Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique

"Learn to take the initiative, not just passively react to everything..."

The Profound Old Ghost’s words sank deep into Mu Chen’s mind, echoing endlessly and unlocking his memories. As a result, for the next ten-odd days, Mu Chen was lost in a state of enlightenment.

’That’s right... for the past seven years, I’ve been shouldering the pressure of the future while ignoring the joys of the present. I wanted to bear future responsibilities, but I neglected my current ones. It wasn’t the frequent Cultivation that exhausted my body and mind, but my own gaze. It was fixed so far ahead that I overlooked the love of the people around me and the beauty of the world...’

It was like a sudden epiphany. Mu Chen’s soul underwent a complete transformation. The heavy weight that had been pressing on his heart vanished, and the deep-seated sorrow etched between his brows began to fade. He now understood that it wasn’t others who had made him lonely—it was himself...

’Master is right. I’ve missed too much scenery over the years. And isn’t missing out life’s greatest regret? It’s time for my Awakening...’

A small smile touched his lips. This time, Mu Chen’s smile was genuine, his emotions unconcealed and clearly visible on his face. And Chu Aoqing, who had been meticulously caring for Mu Chen for over ten days, finally let a look of relief wash over her weary face when she saw this expression. However, the moment she relaxed, the Spirit that had been sustaining her collapsed. Her body slumped, and she passed out on the bed.

Over the past several days, Mu Chen’s condition had been worse than ever. Aside from a faint, slow heartbeat, there had been no improvement in his complexion or pulse for over ten days. Because of this, Chu Aoqing hadn’t dared to let her guard down for even a second. For more than ten days, she had barely rested for a moment. To avoid any sudden crises with Mu Chen, she hadn’t even entered a state of Meditation.

She had been holding on until now through sheer willpower and Spirit alone. Mu Chen’s smile became the trigger that finally pushed her past the limits of her body and Spirit.

When the newly awakened Mu Chen saw Chu Aoqing collapsed by the bed, he didn’t panic. Although his consciousness had been primarily in his Sea of Souls, everything Chu Aoqing had done for him was still deeply etched in his heart.

He slowly sat up, gently got out of bed, and carefully lifted Chu Aoqing onto it. He reached out and caressed her pale, haggard face. Seeing the dark circles under her tightly shut eyes, Mu Chen’s heart ached. ’The old me probably would have avoided this, or even run away.’ But now, Mu Chen gently brushed the hair from Chu Aoqing’s forehead and said softly, "From now on, let me take care of you, Qing’Er..."

To Mu Chen’s surprise, the accumulated worry, self-blame, and anxiety had taken a severe toll on Chu Aoqing’s spiritual state. Combined with the lack of food, sleep, rest, and Meditation, the moment she relaxed, her Spirit Origin was damaged. By the time Chu Aoqing finally recovered, she and Mu Chen had already been living in the Yuelai Guest House for a month and a half, during which she had shown no signs of waking.

「Until today...」

The sun was warm on this rare, fine autumn day. Rays of light filtered through the large window and curtains, dappling Chu Aoqing’s face. It was this warmth that caused her eyes, shut for a month, to twitch slightly. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and a moment later, a pair of clear, vibrant scarlet eyes opened to greet the sunlight.

Then, a bewitching smile appeared on Chu Aoqing’s beautiful face. It was true that her Spirit Origin had been damaged, but to her utter surprise, while her Spirit Origin was recovering, her Spirit Realm—which had always risen in tandem with her Martial Arts Realm—had unexpectedly broken through!

What a joyous occasion! It meant that in this age where Spiritual Techniques had vanished, she would have an absolute advantage when fighting Martial Artists of the same level!

But before her excitement could subside, a bare chest appeared before her. To her greater shock, her own hand was resting on this bare chest, and her forehead was pressed firmly against it.

However, she didn’t panic. Instead, she carefully moved her forehead away and looked up. The sight made her stunned face flush crimson. The person holding her, letting her rest her head on his chest, was none other than Mu Chen, who was dressed in thin clothes.

The moment she looked up, Mu Chen’s handsome, bluish-purple eyes were looking back at her with a faint smile. ’Oh heavens, what did this guy do to me while I was unconscious? Did he... do *that*?’

At this thought, Chu Aoqing subconsciously started to pull her hand back to check her clothes. But as she moved, the firm, smooth feeling beneath her fingers made her dazed for a moment. The daze only lasted for an instant before she came to her senses. She gently felt her collar, relaxing only when she confirmed her clothes were still on. But after her relief came a faint sense of disappointment.

’Am I really that unattractive?’

