I Take Life Seriously 99, Qimen Dunjia (3)

Zhang Mingjing said, “I should go help them.”

The Five-Dimensional Space Thinking Model replied, “Don’t rush. This magical beast may be well optimized, but any optimization involves trade-offs—gains and losses, take and give. Its overall strength may not be overwhelmingly superior, and it could even have fatal weaknesses. Catherine and the others should be able to handle it. Stay patient and give them the opportunity to defeat the beast without your help.”

“Uh! Without me he can... What do you mean?”

“Don’t take it personally. I didn’t mean anything—just a casual remark. Besides, you can’t always hold the C position. It’s time for others to share the spotlight.”

“Damn! You sound like I’m after fame and fortune.”

Zhang Yidao noticed that the innate Eight Trigrams array was struggling to suppress the magical beast effectively, and Catherine, Jamilly, and the second pet’s attacks were also proving ineffective. Impatiently, he activated the one-third of the acquired Eight Trigrams diagram he had only partially internalized.

He believed that, though he hadn’t fully mastered the acquired Eight Trigrams, this single third would still sweep away the beast and earn him glory.

This was clearly overconfidence!

Zhang Mingjing feared his blind arrogance would doom everything, yet he made no effort to stop him.

...

Zhang Yidao had begun driving the one-third portion of the acquired Eight Trigrams. In his consciousness, that fragment clung tightly to the outer ring of the innate Eight Trigrams and began circling around it, enveloping the entire battlefield and two kilometers beyond. The magical beast stood at the center of the array.

The one-third acquired Eight Trigrams accelerated its rotation, and massive streams of data information began pouring from each trigram, triggering real-world parameter shifts and accelerating the beast’s energy extraction.

The beast grew tense, let out a thunderous roar, and charged madly toward the southern town.

The convex contacts on its back began emitting white smoke, their temperature soaring past a thousand degrees in moments. The rhythm suggested they were rapidly replenishing energy.

Catherine, Jamilly, and the second pet pressed their assaults. The beast’s skin proved remarkably tough; Catherine’s light sword repeatedly rebounded, and its movements were unnervingly agile. Jamilly’s light hammer strikes to the head were dodged repeatedly. Even the bizarre dog-leg technique, the cat-claw assaults like immortal lightning, and the three-satellite laser barrage yielded little result.

The team was at a complete loss. They longed for Zhang Yidao’s upgraded Eight Trigrams array to turn the tide.

Zhang Yidao seemed to sense their desperation. Joy flared in his heart. “This time I’ll claim the C position, hahaha!”

He sped up the acquired Eight Trigrams’ computation. Unfortunately, the diagram remained incomplete, and recent distractions had raised the temperature in his mind to dangerous levels, making him increasingly irritable. Finally, the array in his consciousness detonated and shattered.

Zhang Yidao stared at his defeated acquired Eight Trigrams, and a chill crept through his soul. His consciousness felt as if winter snow had washed over it, a howling gale ready to scatter every hope.

Zhang Mingjing read the scene and immediately vented at the Five-Dimensional Space Thinking Model. “See? I told you he’d rush in headfirst and go astray. You insisted it was fine, even claiming that a little mishap fuels progress. Now the momentum is overwhelming, isn’t it? The turning point has arrived, and Zhang Yidao’s confidence has plummeted to absolute zero!”

The Five-Dimensional Space Thinking Model answered awkwardly, “I only followed the Eight Trigrams’ information to reach that conclusion. I never expected Zhang Yidao to stumble so quickly. Who can predict the twists of fate?”

“Gah! You really know how to make excuses for yourself.”

Zhang Mingjing noticed that the Five-Dimensional Space Thinking Model was now employing the acquired Eight Trigrams divination technique.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m casting a hexagram for Zhang Yidao.”

“What?! Brother, since when did you start dabbling in this? You’re the Five-Dimensional Space’s wisdom—how could you base decisions on such primitive methods?”

“You don’t understand. I’ve been researching the acquired Eight Trigrams lately. This is a rare chance for practical application. How could I pass it up? Besides, the acquired Eight Trigrams may not be inferior to my Five-Dimensional Space Thinking Model.”

Zhang Mingjing could only shake his head in speechless defeat.

He then read that the magical beast continued evading their strikes while racing toward their southern town.

Just as frustration built over finding a way to stop it, the divination concluded. The model announced, “Zhang Yidao’s hexagram is auspicious! I also divined the Eight Trigrams array he formed, and the outcome is the Constant Man—quite favorable!”

Zhang Mingjing rolled his eyes and muttered, “Damn, I serve you.”

