Chapter 128 Absorbing Wood-type Crystal Cores
This feeling of being "protected," especially since the other party was likely a younger female cousin, stirred a very subtle and indescribable emotion in Qin Li. It wasn't resentment or jealousy—he knew what was important, and felt only gratitude and relief.
It was a slight subversion of his previous implicit "protector" mentality, and the ensuing deeper examination and recognition of Ruan Ning's strength.
In the apocalypse, gender is never the key to distinguishing between strong and weak. He has seen female survivors who are delicate yet resilient as steel, and he has also seen men who are powerful but cowardly and selfish.
Strength, character, and willpower are the true currencies for survival. Ruan Ning clearly possesses top-tier qualities in these areas.
He just needs a little time to adjust his mindset.
From "needing to protect his cousin who might exist" to "his cousin is a powerful person who can save himself and the entire team"—this turn of events was somewhat dramatic, and it also brought his curiosity and attention towards Ruan Ning to a new level.
If she really is her cousin, then she not only lives, but lives so strongly, clearly, and decisively.
Deep in Qin Li's heart, a strange sense of relief and pride welled up within him. Yes, before confirming their blood relation, he first acknowledged her abilities and value.
If they are truly blood relatives, then that's even more cause for celebration—in this messed-up world, his family possesses the power to protect themselves and even others. Isn't that the best news?
He re-bandaged his wound and walked to the door of the warehouse compartment. Inside, Ruan Ning was still sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, her face pale, but her breathing was much more steady and long. Da Huo, who was lying at the door, twitched his ears, glanced at him, and did not get up, clearly acknowledging that he did not pose a threat at the moment.
Qin Li did not go in to disturb them, but simply watched quietly for a while. Then he turned around and quietly adjusted the deployment of several outer sentry posts to the soldiers on night duty, directing more troops toward the warehouse on the side where Ruan Ning was resting. He also personally went to check on the condition of the other seriously wounded soldiers.
The protective mindset hasn't disappeared, it's just changed form. It's shifted from "I must protect her" to "I must ensure her safe recovery and fight alongside her." The latter is more like treating a strong and reliable comrade-in-arms, a family member who may require a new understanding and relationship.
He walked back to the fire and sat down, picked up a piece of compressed rations and chewed it slowly. His gaze returned to the direction of Ruan Ning's resting cubicle, his eyes deep.
Once we arrive at the Northwest Base and meet my grandparents, the truth may finally come to light.
Before that, he needed to fulfill his duties as a commander, lead everyone through the recovery period of the next two days, and reposition his relationship with this potential "cousin".
A day later, Ruan Ning's mental strength had recovered to about 60-70%, and although it had not reached its peak, it had basically stabilized.
Night fell again. The warehouse was silent except for the faint footsteps of the watchmen and the intermittent groans of the wounded.
Ruan Ning opened her eyes in the cubicle, a faint, watery light flashing in them before disappearing.
She opened her palm, and there lay quietly in her hand the giant tree core, its vibrant green color and inner radiance emanating from it. A gentle life energy and a trace of ancient spiritual imprint emanated from it simultaneously.
Water-based, fourth tier; mental-based, fourth tier. This is her current core power.
But facing the impending arrival at the complex Northwest base, and the potentially larger mysteries behind the necklace, she needs more leverage. This crystal core, possessing both powerful wood-elemental energy and spiritual attributes, is an opportunity.
Absorb it and attempt to awaken your wood-type ability. Even if you cannot truly awaken it as a third ability, as long as you can guide and store some wood-type energy, or deepen your understanding and application of life energy, it will be an effective supplement to your strength.
Risks also exist.
Although the ancient spiritual imprint of the giant tree within the crystal core had weakened with the death of the main body, it was still of a very high level. Its attributes were not of the same origin as her existing mental abilities, and it had strong plant assimilation characteristics.
If she is not careful during the absorption process, it may pollute or even distort the foundation of her own spiritual power.
At the same time, although wood-type energy and water-type energy have a potential affinity of "water nourishing wood", forcibly opening a new energy circuit in a body that already bears dual-type abilities will inevitably be accompanied by the risk of meridian overload and energy conflict.
But Ruan Ning's gaze remained unwavering. Having navigated the apocalypse so far, every advancement in her strength had been a dance on the edge of a knife. Caution and decisiveness were never contradictory.
She glanced at the blazing fire that faithfully guarded the entrance and whispered, "Hold on."
The fire let out a soft gurgling sound in its throat, indicating that it understood, and its golden eyes shone even brighter in the darkness.
Ruan Ning closed her eyes again, took a deep breath, and adjusted herself to her optimal state. The fourth-order water energy flowed peacefully through her meridians, like a deep and tranquil lake; her fourth-order mental power was highly concentrated, transforming into the most sensitive antennae and the most solid barrier.
After preparing, she slowly channeled her mental energy into the emerald green crystal core.
"Buzz—"
A powerful yet gentle flow of green energy, mixed with that dull and ancient spiritual imprint, surged into her spiritual energy link!
This time, Ruan Ning did not attempt to directly "carve out" a new wood-based circuit. She adopted a more cautious, and more precise, strategy:
Nourish the wood with water, and govern the seal with divine power.
As the vast and gentle wood-type life energy surged in, she immediately mobilized her water-type abilities to meet it.
The water energy did not clash head-on with the wood energy, but rather, like an inclusive mother, gently enveloped, guided, and nourished this external green torrent.
Water nourishes wood. Under her precise control, the water energy not only does not repel the wood energy, but also subtly becomes a carrier and aid for its gentle flow, greatly alleviating the direct impact and stagnation of the wood energy on the meridians.
At the same time, she maximized the effect of fourth-order mental power, ensuring that the wood-elemental energy, after being nourished by the water system, would slowly circulate, settle, and permeate along the "outer" channels she had pre-planned, which were relatively safe and would not interfere with the original water system and mental power core circulation.
This is an extremely complex three-pronged operation: using water to contain and guide wood energy, using mental power to peel away and resist external mental imprints, while maintaining the absolute stability of one's own mental core and water circulation.
Sweat quickly soaked her forehead and back, and her body trembled slightly from the intense energy manipulation and mental struggle. A throbbing pain shot through her meridians, and her sea of consciousness endured wave after wave of impact and assimilation temptation from that ancient imprint.
But Ruan Ning's will was as firm as a rock. She brought the gentleness and inclusiveness of water-based superpowers to a new level, constantly soothing and guiding the "wildness" of wood-based energy.
The sharpness and control of spiritual power ruthlessly cut away and purify external imprints, upholding the purity of self-awareness.
Time passed in the silent, fierce clash. The emerald core's light dimmed at a visible rate, and the liquid radiance within was gradually drawn away.
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