Hei Hei, weeping and begging for mercy, retreated into the Rune Space, terrified that the cannon barrel of the Rune Warship might fire. It had witnessed the weapon’s destructive power and dared not withstand a direct hit.

As Hei Hei vanished into the Rune Space, Ye Chen swiftly sealed it shut. His body, unable to sustain itself further, swayed slightly before collapsing onto the ground with a soft thud. His face was deathly pale. Although the severe internal pressure had been greatly alleviated by that earlier palm strike, preventing him from exploding from pent-up energy, the incident had severely damaged his meridians, intensifying the agonizing pain.

Ye Chen immediately began silently reciting the Peyuan Puxin Jing, slipping into a state of transcendent detachment—a realm where he forgot all worldly attachments, pain, joy, and sorrow. His expression gradually calmed.

Yet, the intense physical agony persisted, though Ye Chen managed to "forget" it through deep contemplation and focus. His body trembled involuntarily, his face was ashen, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He felt a strange sensation, as if something inside his glabella—the space between his eyebrows—was about to crack; this was the prelude to an innate talent awakening.

Just then—

"Hah! Seems like no one’s here. Hurry inside, everyone!" A gruff voice echoed as the dilapidated temple door was violently shoved open, revealing three raggedly dressed men carrying handguns and sporting long, sharp knives strapped to their backs. They appeared to be fellow survivors.

"It’s getting dark; we’ll take shelter here for now." The lead man stepped into the confined space. Noting the cramped interior, the aged walls, the central clearing, the two side alcoves, and the main Buddha Hall directly ahead, he moved cautiously, his eyes scanning the surroundings with vigilance.

However, any zombies in this temple had already been eliminated by Ye Chen upon his arrival; only a few rotting corpses remained on the floor, emanating a foul stench. As the leader walked into the Buddha Hall, he instantly spotted Ye Chen lying near a pillar. Observing his dark, wheat-colored skin and the complete absence of scars on his arms, the man’s suspicion flared. He gripped the long blade on his back and approached cautiously, whispering, "Hey…"

Ye Chen was immersed in that profound state, fully dedicated to refining the internal energy coursing through him. He registered the footsteps but merely frowned, offering no reply. To speak would cause his carefully concentrated energy to dissipate, ruining his efforts.

Seeing Ye Chen unresponsive, the man prodded his body with the tip of his knife, intending to roll him over and check if he was a zombie. But when the blade made contact, he realized with shock that his sharp combat knife could not pierce the skin. It felt as if he were prying against a massive boulder; even with his arm strength, he could not budge Ye Chen’s body.

"What the—" The leader recoiled in alarm. His companions, watching this, gasped in unison. "How can he be so heavy?"

One short, slight youth’s eyes darted around shrewdly. He whispered, "This guy looks anything but simple, but he’s just lying there. Maybe he’s asleep? If we kill him and eat him, we’ll be full and boost our constitutions."

The leader and the other muscular brute brightened, their gazes toward Ye Chen now filled with avarice. The strong man’s eyes gleamed. "Given the toughness of his hide, this steel blade probably won't cut it. Let’s use the guns. Aim straight for the head."

"Agreed." The other two concurred. They drew their respective firearms, stepped beside Ye Chen, and leveled the barrels at his skull. Exchanging a look, the three fired simultaneously.

Bang bang bang…

Three bullets struck Ye Chen’s head. With a dull thump, they failed to shatter his skull. Instead, they were repelled by the protective aura of his internal energy and deflected outwards. One bullet reversed its trajectory, piercing the small youth’s palm—a case of trying to sneak an attack and getting burned.

"Agh!" The youth clutched his bleeding hand, rolling on the floor in agony, wanting to scream loudly, but the sturdy man clamped a hand over his mouth to prevent him from attracting any monsters.

"What do we do?" The strong man looked at Ye Chen with budding terror. "This guy is invulnerable to blades and bullets—it’s terrifying. If he wakes up, we’re dead."

The leader fought to suppress the shock in his eyes, gritting his teeth. "Fortune favors the bold. I refuse to believe we can’t kill him. Let’s try the neck; it seems softer." With that, he raised his combat knife and swung it toward Ye Chen’s throat.

Clang!

The energy within Ye Chen was currently at its peak saturation, flowing smoothly throughout his body. This man’s strike was exactly what Ye Chen needed. The overflowing energy rebounded instantly, surging outwards through his flesh. The moment the blade touched his skin, it was violently repelled. With a sharp clang, the tip of the knife snapped off. The immense recoil numbed the man’s hand, causing his tiger’s mouth (the web between thumb and index finger) to split open.

The man clutched his vibrating, numb wrist, cold sweat dripping from his brow. Yet, he bit down hard, trembling slightly, managing to suppress any sound. He stared at Ye Chen in sheer horror, as if he had seen a ghost.

At that moment, the small youth writhing on the ground suddenly changed expression. "Bad news! Someone’s coming! By the sound of those footsteps, there are quite a few of them."

