Chapter 77: Superpower Restored

Chapter 77: Restoration of Superpowers

By this time, people in the research institute hall had begun to leave in a steady stream. Even Han Yaokun, who had left the earliest, had only just reached the institute's entrance when he suddenly heard a scream. Startled, he was about to turn around to see who had screamed when he heard Gu Jinsheng's panicked voice shouting "Xiao An."

Han Yaokun's face fell. Regardless of any personal grudges between him and Ji An, Han Yaokun didn’t want anything bad to happen to Ji An. After all, Ji An's brilliance was undeniable—as an ordinary person, he had managed to create the treatment pod and directional cultivation technology. That kind of skill was downright miraculous!

"It's Ji An!" Han Yaokun heard Zhou Fanxiu's worried voice and was just about to ask Zhou Fanxiu to check on Ji An when he suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of psychic force.

This psychic force came from an unknown source, incredibly powerful, like an ocean surge—limitless and crushing.

It filled the entire hall, mercilessly probing the minds of everyone inside. It seemed no one could hide their secrets from it; it could uncover whatever it wanted to know.

Han Yaokun was horrified. He mustered all his strength to resist this inexplicable psychic intrusion, but it was futile. He could feel his innermost secrets being rapidly flipped through.

He wasn’t the only one. Many around him had already fallen into a state of numbness characteristic of mental control—their eyes glazed over, drool trickling from their mouths.

Even many high-level superpowered individuals from the command center, who lacked psychic abilities, had been affected. Some performed even worse than lower-level psychic superpowered individuals.

Han Yaokun desperately fought against the psychic force probing his mind while shouting, "Commander-in-Chief Gu, something’s wrong! Someone is using psychic energy to invade everyone’s minds. It’s likely the work of a peak-level psychic superpowered from Country M or Country R. You must think of a solution!"

At that moment, Gu Jinsheng was sitting in the hall, holding Ji An in his arms. He seemed to hear Han Yaokun’s words, yet also seemed not to. Han Yaokun’s voice seemed to echo from some faraway realm—as though they were separated by dimensions, one in the sky and the other on the ground, divided by dimensional walls.

Gu Jinsheng turned his head and saw Ji An sitting amidst a sea of blooming flowers. Golden sunlight enveloped him, making him luminous to the point of pain. Ji An was smiling at him, bright and warm.

Ji An stretched out his hand toward Gu Jinsheng in an inviting gesture and said, "Jinsheng, look how beautiful this flower field is! And that ocean over there—boundless, meeting the sky at the horizon. Isn’t it stunning?"

Gu Jinsheng glanced briefly. It was indeed beautiful, but he wanted to say that none of it compared to Ji An’s beauty.

Today, Ji An looked exceptionally beautiful, different from any other day. Yet, Gu Jinsheng couldn’t pinpoint exactly how.

But it didn’t matter. Now that Ji An was reaching out to him, Gu Jinsheng only wanted to take his hand and never let go—for a lifetime.

"Commander-in-Chief Gu… Commander-in-Chief Gu…" A frantic voice called from somewhere far, far away, barely audible to Gu Jinsheng.

Just as his hand was about to grasp Ji An’s, Gu Jinsheng was suddenly struck by a powerful force. Then, he felt something being placed on his head—like a spatial barrier, standing between him and Ji An. The smiling Ji An, waiting for him with outstretched hand, vanished in an instant.

Furious, Gu Jinsheng lashed out with his powers on instinct.

"Boss! Boss! It’s me—Wan Xueying!" Wan Xueying’s terrified voice rang out. At the same time, Gu Jinsheng snapped out of his daze and recognized the female superpowered he had pinned to the ground, her face drained of color.

"Wan Xueying?" Gu Jinsheng questioned, then looked around. He realized that, at some point, the entire research institute hall had been placed under lockdown. The command center’s superpowered individuals were all wearing helmets made of special material, on high alert, their abilities primed for combat.

"What happened?" Gu Jinsheng immediately sensed something was wrong. He must have been affected earlier.

"A high-level psychic superpowered has infiltrated the institute. We suspect it’s a peak-level psychic superpowered. Only someone at that level could wield such overwhelming psychic energy," Wan Xueying explained, her voice laced with anxiety.

