119: Bai Rong

An unprecedented sense of lightness, as if an invisible chain that had bound her for years had been unlocked, surged continuously from the deepest parts of Nan Yafu's body.

The ever-present feeling of fatigue and the subtle occasional sting in her chest, which had plagued her for years, had now vanished without a trace.

She instinctively looked inward. Although she couldn't perceive the origin as clearly as Su Chen, she could distinctly sense that the cold, sluggish feeling that had always made her vaguely uneasy, like a bone-deep malady, had completely disappeared.

This sensation was so sudden and absolute that she was momentarily in a daze.

"I..." She looked up at Su Chen in astonishment. "What did you... just do to me? I feel... like..."

"Nothing much. You looked a bit pale, so I simply helped regulate your qi and blood."

Nan Yafu was not one of those naive girls protected in a greenhouse, with only a superficial understanding of cultivation. She knew better than anyone that the weakness that had plagued her for years, which even the many famous doctors and cultivation experts her father had invited couldn't resolve, was definitely not a simple case of "stagnant qi and blood."

It was an extremely insidious energy erosion rooted in her very essence.

But seeing Su Chen's clear reluctance to elaborate, the questions on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back.

She wasn't someone who lacked discretion, especially with an unfathomable existence like Su Chen.

However, when she looked at Su Chen again, the emotions in her eyes had become extremely complex.

This man was far more mysterious and powerful than she had imagined; his methods were simply inconceivable.

She took a deep breath of the abundant spiritual energy within the Shan Hai World, striving to calm her turbulent emotions, and forced a smile that was as natural as possible, attempting to break the somewhat delicate and solemn atmosphere:

"Ahem, thank you."

This thank you was more sincere and solemn than any before.

"As a reward, I'll give you a tour. Although this Shan Hai World doesn't look large, its internal space has actually been expanded by formations, creating a unique world with many interesting places." She proactively changed the subject, walking half a step beside Su Chen, acting as a guide.

"That tallest silver-white streamlined building over there is the comprehensive training tower. It's equipped with the world's most advanced cultivation facilities, supposedly integrating the latest psionic technology and ancient formations. For example, the ultra-high gravity adjustment room, I hear it can simulate up to a hundred times gravity, which is extremely helpful for tempering the physique..."

"That black building is the virtual combat zone, which can generate almost real opponents based on personal data for life-and-death combat, accumulating practical experience..."

Su Chen listened quietly. Even with his knowledge from his previous life, he had to admit that the official investment and scale in this place far exceeded expectations.

It showed how firm the national resolve was in responding to the global upheaval caused by this spiritual energy resurgence, and how vast the resources invested were.

"Oh, right," Nan Yafu seemed to suddenly remember something, lowering her voice subconsciously, her tone becoming a little serious, "After the official launch ceremony of the Pangu Project tomorrow, I heard there will be an initial strength test and grouping. This test result directly relates to the allocation of core resources, mentor assignments, and the determination of key training directions later on, so it's very important. How... how are you prepared?"

Her worries were not unfounded. Although she had personally witnessed Su Chen's god-like performance on the Jiangcheng battlefield, that battle seemed more like an outburst in a desperate situation or the use of some costly trump card.

The Pangu Project gathered the top young geniuses from across the country, and even those selected through special channels, many of whom had deep backgrounds, unlimited resources, or extraordinary talents.

She was concerned that if Su Chen's performance in such a relatively "conventional" and "standardized" test did not meet the outside world's expectations of his "Thunder Emperor" identity, it might attract unnecessary doubts, challenges, or even trouble.

Just then, a clear, cool female voice, carrying an undeniable professional and scrutinizing tone, came from behind them, interrupting their conversation.

"Nan Yafu?"

Both looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a tall, voluptuous doctor with long, dazzling purple hair, dressed in a pristine white doctor's coat over a sleek purple combat suit, standing a few steps away.

