299: Post-traumatic stress disorder

Duan Zhuochen waved his hand, and the Candle Dragon activated a skill, instantly mincing Miller's two pet beasts' left hind legs and left front legs into bloody pulp!

"You!—How is this possible?!—"

Compared to Miller's utter shock, Duan Zhuochen's expression remained calm and composed, unfazed by the situation.

Amidst their pained wails, Miller's pet beasts collapsed to the ground, completely incapacitated.

"They can't continue fighting—no matter, I still have myself!

I won't give up easily!"

Miller uttered harsh words, but the slight tremor in his fingertips and voice betrayed the chilling coldness he felt from his opponent.

"Yes, that's right, you're still here."

Duan Zhuochen looked up, snapped his fingers, and the entire arena was filled only with Miller's screams.

His left hand and right leg were also minced into bloody pulp!

Miller's pupils dilated, and the immense pain made his whole body tense, with large beads of sweat dripping from his face.

Most of the already sparse audience gasped in shock.

Who would have thought that the gentle and refined Duan Zhuochen could be so ruthless, like a Shura from hell!

"Quick, get a close-up!"

The World Championships director, believing he had found a sensational highlight, directed several cameras at Duan Zhuochen, even rubbing his hands together in excitement.

Gu Xiaoyue, below the stage, felt her pupils tremble; this scene reminded her of when she was transported by the Tree Demon to Damon several years ago.

She never wanted to experience the agony of her entire body being torn apart by the spatial-temporal turbulence again in her lifetime!

Perhaps it was her brain's protective mechanism, but she had indeed almost completely forgotten about that incident.

This match today brutally brought back all her memories!

She didn't expect that she would also suffer from PTSD.

But the uncontrollable trembling of her body confirmed this fact!

The Pearl within her seemed to sense her abnormal state, emitting a cool aura to soothe her.

Gu Xiaoyue suppressed her physical discomfort, reaching out to cover her lower abdomen, "You worried about me, I'm fine—"

She had to overcome this; if she couldn't even pass this hurdle, wouldn't it become a nightmare haunting her for the rest of her life?

Gu Xiaoyue raised an eyebrow, forcing herself to continue looking at the stage.

She watched as Duan Zhuochen tormented Miller, not allowing him to surrender but also not delivering a fatal blow.

Unable to use skills of other attributes, Duan Zhuochen simply slapped the half-kneeling, struggling Miller again and again.

A smile played on his lips, "If it weren't for your deliberate actions, she wouldn't have become what you call—you actually dared to call her dirty in front of me?!"

Duan Zhuochen paused, "Tsk, truly dirty! You are the ones who are dirty!"

He continued hitting Miller until blood seeped from the corners of his mouth, and the blood stained his hands.

Duan Zhuochen still smiled as he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped away the blood, and then casually tossed it onto the stage.

Although Miller was severely suppressed unilaterally and could no longer make normal sounds, he was still muttering something.

Gu Xiaoyue wanted to understand what he was saying by reading his lips, but even with the clear display on the big screen, the language barrier made it impossible to discern what he was saying.

Suddenly, Duan Yao grabbed her hand and urgently pulled her out of the venue.

Gu Xiaoyue was puzzled but didn't resist, only asking in confusion once they were outside.

"Aren't we watching anymore? Or is there something else we need to do?"

"Brother Zhuochen is sure to win, there's nothing more to see.

Mainly, it's you—what's wrong with you?"

Duan Yao frowned, staring at Gu Xiaoyue with a worried expression.

"Me? What's wrong with me—"

Only then did Gu Xiaoyue notice that, including just now, her voice had been trembling when she spoke.

Duan Yao sighed softly.

"I've only seen one person survive in a spatial-temporal rift, and that's you. It must have been very painful back then, wasn't it?"

Although Duan Yao grew up on the mountain with her master, she was still a highly valued child of the Duan Family.

Even if information was usually scarce, in terms of Yu Beast, she possessed more knowledge and experience than most children from aristocratic families.

So when she realized that Gu Xiaoyue was trembling all over because Duan Zhuochen's spatial skill had minced flesh, Duan Yao immediately understood that Gu Xiaoyue had been transported to Damon several years ago during that beast tide battle.

Normally, anyone would have their body's every piece of flesh, even every cell, sent to different time nodes by the turbulence in the spatial-temporal rift, and that person would naturally dissipate.

It was a miracle that Gu Xiaoyue managed to endure!

Similarly, the pain her body suffered at that time was not something an ordinary person could bear.

So, when Duan Zhuochen used his skill, did it trigger her body's trauma mechanism?

Duan Yao didn't actually know, but she wanted to take Gu Xiaoyue away from there, thinking that she might feel better once they left.

Gu Xiaoyue waved her hand, "It was very painful at the time, excruciatingly painful.

But once it passed, I didn't remember it anymore.

This is what they call, 'healing a scar and forgetting the pain,' I suppose."

She squeezed out a somewhat awkward smile, as if comforting Duan Yao and herself at the same time.

"I'm more curious, Duan Zhuochen looks so gentle and polite, yet he's so ruthless!"

"I do know a little about that—Brother Zhuochen has a childhood friend..."

After all, they were a pair the Duan Family head hoped to bring together, so she had some say in Duan Zhuochen's romantic situation.

Duan Zhuochen's childhood friend, Ji Rou, was the child of one of the Duan Family's housekeepers. She had lived in the Duan Family since childhood and could be said to have grown up with Duan Zhuochen.

Before awakening their Yu Beast talent, the Duan Family cultivated every child equally.

Even if Ji Rou was just a housekeeper's child, if she were to awaken a high-rank Yu Beast talent in the future, the Duan Family would invest resources in her cultivation, which would be a rare and valuable asset.

However, on the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, Ji Rou did not awaken any Yu Beast talent; she was just an ordinary person.

In contrast, Duan Zhuochen was God Rank, and thus their paths diverged to opposite extremes of fate.

Nevertheless, Ji Rou, using her solid Yu Beast theories and the knowledge she gained in university, began to specialize in researching how to make Beastmasters stronger.

Those involved in a situation are often blind to it, while observers see clearly.

Ordinary people could more wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to this research than Beastmasters could.

"A few years ago, the Duan Family funded Ji Rou to study abroad in Bulan Country. Her thesis was something like ‘Beastmaster Genetic Modification and Fusion,’ I don't remember the specifics.

After studying for some time, Ji Rou informed the Duan Family that they no longer needed to send her living expenses, saying that she was already in love and might even get married!

Can you imagine how the Duan Family head felt? It was like the sky had fallen!

It didn't matter if the money was wasted, what was important was the research results—would they become a dowry for her fiancé in Bulan Country?!"

Gu Xiaoyue didn't interject, looking into Duan Yao's eyes and listening to her continue.

"I learned a little of the Bulan Country language. Just now, on the stage, that contestant said that the woman Brother Zhuochen cared about was someone his brother had already used and discarded, that's why I told you there's gossip, there's gossip!"