This Spiritual Energy is Lethal!
Chapter 486: When in Doubt, Analyze Randomly

Chapter 486: Chapter 486: When in Doubt, Analyze Randomly

Chen Ke engaged in the 47th battle with the Phantom, a confrontation between equals at the edge of the world.

They both knew what the other could do, what the other might think. Chen Ke felt as though he was throwing punches at a mirror.

However, the Phantom might have known Lin Mo, but he clearly didn’t understand Chen Ke. The two wrestled using various joint locks, rolling and tumbling on the sandy ground. Chen Ke grabbed the Phantom’s throat and dragged him toward the cliff’s edge.

The Phantom didn’t need to breathe and had infinite stamina, just like Chen Ke had before. No matter how the fight went, Chen Ke would ultimately be worn down by him.

Chen Ke dragged him to the edge of the cliff, looking down at the rolling green clouds that resembled the sky.

There was no distinction between "heaven" and "earth" here; the Illusion Dream Center was like an isolated island, floating in this ineffable space.

That down there was where the Phantom belonged.

Chen Ke summoned all his strength, twisted the Phantom’s arm behind his back, and then kicked behind his knee, using his body weight to force his opponent to kneel.

Throughout the process, Chen Ke carefully controlled his emotions, knowing that even the slightest murderous intent could provide his opponent with a chance to counterattack.

"This is... your end. Don’t expect me to dream!" Chen Ke roared as he kicked the Phantom off the cliff.

He stood at the edge of the cliff, watching the Phantom disappear into the sea of clouds. As he fell, Chen Ke felt a surge of murderous intent, causing the Phantom to put on An Helei’s armor mid-air and attempt to throw a Soul Crystal Gun at him.

Chen Ke stood at the cliff’s edge, looking down, unsure if it was all over.

The green clouds churned below, emitting bursts of white light, with dull thunder rumbling from the sky. A force surged from within his heart.

A white halo radiated around Chen Ke, his eyes showing no pupils, only a bright white light. He seemed to see something, but it wasn’t clear.

Before long, the abnormality in his body returned to normal, and the life countdown reappeared in his vision, indicating his abilities had restored. However, the countdown had reached zero, and he couldn’t use his Spiritual Energy now.

Chen Ke tried using his hand; the Holy Diamond wasn’t working, but he could still summon An Helei’s ashes and his Black Gun.

"Are you there?" Chen Ke asked, looking at the gun in his hand.

"This is not a workplace/unregistered location." The Black Gun conveyed its message.

Hmm... Chen Ke recalled the gun. It seemed that even in the Illusion Dream Center, these old gods could appear. Even in a dream world, deities remained singular.

He quickly ran across the circular plaza, followed the winding path, and arrived at the familiar apartment building nestled on the cliffside, his home before his 2018 crossover.

23rd Neighborhood, Door 16, No. 77 was the starting point of Chen Ke’s 24-year life.

The area where he lived didn’t have a name but was named after the street because the whole area was built of red-brick buildings facilitated by the Soviet Union in the 1970s.

These buildings were very solid, only five stories high with four rooms each floor and an external corridor. Most of the residents were employees of a state-owned steel factory.

However, in 2015, the neighborhood underwent old town renovation and thus was demolished. That was when Chen Ke took on a mortgage.

This building just stood there abruptly, the hallway was silent, and he even recognized the neighbor’s room. On a window on the fourth floor, Chen Ke saw his own Beidou Divine Fist poster that was hanging to block the sunlight...

Chen Ke tiptoed up the stairs, afraid of disturbing the non-existent neighbors. When he stood in front of his own door, he realized that he didn’t have the keys.

The dark green iron door was merely latched, and the wooden door behind it was closed tight. Chen Ke’s house didn’t have a security door, and he could see the dogtail grass hanging on the door used for warding off evil spirits.

Chen Ke unlatched the iron door and then tried to push open the wooden door, but it was indeed locked. He pressed his face against the door to listen to the inside; he could hear the old clock in the living room ticking away.

Should he use An Helei’s Flame to burn open the door?

Chen Ke was unsure, but it seemed like the only thing he could do now. This building was fabricated based on Chen Ke’s memories, a product of overlapping dreams and memories; perhaps burning through a door would allow it to grow back?

His right hand dropped grey dust. Chen Ke placed his palm on the keyhole, and flames ignited. It didn’t require thousands of degrees, just over 200 would be enough to melt the copper lock.

"Hmm..." Chen Ke sensed something unusual, this door was invincible. The high temperature transmitted from his palm failed to affect the wooden door at all, raising the temperature would only burn his hand.

In this Illusion Dream Center, Chen Ke was immortal. Whether it was physical erosion caused by any situation, he would always wake up again from the narrow path on the cliff. Immortality was his curse.

Chen Ke simply extinguished the flame and sat on the steps to space out. Everything here was beyond his control and understanding, though theoretically, this place belonged to him.

Chen Ke rubbed his forehead, now, what he could do aside from spacing out, apart from deep sleep, was that now he had gained another ability, time restarting.

This was not a choice he wanted to make; whether it was deep sleep or restarting, for Chen Ke, it was merely a difference between committing suicide alone or dragging the whole world to die with him.

He wasn’t a great man, nor did he have much dedication or spirit of sacrifice. If he could do good deeds without causing harm to himself when he had the extra capacity, Chen Ke was still willing to do it.

But to sacrifice oneself for a goal like "saving the world," honestly, Chen Ke had only seen such things in movies.

Deep sleep meant sacrificing himself, thereby securing a peaceful and happy life in dreams for all mankind—an ending of joy, like what Captain America might do.

But is living in a dream really living? Like in The Matrix and Inception, do humans need such a future?

However, the foundation required him to fulfill his guardian duties, and if humanity hadn’t acquired the means to slay gods by the year 2137, they would directly enter the 1000th restart.

Speaking of which, this world had already reached the year 2137... Xu Jing and Lin Yaying came from that year.

Judging by the fact that Xu Jing asked him to help kill the Clan, it seemed this iteration of humanity hadn’t found the way to slay gods either. Besides, it was already 2137; time should have started stalling on their side...

Chen Ke wasn’t clear about Xu Jing and Lin Yaying’s intentions; he only knew that the Divine Descent Sect was an organization that had separated from the H.C.P. Foundation, and though they claimed to be the Human Connection Foundation, the organization initials were still H.C.P.

Li Moyang had mentioned something to Chen Ke in Chinese the first time they met, before leaving, "The Divine Descent Sect is watching you."

This cryptic message, with more information Chen Ke gathered, now had a different implication. Lin Yaying was indeed from the Divine Descent Sect, then was Li Moyang also? No, that didn’t seem right; Lin Yaying specifically came to 2009 seeking Li Moyang for a task.

"Hmm... could it be that Li Moyang was just posturing at that time?" Chen Ke tapped his forehead, puzzled.