Chapter 325: Enlightenment Through Abandoning the Flesh
In the early morning hours, as the first light of dawn stretched across the sky, Fu Hua walked quietly down a winding corridor. She carefully carried a pot of thick egg-and-meat congee that had been simmering for a long while, finally arriving at a small open-air pavilion.
Under the tiled eaves, Sigurd sat comfortably, flipping through a book with one hand while sipping hot water with the other—relaxed, unbothered.
On the opposite side, someone lay sprawled across a stone slab bed, wrapped from head to toe in thick bandages and braced in rigid splints on all four limbs. A super-critical patient, to put it lightly.
The moment she saw Fu Hua, the bandaged figure squirmed with excitement, letting out a garbled string of noises muffled by medical wrappings.
"Mmm-mmhh-mhh-mm!"
Fu Hua sighed.
"What do you want me to say? Weren't you the one who couldn't wait to challenge him to a duel? Sigurd just gave you exactly what you asked for. Granted, it is a bit… brutal… pfft!"
"Mmm! Mmm!!"
"Alright, alright! I'm sorry, I won't laugh. Here, eat something."
Fu Hua first filled a bowl for Sigurd and handed it to him. Then she brought another over to Senti's side and sat down beside the stone bed. Carefully peeling back the bandages to expose her mouth, she gently blew on the steaming porridge and began to feed her.
Senti finally settled down.
When Fu Hua lifted the spoon to her lips, looking at her with that doting, tender gaze—what else could Senti do? All her frustration and complaints vanished like smoke. She obediently ate the porridge.
And truth be told… it was really delicious.
After some time, Senti's belly began to bulge ever so slightly. She gave a loud, satisfied burp.
"Burp—"
Her eyes, the only part visible beneath the bandages, glowed with pure, unfiltered contentment.
"Aah, I'm stuffed, I'm stuffed… But seriously, what the hell are you made of? Having a stronger body than me is fair, and your martial arts are good enough, sure, I can accept that… But that kind of power?! And how did my Blade Eminence fail to knock you out?!"
Sigurd replied calmly.
"I was already aware of the properties of Blade Eminence—a pinnacle spiritual attack. Naturally, I've studied and prepared for it. It's simply another form of life-based data. Once I understood the underlying mechanics, I could simulate and neutralize it. I haven't surpassed Fu Hua's Blade Eminence yet, but in terms of mental defenses, I have more than enough tools."
"Then what's with your body? That strength, defense, and recovery— You call that human?!"
"Science," Sigurd answered succinctly.
"You deal in mysticism—I deal in repeatable data. My body is the result of systematic enhancement in every possible category. Within human parameters, I doubt anyone in the last fifty millennia has outmatched me."
Though Sigurd's tone remained respectful, the sheer contrast between an R&D super-elite and someone who might as well be illiterate in scientific principles made even Fu Hua on the sidelines feel awkward enough to curl her toes.
Senti was less subtle.
She shattered the splints and bandages on her body in a sudden burst of defiance, jumped to her feet, slammed the table, and roared:
"YOU DAMN—CHEATER! That's totally cheating!!"
Sigurd replied with unbothered composure:
"You're a Herrscher empowered by divine knowledge and backed by Fu Hua's millennia of martial mastery. Compared to the others, you're the cheat."
Looking at Senti in her wrinkled hospital gown, her face bruised and bandaged, Sigurd maintained his calm like an immovable mountain.
Senti was still ready to unleash another tirade—but a soft, pale hand gently rested on her shoulder.
"Senti…" Fu Hua said sweetly, her voice like water, "Didn't I tell you? You really need to rest properly to recover."
Senti stiffened. Before she could find a clever excuse, all her injuries—fractures, torn muscles, internal organ damage—flared up at once. Pain erupted throughout her body.
"AAAGHH!!"
Just a moment ago she was full of fire and fury, and now she was flat on the floor, spasming like a stunned shrimp, desperately trying to squirm the pain away.
Fu Hua's brief flash of anger subsided. She looked helplessly at Sigurd.
Sigurd took a sip of his water, replying casually:
"I didn't administer any anesthetics or painkillers."
"…Why not?"
"To prevent her from doing exactly what she just did."
"Fair enough."
Fu Hua bowed her head with a tired sigh.
Indeed—just enough pain was the best medicine to stop a reckless brat from self-destructing in recovery.
She knelt in front of the stiff, sweat-drenched Senti and gently poked her on the forehead.