Now Gu Jinsheng understood why everyone was wearing helmets—they were made of a special material that could block psychic intrusions.

Wan Xueying handed him a helmet. "Boss, you should put this on Boss Ji immediately. His value is too great. I believe this peak-level psychic operative is after him—possibly for the spatial storage device, nutrient serums, or even the treatment pod!"

During the interrogation of the traffickers, they had learned that spies from Country R or Country M might be lurking within the command center or other critical base departments.

Considering the treatment pod's high profile, it was possible that a spy had been among the crowd, stealthily relaying intel undetected.

At this thought, Gu Jinsheng’s face went stony. He took the helmet and hurried back to Ji An’s side.

Only then did he notice how pale Ji An looked, his lips bloodless.

Recalling Wan Xueying’s words and seeing Ji An’s condition, Gu Jinsheng realized—Ji An was being psychically assaulted.

Gu Jinsheng wasted no time and placed the helmet on Ji An's head.

Then... the overwhelming and domineering psychic energy that had persisted unchecked even with the arrival of the command center's superpowered operatives suddenly vanished without a trace.

Both Gu Jinsheng and Wan Xueying were stunned. The rescue team from the command center, who had been scrambling to put helmets on the affected superpowered individuals, also froze. One of them cautiously removed his helmet to check but felt no invasion or probing of his mind. He said, bewildered, "What happened? That massive psychic energy is gone?"

Han Yaokun, true to his reputation as a high-tier psychic, had managed to cling to a sliver of clarity amidst the psychic onslaught. Holding his head, he said, "Yes, that psychic energy disappeared abruptly."

Wan Xueying and Gu Jinsheng locked eyes, speechless.

"What's going on?" Ji An, who had just woken up, had no idea what had transpired. Massaging his temples, he sat up from Gu Jinsheng's embrace and found the helmet uncomfortable, attempting to remove it.

Wan Xueying shouted in panic, "No! Boss Ji, don’t take it off!"

"Huh?" Ji An stared at her, confused, puzzled by her extreme reaction.

Wan Xueying said, exasperated, "Boss Ji, take a look at this mess—it might very well be your doing!"

"Eh?" Only then did Ji An notice the dozens of people sprawled out inside and outside the hall, their expressions twisted in agony as if they had just endured excruciating agony.

Though none bore visible injuries—not even a scratch—they were all pale, clutching their heads, some even vomiting.

Ji An suddenly recalled something. Before slipping into that trance-like daze, his mind had been struck by an intense, throbbing pain.

The ache had felt as though someone had violently shoved an excessive amount of information into his brain, causing it to swell rapidly.

Ji An realized his head no longer hurt—not just the sudden, excruciating pain from earlier, but even the chronic pain from his depleted abilities seemed to have vanished.

His heart pounded wildly as a possibility struck him. Ignoring the chaos in the hall, he focused inward.

This time, instead of an endless desert, he saw a lush oasis, a boundless ocean, and vibrant, blooming roses.

His mental realm was stunning, like something out of a dream. When he attempted to tap into his psychic energy, he sensed a slight resistance, but he could unmistakably feel it—his psychic energy had returned!

Ji An didn’t force it. He knew the blockage wasn’t due to any issue with his psychic energy but rather the helmet on his head. Its special material blocked external mental intrusions while also restricting the wearer’s own psychic energy from projecting outward.

Thrilled, Ji An then glanced at the shell-shocked crowd and awkwardly admitted, "Uh... sorry about that. It does seem like I caused this."

Wan Xueying stared at him with astonishment. Meanwhile, Kong Zhongcheng and Zhou Qin, who had been nursing their heads as they approached, overheard Ji An’s words and exclaimed in admiration, "Divine Ji, I just have to ask—how did you manage to cause such widespread devastation without even having your psychic energy?"

"Well... my psychic energy is back!" Ji An announced.

"That’s amazing!"

"Really?"

"How is that possible?"

"No way!"

Four voices rang out simultaneously. The first, bursting with excitement and no skepticism, came from Gu Jinsheng. The others belonged to Zhou Qin, Zhou Fanxiu, and Han Yaokun.

Seeing the disbelief on everyone’s faces except Gu Jinsheng’s, Ji An didn’t bother explaining. Instead, he silently removed his helmet.