The model continued, “The hexagram states we need not intervene in Zhang Yidao’s affairs. He will meet a noble person and rise again.”

“Meet a noble person and rise... Who is this noble person?”

“I don’t know—certainly not you or me.”

“Go! ... Does it say when he will rise?”

“Regretfully, I have not yet fully comprehended the timing.”

“Spit blood! ... Then should I help Zhang Yidao? Catherine and the others seem powerless against the beast.”

“Would personally charging in solve anything?”

“No! We can only fight desperately.”

“Then why are we wasting time thinking of solutions?”

“You try thinking of one!”

“I’ve already divined it—the hexagram advises patience and inaction, for only a noble hand can aid him.”

“Eh~! You actually believe this?”

“I feel the reading is reliable. If I were deciding now, I’d observe first and trust they have their own solutions.”

At that moment, Catherine and Jamilly were repeatedly scanning the beast and logging its bodily parameters.

On Zhang Yidao’s side, though Zhang Mingjing and the model had decided to withdraw, Xiao Nuoxia stepped in decisively.

“Damn it, Zhang Yidao! You swaggered into battle so confident, then the moment things got tricky you folded like a cheap tent. You’re too cowardly, man! Show some backbone! Don’t disgrace your master! Don’t tarnish your own heart!”

This was ordinary talk, yet spoken by Xiao Nuoxia!

Her image of Zhang Yidao differed sharply from the master’s. He never wanted to appear weak before anyone, but before her he refused to admit defeat. She was his deeply loved woman, his deeply hated woman, his deeply feared woman. So Zhang Yidao immediately straightened, and the temperature in his consciousness began to climb once more.

He returned to meditation. After only three seconds, the shattered one-third of the acquired Eight Trigrams diagram reformed intact.

Zhang Mingjing read the information with quiet surprise. It seemed his understanding of parental love and hate remained shallow.

Zhang Yidao resumed commanding the one-third acquired Eight Trigrams as it circled the innate array.

Xiao Nuoxia suddenly spoke, “Why let the acquired Eight Trigrams keep circling the innate ones? It’s like a son spinning around his father—what on earth does that mean?”

Zhang Yidao had intended to leverage the acquired Eight Trigrams’ superior computation to aid the innate array in siphoning the beast’s energy. Xiao Nuoxia’s casual remark opened his eyes. He cried out in delight, “Xiao Nuoxia, you are truly my noble person!”

“Correct! ... Why did you say that?”

Zhang Mingjing read the exchange and exchanged a knowing glance with the Five-Dimensional Space Thinking Model. Zhang Yidao had indeed received noble aid.

Zhang Yidao now separated the one-third acquired Eight Trigrams from the innate array. Once detached, the acquired portion slowly faded away.

Zhang Mingjing read the action and asked, “What are you doing?”

Zhang Yidao grinned. “Without Xiao Nuoxia’s words just now, I would still be lost in the acquired Eight Trigrams and nearly ruined everything.”

“What do you mean?” Zhang Mingjing pressed, refusing to let the matter rest.

“Battle is battle—use the perfect weapon and go all out! But I had been relying on an incompletely internalized acquired Eight Trigrams, which was pure self-indulgence, pure showmanship, pure obsession. That is courting death! I will now wield the innate Eight Trigrams and spells with full power. There will be time enough to resume the acquired Eight Trigrams once they are fully mastered. You agree, don’t you?”

Zhang Mingjing reflected. “Your realization is enlightening. You have become a true cultivator today.”

“Cut it! I was born one. Who’s talking like that?”

“Fine, fine. Then hurry and cooperate with Catherine and Jamilly to slay the beast!”

...

Catherine and Jamilly were now discussing a crucial strategy. Through tracking scans and calculations, they discovered the beast absorbed atmospheric atoms via its convex contacts, channeling them to a nuclear reactor within its body. Waste from the reactions was likewise expelled through the same contacts. Moreover, most contacts protruded from the beast’s back and in areas it could not reach.

After exhaustive data collection and analysis, they formulated a winning tactic.

Catherine explained, “We found these contacts operate at relatively low temperatures while absorbing external atoms, and the process can last up to six minutes. The nuclear energy generated during that time is enormous, producing large quantities of harmful elements that will eventually be discharged. Before discharge, however, the contacts enlarge, temperature rises, and the expulsion lasts three minutes—indicating massive waste volume. If we seal the contacts precisely when the beast expels waste, the sudden nuclear waste cannot escape, causing internal pressure to spike violently. The toxins will then invade the beast’s tissues and poison it.”