Chapter 198: Childlike Lolita: What? I’m Ranked 37th?
Tang Wen’s body was curled up like a boiled shrimp, or a fetus in the womb.
He just needed to stick his thumb in his mouth to complete the picture.
His Sea of Consciousness was being violently stretched open.
A bloating pain filled his entire body, with no way to relieve it.
But it seemed all his efforts were paying off.
On his Experience Panel.
The Spiritual Power stat began to flash rhythmically.
With each flash, the Spiritual Power value changed.
[Essence: 11.52]
[Essence: 11.63]
...
[Essence: 11.88]
In his daze, Tang Wen gritted his teeth and held on.
’Just one more time.’
’Just one more after that.’
’As long as I can endure this, I’ll get stronger.’
’Then my Spiritual Power will let me dominate everyone at my level!’
’I’ll be knocking on the door of the Sixth Grade...’
He kept pumping himself up, refusing to waste this opportunity.
Endure the pain, and you’ll become stronger.
Surely, no Martial Artist would willingly pass up such a chance.
He didn’t know how much time had passed.
It could have been tens of seconds.
Or it could have been several long months.
Tang Wen hazily felt someone pushing him.
He slowly opened his eyes.
He saw a small face, mostly obscured by two towering peaks.
He felt a soft, supple sensation at the back of his neck. He seemed to be resting his head on a pair of resilient thighs.
"Li Zi?"
"You didn’t turn into an idiot. What a shame." The worry in Li Zi’s eyes vanished as she patted her trembling pandas.
Tang Wen found it hard to tear his eyes away.
’Seeing as you’re providing such nice... benefits, I’ll forgive your sharp tongue.’
General Zhao handed him a wineskin.
Li Zi helped him drink two mouthfuls.
The fiery liquor slid down his throat and into his stomach.
It reawakened the vigor in his body.
"How long was I out?"
"Only about half an hour. How do you feel?"
"I’m fine." As Tang Wen sat up, Li Zi dodged backward, and he narrowly missed touching something he shouldn’t have.
Tang Wen pouted to himself.
’Who is she so wary of?’
’Do I look like the kind of guy who would take advantage of a situation like that?’
He felt a faint pang of disappointment.
But Li Zi looked down at him condescendingly, her expression clearly saying, ’I saw right through you from the start.’
Tang Wen stretched his limbs and described his experience with the Stone Slab to the other two.
However, he deliberately exaggerated the pain many times over.
After all, he had the Experience Panel to protect him, while they did not.
Li Zi said, "Quickly, check and see how much your Spiritual Power increased. Generally, you can only retain a small fraction of any strength gained through such a forceful method."
Tang Wen wasn’t concerned. ’You know nothing about my power.’
However, when he brought up his Experience Panel...
His expression changed.
[Essence: 12.71 → 11.98 → 11.86 → ...]
’Is there any justice in this world?!’
’Why is it going down?’
CRAP!
’Did I suffer all that pain for nothing?’
’What the hell is going on?!’
’I’m the guy with the cheat ability! Experience Panel, don’t fail me now!’
[Essence: 11.73]
The number representing his Spiritual Power cap kept dropping.
From nearly 13, it fell all the way to 11.73.
’It stabilized?’
Tang Wen rubbed the spot between his eyebrows, recalling his stats from before he used the [Azure Stone Slab].
11.41.
’So, after all that trouble, I only gained 0.32?’
’I guess that’s not too bad.’
He turned to the other two and said:
"You were right, I only retained a small portion. I’m going to try again."
With that, he closed his eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey! Stop it! Are you trying to get yourself killed? You really don’t know anything!"
Li Zi darted forward, grabbing his head and pulling it into her embrace, shaking it frantically.
’Whoa, this... feels surprisingly nice.’
Seeing Tang Wen’s mixed expression of confusion and enjoyment, Li Zi let him go and snapped, "Spiritual Power is rooted in the Sea of Consciousness. And just like your muscles and bones, your Sea of Consciousness has an endurance limit. In fact, it’s even more fragile. You can’t just keep forcing it to grow like that!"
"Is that a thing?"
Li Zi rolled her eyes. "Go ahead and try if you don’t believe me. But don’t blame me if you die."
Although he had his Panel and would most likely be fine...
Tang Wen still stood up and handed the [Azure Stone Slab] to Li Zi. "Since a person can only use it once in a short period, why don’t you give it a try?"
