A Genius Among Geniuses?

Zhen Jin slowly regained consciousness after an unknown amount of time.

Crisp birdsong reached his ears, followed by a gentle breeze carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Zhen Jin stared blankly for a moment before coming back to himself.

The first thing he noticed was that the excruciating pain that had tormented him was gone, leaving only a dull ache.

He tried to raise his head and found that the unbearable, terrifying dizziness had vanished completely as well.

Then he discovered that he was covered in Bandages, especially around his waist and abdomen, where layer after layer had been wrapped around him, faintly stained with blood.

Zhen Jin strained his arms and laboriously propped up his upper body.

He had no strength anywhere in his body, as though he had gone hungry for more than ten days. His mouth and throat were parched, and he desperately craved water.

When he finally managed to sit up from the ground, he froze.

He looked at his arms and hands.

His arm bones had originally suffered comminuted fractures, and the Monkey-Tailed Brown Bear had smashed the flesh of his arms into pulp. Yet now, they had almost completely healed!

Only the surfaces of both arms were an unnatural red, as if they had been boiled.

Did Zi Di really manage it? What miraculous skill! Zhen Jin could not help marveling inwardly.

If it had been magic or divine arts, the difficulty would not have been particularly high. But here, Zi Di could not use her spells. To accomplish this through potions alone was truly extraordinary.

Could my Fiancee be a Potion Master? Zhen Jin could not help guessing again.

He looked around, but Zi Di was nowhere to be seen.

The Boy soon realized that he was no longer deep inside the Mountain Cave. This was not where he had fought the brown bear to the death, but an area much closer to the entrance.

That was why the ore here was sparse, the air was not scorching, and birdsong from outside could still be heard.

As he felt the intermittent breeze blowing in and listened to the crisp birdsong, Zhen Jin's emotions gradually began to surge.

His gaze fell upon the cave entrance, where a blue-and-red wildflower bloomed tenaciously from the cave wall.

Zhen Jin watched it silently. Gradually, his eyes reddened, and he nearly burst into tears.

After being immersed in the struggle between life and death, even an ordinary sight became something he treasured all the more.

He looked at that most inconspicuous wildflower, at its delicate little petals trembling lightly in the breeze, and a stirring rose within his entire being.

It was the stirring of life!

"I'm alive. I'm still alive!" The joy of survival washed over him like seawater covering a beach, endless and unceasing, leaving Zhen Jin unable to contain himself.

Only after a long while did Zhen Jin's turbulent emotions slowly subside.

Then new worries arose.

This place was still rather dangerous.

Zhen Jin had not forgotten that many Scaled Horn Black Panther corpses lay outside the cave. That fresh flesh and blood would attract carnivores.

After several days of experience, Zhen Jin had fully understood the dangers of this island. It would not be excessive to overestimate them.

The Boy tried to stand, but his attempt failed.

Being able to sit up was already his absolute limit.

His entire body was weak and limp. His waist and abdomen in particular felt as though a huge chunk had been gouged out, and his legs did not possess the slightest bit of strength.

"You're awake!" A familiar voice came from nearby.

Zi Di appeared at the cave entrance. She froze in place, her face full of disbelief.

Zhen Jin nodded at her and smiled faintly.

Zi Di finally confirmed that it was real. Her emotions surged, and after taking several steps, she nearly threw herself into Zhen Jin's arms.

As her soft body fell into his embrace, Zhen Jin nearly toppled backward.

He patted his Fiancee's slender shoulder, his voice much hoarser than before. "I listened to you. I didn't give up."

"Mm!" Zi Di nodded and released Zhen Jin, no longer holding him tightly. Her violet eyes stared unblinkingly at the Boy.

Their gazes met.

Zi Di said emotionally, "Sir Zhen Jin, you are a true Temple Knight!"

For a moment, the Young Knight felt the girl's overflowing admiration and affection, all of it completely undisguised.

Zhen Jin gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Not yet. Even now, I still can't use battle qi."

Zi Di said firmly, "You will definitely remember how!"

The girl had far more confidence in Zhen Jin than he had in himself.

"Sir, while you were unconscious, I also cleaned up the battlefield and dealt with the bear and black panther corpses."

"I used the brown bear's blood to make a temporary potion. I scattered it around the cave entrance, and this place is now filled with the brown bear's scent. It should be enough to deter other predators. For the time being, this place is safe."

"Also, I explored deeper into the Mountain Cave and reached the end. There is only one path in this cave. Sir, your decision back then was incomparably wise!"

