A Powerful Backer

"No way, he's actually doing it."

The wooden boards in the underground garage were far from soundproof. Bai Xinxin, who was reviewing on her tablet through her Personal Terminal, heard that familiar pig-slaughtering scream and could not help muttering to herself.

"Third Brother is really brave. Dad already went to get the Gene Potion he earned for him."

Bai Congcong exclaimed in amazement as well.

"What are you standing around for? Boil some water."

Bai Xinxin put down her tablet and spoke helplessly.

"Uh, okay..."

Bai Congcong agreed, but as he went to boil water, he could not help asking,

"Big Sis, why are we boiling water?"

"Did you forget what happened when he pooped his pants last time? Better prepare in advance so it's easier to clean up."

Bai Xinxin rolled her eyes, looking somewhat disdainful.

But in the end, she could only sigh helplessly. Sigh, this idiot really never stopped worrying people...

Still, choosing to break through on his own meant he was starting to get a clue.

His talent was clearly so good, yet he had always squandered it. At least he finally understood something...

After extreme pain came extreme itching.

And once that inside-out itching ended, it was followed by an indescribable sense of comfort.

Evolution at the genetic level made the brain secrete more dopamine, crazily telling him to do it again next time, making it hard not to lose himself in it.

But Su Shijie did not indulge in that pleasant, motionless bliss.

Instead, he seized the chance to enter Spiritual Energy Guidance Mode again. Taking advantage of the boost from his recent breakthrough, he accelerated the infiltration a little further. Only when the effect gradually faded did he slowly awaken.

The first thing Su Shijie did after opening his eyes was reach down and feel his crotch. It was not very wet. Good, just sweat.

His butt was still fairly dry too. There was none of that socially humiliating feeling he did not want to remember.

That made Su Shijie let out a huge sigh of relief.

Then the door was gently pushed open.

Against Bai Xinxin, a Mortal Tier Level 9, locking the door would not have been much use anyway, so he had simply not bothered.

But this time, it was not his nasty little sister poking her head in first. It was his well-behaved younger brother.

"Third Brother, are you okay?"

"What kind of expression is that? Are you thinking something horrible?"

"It's dry! Dry! I didn't change!"

Su Shijie stood up and tugged at his pants, seeming to desperately prove something.

But he clearly saw Bai Congcong's relieved expression.

It was over, completely over. Even his little brother had such a deeply ingrained impression of him. Maybe he should just destroy the world.

For a moment, Su Shijie felt his soul essence capture a small amount of unusual emotion, and his mental energy recovered somewhat as well.

Compared with directly devouring the remnants of an evil spirit,

absorbing emotions had a negligible effect on his transformation.

The accumulation of the previous eighteen years was only about equivalent to that one evil spirit.

Based on Su Shijie's estimate of his own "appetite," his next transformation would probably require absorbing five ordinary evil spirits like the previous one, or something equivalent.

At least for now, stirring up emotions was more useful for aiding recovery. It still fell a little short when it came to accumulating Bloodline Transformation.

Unless there were truly enough people.

Streaming?

There were livestreams these days, but environmental conditions and signal issues severely limited them. There was no point considering it early on. It was not something a small fry like him could think about.

Because of Spiritual Energy, all kinds of communication equipment suffered interference these days. Other than places like shelters and Floating Cities that had dedicated large-scale equipment connected to satellite signals,

Personal Terminals in the wilderness found it difficult to obtain satellite channels. At most, they could be paired with walkie-talkies for short-range communication.

Honestly, even if he really had his own dedicated satellite channel now, he had nothing worth streaming.

What, livestream himself eating evil spirits raw?

If his secret were truly exposed, the trouble would probably be no small matter.

When even a single Bloodline Transformation was a near-death experience for normal people, and those who could transform two or three times were exceedingly rare among all humanity, the convenience brought by his essence was simply too terrifying.

It was precisely because he was in the Advanced Class and knew more that he was more afraid.

And it was connected to an evil god.

If the secret were really discovered, someone could casually pin a charge on him and leave him trapped between life and death.

A secret like this had to...

Uh, he should wait until Dad came back and discuss it with him. Get some advice.

Su Shijie's thoughts kept turning, but he ultimately made his decision.

As the memories of his childhood gradually resurfaced, Su Shijie naturally knew what his father had done for him.

Although the memories of his previous life had made him somewhat "greasy," they had also taught him more deeply how precious family was.

Perhaps there really were parents in the world who treated their children badly, but most parents loved their children selflessly and asked for nothing in return.

At the very least, his eldest dad, Su Ren, was that kind of person.

A powerhouse at Late Awakened Rank 9, his eldest dad might already have become a Transformation Tier if not for his injuries.

Whether it was the experience he had gained roaming around in his youth or his own knowledge, he far surpassed Su Shijie at present.

An experienced father he could rely on—if he did not trust him or seek his advice, and instead relied entirely on his own wild guesses, would that not be stupid?

"Third Brother, the hot water is here. You should still take a bath."

Bai Congcong brought several thermoses of boiling water in from outside.

He also pushed in a large wooden tub big enough for a bath.

Black lines immediately appeared across Su Shijie's forehead as he sat there thinking.

"Come wash with me! Scrub my back!"

"Huh?"

A little exasperated, Su Shijie pounced out at once, wearing the expression of a great demon king.

