Chapter 56: Section 57: Metamorphosis of the Mind


    Zhenjin nodded, “I understand what you want to say. Thank you for the reminder.”


    He walked away from Cang Xu at a slow pace.


    Even though this time, the old Scholar hadn’t provided any effective strategy, and he was helpless against the pursuit of the scorpion swarm, he had still offered Zhenjin a lot of help.


    The young knight knew: Cang Xu was earnestly reminding him, telling him that he must make a decision as soon as possible.


    Because as time went on, the condition of the entire team would get weaker and weaker, not just physically but also mentally. If this situation were allowed to continue, it was very likely that before the scorpion swarm initiated a comprehensive attack, Zhenjin’s team would collapse on its own.


    Zhenjin then communicated with Zi Di.


    ...


    “My lord,” Zi Di’s voice sounded very weak, leaning against the gold mica stone.


    Her petite body was still enveloped in a Magic Robe. Now, the robe had become dirty; the hem and the back were even more torn in many places.


    Her Purple Crystal-like eyes were far less bright than before, dull and lacking vitality.


    At her own request, she consumed less than any other member.


    In order to maintain her body temperature as much as possible, she put on a hood. Under the night wind, her flowing hair gently brushed her forehead.


    Zhenjin sighed lightly in his heart, an affectionate feeling involuntarily arising.


    He reached out, carefully brushing Zi Di’s hair to the side to avoid covering her eyes.


    Zi Di’s eyes flickered, “My lord, do you think we can still escape this island?”


    Zhenjin was immediately startled by how feeble Zi Di seemed at this moment.


    The young knight suddenly realized that if all abilities and statuses were set aside, Zi Di was ultimately just a frail girl.


    She needed encouragement, needed comfort, needed someone to rely on.


    “Of course, we can. As long as we give it our all,” Zhenjin encouraged, even though he knew his words were somewhat hollow.


    Zi Di nodded, then asked, “My lord, when do you think we should take action and hunt a gun scorpion?”


    Zhenjin fell silent for a moment, “We might as well wait and see a little longer.”


    After speaking with Zi Di for a while, just like Cang Xu, Zi Di expressed that she was unable to help Zhenjin any further.


    After personally comforting the other members, Zhenjin finally found himself alone.


    Whether it was Zi Di or Cang Xu, both were people of wisdom.


    Both understood the current situation very well, if they delayed pointlessly, then death was certain. Although they didn’t say it outright, they were both subtly persuading Zhenjin to take a risk—kill a gun scorpion and then dissect it, using parts of the gun scorpion’s body as materials to prepare potions.


    But Zhenjin had his own thoughts.


    He had once seen lizards and golden scorpions confront each other among the clusters of gold mica stones.


    He thought, “If there is such an environment again, where groups of lizards and scorpions meet and clash without giving way, fighting tooth and nail, it’s sure to cause chaos.”


    “Then, that would be an opportunity.”


    The reason Zhenjin led everyone back here was to create that opportunity.


    But Zhenjin didn’t reveal his plan to anyone else.


    Why keep it to himself?


    Because Zhenjin too wasn’t absolutely sure.


    To speak rashly would offer hope. But once the plan failed, the despair would be even greater. Given the team’s current morale, Zhenjin felt that the disappointment coming after hope would be a great test for everyone’s psychological limits.


    Cang Xu had previously advised him to understand the hearts of people and to prevent mental breakdown. Zhenjin didn’t need Cang Xu’s reminder; he had already grasped this point secretly.


    Late at night, atop the gold mica stone.


    The young knight withdrew his gaze that was cast into the deep night and shifted his attention to the Spider Blade in his hands.


    Under the moonlight, there was a noticeable crack on the surface of the Spider Blade.


    This extremely sharp weapon was no longer suitable for frequent use.


    Zhenjin was not surprised.


    It was normal.


    Strictly speaking, the Spider Blade was only a material, and not a true sword.


    It originally grew on the body of a Silver Level Magic Beast, the Blade Spider. Even though it was hard and sharp, it was still a part of the Blade Spider’s body, receiving nutrition constantly sent by the spider’s main body.


    Only like this could the limbs of the Blade Spider maintain long-term health and sharpness.


    After the Blade Spider was killed by Zhenjin, its limbs were all cut off, thus turning into a dead object, no longer receiving any nutrition.


    Afterward, these blade edges were constantly in use, being depleted.


    Under normal circumstances, the Spider Blade is excellent weapon material. Alchemists, casting masters, and the like would use a series of magical, alchemical, and smelting methods to process it, so that the Spider Blade could be preserved for a longer period of time.


