In the earlier chapters, you'll notice I often wrote things like "Father Jing" and "Mother Jing" or "Jing's Dad" and"Jing's Mom." That wasn't me being lazy—that's actually how the author wrote it in the original text, using terms like 静爸 (Jìng bà) and 静妈 (Jìng mā) instead of their proper names. Even after their names were introduced, the author continued to rely mostly on relationship titles in the narration, like 静爸, 静妈, 静奶, 静爷, 大姑, 二姑, and so on.
It makes sense when you think about it, since some of the narration is written from Jing Shu's point of view. From her perspective, it's natural to think of people as "Mom," "Dad," or "Grandma" rather than calling them by name. That's why, in places where it's clearly her POV, I sometimes translate 静爸 as "her father" or just "Jing's Dad." That said, please forgive me if you occasionally see me slip and use their name in general instead of relationship titles in those POV-heavy sections. I try to stay consistent, but sometimes it really comes down to judgment calls.
Over time, though, I started shifting how I handle this. Instead of sticking purely to relationship titles, I began introducing more of their actual names, especially once the narrative got broader and more family members came into play. This change wasn't overnight—it happened gradually. When I first began, I was translating almost exactly how the author wrote it. Then I transitioned with her parents (using Jing An and Su Lanzhi more often), and later, around chapter 200 or so, I started expanding that approach to her extended family as well.
So, if you notice a mix of styles between earlier and later chapters, that's why. Also, if you notice some inconsistencies, I hope you can overlook them. The author themselves writes most of the narration using family terms rather than proper names (as I mentioned earlier). Because I've chosen to "force" those terms into names for clarity, there might be moments where the switch feels bigger, or even a little awkward, depending on how my judgment lands on whether to keep a relationship title or use a name.
This Aux chapter is here to explain those decisions and give you a clearer picture of how I'm handling family relationships moving forward.
Family Reference List (How I'm Translating It): Since the author mostly writes family members using relationship titles instead of names, here's a quick guide to how I'll be handling them in my translation.
静爸 (Jìng bà) → Jing An (Jing Shu's father)
静妈 (Jìng mā) → Su Lanzhi (Jing Shu's mother)
大姑 (dà gū) → Jing Pan (eldest paternal aunt, Jing Shu's father's eldest sister)
二姑 (èr gū) → Jing Zhao (second paternal aunt)
三姑 (sān gū) → Jing Lai (third paternal aunt)
大舅 (dà jiù) → Su Yiyang (maternal uncle, older brother of Su Lanzhi)
大舅妈 (dà jiùmā) → Wang Fang (Su Yiyang's wife)
大伯 (dà bó) "Paternal Eldest Uncle" and 大姑父 (Dàgūfu) "Eldest Uncle by marriage." → Wei Chong (husband of Jing Pan)
静奶 (Jìng nǎi) → Grandma Jing
静爷 (Jìng yé) → Grandpa Jing
大姑家的儿媳妇 (Dàgū jiā de ér xífu) → Qiao Lan (eldest paternal aunt's daughter-in-law).
As for Jing Shu's cousins, the author usually writes their actual names directly, so I won't list them here.
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Ability List:
Since so much of Jing Shu's power comes from her Rubik's Cube Space, I thought it'd be helpful to make a separate note here. This section gathers the major functions of the Cube Space, the abilities Jing Shu has developed through it, and the way her "numbered pets" tie into these powers.
1. The Rubik's Cube Space – Core Ability
Origin: The Cube started as an ordinary 3×3×3 puzzle. Once scrambled and solved within a time limit, it rooted itself in Jing Shu's spiritual world and recognized her as its master.
Binding & Upgrades: After binding, it upgraded to a 4×4×4 Cube (the Fourth Order). Later upgrades followed the pattern:
4×4×4 = 64 cubic meters
5×5×5 = 125 cubic meters
6×6×6 = 216 cubic meters
…and so on.
When Jing Shu reached the seven-layer Rubik's Cube, everything changed. Unlike before, where upgrading only required solving the cube within a time limit, the seventh order introduced hidden challenges. From this stage onward, speed alone wasn't enough—each upgrade carried extra, unpredictable conditions. Jing Shu suspected that the upgrade conditions themselves had evolved. It was no longer just about restoring the cube to its original state; new disruptive elements would appear to slow her down and raise the difficulty. But the rewards, richer and more dangerous, always came hand in hand with new abilities.
Challenge that she get when do 7×7×7 Cube:
First Hidden Challenge – Flickering Colors: As she tried to solve the 7×7×7 Cube, some of the squares began to flicker rapidly between colors. If she missed the correct shade or failed to lock it in, the entire face she was working on became unsolvable. This meant that while racing against the clock, she also had to anticipate and catch the shifting colors. The puzzle became brutally unforgiving—one missed flicker and her run was ruined.
