111. Two Outcasts

When Chen Sheng woke up the next day, he didn’t put on his gold-rimmed glasses but chose to “log into the game” instead.

By the time he woke, it was nearly noon.

Seizing the bright sunshine outside, Chen Sheng spent the whole day basking in the sun. Yet, strangely, instead of tanning, his skin grew paler and paler.

Not just any pale—it was a jade-like whiteness.

Under the sun, it gave off a translucent, crystalline illusion.

Chen Sheng couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

As for why he felt this way, even he couldn’t quite explain, but it certainly wasn’t because he feared being looked at strangely by others.

At that moment, Chen Sheng had no mind left for his healing game.

No matter how soothing the game was to the soul, it couldn’t heal what churned inside him now. Fortunately, the odd condition improved overnight, and his skin darkened slightly, no longer so unnaturally white.

Overjoyed, Chen Sheng spent three consecutive days in the sun.

Though his complexion hadn’t yet turned to a healthy wheat color, Chen Sheng decided not to continue, as the weather forecast predicted several days of rain ahead.

“Why is it raining in winter?” Chen Sheng wondered.

Having taken half a month off, he naturally had no intention of returning to work anytime soon; one must learn to relax occasionally.

After all, when the hundred-year limit arrives, all that remains is a pyre at the crematorium.

Nothing truly lasts.

Well, perhaps something does—like leaving future generations with a graveyard mortgage…

But that was beside the point. Chen Sheng wasn’t worried about that; he was simply lazy and had another problem to solve.

“What do you want to eat? I’ll grab something outside,” Chen Sheng asked.

“I’ve already eaten,” Yu Youxin glanced at him, though she hadn’t eaten anything. She said this because she knew everything.

“Then I’ll go out for a bit.”

Chen Sheng stepped outside and began his meal.

He placed his hand on a slab of cured meat hanging outside and gently inhaled through his nose. In no time, the meat withered and dried until it was as brittle as a sun-dried leaf.

A salty meat flavor arose in his mouth.

He licked his lips, then furrowed his brow slightly.

Though the taste was good and the method was somewhat novel, it troubled him—he couldn’t keep finding excuses to leave every time he ate.

That would surely cause misunderstandings.

Chen Sheng sighed helplessly. He had discovered this three days ago; no wonder he hadn’t felt hungry all night. Unknowingly, he had absorbed countless breaths of “nutritional essence.”

“As expected, this training method must have been left behind by beings from other dimensions. Now even my way of eating has changed.”

He glanced at the sky—the rain fell relentlessly, the wind blew fiercely, and the streets were nearly deserted. Without a trace, Chen Sheng crushed the withered cured meat in his hand and let the passing wind and rain scatter it.

Chen Sheng thought no one had noticed, unaware that a certain girl living with him possessed eyes so keen they could see through everything.

As Chen Sheng marveled quietly, Yu Youxin muttered to herself incessantly, “Why does Old Chen look more like a malevolent spirit than a person now? Could this be the side effect of skipping the second and third stages and jumping straight to the fourth level of the Stone Inscription? That’s truly terrifying!”

Besides seeing his appearance, she could sense a strange force awakening within Chen Sheng’s body.

“But isn’t the Stone Inscription the only path left by those who attained immortality? Even if practiced incorrectly, it shouldn’t manifest like this.”

The girl propped her chin on her hand, her mind filled with questions.

Yet, watching Chen Sheng, she felt little worry. She could sense that although he seemed a bit odd now, he was very much alive.

Moreover, his vibrant life force seemed like a roaring flame, blazing fiercely, its dancing flames threatening to engulf the stars.

Ordinary people’s life essence, from her perspective, amounted to no more than the tiny flame of a lighter.

This further proved that although Chen Sheng had seemingly mispracticed the Stone Inscription, he had indeed tapped into some of its mysterious powers.

For instance, a truncated version of immortality.

With Chen Sheng’s current vitality, his appearance would remain unchanged for about thirty years, and his lifespan would be six or seven times that of a normal human.

Far surpassing even the dinosaurs that could die of old age in ancient times.

Of course, why the proper fourth stage of the Stone Inscription—the so-called "shedding of blood and flesh"—would cause such strange changes after completion was beyond her knowledge.

But she guessed it wasn’t a major issue…

After all, he was still alive, and his life force was growing stronger, wasn’t it?

In life, one can get by with some compromises—there’s no need to be so particular…

With this thought, the girl felt reassured. She had successfully convinced herself—it wasn’t brainwashing, but a clear explanation.

Then she shifted her attention.

“I was hoping Old Chen would help me continue the resurrection after reaching the second stage, but now, I can’t count on him…”

At this thought, the girl’s face drooped, overwhelmed with sadness.

Indeed, the Stone Inscription was truly difficult to master!

Though it had no cultivation threshold—anyone could try—it was possible that out of a hundred million practitioners, none would succeed.

Sometimes, only two or three people practiced it, and by chance, one would succeed.

Completely random, utterly without pattern.

Practicing the Stone Inscription was like a game of chance, with no guaranteed rewards—no benevolent game designers creating sudden high drop rates to entice players to continue.

Though Chen Sheng seemed to have reached the unattainable fourth stage, he lacked the ability to help her with resurrection.

A proper second stage Stone Inscription cultivator possesses immense yang energy. If one reaches the third stage, that yang energy grows even stronger, with a chance of true immortality.

But Chen Sheng, despite his vigorous life force, had barely any yang energy.

She even feared he might absorb the little yang energy she had left.

“What are you muttering to yourself about?” Chen Sheng returned inside, curious as he watched Yu Youxin mumbling.

“I’m thinking about villain character designs in novels,” the girl said without hesitation.

“Have you decided?”

“Yes.”

“What kind?”

“A bespectacled doctor who always boasts about carrying his medical license with him.”