Bai Xinxin, who had been reviewing outside while keeping an ear on them, could not help sighing.

Then she shook her head and went over to close the door.

"Ah, so comfortable~ Congcong, your technique is getting better and better. Your future wife will definitely be very happy."

With a hot towel covering his head, Su Shijie lay over the edge of the wooden tub, his face full of relaxed intoxication.

He had just completed his advancement, taken a bath, and had his younger brother expertly scrubbing and massaging his back. This easygoing life really corroded one's will.

His half-closed eyes opened. Beneath his relaxation, however, Su Shijie felt a heavier burden settle in his heart.

If one could lie flat, no one truly wanted to suffer.

But at the very least, he had to ensure his own safety. He had to make sure he could protect his family and guard this peaceful little home.

Su Shijie had never had much ambition, whether in his previous life or this one.

But after the earlier evil spirit attack that had brought him so close to death, he realized that living freely and safely for a lifetime was not such a simple matter.

Especially in this strange era.

Bai Congcong rubbed some plant essential oil into his hands and skillfully worked on Su Shijie's back. Hearing Su Shijie's praise, he looked a little bashful.

"I'm only sixteen, Third Brother. What are you saying?"

Then he spoke with a face full of emotion.

"But Third Brother, you really surprised me today.

"Dad will probably bring your Awakening Potion back by tomorrow at the latest, yet you chose to break through today. That's nothing like you."

"I was just thinking that I can't lose to Bai Xinxin when we fight in the future."

Su Shijie could tell his father everything, but not his siblings.

It was not a matter of trust. Their experience and knowledge were limited, and if anything really happened, he might instead drag them into it.

Thinking about it, the pressure of having an evil god as his soul essence was quite great.

Fortunately, the core lay in the deepest part of his soul. At present, no technological means could identify it, and no one would imagine that the core of a person's soul could be an evil god.

As far as concealment went, there should not be much of a problem.

Generally speaking, the soul could roughly be divided into four layers.

The innermost core of the soul could be called humanity, personality, spirituality, or the true spirit. It represented a person's essence. Beyond humanity lay the human principle layer, protected by the sea of subconsciousness, containing a person's memories from childhood to adulthood as well as all kinds of subconscious impulses.

Above the human principle layer were a person's many thoughts. Every thought represented an idea. Without control, they would scatter into chaotic, fragmented mental activity.

Thoughts were coordinated and constrained by will. For example, when one concentrated, all thoughts worked toward one goal. But it was difficult for a person to remain highly focused for long. Usually, some thoughts scattered, leading to distraction and random daydreaming.

As for Su Shijie himself, the core humanity portion of his soul was, due to originating from another universe, essentially an evil god...

According to the knowledge currently available about souls, the soul and physical body complemented each other. Most of the soul was anchored in the brain and relied on it, while also being limited by the body's own level.

Only core humanity and part of the human principle layer existed in an unknown, unique dimension, with the subconscious human principle layer serving as the link between them.

This was a pattern that orderly civilization had gradually summarized and explored through mental confrontations with evil entities and experiences with Bloodline Transformation.

It was also why artificial life, cloned life, and artificial intelligence could not use or perceive Spiritual Energy. Perhaps it was also why artificial intelligence and mechanical instruments could not lock onto Spiritual Creatures in areas covered by Spiritual Energy.

Only Spiritual Creatures that naturally possessed a soul core could use Spiritual Energy.

That was an iron law.

"My sister and I are both planning to attend the Advanced Class. We'll be in desk jobs in the future, not combat paths."

"So am I."

Su Shijie muttered.

"But Third Brother is really amazing. You earned an Awakening Potion through gaming in such a short time. You're probably the only one in all of P-314.

"And you can even keep up in the Advanced Class without falling behind. If it were me, I definitely couldn't do it.

"My sister couldn't either."

"Haha, I'm pretty amazing after all."

At that moment, something was thrown against the door with a bang~.

Clearly, Bai Xinxin, who was studying outside, had been eavesdropping the whole time.

Bai Congcong stuck out his tongue and stopped talking about the subject.

In this regard, Big Sis was the same as Third Brother. If he said too much, they would both deal with him later.

While Bai Xinxin angrily threw a pen holder as a warning to the two of them not to talk nonsense,

the main door to the compartment opened as well.

A weathered middle-aged man with stubble on his face limped inside with a canvas bag casually slung over his shoulder.

The man wore an old Combat Suit. Most eye-catching of all, his left arm had been severed at the elbow, with something like a pirate hook casually fitted over it. The bag's strap was hanging off the hook.

Below the knee, his left leg was supported by a wooden stick.

A knife hilt protruded from his left waist, its blade haphazardly wrapped in worn leather.

He had a holster tucked beneath his arm, with the grip of a gun exposed.

The moment he entered, a sour smell drifted in with him.

"Haha, Xinxin is still working so hard. Come, give Daddy a sweet kiss."

The middle-aged man made an exaggerated expression, earning a disgusted look from Bai Xinxin.

She directly hugged her tablet and returned to her room.

"Dinner's in the pot. Tell Congcong to heat it up later."

Her crisp, annoyed voice came from the room, followed by the door closing...

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Group number: 142206324. But due to time constraints, I can only occasionally lurk, and I rarely chat. Please forgive me; there are quite a lot of trivial matters in life...