Second Hidden Challenge – The 4 A.M. Awakening: After Shangguan Jun's death, a stranger test emerged. Jing Shu would always "wake up" at exactly 4 a.m., her sleep cut short and her body dragged into wakefulness. If she used that time to practice solving the Cube, nothing unusual happened—it was just her and the puzzle. But if she ignored the Cube during that window, something in the real world would always demand her attention, forcing her into events she couldn't avoid. This pattern left her sleep-deprived and anxious, knowing that even rest had become part of the Cube's trial.
Final Challenge: The decisive trial came when Jing Shu and Su Mali (plus her bodyguard) were trapped in a sealed low-oxygen chamber. Fighting suffocation, Jing Shu hammered tile by tile with nothing but a mini hammer and nail. Her chest heaved, her vision blurred, and her mind teetered on hallucination. Spirit Spring only delayed the decline; it couldn't clear her fog. The sensation of dying crept over her again, pressing her to the brink.
When she was shoved to the ground in that haze, something inside her snapped into place. Cause and effect aligned, the final condition was met, and the Cube Space surged into its seventh-tier upgrade.
Journey Toward the 8th-Tier Rubik's Cube Space:
The upgrade to the 8th-tier (8x8x8 = 512 cubic meters) was the most dangerous and transformative yet, triggered not by solving the cube alone, but by a profound understanding of higher dimensions and a direct confrontation with a fourth-dimensional entity.
After the Cube upgraded to its seventh tier, Jing Shu assumed the worst was over. The hallucinations, the suffocation trial, the constant 4 a.m. awakenings—all of that felt like the final wall. But not long after the upgrade stabilized, the next evolution began revealing itself, not through puzzles or mechanical tests this time, but through her own mind.
1. Illusion Overload & Memory Loss Phenomenon
It started small. She'd walk into a room, forget why she was there, then realize she'd already finished the task hours ago. At first, Jing Shu blamed exhaustion—too much multitasking, too many sleepless nights—but the pattern was too precise to be coincidence.
The more she practiced manipulating the Cube or layering illusions, the more memory gaps appeared. Sometimes it was just missing a few minutes. Other times, entire events blurred out, like they'd been deleted from existence.
After several weeks, she noticed something stranger. Each time she pushed her illusion control to its limit, the Cube would "glitch" for a split second—lights flickering in her overlay vision, livestock freezing mid-motion, crops halting growth. It was as if both her mind and the Cube Space were running on the same circuit, and when one overloaded, both stuttered.
Her conclusion: the Cube's seventh-tier expansion wasn't complete. The real challenge was hidden inside her own cognitive field. The path to the 8th-tier wasn't about solving a puzzle anymore—it was about surviving one.
2. The Backlash at Qiao Lian's Delivery
The breakthrough came in the worst possible way. During Qiao Lian's delivery, Jing Shu relied too heavily on her illusion ability to block panic and stabilize the room. For a few minutes, her control was flawless. Then her vision dimmed, and pain slammed into her skull like an electric pulse.
She described the sensation as her consciousness being "split in two." Her body remained functional, but half her mind was trapped inside the Cube Space, looping endlessly between crops, animals, and half-finished commands. The Spirit Spring couldn't soothe it, no matter how much she drank.
That night marked her first major backlash. She vomited blood, lost hearing for nearly ten minutes, and woke up feeling detached from her surroundings—as if her body was real, but her soul had gone thin. It was then she realized the illusion power wasn't just a tool anymore. It had fused with her Cube Space, feeding off both mental focus and emotional stability. The stronger her illusion, the more unstable her cognition became.
3. "Self-Torment" Training Plan
Once the pain faded, Jing Shu did what she always did—turn disaster into data. She began deliberately pushing herself into illusion overload, maintaining it just until the edge of collapse, then logging the results.
She called it her "self-torment plan."
Each cycle followed the same pattern: overstimulation, temporary blackout, recovery, then incremental gains in control and endurance. She charted her brain fog periods, noting that each time her illusion distorted reality, the Cube's grid flickered in sync, like it was observing and recording her progress.
By the time her flight to America neared, her illusions had grown almost instinctive, and her memory lapses had vanished. What she thought was "forgetfulness" was actually the Cube forcing synchronization between her conscious and subconscious states.
Her hypothesis: the 8th-tier upgrade required emotional and neural strain, not physical endurance. Every illusion she maintained under duress refined her neural resonance, syncing her consciousness closer with the Cube's frequency.
4. The Dimensional Breakthrough
The final catalyst was harvesting a Crimson Crystal from the heart of a colossal, otherworldly organism. This entity was a fourth-dimensional life form that absorbed the "time" (life force) of three-dimensional beings. Touching the crystal gate to the fourth dimension nearly caused Jing Shu's body to collapse, as a 3D being lacks the structural integrity for 4D space. The Cube Space intervened, using the energy of the Crimson Crystal to grant her a "point of support" in the fourth dimension—time—and saving her life.
