Chapter 79: Registration

Chapter 79: Registration

Half an hour later, Chen Shouyi completed the check-in procedures at the hotel and entered his room. He lay back on the bed, unwilling to move for a long time. After what felt like an eternity, he finally got up, opened his briefcase, and released Shell Woman.

"Giant, did you change your sleeping place again?" Shell Woman immediately surveyed the room before asking the question she most wanted answered: "Is there Bei Qi here?"

"No!"

"There must be. You're lying." Shell Woman gestured toward the room's computer. "Giant, you just need to press here, and Bei Qi will come back."

She learned fast.

Ah, whatever. Life was short. If she wanted to watch, he’d let her. Even if she ended up nearsighted, he wouldn’t care. He turned on the computer and found her favorite cartoon.

Instantly, the world became peaceful.

He lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. The next moment, his Mind Spirit plunged into the Memory Space.

Once again, he returned to the scene on the train.

...

"This world is changing. War is coming. The foolish will fall into hell, while the wise will attain glory."

The Young Man wore a mysterious smile, as if uttering some kind of prophecy.

Not long ago, in this very scenario, Chen Shouyi had been on edge, his hair standing on end, drenched in cold sweat. But now, observing from another perspective within this Memory Space, his heart was eerily calm.

No matter how real this world seemed, it was still an illusion—nothing more than his memory.

His Mind Spirit wandered like a specter through the Memory Space for a long time before he finally steeled himself and plunged inward.

As expected, the moment he made contact, his mind exploded with a deafening boom. His Mind Spirit was violently ejected, and when he regained awareness, his head throbbed, his thoughts sluggish and drained, barely able to function.

Of course it would be like this.

Chen Shouyi felt a pang of melancholy.

The same thing had happened last time with the colossal tree, but this time, the rejection had been even swifter.

His dazed Mind Spirit floated in the air until, gradually, he sensed a faint tremor in the Memory Space.

At first, he thought it was just his disoriented state playing tricks on him. But soon, he realized something was wrong.

The world really was shaking. Everything within the train carriage—furnishings and people alike—warped unnaturally, as if the space itself was on the verge of collapse.

No way...

Chen Shouyi’s thoughts, still sluggish from the earlier impact, finally caught up.

Before he could react, a sudden wave of panic surged through him.

Unease. Anxiety. Dread. Oppression.

Every instinct screamed at him.

Danger! Danger! Danger!

Faintly, he seemed to sense an overwhelming gaze piercing through endless space, locking onto him.

Not good!

Terrified, his Mind Spirit jolted awake. Without hesitation, he immediately withdrew from the space.

Before leaving, he instinctively glanced at the mysterious Young Man—only to freeze in shock.

The figure had grown blurred and dim, his features no longer discernible. It was as though he was fading from the space entirely.

Chen Shouyi’s eyes snapped open, still filled with lingering fear.

He lay on the bed, breathing rapidly, his heart still pounding violently, his hands and feet feeling icy cold.

Listening to the silly, cute dialogue from the cartoon and glancing at the Shell Woman beside him, who was completely engrossed, it took a long while before his mind gradually settled.

"Thank goodness, everything's fine. This is still Earth."

"The deities of the Otherworld aren't powerful enough to cross space and project their strength to kill him. If they were that strong, humanity would have already been slaughtered long ago."

"But still, was it just his Mind Spirit briefly inhabiting that being's body?"

"Was it really necessary to react so sensitively?"

"Was it?"

However, this incident served as a stark warning to him.

From now on, he must never recklessly use his Mind Spirit to enter the bodies of those terrifying entities again.

No—he must never be unlucky enough to encounter such beings again.

It was far too dangerous.

Luckily, this was Earth. If it had been the Otherworld, such actions would have left him utterly annihilated.

It was said that some true deities possessed mysterious and unfathomable abilities. Merely mentioning their true names could trigger their awareness, and depending on their power, they might hear as little as a syllable or as much as an entire conversation.

