My dream connects to three thousand years later.

Chapter 90 Goodbye to the Radiation Pool

With thoughts swirling in his mind, Chu Zhu quickly made a decision. He turned and sped out of the city.

After one hour.

Chu Zhu looked at the familiar mountain peaks in front of her and took a deep breath. "I thought I wouldn't be back anytime soon!"

Shaking his head, Chu Zhu found a vine and quickly rushed to the top of the mountain.

"The resources required for cultivating immortality and refining the body are different!"

Chu Zhu stared at the chimney in front of her, pondering what she had read in the "Great Radiance Technique"—body refinement only requires water, but immortal cultivation requires stones.

However, Chu Zhu had a slight doubt about this:
What is the difference between radiated water and radiated stone?
Is it the amount of radiation it contains?

If that's the case, then a pool of bottomless water might not be less effective than a pool of radiating stones, right? In fact, it might even be better!

"Then, it's time for the experiment. If the experiment succeeds,"

Chu Zhu suppressed his surging emotions, "Then for a long time to come, I will no longer lack cultivation resources!"

He jumped down again.

The familiar time, the familiar scene.

Chu Zhu passed through a barrier, and what she saw before her was completely different.

“This time, I tried my best to sense it, and it seems that I didn’t pass through a barrier,” Chu Zhu thought, “but rather some kind of repulsion. Is it a problem with the air density above and below? Or a magnetic field? Or some other reason?”

While pondering, Chu Zhu did his best to activate the basic cultivation technique—it would be too boring not to gamble on a pool with a high limit when there's a chance to start over!

Chu Zhu fell into the deep pool and then felt a stinging pain.

"No, this feeling is completely different from before!"

Previously, the pain was only momentary, and Chu Zhu died quickly. But now, although the pain has lessened considerably compared to before, it lasts for countless times longer, and it seems to show no signs of stopping.

After a brief moment of thought, Chu Zhu was actually pleased. This meant that he could stay in the radiating pool for a longer period of time.

One, two, three... twenty-one... fifty-two...

Chu Zhu could feel warm currents surging throughout his body. Of course, he felt that this was probably not internal energy or spiritual power—it was probably an illusion caused by the death and regeneration of a large number of cells in his brain.

"It hurts so much, it's so numb, it's so uncomfortable... but at the same time, it feels so fulfilling!"

With a sigh, Chu Zhu's consciousness gradually sank into the abyss.

"Having held on until now is the limit... So..."

"Reverse it!"

Then, everything returned to the beginning.

Chu Zhu opened her eyes, got up, washed up, and walked towards the door without hesitation, taking no more than two minutes in total.

Zhang Hai: "???"

What happened? Zhang Hai was completely bewildered, his gaze following Chu Zhu as she drifted out of the room. He touched his head. Was he even human? How could Chu Zhu act as if she hadn't seen him at all!
Suddenly, he realized, "Wait! What triggered you? Or did you change your mind? You should at least have said something."

Chu Zhu politely declined Zhang Hai's offer, then left the city as usual, eventually arriving at what appeared to be the chimney of a nuclear power plant.

"My physical fitness has been improving over this period of time! Although I don't have a specific estimate, it should be higher than seven? I wonder if it's even eight?" Chu Zhu pondered silently. Compared to the previous period of rapid growth, it has obviously slowed down a lot now.

"This physical improvement should be the same as the data from previous tests, and it has nothing to do with the last time I jumped into the nuclear water—however, after using the basic cultivation technique, I feel that my mind is much clearer!"

Logically speaking, after a reset, Chu Zhu should feel dizzy and lightheaded.

But this time, although it wasn't quite as waking up as when I fell asleep in the real world, it wasn't much different.

"Perhaps, if I really become a cultivator, I can raise the level of resetting the dream realm five times even higher?" Chu Zhu was stunned when he thought of this, feeling both amused and exasperated.

"If becoming a cultivator is the only way to improve, then what about when I was young, I was able to reset again and again, even dozens of times, and still be full of energy? What does that mean?"

"A newbie protection period?"

Chu Zhu still can't understand why she could reset endlessly as a child without getting tired at all... But the number of resets gradually decreases over time, down to the current five times a day...

However, it now seems possible to raise the reset count back up.
Forcing himself to pull himself together, Chu Zhu looked serious and jumped down again.

Through.

A fantastical, radiant landscape.

An unfathomably deep radiation pool.

And... a pain that seeps into your bones!

Chu Zhu landed at the bottom of the pool, sat cross-legged, held his breath, and exerted all his strength to circulate the basic cultivation technique.

