CHAPTER 535: CHAPTER 445: DIVINE POWER, LONG TIME NO SEE! (6200)_3

"..." Li Zheng looked at Xu’s serious expression and was completely helpless.

Was he implying that double was too little?

His meaning was clearly ’0 multiplied by any number is still 0,’ right?!

The utterly ineffective plank exercise, wasn’t the final benefit just 0?!

Forget it, talking mathematics with someone who slipped through nine-year compulsory education is a waste of breath.

The Dark Realm knows no daylight; who knows how long he had been training just now.

Li Zheng asked, "How long have I been in here?"

"..." Xu looked at Li Zheng as if he were an idiot and said nothing.

"No use asking anyway." Li Zheng realized: "I’m off for now."

"Yeah, next time remember to bring Mirel along, chatting with her is much more fun than chatting with you," Xu reminded.

While chatting with Li Zheng, Li Zheng mostly listened and rarely asked questions.

Mirel was much more lively, with questions one after another. Xu felt chatting with such a person provided effective feedback. The exchange was excellent, unlike the stiff Li Zheng.

"Alright, got it." Li Zheng waved his hand and triggered the lamp under Xu’s gaze, departing the Dark Realm.

Just as consciousness returned and before opening his eyes, Li Zheng felt his brain was a blur and fell into a deep sleep.

...

Upon opening his eyes again, the light in the dwelling was already bright, indicating it was the next day.

Checking the time, it wasn’t too late, just before ten-thirty.

Li Zheng sat up and stretched, feeling unprecedentedly refreshed.

"Weird, why do I feel as if I fainted rather than slept?" Li Zheng scratched his head, recalling the anomaly he felt just before falling asleep.

That intense mental chaos was something Li Zheng had only felt when his Spiritual Power was over-consumed, indicating that the training time in the Dark Realm had a fruitful effect.

"Let’s see how much my Spiritual Power has progressed now."

Li Zheng gathered his Spiritual Power into a thread and extended it far away.

Soon, he stopped releasing it and opened his eyes in shock.

"Seven millimeters!"

In one training session, the increase was seven times the effect of using ’ruthless’ tempering!

This...

This effect is terrifying!

"Xu also mentioned researching some facilities to assist with training, which could double the effect. Wouldn’t that raise it by fourteen millimeters in one session?"

Then why keep ’ruthless’ around?

A useless thing indeed, today I’ll figure out a way to find a doctor and eradicate it...

Hmm?

Li Zheng was suddenly taken aback, sensing that at some point, his heart had become empty.

The ’ruthless’ emotion had completely vanished without him noticing!

When did this change happen?

Thinking back carefully, Li Zheng vaguely remembered that before entering the Dark Realm at dawn, the ’ruthless’ emotion was still lurking in his heart.

Could it be...

The significant Spiritual Power increase had worn it away?

"Well, this saves me a trip to the doctor." Li Zheng shook his head and got out of bed. Mirel was nowhere to be seen, and there wasn’t the slightest warmth left in the place she had been lying, indicating she had been up for a while.

The little Sakura, who used to be not far from the bed, was also missing. Presumably, she was taken for a morning run by the Red Polis.

The Bloodthirsty Demon Blade still hung in its place, like a 3D-printed object seemingly suspended in the air.

"Hmm?"

Li Zheng’s expression changed as he noticed some strange sounds coming from the first-floor hall, sounds he hadn’t heard upon waking before.

"It sounds like the sound of a shovel hitting a pot, and... the sizzling of scallions in hot oil?"

That’s odd; without his command, the domestic machine wouldn’t actively operate at the stove.

Who could be cooking?

Quickly descending to the first floor, he saw Kuro holding the ’True Maze’ standing silently on either side of the door, like door gods hibernating.

The dwelling’s main door was open, and Li Zheng saw the Red Polis shouting ’Poli Poli’ slogans, leading a still-sleeping Sakura around the house.

The entrance revealed two black-and-yellow-striped tails, not belonging to any of Li Zheng’s units.

Without needing to approach, Li Zheng’s curiosity was piqued, and Old Pu’s notification popped up: [Two Thick-tailed Cobras wandering here, instead of feasting on delightful Forest Wolves, had their glasses shattered by four iron fists.

Truly pitiful.

Go decompose them; they’ll stink if left alone.]

These wandering creatures, only capable of bullying Silver Level Forest Wolves, probably used to frequent the area but met their match this time, getting beaten to death by two ruthless blood-colored robots.

Even if made into a dish, this kind of meat wasn’t of High Tier, and the added attributes wouldn’t satisfy Li Zheng; it could only serve as dinner material.

These days, Li Zheng’s three meals were still regular, but he was particular about the ingredients.

High Tier ingredients were only used for breakfast and lunch, just enough to add some powerful buffs, aiding in his daily exploration or dungeon diving.

At night, due to losing the lamp’s ten extra exploratory boosts, dinner was only meant to satisfy his appetite, naturally lessening in terms of ingredient quality.

Primarily consisting of Silver and Gold Tier meat ingredients.

Even so, if Li Zheng put his dinner dishes out for trade, they would still be snatched up.

These dishes, without preservation or refrigeration, could last overnight without spoiling. Others could eat them before morning explorations to gain a four-hour buff.