Instantly, that aggressive, overwhelming psychic energy surged forth, flooding the entire hall. It lashed out aggressively, immediately attempting to invade the minds of those present once more.

Han Yaokun, his head splitting from the mental assault, immediately shouted, "Put the helmet back on!"

The moment Ji An replaced the helmet, the domineering psychic energy vanished. Now, there was no denying it.

Ji An said awkwardly, "It might be because I just regained my mental energy and also leveled up my superpower. I’m not quite in control yet, but after a few days of practice, I’ll be able to control it at will."

"Xiao An/Ji the Divine/Boss Ji… Did your superpower level up?" they exclaimed in unison, asking the same question again.

Ji An nodded.

Zhou Qin looked at him with admiration. "Ji the Divine, tell me the truth—are you really not a deity descended to save the suffering masses?"

Ji An was both amused and exasperated. "Commander Zhou, did my mental energy damage your brain? What nonsense are you spouting?"

Zhou Qin, however, remained serious. "I’m not talking nonsense. If you’re not a divine being, how do you explain the spatial storage device, nutritional supplements, med-pods, targeted external cultivation, and now even the recovery of depleted mental energy? This is unprecedented!"

"There are no gods in this world!" Han Yaokun rubbed his temples. "Actually, everything about Researcher Ji has logical explanations."

Zhou Qin turned to Han Yaokun. While the guy sucks at judging character, his own abilities were solid—perhaps he really had an explanation. "Go on."

"As we all know, even among superpowered individuals of the same level, some are stronger than others. Clearly, Researcher Ji’s superpower belongs to the top-tier category."

Han Yaokun explained, "It was only after seeing Researcher Ji regain his mental energy that I put two and two together. For example, his resurrection last time—many claimed it was Commander-in-Chief Gu’s devotion that moved heaven and earth and brought him back. But now, it’s obvious that was total bullshit."

Zhou Qin was puzzled. "Why do you say it’s nonsense?"

"If Researcher Ji can recover his superpower now, it means it wasn’t truly lost back then. It was likely just pushed to the brink of total depletion, and any further would have caused permanent loss. Right at that moment, Commander-in-Chief Gu arrived. Seeing him, Researcher Ji relaxed completely, triggering his body’s instinctive protective mechanism—death-like stasis!"

Death-like stasis has existed since ancient times, though its causes and triggers remain unknown. But it’s never been an isolated phenomenon.

"The mechanism of feigned death remains unclear to this day, but it is undoubtedly the best protective mechanism for the human body. In a state of feigned death, a person has no breathing, no heartbeat, and a flat EEG, which means there are no mental fluctuations. This is undoubtedly the best method for psychic superpower users to restore their abilities."

Han Yaokun analyzed, "I reasonably suspect that this is why Researcher Ji was able to retain the last bit of his psychic superpower."

Wan Xueying asked, "Then why did Boss Ji recover his psychic superpower while also advancing in rank?"

Han Yaokun replied, "It was precisely because Researcher Ji advanced in rank that I connected it to the theory of feigned death.

The way for psychic superpower users to advance is to break through their own limits and innovate in research.

Researcher Ji developed the treatment pod and a series of new, unknown fields such as artificial extracorporeal directional cultivation. If these don't count as breaking through one's limits and innovating in research, then what does?

In this situation, as long as Researcher Ji had his psychic superpower, he should have advanced!

So I reasonably suspect that Boss Ji's psychic superpower was never actually lost, but rather was under the body's instinctive protection, or perhaps it reached the lowest threshold for psychic superpower users, a threshold that lies between ordinary people and the minimum value of psychic superpowers."

Gu Jingsheng said, "But this still doesn't explain why Xiao An's superpower crystal core is missing. Even if the psychic power value decreased, the superpower crystal core should still be present, right?"

This question stumped Han Yaokun, who shook his head. "I don't know; those conclusions were just my spontaneous guesses."

Ji An suddenly thought of something and quietly delved into his mental realm. When he emerged from his mental sea again, his eyes flickered.

"I think I've figured out a possibility," Ji An said suddenly.

Everyone, surprised by Ji An's sudden speech, turned to look at him.

