Mini World Game Console

One look was all it took to know: this wasn't his person.

In the instant their gazes crossed, Ren Suo was lost.

From endorphins to dopamine, from heartbeat to blood pressure, from his brain to his prostate, everything fell into chaos.

The aroma of chocolate he first tasted at age four; the scent of beef brisket rice noodle rolls eaten on the street after a game; the fragrance of flowers from a field visited during his high school graduation trip; the perfume of crabs his mother proudly served for dinner upon his university acceptance; the fresh scent of green grass while lying on a lawn with friends, fantasizing about the future…

All the beauty of the past surged into his heart, joy spreading from his marrow to his very brain. Ren Suo's body felt heavier and heavier, yet his soul grew lighter and lighter.

A slight pain in his palm—Dong Chengling's fingernails dug into it, pulling Ren Suo sharply from the dream-like sensation.

Only a second had passed, yet Ren Suo's back was already drenched in cold sweat. He averted his gaze, looking toward the crowd on the nearby street, and forcibly calmed his agitated heart.

That was close! He almost fell for the Nine-Tailed Fox!

After all, behind the Nine-Tailed Fox was a hardcore, brawny man who loved eating crayfish, using cute emotes when chatting online, and making cutesy whimpering sounds daily—Ren Suo himself!

The Nine-Tailed Fox hadn't used any Skills whatsoever, but her mere Body Scent Charm and her naturally amplified image were enough to influence all onlookers within range, men and women alike, to willingly become her devoted subjects!

This was a powerful effect, almost like a chemical Attack. The Nine-Tailed Fox's Charm transcended ordinary senses, approaching a high-dimensional Spiritual Energy strike. It directly caused onlookers to secrete corresponding chemical substances and, through their own memories, naturally come to adore the Nine-Tailed Fox.

When Ren Suo played the game, he hadn't realized how potent it was. But after experiencing it personally, he discovered just how terrifying the Nine-Tailed Fox truly was.

It was as if the Nine-Tailed Fox was a seasoning added to all of one's beautiful experiences—kinship, friendship, love—making one naturally believe she was an extremely important and inseparable part of life.

If ordinary people seek a partner or soulmate, looking for that 'destined one' whose edges fit their own, then the Nine-Tailed Fox became everyone's 'destined one,' making everyone willing to smooth their own edges to accommodate her.

Even Ren Suo himself had almost been caught. If not for his resistance as a First Transformation Cultivator and Dong Chengling's timely intervention, Ren Suo might have genuinely fallen for this Palace Nine-Tailed Fox he himself had created.

This was not a pleasant feeling... It was like falling in love with a version of himself in women's clothing.

Yet Ren Suo couldn't help but glance at the Nine-Tailed Fox again. Her actions were undoubtedly controlled by Ren Suo, but what kind of soul did she carry within her?

On his second glance, Ren Suo didn't again experience that 'heart wildly pounding like a startled fawn' sensation. Instead, he clearly saw the hidden smile deep in the Nine-Tailed Fox's eyes.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, the corners of her lips curving upwards, as if she were playing a very joyful game.

However, she tilted her head slightly, looking at Dong Chengling beside Ren Suo.

Ren Suo also turned to look at Dong Chengling and met her gaze, which was clear and bright.

Everything in the game was playing out, but with a few unexpected developments.

Dong Chengling's right thumb gently rubbed the spot on Ren Suo's left palm she had just pinched. Their hands were pressed so tightly together that his palm was sweaty, creating an indescribably subtle, sticky sensation.

Yet Ren Suo was intently staring at Dong Chengling's lips, waiting for a familiar line.

Seeing Ren Suo finally look her way, Dong Chengling's serious expression softened. She turned to look at the Nine-Tailed Fox and said, "Hello, my name is Dong Chengling."

At that moment, Old Zhao and several Cultivators from the Mysterious Country arrived. They were powerful enough to make Ren Suo's Qi Cyclone tremble. They stepped through the eye-shaped Spatial Hole that Ren Suo and Dong Chengling had opened, traveling from beneath Sky Capital in the Mysterious Country to the Sunny Sky Street in Flourishing Sakura Tokyo.

"Let go," Dong Chengling said. Ren Suo immediately felt the flow of Spiritual Energy within him diminish from the torrent of Huangguoshu Waterfall to a thin pipe in a university dorm; the spatial wall his right hand maintained also felt as heavy as a thousand jin, forcing him to quickly release his grip.

The hastily established spatial channel closed. The surrounding Cultivators and researchers immediately went about their business, and Ren Suo was confusedly dragged to one side—where Qiao Muyi was waiting for him.

Upon seeing her, Ren Suo blurted out, "Why are you still here?"

Qiao Muyi glanced at Dong Chengling. "Like you, hoping someone will pledge their life to me."

Before Ren Suo could voice his confusion, Dong Chengling said, "Thank you for your trouble this time, Ren Suo."

"Alright, it's about time you told me what this is all about," Ren Suo scratched his head. "Although I have a guess, I'm afraid my continued presence here has nothing to do with being 'still under observation,' does it?"

