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After collecting so many crystal nuclei and thoroughly blocking the entrances and exits of the parking lot, the building became much safer. Zhou Yun began urging Guan Yuanfeng to focus on his cultivation.
For three consecutive days, Guan Yuanfeng absorbed twelve crystal nuclei each day. By the third day, he could absorb fifteen crystal nuclei in one go before feeling the energy flow.
When Zhou Yun checked his pulse, he used a thread of wood element energy to integrate into Guan Yuanfeng’s meridians to sense his crystal nuclei. He could only feel his strong and vigorous pulse, with very robust blood flow. However, his crystal nuclei seemed to still emit light and could not be fully controlled, which was unexpected for someone advancing to the second level.
Despite recently consuming mutated eagle meat and mutated electric eel, and absorbing so many crystal nuclei for cultivation, he still hadn’t advanced?
Ordinary ability users would have smoothly advanced to the second level by now, capable of releasing more than three skills, which is a hallmark of the second level, indicating greater mastery over their abilities.
Could it be, Zhou Yun wondered as he gazed at Guan Yuanfeng, that firstly, his meridians were naturally broad and powerful, making his physique much stronger, and therefore requiring more energy flow than an average ability user? Secondly, being a dual-element ability user, he indeed needed more crystal nucleus energy. Thirdly…
His legs probably needed more energy to regenerate as well.
Zhou Yun pondered, while Guan Yuanfeng, seeing his serious expression, asked, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
Zhou Yun replied, “I think your physical condition is very strong, and combined with your dual-element crystal nuclei, you might need more energy than average. I’ll boost your nutrition intake; you need to strengthen your diet.”
Guan Yuanfeng: “…”
Zhou Yun made a decision: “I’ll make ginseng chicken soup for you later, and give you acupuncture tonight.”
A thirty-year-old ginseng, which mutated after the red fog descended, had grown three complete sections after Zhou Yun stimulated it with his abilities multiple times.
Zhou Yun slowly dug out this well-grown mutated ginseng, seeing the clear skin lines like iron wires on the solid body, with robust roots. This single ginseng weighed a pound.
If such a plump ginseng had been sold before the apocalypse, it would have been mocked as fake like a water radish.
Zhou Yun looked at it with satisfaction; this was it.
He cooked fresh ginseng with a freshly slaughtered local chicken, adding fish maw, making a fragrant and aromatic ginseng chicken soup. Zhou Yun placed a large bowl of ginseng chicken in front of Guan Yuanfeng: “Eat it all.”
Guan Yuanfeng, seeing Zhou Yun serious, felt a bit helpless. The last astragalus chicken soup had made him so hot that he woke up in the middle of the night…
But the ginseng chicken soup smelled incredibly good. The golden chicken broth, tender and soft chicken legs, slightly yellow chicken skin with chicken oil, filled the air with a delightful fragrance.
He started with just a sip of the soup and found it fresh and rich, unable to stop.
Zhou Yun also had a bowl of soup but urged Guan Yuanfeng to eat more: “This is a good thing. I’ve treasured this old ginseng for a long time. Don’t waste it. Eat more to recover your legs sooner.”
Guan Yuanfeng felt that even if muscles and nerves could regenerate, how could bones? He doubted that his legs could regenerate perfectly, thinking it went against medical principles, and grumbled a bit.
Zhou Yun sternly criticized him: “Why can’t bones regenerate? Have you heard of limb lengthening surgery?”
He made a pulling gesture with both hands: “They cut the leg bone, then use a device to pull the two ends in opposite directions, reopening the closed growth plates, letting the bone heal itself. This surgery risks infection and amputation, but people still take the risk for height.”
“You need to have confidence in yourself. The apocalypse is here; what miracle can’t happen?”
Guan Yuanfeng: “…”
Under Zhou Yun’s intense gaze, and feeling quite hungry, with the chicken tasting so good, Guan Yuanfeng indeed finished the entire ginseng chicken.
After eating, Guan Yuanfeng had to shoot arrows in the gym and do strength training, hoping to burn off the heat from the ginseng chicken soup.
He had never had ginseng chicken soup before and found out that the claim of ginseng being highly nourishing was probably true. After finishing the ginseng chicken, he felt full of energy. If his legs were still there, he would have loved to go for a run.