My hair is falling out at a rate visible to the naked eye, as if I were undergoing chemotherapy.

Fresh blood was flowing from the nostrils, but it quickly disappeared after merging into the black water.

"This time, I lasted three seconds longer than last time!"

This was the last thought in Chu Zhu's mind.

Startled awake again, Chu Zhu looked around at the lush, dense forest, paused for a moment, and then exclaimed, "This time it's reset to the road to the nuclear power plant! Well, that's good, one less time to check in with Zhang Hai."

As she ran, Chu Zhu sensed the situation.

To be honest, he didn't really understand his progress in cultivation. After all, apart from feeling more energetic and able to withstand resets, there was no difference from before; his body hadn't become stronger, and there were no other changes.

However, change is always a good thing...

Chu Zhu was not lacking in patience. In fact, if a single location or instance allowed him to consistently feel a sense of personal growth, he could persevere—after all, his idol was the Sword God of Shili Slope!
If given the choice, who wouldn't want to grind to become invincible before leaving the game?

Again.

"Something's not right!" Chu Zhu rubbed his temples, finally feeling a noticeable fatigue. However, he was still filled with joy; this time, dying three times had left him feeling similarly exhausted to after dying twice before.

In other words, given the current situation, he should be able to hold on until he dies seven times?
Compared to five times, this represents an improvement of two times, nearly half.

"Continue!" Chu Zhu jumped into the radiating water again.

However, this time...

Chu Zhu got out of bed, her face expressionless as she met Zhang Hai's gaze, who was sitting in a chair. Had this random reset returned to the time she had just woken up?
Rubbing his temples, Chu Zhu's brows furrowed even more deeply, because this time, he didn't feel any significant improvement in his mental state; it seemed he had hit a bottleneck.

So... it's useless now?!
This is way too fast!

Chu Zhu found it hard to accept, although he had guessed that playing like this would eventually build up resistance. However, he believed he could at least hold out until he successfully cultivated and entered the first realm of immortality!
What exactly is missing?
Chu Zhu sighed inwardly. The only thing to be thankful for was that the repeated deaths had indeed cleansed him of the pollution, though he was a little tired on a spiritual level... In reality, he hadn't paid too high a price.

No, considering that the number of resets has increased to seven, he probably still made a profit—although the profit was different from what he initially expected.

"You had a nightmare?" Zhang Hai blinked, swallowed hard, and hesitated for a while before cautiously speaking.

There was nothing he could do; he sensed a fleeting irritation and hostility emanating from Chu Zhu—this was simply outrageous!

He didn't sleep last night. He felt that he wasn't as irritable as Chu Zhu. Moreover, he stared at Chu Zhu last night, but Chu Zhu was clearly sleeping soundly... After all, he couldn't wake her up even when he knocked on the door!

"I have a question!" Chu Zhu closed his eyes, inhaled and exhaled, and after several cycles, his expression returned to normal. "In cultivation, can one use the Radiant Water used for body refinement? Let me assume... that the amount of Radiant Water is enormous, practically inexhaustible. Could it supply me until I reach the first realm of cultivation?"

"? That's impossible!" Zhang Hai was a little confused, but still said, "Even ignoring their uses, the radiated water is white and the radiated stone is golden yellow. How could they be the same thing? And..."

"Wait a minute!" Chu Zhu suddenly stretched out his palm, his expression changing, his tone becoming more like a question. "You mean, the radiant water is white?"

"Huh? Is there a problem?!" Zhang Hai was stunned for a moment, repeatedly pondering his own words, unable to detect anything amiss, and stared at Chu Zhu in confusion.

Chu Zhu closed her eyes, then suddenly gave a bitter laugh. She had guessed wrong!
It turns out that the water he was bathing in when he jumped into the nuclear power plant pool was not radiated water at all—at least not radiated water in the sense of cultivation in this world—because he was bathing in black water!
"Then why was I able to successfully refine my body? Or rather, how can black water be transformed into radiant water after some modifications? Are they essentially the same thing?" One possibility after another flashed through Chu Zhu's mind.

He asked again, "Continue... what's the difference between radiating stone and radiating water?"

"?" Zhang Hai didn't understand why Chu Zhu was so concerned about this issue. "When you wake up and see him, shouldn't your first question be about cultivating immortality?"

Although confused, he still answered, "The difference! These two are like water and stone. You ask me about the difference? It's a difference that's visible to the naked eye, isn't it?"

