As the amount of information received gradually decreased, Ling Yun's expression returned to calm. An hour later, all the information had been stored in his brain. The control information for the entire barrier was also effectively imprinted in his consciousness, making Ling Yun the master of the barrier, capable of altering its structure at any time. As long as he had sufficient mental energy to replenish it, the barrier would never disappear.
But Yu Xiujie could never return; this once supreme expert had completely perished. Using his last energy to shield Ling Yun from the roaring heavenly lightning and protect his student, Yu Xiujie had exhausted all his strength. In the entire world, there was only one person capable of withstanding the onslaught of heavenly lightning.
Thinking back to his mentor, Ling Yun couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, but he was now able to control his emotions well. The powerful words of Yu Xiujie, "The strong must be strong," echoed in his heart like a warning bell. This teacher had taught him more than just physical strength training; he had also taught him principles of conduct and the path to continuous self-improvement.
Ling Yun has always been grateful that he met a mentor like Yu Xiujie when he first gained his superpowers. In a sense, without Yu Xiujie, there would be no Ling Yun today. Ling Yun dares not imagine what he would have become without his teacher's guidance.
After experiencing the entire barrier's structure, Ling Yun realized that the mysterious sixth layer of the barrier was also a simulation, but after Yu Xiujie's precise adjustments to the time structure, the time in the simulation differed from real time by a factor of several. The duration of time in the simulation was only about one-fifth of real time. This meant that Ling Yun would have more than five times the normal cultivation time.
The illusion barrier seems to have the same effect as the sixth-layer barrier. When breaking the illusion, Lin Naimei set a three-hour limit for Ling Yun. However, nearly three days passed within the illusion. Does this mean that time in the illusion also differs significantly from real time?
Before experiencing the fifth simulation, Ling Yun certainly wouldn't have noticed any difference between the two. But now, he can sensitively perceive the differences between the illusion and the sixth barrier.
Although the differences are minor in their structure, the overall gap is immeasurable. In terms of controlling the flow of time, the Illusionary Realm and the Sixth Layer Barrier are completely incomparable. The Illusionary Realm only brings a false sense of reality; everything is illusory, only perceived as real by those within it. Therefore, when Lingyun in the Illusionary Realm feels that three days have passed, in the real world, only three hours have actually elapsed.
This is similar to how someone can become completely absorbed in a game and time flies by without them noticing, but when suffering from illness, each day feels like an eternity. The objective passage of time is the same, but the subjective feeling can change dramatically.
The sixth barrier, however, truly slowed down the flow of time. Ling Yun was no longer as ignorant as before and naturally understood what it meant to have the ability to adjust time. In a sense, this was a power possessed only by gods.
The stronger Ling Yun became, the more he knew, and the higher his understanding. The more he felt a deep reverence for his deceased teacher. If he hadn't felt anything before, now Ling Yun realized that the gap between himself and Yu Xiujie was like that between a blade of grass and a mountain peak. Just looking at Yu Xiujie's masterpiece made Ling Yun feel infinitely insignificant.
Perhaps even the heavens were jealous of the teacher's talent, which is why they had to make him disappear... Ling Yun thought silently, and sighed deeply. If Yu Xiujie could continue to live, then in this mortal world, there would eventually be the first ordinary person to achieve great power, even if not a god, he would be very close.
He stood quietly for a moment, then his figure slowly disappeared within the first layer of the barrier, before entering the second. Feeling that familiar and comforting force, Ling Yun silently sat down in mid-air, cross-legged, and began meditating. He hadn't done this in a long time; he needed to purify his mind, eliminate all negative emotions, and regain confidence to face himself, instead of being the boy who always relied on his teacher. Only in this way could he truly let go and achieve self-reliance. Presumably, if Yu Xiujie were alive, he would want him to do the same.
After a long while, Ling Yun finally emerged from the barrier. At this moment, both his appearance and his mind had undergone a baptism of fire. Although the process almost destroyed Ling Yun, once he survived, the young man would gain stronger power and a more mature mindset.
Ling Yun walked to the French windows of the balcony. He didn't know when, but darkness had fallen again. He gazed intently at the twinkling stars in the night sky. His heart was as calm as a still lake. This was the seventh night; Gu Xiaorou's injuries should have fully healed by now.
Looking down at the snow-white sheet wrapped around him, Ling Yun couldn't help but chuckle. He realized he should probably prepare some proper clothing first; otherwise, he really wouldn't dare face Gu Xiaorou. When he was seriously injured, his body was charred black and he was in excruciating pain; he hadn't had the time to worry about the embarrassment of being naked. Now that he had recovered, putting on clothes was naturally the most pressing matter.
