https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-4-The-Enemy-Within-The-Mind-as-the-Barrier/13029391/
Chapter 3: Past and Present, All Are Me
Chapter 3: Past and Present, All Are Me
Despite Dan Xiong's unpleasant character, his time at the Wu Yi Academy wasn't wasted. As he launched a concealed and swift whip kick, everyone reacted, but it was already too late; the kick landed squarely on Chen Chuan's ear.
The assistants, seeing this, were about to send someone to carry Chen Chuan away.
A kick like this, even if it didn't knock out an untrained ordinary candidate, would surely floor even a Wu Da student who had undergone rigorous combat training.
However, what happened next surprised everyone. Chen Chuan, though kicked, merely tilted his head slightly to the side, took half a step back, and then slowly turned his head and straightened his body once more.
In a spot hidden from the crowd, as Chen Chuan received the kick, the head of the boy who looked exactly like him flickered and vanished.
Dan Xiong paused, aware of the weight of his kick. But Chen Chuan's eyes were clear, as if nothing had happened.
Seated at the long table was a middle-aged teacher with thick arms and bulging muscles that seemed ready to burst through his shirt. He had been silent, but now he spoke up, "Name?"
"Ah? Oh!" The assistant beside him snapped out of his daze, picked up the list on the table, glanced at it, and replied, "Chen Chuan."
"What's your background?"
"A local from Yangzhi City, just graduated from Primary Middle School. There's no indication of any prior martial arts club membership or training experience..."
The teacher looked at Chen Chuan and said, "I see."
Dan Xiong's kick didn't knock Chen Chuan down, but he heard whispers and muffled laughter around the training ground. He felt mocked, his blood boiled, and he roared, spinning around and delivering a powerful backswing kick!
Chen Chuan, not one to back down, retaliated with a kick of his own, undeterred by Dan Xiong's status as a Wu Da student.
Chen Chuan's kick resembled Dan Xiong's previous whip kick, but it was clearly an imitation, as his form lacked precision, resulting in reduced speed and power.
Both kicked simultaneously, but the observing assistants and students had no doubt that Chen Chuan was the one kicked first. As expected, Dan Xiong's kick landed on Chen Chuan's head, but again, it didn't knock him down, and this time, Chen Chuan didn't even wobble.
At the same moment, Chen Chuan's kick landed on Dan Xiong's neck!
Simultaneously, the shadow behind Chen Chuan suddenly appeared at his standing position, and the two figures merged into one!
In that instant, Chen Chuan's speed and strength surged!
Bang!
The training ground echoed with a muffled blast, followed by a faint reverberation, indicating the immense power of the kick.
Dan Xiong's eyes lost focus, and his body fell to one side. With a final clatter, he sprawled on the ground.
Liu Cai's mouth hung slightly open as she watched this scene in disbelief.
The other students on the field stared, their minds in disarray. What was going on? Dan Xiong, a second-year Wu Da student, had been knocked out by a candidate who clearly lacked training.
Dan Xiong, a notorious troublemaker at the academy with few friends, had just been humiliated, and the other students silently cheered his embarrassment.
The middle-aged teacher at the long table took the application form from the assistant, signed it swiftly, and stamped it. "This candidate has passed."
Chen Chuan, hearing this, turned to the teacher, seeking confirmation that he was indeed the one who had passed.
The middle-aged teacher said, "Your endurance is impressive, student. I'm Lecturer Bian Feng. You've passed the entrance exam, but remember, this is just the first step. Your future at Wu Yi depends on the entrance re-examination in two months."
Chen Chuan smiled with joy and bowed to Bian Feng, "Thank you, teacher!"
"Clap, clap..."
The surrounding assistants and students lightly applauded. Such an interesting exam was a rare sight, and they eagerly anticipated Chen Chuan's future performance. They remembered his name, while Dan Xiong, still dazed and lying on the side, seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally ignored.
As Chen Chuan left the training ground, he faced the dazzling sunlight outside and the road stretching from beneath his feet. A surge of excitement and joy filled his heart.
"Chen Chuan!" A crisp voice called from behind.
Chen Chuan turned to see the senior female student he had met during registration, waving at him. He politely approached her and asked, "Senior, is there something I can help with?"
The female student walked over, extending her hand, "Chen Chuan, congratulations on passing the exam. I'm Zhen Ping, a second-year student at Wu Da."
Chen Chuan shook her hand, "Chen Chuan, nice to meet you, Senior."
He noticed how soft and smooth Zhen Ping's hand was, without any calluses. He could sense a resilience beneath her skin, giving him the illusion that if she clenched her fingers, she could crush his palm.
Zhen Ping said, "Chen Chuan, be careful. Dan Xiong is very petty and has connections with unsavory characters outside the academy. While school rules restrain him here, he might cause trouble outside. So, be cautious."
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment. Dan Xiong must be the name of that tall student. He didn't understand why he had targeted him, as if they had a grudge. But many things in the world don't need a reason. People picking fights simply because they dislike someone is a daily occurrence."
He sincerely thanked her, "Thank you, Senior. I'll be careful..."
"Zhen Zhen!"
As they spoke, a female student waved at them from a distance. Zhen Ping waved back and said, "Chen Chuan, I hope you'll have a smooth start at the academy. Work hard, and goodbye." With that, she waved and ran off.
Chen Chuan bid farewell and stood for a moment before turning to leave the old teaching building. This time, he didn't take the same route back; instead, he followed the signs and took a different path, avoiding the ongoing stream of applicants.
