"Shao Qiming is your friend.

Without any unforeseen circumstances, his health, while not exceptional, would be considered normal to slightly below average. He would occasionally suffer minor illnesses, nothing serious.

But now, because he was cursed—even though the summoned evil spirit didn't have time to complete the curse before being dispelled—the excessive resentment and yin energy that accumulated in his body as a child weakened his life force.

If no one dispels this yin energy, his natural lifespan will be around thirty or forty years. If he contracts a serious illness in the meantime, he might decline prematurely and die before thirty."

Yala's voice was calm as she watched the international news, casually telling Su Zhou, who had a gloomy expression, "You don't need to worry too much. For ordinary people, this is a very serious matter, but for you, it's nothing at all."

"Once you successfully awaken your spirit and become a true Awakened, you'll easily see what's wrong with your friend, and there are plenty of solutions. I'm just telling you in advance."

"...I see." Su Zhou was silent for a while, as if recalling something. He murmured softly, "I remember now... When Qiming was seriously ill, my parents and I rushed to visit him, and at that time, I saw many dark shadows, blocking Qiming completely."

"I didn't think much of it at the time and angrily scolded them, telling them to get lost—and they disappeared on their own, just like the shadows I usually see."

Su Zhou's thought about this scene in his memory was that Shao Qiming was dying at the time, so those black shadows came to drag his friend away and turn him into one of them.

But now it seems, why did the shadows gather around Shao Qiming when there were so many dying people in the hospital?

The inexplicably gathered shadows did seem to be manipulated.

"It has been like this since ancient times." Yala's voice at this time was quite annoying, as if she felt this matter was very interesting. But for some reason, Su Zhou could hear a trace of emotion in it: "Humans are creatures who really like to hurt each other. Even in the Dharma Ending Age before the revival of spiritual energy, they would pay a great price to curse each other... If you hadn't subconsciously used your 'Dragon's Roar' instinct when you were a child, he would have died long ago.

Speaking of which, your friend's family is quite wealthy. I'm afraid they provoked some ruthless people in the process of building their fortune."

Ruthless people?

"I don't care what kind of ruthless people they are, they're definitely not as ruthless as me."

Ignoring the Dragon's Roar, Su Zhou narrowed his eyes, his expression calming down instead. His calm face was like a marble statue sketched by a draftsman.

But those who knew him knew that Su Zhou was taking this matter to heart. With a trace of killing intent, he stated, "This person must die."

"Yala, can I cultivate your secret art now?" Since he had made up his mind, Su Zhou was never subtle or polite in this regard. He asked directly, "I want to awaken as soon as possible. To do so, what do I need to do?"

At this time, Yala turned off the TV. It had finished watching the recent domestic and international news, and the snake spirit's mind carried a trace of joy: "The spiritual energy in the world is still thin, so we need to wait—but if you really want to awaken as soon as possible, then it's not impossible, but it may require you to do some things."

"Su Zhou, it's up to your choice."

——My choice?

Hearing this, Su Zhou blinked.

The anger that was originally brewing in his heart, and the thought of how to send those cursing children bastards to hell, were instantly cleared by his instinctive hostility.

Yala knows what choice I will make... It has been waiting for me here all along.

It is waiting for me to say the choice it wants, just like... in all myths and legends, those immortals and gods use various methods to make me... conform to their principles.

And Yala is also a god.

With understanding in his heart, Su Zhou lowered his head, suppressing the boiling hostile desire in his heart. He stared at the snake spirit—so far, it had never lied to him.

However, the truth can also be used to guide people.

"Yala knew from the start what I wanted, what I would do..."

Su Zhou was very clear about this.

It had communicated with Shao Qiming, and obviously knew the other party's physical condition very well. Then, whether he asked sooner or later, or even found an excuse to say it himself, it could guide him, who valued friendship very much, to want to enter the extraordinary world as soon as possible.

Su Zhou knew that he would not make any other choice.

Moreover, he would not suspect that the things the snake spirit wanted him to do would be detrimental to him. It would definitely be something that could allow him to successfully awaken his spirit and help Shao Qiming.

It's just.

This was originally Su Zhou's own idea. Even without Shao Qiming's situation, he, who craved the unusual and change, would still want to awaken as soon as possible and embark on that path.

But all of these thoughts and inclinations were seen by Yala, and it was probably using this as a net, arranging a series of carefully planned steps.

Yala was planning his life. To put it bluntly, it was like... playing a raising simulation game, step by step, making him walk the path it wanted him to walk.

——But the important thing is not this.

"I know you are guiding me, Yala, you are tempting me to walk the path you want me to walk."