Chu Zhu crossed her arms, stared at Zhang Hai for a long while, and then sighed, "Fine!"

Could it be that he really misunderstood?

Actually... the source of the radium is not that nuclear power plant at all.

After getting up, washing up, and clocking out, Chu Zhu refused Zhang Hai's request and left.

However, this time, Chu Zhu did not go to the suspected nuclear power plant location again.

After all, they've developed resistance... Well, of course, Chu Zhu hasn't completely given up. He plans to do something else first, and then, when the day is almost over, he'll go over there to his death! Maybe he can get some unexpected surprises.

……

Police Inspectorate, Special Operations Unit Office.

"You... you've come here again?" Li Kang looked at Chu Zhu with a conflicted expression, hesitating several times before speaking. "Isn't it inappropriate for a director of the Management Department like you to be here?"

“If I remember correctly, I still hold the position of guest advisor of the special operations brigade, and I shouldn’t have stepped down yet?” Chu Zhu raised an eyebrow. “Moreover, although the news about the director’s position seems to have been made public, I haven’t received any direct orders or notices from above yet.”

"Is there any possibility! I mean, what if?" Li Kang's eyes twitched incessantly, "You don't even have a cell phone, and you're always running around somewhere... Even if they wanted to contact you, they couldn't."

"Oh! I see!" Chu Zhu feigned sudden realization. "Then, Uncle Li, I'll trouble you to liaise with them and then inform me of the specific details."

"Fine... wait, are you doing this on purpose?!" Li Kang belatedly realized what was happening, and in his anger, he laughed, slamming his knuckles on the table. "Did you mistake me for your manager?"

"Sigh!" Chu Zhu sighed regretfully. Li Kang wasn't as easily fooled as before. It seemed she would have to resort to the second tactic!
"Just tell me, are you going to help or not, Captain? Are you going to take care of your team members or not?!"

“…Since you’ve said that!” Upon hearing those two words, Li Kang’s body went limp, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up. He quickly realized what he was doing and suppressed it. “Ahem, just this once, don’t do it again! Also, I’m going to ask you for a cell phone! Although a guest minister shouldn’t be entitled to one, as a director, you have more than enough.”

"Well, even! You could apply for an ancient relic, an electric car, as your means of transportation! That shouldn't be a big problem... Anyway, Old Sun can apply for it."

Chu Zhu: "..."

Although he's used to having a cell phone... he still couldn't help but get a little flustered when he heard about electric cars.

So what's the deal with all this stuff? Can electric vehicle batteries really last for who knows how many years?

Or are these electric vehicles not actually manufactured during the period of 2002-2005, but rather in 2000 or even later, after a period of rapid advancement in battery technology?

This is driving me crazy...

"Forget it, there's no need for an electric car," Chu Zhu shook her head. "My situation is rather special; having a cell phone is the limit... If I live too well, then some people's hearts will waver."

Why have labor unions been able to maintain a high degree of purity even now?
That's because Chu Zhu's possessions are all ancient relics, and all the food he eats is the finest delicacies!
His daily life as the founder of the labor union, including food, clothing, housing, and transportation, was, to some extent, an invisible shackle imposed on the union's top leadership.

"..." Ning Linglong sorted out her thoughts for a while, extracting the core meaning of Chu Zhu's series of words. Her eyes showed realization, relief, and joy. "Uncle Zhu, does that mean we should continue to get along the way we used to? You still... come to our police station often?"

"If you'd like!" Chu Zhu's tone remained unchanged.

Upon hearing this, Bi Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, a sense of joy welling up inside her.

Well, although if he's a guest, he can't expect the other party to do chores for him—but at least they can still see each other often in the future, right?
Bi Xuan could clearly sense that the atmosphere in the office had improved considerably compared to before. Even Guan Fei had started eating his chicken leg again.

According to Bi Xuan's observation, Guan Fei ate eight fewer chicken drumsticks yesterday!

Normally, Guan Fei can eat twenty chicken legs a day! And today, Guan Fei ate significantly fewer chicken legs than usual, but now, his appetite has clearly increased again.

"I'm heading back to the base! Don't come if you need anything." Chu Zhu waved and turned to leave.

Li Kang: "???"

His smile froze, and he fell into deep thought.

No, Chu Zhu came over and specifically mentioned this. Is she trying to use her status as a guest elder to forcibly freeload off the base? Or is she just reluctant to part with them?
Li Kang's lips moved, and he finally gave a bitter smile. He felt that he should not ask this hurtful question.

(End of this chapter)