The leader paused for a beat, then quickly commanded, "Quickly, stow the weapons and get out of here." Having survived the apocalypse for several months, he knew that encountering a large group in the wilderness usually meant one of two things: either they were a disorganized mob of weaklings with stragglers attached—the easiest to rob; or they were a highly organized group of experts bold enough to travel in force.

For safety’s sake, the leader chose to assume the latter scenario. He quickly retrieved his weapon and scanned the surroundings. Spotting an overgrown exit hidden behind the temple that led outside, he was overjoyed. He took the lead, scrambling through the opening, followed closely by the other two. They moved with extreme caution, fearful of making the slightest noise.

Hearing their exchange, Ye Chen frowned slightly. He was completely immobilized. If the newcomers were weaklings, he could rely on his protective energy to keep them from harming him. But if they were strong experts, things would become much trickier.

Thanks to the recent attacks, the explosive energy within his body had been significantly compressed and about one-third of it had been refined. Once fully refined, he would advance to the next level.

Just then, the faint sound of shuffling footsteps approached from outside. Ye Chen strained his ears and recognized a crisp, feminine voice: "Search the perimeter thoroughly. I absolutely do not wish to be disturbed while I sleep."

"Yes, Second Sister!" Numerous clear voices responded in chorus.

Ye Chen was momentarily stunned. He hadn't detected a single male voice among them. Could this group be an all-female squad? As the footsteps drew closer, a melodious, captivating voice exclaimed in surprise, "Second Sister, there's someone else in here."

The woman who called herself "Second Sister" replied, "Go see who it is."

Following this, a few light footsteps approached Ye Chen’s side. A delicate, lingering fragrance drifted to his nose. Immediately, he felt a cool, small hand grip his arm, attempting to roll him over. The casual pull was surprisingly ineffective, given Ye Chen’s heavy stillness. Alarmed, the hand immediately released him, and a sword was drawn and held defensively across the body.

After waiting a moment with no response from Ye Chen, the women grew even more curious. One murmured, "He might be faking it. We shouldn’t get too close."

Another sweet voice scoffed coldly, "Are we afraid of one man with all of us here? I refuse to believe it. Watch me." Saying this, she reached out to grab Ye Chen’s arm again, putting all her strength into turning him over.

Ye Chen was about to unleash his internal energy to shatter her hand, but seeing she held no genuine malice, he refrained from causing harm, focusing instead on maximizing the refinement of his internal power.

"Oh? Look, it’s a handsome one." One of the women noticed Ye Chen’s face—his tan complexion, high-bridged nose, sharp black eyebrows, and exceptionally handsome features—and expressed genuine surprise.

"He really is! Huh, why isn’t he moving? Look how pale his face is; he looks severely injured."

"We stumbled upon a handsome man just like that! Sisters, anyone interested in playing around? A fine specimen like this won't last long."

"Pah! You shameless slut! Wait until we get back, I’ll have ten strong men teach you how to beg for mercy."

These women exchanged frivolous banter and jokes, their language unrestrained and lacking any trace of shyness. This was not innate but a product of the environment; one woman had taken the lead, and naturally, the others followed suit.

One woman teased, "Such a beautiful man should be offered to Second Sister first. Once she’s had her fill, we can take turns. If we just imprison him, we’ll have endless entertainment later, right?"

Ye Chen heard their brazen talk and frowned slightly, but he chose not to engage, casting everything aside to focus entirely on tempering his vital energy. If anyone attacked him now, they would immediately be thrown back by the rebounding energy.

In the Buddha Hall stood four or five exquisitely beautiful women whose clothing revealed patches of fair, glistening skin, smooth as dew-covered jade. The remaining women, less impressive in looks or power, patrolled the outer temple grounds, guarding against any monstrous intrusion.

The woman addressed as Second Sister had shoulder-length black hair, a delicate, pretty face, and eyes that seemed full of water. Seeing Ye Chen’s striking looks, even she felt a momentary flutter of desire, spitting, "Stop talking nonsense."

"Second Sister is shy, hehe!" The other women burst into laughter. One chuckled, "Let’s go. Once Second Sister is done, we can come back for our fun." As she spoke, she waved a hand, and what looked like fine powder drifted through the air.

Ye Chen immediately smelled a strange scent and inwardly cursed, trying desperately to hold his breath, but it was too late. As soon as he inhaled the odor, his body began to burn, and an unnameable, fierce heat rose from his lower abdomen, causing his entire body to flush hot.

Just then, the door creaked open, then shut with a soft thud.

In the solemn and sacred Buddha Hall, the Buddha sat, delicately holding a lotus blossom in his hand, smiling down upon the world. Silence reigned, broken only by a faint, nearby sound of breathing. Ye Chen frowned, wondering if he should unleash his energy and shock this woman to death should she dare to approach.

... Please recommend votes, monthly tickets, clicks... (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to visit (.m) to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)A