Clearly, memories might also carry some unknown force. When he inhabited these beings' bodies, they would sense his presence.

Moreover, the memories within the Memory Space were far from simple recollections.

The Book of Knowledge seemed to possess a powerful ability to analyze and reconstruct, even carrying a hint of omniscience, turning vague memories into vivid, tangible realities.

This was less like a memory and more like a projection sealed within it.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, he realized he could no longer recall the mysterious figure's appearance. He wasn't even entirely sure if that person had ever existed.

"Should I go back to the Memory Space and check?" The thought crossed his mind.

After hesitating for a while, Chen Shouyi finally gritted his teeth.

This was Earth—there was nothing to fear. At worst, he could just escape back.

With that, he re-entered the Memory Space, returning to the same scene.

To his shock, the mysterious figure had vanished, replaced by a hazy, dim shadow. His past self was now talking to that indistinct blur as if nothing were amiss.

The scene was as eerie as it could get.

As for what the shadow looked like—whether it was human or animal, its expression, or what it had said—Chen Shouyi couldn't remember a single detail.

The longer he dwelled on it, the more he felt that, if not for the logical inconsistency, he might have believed he had only ever seen a shadow and that the other party had never spoken at all.

...

Early the next morning, Chen Shouyi arrived at the Hedong City Martial Arts Assessment Center.

Entering the building and taking the elevator up to the top floor, he reached the registration office for the Martial Apprentice Examination. Compared to the cold, rigid process for the Martial Artist Apprentice registration, this place was far more welcoming.

The interior resembled an upscale club, elegantly decorated and spotlessly clean. A row of leather sofas lined the walls, with coffee tables bearing an assortment of fruits and pastries. There was even a small bar in the corner.

For a moment, Chen Shouyi wondered if he had come to the wrong place.

Fortunately, a young, attractive staff member soon approached, swaying her slender waist as she walked over.

"This is the registration office for the Martial Apprentice Examination. How may I assist you?" she deliberately reminded him.

The main reason was that he looked far too young, dressed casually like a high school student.

"Perfect, I'm here to register!" Chen Shouyi said.

She froze for a moment, but her well-trained professionalism quickly suppressed her surprise as she smiled and said, "Of course. Please hand me your ID Card and Martial Artist Apprentice Certificate. We’ll process your registration, and you can wait here briefly."

Having come prepared, Chen Shouyi took out the documents and handed them over. "Thank you for your help."

"No trouble at all!" The staff member accepted them with both hands, turned to leave, then suddenly hesitated and came back. "Apologies, but I just noticed—your apprentice certificate was issued yesterday?"

"Yes, I just passed the exam yesterday. Is there a required waiting period before taking the Martial Apprentice Examination?" Chen Shouyi asked, puzzled.

"No, there’s no rule… It’s just…" The staff member struggled to find a tactful way to explain to this seemingly overconfident young man.

"Oh, I get it now!" Chen Shouyi suddenly understood.

Sigh, the curse of youth—always causing misunderstandings. And ever since the Book of Knowledge transformed him, his face had grown even more boyish.

"You think I’m biting off more than I can chew, right? Here, hold my briefcase for a moment."

She instinctively took the briefcase from him, still about to say something— Then, in a blur, the young man suddenly executed a Lunge Thrust, throwing a punch with explosive force.

A deafening BOOM erupted as a violent gust of wind tore through the air.

Terrified, she squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, the coffee table three to four meters away was in complete disarray—fruit and pastries scattered everywhere.

"Uh… do I need to pay for that?" the young man asked sheepishly.

Damn this innate urge to destroy things—I just can’t help myself.

"P-pay? N-no, it’s fine!"

"Great. Hand me back my briefcase. Oh, and the registration—no issues now, right?"

Dazed, the woman returned the briefcase before hurriedly nodding. "N-none at all."