Zhen Jin nodded repeatedly, and the worries in his heart finally dissipated.

"Sir, how do you feel now?" Zi Di began examining Zhen Jin's wounds again.

"I feel quite good. I just have no strength at all," Zhen Jin answered honestly.

Watching Zi Di lower her head and busy herself, his appreciation for the girl grew ever deeper.

The girl herself was Iron-level. Even though she could not use magic here, she still possessed formidable skill in preparing potions.

From the current situation, Zhen Jin's willingness to risk his life to protect her had brought him a generous return.

Without the girl's help, Zhen Jin would likely have died long ago!

Yet beyond admiration and gratitude, another kind of emotion stirred within Zhen Jin.

Zi Di and Zhen Jin were closely connected; they were engaged to each other. Zhen Jin initially judged that there was likely more to their relationship, something rather complicated.

But regardless of the specifics, after going through life and death together, the bond of sharing the same boat was genuine.

"Sir, your condition is currently very stable. The reason you are weak is simply that you have not rested enough. As long as you replenish enough food and water, you should be able to walk normally in a few days," Zi Di concluded seriously after examining him.

"All of this is thanks to your potions," Zhen Jin praised.

Zi Di shook her head. "The situation was urgent, and the conditions for making potions were far too crude. To be honest, I had no confidence at all. I only did my utmost, and I never expected such miraculous results! Perhaps..."

Zi Di hesitated. Her beautiful violet eyes fixed on the Boy, shining brightly with unconcealed curiosity and scrutiny.

Zhen Jin smiled. "What do you want to ask? There is no need to hold back."

Zi Di immediately said, "Sir, are you truly only Silver-level, rather than Gold?"

Zhen Jin pondered. "Why do you suspect that?"

Zi Di said, "Sir, perhaps my potion did have an effect. But I think that possibility is too low. I believe it is more likely that you yourself possess exceptionally strong vitality!"

"This kind of foundation of life is not something a Silver-level existence can possess. Only a Gold-level life form would display such traits. You survived this ordeal mainly because of your own healing ability."

"You think my cultivation is not Silver-level, but Gold?" Zhen Jin frowned slightly.

He could not help looking at his arms again.

Now, his arms were almost as good as new.

The Boy remembered clearly how horrific the injuries to his arms had been before.

The wounds around his waist and abdomen had also been extremely serious. But according to Zi Di's recent observation, the wound on his abdomen had vanished, replaced by fresh pink flesh.

Honestly speaking, this level of healing was only slightly inferior to regrowing severed limbs.

Was it really the effect of the potion? Zhen Jin could not help doubting it as well.

His heart suddenly leaped. Could it be that my talent is exceptional? That I am not merely Silver-level, but possess Gold-level cultivation?! Could I be a genius among geniuses?

Then why would I hide such talent?

Could it be that I feared someone would crush me while I was still a budding seed? Was that why I endured and concealed myself until now?

Filled with doubts, Zhen Jin racked his brains but could find no answer. He could only shake his head with a bitter smile.

He said to Zi Di, "Your guess is indeed possible, but I cannot answer you either. Only a few brief fragments of my memories have returned."

Unfortunately, even as the person involved, the Boy did not know the truth.

Zi Di brought over a Water Skin. Zhen Jin took it and drank from it in small sips.

"Sir, how does drinking water feel?" The girl's face was filled with concern and tension.

Zhen Jin carefully considered it before saying, "There is no pain. It seems the same as usual."

Upon hearing that, Zi Di let out a breath of Stale Air. "That is good, but we still need to observe you."

Zhen Jin only drank water and did not eat anything. Even the water, he drank only a small amount.

Although it only slightly relieved his thirst, Zhen Jin knew that this was necessary.

Though his wounds appeared to have healed well externally, no one could tell the condition of his internal injuries with the naked eye alone.

Zi Di had no way to use magic here and was not a professional physician. Zhen Jin also could not activate battle qi.

After drinking a little water, Zhen Jin lay back down to rest and gradually relaxed.

After Zi Di explored the end of the Mountain Cave, she came to a conclusion—the cave had been dug so deeply almost entirely because of that Monkey-Tailed Brown Bear. It had continuously devoured ore within the mountain, gradually creating this cave.

The great length of the Mountain Cave proved that the Monkey-Tailed Brown Bear had lived here for a long time.

The Monkey-Tailed Brown Bear was a Silver-level ferocious beast. By living here, it had established sufficient authority to intimidate the surrounding predators. The area centered around it had already formed a somewhat fixed territory.

