Chapter 71 Mental Power Breakthrough to S-Rank

Your decision to head north was wise.

Gu Yunqing needs time to adapt to the environmental pressure and try to break through, while Yan Kongshan also needs to accumulate emotions on the verge of death time and time again, laying the groundwork for the final transformation.

The journey that followed became even more difficult and "dramatic".

Yan Kongshan's main personality is like a walking disaster magnet.

Each clumsy fall of his could trigger a hidden eruption of subterranean fire, and his terrified screams often attracted fire elementals wandering in the distance.

Even his act of tightly gripping Gu Yunqing's sleeve out of fear nearly caused the two of them to fall into the lava pool several times.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..." Yan Kongshan's eyes were filled with tears, his voice trembling with sobs. His injuries had never healed, with old wounds not yet healing and new ones being added. It was only because of that strange "forced blood lock" that he was pulled back from the brink of death time and time again, only to fall into a new round of painful torment.

Jun Xiangbei went from frowning at the beginning, to being expressionless later, and finally almost numbly wielding his sword to clear out the monsters attracted by Yan Kongshan.

He finally understood that the existence of Yan Kongshan itself was the ultimate test of the team's defense and monster-clearing efficiency.

However, he also clearly saw that under such high pressure, Gu Yunqing's use of mental power was becoming more proficient at a visible speed, and her way of resisting the high temperature was gradually changing from simply enduring it to more sophisticated guidance and resolution.

He could even spare a portion of his mental energy to form a weak barrier, protecting Yan Kongshan, who was still groaning in a "locked-blood" state, from some of the aftershocks.

This dungeon happened to be a three-player dungeon, and a wave of viewers flooded into Gu Yunqing's live stream:

[Holy crap, what kind of jinx is Yan Kongshan? He brings explosions wherever he goes.]

[But haven't you noticed? Gu Yunqing seems to be getting more and more relaxed?]

[The expressions on Jun Shen's face are hilarious, from '?' to '...' and then to '=_=']

Am I the only one feeling sorry for little cutie Kongshan? She keeps getting beaten up but never dies, it's so tragic QAQ

[Don't feel sorry for him, I just feel like something's off about this guy. The way he looks in his eyes every time he gets beaten up... seems a little excited? Is it just my imagination?]

After being blown away by lava traps countless times and scratched all over by suddenly appearing fire monsters, Yan Kongshan once again fell on the scorched ground, a sharp lava spike piercing his chest, his health bar stubbornly clinging to that desperate sliver.

He curled up in agony, his dominant personality's fear and despair reaching a near-peak, emitting unconscious whimpers.

"Almost there..." Gu Yunqing felt that Yan Kongshan's performance level on the system panel had climbed to 85%, and the main personality's emotional accumulation was about to reach saturation. She silently recited this in her mind.

Just then, a deafening roar came from ahead, and a scorching heat far exceeding that of before rushed towards them.

A colossal lava beast, wreathed in dark red flames, slowly rose from the largest lava pool. It seemed to be the lord of this area, thoroughly enraged by the group's continuous commotion.

The behemoth's scarlet eyes locked onto Yan Kongshan, who was closest to it and whose aura was the most "tempting." It opened its massive maw, and a molten lava breath, condensed with terrifying energy, roared out like a destructive torrent.

Its scope is so vast that it covers almost the entire area where Yan Kong Mountain is located.

"Be careful!" Jun Xiangbei's eyes sharpened, and his longsword instantly unleashed a bone-chilling coldness, forming a massive ice wall in an instant, attempting to block the breath attack.

The ice wall collided with the lava, producing a hissing sound, and ice shards and sparks flew everywhere. The ice wall melted at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Gu Yunqing knew that the time had come.

He no longer suppressed the negative emotions that had accumulated to the extreme within Yan Kongshan, and gently "plucked" the threads of his spirit.

Just as that devastating breath was about to engulf Yan Kongshan, and even Jun Xiangbei's ice wall was about to completely collapse—

The young man on the ground, who had been trembling with extreme fear and whose eyes were unfocused, suddenly stiffened!

Immediately afterwards, in a posture completely out of character for someone severely injured and near death, he braced himself against the ground with his hands.

