Chapter 136: Absorbing the Crystal Core

Chapter 136: Absorbing the Crystal Core

Xiao Hua sat calmly on the sofa, holding the level five crystal core in her hand, and began to absorb it.

The light within the crystal core flowed, and strands of energy formed thin threads that surged into Xiao Hua's body.

Honestly, she didn’t need to rush. After all, Dr. Cao's effects would completely disappear in a few days, and Xiao Hua could’ve waited a bit longer.

But after this period of struggle, Xiao Hua found that her psychic energy had improved significantly, and the energy in her body had grown more refined.

At first, she didn’t realize why, until she noticed that every time she woke from a nightmare, her psychic energy would become stronger.

It was a strange contradiction.

Xiao Hua was plagued by nightmares, her face looking haggard, yet her psychic energy kept growing.

Her body was exhausted, but her spirit stayed oddly energized.

So, while the nightmares hadn’t fully ended, she decided to seize the chance to grab one last chance to level up.

Dr. Cao had been screwing her over for so long, Xiao Hua figured she deserved some payback.

The energy within the crystal core had only been absorbed by a third when the progress suddenly stalled.

Bai Mu tightened his fists, his eyes glued to Xiao Hua.

He knew her plan and didn’t think to stop her, but seeing the scene before him, he couldn’t help but worry.

Xiao Hua’s brows furrowed slightly, and soon her face turned pale, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead, streaming down her cheeks.

Bai Mu pulled a handkerchief from his storage space and gently wiped the sweat from Xiao Hua's head.

He looked her straight in the eye, his voice soft, "Xiao Hua, keep it up."

Xiao Hua fell into a dream again.

She looked at the familiar scene and the familiar person, her heart already devoid of any fluctuations, only sighing.

Here we go again.

Standing opposite her was a person exactly like her, the two facing each other.

Xiao Hua raised an eyebrow, then lightly licked her lips, curling them into a slight smile, "Haven’t seen you in a few days, missed you so much, hope you’re well."

The person opposite was completely shrouded in shadow, her face gloomy and cold, completely opposite to Xiao Hua's temperament.

She looked at Xiao Hua and spoke the lines Xiao Hua had grown tired of hearing: "Fate is determined by heaven, none of us can escape."

Xiao Hua blinked and listened quietly, waiting for her to finish word for word, then finally couldn’t help but retort.

"Every day it’s the same lines, my ears are calloused. Are you an AI with no brain? Don’t you know how to change it up?"

For half a month, every day it was the same words, and now Xiao Hua not only wasn’t scared, but found it somewhat bizarre.

Dr. Cao's powers aren’t that great, they don’t even update automatically.

The person opposite: "..."

The person opposite seemed to really be an artificial intelligence, and as Xiao Hua expected, she suddenly became agitated, her voice sharp and piercing.

"You took over my body! Why did you take it? Give it back to me!"

The person charged at her, clearly intent on confronting Xiao Hua.

Normally, Bai Mu would have shaken Xiao Hua awake by now, ending the dream. But tonight, Xiao Hua was at a crucial stage of her advancement, so Brother Bai held back, letting the dream continue.

Xiao Hua glanced up, saw the person charging at her, and swiftly dodged to the side, unleashing a water dragon without a second thought.

Are powers still usable here?

Xiao Hua was mildly surprised. She had only hoped to test her luck, but it worked.

The other person countered with her powers, and then... a thin stream of water, no thicker than a thumb, formed in her hand.

Xiao Hua chuckled. It seems the original owner is still a pushover here.

The difference in their strength was stark. Xiao Hua's water dragon surged down with ferocious force, swallowing the person whole.

"Xiao Hua" flailed in the water, her breaths growing fainter, nearing death.

At the same moment, Xiao Hua felt a sharp pain in her chest. She clutched it and coughed up blood.

In the room, Xiao Hua's body convulsed, and she spat blood before collapsing onto the sofa.

Bai Mu, alarmed, rushed to Xiao Hua's side, cradling her in his arms.

"Xiao Hua! Can you hear me?"

No response. Frantic, Bai Mu checked her breathing with a finger.

Her breathing was steady, but Bai Mu remained tense. He glanced at the crystal nucleus clenched in Xiao Hua's hand, wanting to pry it loose.

He pried open her hand, her fingers limp, but the crystal nucleus clung to her palm like it was superglued.

Bai Mu tugged at the crystal nucleus, but her skin lifted, threatening to tear.

Bai Mu froze, afraid to move.

This was too strange. Xiao Hua and the crystal nucleus were fused, making it impossible to stop the absorption.

Bai Mu had a way to stop it—he'd lived many lives and wasn't without tricks. But he feared hurting her, worried his help might do more harm than good.

He held back, unwilling to take any risks.

Bai Mu's dark eyes lowered as he thought for a moment, then he looked up at Xiao Hua.

He smiled softly, his voice warm, "Give it half an hour. If you don't wake up, I'll have to pull you back, no matter what."

Whatever it takes.