Facing Pain Directly

The illusion of burning, the boiling blood, the thunderous heartbeat.

Qing Chen felt as if the world was roaring, and his life was burning along with it.

However, the burning sensation soon began to recede. As he breathed, the flame patterns on his and Li Shutong's cheeks remained, but the air he inhaled into his lungs turned into a refreshing breeze, no longer accompanied by pain!

Lin Xiaoxiao, standing nearby, suddenly reminded him, "Hold onto your consciousness. The pain you've forgotten will soon flood your mind. All of it, remember, all of it. At that moment, you will begin to break down. If you can't get through this, no one can help you."

Qing Chen's heart tightened, because the pain Lin Xiaoxiao spoke of instantly surged into his mind:

The first time he lived alone, the finger he cut while trying to cook for himself. The moment he cut it, the blade slowly slid across his skin, and even the sensation of his fingerprints being sliced apart was recalled.

During the waterboarding, the icy water flowing into his lungs felt like poisonous saplings, their cold roots piercing his lungs.

In the dark room, the dehydration and dryness clashed with the pain of the waterboarding from the previous moment.

And the sunset on the day his mother left.

And her retreating figure with the suitcase in the sunset.

All of it surged like a tide, as if to shatter the cliff by the sea into gravel.

The fine, knife-like dark waves let out hollow whistles and wails.

Qing Chen felt as if he had returned to the waterboarding, closing his eyes.

He once again sank into a void of darkness.

A gentle voice called from the abyss, "Come with Mom."

Qing Chen replied, "I've walked this far by myself. I'll walk the rest of the way by myself too."

It felt like only a snap of the fingers had passed before he opened his eyes again.

No wonder Li Shutong said that if you couldn't get through that trial, you couldn't walk his path.

It was all for this moment.

Qing Chen's breathing was like a raging fire.

That fire seemed to burn away all his past regrets in an instant. From then on, he understood his choice and no longer needed to blame himself or look back.

The rest of his life would be all about the road ahead.

Ye Wan and Lin Xiaoxiao beside him also showed a change in their expressions. They straightened up and exchanged a glance, seemingly surprised that Qing Chen was still conscious.

They had also experienced this kind of pain. When the pain came all at once, they knew exactly what it felt like for their inner selves to collapse.

Only those who had faced every moment of pain could cross that abyss of 'questioning the heart,' sever their past from their future, and move forward.

Lin Xiaoxiao murmured, "Perhaps because Qing Chen has a photographic memory, he never forgot any of that pain..."

The human brain has a defense mechanism; it makes you deliberately forget certain things so that you can live better.

However, hyperthymesia granted Qing Chen an exceptional talent, but it also burdened him with endless pain.

He had long grown accustomed to the pain that cycled and reviewed year after year.

Qing Chen was never a pampered child of a greenhouse; long ago, he had become a devotee of suffering.

Moreover, he had already crossed that abyss.

Li Shutong slowly released his palm, sighing with emotion, "This trial went smoother than I imagined."

For some reason, after he realized what was happening, he began to feel a bit sorry for the young man before him.

No one knew what his life had truly been like, what he had carried while enjoying his talent.

The flame patterns on Qing Chen's cheeks began to fade. He asked, "What is the effect of this breathing technique?"

He asked this because he didn't feel any significant physical changes.

He only felt invigorated and incredibly relaxed, and the weakness from four days of fasting was rapidly disappearing.

"It's just an auxiliary method," Li Shutong said. "The breathing technique is about different breathing frequencies. You can't use it alone yet. Once I guide you a few more times, you'll remember its rhythm."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Li Shutong saw Qing Chen, who was meditating opposite him, his flame patterns not fading but spreading again!

For the first time, he gave a wry smile. "I forgot you can enter hyperthymesia and directly memorize the breathing rhythm."

Li Shutong had to admit that he was truly a bit helpless now. It had taken him over forty times with his teacher to barely remember the breathing frequency, and even the slightest mistake was unacceptable.

But the young man before him could do it in one go.

Li Shutong then said, "Since you don't need me to guide you on this, I'll tell you directly about the Knight's inheritance. As for the effects of the breathing technique, we can discuss that later."

"At the beginning of the Knight Organization, the founder discovered the secret of the Gene Lock."

"According to his findings, when a human completes eight Life and Death Trials, the Gene Lock will open on its own."

Li Shutong continued, "In the very beginning, you were considered a qualified Knight only after completing these eight Life and Death Trials. The Gene Lock would open, and you would become transcendent."

"Back then, there were still many Knights. They followed humanity through the Great Cataclysm era and, with the surviving humans, ushered in a new era of civilization."

"But later, the number of Knights dwindled, not because there weren't suitable candidates, but because one Life and Death Trial had to be completed in the sea. However, the entire ocean had become a Forbidden Zone. It used to be a nine-deaths-one-life situation, but now it's ten-deaths-no-life."

"Without one Life and Death Trial, the Gene Lock naturally couldn't be opened."

"But at that time, the new leader of the Knights, Qin Sheng, was also exceptionally talented. He created a new breathing technique as an aid. Successors discovered that by incorporating the breathing technique during challenges, they could unlock a portion of the Gene Lock after completing each Life and Death Trial, rather than having to complete all of them to unlock it."

"Although a Knight who has only completed one Life and Death Trial isn't as powerful as one who has completed eight, once everyone completes the sixth one, their strength will comprehensively surpass the older generation of Knights."

"If we were to divide them according to the Inner World's ranking system, there would be six levels: A, B, C, D, E, and F. Those who complete the sixth trial are ranked A."

Qing Chen was taken aback. He hadn't expected the Transcendental beings in this world to have such distinct power classifications.

He suddenly asked, "Then, Teacher, what's your rank?"

Ye Wan chimed in from the side, "The boss is S-rank."

This was because Li Shutong had already completed the seventh Life and Death Trial, with only the last one remaining.

"But what's so magical about this Breathing Technique that it can assist in unlocking the Gene Lock?" Qing Chen inquired.

His heart was filled with excitement as he felt he was touching the threshold of a New World, yet he still had some lingering doubts.

"You should know about endorphins," Li Shutong said.

Although Qing Chen had a photographic memory, he hadn't paid much attention to this area before. He could only rely on the information in his memory and replied, "Like dopamine, it's a secretion that brings happiness, but there's a difference: dopamine is obtained from playing games, winning the lottery, or gambling, while the exhilaration and relief after exercise come from endorphins."

Li Shutong shook his head. "That's what those motivational speeches say, but dopamine doesn't directly make people happy. It's just a neurotransmitter responsible for transporting serotonin-like substances that make people happy. However, in layman's terms, it's not wrong to say dopamine brings happiness, but you need to understand one thing: it doesn't provide happiness, but rather the craving for addiction."

"What about endorphins then?" Qing Chen asked.

"Endorphins are substances that provide sweetness after bitterness. They bind to the body's morphine receptors and have a pain-relieving effect, but that's just their most basic function," Li Shutong explained. "The predecessor, Qin Sheng, conducted rigorous tests and discovered that after Knights complete a certain Life and Death Trial, their bodies secrete a large amount of endorphins."

"Therefore, he believed that dopamine is a poison that leads to downfall, while endorphins are the key to unlocking the Gene Lock."

"And so, a new creed emerged within the Knight Organization: A life that has endured suffering is a more elevated one."