107: Chapter 107 Bullet Time

A moment later.

Chen Rou finally regained her composure.

She didn't scream or get angry like a young girl; instead, she naturally reached out both hands and grasped Chen Shanzhi's grease-stained left hand.

Then, she pulled a silk handkerchief emitting a faint fragrance from her sleeve with her other hand.

Lowering her head, she began to meticulously wipe the grease from Chen Shanzhi's hand.

As she wiped, she spoke in a slightly complaining tone:

"The kitchen staff are something else; why is today's pork belly so oily?"

"I'll have to speak with them later and tell the cook to use less oil next time."

Chen Rou's voice was very soft, carrying a hint of panic she couldn't hide.

Chen Shanzhi sat in his chair, feeling as if he had turned to stone.

He lowered his head slightly; from this angle...

He could see very clearly that as his aunt lowered her head to wipe his hand, a dazzling patch of snowy white was inadvertently exposed beneath her collar.

That deep cleavage, combined with the gentle fragrance unique to his aunt that kept swirling around his nose...

Chen Shanzhi felt like a piece of dry kindling that had been tossed directly into a raging fire.

"Hiss—"

Chen Shanzhi felt a surge of dry heat rush straight up his spine to his head.

The Qi and blood in his body were like a runaway horse, becoming instantly excited.

Although this body belonged to the original host and Chen Rou was his elder in name, this sensation was just too damn real.

He couldn't take it, he really couldn't take it.

Chen Shanzhi abruptly pulled his hand back, and because he used too much force, he almost overturned the soup bowl next to him.

"Aunt... Auntie."

Chen Shanzhi stood up, not daring to take another look, his tone stammering: "That... I'm full, I'm going back to my room to Cultivate!"

After saying that, Chen Shanzhi moved like the wind, fleeing the Dining Hall and disappearing into the night.

Watching Chen Shanzhi's slightly disheveled back as he fled in panic...

Chen Rou stood frozen in place, holding the grease-stained handkerchief.

She extended a slender finger and gently pressed the spot where the back of Chen Shanzhi's hand had just brushed against her; a trace of warmth seemed to linger there.

Then she recalled the extremely ambiguous and flirtatious scene that had just occurred between them, as well as Chen Shanzhi's flushed face.

A captivatingly bright smile unconsciously bloomed on Chen Rou's beautiful face.

"Little rascal, you've grown up..."

She lowered her head and looked at the proud assets on her chest.

Lightly biting her red lip, she murmured to herself in a voice only she could hear:

"It seems... I haven't become an old yellowed pearl yet."

...

Zhenguo Marquis Mansion, Heir's Courtyard.

With a "bang," the door was slammed shut.

Chen Shanzhi lay spread-eagled on the soft bed, panting heavily.

He took several deep breaths in a row before finally allowing that chaotic dry heat in his heart to completely dissipate.

"Close call, close call. I almost made a mistake."

Chen Shanzhi wiped the sweat from his forehead.

To be honest, his aunt was indeed peerlessly beautiful, and her figure was the best of the best; any man would be tempted.

However, the original host of this body had lost his mother at a young age and was almost entirely raised by his aunt.

In his heart, he viewed her completely as his closest elder.

Therefore, for Chen Shanzhi, who had merged with the original host's memories, the accident that just happened...

Was still a bit too awkward and overstimulating.

"I hope Auntie doesn't take it to heart, considering I only touched her by accident while trying to save the situation."

Chen Shanzhi muttered to himself.

Then he shook his head vigorously, casting all those messy thoughts to the back of his mind, and sat up cross-legged with a kip-up.

Focusing his mind, Chen Shanzhi closed his eyes slightly and began to circulate the Spirit Forging Art within his body.

As the Cultivation Technique circulated...

Chen Shanzhi's consciousness instantly sank into his Sea of Consciousness.

Now that he had broken through to the Xuanguan Nine Apertures and had also mastered the First Transformation of the Nine-Turn Golden Body Art of the Witch God!

Now, every time he completed one Great Cycle of the Spirit Forging Art...

He could very steadily condense ten wisps of white mist in his Sea of Consciousness!

Chen Shanzhi looked internally at his Sea of Consciousness; in the center of that originally ethereal space...

The mysterious golden flame he had unexpectedly obtained in the Secret Realm no longer looked dim and ready to go out at any moment as it had before.

It burned quietly, releasing a very soft yet sacred golden light.

It illuminated a space in the Sea of Consciousness about half a foot square, making it clear and bright.

Looking at this half-foot-sized space, Chen Shanzhi's brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of doubt rose in his heart.

"Something's not right."

Chen Shanzhi calculated silently.

Previously, when he mastered the First Transformation of the Nine-Turn Golden Body Art of the Witch God, the clear space illuminated in his Sea of Consciousness had expanded fivefold!

