"If this is real, then what kind of monsters are the writers in our world? Upper-level observers or world creators?"
"Uh... isn't that a bit too exaggerated?"
"It does sound unbelievable, but... existence is reasonable, isn't it?"
"Emmm... my worldview is shattered."
"Actually, it's not that bad. To ordinary people, aren't we also supernatural beings who shouldn't exist? Thinking about it that way, does it feel better?"
"Thank you, Comfort Hero, but it doesn't feel any better."
"By the way, I've wanted to say this while watching anime—the look of the Martial Spirit and Spirit Rings feels so flashy."
"Exactly, like special effects were added. So cool, I want one too."
"..."
The match in the arena continued. As the first Spirit Ring behind Bai Shuran slowly lit up, he finally spoke his second line since appearing:
"What is filial piety? What is love?
Feel the greatness of maternal love!
First Spirit Ability · Tyrant Song's Gaze."
Meanwhile, seeing Bai Shuran shamelessly unleash his Martial Spirit, Gu Ruoli immediately dashed out of his line of sight at the fastest speed she could muster. When she confirmed Bai Shuran had indeed used this move, she sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness. I wasn't caught in his gaze, or I'd be done for."
As the saying goes, people can die—after all, early or late, death is inevitable—but one must never suffer social death.
Just as Gu Ruoli patted her chest in relief, the honest-faced young man who had been caught in Bai Shuran's gaze began to undergo changes.
At first, the young man was puzzled by Bai Shuran's inexplicable words and why they sounded so familiar. But the next second, he felt waves of discomfort surging through his body.
"What's happening?
Why does my stomach... feel so bloated?"
He looked down and was immediately horrified. His stomach was expanding at an impossible speed, bulging outward as if he were ten months pregnant—except the process had been accelerated thousands of times by some unknown force. At the same time, excruciating pain, like being torn apart, washed over him in waves.
Watching this scene, every man in and outside the arena subconsciously tightened their legs, twitching slightly. But no one paid attention to this minor reaction, as all eyes were fixed on Bai Shuran with shock and disbelief.
"Song Squirrel Hang? Pregnancy Stare? Why is it being activated through a Martial Spirit?"
"What Pregnancy Stare? This is clearly the Confucian Sage's Power Appraisal Technique (laughs)."
"Wait, is that really what we should be focusing on? Shouldn't we be discussing how to counter this? I'm a contestant, you know. What if I face him next round? I'd rather die than get hit by this skill."
"You're a contestant too? What a coincidence. Let's find a place to discuss this after the match."
"Sure, add me on V. We can even start a group chat for everyone to join."
"Alright, stop looking so grim. At least we know about it now, unlike those poor souls who have no idea."
"Sigh, I guess you're right. Thanks, bro. I feel a bit better now."
"No problem. By the way, bro, are you free tonight? Let's hang out. We can even sleep over after we're tired. Hey, bro, you smell really nice..."
"Wait, Longyang?!"
The surrounding crowd immediately scattered, giving the two ample space.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the Feng family father and sons, who had just had their worldviews shattered after hearing Zhang Chulan's explanation, sat dazed in a corner, still reeling from the revelation. They didn't notice the scene in the arena, but two others certainly did.
"Pfft... As expected, Big Brother Minister never disappoints. Still as fierce as ever."
Zhang Chulan couldn't help but laugh unkindly at the sight of the honest-faced young man lying on the ground with a swollen belly. Then, with a hint of regret, he added, "Too bad the group owner dodged it. If she'd been hit, it would've been the perfect scene."
Wu Tong ignored Zhang Chulan's antics. His heart tightened at the sight of Bai Shuran's Spirit Ability, followed by a surge of excitement:
"If I had this Martial Spirit, some things in the future could become much more convenient. Just hit anyone who annoys me with this. And since the skill causes pain without injury, it's the perfect ability for revenge or pranks."
'This Martial Spirit and Spirit Ability are great. I'll take them.'
With that thought, Wu Tong immediately decided to replicate Bai Shuran's Martial Spirit. He then issued a task to the AI Core in his mind:
"AI Core, allocate some computational power to analyze and replicate the Martial Spirit below."
"Task received... understood, starting now."
Now possessing mature intelligence, the AI Core didn't even bother pretending and directly acknowledged the order. With authorized access, it activated its powerful analytical capabilities, using Wu Tong's causal connection as a creator and cultivator to link with Bai Shuran. Slowly, it began dissecting Bai Shuran's Martial Spirit and Spirit Rings.
"1%, 2%, 3%... 20%... 40%..."
A few minutes later:
"97%, 98%... 99%."
"100%."
"Replication complete. Data has been stored in the archive. You may access and use it at any time, Master."
Satisfied, Wu Tong nodded and turned his attention back to the arena.
By now, prompted by the audience's reactions, the honest-faced young man finally recalled Bai Shuran's earlier words: "What is filial piety? What is love? Feel the greatness of maternal love!" It suddenly struck him why those words felt so familiar.
"Oh no, this... this is Tyrant Song's Pregnancy Stare!"
Though cultivation was his main focus, he did have hobbies in his spare time—reading novels being one of them. As a popular online novel, Cultivation Chat Group was naturally on his reading list. If nothing else, the Pregnancy Stare had left a deep impression on him.
Tears of despair welled up in his eyes. "I thought online novels were all fiction! How is this real?!"
(End of Chapter)