Yan Kongshan raised his head.

Those eyes, which were always brimming with tears and filled with timidity, were now like an abyss ignited, filled with arrogance, unruliness, and an almost manic fighting spirit.

All the fear and pain on his face vanished, replaced by a twisted, excited smile.

"Hahaha...hahaha..." A low, hoarse laugh escaped his throat, growing louder and louder until it finally turned into unrestrained, maniacal laughter: "Is that all you've got? You piece of trash who can't even kill me!"

The people in Gu Yunqing's live stream were shocked:

【Holy crap! She transformed?!】

Wait, how come this guy has the same personality as Qiu Zangxue now?

[I knew it! I knew this guy was faking it! The contrast is too much.]

[Kongshan! You have two faces?!]

That laughter...it gave me goosebumps! So catchy!

Yan Kongshan suddenly grabbed the lava spike piercing his chest and pulled it out by force, bringing with it a trail of scalding flesh. He seemed to feel no pain and casually threw the lava spike at the lava behemoth. Although it was powerless, it was extremely insulting.

"Come on, fire here!" he roared madly at the lava behemoth. "Haven't you eaten? Make your fire burn even brighter!"

The lava behemoth seemed to be completely enraged by the provocation of this ant. It abandoned its attempt to break through the ice wall and instead raised its huge claws, slamming them down with tremendous force towards the alternate personality Yan Kongshan.

Jun Xiangbei's pupils contracted slightly, and he was about to step forward to help when he saw Gu Yunqing shake her head slightly, signaling him to calm down.

The alternate personality Yan Kongshan neither dodged nor avoided the attack; instead, he excitedly rushed forward, laughing wildly, "Yes! That's it!"

"boom--!"

The giant claw descended, causing the ground to tremble.

The figure of the alternate personality Yan Kongshan was completely submerged.

However, the next second, just as the giant claw raised to strike again, the arrogant laughter rang out once more, though accompanied by violent coughing and pain, it was still clear: "Hahaha... Awesome! Again!"

He still stood there, his frenzied posture more dazzling than ever before.

With a thought, Gu Yunqing had Yan Kongshan use the healing ability of his main personality to restore her injuries.

The battle for glory is about to begin, but Gu Yunqing lacks a healer and a tank by his side. He doesn't have enough time to operate two different accounts, nor does he have enough mental energy to control them.

Therefore, Gu Yunqing exploited a loophole in Yan Kongshan's persona, giving him two powerful and useful abilities under one guise.

However, because of his exploitation of loopholes, Yan Kongshan naturally has flaws, namely his cowardly and weak personality, which prevents him from fulfilling his role in this instance.

At this moment, Yan Kongshan's alternate personality was activated, and Gu Yunqing naturally had to make good use of Yan Kongshan's abilities.

"Brother Bei, now's the time. Take advantage of Kong Shan drawing fire," Gu Yunqing said to Jun Xiangbei beside her.

Jun Xiangbei instantly understood Gu Yunqing's intentions and Yan Kongshan's current "use".

Without further hesitation, he moved with lightning speed, taking advantage of the moment when the lava behemoth's attention was completely drawn to that "indestructible cockroach," he condensed his icy sword energy to its limit, transforming it into a streak of light that was almost invisible to the naked eye, and pierced straight at the energy core exposed by the attack, a dark red crystal on the behemoth's chest.

"Pfft!"

The lava behemoth's massive body stiffened abruptly, letting out a defiant roar. The crystal in its chest shattered, and its enormous body collapsed with a crash, turning into scorching rocks and overflowing fire elementals.

The battle is over.

The alternate personality Yan Kongshan smacked his lips with lingering satisfaction, seemingly not having had enough of the fight. He dragged his tattered body, which looked like it should have died immediately, and staggered to the lava behemoth's corpse. He kicked it and sneered, "Tsk, all show and no substance."

Then, he turned to look at Jun Xiangbei and Gu Yunqing, his arrogant eyes filled with scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible provocation: "Hey, Ice Face, that last move was alright. It was just a little slow. I almost thought we were really going to be done for."

Jun Xiangbei: "..."

He silently sheathed his sword, deciding not to bother with this guy whose mental state was clearly abnormal.

