After their conversation, the two engaged in an afternoon of combat training. This session wasn't as intense as their first encounter. Zheng Jia Ru quickly adapted to his role as a sparring partner, focusing on defense while Pei Yan concentrated on the offense, with Zheng Jia Ru occasionally providing vocal prompts for Pei Yan to correct weaknesses in his moves.
Meanwhile, Pei Yan used his left eye to repeatedly record their battle process, constantly replaying to identify points for improvement, further integrating his abilities to enhance his combat skills.
Time flew by as they went back and forth in their sparring. It wasn't long before evening approached, and after Pei Yan bowed deeply to thank Zheng Jia Ru for his help, the two left the training Jiezhi Space and headed to the military canteen for dinner.
The two, too sweaty to even shower, entered the canteen hall excitedly, carrying the scent of sweat, discussing the earlier battle while getting their food. But it wasn't long before Pei Yan noticed Zheng Jia Ru returning with over ten plates, bewildered, then looking back at the calm chef who seemed unfazed by such a sight.
Seeing Pei Yan's puzzled expression, Zheng Jia Ru sat down next to him, took a big bite of a white bun, and laughed, "Never seen this before? Can't help it; my ability has both pros and cons. While it infinitely enhances my physical constitution, it also causes me to have an immense appetite post-battle, needing far more food than an average person to recuperate, and I'll fall into a deep sleep mentally."
"Oh! Truly a peculiar ability!" Pei Yan exclaimed, chewing his bun. Just then, he suddenly heard someone calling his name and looked in the direction of the voice.
"Pei Yan! Pei Yan!" Ye Jiumu and Wang Wenze along with a group from the team waved excitedly upon seeing Pei Yan at the canteen entrance, quickly gathering around him.
"Wang Wenze, you're awake! How are you feeling?" Pei Yan, swallowing his bun quickly, asked, noticing Wang Wenze sitting across from him looking well.
"I woke up a while ago! I had been looking for you for a long time and only learned you were training, so I didn't want to disturb you!" Wang Wenze said, extending his hands in front of Pei Yan, and excitedly exclaimed, "Feel this! It's absolutely amazing! I've awakened to the fourth level! And I already have the domain ability you mentioned!"
Curious, Zheng Jia Ru leaned over and asked, "Domain? What domain?"
"It's a special skill that Origin Superpower Users might awaken to when they reach the fourth level!" Pei Yan briefly explained and then looked at Wang Wenze, pursuing, "What kind? Show me!"
Looking around, Wang Wenze hesitated, saying, "Not here, it's not suitable!"
"Into Jiezhi Space!" an eager Pei Yan proposed, directly taking out his personalized Jiezhi Space device from the hall and placing it on the table. Not long after, the group disappeared from the canteen, and Zheng Jia Ru, eyeing the Jiezhi Space and his stack of plates on the table, hesitated for a moment, then bundled two plates together before entering Jiezhi Space as well.
Upon entering Jiezhi Space, Pei Yan and the others had already formed a circle, surrounding Zheng Jia Ru in the center. Seeing this, he sat cross-legged on the outside, munching on a bun while watching the show unfold.
"Come on! Show me what you've got!" Pei Yan said excitedly, gesturing towards Wang Wenze with anticipation. Although he had bestowed the ability on him, he had only heard of domains and never seen one, so he was even more eager than Wang Wenze to see how it worked.
Being the center of attention, Wang Wenze didn't keep them waiting. He slowly closed his eyes, spread his palms, and a stream of source energy emanated from his body, gradually covering half of the area.
After a while, a tense silence filled the field with his source released yet no other experience. Zheng Jia Ru quietly lowered his chopsticks and asked, "This, this, is that it?"
This seemed a bit anticlimactic, didn't it?
Pei Yan and the others were equally perplexed, exchanging glances before focusing their eyes on Wang Wenze, who scratched his head awkwardly, saying, "This domain of mine is passive; someone has to actively attack me!"
"I'll do it! I'll do it!" Zheng Jia Ru quickly volunteered, setting his plates down eagerly.
Wang Wenze, knowing Zheng Jia Ru's strength, quickly waved him off, "No way, you're too strong; I probably can't hold you!"
"Then let us try!" said Xia Yu, equally curious, as he walked out with Ye Jiumu and Jiang Feiyang, surrounding Wang Wenze from three directions.
"Wang Shenpo, are you ready? We're going to attack!" Jiang Feiyang called out loudly, steadying himself.
"Bring it on!" Wang Wenze confidently assumed a combat stance, ready for action.
With that, the three exchanged glances and without any hesitation, Ye Jiumu and Xia Yu charged in, while Jiang Feiyang stood outside the circle, dropping one soldier after another from his hand, transforming them to life-size, wielding swords as they rushed in.
However, as soon as Ye Jiumu and Xia Yu stepped into Wang Wenze's domain, a dense fog suddenly rose, swallowing their figures, astonishing Pei Yan. He promptly used his Mechanical Eye to inspect, only to find the mist impenetrable to his device.
Soon after Ye Jiumu and Xia Yu entered the mist, sounds of explosions and shouts echoed intermittently from within. Despite the limited foggy area, the battle seemed to remain intense. Outside the ring, Jiang Feiyang was drenched in sweat as the troops he directed into the mist lost contact, a scenario he had never encountered before.
"They won't be harmed, right?" Liang Qian, hearing the explosions in the fog, worriedly asked.
Without taking his eyes off the fog, Pei Yan assured him, "Everyone knows their limits, they'll be fine!"
After a while, an inner surge occurred outside the fog, a giant photo slowly unfolded, and soon, Ye Jiumu and Xia Yu emerged from it.
Once they broke free, the fog around Wang Wenze gradually dissipated, revealing his figure. Pei Yan observed closely and noted his face was swollen, and his abdomen showed minor injuries, indicating he hadn't emerged unscathed from the battle either.
"How was it? What's it like inside the domain?" Peng Lang stepped forward, urgently asking.
"Very strong!" Ye Jiumu gasped from between his teeth as Xia Yu supported him.
Xia Yu, still shaken, glanced at Wang Wenze and nodded in agreement, stating, "It's indeed very strong. Once we enter Wang Wenze's domain, it feels as if stepping into an ethereal world where even we turned into line-drawn characters, significantly diminishing our strength while continuously facing an onslaught of wolves and monsters emerging from Wang Wenze's body. Honestly, if Wang Wenze wasn't still inexperienced with this ability, giving us a chance to breach within, he could have prolonged the battle even more!"