She held an electronic medical record board shimmering with a faint light, her gaze precisely fixed on Nan Yafu, sharp and filled with a doctor's characteristic focus and a hint of subtle gravity.

"Hello, Doctor Bai." Nan Yafu was clearly very familiar with and respectful of this doctor, immediately stopping and greeting her respectfully.

The purple-haired doctor, Bai Rong, nodded slightly, her gaze then naturally shifting to Su Chen beside Nan Yafu. She only gave him a very brief glance, seemingly making a quick judgment, before refocusing her attention on Nan Yafu, speaking quickly and decisively: "Just ran into you. The comprehensive spiritual meridian and soul deep scan originally scheduled for this afternoon has been moved up. The 'Spirit Seeker' is available now, come with me."

"Ah, now?" Nan Yafu was a little surprised.

"Yes," Bai Rong confirmed, then, as if having just completed necessary social etiquette, she cast an inquiring glance at Su Chen out of politeness, "And this is?" Her gaze lingered on Su Chen for less than a second, seemingly having already made a preliminary judgment based on his age and unfamiliar face.

Nan Yafu quickly introduced, "Doctor Bai, this is Su Chen, a new member of the Pangu Project who just arrived today. Su Chen, this is Doctor Bai Rong, one of our base's most excellent medical officers and experts in cultivation pathology. My condition... is currently being followed up and treated by Doctor Bai." Her words were full of trust in Bai Rong's professional abilities.

Su Chen nodded slightly at Bai Rong as a greeting, saying nothing more.

Bai Rong also nodded, maintaining a professional distance.

As a core medical officer of the base, she naturally knew that Su Chen was one of the seed members recently specially approved to join the Pangu Project.

"In that case, I won't disturb you two." Su Chen said indifferently, then turned and walked directly towards the villa area, his figure quickly disappearing at the end of the path obscured by greenery.

He didn't care about this at all; helping was a spontaneous act, requiring no one's approval or gratitude.

Bai Rong's attention immediately fully returned to Nan Yafu. "Don't waste time, let's go." Her tone carried the doctor's characteristic undeniable authority. "This scan is crucial. We must accurately assess the latest activity of that cursed energy and its depth of erosion into your life essence to adjust the next suppression plan and attempt to find a chance for its separation." Her tone was grave, clearly indicating that she was not optimistic about Nan Yafu's condition.

Upon hearing this, a very complex expression flashed across Nan Yafu's face. She subconsciously pressed her hand to her chest, where a cold sense of restraint had always lingered, but now there was an unprecedented lightness and warmth.

She quickly glanced again in the direction Su Chen had left, then turned to Bai Rong, saying with some uncertainty and tentatively, "Doctor Bai, um... I feel like... my body has suddenly gotten much better. Very light... Maybe... I don't need the scan for now?"

"Much better?" Bai Rong's eyebrows immediately furrowed tightly, her tone clearly disapproving and professionally serious, even with a hint of reproach.

"Nan Yafu, I understand your desire for recovery, but you must face reality!"

"Your situation is very unique and tricky. It's not an ordinary illness, but a highly insidious and corrosive foreign cursed energy that I have never seen before."

"Moreover, it will only slowly and continuously worsen, eroding your foundation. It's absolutely impossible for it to improve on its own. The so-called 'feeling good' is often just an illusion created by the energy entering a dormant phase, preparing for deeper erosion."

"At this time, we must not let our guard down. Precise monitoring with equipment is essential."

As she spoke, she had already quickly stepped forward, extending her right hand without question, her index and middle fingers joined, a layer of pure emerald green life energy glow condensing at her fingertips, precisely placing it on the spiritual meridian nexus of Nan Yafu's right wrist.

This was her usual "spiritual touch pulse diagnosis" technique, which could perceive the energy flow and abnormal conditions within a patient's body more sensitively than ordinary instruments. "Let me first check your current spiritual meridian condition; you must be..."

Her voice, and all her movements, ceased abruptly the moment her fingertips touched Nan Yafu's wrist pulse.