35. Chen Nan's Explanation

Page 1/3

Chen Nan’s painstaking explanations failed to earn him even a shred of kindness from Ning Xuan. She glared at him, her face cold. "You had this planned all along. If you were so thoughtful, why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"What, do you expect me to be grateful to you now?" Ning Xuan shook off the hand Chen Nan reached out to her.

"I didn't dare say it! The rules here offer no protection or favors for women. If you search the Star Network for information on this place, all you will find is the terror that women feel toward it!" Chen Nan replied helplessly.

On the Star Network, women who had visited the City of Extreme Cold had posted accounts describing it as a den of sin, a place where women were abducted and exploited. Ever since, women across the Federation had turned pale at the mere mention of it.

The City of Extreme Cold was not on planet D618; in fact, no one knew its true coordinates. The metal token in Chen Nan’s hand was the key to reaching it. Here, psychic power levels were restricted—those with a psychic power level above S-rank could not enter. The city operated under a set of rules entirely different from those of the Federation.

Most speculated that the City of Extreme Cold was an independent space similar to a secret realm. While its origin remained a mystery, it had existed for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, and remained remarkably stable.

The space housing the City of Extreme Cold was vast, but only the area behind the great white gate served as the residential and trading district. It was an absolute sanctuary under the protection of the City Lord, where everyone was required to adhere to the rules established by their ruler.

The other regions were adventure zones where resources could be scavenged. That vast expanse was filled with diverse landscapes and climates, teeming with resources. In the adventure zones, there were no rules; it was a place where strength reigned supreme.

The adventure zones were divided into four difficulty levels: C, B, A, and S. The higher the danger level, the more precious the resources. Adventurers could enter the corresponding zones based on their own power levels to hunt exotic beasts and gather resources.

Once resources were secured, adventurers could return to the safe zone to trade them for useful serums, weapons, or other supplies.

Page 2/3

However, no resources obtained here could ever be taken out. Apart from the people themselves, everything else was a one-way street; you could bring supplies in freely, but when you left, you could take nothing but your own life.

Here, the Star Network had no coverage, and personal optical computers were useless.

When Chen Nan was twenty-three, he had obtained a token for the City of Extreme Cold. Since then, he had come here every year to hunt exotic beasts in the dangerous zones, saving his earnings to purchase a house in the residential district. He liked coming here for respite; only here, and perhaps on the battlefield, could he escape his father’s control and enjoy personal freedom.

Chen Nan led Ning Xuan to a courtyard. He swept the metal token through the air, and the eggshell-like gate parted with a "swish." A crisp, cheerful child’s voice chimed, "Welcome home, Master!"

Ning Xuan walked inside. The courtyard was small, no more than twenty square meters, and looked stark and clean. Although the sky above the yard was transparent, part of the eggshell-like gate arched over to cover the entire space.

The courtyard was flanked by buildings on three sides. The front structure was a domed building, appearing as a singular, seamless unit; it was impossible to tell what construction materials were used. The side buildings resembled wings and were significantly lower.

As soon as they entered the room, Chen Nan stepped forward to help Ning Xuan take off her cloak, only to be kicked hard in the knee. Wincing in pain, Chen Nan dropped to his knees, yet even then, he did not behave, wrapping his arms around Ning Xuan’s waist. "Mistress, the security system at that academy is too weak. Too many people, too many strangers, have access to you there. I couldn't verify their identities one by one, so I couldn't guarantee your safety!"

Ning Xuan spat out a single word: "Get lost!"

Chen Nan held on tighter. "No!"

Ning Xuan summoned her Ghost-Faced Red Vine. The tips of the spiked, black-and-red vines pierced the backs of Chen Nan’s hands with a soft *thud*. Wincing in pain, he was forced to let go. The two vines then split, lifted him high above his head, and left him dangling in the air.

Page 3/3

Ning Xuan fished the metal token from Chen Nan and walked toward the exit, but no matter how she swiped it, the courtyard gate would not open. Chen Nan caught his breath and spoke, "Mistress, the identification card is bound to me; no one else can use it!"

Ning Xuan threw the token to the ground in frustration and asked, "How long do you intend to keep me captive?"

"Mistress, how could I dare to control you? I am merely finding a safe place for you to awaken your companion spirit. As soon as you awaken it, I will take you away from here!" When Ning Xuan had been anxious about advancing her psychic level, Chen Nan realized that once she awakened her companion spirit, she would easily reach B-rank. However, her pre-awakening reaction last time had been far too intense. Though he didn't know how it had subsided, that reaction was clearly abnormal.

Because of this hidden danger, he feared he could not protect her if those lurking in the shadows—those who wished her harm—decided to tamper with her food or strike during a vulnerable moment.

"I helped soothe your agitated psychic power and purged the psychic toxins from your body, resolving your hidden threats. You have helped me and saved me, but now, regardless of my wishes, you have abducted me here. No matter how many excuses you have, I will never forgive you!"

"Once I awaken my companion spirit, we will part ways. From then on, we will owe each other nothing, and we will have no further dealings!" Ning Xuan, deeply disgusted by the fact that she had been rejected by her five primary-matched contractors, had long ago looked into the procedures for dissolving forced contracts. For those with established mental links, the link would naturally dissipate if they stayed apart long enough. For those without, a contractor could simply establish a link with someone more powerful to overwrite the forced contract. As for the Mistress, one only needed to reach S-rank to apply for a dissolution at the Matching Center—the condition being that, after the dissolution, the Mainframe would match an equal number of new contractors.

As soon as Ning Xuan finished speaking, she retracted the vines and dropped Chen Nan. Whether he was telling the truth or not, she had to seize the time to improve her strength and awaken her companion spirit as quickly as possible. Once she reached S-rank, she would dissolve every single one of those forced contracts!

Just as Ning Xuan turned away, Chen Nan lunged at her, scooped her up, and rushed into the bedroom. By the time Ning Xuan realized what was happening, Chen Nan was already undoing her clothes. The rage that had been simmering in her chest exploded. She was overcome with fury; her blood surged, her body temperature spiked, and her heart began to hammer violently. It was that same feeling of being set ablaze, as if every cell in her body were screaming for destruction.