After exercising, he went downstairs to shower. Coming out, he saw Zhou Yun, who had been working in the herb garden, disinfecting needles. Zhou Yun said, “Take off your shirt and lie on the bed.”
Guan Yuanfeng knew that once Zhou Yun entered doctor mode, he would unintentionally adopt an authoritative tone while working.
Without much ado, he complied, taking off his clothes and lying on the bed as instructed.
Zhou Yun pressed his strong, broad shoulders onto the bed, preventing his restless waist from struggling: “Don’t move. I need to insert needles near your tailbone to stimulate the nerves in your legs. I can’t make a mistake here. The nerves and acupoints are dense, and one wrong move could puncture your rectum, so I have to be careful.”
Guan Yuanfeng stopped moving, letting Zhou Yun lift his shirt and insert the needles one by one.
Guan Yuanfeng wondered if he was overly sensitive, but today’s acupuncture indeed felt very distinct. Each needle brought a continuous, clear stream of heat into his meridians.
The nerves trembled as if struck by lightning, reaching the severed leg, causing a sore, numb tingling.
It wasn’t painful, but the ache and numbness from the nerves and muscles made him very uncomfortable.
He clenched his teeth, his palms gripping tightly, muscles tensing and relaxing, his body trembling.
Sweat slowly seeped from his skin, his breathing becoming shaky and uneven.
What he didn’t see was Zhou Yun behind him, with each needle insertion, Zhou Yun’s fingertips glowed with a soft green light, using his “Rotten Wood Blooms” technique.
After finishing the acupuncture treatment, Zhou Yun carefully examined his legs. The skin, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels were all fully activated and regenerating. The bone cells were dividing and proliferating at an increasing rate. As the muscles regenerated and the nerves revived, the bone joints would also start to grow.
He needed calcium and nutrition, as well as more energy.
Zhou Yun placed his hands above the amputated limb and pressed down. Guan Yuanfeng trembled slightly, and Zhou Yun whispered, “Don’t move, I’m stimulating your nerves.”
He closed his eyes, having just absorbed a high-quality wood-type crystal nucleus from the medicine garden. At this moment, he fully unleashed his wood-type ability, and a crystalline green light enveloped Guan Yuanfeng’s entire lower body.
Guan Yuanfeng felt as if all the nerves and skin at the site of his amputated leg were soaked in a hot spring, stretching out in infinite comfort and warmth. He closed his eyes, feeling as if his very soul was floating, his whole body relaxed to the extreme, and he drifted into a warm and peaceful sleep.
Zhou Yun removed the needles, placed them back in the sterilization cup, covered Guan Yuanfeng with a light blanket, and wiped the sweat from his deeply furrowed brows and pale lips. Then, he went out to prepare a meal.
=========
Guan Yuanfeng slept deeply and soundly. The apocalypse had made time confusing, so when Guan Yuanfeng woke up, the room was pitch black, and he thought he had only taken a long nap during the day.
His stomach was too hungry, and he got up to find something to eat. But when he pulled back the blanket, he was shocked to see his legs.
He reached out to touch them, almost thinking he was still dreaming.
The door opened, and the smell of steamed rice wafted in. Zhou Yun asked, “Awake?”
Zhou Yun crossed the dark room, went straight to the floor-to-ceiling balcony, and pulled open all the blackout curtains, instantly brightening the room: “You’ve slept for three days. It’s morning now.”
It was raining heavily outside, another rainy day.
Three days? Guan Yuanfeng looked out the window, then down at his perfectly intact legs. Was he still dreaming?
Zhou Yun came over and said, “Your legs have grown back, it seems the energy was sufficient…” He was actually quite surprised, as the previous fourth-stage metal ability user had taken a whole year to fully regrow his limbs.
It seemed that the regeneration of limbs for ability users was indeed related to the amount of energy needed. A fourth-stage ability user might need more energy and have more missing limbs, hence the slower process.
But Guan Yuanfeng had just transplanted the crystal nucleus, and the energy obtained from the ability was first supplied to the missing limbs. Seeing the effect, Zhou Yun had continuously performed the “decayed wood blooms” ability on him while he slept, and it had fully recovered.
However, the functionality of the new limbs still needed testing and observation.
He took out a short dagger and poked the tip of the sheath at the sole of Guan Yuanfeng’s foot. Guan Yuanfeng instinctively retracted his leg, looking at him with a bewildered and shocked expression.