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One of the Cube Space's greatest strengths is that it doesn't just store things—it actually stimulates optimal conditions for growth and survival. Inside, every animal and plant lives in its most favorable season, with balanced climate, soil, and environment.
For plants: The taller or more complex the plant, the longer it takes to mature, but overall growth is vigorous and healthy. Crops planted closer to the Spirit Spring grow faster and reach maturity earlier, while those further away mature more slowly. The environment makes farming inside the Cube both efficient and sustainable.
For animals: The space ensures an ideal habitat. Livestock, insects, and even more unusual creatures adapt quickly inside. Over time, with the influence of the Spirit Spring, they grow stronger, reproduce faster, and in some cases develop unexpected traits.
2. Structure of the Cube Space
Spirit Spring: At its center lies one cubic meter of Spirit Spring, endlessly bubbling and producing ~20 drops of liquid per day (≈1 gram). If her six fields go unplanted, she gets six extra drops.
Six Dark Soil Fields: Each one cubic meter in size. Crops root in the soil and grow upward without restriction. A single drop of spring water doubles growth speed and boosts yield.
Storage Space: The remaining cubic meters act like free-form Tetris blocks, stackable into vaults, barns, or warehouses. Objects stored here are frozen in time (no spoilage), though animals and living beings experience normal time.
So, in short:
1 Spirit Spring + 6 soil plots + modular storage = a farmland, warehouse, and breeding ground under Jing Shu's absolute control (when she just bounded and upgrade her rubic cube, basically the initial layout).
Layout Changes at the Seventh Tier
Space Expansion: The Cube Space expanded to 343 cubic meters (7×7×7).
New Farmland: Six new fields appeared, bringing the total to 24 plots. Each plot automatically absorbed one drop of Spirit Spring daily, whether planted or not. This meant no field could be left idle—every inch had to be cultivated to avoid waste.
Spirit Spring Output: Still ~20 drops per day (about 1 gram), but now supplemented by the auto-infusion into the new fields.
Practical Use: Jing Shu cleverly used the Cube for fermentation and brewing. Outside weather spoiled wine, but inside the Cube, time-still mode preserved fermentation perfectly—so long as living creatures were present. To balance it, she stored the vats alongside her snakes. Chickens, ducks, or cattle carried strong odors that might taint the brew, but snakes had no stench, making them the perfect companions for her wine jars.
3.The Spirit Spring
A. Early Experimentation & Standard Dosage Formulation
Before risking human consumption, Jing Shu conducted a series of rigorous, controlled experiments on the animals within her Cube Space. Her goal was to understand the effects of the Spirit Spring and establish a safe, effective dosage protocol.
Methodology:
Systematic Labeling: Every test subject (animals, water bottles) was assigned a number for precise tracking.
Variable Dilution: She tested a range of dilutions to observe effects based on concentration, body size, and gender.
Control Groups: She maintained control subjects (e.g., "rooster number 0") that received no Spirit Spring for comparison.
Observed Parameters: She monitored changes in size, appetite, reproduction rates, waste production, temperament, and intelligence.
Initial Experimental Results & Formulations:
No. 1 Formulation (1 drop / 100ml water): Extremely potent. Caused rapid, aggressive growth, significantly increased egg production, and sparked the development of human-like intelligence and affection. This formulation created the first "Battle Chicken," Xiao Dou.
No. 2 Formulation (1 drop / 250ml water): Used for female livestock (sows, cows, ewes). Resulted in large size, high food intake, and dramatically increased fertility (pregnancies).
No. 3 Formulation (1 drop / 500ml water): The ideal formulation for male livestock and Jing Shu's personal daily dose. It produced powerful, lean, and muscular physiques without excessive bulk. For humans, it enhanced strength, alertness, digestion, and overall physical conditioning without causing undesirable physical changes.
No. 5 Formulation (1 drop / 2 Liters water): A maintenance dose for general poultry health. It slightly accelerated growth, improved meat quality, and strengthened the animals without overstimulating reproduction, thus conserving Spirit Spring.
Standard Human Dosage (Family):
Based on her successful experiments, Jing Shu established the long-term, safe dosage for her family (parents, grandparents).
The standard dose is 1 drop of Spirit Spring diluted in 1,000ml (1 liter) of water, consumed daily.
Effects: This dosage significantly improves overall health, boosts energy, restores appetite, and has a powerful anti-aging effect. It does not reverse existing age signs like wrinkles but effectively halts further aging, maintaining the recipient's physical condition at the point they started the regimen. Combined with improved health, this often creates a more youthful appearance.
B. Usage
At the heart of the Cube lies the Spirit Spring, and it's easily the most precious feature of all. In general sense it can boosted vitality and functionality in living organisms
Usage on Humans: Drinking Spirit Spring water strengthens the body, slows aging, and has rejuvenating effects. It also works as a potent medicine—Jing Shu believes that as long as someone is still breathing, the Spirit Spring could save them.
