Chapter Nine: The Rebirth of the Thunder Veins

"What is this thing?" Su Ye was certain he hadn't woken up, yet his consciousness seemed to have drifted into a strange dreamscape.

There was nothing else here—just a barren expanse, in which a faintly colored mist drifted in the emptiness. The mist itself was odd, flowing gently like a wisp of gauze.

"Is this some kind of energy? Or the power of the Thunder Source?"

As Su Ye stared intently at the mist, he suddenly saw it shift and change, gradually forming into a long, enormous python! It looked exactly like the one that had attacked him earlier.

Except now, the python was formed only of mist.

"Could it be... even you, beast, have a lingering soul? Are you here to claim my life as well? Surely not..."

In that instant, as if in response to his words, the python lunged straight at him. Its body pressed down with force, jaws gaping wide to bite down fiercely.

The scene felt eerily familiar to Su Ye, and he instinctively dodged to the side.

The python's jaws snapped shut with a sound impossible to describe, and its body coiled quickly, wrapping around Su Ye. The serpent's head twisted, sinking its fangs into his thigh.

"Agh—"

The sensation was so real that Su Ye couldn't help but cry out, striking the python's head with a flurry of powerful punches.

With a thud, he fell from the python's jaws.

The serpent, too, gradually faded away, once more becoming nothing but a ghostly wisp of mist.

"What is happening here? Why does all of this feel... so familiar?"

Su Ye looked around. Was this truly a dream? But why did it feel so real? Even stranger, he found he could predict the python's every move, as if reliving the very battle he'd fought before.

As the thought crossed his mind, the mist before him vibrated with a low hum and again transformed into a python.

"Another python?"

This time, Su Ye noticed that the serpent before him seemed to lack the ferocity it once possessed. If, from the start, it had simply wrapped him up instead of going straight for a bite, it might have succeeded.

"I was so foolish back then! I had the strength, and if I'd just used the basic 'Seven Hands Response' or gathered my Thunder Source power, striking four inches to the left of the python's face, I could have sent it flying with a single punch..."

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Su Ye acted on them. He began with the 'Seven Hands Response,' but the moment he executed the move, his body trembled and staggered back several steps.

"No, that's not right... The 'Seven Hands Response' isn't enough. If I just add these two more moves... Turn it into the 'Nine Hands Response,' and the power would triple at least. Clearly, the 'Seven Hands Response' has its flaws!"

If the teachers and students at school had heard such words, they would have looked at Su Ye with scorn. After all, everyone knew the 'Seven Hands Response' was the basic technique taught at every Spirit Energy Academy in Yang City, passed down a century ago by the Martial Alliance. It had been taught for a hundred years—how could it possibly have flaws?

Su Ye went on to slay the python seven or eight times in the dream before suddenly feeling a sharp pain throughout his body. All the python blood that had seeped into him vanished completely.

His Thunder Source mist had also become extremely thin.

He tried several more times, but the python no longer appeared. Nevertheless, excitement surged in his chest—he couldn't help but want to shout out loud.

"What kind of ability is this? A cycle that replays? It reveals the enemy's weaknesses? And I can even refine my techniques?"

Now, Su Ye was desperate to continue listening to the thunder, even wishing he could return to school to get more python blood and see whether the python would return in his dreams.

But after one last attempt yielded nothing, Su Ye slowly regained consciousness.

The first thing he heard was a sweet, melodious female voice, softly humming an old song.

"Later on, I finally learned how to love. But you, long gone, vanished into the crowd. Later, in tears, I finally understood—some people, once missed, are lost forever..."

Su Ye slowly opened his eyes to a bright afternoon filled with sunlight. Outside the open window, green leaves shimmered, and a gentle breeze stirred the curtains, making the whole room shine.

A beautiful, delicate figure stood by the window, wearing a long dress, her hair cascading down her back. She faced away from Su Ye, clearly in good spirits, her sleeves rolled up to reveal fair, slender hands.

She hummed as she arranged a bouquet of flowers, clearly fascinated by their beauty.

"Jiang Liuying, why are you here?" Su Ye recognized her instantly from her silhouette.

She turned, surprise lighting her stunning face. She was biting into a rosy piece of fruit, juice glistening on her lips with an indescribable allure.

Jiang Liuying quickly set aside the fruit and hurried over, exclaiming, "No way! You're actually awake? The doctor said you were in a deep coma, and wouldn't wake up for three or five days! I even took a few days off from school to take care of you—now you've woken up too soon. I was counting on a little extra break!"

Su Ye knew she had come to look after him. For once, he didn't tease her, and said, "Was it really that serious? I feel perfectly fine!"

"Seriously, now! You fell from the fourth floor! You only spent one night in bed and you're already fine?" Jiang Liuying eyed him with suspicion. Was it a misdiagnosis, or was Su Ye just pretending? Either way, he didn't seem to be in any real trouble.

"Alright, enough! I want to go back to school. What happened with the python?" Su Ye asked quickly.

"You're still worried about that snake? Listen, you shouldn't go back right now. If you do, you'll only get scolded by more people, and you'll drag Mentor Jian Muqian down with you too!" Jiang Liuying shook her head and sighed.

Su Ye froze. "What happened at school?"

…

The python incident had spread throughout the entire school overnight.

Every class and nearly every student was discussing it.

"Who would have thought? Wasn't Su Ye supposed to be useless? Yet he dared to fight the python! You'd never guess he had such courage," some students in the Genius Class gathered around Jiu Yaye.

"Exactly! We were all there. The girls were scared, sure, but the other boys… Hmph, always bragging about how tough they are, but when it mattered, they were too frightened to move. And they have the nerve to call others useless? I'd say they're worse than that!"

A few girls gave deliberate glances at Lu Heyan, making it clear they'd seen how terrified he'd been.

Lu Heyan's cronies, sitting beside him, immediately slammed the table in indignation. "What's your problem? Our Lu was protecting the class! If you girls hadn't been screaming for help, he would've gone up and killed the python himself!"

Another short-haired boy shouted, "You were all scared stiff and you still dare talk? And Su Ye is your hero now? Please! He was just trying to show off, desperate to get rid of his reputation as a failure. Too bad he dragged Mentor Jian Muqian into trouble! That's the price of showing off!"

"Oh, spare me! Su Ye used to be a genius. A starving camel is still bigger than a horse—he's got guts!" the girls retorted, and then turned to Jiu Yaye. "Yaye, let's go see Su Ye after class! We weren't allowed yesterday, but today they have to approve it. I hope Su Ye's alright!"

Jiu Yaye, deep in thought, nodded vigorously at their suggestion, clearly determined to check on him as well.

Lu Heyan, who hadn't spoken all this time, clenched his fists, anger flashing in his eyes. Normally, he was the most popular boy among the girls, and in the Genius Class, he and Jiu Yaye were often paired as a perfect match in everyone's eyes.

Everything he did drew the adoring attention of countless girls, but because of Su Ye, he'd become the object of their scorn overnight.

Now, the girls thought he was nothing but a paper tiger!

This feeling of being despised tormented him. If it hadn't been for Su Ye stealing the spotlight, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

Lu Heyan clenched his fists again, veins bulging.

"Hmph, Su Ye—if he doesn't come back, fine. But if he dares to show up again…"