Two hours later, a huge rumble of propellers came from the sky. A grass-green monoplane descended from the sky. Zhao Yu and Chen Feng, fully armed, jumped out of the helicopter and rushed to the three of them.
"Boss, Xia Zhen, Brother Ling Yun." Chen Feng and Zhao Yu didn't even ask what had happened, nor did they glance at the mangled corpses on the ground. They simply greeted the three of them and carefully helped them to the back seat of the helicopter. Soon, Chen Feng skillfully applied medicine to Xia Zhen and Xia Tian's wounds and gave them painkillers, making them feel much better immediately. When Chen Feng tried to bandage Ling Yun's wounds, Ling Yun waved his hand and refused with a smile.
The helicopter belongs directly to the Sihai Group; it's essentially Xia Tian's private jet. He possesses international passports from major countries worldwide, allowing him free access to most parts of the globe, and he rarely uses public transportation. The three were stranded in the wilderness, but fortunately, Xia Tian's phone still had a signal. He called Chen Feng and Zhao Yu, asking them to use the phone's GPS to rescue them.
At Xia Tian and Xia Zhen's request, Ling Yun agreed to return to the Sihai Group's branch in the provincial capital with them first, and then return to Tongjiang City after confirming that he was feeling well, in order to avoid worrying his family.
Before leaving, Xia Tian used the last bit of his supernatural power to rearrange the obscuring barrier, covering the remains of the corpse puppet and the black-robed man's body once again. Although this place was rarely visited, it was still not advisable to expose the corpses to the light of day.
The helicopter roared into the distance, becoming a tiny dot in the sky, and the silent, barren, rocky area returned to tranquility.
A moment later, a pebble on the ground suddenly moved strangely, and then the surrounding pebbles also began to move, rolling to one side on their own to reveal a patch of brownish-yellow earth. A figure slowly rose from the ground, as if the ground were not soil but a pool of deep water.
It was a girl with an expressionless face, her long, flowing black hair fluttering in the mountain breeze. She wore a pure white dress that revealed her incredibly graceful figure. Although she had just risen above the ground, her clothes were still spotless, without a trace of dirt.
The girl's face was smooth and lovely, fair and flawless, but she was plain-looking and very ordinary. However, her face was expressionless, making her look very cold and stiff.
She looked up at the direction the helicopter had gone, a hint of doubt in her clear, autumn-water-like eyes, then looked down at the silver, spherical pendant hanging from her delicate neck. The pendant seemed to have a consciousness, pulsating and flashing. If you looked closely, you could detect subtle, regular changes in color on the surface of the silver sphere, as if there was something shimmering inside.
After a long while, the pendant's pulsation finally stopped.
The girl turned around and slowly stepped into the barrier. The blinding barrier seemed to exist for her.
Inside the barrier, the remains of the corpse puppet and the black-robed man lay motionless on the ground. The blinding barrier not only obscured vision but also maintained the objects within its stable period. Therefore, Xia Tian didn't need to worry about the corpses rotting inside. He planned to have Xia Zhen report to the Supernatural Abilities Headquarters after returning to the provincial capital, and then send more people to retrieve the bodies.
The corpse of any superhuman is a priceless medical treasure, even though humanity has yet to uncover the secret of the genetic mutations in superhumans.
The girl glanced at the black-robed man's corpse, a cold smile playing on her lips. "With this kind of strength, he's just here to die." She muttered to herself, slowly extending her slender, fair, almost flawless index finger.
Suddenly, a flame the size of a fingernail appeared at her fingertip. With a flick of her jade finger, the flame landed on the black-robed man's corpse with a whoosh, instantly turning into a sea of fire that enveloped the entire barrier.
The girl's figure slowly faded and became transparent in the flames, eventually disappearing into the air.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Li Lingling's Changes
After arriving at the Sihai Group's headquarters in the provincial capital, Ling Yun, Xia Tian, and Xia Zhen were immediately sent to the Sihai Group's exclusive high-end hospital for treatment. The highly paid surgical and internal medicine experts, seeing that such an important figure as the group's boss was injured and hospitalized, dared not be negligent in the slightest. They were all in high spirits and did their best to formulate a medical plan.
Ling Yun firmly refused any medical examinations or treatment. The injuries he suffered were so severe that any doctor would be utterly astonished. To survive being pierced through the body, without damaging any organs or contracting any infection, was nothing short of a medical miracle. Ling Yun had no desire to be a guinea pig for research; since his body possessed self-healing abilities, all treatment was unnecessary.