"Now, do you get it? Herrscher powers and deep martial mastery are incredible, yes—they let you leap far beyond what other Herrschers could dream of. But there will always be a greater force out there. Kevin's accumulation is no less than ours, and he started off even stronger. Did you ever have the upper hand against him in the Cosmic Juggernaut?"
"And Sigurd? You've now seen it for yourself: his scientific achievements grant him infinite potential. That perfect body and mastery of martial arts are just the beginning. There's still his swarm drones, black armor, simulated God Keys… Think hard—have you really seen what he's hiding beneath the surface?"
"Even if you surpass all these challenges… Senti, our true enemy is something far greater: the End, an apocalypse beyond reckoning."
By this point, even someone as composed and detached as Fu Hua couldn't help but let a faint trace of sorrow and uncertainty creep into her voice.
But she didn't linger in those emotions for long. She tapped Senti gently on the forehead again, her voice soft and warm:
"I'm not trying to make you suffer. I just want you to change that arrogant belief that you're above everything. The path of martial arts has no end, I'm still seeking and moving forward myself. I want you to understand that there will always be someone stronger than you. Don't be content with what you've already achieved. If one day you surpass me, I'll genuinely be happy for you. Alright now, stop resisting. Just rest for a while."
She soothed Senti's mind with her words, and Senti, no longer resisting, obediently drifted off into sleep.
Fu Hua lifted her up and laid her gently back onto the nearby stone slab bed, covering her with a thin blanket. A small, serene smile appeared on her face.
Sigurd walked over at that moment and leaned down to examine Senti.
"Vital signs are stable. I held back just enough. With her current constitution, she'll be mostly recovered when she wakes up."
"I know." Fu Hua nodded.
"Thanks to you… otherwise, I really wouldn't have known what to do…"
She was about to say more, but was interrupted by a soft murmur from the sleeping Senti.
Still slumbering peacefully, she held onto Fu Hua's hand and whispered faintly:
"Old Timer… I'll… protect you…"
Fu Hua paused. For a few moments, she said nothing. Then she smiled—tender and full of warmth, like sunlight after a long winter.
Sigurd, meanwhile, spoke up suddenly:
"By the way… have you noticed that lately, you've started forgetting that this is still your body too?"
He pointed to the sleeping Senti, his expression unreadable as he looked at Fu Hua.
He knew her nature: indifferent to control, gentle to a fault, and unusually indulgent when it came to Senti to the point it bordered on doting. But from the way things had been going lately… was it possible she had become so detached that she was actually planning to give up this body entirely, letting Senti use it full-time?
"Huh?"
Fu Hua blinked, a little dumbfounded.
She took a moment to think back. And yes… she had slowly but surely grown more used to letting Senti take the reins. Even when this body was injured, she barely felt like it was hers anymore. In a sense, it showed that she no longer saw Senti as a "secondary personality," but rather as a fully distinct and independent existence.
After a moment of reflection, Fu Hua held Senti's hand—technically still her own—and let out a quiet, accepting laugh.
"Mm… it's not really a big deal, is it? Senti doesn't act out during battle, so during peacetime… I can just stay in the mental realm or use a Soulium. It doesn't bother me."
"…"
Sigurd was speechless in the face of such nonchalance.
Well… it was her private decision. As long as she was happy with it, who was he to object?
"Oh right—just now, I ran into Zhuge Kongming. She said she was afraid you wouldn't agree to see her, so she asked me to pass along a message."
"What message?"
"There's supposedly an altar under the sea—legend says it contains a power that can grant any wish. She hoped it might be useful to you."
Fu Hua frowned slightly.
"A power that grants wishes? That's obviously fake. But… maybe there's something interesting there. Still, I'm surprised she'd hand over such a clue so easily. Doesn't she worry what you'll do with it?"
By strict calculation, Sigurd had only been acquainted with the people of this world for a few months. His relationship with Kongming was even newer. Throughout that time, he had kept himself deliberately distant—avoiding emotional entanglements, devoting himself entirely to his work. His interactions with the four from Huángguó were purely professional.
In short, they weren't close.
For Kongming to share information about a supposed power that could grant wishes? That was more than reckless. What if he had hidden intentions? What if he decided to misuse it? How could they be sure he wouldn't?
But as Sigurd thought it over, he began to understand.
For one, he had already recorded all the ancient texts in the library—if such information existed, it wasn't exactly a secret anymore. And two, it is just a legend—Kongming probably didn't believe it herself. Maybe she just wanted to give it a try.
And if it worked—if it got Sigurd interested, made him stay a little longer, maybe even convinced him to lead the nation forward…
Then yes. That former crown heir was clearly racking her brain for ways to make him stay.
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