"Huh?" Surprise flickered across her small face. "You trust me that easily? Aren’t you afraid my power will skyrocket and I’ll wake up and wipe the floor with you?"
"Cut the crap! Keep dreaming!"
He shoved the Stone Slab into her arms.
It squashed one of the big pandas.
A hint of joy appeared in Li Zi’s eyes and her gaze softened, but her words were as sharp as ever. "How dare you underestimate me! Just wait. When my Spiritual Power skyrockets, we’ll see if I don’t string you up for a good beating."
Seeing the amusement in Tang Wen’s eyes, she huffed again, muttering about not underestimating a girl when she’s down, and sat cross-legged on the ground.
Tang Wen found this even more amusing.
’Don’t underestimate a girl when she’s down... or a woman... or an old crone... What’s next, the tears of a tomb raider?’
"This stone really works?" General Zhao was getting on in years and wasn’t quick to accept newfangled things.
"Yes. Once we’ve figured out the best way to use it, you can take it back to camp. The Queen needs this."
It wasn’t that Tang Wen was being selfless; the main reason was that the Black Water Gang still had another slab.
Shui Yun had already promised he could use it first.
’Since I can use someone else’s for free, why would I use my own?’
As the two of them were talking,
Li Zi suddenly let out a muffled grunt, and her small body went limp, slumping to the ground.
"What happened?"
Tang Wen knelt, pried open her eyelids, and checked her breathing in a flurry of activity.
Finally, he looked up with a strange expression. "I think... she just fell asleep."
"Huh?" General Zhao didn’t know whether to believe him.
Tang Wen gave a wry smile and shrugged. "We’ll have to wait until she wakes up to know the details."
「Dawn broke.」
The [Moon Traveling Clothes] were now fully charged with moonlight energy.
The three humans and two wolves returned to the Four Seas Inn.
Unexpectedly, Li Zi slept for a full day and night, not waking until the following evening.
SWISH!
Upon seeing the unfamiliar surroundings,
she leaped from the bed.
A black mist instantly enveloped her as she prepared to vanish.
The entire sequence of actions was smooth and fluid.
She was clearly well-practiced.
Tang Wen found it both amusing and heart-wrenching. ’What in the world have you been through?’
"Huh? You’ve been here watching over me this whole time?" Seeing Tang Wen on the lounge chair, Li Zi dispersed the darkness. An inexplicable, touched expression appeared in her eyes.
With no one else in the room, Tang Wen casually teased, "Well, you are my thirty-seventh concubine, after all. I have to keep an eye on you."
The moment he said that,
the Childlike Lolita’s expression changed instantly. "I’m number thirty-seven? Who are the first thirty-six?"
Tang Wen slowly frowned. "..."
’Did she sleep herself stupid?’
’Isn’t her focus a little... off?’
Li Zi seemed to realize this too. She snorted and began counting on her fingers.
"You have your senior sister from the Black Water Gang in Ganshan City, and you have a fiancée back at camp. That’s only two, right?
Shouldn’t I be number three?
Don’t tell me those Maids and Female Slaves are ranked ahead of me too?"
She looked thoroughly displeased.
Tang Wen was speechless.
Just then, General Zhao and Qian Dong heard the commotion and knocked before entering.
Tang Wen quickly changed the subject. "Why did you suddenly pass out yesterday?"
Li Zi shot him a look. "When you’re repairing damage to your Spiritual Power, passing out is the fastest way to do it, obviously."
’So that’s how it works.’
A day later, the throbbing pain between Tang Wen’s brows had finally subsided.
His Spiritual Power value had also completely stabilized.
They didn’t leave the city.
Right there in the room,
under everyone’s watchful eyes, he lay down on Li Zi’s bed, once again hugged the [Azure Stone Slab] to his chest, and began his Visualization.
All day, he had been pondering one thing.
’How can I absorb more Spiritual Power?’
The [Azure Stone Slab] contained a vast Spiritual Power Lake.
’But I can only draw it out little by little!’
’It’s like walking into the imperial suite and seeing a hundred beautiful women, but you’re only allowed to pick one for three minutes. How could anyone be satisfied with that?’
A powerful sense of frustration washed over him.
After thinking it over, Tang Wen decided that while he was strengthening his Spiritual Power, he would also try using the [Spiritual Meditation Method]!
’I hope it won’t be too painful.’