Xia Tian, understanding his condition, instructed the doctor not to disturb Ling Yun, providing him with a luxurious private room and regular nutritional supplements to aid his recovery. Any issues could be resolved by contacting either Chen Feng or Zhao Yu. In reality, Chen Feng and Zhao Yu primarily managed the Sihai Group's main operations; they were merely Xia Tian's nominal senior assistants and bodyguards, but in reality, they were the true executives and decision-makers. Xia Tian held only the title of chairman, making decisions only on major policy matters and investments, spending most of his time idly by, acting as a hands-off manager.
After examination and diagnosis, Xia Tian's injuries were not serious. His body had only suffered a tremendous impact, resulting in varying degrees of damage to his internal organs. However, as a superhuman, his physical abilities far surpassed those of ordinary people, and he would recover quickly with rest and recuperation. Xia Zhen's condition was relatively more serious; she suffered internal injuries and multiple fractures. However, Xia Zhen's superhuman abilities were superior to Xia Tian's, so her recovery was actually better.
Lingyun called home, lying that his classmate in the provincial capital invited him to visit for a few days, and told his parents not to worry. His parents didn't take it to heart, and simply told him to be careful while he was away before hanging up.
So, Ling Yun comfortably enjoyed himself in the hospital's VIP ward. He lamented the extravagant and decadent lifestyle of the wealthy, yet he thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to ample nutrition, the massive, penetrating wound on Ling Yun's chest completely healed in just one day. Not even a single scar remained on his skin.
Of course, happy times are always fleeting. When Ling Yun entered the barrier again that night, he was met with Yu Xiujie's ashen face. Yu Xiujie was born a hundred years ago, and his greatest virtues were respecting his teachers and diligently cultivating. Not only did Ling Yun fail to enter the barrier to cultivate on time, but he also disobeyed him and deliberately went to find a spirit medium, which was extremely audacious and rebellious.
After a stern reprimand, Lingyun hung his head, sincerely expressing his serious mistake and deep remorse, and earnestly begged his teacher for forgiveness. "Don't be afraid of making mistakes. Make them, correct them, make them again, correct them again, make them again, repeat this process over and over again. It's a process of refinement," Lingyun read his self-criticism carefully, repeatedly reciting this famous comedian's saying to himself.
Yu Xiujie had no idea that the concept of self-criticism existed in later generations. Seeing his student's pitiful pleas for forgiveness, he couldn't help but soften. Of course, Old Master Yu didn't let Ling Yun off the hook. During the routine mental energy field training, Yu Xiujie deliberately controlled the temperature of the barrier. He euphemistically called it "ice and fire dual heavens," giving Ling Yun an extra edge in his cultivation.
Therefore, Ling Yun not only had to use his mental energy field to balance several forces of different directions and strengths, but also had to endure the excruciatingly extreme combination of extreme cold and extreme heat within a space of plus or minus 100 degrees Celsius in less than two seconds. It was truly an experience of both ice and fire, and Ling Yun experienced an extreme level of pleasure. After the enjoyment ended, Ling Yun was almost completely exhausted.
Of course, after his battle with the terrifying psychic, the boy's yearning for supernatural arts intensified. However, Yu Xiujie simply said, "You can only learn supernatural arts after your mental energy field reaches the standard I permit," and then disappeared. Ling Yun had no choice but to bury himself in his studies once again.
Ten days later, Xia Tian and Xia Zhen's injuries had mostly healed. Ever since Ling Yun saved Xia Tian and Xia Zhen, the young girl's attitude towards Ling Yun had become extremely warm and grateful. During breaks from treatment, she would always limp over to Ling Yun's ward to chat. However, Xia Zhen was two years older than Ling Yun. When she learned that Ling Yun had been admitted to the same university as her, Xia Zhen was both surprised and delighted, and her tone immediately changed, as if she were his senior.
A few days later, Xia Tian and Xia Zhen suddenly received a notice from the Supernatural Abilities Headquarters, ordering them to rush to Beijing. The headquarters wanted to hear their report in person about the psychics. So, before leaving, Xia Tian and Xia Zhen said goodbye to Ling Yun. Xia Tian told Ling Yun that he could have fun at the Sihai Group, and that Chen Feng and Zhao Yu would arrange a car to take Ling Yun back to Tongjiang.