"Of course not. Do you think you can stay here just because you want to? You're not qualified yet," Qiao Muyi stated. "This is a national key medical care facility, exclusively housing Cultivators and important figures. Even the Spiritual Energy aggregation equipment here is more than twice as effective as the ones in Lianjiang. Without a certain status, you wouldn't even know this place existed."

Dong Chengling lowered her gaze and sighed. "It's because of me," she said. "These past few days, I still haven't managed to master my awakened spells, forcing you to stay here with me."

Qiao Muyi smiled at them and explained, "Ren Suo, you know that awakened spells are related to Spiritual Meridians, and an Awakening Outburst is a side effect that also occurs when the Spiritual Meridians are being shaped."

"What you saw just now, Dong Chengling's awakened spells are Space Spells; they can directly Tear through space to create a space teleportation portal. Its significance is absolutely more powerful than the 'Teleport' you imagined—to put it in the most extreme terms, this woman whose hand you're holding could potentially lead all of humanity into the galactic era."

It was only then that Ren Suo noticed he and Dong Chengling were still holding hands. He tried to pull away, but Dong Chengling instead gripped his hand firmly.

"The Spellcasting isn't over yet," she said earnestly, her composure seemingly flawless. "Letting go rashly would be very dangerous."

Qiao Muyi continued, "The country naturally places great importance on gaining a new Space Series Awakener, but the problem is, Dong Chengling cannot yet cast Spells independently."

"The process of you helping her Awaken has caused Dong Chengling's Awakened Meridians to consequently extend to you. Casting Spells requires complete Meridians; even if other Cultivators separated you two, if she wanted to cast Spells, the casting would be interrupted due to the incomplete Meridians."

Ren Suo turned his head to look at the spot where the Spatial Hole had disappeared. "So, the reason I was brought over was to enable Chengling to complete her Spellcasting?"

"Exactly," Qiao Muyi said. "There's been a special situation requiring control these past few days. Just now, for instance, the Mysterious Country had to dispatch personnel to Flourishing Sakura Tokyo, and Dong Chengling happened to be here…"

Ren Suo exclaimed, "So you constructed a spatial shortcut from Sky Capital to Tokyo? This is truly a Miracle wrought by a Goddess!"

Dong Chengling's face reddened slightly before she spoke in a serious tone, "Actually, if other Cultivators hadn't helped me with precise positioning, constructing the target location's environment, and if not for the superior conditions at this facility, I couldn't have achieved this. I only made a tiny contribu—"

"Alright," Qiao Muyi waved her hand dismissively. "Excessive humility is a form of disdain. If your contribution isn't considered significant, then what about the other Cultivators who assisted you? Would their merits be comparable to mere onlookers? If you don't acknowledge your own efforts, it makes things awkward for others who are hoping for rewards."

"Is that so?" Dong Chengling looked somewhat puzzled.

Ren Suo nodded emphatically. "Yes. It's like those top students who score nearly perfect marks and rank first in their grade, yet go around saying 'I did so poorly' or 'That was embarrassing,' which simply mocks other students who also study diligently. True humility is silently acknowledging one's own strength, not disparaging oneself and, in doing so, disparaging those weaker than oneself."

"...You make a good point." Dong Chengling nodded solemnly. Qiao Muyi glanced at her as she spoke.

Ren Suo suddenly thought of a terrifying future: "Does this mean that in the future, whenever Chengling casts Spells, she'll have to hold my hand like this!?"

Wouldn't that make him the "Space Spell Casting Medium (Dong Chengling-Exclusive)"?

How would he have any time to play games?

How could he possibly find other Keys?

How could he possibly...

Qiao Muyi asked out of the blue, "You don't like that idea?"

"How could I!" Ren Suo almost subconsciously blurted out.

At that moment, someone called for Dong Chengling. She released Ren Suo's hand with her usual composure and smiled slightly. "Don't worry, I'll quickly master the Awakening Technique. I won't keep you waiting too long." After saying this, she hurried away.

Qiao Muyi looked at Ren Suo thoughtfully. "Even if you're willing, Dong Chengling may not be, and the country even less so—how could a powerful Cultivator have such a weakness?"

"Didn't I tell you before? Awakened Meridians are ineffective on others. Conversely, this means a deciphered set of Awakened Meridians will become effective when applied to the corresponding Awakener."

"Dong Chengling's Awakened Meridians were analyzed during your Healing session. For the past few days, they've been trying to figure out how to perform a Perfect transplant."

"As soon as she finds the correct Meridians, you can be honorably discharged as a glorious one-time prop."

Ren Suo twitched the corner of his mouth. Qiao Muyi turned and signaled to a nearby Black Body Armor agent. "According to instructions from above, you still need to stay here for the next few days. Enjoy it; we haven't had as much time for Cultivation recently as you have."

Watching Ren Suo being led away by the Black Body Armor agent, Qiao Muyi looked back at Dong Chengling, who was listening attentively to a group of scholars' Teaching nearby. This Spatial Hole operation was highly significant. The Spatial Hole's size, target distance, and maintenance duration were all crucial reference indicators. Dong Chengling had to learn and memorize how to balance these factors.

"His 'How could I!'... did he mean 'How could I possibly like it?' or 'How could I possibly not like it?'..." Qiao Muyi tilted her head. "Could it be that the Key to this mission really lies with him...?"