Chapter 204 - 1127: Hell and Heaven

Chapter 204: Chapter 1127: Hell and Heaven

Chen Shang swallowed, the taste of rust spreading in his mouth. "How should I coordinate with you?"

"I will first use my Spiritual Power to wrap around your Crystal Core to prevent it from shattering. Then, when I extract the residue, you must use the Repulsive-Attractive Dual Force Model to stabilize the surrounding Space. Do not let your Sea of Consciousness collapse."

"Understood!"

Yvette’s Spiritual Power probed in once again. This time, instead of directly extracting the residue, she first laid down a protective membrane over the surface of the Crystal Core. It contracted and expanded in tandem with the core’s rhythmic breathing.

"Repulsive-Attractive Dual Force Model, activate!"

Chen Shang mobilized the silver-gray Force Field net within his Sea of Consciousness. Repulsive Force and Gravity surged out simultaneously. The hollow center of the net aligned with the Crystal Core, while the peripheral Force Field propped up the barriers of his Sea of Consciousness like scaffolding, preventing it from collapsing inward.

"Get ready, I’m pulling it out!" Yvette’s Spiritual Power clamped down on the final piece of residue.

This fragment was larger than the previous seven combined. It was densely packed with tentacles that had pierced through the fractured barrier, with a few even wrapping around the surface of the Crystal Core.

As she pulled outward, Chen Shang felt his Crystal Core being dragged along by those tentacles. The cracks on its surface widened, and the silvery-white membrane of the repair fluid stretched out into fine, strained lines. He did not let up. The Repulsive-Attractive Dual Force Model operated at full capacity. The Force Field net tightened, firmly locking the barriers of his Sea of Consciousness in place. The Crystal Core deformed under the drag of the tentacles, but the protective membrane held fast.

Chen Shang’s consciousness blurred slightly, leaving him with only one thought. "No wonder Yvette wanted me to learn this Witchcraft first," he thought. "It isn’t just about Spiritual Power Specialization; it’s also incredibly helpful for the treatment."

The residue was pulled out bit by bit. Tentacles detached from the surface of the Crystal Core. One, two, three... With every detachment, an explosive wave of agonizing pain erupted in Chen Shang’s Sea of Consciousness. His body trembled violently inside the pod, pressing a deep indentation into the gel. Yet, he gritted his teeth, not allowing his Spiritual Power to fluctuate in the slightest.

The final tentacle tore free! The residue was extracted in one solid piece. Yvette’s Spiritual Power wrapped around it and withdrew from his Sea of Consciousness.

"The eighth piece is a success."

A massive void opened up in Chen Shang’s Sea of Consciousness. The fractures remained, but the Exotic Objects inside were completely gone. The cracks on the Crystal Core still existed, but nothing was burrowing into its depths anymore.

His Spiritual Power fluctuations dropped below twenty units. He felt completely hollowed out, lacking even the strength to lift his eyelids.

"Phase one complete. Alien Spiritual Power has been cleared to zero," a researcher reported. "No change in the depth of the fractures in the Sea of Consciousness. The cracks on the Crystal Core have increased by three, but there is no penetrating damage."

"Phase two: dissolution," Yvette’s voice rang out. "Purified Spiritual Power will be injected into your Sea of Consciousness and dissolve into your Spiritual Power origin. This process will be far more painful than the extraction. The extraction was pulling things out; the dissolution is forcing things in."

Chen Shang had no energy left to speak. He merely gave a slight nod.

The light inside the pod shifted, changing from a pale gold to a blazing white. The temperature spiked abruptly. A surge of pure Spiritual Power welled up from the bottom of the pod, piercing through the gel and driving straight into his Sea of Consciousness.

Unlike Yvette’s Spiritual Power, this energy possessed no attributes, no traits, and no personal imprint. It was simply a mass of pure Power.

When it flooded into his Sea of Consciousness, Chen Shang felt as though every single nerve in his body was on fire. His Sea of Consciousness, now completely cleansed of alien Spiritual Power, was like a parched sponge, greedily absorbing this pure Power. But the absorption process was far from gentle. This forced elevation was incredibly brutal; every sliver of Spiritual Power was being forcefully crammed into his origin.

His body arched upward inside the pod, his back leaving the gel entirely as the veins on his forehead bulged.

"Total Spiritual Power is rising," the researcher’s voice carried a hint of excitement. "Eighty units... one hundred and twenty... one hundred and sixty..."

Yvette stared intently at the monitoring data, her fingers dancing rapidly across the main console. "Reduce injection speed by ten percent. Give his Sea of Consciousness time to adapt."

"Record the data, write it down quickly. It’s too perfect... He isn’t showing any rejection reaction at all. As expected of a perfect Acquired Spiritual Power awakener!"

The injection speed slowed, but the agony did not diminish. Chen Shang’s Sea of Consciousness felt like a vessel filled to the brim with Water, where every additional drop of Spiritual Power stretched its boundaries further. The edges of the fractures were forced open, only to heal, then forced open again, locked in a cycle of repeated tearing and mending.

He remembered the very first time he inscribed a Rune Array; his Spiritual Power had surged from his Crystal Core like a dried-up stream finally greeting the rainy season. Compared to this, that experience was nothing more than a gentle spring breeze.

"Two hundred... two hundred and forty... two hundred and eighty..." The researcher’s voice grew increasingly thrilled.

Chen Shang’s consciousness was already beginning to blur. The pain had surpassed the limits of human endurance, prompting his body to activate its self-defense mechanisms in an attempt to forcefully shut down his senses. Yet, his willpower remained firmly anchored in place. His Magic Springs had entirely dissipated, his Sea of Consciousness was fractured, and his Crystal Core was cracked. If this attempt failed, he wouldn’t even have the chance to start over.

"Three hundred... three hundred and twenty... three hundred and forty... He’s exceeded it! He’s exceeded his previous peak!"

Yvette’s voice finally chimed in. "Do not stop. Keep injecting it. I want to see how much he can endure."

The injection speed accelerated once more. Three hundred and sixty, three hundred and eighty, four hundred...

When his total Spiritual Power jumped to four hundred and twenty, a crisp snap echoed within Chen Shang’s Sea of Consciousness. It wasn’t the sound of something shattering, but rather the sound of some kind of barrier being pierced through.

The boundaries of his Sea of Consciousness abruptly expanded, much like a tightly shut door being violently kicked open. The once-parched sponge transformed into a sprawling lake. His total Spiritual Power was still rising, but it no longer caused him any pain... because the vessel itself had grown larger.