Especially since the previous pack of Scaled Horn Black Panthers had been defeated, no predators should dare offend this place anytime soon.

After all, those beasts had no idea that the brown bear had already been killed by Zhen Jin.

For the moment, the surrounding situation appeared relatively safe. This Mountain Cave could serve as a secure campsite.

Zhen Jin woke in the morning. At noon, he drank some more water. This time, he drank a little more.

By the afternoon, he felt the urge to urinate.

However, his entire body was still weak and limp, and he could not stand.

"Sir, let me help you." Zi Di had been watching Zhen Jin closely. She was very good at reading people, and the instant she noticed the slightest trace of embarrassment on the Boy's face, she understood.

Zhen Jin had no choice but to lie on the ground and, with Zi Di's help, successfully relieved himself.

"Sir, I am your Fiancee. There is no need to feel embarrassed." Though Zi Di said this, two adorable blushes still rose on her cheeks. A few strands of hair before her forehead curled slightly upward, as if steam were rising from her entire little head.

Zi Di not only helped Zhen Jin pull up his trousers, but also carefully examined his urine.

"Sir, judging from this, your injuries are recovering well. You can drink water without concern now. But you still need to be cautious about eating." A moment later, Zi Di reported with delight.

Zhen Jin nodded. He felt a little pleased as well.

The human digestive and urinary systems were extremely important. Zhen Jin would rather lose both arms than have problems with digestion or urination. Losing arms was highly inconvenient, but serious failures in digestion or urination could threaten one's life.

When night fell, Zhen Jin began eating.

Rough Dried Food had nothing whatsoever to do with the word "delicious." Yet Zhen Jin ate with great satisfaction, even feeling a happiness that arose naturally from within.

To tell the truth, the Boy was ravenous enough to eat several cows in one meal.

But he forcibly restrained himself. Following the same procedure as with drinking water, he ate only a tiny amount of Dried Food the first time.

After waking the next day, he had recovered some strength and could stand on his own, though he still could not walk more than a few steps.

He did not feel dizzy, only severely lacking in strength.

He even felt as though his arms were heavy and cumbersome, almost too much of a burden to bear.

The Boy did not force himself. Wisdom and patience were also virtues revered by Temple Knights.

He ate some in the morning and more at noon.

By evening, he successfully passed a bowel movement.

Although Zi Di wanted to help, this time Zhen Jin insisted on handling it himself.

After Zi Di examined Zhen Jin's stool, she said happily, "Sir, your body is recovering very well. More precisely, it is recovering astonishingly well. Physical qualities like these are absolutely not something a Silver-level existence can possess."

Zi Di stared at Zhen Jin, her violet eyes blazing with fervent light.

(A piece of good news for everyone: the Gu World Black Heaven Group has been unbanned. It is currently still a full group of nearly 3,000 people and is suitable for discussing "Gu Zhen Ren." The Infinite Bloodcore Official Group has also been unbanned. Its group number is 676199473. It is for discussing the new book "Infinite Bloodcore," has been upgraded into a thousand-member group, and is open to everyone interested. The Infinite Bloodcore Official Deacon Group is for legitimate readers and has certain entry requirements. You must first join the Infinite Bloodcore Deacon Group Verification Group, 316556526, for verification. At present, these are the only official groups for the two books.)

(This Saturday at around 8 p.m., there will be a QQ group check-in event. I will make appearances in unofficial groups at that time, then leave those unofficial groups afterward. The event will mainly answer questions about the new book, listen to everyone's reading impressions, and actively take in your suggestions. I am very sorry, but there are simply too many groups, and my personal energy is too limited. In the future, I will be active in the official groups, while groups established by readers can coordinate with them. As for the system for such coordination, I am currently discussing it with the administrators.)

(I know everyone's hopes for "Gu Zhen Ren," but please try not to tie the two books together. Doing so will affect everyone's reading experience. The two books are different, and the new protagonist will have a new character and presence. I have put my full effort into both works. I actually rather regret telling everyone about the slightly cold-blooded style, because many people were influenced by those words and consequently had a diminished reading experience.)

(The new book should be viewed with entirely fresh eyes. What I mean is that everyone should try to set aside the influence of "Gu Zhen Ren" and immerse yourselves wholeheartedly in a new story. At the same time, I hope everyone can set aside certain reading habits formed by web novels. Most web novels are fast songs, while this book is a slow song. They offer two different kinds of brilliance. A slow song requires time, patience, calmness, and lingering reflection.)

(This is a small piece of reading advice from me. This book will be written over two to three years. Let time prove all of this.)