Ji An smiled. "Since the feigned death defense mechanism can be triggered by the body's instincts, it suggests that my body must have determined that my environment was dangerous at the time. And the thing in danger at that moment was the psychic superpower crystal core. So, the body's instinct might have confused the healing superpower user who examined my crystal core, making him mistakenly believe that my crystal core was gone."

Han Yaokun mused, "This scenario is indeed possible. At the time, the body's instinctive protection mechanism sensed the rapid loss of psychic power, which could lead to its complete loss, and thus determined that the psychic superpower crystal core was in danger, leading to an instinctive effort to protect it."

When the healing superpowerer scanned the crystal core, the body's defense mechanism would perceive it as an attack on the psychic crystal core and subconsciously hide it."

Ji An said, "That explains everything. What seemed like a miracle was simply the body's protective mechanism at work—it fooled us all."

Han Yaokun marveled, "The human body is truly wondrous, with endless mysteries waiting to be unraveled."

At that moment, the emergency vehicles from the superpower-specialized hospital arrived, loading those affected by Ji An's psychic surge for medical examinations.

Concerned about Ji An's psychic superpower, Gu Jinsheng suggested, "Xiao An, get yourself checked too."

Han Yaokun added, "Perfect chance to check the state of your psychic crystal core."

Ji An smiled, "Alright."

Wan Xueying drove them to the hospital. With Ji An's skyrocketing importance—thanks to the revolutionary treatment pod and other innovations—he bypassed the queue and was examined immediately.

As the healing superpowerer scanned Ji An's brain, they suddenly exclaimed, "Huh? That’s odd..."

"What’s wrong?" Ji An asked, meeting the healer's gaze. For a fleeting moment, the healer’s gaze turned blank, but it went unnoticed.

Everyone turned to the healer, who continued, puzzled, "Didn’t Researcher Ji lose his psychic ability? Why is there still a superpowered crystal core in his brain? What’s going on?"

Relieved, Zhou Qin said, "Boss Ji got his powers back. That’s why we asked you to check his crystal core. Didn’t I just mention Ji the Divine’s recovery earlier?"

The healer laughed awkwardly, "Ah, right! Must’ve slipped my mind—been healing too many folks today, a bit overwhelmed."

Ji An chuckled, "Understandable. I blank out too when overloaded. Sometimes it takes a reminder to jog my memory."

"Even someone as remarkable as you, a psychic, experiences that? I thought your kind had perfect recall."

Ji An replied, "Even we have times we zone out. We can’t stay mentally alert all the time."

"Makes sense."

With Ji An’s condition confirmed, Han Yaokun said, "Since everything’s fine, I’ll take my leave. I initially thought that intense psychic surge was from a top-tier psychic from M or R country. I burned out my mental defenses and now my head’s pounding. I need rest."

Ji An apologized, "I’m sorry, Director Han. My uncontrolled psychic surge after recovery and leveling up caused this. I’ll make it up to you."

Han Yaokun waved it off, "Don’t sweat it. Just a fluke. If anything, it’s a wake-up call—a high-level psychic like me shouldn’t be vulnerable to a lower-level intrusion. I need to improve my defenses."

After Han Yaokun left, Ji An, now fully recovered, was cleared to go home. Before departing, he told Kong Zhongcheng, "Even if it was an accident, I own this. Compile a list of those affected by the psychic intrusion, and they can claim compensation from me personally."

Kong Zhongcheng nodded, "Got it, Boss Ji. I’ll ensure fairness—no one left out, no freeloaders."

"Thank you."

With everything settled, Ji An left with Gu Jinsheng. Due to his still-unstable psychic control, he wore a blocking helmet on the way home.

Meanwhile, the research institute and command center was in an uproar. The day’s revelations—first the treatment pod, now Ji An’s recovery—left everyone reeling.

"Breaking news from my on-site source!" Those who hadn’t witnessed the commotion firsthand still got updates from friends. "That psychic surge wasn’t from foreign invaders—it was Researcher Ji recovering and leveling up!"

"How? Wasn’t his superpower destroyed?"

"Not at all. It's said that his body was in a state of instinctive defense mechanism, which mentally deceived the healing-type superpowered individual who examined him. Even Researcher Ji's own apparent death was due to this reason. In fact, Researcher Ji himself was fooled by his body's defense mechanism."