But the water isn't without side effects. Those who consume it for long periods often become irritable, short-tempered, and prone to destructive impulses. The intensity of these side effects varies depending on how much Spirit Spring a person has taken in (details appear in later chapters).
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Her grandparents, who had consumed the regular Spirit Spring for years, continued to display unnatural vitality, though no visible age reversal. Their bodies maintained perfect equilibrium, immune to fatigue and degradation.
She concluded that the Spirit Spring didn't restore youth but preserved the current biological state indefinitely. In other words, it granted stasis—not immortality.
Usage on Plants: Spirit Spring acts as the perfect fertilizer. Just as it rejuvenates humans, it also restores and nourishes plants, feeding them rich nutrients and stimulating stronger, faster, and more resilient growth.
Usage on Animals: Animals benefit much like humans: their bodies strengthen, their health improves, and with prolonged exposure, they can even develop intelligence. But, just like humans, they inherit the darker side as well. For example, carp exposed to Spirit Spring under Jing Shu's experiments gradually developed traits similar to piranhas—aggressive, sharp-toothed, and bloodthirsty.
The Spirit Spring's life-giving properties were proven to be powerful enough to extend the life and reverse the aging of a dying, sentient creature, as seen with the Sulfuric Acid Ant Queen, Yi Hou.
C. The Spirit Spring & Dimensional Energy Conversion
a) Conversion Mechanism: The Spirit Spring can actively consume and convert specific high-dimensional materials to exponentially increase its output. The primary catalyst discovered is the Crimson Crystal.
b) The Crimson Crystal (Temporal Essence):
Function: This crystal contains pure, solidified temporal energy. Its primary effect is Targeted Temporal Reversion. When introduced into a living body, it can rewind the subject's physical state to a specific earlier point on their personal timeline, effectively acting as an ultimate healing item that can reverse even fatal injuries.
Critical Limitation: While it restores the body, it does not erase the somatic memory or consciousness of the trauma. The pain, shock, and sensory experience of the injury remain vividly intact in the mind. It cannot restore a person from complete biological death.
Usage: The crystal must be implanted directly into the recipient's body, preferably near a major organ like the heart, where it dissolves and takes effect.
Spirit Spring Synthesis: The Cube Space can directly convert a Crimson Crystal into Spirit Spring water at a ratio of 1:100. This process is rapid and results in a massive, one-time infusion of Spirit Spring.
D. Crimson Spirit Spring: The Spirit Spring produced from converting a Crimson Crystal is a distinct, higher-grade variant. It is darker in color and stored separately by the Cube Space. Its exact properties and enhanced effects are still under experimentation by Jing Shu.
1. Experimental Method: Following her established protocol from the original Spirit Spring trials, she immediately diluted the new variant into a series of five graded concentrations to systematically test its effects. These are labeled Crimson No.1 (strongest) through Crimson No.5 (weakest), using the same dilution ratios she developed during her initial animal testing.
2. Hypothesis: Given its origin from a temporal energy crystal, she suspects this "Crimson Spirit Spring" may possess properties related to time manipulation or a significantly amplified effect on biological states compared to the standard Spirit Spring. The experiments on seaweed, red nematodes, an orange tree, a rooster, and a human subject (Hao Yunlai) are designed to uncover its unique functions and safe dosage.
3. Flora: Seaweed and orange saplings showed accelerated growth and resilience against disease.
4. Fauna: Red nematodes displayed increased aggression and cognitive responsiveness, while the rooster's blood composition began to show faint traces of crimson luminescence.
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5. Properties & Effects
The Crimson Spirit Spring, refined from the fourth-dimensional Crimson Crystals, possesses a unique and powerful function distinct from the original Spirit Spring. Its core property is Genetic Reversion to a Prime State.
6. Core Function: Ancestral Genetic Activation
The Crimson Spirit Spring does not cause random mutation. Instead, it rewinds an organism's genetic code to a prior, more potent state in its evolutionary history, effectively activating dormant "ancestral genes." The result is the manifestation of the organism's most powerful and resilient ancestral traits.
7. Observed Effects on Test Subjects:
On Plants (Orange Tree): Caused the tree to revert to a hybrid state, producing both pomelos and tangerines. This suggests it can restore older genetic lineages and potentially resurrect extinct plant hybrids or varieties.
On Animals (Rooster): Triggered a "reverse evolution," transforming a standard rooster into a Dino-Chicken, a creature expressing the fierce, predatory traits of its dinosaur ancestors.
On Simple Organisms (Red Nematodes): For simple species with a short life cycle, the "prime state" is their peak reproductive frenzy. The Crimson Spirit Spring acts as a genetic reset, temporarily restoring their ability to reproduce at an explosive rate.
On Humans (Hao Yunlai): In humans, the effect appears to be a powerful psychic and spiritual stabilization. It effectively counteracts severe mental trauma and spiritual corrosion, acting as a necessary "tether" to reality. It requires periodic doses to maintain this stable state.
