Great, we're doomed now!

Saitama subconsciously thought of his bald head: "Will working too hard affect hormone secretion and cause hair loss or something...?"

"What did you say?"

"No, it's nothing."

Saitama looked at Ye Shou's black hair with envy:

Because of the effect of "thick eyebrows and big eyes", even the hair was affected, becoming thick and black.

"It's so good to be young~ The hair roots look very strong."

"Yes, after all, ever since I started practicing Ripple Qi Gong."

Ye Shou tugged at his hair: "It's gotten thicker and stronger—it's probably related to hormones."

"Um?!"

"Alright, since you don't want to learn—"

"Who said I didn't want to!"

Chapter 312: It Just Grew in the Wrong Place (Bonus Chapter)

Beside the waterfall on the back mountain, Bango and Charanko were observing, while Ye Shou and Saitama sat facing each other on the grass.

The two of them crossed their legs, stretched out their hands, one above the other, with their palms pressed tightly together.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the two of them, while a gentle breeze created a tranquil atmosphere.

Unlike a master like Bang, Saitama is much weaker in basic theory. Many things cannot be understood through language. Ye Shou was too lazy to teach him from scratch. Anyway, Saitama's aptitude must be outstanding, so he simply used this method to get him started.

"The so-called ripples must not only be memorized with the body, but also perceived with the heart... Saitama, you must cast aside your distractions."

"Mmm." Saitama nodded with his eyes closed, a smile playing on his lips.

He calmed down easily, and although he had no martial arts skills, he exuded a natural and casual charm—Bangu looked at him with considerable surprise.

Saitama's words and actions don't suggest he has that level of understanding at all... he seems more like a corporate slave who has been worn down and numbed by the workplace.

He transitioned to a meditative state so quickly. Could it be that he has surpassed the ordinary realm and grasped the essence of returning to simplicity?

Ye Shou wasn't particularly surprised. Saitama was known for his immense strength and ability to fly bricks, but the fact that he had such devastating power yet hadn't experienced any tragic events in his daily life proved that he could completely control his power.

Saitama's ability to do this is impossible without skill and mastery. However, he doesn't have any special moves or secret techniques, nor has he undergone classic training such as water walking or tree climbing. All his skills are integrated into ordinary physical movements, so he doesn't show off his abilities.

The fact that Saitama swatted mosquitoes and played rock-paper-scissors also indirectly confirms this point—if Saitama were truly so angry that he lost his mind, his power would not have caused only that level of destruction.

In other words, he subconsciously restrains himself under normal circumstances, and he would never kill an opponent other than a monster.

— He mocked himself for losing his passion for fighting, but no matter how you look at it, he was still a perfectly competent hero.

"Saitama, don't be nervous."

Ye Shou took a deep breath, and the power of the ripples within his body slowly surged, flowing through his arm into his palm.

"Relax your body, don't resist, just follow my rhythm."

"Okay~"

Saitama nodded, trying to relax his mind and body.

At first, his tense muscles gradually relaxed, his breathing became steady, and he even showed signs of dozing off. Ye Shou could clearly feel the energy fluctuations coming from his palm, which was the life energy hidden in Saitama's body that far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Like a dormant volcano, like a silent deep sea, a vast power lies dormant beneath its calm surface.

As Ye Shou continued to activate the ripples, a pale golden light flowed through, and the energy in his palm began to vibrate rhythmically, spreading layer by layer like ripples on water.

He deliberately slowed down the frequency, allowing Saitama's body to gradually adapt, and then gradually stirred up the energy within Saitama's body, making it rise and fall with the rhythm of the ripples.

"Ok?"

Saitama perked up and suddenly let out a soft exclamation. A strange power instantly emanated from his palm, spreading throughout his body via his limbs and bones.

The power was gentle yet strong, as if carrying the rhythm of life, making him feel comfortable all over, and his senses, which had become somewhat dull due to drowsiness, became more acute.

At the same time, Ye Shou's consciousness fell into a strange trance.

Saitama's entire body's meridians seemed to appear before my eyes, densely packed like a spider web, yet the wisps of life energy flowed through them with exceptional smoothness, without the slightest obstruction.

At the center of the meridians, the heart stands out prominently—

There, layers upon layers of golden leaves were gathered together, as if they were holding liquid gold, or like leaping, burning flames. The overwhelming energy gathered within them was like a miniature star, radiating dazzling brilliance.

This energy is pure, boundless, and without any impurities. Even the giant Margley was like a firefly compared to the bright moon in the face of such powerful vitality!

It doesn't share the attributes of the Giant of Light, but it's equally dazzling... If I had to say, they do seem somewhat similar.

Is it the result of the continuous sublimation of pure vitality?

Ye Shou concentrated his mind and carefully adjusted the oscillation frequency of the ripples, sometimes rapid like drumbeats, sometimes gentle like flowing water, guiding Saitama to deeply perceive the operating method of this qigong.

"Remember this feeling, let your life force follow the ripples, and circulate along the meridians."

"What is vitality...?"

Saitama frowned slightly, carefully sensing the flow of energy within his body. Although he couldn't fully control it yet, he had vaguely grasped the basics.

During the guidance process, Ye Shou subconsciously visualized the meridian diagram of his entire body, which is known as "internal vision".