Zhou Yun couldn’t help but want to laugh but still asked, “Can you feel it?”
He sat on the bed, holding Guan Yuanfeng’s ankle, placing his leg on his own knee, and poked each toe with the dagger.
The new skin was very thin and sensitive, and the soles of the feet were originally nerve-rich areas. Guan Yuanfeng felt his ankle being held by Zhou Yun’s hot palm, making him both ticklish and sensitive. His toes couldn’t help but curl up, and his ears suddenly grew hot.
He forced himself to resist the urge to pull his foot back and said, “I can feel it.”
Zhou Yun let his calf hang down, knocked the back of the dagger against his knee to test the knee reflex, and smiled, “It seems normal. Try walking.” He reached out to support Guan Yuanfeng’s elbow.
Guan Yuanfeng looked at him, still somewhat shocked, but under his guidance, he placed both feet on the immaculate wooden floor.
He stood up, Zhou Yun watching intently as his legs straightened, the veins on his feet bulging, toes exerting force, and feet firmly planted on the floor.
Zhou Yun thought to himself that Guan Yuanfeng’s feet were quite long, and his toes were long too. No wonder he was tall; he must be around 1.9 meters, right?
He looked up to see Guan Yuanfeng’s height but found Guan Yuanfeng looking at him intently. His hand on Zhou Yun’s shoulder slid down and tightened, hugging him tightly.
Zhou Yun was startled and felt Guan Yuanfeng’s excitement through his powerful arms. He hugged him back, patting his back to comfort him, “It seems you’ve recovered well. You’re a healthy person now. Congratulations.”
Guan Yuanfeng didn’t say a word, but Zhou Yun knew that waking up to find himself healthy again must have been overwhelming.
This strong person wouldn’t want to show weakness by crying in front of others, so Zhou Yun smiled and pressed him down, “I’ll get you a pair of slippers.”
He went upstairs to the attic, rummaging for a while before finding a pair of new large-sized slippers. He estimated the length of Guan Yuanfeng’s feet from when he touched them earlier and found a pair of brand new suede hiking boots and a pair of comfortable running shoes.
After coming downstairs, he first filled a plate with steamed green bean buns from the steamer and placed it on the dining table before bringing the shoes into Guan Yuanfeng’s room.
Guan Yuanfeng stood on the balcony outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking at the morning scenery outside, his tall silhouette appearing lonely.
Zhou Yun placed the shoes by the bed, “I brought the shoes. Come eat something, you haven’t eaten for three days. There are freshly steamed green bean buns.”
Guan Yuanfeng turned his head, “Okay, thank you.”
He was tall and had long legs. Although he was barefoot, he walked with an unusual air from the balcony to the room.
With his restored height, Guan Yuanfeng’s presence was cold and intimidating, creating a great sense of pressure when he approached.
Since obtaining his ability, Zhou Yun had developed an instinctive alertness towards dangerous and powerful enemies. At this moment, Guan Yuanfeng was too close, and Zhou Yun suddenly felt a sense of threat, involuntarily stepping back two steps.
Guan Yuanfeng immediately gave him a sharp look, “What’s wrong?”
His eyes were like electricity, instinctively scrutinizing everything. Zhou Yun explained, “You’re very tall.” Such height was rare in the south.
Guan Yuanfeng didn’t expect this answer and showed a hint of a smile in his eyes, “I seem to be a bit taller than before. I used to be 1.86 meters; now I feel like I’ve grown a few centimeters.”
Superpowers have this kind of benefit? Zhou Yun was surprised: “Really? Let me find a measuring tape and measure you.”
Guan Yuanfeng, putting on slippers, replied casually: “It’s not that important, no need to bother.” He bent down, picked up the hiking boots, looked at the size, and said, “You were very considerate, these are perfect for the outdoors. Thank you.”
He didn’t ask where Zhou Yun got the shoes that fit him so well.
Zhou Yun had prepared some excuses in his mind but didn’t need to use them, feeling a bit caught off guard. He simply mumbled, “No need to thank me.” Then he suddenly became enthusiastic: “Once the rain stops, let’s go to the community and thoroughly clean up and gather supplies.”
Guan Yuanfeng saw the eagerness in his eyes and smiled, “Alright.”
As he walked out the door, Comet suddenly darted down from upstairs, eyes shining brightly as if just realizing its owner was awake, though somewhat different from usual.
