Chapter 129 - 128: The Apocalyptic Big Shot Arrives 5

Chapter 129: Chapter 128: The Apocalyptic Big Shot Arrives 5

Gu Lin wasn’t the least bit flustered that Ji Xiaosong had seen through his plan. Instead, he declared with an air of solemn duty, "This is a matter of humanity’s survival. We hope Miss Ji will lend us her full support."

Ji Xiaosong gave a light laugh. "The fact that my father contacted you was a testament to our family’s sincerity in cooperating. Now that we’ve settled into Yongfeng Base, all we want is to live a quiet life; we have no other ambitions. Next, I need to hurry and make various preparations for my family before the apocalypse arrives. The tasks are many, and time is short. If you have nothing else of particular urgency, Mr. Gu, please don’t disturb us for the time being. We can communicate again once I’ve reached a stopping point."

It was a blatant dismissal, and Gu Lin got the message.

"Then we’ll take our leave."

He led the others away. The moment the last person was out, Ji Xiaosong shut the door.

"Sis, you mentioned making preparations. What kind of preparations are we making?"

Ji Youshu scooted closer, his face alight with excitement. He could hardly wait to get a superpower.

"To help you with Body Refining, of course. It’s still unknown exactly how one’s physical condition will affect their Superpower Level after the apocalypse begins. But I suspect there’s a strong correlation between the two. So, just to be safe, I plan to help you all with Body Refining right away and get us fully prepared ahead of time."

After Ji Xiaosong’s explanation, Ji Chengguang readily agreed. "Let’s go upstairs, then. I just did a walkthrough of the entire villa, and the sitting area in the master bedroom would be a good spot."

"The Body Refining is done by soaking in a medicinal bath. I’ve never actually performed the procedure myself, but I saw others do it during the apocalypse. So, I can’t guarantee it will be successful this time. Dad, Mom, Brother, if you’re willing to try, we can take the plunge together. But if you’re having second thoughts, don’t force yourselves. There are definitely risks involved."

"I’m not afraid. I agree to the medicinal bath."

Song Ya was the first to step forward. "Song, this apocalypse is destined to be a cruel era where the strong prey on the weak and human life is as cheap as dirt. If we don’t push ourselves to the limit and strive to become stronger, we’ll end up like lambs to the slaughter, completely powerless and at the mercy of others. So, don’t hesitate. Just do it. No matter how difficult this medicinal bath is, or what unknown risks it carries, I will not back down. I believe in you, and I believe our family can pull through this together."

Ji Youshu and Ji Chengguang both agreed as well.

"Dad, Mom, Brother, since everyone has made up their minds, I’ll go to your rooms now and prepare the solution in the bathtubs. Once it’s ready, you just need to undress and get in. The Body Refining process is like having your bones and muscles reforged—it’s going to be incredibly painful, so you have to grit your teeth and endure it. If the pain becomes unbearable, just shout. I’ll be right here, ready to help if anything happens."

After speaking, Ji Xiaosong turned and went to put the medicinal herbs in the bathtubs of the two bedrooms.

Ji Chengguang and Song Ya’s master bedroom had a tub big enough for two, so she didn’t need to prepare a separate bath for them.

Ji Youshu’s bedroom was right next to the master bedroom, so Ji Xiaosong would know the instant there was any sound.

The moment Ji Chengguang submerged himself in the tub, the brownish-green liquid clung to his back like a living thing.

He let out a muffled grunt and gripped the edge of the tub, his knuckles turning white from the strain.

Song Ya bit through the cork she was holding in her mouth. A trickle of blood ran down her chin and into the medicinal bath, and a layer of black, oily gunk suddenly floated to the surface.

"Mom, Dad, your pores are expelling toxins!"

Ji Xiaosong formed a pair of tweezers from an Ice Crystal and swiftly plucked away the blood blister swelling on her father’s neck.

Suddenly, the sound of something heavy crashing to the floor came from the next room. Ji Youshu had apparently knocked over the bathroom cabinet in his agony, yet he hadn’t made a single sound.

Three hours later, Song Ya crawled trembling from the bathtub, her wet hair matted with sloughed-off dead skin.

She stumbled to the mirror and froze—her vision, blurry for years, was now sharp enough to make out the mildew in the cracks between the tiles.

Ji Chengguang was bending a brass doorknob with his bare hands, and the cut on his palm from the metal was already scabbing over at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Muscle density increased threefold, metabolic rate..."

Ji Youshu suddenly snatched Ji Xiaosong’s scanner and crushed it into a metal disc.

His eyes bloodshot, he hissed in excitement, "Sis, I can hear an armored car shifting gears two kilometers away!"

"Congratulations, Brother. It looks like the Body Refining was a success. Whether or not you awaken a superpower later, you’re already far stronger than a normal person."

Ji Xiaosong gently brushed her fingers across Ji Youshu’s eyes, and they immediately returned to normal.

"Brother, I plan to tell Gu Lin about this. That way, the country can screen for more suitable people to undergo Body Refining."

"Okay, I’ll call him."

Ji Youshu excitedly picked up his phone and called to inform Gu Lin.

He must have been busy, as the first to arrive at the Ji family home were several military doctors.

When Gu Lin finally arrived, he walked in to find Ji Chengguang testing his arm strength by lifting a double-door refrigerator with one hand.

The five military doctors he had brought with him were gathered around the Body Refining data, marveling at the results. Infrared thermal imaging showed a faint golden halo circulating within the internal organs of the three family members.

"Mr. Gu, the Body Refining formula Miss Ji provided is remarkably effective. Our verification confirms it has had a tremendous impact. If this formula could be rolled out to the military, our soldiers’ physical conditioning would improve dramatically. Our army’s combat capability would take a qualitative leap, giving us much greater strength and confidence to face the apocalyptic crisis."

One of the military doctors excitedly came forward to show Gu Lin the data they had just recorded.

"This is the Body Refining formula."

Ji Xiaosong tapped the transcribed piece of parchment against Gu Lin’s chest. "If you’re going to perform the Body Refining, you need to move fast. We’ve already tested it, and the entire process takes three hours."

Gu Lin glanced at the formula. Realizing he couldn’t understand a word of it, he handed it to the military doctors.

The military doctors studied it for a moment. One who appeared to be their leader said to Gu Lin, "Mr. Gu, we don’t have all of these medicinal ingredients in stock. If we requisition them, it will take at least two hours."

Ji Xiaosong frowned. With the apocalypse drawing ever closer, not a single second could be wasted.

"I have some of the herbs stored in my space. The ingredients came from seeds I planted in there before."

She couldn’t hide the fact that she and Song Ya had gone to the market for seeds from Gu Lin, so she might as well be open about it.

"The flow of time in my space is unique. For every hour that passes in the outside world, almost a hundred days pass inside. So, the herbs I planted before have already been harvested."

Hearing Ji Xiaosong say this, all the military doctors’ eyes went wide with disbelief.

Gu Lin, however, was considering the wider implications. He stepped out of the villa to report to his superiors.

Ten minutes later, Gu Lin returned to A7 Villa with five hundred handpicked special forces soldiers.

He gave Ji Xiaosong a formal military salute. "Miss Ji, we’ll have to trouble you to perform the Body Refining for these five hundred soldiers. It’s an immense task, and we are counting on you. Additionally, the base has just received an official letter of appointment from high command. Effective immediately, you are appointed the Deputy Base Commander of Yongfeng Base, primarily responsible for logistics and administration."