When he reached the bicycle shed to retrieve his bicycle, he found numerous advertisements wedged behind the seat, promoting various martial arts clubs, arenas, and training centers. He folded them neatly without discarding them, slipped them into his bag, and then pushed his bicycle out of the school gate.
On the main road, he mounted his bicycle and pedaled home.
As he walked, he thought about how Wu Yi Academy provided free room and board for official students, which would temporarily solve his food and housing concerns after moving out of his aunt's place.
If he achieved excellent results, he could also be exempt from part of the tuition fees or even receive a scholarship. He was confident in his ability to do so because...
He looked ahead to the street corner, where a figure identical to himself stood silently staring back at him. After walking a few dozen meters to the next intersection, the figure appeared again in the distance, like an elusive ghost he couldn't shake off.
If asked, he would say that aside from lacking self-awareness, this figure seemed like another self existing in an illusory realm, so he named it "Second Self."
The "Second Self" appeared when he occupied this body, and interestingly, they were both named Chen Chuan, with almost identical appearances except for age and experiences. He guessed that the appearance of the "Second Self" might be due to a connection established between "Parallel Self" or "Otherworld Same Body Self."
The "Second Self" could actively or passively take on part or all of the pain and injuries he received, so Dan Xiong's kick wasn't ineffective; it was just absorbed by the "Second Self."
Usually, the "Second Self" and he were separate entities, but when they merged, his strength, reaction speed, endurance, and other abilities significantly improved, as if another "Self" had merged with him.
However, he believed that if the "Second Self" was indeed himself, everything made sense. After all, whether enduring pain or exerting effort, it was still him in the end.
With the existence of the "Second Self," he had the confidence to apply to Wu Da University, even without any formal martial arts training.
But the "Second Self" also had a significant drawback—it couldn't be used without limits.
Currently, the maximum time he could merge with the "Second Self" was no more than thirty seconds, although he could split the time for various uses. However, once the total time limit was exceeded, the power of the "Second Self" couldn't be borrowed anymore.
He was excited to test this theory when he returned home.
Additionally, the "Second Self" could take on damage for him, but it had a tolerance limit. If this limit was exceeded, it would need time to recover. Usually, the manifestation of damage was partial dematerialization, and if the damage reached an unbearable level, it would disappear like dissipating mist, only to reappear after two or three days.
Based on his previous experience, he estimated that after enduring such heavy kicks, it would take...
Suddenly, he noticed that the "Second Self" showed no signs of dematerialization, and the injuries from earlier seemed to have healed. Moreover, their connection seemed to have strengthened.
He was surprised and recalled that he had just defeated Dan Xiong. Was this the reason?
No, it wasn't just the act of defeating the opponent, but the sense of satisfaction and pleasure he felt after the victory. This satisfaction also extended to the "Second Self," creating a mental resonance that deepened their connection, bringing the "Second Self" closer to reality.
The more he thought about it, the more he believed this to be the case.
With this realization, he wondered if the time limit for merging with the "Second Self" would also increase. He could test this theory when he returned home, and the thought excited him.
His journey back was smooth, and he arrived home in less than half an hour. Upon reaching home, he found that Yu Wan had likely taken her cousins to the Police Orphanage.
He washed his face outside, tidied up a bit, and then returned to his room. He hung up his shoulder bag, changed his outerwear, and sat on the edge of the bed. He took out an alarm clock, set the time, closed his eyes, and merged with the "Second Self," counting silently.
After a while, he opened his eyes and looked at the alarm clock, his eyes shining with joy and excitement.
As he had guessed, the time he could merge with the "Second Self" had increased by about twelve seconds, a significant improvement.
But was it simply defeating an opponent that increased the time? He pondered further and considered that Dan Xiong might be much stronger than him, and defeating an opponent of a similar level might not bring as much pleasure, and thus, the time wouldn't increase as much.
Of course, he could test this theory over time.
He calmed himself, went to get a glass of water, and then rolled up his sleeves. He bent down and searched under the bed, pulling out a brown leather suitcase.
He placed the suitcase on the table and entered the password, finally pressing the lock button to open it slowly. Inside were several notebooks, various vouchers, a stack of wrapped photos, and a black metal card resembling an invitation.
He picked up the metal card, realizing that these items belonged to his previous parents. He had no idea what the metal card was, but after visiting Wu Da University, he noticed that it resembled the enrollment recommendation card he had seen, except for the color.
Should he take it out? He knew there was still an important entrance exam ahead, as crucial as the entrance test, and the recommendation card might not only grant him an exemption but also other benefits.
However, he decided to wait. His aunt's husband's family was secretive about the reason for his previous parents' deaths, so while it might bring convenience, it could also cause trouble. Moreover, the recommendation card was black, not silver like the one he had seen earlier, suggesting it might have other uses. He needed to understand the specific situation before using it.
He had to be cautious because this world wasn't as safe as it seemed on the surface.
He put down the metal card and reached under the suitcase, pulling out a smooth, lustrous pebble. He stared at it with a distant gaze.
His previous parents had an old house in the suburbs. On the day his previous self returned to clean up the house, he saw a blue luxury sedan passing by on the way back and then lost consciousness.
He later confirmed that his previous self was accurately hit in the heart by this tiny pebble and died on the spot. When he regained consciousness, he had occupied the body, and the "Second Self" appeared at that time.
But who was the murderer, and why did they target his previous self?
Just then, the phone rang in the living room, interrupting his thoughts.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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