The originally orderly flow of energy, driven by the ripples, unknowingly opened up new routes, beginning to flow and converge along another set of meridians. A continuous stream of light energy surged in from all directions, flowing along the meridians and converging into the heart…

Suddenly, his heart contracted sharply, and the "Youthful Beast" attribute began to take effect, accelerating the flow of blood throughout his body as it pounded, concentrating and compressing his life force, which then burst forth with dazzling brilliance!

boom!

My heart suddenly beat slowly but very strongly.

This time, Ye Shou felt his body being "expanded"!

Inside that golden heart, dazzling points of light, like the core of a star, condensed, burning and profound, as if containing endless potential.

Ye Shouneng sensed a certain sign, and he subconsciously increased the output of the ripples, wanting to make this "star core" truly start operating.

However, even with continuous input, his heart only beat steadily, one beat at a time. As soon as he stopped applying the pressure, his heartbeat returned to normal, and he was never able to enter a "self-disciplined" state... Over time, his body began to show obvious signs of fatigue.

"Whoo~"

As the ripple resonance ended, the star core at Ye Shou's heart slowly cooled down, and its scorching radiance gradually dimmed.

He could clearly feel that it was just one step away from truly "coming alive" and unleashing even more astonishing power, but it was stuck at the last step, and he didn't know why yet.

He seems to have no shortage of either quantity or quality...

"Huh? Is it over?"

Saitama opened his eyes, moved his limbs, and showed a hint of curiosity on his face: "That warm current was quite interesting. My body feels light and airy."

"Hmm, you're quite talented."

Ye Shou gave a casual reply, staring intently at his palm, lost in thought—

That final push, perhaps, was the lack of a certain catalyst... You can't force these things.

He shook his head slightly, his face showing not much disappointment, but rather a hint of anticipation. After all, challenges are what motivate people!

-

"Ugh, I'm so tired~"

Saitama pushed open the door to the rented room and casually tossed his yellow bodysuit onto the sofa.

The room was the same as always, with simple furniture arranged neatly, and a faint smell of instant noodles in the air—that was yesterday's dinner.

I must solemnly declare that although he lived a life of poverty, he was not unemployed; being a hero was his profession... it's just that no one paid him a salary or bonuses.

"Hmm~!"

He stretched out a big yawn, his bones cracking and popping. He hadn't fought any weirdos today, but because he had been practicing Ripple with Ye Shou, he had worked up a good sweat and felt a pleasant, aching soreness all over his body.

"Kusei Yoshimori... he's such a good person. Not only did he treat me to a meal, but he also generously taught me his best skills. I really don't know how to thank him."

Generally speaking, ordinary people would be wary of a sudden encounter with a kind stranger, but Saitama is different—he really can't think of anything about himself that could be taken advantage of by others.

Scamming for money? Scamming for sex? You're kidding, I actually wish I had that!

"call……"

Saitama carried toiletries and new underwear into the bathroom, turned on the tap to pour hot water into the bathtub, and the whole bathroom was filled with wisps of steam.

If there's anything comforting about his life, it's the extremely low cost of living. Because the surrounding area is uninhabited, no one comes to collect rent, allowing him to live in a house that isn't too cramped.

Moreover, the cost of water and electricity was very low—in fact, he seemed to have never paid any money for it, and for some reason no one had ever cared, so he just muddled through life.

With his accommodation problem solved, he could make up for the lack of food by hunting, which allowed him to reduce his living costs to an extremely low standard, barely managing to survive.

So today's hot pot meal is really important to him!

If he were a character from a visual novel, he would now receive a message saying that his happiness level has greatly increased!

"Alas~"

He leaned against the door frame, watching the bathtub slowly fill with hot water, and his mind involuntarily recalled the scene from earlier that day.

Saitama has always liked to learn through actual combat. He would throw a full-force punch, and if the enemy didn't fall down, he would keep hitting them. After repeating this process over and over again, he would naturally understand the principle.

So his strength grew stronger and stronger. He used to have to fight with all his might to win, but now he can defeat any enemy with just one punch… Thinking back to when he first became a hero, it's quite nostalgic!

In other words, he is a typical practitioner!

Interestingly, Saitama didn't find today's quiet way of feeling the energy flow and listening to people explain things slowly at all.

"I get along quite well with Ye Shouren." He stroked his chin, unable to explain why.

Even though the other person seemed much more refined than him, meeting the standards of a "respectable person" in every way, and was completely different from him, who called himself a "hero for fun," the two of them got along without any awkwardness.

"Is it because of that face? He looks very reliable, more heroic than me."

The bathtub was almost full, and Saitama walked to the mirror, tilting his head to examine himself.

His bald head gleamed faintly under the light. He poked his scalp with his finger, then pried open his eyelids to look at his eyes, and finally tugged at the flesh of his cheek.

"No matter how strong the waves are, they can't make the hair grow out."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly at himself in the mirror, his tone as calm as if he were talking about someone else: "Even if it really works, it can't be this fast, after all, I became bald naturally due to hair loss."

It's hard to explain, but he believes his "hairstyle" is definitely not caused by external factors, so he only has hope for the wavy hair growth but is not too obsessed with it.

"All the hair roots must be dead by now... Hmm~ If I had hair, would I have more fans?"