suppression of turmoil requires more mental power than resisting an explosive influence. If the Mother Tree senses that the turmoil cannot be suppressed, it will immediately retract the suppressive mental power and concentrate on protecting me and Shi Ran.”
In other words—
“This method necessitates having a Blue Star human who can clearly monitor the condition of the mental sea.”
Not only does it require a Blue Star human who has not entered the maturity period, but they also need to have exceptionally high perceivable ability of the mental sea… These two conditions contradict each other, and if a therapist were to serve as the monitor, why not let the therapist treat directly?
Realizing this was a special method that could only be used for now, Chi Yao changed the topic. “Is there anything else we can collaborate on?”
Indeed, there was.
Shi Xing said, “Can we leave only one or two people here? We need to focus on replenishing the Major General’s mental power.”
Ah, so he found them too numerous and in the way.
Chi Yao nodded. Before long, aside from the staff, the doctor, him, and Fu Qing, everyone else withdrew from the inner circle.
Fu Qing moved a chair over, Chi Yao sat down, and Shi Xing knew that he wouldn’t leave and would keep watch.
Shi Xing was unaware of the relationship between Major General Fei and Chi Yao. The staff member, however, was well acquainted and wiped off nonexistent sweat from his forehead, silently praying that His Majesty’s cousin would pull through.
Shi Xing guided Shi Ran to touch the patient’s mental sea, and under the enormous disparity of mental power, the two quickly entered an overloaded state of work.
Everyone was holding onto crystals, and in less than an hour, Shi Xing noticed they had changed two batches of crystals.
The energy did not seem to have been absorbed by him; rather, it felt like it had taken a brief pause within his body.
Shi Xing looked towards the crystal frame. Chi Yao thought he had noticed an increase in the levels of subsequent crystals and spoke, “These were taken from the warship’s energy storage; you can use them; there’s plenty.”
Only then did Shi Xing realize the crystals had changed.
At four in the morning, Shi Xing and Shi Ran were drenched in sweat, as if they had been pulled out of the water. After consulting with Chi Yao, Shi Xing pulled Shi Ran to rest for half an hour.
By nearly six o’clock, Shi Ran suddenly turned his head and was startled to see Shi Xing’s face white as if transparent. He wanted to suggest that Shi Xing take a break, only to see him gently shake his head. “I can still hold on. If I rest, he might not.”
With a clenched jaw, Shi Ran continued.
Shi Xing hadn’t anticipated that at twenty, his body would be able to again experience the state before death, feeling light-headed; he had indeed overestimated himself, having just entered the maturity period.
“We can’t let it go past six, by six-thirty, if the therapist doesn’t arrive, we’ll leave it to fate.”
Shi Xing issued his final ultimatum, his voice barely audible.
Chi Yao glanced at the communicator and turned to leave.
When the gentle yet powerful mental energy arrived, it almost exponentially favored Major General Fei over Shi Xing and Shi Ran, and Shi Xing felt his heart loosen, knowing that the therapist they had waited for was nearby.
In a moment, Chi Yao and the therapist arrived in a small warship.
Having used his abilities all night, Shi Xing felt disoriented as the therapist approached to examine Major General Fei, and with a brighter, stronger mental energy bursting forth, in conjunction with the Mother Tree, it finally completely calmed the tumultuous mental sea.
Seeing this, Shi Xing felt a sense of longing. Is this the powerful therapist?
Realizing he was no longer needed here, Shi Xing finally relaxed his tense breath.
Chi Yao silently slipped a crystal into Shi Xing’s hand, but upon feeling the warmth of his skin, his pupils suddenly constricted.
Exhausted to the extreme, Shi Xing’s consciousness was already blurred. Sensing the approach of high-level mental power, his body instinctively reached up Chi Yao’s wrist, absorbing the mental power uncontrollably.
The staff member’s expression changed as he stepped forward, but he was rooted in place by Chi Yao’s gaze. “Wait for him.”
Next, the staff member saw His Majesty not struggle at all, allowing the newly matured Blue Star human to be drawn to his mental power, uncontrollably burrowing into his embrace.
This torturous scene seemed to last indefinitely until Shi Xing’s grip suddenly loosened, and Chi Yao realized Shi Xing had passed out against him.
“Where’s the stretcher?”
Fu Qing pointed in a direction, about to step forward to assist when he saw Chi Yao directly pick up Shi Xing and quickly stride past him.