He turned his gaze to Gu Yunqing, his expression questioning.

Gu Yunqing rubbed her temples, looking like she had a headache too, and explained to Jun Xiangbei, "This is Kongshan's...other side. When he is stimulated enough or feels safe, he will turn into this. His combat power still doesn't improve much, but he is better at drawing fire."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, in this state, his perception of pain is reduced, and he is more adept at using his superpowers."

The people in Jun Xiangbei's live stream suddenly realized what was going on and made some sarcastic remarks:

[This is ridiculous! He's got it all figured out; he's practically addicted to using himself like a cockroach.]

[Jun Shen: Speechlessness is my mother tongue.]

Gu Yunqing's explanation was like saying nothing at all, yet it also seemed like she said everything.

It's been a long time since we've seen Jun Shen get criticized.

Jun nodded to the north, indicating that he understood.

His gaze toward the alternate personality Yan Kongshan remained cold, but his previous doubts had completely vanished, replaced by an assessment based on tactical value.

A tank who is fearless, has stable mob-pulling ability, provides healing, and can greatly reduce the pressure on the front lines is something every team dreams of, even if that tank has a bit of a sharp tongue.

The rest of the journey became extremely efficient, but also... unusually noisy, thanks to the "activity" of the alternate personality Yan Kongshan.

"Hey you on the left, yes, I'm talking to you! You fire monkey! Come here and scratch your dad's itch!"

"Don't push on the right, line up, one at a time! Dad's in a good mood today, so you can have your fill!"

"Ice-faced! Are you even capable? You're taking this long to chop down a fire sprite? Did you not eat?!"

The alternate personality Yan Kongshan charged ahead, taunting every monster he encountered with his unique, hate-inducing language, and then taking all the attacks head-on.

Jun Xiangbei was like a killing machine. Following behind him, every flash of sword light inevitably brought down a monster, precise and efficient.

A strange tacit understanding developed between the two: one was responsible for "seeking death," and the other was responsible for "sending oneself to death."

Gu Yunqing followed behind, providing support and dealing with any stragglers or emergencies, while focusing most of her energy on maintaining Yan Kongshan's persona and honing her own mental strength.

Simultaneously controlling Yan Kongshan in both his main body and alternate personality states increases his mental burden, especially in such high-intensity battles. He feels as if his sea of ​​consciousness is being forged in a furnace, with both stinging and solidifying sensations coexisting.

Jun Xiangbei had clearly noticed his condition as well.

After clearing out a wave of monsters, while the alternate personality Yan Kongshan was still spouting nonsense about the monster corpses, Jun Xiangbei walked up to Gu Yunqing and spoke in a low but clear voice: "Concentrate your mind and sense the 'gaps' in the flow of energy. Pressure is also motivation; guide it, don't let it crush you."

He even raised his hand, his fingertips swirling with an extremely pure and peaceful icy blue spiritual energy, and gently touched Gu Yunqing's brow, "Try to feel this 'stillness'."

That cool spiritual energy was like a sweet spring, instantly soothing the heat and stinging sensation in Gu Yunqing's sea of ​​consciousness caused by excessive consumption.

He was slightly shaken. This was a kind of guidance that was almost like "transferring power," which required the practitioner to have a very high degree of control over their own mental power and to have great trust in the recipient.

Jun Xiangbei immersed himself in the moment, trying to capture the tranquility and contrast it with the surrounding raging fire elemental energy, searching for that delicate balance.

Jun Xiangbei expressed envy to the viewers in his live stream:

Wow! Is the Lord giving Yun Qing special tutoring?

[This kind of mental guidance... can only be done by very close people!]

[Bei-ge may seem cold on the surface, but he still cares about Yun-qing a lot.]

[Am I the only one who noticed Sora grimacing next to me? Hilarious.]

Just then, another mutation occurred.

Unbeknownst to them, they had already ventured deep into the core area of ​​the instance. Ahead lay a vast, boiling lake of lava, at the center of which stood an altar burning with eternal flames.

Above the altar, a huge fireball, resembling a miniature sun, floats—the final boss of the [Molten Core] dungeon, the projection of the Fire Demon.

This is a simple combat instance; once you defeat the instance boss, you can leave the instance.

