“Experiment Log #20.”

“The network of spores had entered a new experimental stage, forming large colonies, dubbed the forest…”

“The amputated leg has regrown in full, but remains inactive due to the severed nerves. The neural network has shown visible signs of regrowing, but at a relatively slower pace...”

“The subject is now experiencing stronger symptoms of dormancy. The suspected cause is the lack of sunlight. This hypothesis is awaiting verification once the environmental conditions are met...”

“An abnormal sign worthy of caution was discovered recently. Unaccounted growth of plant-like fiber were found within the subject’s flesh. Is it… becoming a plant?”

When the hand penned down this point, it paused. Bubai stared at the line, his brow creasing with some worries.

The scorpion experiment was supposed to offer a glimpse into his own future, but… just the implications now was already rather unnerving.

To soothe his nerves, Bubai’s hand instinctively reached out to run his fingers through the wavy black locks cascading over his lap.

His action only served to exacerbate the busy hair owner’s trouble, working even harder to give him a wild taste of her tribal origins that contrasted sharply with her usual trained noble elegance.

Honestly, outside of her amazing service, bombshell killer figure, and mediocre combat power, her depth of character left much to desire.

She was like a vase commonly kept by noblemen, a puppet at his beckon.

But a puppet has a puppet’s benefit. She was obedient, and he didn’t have to worry about her betrayal like his other women.

Thus, he could share his burdens with her... all he wants.

With a slight smile, Bubai poured forth his worries. Ahem!

After setting aside his worries, Bubai’s hand resumed its steady motion across the parchment.

The ink flowed freely now, unencumbered by doubt or hesitation.

“New experimental subjects have been introduced to the lab. The sample size is sufficient to verify some existing data.”

After a cursory review of the report, Bubai set down his brush, shifting his attention to the wheat-skinned An Jali who sat up.

Seeing that beautiful, refined face presenting such virtuous insights into his thoughts, how could he resist the urge to confide further?

Soon, another memory orb found its place within the budding Doll Solar System within his memory space.

Though the solar system was even smaller than the Twins Solar System, it marked yet another step in his growth.

Oh yes, his time with this big beauty was never wasted. Cultivation – it was all bout the accumulation, ain’t that right?

A flicker of heat danced in Bubai's eyes, yet it was swiftly tamped down by ironclad control.

Letting his expression harden into one of authority, Bubai instructed, "You can use the excess to fertilize the experimental basin of germinating seeds."

An Jali's lips curled into a deferential smile, "As my king commands."

Then, she leaned in and began efficiently tidying up the leftover mess…

Shortly after, Bubai placed a hand on her head and, with a thought, drew her into his storage space.

Out of sight, out of mind - no matter how tempting she was, his time was finite.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

He had harvested enough from her today, and now it was time to attend to other matters.

After adjusting his pants with a brisk tug, Bubai conveniently stowed away the report and writing supplies into his storage space.

Subsequently, Bubai made his way towards the exit of the prison cell, crossing the threshold to the other side.

His steps took him to the glass pedestal display case, where a beret sat alone, a silent observer of all the illicit dealings.

Bubai retrieved the beret from its enclosure, his fingers tracing its contours while he observed the tendrils of black Qi snaking out to drill into his own body.

"Could this really be…” The unknown chaotic energy mentioned by Shu Ling?

Too bad there was no way to verify this.

Despite scouring all the texts in his memories, no relevant records surfaced, and even Shu Ling herself was unaware regarding the specifics because chaotic energy was a closely guarded secret of the upper echelons.

The only reason he even made this link was because the black Qi from old man Shen Fu’s monocle, without a doubt, had a connection with the black Qi from his beret.

Since the monocle originated from a secret realm and the origins of chaotic energy were the same, it wasn’t hard to put two and two together.

“Well, that’s only my speculation. Some mysteries are not meant to be solved in a single moment.”

It was all about accumulation, patiently gathering the pieces until the puzzle revealed itself.

When the last strand of unknown black Qi was devoured by his seed, Bubai returned the beret to its case, a note of frustration tainting his whisper. "Still no change.”

Once again, it was all about accumulation.

Stepping out from the beret's cell, Bubai pivoted towards the target range.

His eyes sharpened abruptly, a dagger slipping into his hand as if by magic.

Tossing it into the air, his other hand immediately clenched into a claw, a surge of Qi pulsing forth as he smashed it at the airborne dagger-

"Oom!" The Qi-shrouded dagger surged forward like a guided missile, slicing through the narrow confines of the prison with a resolute whoosh until it met its mark with a solid "Thump!"- embedding itself firmly into the target’s bullseye.

Relaxing his stance, Bubai lowered his hand, gradually restraining his Qi as his divine senses focused on the dagger's position, assessing his strike with a critical eye.

"The force and accuracy are commendable… Better than physical throwing, though the Qi expenditure is somewhat excessive."

Walking over to the target, Bubai swept his hand over the perforated surface, collecting the scattered needles into his storage space and finally, the embedded dagger.

Left in its wake was a ragged hole at the center, evidence of the in-depth practice sessions in which his weapon had struck their mark.

"Might need to replace it soon...” Bubai leaked a resigned sigh. Just another expenditure.

Bubai’s attention then shifted to the needles strewn across the ground.

With a mere thought, a burst of Qi surged forth, disturbing the scattered objects and coaxing some to skitter away.

Shortly after the initial burst, both of Bubai’s hands clenched into claws, a silent command echoing through his mind. Needle Picking Technique!

In response, the dispersed Qi surged back towards him with an irresistible force, causing the majority of the needles to dance through the air towards his awaiting grasp, as if swept up by a powerful gust of wind!

While the true Qi was reabsorbed into his body, each returning needle vanished upon contact with his hands, seamlessly sent into his storage space, awaiting further management by his hardworking, clean-up machine.

After the last strand of Qi was channeled back into his dantian, the tension dissipated from Bubai’s frame.

"Hoo..." Bubai exhaled, his gaze scanning the ground, noting a few stray needles scattered about.

"I still need more practice with this technique." With a resigned murmur, he bent down to pick them up manually.

Qi-control was a fundamental skill for foundation establishment cultivators.

While those blessed with innate talent might find manipulating true Qi within their own bodies relatively straightforward, the challenge lay in maintaining control once it ventured beyond their immediate vicinity.

Typically, this control will deteriorate the further the true Qi was from the cultivator, its limits being the range of a cultivator’s spirit sense.

While Bubai did possess a unique connection to his mysterious green Qi, allowing him greater control even at a distance, he still grappled with maintaining precise control when manipulating numerous strands outside his body.

This issue could be resolved with ease if he was aided by his divine sense in his machine mind mode, but during the upcoming tournament, he might not be able to rely on his divine sense when there were powerful elders scrutinizing his every move!

“Well, whether I use it or not will depend on how things turn out once that arrogant woman comes for the harvest.”

If he can keep certain matters hidden, then he felt it was unnecessary to unveil more.

However, if some secrets end up leaked, he will capitalize on the opportunity to shine and accumulate the most benefits for himself!

Of course, he’ll still have to wait and see.

Now, it wasn’t the time to mull over these complicated matters. Instead...

His acting career awaited.

Rearranging a smile on his face, Bubai turned on his heel, making his way out of the prison.

Acting – sometimes even he himself can’t tell between truth and falsehood, but times of solitude like these let him think and remind himself…

His current routine seems free and easy, but his ship was actually still sailing in a treacherous storm.

There were many relationships waiting for him to manage, each one critical to his plans and even his very survival. Failing one could spell disaster that may capsize his boat.