8. Limitations and Drawbacks:
Non-Heritable Trait: The genetic reversion is not permanently passed on. The potent traits peak in the directly affected generation (F0), weaken in the first offspring generation (F1), and disappear entirely by the second (F2). This requires continuous application of the Crimson Spirit Spring to maintain the effect in a population.
Reproductive Isolation: Highly evolved creatures (like Xiao Dou) and reverted ancestral forms (like the Dino-Chicken) become reproductively incompatible due to the vast genetic gap, resulting in infertile eggs.
Catalytic Use: It is incredibly potent as a catalyst. A single drop can be diluted thousands of times and reused across dozens of tons of biomass before its energy is depleted.
9. Strategic Applications:
Resurrection of Extinct Species: The most groundbreaking potential use. By applying it to the closest living relative of an extinct species, there is a high probability of reverting it to its ancestral, pre-extinction form.
Creation of Apocalypse-Adapted Livestock: The Mutant Chickens (offspring of Dino-Chickens and Spirit Spring-enhanced hens) are a perfect example. They are fierce, immune to the zombie virus, can digest almost any organic matter, their eggs contain essential "Anti-Dark Matter" nutrients, and they possess near-human intelligence for loyalty and training. They represent the ideal survival livestock.
Sustainable Mass Production: The primary use for the Crimson Spirit Spring is to fuel the Red Nematode production line. By periodically "resetting" the nematodes' genetics to their hyper-reproductive state, it enables sustainable, large-scale food production that is impossible to replicate by others.
Treatment for Spiritual/Psionic Damage: It serves as a crucial medicine for healing wounds inflicted by higher-dimensional entities or severe psychological breaks, stabilizing the mind and soul where the original Spirit Spring fails.
E. The Converter Organism: The mysterious "Withered Trees" are biological factories that slowly process the raw crimson liquid (diffused temporal energy) into the stable, usable Crimson Crystals. Jing Shu utilizes a captured tree specimen to cultivate these crystals artificially by soaking it in the collected crimson liquid.
This discovery fundamentally shifts the understanding of the Cube Space's ecosystem. The Spirit Spring is the heart, but it requires fuel—fuel that is harvested from the very fabric of time and space itself.
4. Forms of Control
First Form ("Mind-Summon"): Jing Shu closes her eyes, enters a pitch-black world divided by glowing squares, and operates the Cube Space mentally.
Second Form (Overlay Vision): After upgrading further, Jing Shu can "see" her Cube Space layered over reality. She can hear livestock, observe crops growing in real time, mute sounds with a thought, and interact without closing her eyes.
This overlay vision makes multitasking easy—she can cook, farm, or raise animals while going about daily life.
5. Special Abilities
Absolute Authority: Jing Shu can farm, cook, and butcher animals inside the Cube with a thought. She can also pull goods out of safes or vaults (the container stays intact, but the contents transfer).
Fusion Ability: Animals raised inside the Cube and fed Spirit Spring for long periods begin forming emotional bonds with her. This allows her to guide their behavior.
Requirements: At least six months in the Cube, fed Spirit Spring daily, never removed for more than a day.
Current success: Bees (partially controllable) and Pet No. 1, Xiao Dou (fully bonded).
The Seventh-Tier Rubik's Cube Space – New Powers
The upgrade felt like a system reboot—her consciousness shut down for moments, then reawakened with streams of new "system messages." Unlike earlier upgrades, this time she received the Cube's information consciously, even as her body drifted in and out of hallucination.
God's-Eye Vision: With the Second Form's overlay, she now gained a true god's-eye perspective of the overlapping Cube Space. No blind spots. She could zoom, rotate, and focus like a surveillance camera. At one point, she snapped her view closer to catch a tiny surveillance bug hidden on a door. This was the beginning of full spatial dominance—the more the Cube overlapped reality, the greater her control.
Hallucination Power (Illusion Ability): The greatest gift of Tier Seven was the ability to induce cognitive disruptions. Living beings inside the Cube (and partially within its overlap in the real world) suffered perceptual errors. At first, this appeared as hallucinations, but it soon became clear Jing Shu could plant suggestions: "Jing Shu is your master. Obey Jing Shu."
Before, she needed months of Spirit Spring feeding to bond with Xiao Dou or the bees. Now, she bonded instantly with the two five-step vipers, commanding them to fight and even receiving execution feedback.
She could borrow their vision, turning them into living scouts better than any camera.
Against people, she couldn't seize their minds outright, but she could nudge them into slips—hesitations, mistakes, a fatal misstep at the right moment.
Physical Boost: Her body itself grew sturdier. Pain still hurt, and bruises still came, but internal injuries didn't linger. Her physique had been lifted alongside her Cube.