Pouting, Chu Aoqing couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed. ’If it were any other man, he would have taken advantage of me while I was unconscious. Only this dense fool wouldn’t feel a thing even when I’m served up on a silver platter. He’s a total blockhead!’

"When did you wake up?" To diffuse the awkwardness, Chu Aoqing shifted backward and looked at Mu Chen, her face red.

Mu Chen chuckled, pulling his arm from under Chu Aoqing’s neck and propping up his own head. He looked into her eyes and asked back, "Which ’waking up’ are you referring to?"

Startled by Mu Chen’s gaze, Chu Aoqing quickly averted her eyes and said irritably, "Both."

Mu Chen gently shook his head. This was the first time he had truly looked at Chu Aoqing. She was breathtakingly beautiful. ’My old self would never have noticed this, would I?’

"If you mean waking up from the side effects of the Secret Technique, that was a month ago." He gave a wry smile and rubbed his nose. ’A white lie is a noble thing,’ Mu Chen thought to himself, then continued, "If you’re talking about today... hmm... probably the moment your forehead left my chest."

"Ah..."

Chu Aoqing exclaimed, "So you’re saying I was unconscious for a month?"

Mu Chen shrugged. "Yep, a whole month."

"Then my clothes..."

"I changed them."

"And my body..."

"I washed that too, of course."

"..." This time, Chu Aoqing was utterly speechless. But on second thought, Mu Chen had already seen her in *that* state, so what was a normal bath? She felt relieved. But then, Mu Chen said something else.

"I also fed you when you ate."

WHOOSH—

This time, Chu Aoqing couldn’t hold back any longer. She shouted, "Wh-what? You fed me too? How did you feed me?"

As she spoke, Chu Aoqing’s mind started racing. ’I was unconscious, I couldn’t open my mouth. So did Mu Chen use... use... his...?’

"With my hands, of course." As he spoke, Mu Chen suddenly winked at Chu Aoqing and asked with a teasing smile, "You weren’t thinking I fed you mouth-to-mouth, were you?"

Chu Aoqing flushed in embarrassment, then asked with a suspicious look, "Are you really Mu Chen?"

Mu Chen paused. "Why do you suddenly ask?"

Chu Aoqing said, "Because the Mu Chen I know isn’t this expressive, and he doesn’t talk like this."

Hearing this, Mu Chen’s heart couldn’t help but ache. His voice softened. "Then, what kind of person is the Mu Chen you know?"

"He’s... heheh? That’s a strange question. You’re Mu Chen, don’t you know what kind of person you are?" Chu Aoqing’s composure was gradually returning, but seeing the slightly pained look on Mu Chen’s face, her heart softened. "He’s a person who doesn’t understand romance, who is lost, lonely, and weary."

"Is that so?" Mu Chen slowly stood up, turned his head, and smiled. "Then the old Mu Chen is dead."

"Dead?"

"And let me tell you another secret."

"What?"

"Ahem, the front desk clerk was the one who washed you. I wanted to do it, but wouldn’t that have put you at too much of a disadvantage?"

Leaving her with those words, Mu Chen laughed heartily and slipped into the bathroom, leaving behind a stunned, and then furious, Chu Aoqing.

Closing the bathroom door, Mu Chen’s smile vanished. He called out, "Master, you called for me?"

SWISH. The Profound Old Ghost’s figure appeared beside Mu Chen, looking all mysterious.

Mu Chen broke out in a sweat and said irritably, "If there’s nothing, I’m heading out."

The Profound Old Ghost chuckled slyly. "Now, now, take a look at this!"

As he spoke, the Profound Old Ghost flipped his wrist, and a white pearl appeared in his hand. The pearl was milky-white, solid and heavy, and about the size of his little fingertip. However, it didn’t emit the slightest fluctuation of Primordial Power, nor did it feel like a treasured artifact of any kind. But since it came from his Master, it definitely wasn’t an ordinary item.

"What is this?"

The Profound Old Ghost chuckled. "Heheh, you don’t know, do you? Drip a drop of your blood on it."

Mu Chen paused. ’An item with no Primordial Power fluctuations needs a master?’ But even as he grumbled internally, his hands didn’t hesitate. SWISH. A sharp blade formed from Primordial Power sliced across his finger. A drop of blood spurted from the cut and landed precisely on the white pearl, sinking into it in a flash.

One second passed. Ten seconds. Thirty. The white pearl showed no reaction, but it didn’t reject his blood either. This was the first time he had ever seen such a phenomenon.

However, just as Mu Chen was about to ask for clarification, the white pearl shot out of the Profound Old Ghost’s hand with a WHOOSH. It slammed into Mu Chen with a BANG, and his thin pajamas instantly disintegrated. In a flash, Mu Chen’s body was completely exposed before the Profound Old Ghost...