Seemingly because the intruder had stepped into its absolute domain, the Flame Demon projection let out a soul-shaking roar, and a mental shockwave containing violent fire elements and chaotic will spread outwards like a tsunami.

The first to be hit was Yan Kongshan, the alternate personality who was at the forefront.

"Ugh—!" Even the alter ego in its frenzied state let out a painful groan under this pure mental shock, clutching its head and shaking violently. The blood-locking ability could save its life, but it could not completely isolate it from this pain that directly affected its soul.

Jun Xiangbei's face turned pale, but his powerful mental strength allowed him to quickly stabilize himself and immediately set up a thick mental barrier in front of him, protecting Gu Yunqing behind him.

However, this mental shock was too powerful and continuous, causing Jun Xiangbei's barrier to fluctuate violently and emit an unbearable hum.

Gu Yunqing felt as if her mind had been struck by a heavy hammer, her vision went black, and the mental balance she had been barely maintaining was instantly shattered.

The combined pressures of controlling Yan Kongshan, resisting environmental stress, and the violent mental shock made him feel as if his mental core was about to be torn apart.

The bottleneck that had been there for so long was now violently oscillating, as if separated by a tough membrane, impossible to break through, and instead bringing even more intense pain.

"Ugh..." He groaned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, his body swaying precariously.

"Yun Qing!" Jun Xiangbei noticed his abnormality immediately, and his usually cold voice carried a rare hint of urgency.

Without hesitation, he diverted a portion of his mental energy that was maintaining the barrier, transforming it into a gentler yet more resolute force, like a sturdy dam, firmly protecting Gu Yunqing's core consciousness, which was on the verge of collapse.

"Guard your mind, guide it, break through it!" Jun Xiangbei's voice resounded in his mind, carrying an undeniable power, "Trust me!"

That cool yet reassuring spiritual power became Gu Yunqing's only anchor in the turbulent sea of ​​her mind.

He gritted his teeth, abandoned all distractions, and concentrated all his will. He stopped trying to resist the omnipresent pressure and instead followed Jun Xiangbei's instructions to perceive and guide it.

He viewed the violent mental shock as another form of "energy," his own near-limit state as a "furnace," and the protective power transmitted from Jun Xiangbei as a "mold."

"boom--!"

It was as if a deafening roar, like the first explosion of the universe, exploded in Gu Yunqing's mind.

That resilient barrier finally shattered under the extreme pressure of internal and external difficulties.

His mental power was like a flood breaking through a dam, instantly shattering an invisible boundary. Its capacity, precision, and recovery speed all underwent a qualitative leap at that moment.

An unprecedented sense of clarity and power filled his soul.

[System Notification: Congratulations, host, your mental strength has broken through to S-rank!]

[System notification: The impersonation of the pseudonym 'Yan Kongshan' has reached 100%, meeting the requirements for permanent activation. Activate immediately?]

It's done!

Gu Yunqing suddenly opened her eyes, a flash of brilliance in them, her previous dejection and pain vanished, replaced by a restrained yet powerful aura.

He could even feel that he was more adept at controlling the disguise, and that his mental energy consumption had been greatly reduced.

He looked at Jun Xiangbei beside him, whose face was slightly pale but who was still steadily maintaining his mental barrier. An indescribable warmth and genuine gratitude and trust welled up in his heart. "Brother Bei, thank you."

Seeing his successful breakthrough, Jun Xiangbei's eyes flashed with genuine satisfaction, and he nodded slightly: "Very good."

He withdrew some of his mental energy, still maintaining the barrier, but it was clearly much easier now.

At this moment, the demonic projection in front seemed to be enraged by the ineffectiveness of the mental attack and began to gather an even more powerful physical attack.

The alternate personality Yan Kongshan shook his head, recovering from the aftershocks of the mental shock. Although his face was still pale, his crazed eyes shone even brighter. He licked his dry lips, looked at the enormous projection of the Flame Demon, and revealed a maniacal smile:

"The big one's here? Perfect... I haven't had enough of that warm-up!"

Author's Note:

This dungeon was relatively short, and we finished quickly. The main purpose was to prepare for the Battle of Glory. [Poor thing]