Comet hesitated for a moment, circling Guan Yuanfeng’s feet, sniffing at them, then tentatively licking his toes, and happily wagging its tail, pouncing at his knees.
Guan Yuanfeng reached out to pet its head and ears, then went to wash his hands before sitting at the dining table, looking at the hearty breakfast.
He devoured four large steamed buns in one go. The filling was made of finely chopped string beans mixed with pork and scallion, creating a delicious, juicy, and chewy texture.
Even though it was breakfast, since Guan Yuanfeng had slept for three days, Zhou Yun had also prepared some hearty dishes to replenish his energy.
There were honey-glazed ribs wrapped in foil, emitting a mouth-watering aroma, and milk-white crucian carp soup with fried eggs floating in it.
Additionally, there was a spicy and aromatic dry pot bullfrog dish, with a lot of perilla, lemon slices, and passion fruit, making it extremely refreshing.
Guan Yuanfeng was curious about where Zhou Yun got the bullfrogs so early in the morning, as he hadn’t seen Zhou Yun raising any frogs.
Zhou Yun explained nonchalantly: “It rained last night, and the bullfrogs in the pond in the community were making a lot of noise, so I couldn’t sleep. I went out in the middle of the night and caught a bucketful.”
Guan Yuanfeng: “…”
Guan Yuanfeng didn’t know how to respond to this topic: “Wasn’t it raining? Weren’t you afraid of getting wet? And it’s not easy to catch bullfrogs at night, right?”
Zhou Yun raised his index and middle fingers, making a stabbing gesture: “I have water abilities. When I heard them croaking, I went to the pond, found them, and used ice spikes to catch them. I never miss.”
Guan Yuanfeng’s gaze fell on Zhou Yun’s raised fingers: “…”
His fingers were long and fair, and the mischievous gesture revealed the clear lines on his palm.
Noticing Guan Yuanfeng’s gaze and his speechless expression, Zhou Yun lightly coughed, realizing that his gesture resembled a crude one. But then he wiggled his fingers, and a sharp ice spike suddenly rose from the dining table, gleaming with cold.
He explained: “Just like this.” It was a habitual gesture when he used his abilities.
Guan Yuanfeng couldn’t help but laugh: “Alright, no need to demonstrate. I get it now, you’re a bullfrog assassin.” He couldn’t imagine how the usually gentle and composed Zhou Yun went out in the pouring rain at night to catch bullfrogs. Unfortunately, he was probably still asleep at that time.
What kind of nickname is that… Zhou Yun couldn’t help but laugh and continued talking: “There are mutated fish in the lake of our community. I’ve always wanted to catch them, but the lake is too big and they are hard to find.”
Guan Yuanfeng immediately understood: “When the rain stops, I’ll use electricity to catch them.” The fish should have water-type crystal nuclei, useful for Zhou Yun. At this moment, he was eager to repay Zhou Yun’s kindness, feeling it was his duty.
Zhou Yun appreciated Guan Yuanfeng’s initiative: “Electricity is good. If I do it, I might kill them.”
Guan Yuanfeng said: “Aren’t you aiming for the water-type crystal nuclei?”
Zhou Yun replied: “There are two mutated aquatic plants in the pool where the jade knife eel is raised.”
Guan Yuanfeng looked at him: “You mean that the plants around mutated animals might also mutate?”
Zhou Yun said: “I’m not sure, so I want to get some live mutated fish to test.”
Guan Yuanfeng understood: “Alright.”
—-
After breakfast, Guan Yuanfeng habitually collected and washed the dishes. When he turned around after finishing, he saw Zhou Yun sitting on the sofa watching him, looking a bit puzzled: “What is it?”
Zhou Yun asked: “Walking seems normal. Do you have any issues with blood circulation, numbness, soreness, or pain?”
Only then did Guan Yuanfeng realize that Dr. Zhou was observing his legs. Feeling warm inside, he smiled: “No discomfort, but although my legs have regrown, the muscles clearly haven’t been exercised. Walking feels weak.”
After walking for a bit, his legs and feet felt sore, soft, and tender, clearly lacking training.
“I’ll go to the gym and run for a while.” Guan Yuanfeng had already planned his workout.
Zhou Yun seemed a bit worried: “Take it step by step, don’t overdo it.”