"Xiao Rou! Are you there?" Ling Yun opened the bedroom door, hid his body behind the door with only a sheet wrapped around him, and called out, only showing his head.
Gu Xiaorou was cultivating her inner energy when she heard his call. She quickly opened her eyes, covered her mouth, and smiled, "What are you doing sneaking around like that? Oh... your injuries are completely healed." As she spoke, she walked in, unable to contain her joy.
Ling Yun quickly pushed the door shut and said awkwardly, "Don't come in, I'm not dressed."
Gu Xiaorou was both annoyed and amused: "Do you think I'm going to molest you? Who wants to see your... body?" She had originally intended to tease this shy boy by being naked, but then she thought that Ling Yun might feel embarrassed, so she held back her laughter and didn't say it.
"Ahem..." Ling Yun coughed twice to cover up his cough. "Xiao Rou, could you do me a favor? Could you buy me a couple of outfits, a complete set, from underwear to outerwear? Otherwise, I'll have nothing to wear..."
"Then let me in." Gu Xiaorou's voice came from outside the door.
"You came in? What do you want?" Ling Yun was startled.
"I'm not trying to molest you," Gu Xiaorou said irritably. "I just need to check your measurements, don't worry, I won't take advantage of you." [Q]
“Uh…” Ling Yun pondered for a few seconds and realized that there was no better way for the time being, so he had no choice but to helplessly turn the door lock. “Okay, you can just look with your eyes.”
Gu Xiaorou walked in a few steps and immediately burst out laughing when she saw Ling Yun, who was wrapped pitifully in a bed sheet. She pointed at Ling Yun with a flamboyant expression and said, "You don't need to be so nervous."
"Stop laughing, okay?" Ling Yun said helplessly. "Hurry up and look, then after we buy the clothes, we still have to go back to school."
"Okay... I'll take a look quickly." Gu Xiaorou suppressed a laugh, carefully examined Ling Yun for a couple of seconds, secretly noted the measurements, and then pushed open the door to leave. Before leaving, she didn't forget to turn back and smile: "Ling Yun, remember to close the door tightly, otherwise your private parts might be exposed."
Ling Yun lay down on the bed helplessly: What kind of life is this? I've even lost all my clothes...
Chapter 104 Returning to School
The next morning, Ling Yun and Gu Xiaorou left the apartment in Tiantongyuan. Before leaving, Gu Xiaorou gave Ling Yun a key to the apartment. Ling Yun was a little confused, so Gu Xiaorou explained that she had only bought the apartment on a whim and didn't live there often. If Ling Yun needed to contact her at school in the future, it would be more convenient and there would be no restrictions.
Ling Yun didn't think much of it, simply agreeing and accepting the key. He didn't notice the girl's slightly flushed face. While her reasons were certainly plausible, things were calm now; what could be inconvenient about contacting her? Gu Xiaorou was just using a little trick, hoping for a chance to be alone with this blockhead in the future.
If it were just the two of us, living in this house forever, wouldn't that be wonderful? For some reason, looking at Ling Yun wearing the new clothes she had carefully chosen herself, Gu Xiaorou suddenly had a thought she would never have dared to think about before. Her heart pounded like a deer, and a thin mist clouded her bright eyes. She quickly turned her head away, afraid that Ling Yun would see her strange behavior.
Ling Yun didn't notice any change in the girl, and contentedly stretched his well-fitting casual clothes. He then walked to the roadside to hail a taxi. The clothes Gu Xiaorou had bought were exactly to his liking. They were simple yet not at all tacky, and the fit was both casual and comfortable. "It seems this little girl has quite a knack for picking clothes," Ling Yun thought to himself, a slight smile involuntarily creeping onto his lips. This was the first time he had smiled since Xiu Jie's passing; the young man had completely shaken off the influence of his negative emotions.
Seeing that he wasn't paying attention to her, Gu Xiaorou couldn't help but sigh with a touch of disappointment. Thinking that she wouldn't be able to spend these few days at school with Ling Yunru, enjoying such unreserved alone time while healed, a sense of disappointment and even regret welled up inside her. Why was the Holy Healing Technique so effective? Even if it had taken a few more days to fully heal, it would have been wonderful. What a pity…
This is probably the first time in the history of superhumans that someone has wished for their injuries to heal more slowly. However, things didn't go as planned. Gu Xiaorou's injuries not only fully healed, but she also regained about 70-80% of her original strength. As for her full strength, she will need some time to cultivate before she can fully recover. Her original strength was no less than Ling Yun's at this moment, but because she had been injured for so long, she inevitably looked a bit weak.
