Volume 1, Chapter 125: I Shall Accompany You

The absorption of exotic particles is much like the act of eating. The rate of absorption is akin to the speed at which one eats, while the total amount one can absorb daily is like a person’s appetite.

Everyone possesses a different speed of consumption, and appetites vary from person to person. Once you practice the breathing techniques to absorb these particles and accumulate them to a certain level, you will feel "full." You must then wait for a period of time to digest them before you can continue absorbing more.

Ability users typically refer to this state of being unable to "eat" any more exotic particles as the "saturation state."

"You’ve reached the 'saturation state' already? Student Mo, are you pulling your teacher's leg?" Chu Jiaojiao looked Mo De up and down, half-doubting his words, sensing that the look on his face was somewhat evasive.

Mo De gave an awkward laugh. He could hardly tell Teacher Chu that he had essentially drained every single metal-element practice room in the entire facility.

Furthermore, the reason Mo De had spent an hour in the Phenomenon Hall was not due to training, but because he had spent a significant amount of time carefully checking every practice room for hidden surveillance cameras.

"Absorbing exotic particle energy too quickly can cause hidden complications for your body, Student Mo. You really mustn't act recklessly," Chu Jiaojiao said, her voice filled with genuine concern.

"Ah, haha... Don't worry, Teacher Chu, I am truly fine." Mo De patted his chest, offering his assurance to her.

After carefully observing Mo De’s aura, Chu Jiaojiao finally breathed a sigh of relief. Student Mo’s aura was steady and strong, with no signs of becoming chaotic. Moreover, she faintly sensed a vibrant and abundant vitality within his body.

"You must still be cautious. Every step taken on the path of ability cultivation must be handled with the utmost care. You cannot make a joke of your own future and life..." Chu Jiaojiao once again exhorted him with earnest, heartfelt advice.

Mo De had no choice but to accept the teacher’s long-winded lecture, nodding in agreement from time to time.

This sermon lasted for quite a while, only coming to a halt when Chu Jiaojiao’s phone rang, cutting off her endless stream of words.

"You must not let your guard down, Student Mo!" she reminded him one last time before answering the call and jogging out of the Phenomenon Hall.

"Oh, right, the shift change, I’m coming, I’m coming..."

Watching her figure disappear, Mo De let out a sigh of relief. While he knew Teacher Chu had his best interests at heart, she certainly could talk.

"Why are you here?" Another voice came from behind Mo De, nearly scaring him into a cold sweat.

"Teacher, hello... Hmm? Student Ning?" Instinctively assuming another teacher had come to catch him in the act, Mo De turned around with a sheepish grin to greet them, only to find that the person behind him was not a winter camp instructor, but Ning Muyu, the student he had seen earlier while strolling with Mu Qing in the queue for the "Masked Boxing King" registration.

"I asked you why you are here?" Ning Muyu marched toward Mo De with a menacing air.

Ning Muyu had originally assumed that, given her cultivation speed—which far exceeded that of her peers—she would surely be the first to complete her training and reach the "saturation state." She never expected that upon stepping out of the practice room in high spirits, she would immediately run into the guy who made her blood boil.

Seeing the girl’s furious expression, Mo De was left bewildered. When had he ever offended her?

"I... asked... you..." Seeing that the guy in front of her still wouldn't answer her question, Ning Muyu ground her teeth and repeated herself, enunciating every word.

"I just reached my limit with my training, so I came out for a walk," Mo De finally realized and hurriedly explained.

What was wrong with this girl? Why did she harbor such deep resentment toward him?

Stopping in her tracks, Ning Muyu glared at Mo De. Her small face was flushed with rage.

This guy, who had only managed to squeeze into the winter camp by cheating, dared to claim his cultivation speed was faster than hers?

Having recently dealt with a cheating ex-boyfriend, Ning Muyu was already brimming with suppressed anger. She had been exceptionally focused during today’s session, quickly finding her optimal absorption rate. Combined with her natural talent, she had reached the saturation state with great speed.

Being a highly competitive person, how could she admit that she had been surpassed in cultivation speed by a cheater yet again?

Staring daggers at him, Ning Muyu couldn't help but think of her ex-boyfriend, who shared the same surname, Mo. The flames in her eyes burned even brighter.

"Miss Ning, is there something I can help you with?" Mo De scratched his head, asking cautiously.

"You are not him, you are not him, you are not..." Ning Muyu gritted her teeth, silently warning herself not to take her anger out on this stranger, but the rising tide of fury continued to batter her sense of reason.

The burning rage gradually caused the image of that scumbag to overlap with Mo De’s form.

Ning Muyu, who had been fiercely competitive since childhood, always liked to vie with others. Aside from her rocky love life, she had to be the best in every aspect and would never stop until she surpassed her opponents.

How could Ning Muyu, who had always emerged victorious, accept losing to this guy who had appeared out of nowhere?

He must have used some underhanded trick to end his training so early. Perhaps his total capacity for exotic particles was pathetically low, or maybe he hadn't actually been training properly at all...

Unfortunately, the truth lay outside all of Ning Muyu’s guesses. The reason Mo De finished so quickly was that the metal-element exotic energy in the room had been completely exhausted.

"What’s going on here? We’re all fellow students; let’s not lose our temper," Xuanyuan Kong’s voice suddenly rang out.

Noticing from a distance that the atmosphere between Mo De and Ning Muyu was tense, Xuanyuan Kong, who had just finished his own training, quickly stepped forward to play the peacemaker.

Mo De secretly shot a look at Xuanyuan Kong, signaling that he had no idea what was going on.

Xuanyuan Kong looked at Ning Muyu, only to find her eyes locked onto Mo De, her clenched fists showing faint, bulging veins.

"You cheater, come and fight me," Ning Muyu finally set aside her displaced emotions and wild theories. She extended a hand, pointed directly at Mo De’s nose, and spoke in a sharp, resolute tone.

The strict rules of last night’s boxing match had kept her from fully unleashing her strength, leaving her with pent-up frustration.

Here and now, she was going to challenge the top-ranked student of the Grand Assessment who had relied on cheating to reach the summit, just to see whose fists were truly harder!

Had this girl lost her mind? Mo De found her behavior utterly baffling. Just as he was about to refuse, he heard another cold, clear voice from the side.

"I’ll take you on."