Xia Zhen especially hoped that Ling Yun could intern with her at the Superpowers Headquarters after arriving in Beijing, so she repeatedly urged Ling Yun to take the initiative to find her after arriving in Beijing. She said she could recommend Ling Yun to intern at the headquarters then, and only then did she reluctantly leave. Ling Yun was also quite tempted by the opportunity to join an official superpowers organization, so he nodded in agreement, thinking to himself, "I'll be a civil servant now."
During his recovery, Zhang Yunfeng and Li Lingling called each other. Li Lingling, in particular, had already been discharged from the hospital and was constantly calling and texting, but nothing seemed amiss. She just chatted with Lingyun and kept asking him when he would return from the provincial capital. If Lingyun hadn't promised to leave in a few days, Miss Li would probably have come to the provincial capital herself.
Unable to withstand Li Lingling's urging, and finding it rather boring to be alone, with the start of the school year fast approaching, Lingyun decided to take her leave. Zhao Yu was already out of town on official business, so Chen Feng politely asked Lingyun to stay and then arranged for a professional driver to take her back to Tongjiang City in a luxury Mercedes-Benz.
The vehicle stopped in front of the No. 1 Department Store in Tongjiang City. The driver politely greeted Ling Yun and immediately returned to the provincial capital. Zhang Yunfeng and Li Lingling had already received the news and were waiting in front of the department store. When they saw Ling Yun emerge from the shiny black Mercedes-Benz S560, they immediately surrounded him happily.
"Boss, you've got quite the style, with a personal driver. When will I get to ride in a Mercedes S560? My dad just bought a new car this year, a Nissan Quest from Japan." Zhang Yunfeng looked enviously at the luxury Mercedes speeding away.
"Lingyun, you're finally back!" Li Lingling couldn't contain her joy as she approached Lingyun. A blush of girlish shyness rose on her fair, delicate face. Her large eyes blinked rapidly, filled with happiness and excitement. Finally seeing the man she had been longing for, it felt as if countless vibrant roses were blooming in her heart.
Ling Yun smiled as she looked at her two good friends. Although she wasn't that excited, she couldn't help but feel happy: "You missed me so much."
Zhang Yunfeng chuckled and said, "It's Lingling who misses you. Why would I miss you? I'm not gay." As he spoke, he pointed at Li Lingling and winked at Ling Yun.
The girl blushed and said shyly, "Yunfeng, what nonsense are you talking about? If you keep talking nonsense, I'll beat you up." Although she didn't admit it in her words, her charming and shy tone said it all.
Ling Yun peered around, feigning ignorance as if watching a spectacle, pretending not to hear anything. Li Lingling wasn't oblivious to his subtle refusal, but the young woman was completely unconcerned. Ever since Ling Yun rescued her, she had secretly fallen for him, and had kept a humble attitude, only asking for giving and not expecting anything in return. She believed that one day, Ling Yun would be gradually won over by her.
"Lingyun, what do you think of my new dress? Does it look good?" Li Lingling twirled in front of Lingyun. She was already tall with long legs, and this turn, though unintentional, revealed her incredibly graceful figure.
Ling Yun finally dared to look directly at her. The girl was wearing a pink floral cotton vest dress, her two slender, lotus-root-like arms outstretched, revealing a pair of straight, white thighs beneath her perfect waistline, which fit together without a single gap. She stood there smiling, her red lips and white teeth radiant, as beautiful and captivating as a lotus flower in summer.
"Huh?" Ling Yun then realized something was amiss and couldn't help but exclaim.
"What's wrong?" Zhang Yunfeng and Li Lingling asked in unison.
"I feel like you've changed a bit." Ling Yun carefully examined Li Lingling. Li Lingling was indeed somewhat different from before. If she was just a beautiful young girl before, now she was radiant, as if she had become an even more beautiful person. Not only did she possess amazing charm, but her skin was also truly as white and smooth as cream, without a single blemish, like a wax figure. At least before, she had a small beauty mark at the corner of her mouth, but now it had completely disappeared.
"Don't you look even prettier? Yunfeng even recommended that I become a WST print model." Li Lingling covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
A cool, unique orchid fragrance wafted into Ling Yun's nose, like the refreshing aroma of tea or fine wine, intoxicating him to the core. "What perfume is this? It smells so good!" Ling Yun asked in surprise. He had smelled Li Lingling's fragrance before, but it was nothing compared to this.
"She's not wearing perfume; only people with body odor wear it." Li Lingling was secretly delighted to see her sweetheart paying so much attention to her.
"Boss, I've been completely captivated by Lingling the whole way here!" Zhang Yunfeng said, feigning infatuation, which made Li Lingling laugh heartily.