However, this was enough to protect herself; the miniature barrier, once disintegrated by the Holy Healing Spell, could no longer release shockwaves. The Heavenly Eye Society's pursuers had all been eliminated by Ling Yun. Gu Xiaorou could now safely hide without fear of being hunted down again. The lonely days spent living in constant fear were gone forever. Like waking from a nightmare to see the first rays of morning sunlight, the girl was naturally overjoyed.
What needs to be done now is to find her biological father according to her mother's dying words, and then hand over the Heavenly Eye to this man she has never met but is related to by blood. Of course, the scene in the novel where the father and daughter do not see each other for eighteen years and then hug each other and cry will not happen. The girl has little affection for her mother, let alone her father whom she has never met. Having lived independently all her life, she has long been used to living without parents. Even if she meets her biological father, she will be basically indifferent.
So, what should I do next? Gu Xiaorou suddenly felt her mind was a bit confused. She suddenly realized that she didn't know what she wanted to do after fulfilling her mother's last wish. The endless pursuit over the years had left her no time to think about the future. As long as she could live each day, that was wonderful.
In the morning sunlight, Gu Xiaorou looked at Ling Yun, who was waving for a taxi by the roadside. She bit her lip and quietly followed him. Perhaps, what she does in the future will still be related to him... Who knows... The girl thought to herself, her mind filled with worries.
Since it was the weekend, the two didn't need to rush back, so Ling Yun simply hailed two taxis. He took one, and Gu Xiaorou took the other. The purpose of this was to avoid being seen and arousing suspicion if they went back together. After all, they hadn't attended classes for almost half a month, and if they appeared together, they might attract attention. Right now, what they needed most was to keep a low profile.
Only then did Ling Yun remember that although he had informed Xia Zhen beforehand to help him ask for leave, Gu Xiaorou had no one to help her. She hadn't returned to school or her dormitory for so long; had the school reported her missing? Ling Yun asked worriedly. But the girl smiled mysteriously and remained silent. Ling Yun asked several times, but Gu Xiaorou only replied simply that she had a way and then said nothing more, leaving the young man completely confused. Unable to suppress his intense curiosity, but knowing that further questioning was useless, he could only get into a taxi in frustration. This caused Gu Xiaorou to giggle again.
After Gu Xiaorou's taxi disappeared into the sea of cars, Ling Yun instructed the driver to take a detour towards Jinghua University. The driver was a local veteran, probably in his forties, and very familiar with the roads. When he heard Ling Yun tell him to take this route, he assumed Ling Yun was from out of town and immediately widened his eyes, kindly reminding Ling Yun that this was essentially a detour, and that he wouldn't go against his conscience to make money off students.
Unable to explain, Ling Yun could only tell a white lie, saying that she wanted to see the street scenes of the capital, so that the driver could drive with peace of mind, that she could definitely afford the fare and would not ask for an invoice or complain later, and so on.
The driver, still somewhat skeptical, started driving. Ling Yun breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, "No wonder this is the capital; even the drivers are so courteous. If this were my hometown, which taxi driver wouldn't be happy to take advantage of such a detour?"
He called Xia Zhen on his way. Xia Zhen happened to be at school, and answered the phone after only one ring. They exchanged a few words and agreed to meet at the school gate.
Ling Yun thought to himself, "Xia Zhen will definitely have a lot of questions for me." He could tell Xia Zhen about the Nightfall Bar, Su Bingyan, the Ghost, and the superhuman behind the Ghost, but he was still hesitant about telling her about Gu Xiaorou. Although Gu Xiaorou hadn't asked him to keep it a secret, after nearly half a month of going through life and death together, the two people, who were originally distant and even somewhat antagonistic, had undergone a strange and huge change.
It was a very subtle and unique emotion; the experience of life and death had bound the two of them tightly together. Ling Yun couldn't quite describe the feeling. Was this what Lin Naimei meant by "liking" someone? The image of Gu Xiaorou's stunningly beautiful face flashed through his mind. Ling Yun suddenly felt his heart race. Recalling Gu Xiaorou's care for him over the past few days, his gaze softened involuntarily. Little by little, vivid and tender details from his recent memories immersed Ling Yun in beautiful recollections.
"Young man, you've arrived at Jinghua University." The experienced driver smiled as he looked at the boy beside him, who was deep in thought, yet a smile involuntarily appeared on his face. His focused demeanor was quite infectious. Looking at Ling Yun, the experienced driver couldn't help but think of his own son, who seemed to be a year younger than the boy and was currently studying hard in high school. He wondered if there was any hope that he could also get into the prestigious Jinghua University and become an alumnus of this young man's university.
Only young people have such energy and infectious smiles; we're all getting old. The veteran driver remarked with a sigh.