Based on normal logic...

Since the space had expanded fivefold, his Divine Soul strength should have also increased fivefold.

In that case, every time he practiced the Spirit Forging Art now, he should be able to condense fifteen wisps of white mist!

But the reality was that even if he tried his hardest, he could only steadily produce ten wisps each time.

"It seems..."

Chen Shanzhi stroked his chin:

"The strength of the Divine Soul isn't directly linked to the size of this clear space in the Sea of Consciousness."

"Forget it, I won't think about it anymore."

Chen Shanzhi shook his head:

"After all, my current Realm is only Xuanguan Nine Apertures.

I haven't even knocked on the Heavenly Gate of the Life Fire Realm; I still know too little about high-level Domains like the Divine Soul."

Temporarily suppressing this doubt, Chen Shanzhi's thoughts drifted to another extremely important matter.

Previously, when he was fighting others on the Martial Arts Arena...

As long as he concentrated his attention to the absolute limit...

All of his opponent's movements, Moves, and even the dust flying in the air would become extremely slow in his eyes!

It was just like a slow-motion shot in a movie from his previous life!

With a bit of mischievous humor, Chen Shanzhi named this awesome phenomenon "Bullet Time."

Over the last few days at the academy, he had subtly asked Tang Xiaowu about it.

He discovered that among the generations of the Witch Clan who had practiced the Nine-Turn Golden Body Art of the Witch God, not a single person had ever experienced this situation!

In other words, this "Bullet Time" was a mutated ability unique to Chen Shanzhi alone!

"I wonder if it was triggered by some hidden event when I mastered the First Transformation, or if..."

Chen Shanzhi felt the flickering flame in his Sea of Consciousness: "Or if it was brought about by this mysterious golden flame."

Regardless of the reason...

This "Bullet Time" was definitely a trump card in his hand!

During this period, to fully understand Bullet Time...

Chen Shanzhi had frequently pulled Jiang Feiyu and the others to conduct experiments at the academy.

He had finally summarized a set of extremely precise rules.

The duration of "Bullet Time" was directly linked to the number of white mist wisps he produced during each cultivation session!

Back when he could only produce three wisps of white mist...

"Bullet Time" could only last for 0.3 seconds at most, and it could only be forced to trigger once a day; using it would leave him with a splitting headache.

But now, he could produce ten wisps of white mist!

The absolute duration of "Bullet Time" had increased to a full second!

In other words, for every additional wisp of white mist his Divine Soul could produce...

The duration of this divine skill would increase by 0.1 seconds!

Furthermore, the number of daily uses had also increased to two!

However, this divine skill also had its limitations.

That was, when facing a Martial Artist with a higher Realm than his own, the effect would be forcibly shortened according to the gap between their Realms!

Chen Shanzhi quickly reviewed the data in his mind.

Against the same level of Xuanguan Nine Apertures, it lasted one second.

When facing a Martial Artist of the Xuan Guan Ten Apertures, the time became 0.75 seconds—a reduction of one-quarter.

And when facing Jiang Feiyu at the Xuanguan Eleven Apertures, the time was directly shortened to 0.5 seconds.

A full reduction of one-half!

"Based on this diminishing rule..."

"If I were to face a Martial Artist at the Xuanguan Peak now."

"This Bullet Time could probably only be maintained for 0.25 seconds at most!"

It sounded extremely short, not even enough time to blink.

However, Chen Shanzhi smiled slightly.

If the duration wasn't enough, he could make up for it with frequency.

He could now use it twice a day!

Added together, that was a full 0.5 seconds!

In a real martial arts life-and-death struggle, a 0.5-second opening...

Was enough for Chen Shanzhi to do something.

After thoroughly calculating this final trump card, Chen Shanzhi focused his mind with satisfaction.

However, he didn't go to sleep; instead, he seamlessly transitioned...

And began practicing the Second Transformation of the Nine-Turn Golden Body Art of the Witch God.

...

The night passed in silence.

When the eastern horizon turned pale and the first ray of morning sunlight shone into the room through the cracks in the window...

"Whew—"

Chen Shanzhi slowly exhaled a long breath of turbid air and abruptly opened his eyes.

A flash of golden light flickered in his eyes and then vanished.

Although he had practiced the technique for the entire night...

Because of the constant nourishment of his Divine Soul by the Spirit Forging Art...

Chen Shanzhi didn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue; instead, he felt refreshed and full of endless strength.

He rolled out of bed and stretched casually.

Walking to the door, Chen Shanzhi pushed it open, breathing in the fresh morning air and looking at the beautiful spring day outside.

He stroked his chin, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth:

"Since I'm on break, I might as well stay busy."

"It's been a while since I went to Yihong Pavilion to investigate the people's conditions; I wonder if that girl Jiang Yingrao has missed me after all these days?"