Chapter 33: Dark Energy

Chu Yunsheng leaned against the wall, smoking in silence. His mood was not heavy because these people had returned, but because the screams of those who had died a tragic death made him feel uneasy. The reason for his unease was that the bugs seemed to be increasing in number, to the point where his cultivation speed could hardly keep up.

The girl he had mistakenly saved also came up, or rather, she hadn't gone far at all. She sat next to Chu Yunsheng and Yu Xiaohai, on the opposite side from Gu Liming, as if forming two different worlds.

Every time the shrill screams from downstairs echoed, the girl's body would tremble, like a rabbit in extreme panic.

Chu Yunsheng had felt this way before, when he first saw the bugs kill and feed on brain marrow. At that time, his heart felt like it didn't belong to him, pounding wildly.

No one spoke, and no one dared to speak. Chu Yunsheng didn't even dare to make a sound, as the bugs were particularly sensitive to noise.

The surroundings were very quiet, as if they were in a tomb.

After a long time, Chu Yunsheng felt as if he had dozed off, as he woke up in a start. He had vaguely had a nightmare again, where his helmet had fallen off, and the bugs were feeding on his brain marrow.

The screams from downstairs had stopped. In the distance, a few bugs could be seen wandering around. There was no sound around, except for the girl's low sobs on the rooftop and the soft discussions of Professor Sun and the others.

Yu Xiaohai remained motionless like a dead pig. Chu Yunsheng was almost ready to give up, if not for the fact that Yu Xiaohai was still breathing through his nostrils.

When Chu Yunsheng looked up at the sky, he suddenly noticed a faint, hazy light piercing through the darkness. His heart raced, and he quickly pulled down his mask. Indeed, a faint, weak light was visible in the sky. Although darkness still enveloped the earth, the hazy light was enough to make out the shadows of nearby objects, preventing them from being completely blind without torches or flashlights.

What's going on? Is it finally returning to the age of sunlight? Chu Yunsheng was so excited that he almost shed tears. It wasn't that he wasn't strong enough; he just buried his vulnerability deep inside.

Chu Yunsheng leaped up and excitedly pushed the lifeless Yu Xiaohai, saying, "Xiaohai, wake up! The sky is changing! There's a faint light! Don't pretend to be dead!"

"He won't wake up for now," Professor Sun, leaning on his cane, walked up to Chu Yunsheng, sat down, and continued, "He is undergoing an awakening. According to our research, his body is being transformed by dark energy, and he won't wake up for a while."

"Dark energy?" Chu Yunsheng asked in confusion. He thought the old man would continue to question him about his armor, but he didn't expect him to talk about this. However, the term seemed familiar, as if the expert in Building 8 had mentioned it before.

Professor Sun nodded and explained, "Yes, dark energy, the absolute ruler of the universe. Together with dark matter, it makes up 96% of the universe's structure, or even more."

"You mean he is being transformed by this dark energy?" Chu Yunsheng asked, for the first time hearing about cultivation or awakening outside of ancient texts. However, he wasn't sure if the other party would speak after he had kicked him.

Professor Sun didn't seem to think much of it, sighing, "Yes, but not all dark energy has this ability. We are still researching which type of dark energy is causing changes in humans and animals."

Chu Yunsheng recalled that the ancient texts mentioned that the primordial energy for cultivation only descended to Earth after the celestial seal was broken. To verify this, he deliberately asked, "Why didn't these things happen before the sun disappeared?"

Professor Sun smiled, "In the age of sunlight, the only dark matter we could detect was neutrinos, which make up an almost negligible portion of the dark matter world! Other dark matter and dark energy were mere speculations, impossible to detect. Only after the dark age began did we observe large amounts of dark matter and dark energy, but..."

Chu Yunsheng, captivated by the explanation, quickly asked, "But what?"

Professor Sun waved his hand, sighing, "It doesn't matter now. We conducted intense research on dark matter and dark energy after the sun disappeared, but the time was too short. The appearance of the bugs interrupted the research, so we couldn't determine many things. This is an extremely profound field. If humans fully master it, I believe we can not only deal with the bugs but also leave the solar system."

Chu Yunsheng nodded inwardly, feeling that the dark energy Professor Sun mentioned, which could transform the human body, seemed to be the primordial energy recorded in the ancient texts. Perhaps it was just a different name for the same thing in different eras or worlds.

When he was in Building 8 of Mingdu Huayuan, the expert upstairs had mentioned that Ice Fist Man might be related to a type of dark energy. He never thought it would be true!

Looking at the eloquent Professor Sun, he suddenly remembered that the kick he had given him while wearing the armor was not something an ordinary human could withstand. The last thug he had kicked was almost severely injured, and now Gu Liming was still clutching his stomach in pain.

Could he also be an awakened person? Could there be awakened humans of his age?

He tentatively asked, "You are...?"

Professor Sun smiled wryly, "Yes, I am also an awakened person, but my dark energy is very weak. I can't use it for combat, and even for research, it's quite勉强 (difficult)!"

Chu Yunsheng was inwardly surprised. He had always thought that awakened people, regardless of their strength, could fight, but he never imagined there were awakened humans who couldn't fight. He realized how little he knew about these things.

He believed the ancient texts had the answers, but the strange characters in them often left him puzzled. He often struggled to understand the meaning of a single character, and a dictionary of these characters would be very helpful, he often thought.

Professor Sun, unaware of Chu Yunsheng's thoughts, was quickly drawn to Yu Xiaohai. He exclaimed, "Your friend's awakening is very strange. Based on the few cases we've observed, this awakening process is quite dangerous. Your friend clearly couldn't withstand the dark energy surge, but why is it being suppressed now?"

Chu Yunsheng's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the Six Jia Talisman was suppressing Yu Xiaohai's dark energy surge? However, he didn't want to reveal this. Although he was grateful to the old man for sharing so much information, and even felt a bit guilty about kicking him, he would never reveal the treasure that sustained his life. The ancient texts were now his lifeline.

Professor Sun added a chilling remark, "Unfortunately, we're not in a laboratory now!"

Chu Yunsheng's face turned a bit pale. Professor Sun quickly noticed and seemed to understand Chu Yunsheng's thoughts, smiling lightly, "You awakened people always think scientists' experiments are so terrifying. In my academic career, I've never seen the rumors of slicing you up for research!"

Chu Yunsheng didn't expect the old man to consider him a naturally awakened person, but he didn't argue. It was better this way, as it saved him from revealing his peculiarities.

Hearing the old man's words, Chu Yunsheng gave a wry smile, neither confirming nor denying. Yu Xiaohai's condition was unknown, and he didn't know how much longer it would take. The 72-hour evacuation time for the military was getting closer, which troubled him.

He developed some goodwill towards the old man, who had shared a lot of modern knowledge about the dark age. When he was hungry, he used half a loaf of bread as bait to get the old man to reveal all he knew about awakened humans. What reassured Chu Yunsheng was that none of the self-awakened people the old man knew exceeded his capabilities.

At this moment, the lifeless Yu Xiaohai finally stirred, letting out a groan as he struggled to sit up!

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(End of Chapter 33)