The 8-Tier Rubik's Cube Space – New Powers
Phantom Bypass (Evolution of Illusion): The Illusion ability evolved into a passive, constant state. Jing Shu is now perpetually semi-transparent to the perception of others. This is not literal invisibility but a powerful cognitive filter; people's senses and minds unconsciously ignore her presence. This makes her effectively a "ghost," able to walk past armed guards and even be forgotten by her own teammates if she is not actively engaging with them.
Limitation: The primary danger of this ability is profound isolation. It can cause even allies to subconsciously overlook her, making coordination difficult. Creatures nurtured by the Spirit Spring (like Xiao Dou) seem to be immune to this effect.
Temporal Application - Minor Bodily Reversion: As a direct result of gaining a foothold in the fourth dimension, the Cube Space can now apply a localized time-reversal effect to Jing Shu's body. It can revert physical damage, such as mending ruptured blood vessels, by restoring her body to a state it was in hours prior. This is a potent healing ability, but it does not erase the memory of pain or restore consumed energy.
Advanced Mental Control: With the 8th-tier upgrade, her ability to control multiple targets has been formally enhanced. She can now simultaneously hypnotize and implant suggestions in up to five people, using her brainwaves to bypass language barriers and directly influence their consciousness.
Before the Cube Space had upgraded, hypnotizing two people at once had already been difficult. But she'd kept pushing herself for months, training through excruciating pain. Now that the Cube Space had evolved, every one of her abilities had leveled up. The Cube Space was a construct beyond six-dimensional space. The fifth dimension corresponded to speed, something like an "electrical wave" or "ultrasound."
Before, she hadn't fully understood, but after the Cube's enlightenment, it all clicked into place. When her brainwaves matched a target's frequency, she could induce hypnosis. When she tuned them to guide another's thoughts, she could implant suggestions. That meant she could communicate across languages. And when her own waves synchronized perfectly with those around her, she became invisible—completely undetectable.
Every person had unique brainwave signatures, shaped by their consciousness and willpower. The stronger the mind, the harder it was to influence. So controlling five people at once was the perfect test of her newly upgraded space.
6. Pet Connections
Pet No. 1 – Xiao Dou the Battle Chicken: Early experiment Jing Shu carried out with the Spirit Spring from her Rubik Cube Space. It was originally just a hen, but after exposure, it became what the author calls 战斗鸡 (Zhàndòu Jī) — "battle chicken." As usual, I like giving pets nicknames, so I call her 小斗 (Xiǎo Dòu), taken from Zhàndòu (battle, combat). Over time, Xiao Dou gained intelligence. After feeding on human eyes, its gaze turned disturbingly humanlike.
Pet No. 2 – The Bee: Another early experiment Jing Shu carried out with the Spirit Spring. At first, the bees were just ordinary insects, but over time, daily drops of Spirit Spring changed them. They became stronger, more irritable, and their stingers carried venom far more potent than normal bees. After half a year inside the Cube Space, something unexpected happened: they started showing faint signs of recognizing Jing Shu as their owner. With the Cube's Second Form, she could even guide them to fly in or return on command.
That said, the bond was fragile—if the bees were moved outside the Cube for more than a day, the connection broke completely. Even bringing them back for weeks couldn't reestablish it. Despite that limitation, the bees proved their value as both protectors and natural pollinators, and they became the second "numbered pet" in her growing roster.
Pet No. 3 – The Sulfuric Ant Queen, Yi Hou
Jing Shu's next discovery emerged while researching biochemical adaptability. Among the mutated colonies she raised, one stood out—a sulfuric ant queen she named Yi Hou ("Ant Queen").
Yi Hou survived repeated Spirit Spring exposure that killed every other insect species. Instead of dying, it mutated into a hybrid capable of limited thought. Through resonance within the Cube, Jing Shu could hear its intent—fragmented impressions of hunger, defense, and territory.
Over time, the ant colony structured itself into a hierarchy that mirrored human order. Yi Hou became the first non-mammalian creature to achieve spiritual communication with Jing Shu, solidifying its place as Pet No. 3.
Ranked No. 3 for her immense industrial, pharmaceutical, nutritional, and combat potential. Her colonies produce sulfuric acid, have potent medicinal value, are rich in protein, and are supremely effective against zombies and Darklife creatures.
In strength and usefulness, Yi Hou surpassed even the Five-Pace Vipers. The queen's acid secretion could melt metal, and her brood reproduced exponentially under the Cube's optimized conditions. In apocalypse terms, she wasn't just a pet—she was a living factory.
Pets No. 6 & 7 – Horned Frogs: Used as natural pesticides to wipe out the wave of carrion scavengers that appeared in the early apocalypse.
Pet No. 4 – Five-Pace Viper (Sharp-Nosed Pit Viper): This one came from Hongshan Ecological Park, from Zhou Fellow. Known as the sharp-nosed pit viper, or "five-step snake," it's infamous for its lethal venom—and also prized for making medicinal wine. Jing Shu quickly realized its potential, pairing it with herbs from her Cube Space to brew potent turtle-snake wine.