"One has to admit, Researcher Ji's body defense mechanism truly understands him. If it hadn't played this trick, given Researcher Ji's personality, he would never have gone home to rest quietly. Instead, he'd have done the exact opposite—the more you tell him to rest, the more he'd insist on conducting research. That's just his contrarian nature."

"Isn't Researcher Ji still pulling these kinds of moves now? Who else, after losing their superpower, wouldn't just rest quietly? But Researcher Ji insists on researching, even with a splitting headache and vomiting from just thinking."

"Researcher Ji's body defense mechanism anticipated his rebellious behavior and took precautions to avoid risks. But it never expected that even its foresight would be useless—its host is even more unpredictable than imagined.

Superpower gone? Still researching.

That's the scariest part. In a state equivalent to an ordinary person—or even worse, since ordinary people don’t suffer from splitting headaches—Researcher Ji still managed to develop technologies like the healing pod."

"Honestly, I don’t know where Han Yaokun got the courage to compete with Researcher Ji. With Researcher Ji's abilities, even when reduced to an ordinary person with all attributes at their minimum, while Zhao Zhen had all his stats maxed out, a mid-tier superpowered individual still couldn’t defeat Researcher Ji in an ordinary state. How could Han Yaokun possibly even compare himself?"

"It’s good that Zhao Zhen was taken into custody. He deserved to be taught a lesson."

"Let me tell you something even more embarrassing."

"What?"

"When Commander-in-Chief Gu was about to take Zhao Zhen away, Director Han actually interceded on his behalf. Remember when Commander-in-Chief Gu wanted to publicly disclose the technology about the coexistence of zombie virus antigens and antibodies in Superpowered Crystal Cores, and Director Han objected to it, fearing misuse by malicious individuals? Well, now he wanted to trade that technology for Zhao Zhen’s release.

But guess what? After Commander-in-Chief Gu returned, he told Researcher Ji about it.

Researcher Ji wouldn't stand for this. Since they were the ones who developed the technology, why should they suffer this injustice? He reverse-engineered the technology on the spot.

I heard the high-level meeting at the command center had already concluded, and they’re planning to announce it publicly on the broadcast channel tonight."

"Wow, this is such a power move to protect one’s partner! This is exactly what my significant other always calls an 'alpha CEO.'

Turns out not everyone can be an alpha CEO—only those with real power can pull it off!

The legendary alpha CEO and his trophy husband!"

"Come on, our Commander-in-Chief Gu is no trophy husband. It’s a power couple, a meeting of masters.

A friend of mine who went on this mission outside the base told me that even though Commander-in-Chief Gu lost one superpower, the other one grew stronger. Just take the Thunder Dragon he manifested to please Researcher Ji—it’s become even more realistic."

"Commander-in-Chief Gu’s superpower was already incredibly realistic, almost indistinguishable from the real thing. If it becomes any more realistic, it might as well be alive."

"Exactly! That’s what my friend said. He mentioned that although Commander-in-Chief Gu temporarily lost control over one superpower, the other one definitely grew stronger. The Thunder Dragon he manifested is now more nimble and lifelike than before.

Before, the Thunder Dragon was impressive but clearly fake and controlled.

Now, it’s as if it’s been given life—a fully independent entity with its own thoughts.

Just imagine the sheer power required to achieve that!

Forget a lifelike Thunder Dragon—even a lifeless one, how many people in the entire Jing City Base, let alone the world, can manifest something like that?"

"True. The only manifestation superpower I’ve ever seen is our Commander’s."

"This couple is just extraordinary.

But Researcher Ji’s achievements are downright divine!

No wonder Zhou Qin said Researcher Ji is a god walking among mortals and calls him Divine Ji. I’m starting to feel the same way."

"I’m regretting deeply now. Not only did I miss the chance to swear allegiance when Researcher Ji first arrived, but I also missed the perfect opportunity to provide support when he needed it most. I wonder if he’d even accept me if I tried to join now."

Everyone fell silent, their minds troubled.

Meanwhile, when Researcher Ji and Gu Jinsheng returned home, Researcher Ji said, "Jinsheng, I actually don’t have a Superpowered Crystal Core. Earlier, I used my psychic abilities to deceive the healing-type superpowered individual."