    To truly forge it into alchemy tools or magic weapons, the required craftsmanship and technology would be even more high-end and complex. A variety of materials would come together to form a whole, achieving harmony with Magic Power.


    Even so, the alchemy tools or magic weapons produced also needed maintenance work.


    Even a Divine Artifact would need the nurturing of Faith or Divine Power.


    Zhenjin’s Spider Blade had never received any maintenance from the beginning to the end, and it was simply tied to a hilt, which could be described as extremely crude.


    Damage was its inevitable fate.


    And in the past two days, Zhenjin had used the Spider Blade to clash with the gun scorpion, accelerating the wear and tear of the Spider Blade. The scorpion shell was extraordinarily hard, and Zhenjin could only leave shallow slash marks on the shell of the Silver Spear Scorpion, even with all his strength. The rest of the gun scorpions also required effort to slice through their shells.


    Right now, Zhenjin, alone, looked at the Spider Blade in his hand, now showing cracks, and couldn’t help but ponder: How much longer could this weapon hold up? Could he rely on it to slay the Silver Spear Scorpion?


    Then, he thought of himself, “How much longer can I hold on?”


    Since the second teleportation incident, the young knight had, like his sword, never had a chance to rest. He was undernourished with regard to food and water, and he had successively gone through long marches and valiant breakouts, severely straining his physical and mental strength to the verge of his limit.


    “This Spider Blade is no longer reliable.”


    “What else can I rely on then?”


    This time, Zhenjin began to stop considering the gods.


    He knew Divine Arts were a luxury.


    His only ace in the hole was Mutation.


    Relying on his body’s Mutation, he had slain Silver Level Blade Spiders and ambushed the dangerous Flying Squirrels.


    But the ability of Mutation was very unreliable.


    After the teleportation, it had not been triggered again.


    Zhenjin didn’t know the reason.


    He had guessed and thought there were two main possibilities.


    The first was that he wasn’t at the brink of life and death; his emotions weren’t intense enough to meet the triggering conditions.


    The second was that the Demon Crystal in his heart lacked Magic Power and was insufficient to allow him to mutate for the third time. Reflecting on it, the first Mutation produced sharp claws, the second made his arms as thick as a bear’s, but the degree of the second Mutation was less than the first. Moreover, during the second time, Zhenjin had already felt a significant weakening of the Demon Crystal in his chest.


    “As for Fighting Energy…” At the summit of the huge gold mica stone, Zhenjin’s frown deepened.


    “Even if I could recall the crucial content and understand how to mobilize Fighting Energy,”


    “The suppression of this island also prevents me from utilizing Fighting Energy. Actually, with the support of Fighting Energy, slaying the Silver Spear Scorpion would be very easy.”


    Of course, this is assuming Silver Fighting Spirit and higher quality Fighting Energy.


    The night sky was vast, and the cold night wind made Zhenjin’s blonde hair sway slightly.


    The young knight no longer looked at the sword in his hands; instead, he cast his gaze upward toward the suspended moon.


    Moonlight poured down, like a thin veil, covering Zhenjin’s handsome face and penetrating his golden hair, making the frown of the young man gradually smooth out.


    Zhenjin’s lips slowly curled up, eliciting a silent laugh.


    In this moment, he found himself in the vast expanse of the sand sea, surrounded by profound silence, as if he were alone facing the grandeur of the world, the universe, nature.


    A surge of immense sentiment rose in the young man’s heart—compared to nature, what did I amount to?


    My struggles, my resistance, my ambitions, my responsibilities—they are crucial to me, more important than life itself! Yet in this world, they are incredibly insignificant, like grains of common sand.


    My skirmishes with the scorpion and lizard swarms were just a tiny part of the countless tribes in nature, competing in the endless cycle of reproduction and survival. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhenjin felt deeply, but he was not at all disheartened or upset.


    He found his heart very calm, utterly without a trace of restlessness, anxiety, or worry.


    Instead, he had plenty of composure and equanimity.


    This was completely different from before.


    Not long ago, he had led the entire exploration team, facing a crisis of food shortage. He decided to contend with rat swarms and to make a short bow.


    He bravely assumed the leader’s responsibilities, but throughout the process, despite always appearing calm on the surface, his heart was filled with turmoil, helplessness, anxiety, and worry.


    The current situation was much worse than before, but the heart of the young knight was very calm.


    Adversity was a wealth bestowed by fate. Zhenjin had received this wealth, and he had experienced considerable growth.


    This was not growth in Cultivation or combat strength, but in his state of mind.


    Much like a butterfly emerging from its thick cocoon, struggling free.