Inside the Cube, she began feeding it Spirit Spring to build a bond, just like with her other pets. The viper grew more spirited and alert, adapting to the Cube's environment with ease.
This snake was different from what Li Yuetian give to her.
(Note: I'm still not sure if Pet 5 were ever introduced. If you catch them in earlier or later chapters, please comment with the number, species, how Jing Shu got them, and their usage! I'll update this list as we go.)
7. Limitations & Unknowns
No Humans Allowed: The Cube Space cannot hold humans or other intelligent beings. Even Jing Shu herself can't physically step inside—only her spiritual body interacts with it.
Shortcomings: Whether future upgrades will merge the Cube with reality (allowing human entry) remains unknown.
The new Phantom Bypass ability carries the severe social cost of causing allies to subconsciously ignore the user, leading to potential isolation.
Energy Source: As the Cube evolves into higher dimensions, it demands more than just puzzle-solving speed. It also requires energy from higher-level dimensions, making upgrades harder.
It is now confirmed that the Cube requires energy from specific lower dimensions to advance. For the 8th tier, this was Crimson Energy, a manifestation of temporal life force. Future upgrades will likely require seeking out and harvesting other exotic dimensional energies.
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This ability system is central to Jing Shu's survival, farming, and pet-bonding experiments. It's equal parts treasure, farm, storage vault, and mysterious evolving power. I'll keep updating this list as more abilities (and pets!) are revealed.
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8. Higher-Dimensional Energy & The Nature of the Cube
Crimson Energy: This is the manifested form of temporal energy or life force harvested by fourth-dimensional entities from three-dimensional beings. It appears as a crimson liquid or crystallized solid. Jing Shu collected this energy, and the Cube Space utilized it to fuel her 8th-tier upgrade and grant her initial control over temporal principles.
The Fourth Dimension (Time): From a four-dimensional perspective, a three-dimensional human's life is a single, fixed line from birth to death. Fourth-dimensional beings can perceive and move along this timeline. Jing Shu's encounter revealed that such entities exist and can indirectly "consume" the time of 3D life forms. Her new ability to slightly reverse damage to her own body is a nascent application of this principle.
The Rubik's Cube's True Nature: The Cube is confirmed to be a construct from the sixth dimension or higher. Its upgrades are not merely spatial expansions but the sequential unlocking of dimensional seals. It acts as a buffer and translator, allowing Jing Shu to safely interface with and utilize energies from lower dimensions (like the 4th) without being destroyed. The "energy from higher-level dimensions" it requires is now understood to be fundamental forces like the Crimson Energy (time), which it uses to restructure itself and its host.
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Factory List:
1. Red Nematode Feed Processing Factory.
By the second year of the apocalypse, Jing Shu wasn't just surviving anymore—she was building. Her first major step was establishing the Red Nematode Feed Processing Factory.
The First Factory – Wu County
The first branch was set up in Wu County, taking advantage of the abundant red nematodes that had become both a resource and a staple food during that time. The share distribution was divided among the family:
-Su Lanzhi (Jing Shu's mother): 20% (she put in 1,500 virtual coins).
-Grandparents (credited under Su Lanzhi): 20% (another 1,500 virtual coins contributed on their behalf).
-Jing Shu: 40% (she contributed 1,500 virtual coins herself, but also covered fuel, coal, natural gas, and electricity—so her share was higher).
-Eldest Aunt Jing Pan: 20% (she was responsible for labor, labor costs, and overall management).
The Second Factory – Larger, More Professional
The second branch was built later and designed to be larger and more professional than the Wu County one. The share split this time looked different:
-Jing Shu: 70% (she invested 10,000 virtual coins and supplied the fuel).
-Wang Gang (brother of Wang Fang): 15% (he provided the site, equipment, and covered wages and meals).
-Su Yiyang + Wang Fang: 15% (they invested 1,000 virtual coins and managed day-to-day operations).
Shutdown of the Red Nematode Factory
Unfortunately, the success didn't last long. Red nematodes—once plentiful—became contaminated by the Zombie Deer virus from Australia and were also heavily consumed by starving survivors. Within less than a year, the resource collapsed, and the factories had to suspend operations.
2. The Golden Land Factory Complex & The Red Nematode Feed Processing Empire
Following the success and subsequent shutdown of the initial Red Nematode factories, Jing Shu embarked on her most ambitious project: a massive, integrated industrial complex established on a strategically acquired "golden land" known to be a future safe zone.
Acquisition & Motivation:
Location: A 20-acre (approx. two football fields) abandoned factory site in the new district suburbs.
Method: Jing Shu acquired the land and existing equipment through a unique "half-sale, half-gift" deal brokered by Jin Tianci. She paid a down payment of 4 million virtual coins (her entire savings) and took on a massive long-term loan, with monthly installments to be paid in goods or food to prevent inflation.
Strategic Reason: Jing Shu's foreknowledge identified this area as a future "golden zone" that would survive multiple disasters. It was intended to be her family's long-term shelter and a power base to counter the future rise of "the Tyrant."