Su Zhou was not the kind of person who could keep things hidden in his heart. He thought of it, so he spoke and said directly, "If it were other people, they would definitely feel very uncomfortable, feeling like they were being controlled by you, and that their thoughts were being guided.

But I'm different, even if I'm naturally inclined to oppose something. Because I'm very clear about my goals, whether you guide me or not, it doesn't affect my choices.

Moreover, I don't mind your guidance, just like I don't mind my parents, teachers, and elders guiding me."

Under the snake spirit's wide-eyed and surprised gaze, Su Zhou lowered his head and looked at it seriously. He said calmly, "I won't waste my time comparing schemes with an ancient and great mind that, as far as I can see, is still benevolent."

"How does that saying go? When humans think, God laughs."

[This laughter is not necessarily ridicule, but because they see people summarizing the correct laws, God laughs because people are experiencing this world and growing—like when a child mysteriously tells an adult that they have discovered a law, as long as they lie in a bathtub of water, the water level will rise, and the weight of the overflowing water is equal to their weight, the kind of smile an adult shows.]

Is that ridicule? God is not so bored.

At this time, Su Zhou stood up and walked to the window, overlooking the distant scenery of the residential area.

Su Zhou stared at the omnipresent rivers of Hong City, as well as the endless stream of traffic on the roads, the ordinary crowds and street scenes.

He didn't want to become one of them, so he had always been pursuing tales and rumors, pursuing mystery and anomaly.

——He was once a 'curious person' who pursued 'tales' and 'mystery'.

——But now, he is a madman chasing 'change' and 'the unknown'!

"I know."

Therefore, the teenager used a tone that was not intentionally declaring, but simply stating his will: "My current thoughts and determination may be something that is a bit superficial and makes people smile to you, who have seen countless people and gods."

"Yala. In the future, when we talk, let's not be so long-winded and roundabout.

You saved my life, and of course, it was also your followers who beat me like that—I believe in your guidance, but that doesn't mean I don't oppose it, but as long as your guidance doesn't violate my heart, I'm willing to do it."

"Just remember. I firmly believe that I will not stop at your expectations, I will exceed your expectations."

——Let's see the future!

Su Zhou's words were crisp and neat.

And the snake spirit stared at his back—the seventeen-year-old's confidence and vigor, the young man's pride and firm determination, were all in this passage.

"...No, this is not superficial at all, Child of Man."

At this time, Yala's eyes seemed to be examining some kind of treasure—the rough stone that was originally thought to need polishing actually shed its own mud and sand, blooming with brilliant light.

This kind of thing, this kind of unexpected thing, made it couldn't help but laugh, laughing loudly: "This is the most important thing, the 'will of the strong'!"

"Although it's very proud, very arrogant, it's simply arrogance, but without even this courage and arrogance, how can you cope with the infinite changes in the future? How can you become a strong person?"

Its ruby-like snake body began to bloom with light slightly. Yala laughed, no longer being subtle, and said its own thoughts without concealment: "That's right, I need you to successfully awaken your spirit as soon as possible, to become an Awakened, and not passively wait for the arrival of the spiritual energy revival."

"Whether it's to help your friend as soon as possible, or for better development in the future, or even for me, you must take the first step, and then take each step faster and faster."

But speaking of this, Yala changed the subject: "But not now. Su Zhou, maybe you don't feel it now when you're excited, but you really need to rest, get a good night's sleep, and replenish your energy.

You have experienced a fierce battle, resurrected from the dead, and obtained my blood, and made a covenant with me—your spirit is now almost exhausted, but your overly strong physical fitness keeps you awake."

——Go to sleep, we do need to move forward quickly, but there's no need to rush——

In the world of the mind, Yala's voice was like the bells of a cathedral, loud and grand, making people face their own hearts.

"Uh... what you said... seems a bit right..."

And after hearing the snake spirit's words, it was as if something that had been sealed was released from his mind. Some deliberately concealed fatigue flowed out from the secret box of his spirit, and he immediately felt an extremely deep sleepiness surging from the depths of his soul.

Ambush, fight, battle, near death, and then resurrect from the dead, make a covenant with Yala...

Everything happened within a day, and he hadn't even slept, his spirit had been in extreme excitement.

He really needed to rest.

So Su Zhou took Yala and walked into his room in a daze. He put all kinds of magazines and books on the bed on the floor, and then lay on the bed, covering himself with a thin blanket for summer.

The boy fell into a deep sleep.

"Haha."

And Yala hovered over Su Zhou's forehead. It was silent for a long time, and then chuckled, half with emotion and half with relief.

"Those guys would never have thought."

"What kind of seed I have found."