Die, Replay, Repeat

Chapter 235: The Weak

Xiao Chuxia paused, thinking it over. "It really depends on the situation. If luck's on my side and the timing's just right, I might be able to deceive dozens of people. But on a slow day, I could only manage about a dozen."

Fang Xiu's expression remained calm as he responded, "In the dream realm, I can have you deceive hundreds, maybe even thousands, in a single night."

"What?" Xiao Chuxia was stunned. "That many?"

Fang Xiu nodded, his demeanor as calm as ever.

With his current abilities, the range of his dream control wasn't huge yet. However, as he continued to absorb fear night after night, his influence would grow. Eventually, he might even surpass the level of Nightmare.

If he could one day envelop the entire country, or perhaps the world, Xiao Chuxia could use her powers to deceive the masses on a grand scale.

At that point, her words could potentially reshape reality itself.

And Fang Xiu would reap unimaginable rewards from it.

"Let's get to work," he said.

That night, every psychic staying in the hotel, who had traveled from all over the country, shared the same dream. They all dreamed of the Bodhisattva who blessed them with a golden light, granting them the potential to reach the fifth tier.

Whether the psychics believed this when they woke up didn't really matter. Potential was just that—potential, and it couldn't be easily proven.

If they believed it and eventually reached the fifth tier, it would be seen as the Bodhisattva's blessing. If they didn't make it, well, most psychics who failed to advance didn't live long anyway. If they died, there would be no one left to question it.

The next morning, Fang Xiu and Xiao Chuxia woke up at the same time.

Xiao Chuxia's face lit up with excitement as she waved her small, delicate fists.

"This is incredible! Just one night of sleep gave me more power of lies than I usually get in an entire month of deceiving people!"

"With the power of lies you've accumulated now, can you help me break through to the third tier?" Fang Xiu asked, his tone as direct as ever.

Xiao Chuxia paused, her mind racing as she realized something. "Ah, so that's why you made me agree to work for you for three years. This was your plan all along."

"Just answer the question."

"Give me your hand so I can check."

Fang Xiu extended his hand, and Xiao Chuxia reached out with her fair, slender fingers, gently holding his. She closed her eyes, carefully sensing the power within him.

After a moment, she opened her eyes and shook her head. "No, with the power of lies I have right now, it's not enough. I'll need a few more days to gather more."

'A few days, huh?' _Fang Xiu's eyes flickered with thought, but he didn't seem overly concerned.

Compared to most psychics who struggle for years to break past the second tier, he knew that in just a few more days, he'd be able to push through to the third tier with relative ease.

Each tier for a psychic represented a significant leap in power: the first tier marked the initial manifestation of abilities, the second tier strengthened those abilities, and the third tier awakened new powers. The fourth tier brought with it a personal domain, while the fifth tier was still shrouded in mystery.

As Fang Xiu thought about what might come after the third tier, he felt a dark anticipation. Each step brought him closer to making his "wife" feel the same depth of pain he had endured.

"Alright, I'm heading out. Let's sleep together again next time," Xiao Chuxia teased with a playful wink before turning to leave. She was clearly pleased with herself.

She walked away with a confident sway in her step, like a wealthy woman who had just indulged in a luxurious night out with her gigolo, her hips swinging as she disappeared from view.

Just as Xiao Chuxia opened the door, she froze in place. Standing right outside were Yang Ming, Bai Qi, and a few others. Yang Ming even had his hand raised, ready to knock.

"Xiu, it's time for brea… Big Black? What are you doing in Xiu's room?"

The group stood there, momentarily stunned, then exchanged amused and knowing glances.

Xiao Chuxia's face showed a flicker of discomfort, but years of experience in deception quickly took over, and she regained her composure. She smiled as if nothing unusual was happening.

"What a coincidence! You all came to wake Xiu up for breakfast too? No need to knock, I just came to wake him up myself."

"Oh? Is that so?" Yang Ming responded with a playful grin, his eyes shifting back and forth between Fang Xiu and Xiao Chuxia. It was obvious he didn't buy her explanation.

"Let's go," Fang Xiu said calmly, brushing off the awkwardness, and then followed the group out of the room.

After breakfast, they all boarded the vehicle that the headquarters had arranged.

At the headquarters, a large base awaited them, complete with a specially designed tiered classroom set up for this training session.

Psychics from various cities across the country were gradually filing in. There weren't many, only about a hundred or so, but these were the elite among psychics. They either had abilities with great potential or were already powerful enough to hold their own.

However, the nature of psychics meant that when gathered together, conflict was inevitable.

As Fang Xiu and his group entered the tiered classroom, they immediately noticed two young male psychics in the front row locked in a standoff.

One stood with his hands behind his back, glaring down at everyone with a smug expression, while the other had his hands stuffed casually in his pockets, acting as if he was above it all.

"This is my seat. Get lost."

"Weaklings should sit in the corner."

"Oh? Can't you sense my power, you bug?"

"Sensing? Sorry, I'm not interested in weaklings."

"Hmph, bugs always have a narrow view."

"Heh, the weaklings only believe what they want to."

The two kept trading insults, calling each other "bug" and "weakling," though the meaning behind their words was essentially the same.

But the bystanders, eager for some action, were growing impatient.

"Fight already!"

"Kick his ass!"

"You two have been talking long enough—just start fighting!"

A group of psychics, not content to just watch, began shouting and jeering, trying to provoke the two into a brawl.

But the two in the standoff weren't fazed. Instead, they both glanced around with faint disdain in their eyes.

"So noisy."

"Truly annoying."

BOOM!

Out of nowhere, a powerful explosion of flames erupted where the two were standing, sending them flying through the air. Their clothes caught fire, and they quickly rolled on the ground to extinguish the flames.

Their cool demeanor was completely shattered. Their faces were now covered in soot, their hair and eyebrows singed, and their clothes had several charred holes.

In the middle of the front row, where they had been standing, a humanoid figure made of fire was blazing.

As the flames gradually died down, they revealed a muscular man with a rebellious glint in his eyes. He was dressed in black casual wear, with spiky hair that added to his wild look.

The sight of this man instantly caused a stir among the crowd.

"Fireform? That's Lin Tianhe!"

"What? He's the only fourth-tier psychic in this training group, Lin Tianhe!"

Those who hadn't heard of Lin Tianhe were taken aback, their shock growing as they learned that he was a fourth-tier psychic.