The Integrated Production Model: The factory's operation is a closed-loop, three-stage biological conversion process that is nearly impossible to replicate, securing its monopoly.
Stage 1: Carrion Scavenger Collection.
Function: Harvests the most abundant "free" resource of the apocalypse. A dedicated workforce collects carrion scavengers and zombie-infected flesh.
Storage: Live scavengers are stored in specially treated iron containers (up to 5,000-ton capacity), where they can grow by ~10% over five days.
Stage 2: Algal Bioconversion.
Function: Specialized Spirulina algae, provided by Wu You'ai and enhanced with reagents, are used to consume the carrion scavengers. The algae neutralize and filter out viruses and toxins, converting the biomass into safe, nutrient-rich matter.
Process: The scavengers are fed into stone pools where the algae rapidly digest them. This stage is sustained by the ZS880 reagent, which pushes the algae past their natural cell division limit, allowing for continuous, rapid growth.
Stage 3: Red Nematode Cultivation.
Function: The purified algae become the primary feed for the resurrected red nematodes.
The Catalyst: The Crimson Spirit Spring is the irreplaceable key. Diluted at a ratio of 1 drop to several tons of water, it acts as a genetic trigger, temporarily rewinding the nematodes' biology to their peak, hyper-reproductive state.
Limitation & Cycle: This effect lasts for approximately two generations. After this, a new batch of nematodes must be "seeded" with the Crimson Spirit Spring catalyst, creating a continuous, managed production cycle.
Output: The factory has an initial public output of ~10 tons of red nematodes per day, with additional production reserved for debt payments, trade, and strategic reserves.
Management & Workforce:
Leadership: Su Yiyang (Jing Shu's maternal uncle) acts as the public Factory Director. Lao Tuo (the former regional liaison) serves as the HR Manager.
The Labor Force: Jing Shu absorbed the ~2,000 people already living on the land as her initial workforce, solving a major relocation issue and securing a ready supply of labor.
The Revolutionary Point System: To manage the massive workforce and foster loyalty, Jing Shu implemented a sophisticated internal economy.
Core Concept: No formal salaries. Workers earn Points based on task completion (e.g., 1 point per 100kg of scavengers collected). Points can be spent internally on food, private lodging, and luxury goods, or converted 1:1 into Virtual Coins (but not vice-versa).
Employee Star Level & Benefits System
The factory's internal economy is governed by a points-based ranking system. Employees earn points by completing tasks, and their cumulative points determine their Star Level (from LV1 to LV5). Higher levels unlock significantly better living conditions, food rations, and luxury items. It is important to note that spending points does not lower an employee's Star Level.
LV1 (10 Points Required)
Benefits: 2 free cafeteria meals per month.
Lodging: Shared dormitory (16 people per room) with rent 1 point per month.
LV2 (100 Points Required)
Benefits: All LV1 benefits, plus 2 monthly VIP rations of rice or buns.
Lodging: Shared dormitory (8 people per room) with rent 5 points per month.
LV3 (1,000 Points Required)
Benefits: All previous benefits, plus 3 monthly VIP vegetable rations and one winter coat.
Lodging: Shared dormitory (4 people per room) with rent10 points per month.
Promotion: The first 100 employees to reach LV3 will be promoted to Team Leader.
LV4 (5,000 Points Required)
Benefits: All previous benefits, plus unlimited cafeteria meals for yourself.
Lodging: Shared dormitory (2 people per room) with rent 50 points per month.
LV5 (10,000 Points Required)
Benefits: All previous benefits, plus unlimited cafeteria meals for your entire family and one electric scooter.
Lodging: Private deluxe room with rent 100 points per month.
Promotion: The first 10 employees to reach LV5 will become Shift Supervisors.
Additional Rules & Tiers:
LV0 (0 Points): Employees who have not yet earned any points are designated LV0. They are not assigned a room and may have to sleep in hallways or other unsecured areas. They receive no benefits.
Point Usage: Points can be exchanged for goods within the factory or converted 1:1 into Virtual Coins. However, Virtual Coins cannot be converted back into Points.
Gifting: While points themselves are non-transferable, an employee can use their points to purchase items for others.
Strategic Goal: This system creates a self-contained economy where Points are more valuable than external Virtual Coins for quality of life. It incentivizes extreme productivity and fosters a self-policing environment, as employees report sabotage or theft to earn the offender's points.
Economic Impact & Secrecy:
Public Narrative: The factory's success is publicly attributed to the expensive, hard-to-acquire ZS880 reagent, which serves as a perfect smokescreen to hide the true secret: the Crimson Spirit Spring.
Unreplicable Process: The combination of the unique algae (sustained by ZS880) and the Crimson Spirit Spring (as the genetic catalyst) makes the entire production model impossible for competitors to copy. Any stolen nematodes die within seven days and cannot reproduce.