Chapter 116: Chapter 116

Xiuying withdrew her power, looking at the small figure lying on the ground, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead as well. She couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

But when she turned to look for He, she saw that he was already lying on Sang Jingwen’s lap, enjoying himself, so she hurried over.

“Ah Yi, are you alright?”

Yi Pi continued to lie there, not wanting to move. “Geez, you mental ability users are all so amazing.”

Xiuying was momentarily stunned. Sang Jingwen patted his head, then looked at Xiuying and said, “Auntie, Ah Yi only used up so much energy because he missed you. He’s not affected at all.”

She was taken aback. She had thought he’d absorbed her power, but hadn’t expected this explanation. Yi Pi quickly added, “Yeah, I used so much energy, but you’re totally fine? That’s incredible!”

As he spoke, he picked up a fruit from the table and took a big bite. Xiuying finally let out a long breath. “My ability level is a bit higher, so I guess I can handle it.”

Lu Minli, supporting the pale-faced Lin Muxue, walked over and said, “Auntie, hearing you say that reminds me—Wen-ge, didn’t you say that when you were cultivating, you felt like your spiritual core was growing?”

Sang Jingwen nodded. “Yes. The cultivation method Sang Sang gave me has a technique called ‘core refinement.’ Every time I absorb the energy from a spirit stone, I can feel my core constantly expanding.”

Sang Chu said, “It’s pretty much the same for both ability users and cultivators. If anyone wants to try core refinement, you can go to the cultivation room. There’s a manual there, and Auntie Xiuying’s ability is also described in it. I think it’s similar to cultivation—the improvement of your ability doesn’t just mean an increase in power, but also more things you can do with it. I’m still exploring all this, so I don’t fully understand it yet. If anyone has questions or insights, feel free to speak up!”

Hearing this, Yi Pi, who was still lying down, suddenly raised his hand. “Hey, little sister, I have a question.”

“What is it, Yi-ge?”

Sang Chu simply sat down on the ground and looked at him. He suddenly rolled over and reached out to her:

“Why did your fire attack hurt so much more than before? I’ve eaten your power before, and it never hurt at all, but this time, it really hurt—a lot! Do you know why?”

At the time, he could feel his hand trembling and going numb, but then the feeling disappeared. He was someone who never felt pain, but this was the first time he had. It was… kind of exciting!

Sang Chu hadn’t expected this. “Wasn’t it because I added a lot of mental energy to my power?”

Yi Pi shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’ve never felt that way before!”

“That really is strange.”

Yi Pi nodded in agreement. “Sister, let’s try again after I rest?”

He really wanted to know what was going on.

“Alright.”

Just then, someone called out from outside the door: “Sang-jie, Yi-ge, Wen-ge, Minli-ge, Sister Xiaoxue, Uncle Gao has finished cooking!”

Yu shouted loudly from the doorway, but inside the house, his voice was barely audible. Even Muxue could only hear a faint sound.

Sang Chu said, “Since dinner’s ready, I’ll go eat first. We can talk about the rest later.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

Yi Pi rolled over and got up, and Sang Chu reached out to pull him up. Muxue watched them, then quietly tugged on Lu Minli’s hand and whispered, “Lu Minli, don’t you think Jingwen-ge and Yi-ge are a little… close?”

Lu Minli had no idea what she meant. “What do you mean?”

Muxue gave him a knowing auntie smile and said, “Nothing, just feels like there’s something going on.”

“Isn’t that normal?”

At that, she couldn’t help but glare at him, thinking she’d go ask Sang Chu about it later. She felt like something fishy was going on—hehe.

The more she thought about it, the more she smiled, her expression growing sly.

Lu Minli looked at her in confusion, then at Sang Jingwen and Yi Pi, but didn’t see anything unusual.

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The Underground City’s Dining Hall

The underground city was much bigger than the cave, and the dining hall was much larger too.

Everyone sat scattered around the tables. When they saw Sang Chu and the others come in, they all stood up almost instinctively, as if welcoming their boss.

Sang Chu was startled. “Everyone, there’s no need for that. Sit down.”

Honestly, she was also shocked by the scale of the underground city. If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was a real city—wide streets, tall buildings, everything underground, but not at all inferior to the skyscrapers before the apocalypse. She had no idea how they managed it!

Xia Ru asked, “Sang-jie, since the underground city is so big, are you planning to recruit outsiders?”

Sang Chu replied, “I do have that idea. I might go out for a while soon. If you’re worried, before I leave I can close the big gate on the cliff. With that, you’ll be much safer inside. As for food and water, just manage it yourself. As long as you don’t waste anything, it’s fine. For whatever you eat, make sure to replenish it—don’t waste food. With Qin Laoda here, just give him whatever he wants, don’t make decisions on your own, understand?”

She seemed to be addressing everyone, but in reality, she was mainly talking to Xia Ru. If Xia Ru wasn’t just an ordinary person, he’d be the most suitable to manage the base. This was also a test for him—if he could manage the base well during this period as an “ordinary person,” then maybe she could step back in the future.

Xia Ru said, “Don’t worry, Sang-jie. I’m not someone who doesn’t know gratitude. As long as I have food to eat, I’m satisfied. I won’t waste anything.”

Gao Qiu said, “I’ll do my best to grow more fruits and vegetables during this time.”

Ruan Yaru asked, “Sang-jie, do you know where you’re going next?”

Sang Chu glanced at her. “Qingliu City. Why?”

“Sang-jie, if the base is going to expand, have you considered recruiting people from nearby bases?”

Sang Chu shook her head. “Not for now. Let me tell you all—An Tan’s forces have already infiltrated our base, and the nearby bases are all under his control. Right now, it’s very dangerous to contact people from nearby bases. Besides, people outside don’t know that An Tan is dead, so it’s relatively safe for us at the moment.

“That’s why I want to take advantage of this time to go out and recruit some experts. If you have any recommendations, give me their names and I’ll check them out when I go.”"