Guan Yuanfeng looked at him with a smile: “Don’t worry, I’m a professional. I’ve designed training plans for many soldiers. I know what level is appropriate.”
Along with his legs, Guan Yuanfeng’s confidence had also returned. For the first time, he realized he could confidently show off his knowledge in front of Zhou Yun instead of sadly avoiding the past.
The pleasures of life, the stability of the present, the confidence in the future, and the joy of body and mind—all these were brought to him by this young doctor.
He went to his room to change into running shoes, and the two went to the gym on the attic floor together. Zhou Yun was still thinking about the gym on the twenty-eighth floor: “We should find time to convert the twenty-eighth floor into an archery range.”
Guan Yuanfeng said: “I’ll take care of it. You focus on your medicine.” Now that he could move freely, he suddenly felt like a bird out of a cage, full of energy.
Zhou Yun nodded: “The weather is getting colder. We need to harvest the crops and plant some cold-resistant winter vegetables.”
Guan Yuanfeng adjusted the treadmill and started warming up: “You mentioned harvesting the pumpkin earlier, but I haven’t seen you do it. Isn’t it taking up space now that it’s so big?”
Zhou Yun smiled. That huge pumpkin had mutated, and it was indeed time to harvest it and collect its mutated seeds. He had previously harvested a smaller one and planted its seeds in the backyard of Guan Yuanfeng’s villa. In a while, they would be able to eat the mutated pumpkin sprouts, although it was getting colder…
He slowly climbed onto the stationary bike, placed a tablet on the front rack, opened an audiobook page, and began exercising.
His long legs pedaled slowly, with a cadence lingering around forty to fifty.
After warming up, Guan Yuanfeng got on the treadmill and started running, his eyes involuntarily drifting towards Zhou Yun.
Zhou Yun wore a simple white short-sleeved cotton knit shirt and a pair of sports shorts. His bright eyes had a touch of youthful innocence, making him look somewhat like a college freshman.
Despite his large amount of physical labor, Zhou Yun was quite perfunctory about exercising, clearly just going through the motions to complete a task without much dedication. Guan Yuanfeng thought he looked like someone leisurely biking in a park on a holiday.
Zhou Yun wasn’t very focused, but his physical condition had improved since gaining his abilities. He half-heartedly listened to a chapter of “Schopenhauer’s Cure,” then got off the bike and came over to check the data on Guan Yuanfeng’s treadmill: “Five kilometers already, take a break?”
Guan Yuanfeng, panting, said, “I feel great. I can run another five kilometers.”
Zhou Yun nodded slightly: “Abilities enhance physical fitness, but since you’re still recovering, it’s best to take it gradually to avoid overstraining the new muscles. Better to monitor and take it slow.”
Guan Yuanfeng smiled: “Just one more kilometer.”
His sweat poured out like a river, yet he felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.
Zhou Yun glanced at the sweat-soaked marks on Guan Yuanfeng’s camouflage shirt and then looked down at his powerful, moving legs. He was so tall that each step covered a long distance. Despite the treadmill being extra wide, it still seemed small under his feet, limiting his stride.
With each step, his thigh muscles tensed, his limbs stretched fully, one leg raised high to drive his hips forward, forming a dynamic and beautiful arch with his torso, thigh, and calf. The line of his powerful waist and hips was also impressive…
Feeling a bit thirsty, Zhou Yun turned away to drink some water and checked the rain outside: “It looks like the rain is stopping. I’ll go check the rooftop.”
He walked to the balcony and saw that the rain had indeed subsided. The sun peeked through the clouds, and a light drizzle fell on his warm, post-exercise body, feeling quite pleasant.
It was already late October, the deep autumn weather bringing greater day-night temperature differences, but as soon as the sun came out, it was still scorching. At this time of year, it used to start getting cold.
The scent of grass and soil rose in the hot sun, filling the air with a fresh and robust aroma.
Zhou Yun looked towards the Qingyun Reservoir, its sparkling surface shrouded in cloud-like mist. The leaves of the trees along the banks had turned red and yellow. There were certainly more mutated fish in the reservoir than in the artificial lake of the community, though it was farther away.
Now, however, he had a teammate with lightning abilities who could travel long distances!
Feeling delighted, he returned to the loft and called to Guan Yuanfeng: “The rain has stopped. Let’s go fishing by the lake!”
They would start by testing their skills at the community’s artificial lake!