CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: JOY BEGETS SORROW

The time in the dream realm felt long, but in reality, it was as brief as a momentary lapse.

Chen Shouyi opened his eyes, lying on the bed, quietly reminiscing about the memories in the dream realm.

This time, the optimization of the Thirty-six Forms of Body Refinement had changed significantly. Not only did the movements become more complex and difficult, but there was also a mysterious flavor added.

He speculated that this might be due to changes in Earth’s environment.

Without the invasion of the Mysterious Force Field and the support of this environment, this optimization might have been a different version altogether.

He couldn’t help but have a sudden whimsical thought: what would happen if the optimization occurred while being on the small island in the otherworld?

The concentration of the Mysterious Power there was higher, possibly leaning more towards the Mysterious Force Field.

However, a guess remains a guess; unsubstantiated guesses are always castles in the air.

Chen Shouyi decided to stop thinking about it.

Feeling a bit impatient, he quickly got up, took a stance in the small room, and began practicing.

He didn’t feel it during the dream, but upon practicing in reality, he found it difficult, extremely difficult!

All the movements seemed to defy the logic of human movement, with the center of gravity constantly shifting, often putting the body in highly unbalanced states, and at the same time having to maintain a clear state of meditation, the mind calm as a still lake.

Fortunately, the most difficult part, entering a clear state of meditation, he had experienced countless times in the dream world, so for him, it was not difficult, and he could easily enter that state.

But the key was that every time he performed a movement, his body felt as if it was struck by an electric current, tingling all over, with an unbearable itch.

Moreover, as the movements continued, the tingling and itching would accumulate and intensify, severely disturbing his state of mind.

Any slight disturbance in the mind would interrupt the movements.

At the beginning, Chen Shouyi could only practice up to the twelfth form before he couldn’t continue.

His body went numb, his skin covered in goosebumps, and his muscles twitched incessantly as if having cramps.

The most unbearable part was the itch, not from the skin but from the muscles, even the bones, which couldn’t be scratched or relieved, driving him nearly mad with frustration.

Yet it was exactly this intense reaction that made Chen Shouyi feel the powerful effect of this second optimized version.

Despite the various discomforts on his body, he gritted his teeth and persisted.

He would take a half-minute break after a few rounds of practice, waiting for the tingling sensation to subside slightly before continuing.

After half an hour, he could already practice up to the twenty-first form, his whole body feeling stiff when he stopped, his scalp tingling.

Two hours later, he managed to get to the thirty-third form, but with a slight disturbance in his mind, his body stiffened, and he fell heavily to the ground, unable to move.

...

The Shell Lady, feeling utterly bored, suddenly saw the Giant fall down. She immediately brightened up, let out an "Ah," and jumped off the bed like a flea, swiftly running over on her little legs.

"Giant, what happened to you?"

As she spoke, she squatted down and sneakily picked up a Glass Bead that had dropped from his pocket.

Chen Shouyi didn’t notice at all.

"Nothing!" He lay there for a while and then recovered.

Seeing him stand up, the Shell Lady backed away several meters with her little legs, standing under the bed, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on his pocket.

Chen Shouyi didn’t mind, got up, and continued practicing.

He still didn’t believe he couldn’t master this set of movements.

A minute later, he fell heavily to the ground once again.

In the next instant, the Shell Lady’s eyes gleamed. She ran over quickly again, employing the same trick, smiling broadly as she said, "Giant, are you okay!"

This time, so many fell out that she couldn’t hold them all, picking up one only to drop another.

The Shell Lady tried hard to gather all the beads, feeling extremely delighted yet increasingly anxious, completely forgetting about the passage of time.

"These jewels are mine!" At this moment, a thunderous voice rang out, startling the Shell Lady so much she froze, dropping the beads all over the place.

Unnoticed, the Giant had already sat up at some point.

"No! No! No!" The Shell Lady quickly grabbed two beads again, clinging to them, turned her head, and tears started to fall.

"It fell out of my pocket, so it’s mine." Chen Shouyi stated the facts, reasoning with her. Earlier, he had wondered why the Shell Lady had suddenly become so kind and realized it was for the Glass Beads.

"But... but I picked them up." The Shell Lady pouted, crying.

"But they are still mine!" Seeing her looking so aggrieved, Chen Shouyi changed the topic: "However, if you help me pick them up, I can give you one."

At this moment, he felt a bit like a black-hearted capitalist.

Upon hearing this, the Shell Lady immediately stopped crying, looking a bit hopeful: "What if the jewels fall from your pocket again next time? Will I get a reward if I pick them up?"

"There won’t be a next time. I’ll put the jewels somewhere else."

The Giant’s cruel reply made the Shell Lady burst into tears again. She sobbed, wiped her tears, crouched down, and picked up the scattered jewels one by one, placing them into Chen Shouyi’s hand.

"There’s one by your foot," Chen Shouyi said sharply, noticing her heel was uneven.

The Shell Lady’s tears flowed even faster. She reluctantly moved her foot, picked up the Glass Bead, and hatefully placed it in Chen Shouyi’s hand, shouting, "Damn it, Giant, here you go! Here you go! That’s everything, truly everything."

Chen Shouyi carefully checked the ground, feeling a little uneasy; only then did he take out all the Glass Beads from his pocket.

The dazzling glow captivated the Shell Lady, making her subconsciously hold her breath.

Chen Shouyi kept his promise, gave the Shell Lady one, then counted them in front of her and went to the bedside table to place the dozens of pea-sized Glass Beads in the drawer.

The Shell Lady followed the Glass Beads with her eyes until they disappeared, then pretended not to care, turning her head.

When the Giant approached, she retreated under the bed, casting a glance at the dark corner of the first Glass Bead she had picked up and feeling secretly pleased.

Now she had two.

...

By evening, at five o’clock, Chen Shouyi finally completed practicing the Thirty-six Forms of Body Refinement in one go.

In the next moment, he felt a mysterious energy descend upon him as if he vaguely sensed a faint yet omnipresent mighty force, soaking into every organ, every tissue, every muscle, and seemingly every cell of his body.

The tingling in his body quickly faded, replaced by a warm sensation, leaving every part of him comfortable.

...

After taking a shower in the bathroom, Chen Shouyi went out again.

The streets were still jammed with cars; some restaurants had closed, but most were still operating normally. Chen Shouyi saw an open fast-food restaurant nearby and was about to go in when he felt someone watching him.

His senses were now sharp, and he immediately turned his head.

A cute girl in a short skirt stood on the street, somewhat uncertain, "Brother?"

"Xing... Xing Yue, what are you doing here?" Seeing his sister suddenly, he couldn’t help but feel flustered, but quickly regained his composure.

"Brother, shouldn’t I be asking you this question? Aren’t you supposed to be at boot camp?" Chen Xingyue scrutinized her somewhat unfamiliar brother with suspicion, but her tone remained blunt.

"The power went out today. After training for most of the day, the teacher informed us the boot camp had to be postponed for a few days. I was just about to go home."

Chen Shouyi frowned and said, "By the way, things are so chaotic right now. Why aren’t you staying home instead of running around?"

With Chen Xingyue around, he was quite reassured about home because, after all, she was a Martial Artist Apprentice, far beyond an ordinary person’s capabilities.

"Do you think I wanted to? It’s because mom asked me to check if the supermarket here still had things we could buy," Chen Xingyue said. For some reason, facing her brother’s reprimand, she felt a bit nervous.

"Couldn’t buy anything at home?" Chen Shouyi asked.

"We did, but mom thought it might not be enough."

PS: Recommendations for the new book are really important.