"Zuo Rong! Are you okay?" Seeing the man on the bed suddenly vomit blood, a brown-haired woman rushed over nervously.
Zuo Rong opened his eyes in shock, his facial muscles twitching unnaturally as if enduring intense pain. He swept a icy glance over the woman, her eyes instantly lost focus, and she sank to her knees beside the bed like a puppet.
A lean-faced man leaning against the window frame curled his lips into a mocking smirk at the sight. "Didn't expect Puppet Master to miscalculate for once."
Zuo Rong snorted coldly. The abyss-like pair of eyes flashed through his mind, stirring an inexplicable dread in his heart. That woman hadn't just discovered he was controlling the Space-Rift Butterfly with his mind, she had forced him back with a single glance. Her strength was truly unfathomable.
"What do you plan to do next?" The lean-faced man asked.
"Retreat." Zuo Rong decided without a second thought. Their intel was flawed, they had overlooked a formidable opponent. Tomb always acted with caution, since they lacked absolute certainty of victory, they might as well abandon the mission.
The lean-faced man offered a surprised glance but raised no objection, stepping forward. "I'll go inform the others."
Zuo Rong wiped the blood from his lips, put his blood-stained finger into his mouth, and looked out the window, a predatory light flashing in his eyes...
Strange Stone Canyon
Having just fought a fierce battle, the group opted not to rest on the spot. Instead, they traveled through the night to leave Strange Stone Canyon behind.
Huo Yin remained seated in his wheelchair, offering zero explanation for why he was pretending to be disabled when he could clearly walk. Compared to such minor details, everyone was far more focused on the recent battle, their excited discussions never ceasing.
Huagu Team had essentially shot to fame in a single night. As an established team on the verge of being forgotten, one that existed mostly in rumors, their return to the stage could hardly have been more spectacular.
As captain of Huagu Team, Huo Yin earned the respect of numerous Evolvers, while his teammates became subjects of intense analysis for various factions. Everyone had assumed the support members would contribute little in battle, only for them to display extraordinary prowess.
Su Mo and Yuan Chu in particular stole the show, leaving the highly anticipated healer Feng Chenxiu somewhat overshadowed.
Was Telepathy really that powerful? How was it applied in combat? What kind of superpower was Yuan Chu's predictive foresight? Did she possess other abilities besides prediction?
No matter how people speculated, one thing was beyond doubt: They were capable of pushing team combat efficiency to its absolute peak.
After leaving Strange Stone Canyon, the surviving Evolvers expressed their gratitude to Huo Yin, exchanged contact information, and parted ways.
Huo Yin selected a relatively safe area to rest. Tali and the others each received four or five Source Cores matching their attributes, along with three Flash-Bone Eggs as rewards.
Flash-Bone Eggs were all-attribute Source Cores capable of fusing with any type of core. What he didn't know was that Flash-Bone Eggs also carried a slight chance of triggering attribute mutations.
Everyone walked away with a generous payout, everyone except Yuan Chu, who received nothing.
Feng Chenxiu couldn't resist whispering to Su Mo: "Momo, did Boss forget about Chuchu?"
Su Mo returned a glance that clearly read: You look like an idiot.
Beside them, Jiang Pengfei also asked in confusion, "Yeah, isn't Yuan Chu the captain's girlfriend? Why didn't he give her a single Source Core?"
Su Mo: Heh, turns out there's more than one idiot.
Having zero interest in answering such brain-draining questions, Su Mo swallowed a Source Core, closed his eyes, and began cultivating.
As for Tali, she had long thrown herself into endless training, draped in dark mist that cleared every living creature out of a dozens-of-meters radius.
Inside the hover-car, Huo Yin piled all the Source Cores onto the table and said to Yuan Chu, "Take whatever you need."
If Feng Chenxiu had been there to see this, he would have understood the look Su Mo gave him earlier.
Yuan Chu looked at the heap of Source Cores, took a few Flash-Bone Eggs, and fed one to the trembling Space-Rift Butterfly perched on her shoulder.
The butterfly twitched its antennae, catching the enticing scent, and eventually couldn't resist leaning in toward the Flash-Bone Egg.
Source Cores were not only vital for human evolution, but also a favorite food for mutated beasts, though beasts were usually restricted by their own attributes. Flash-Bone Eggs were different, they carried no attribute limitations.
Huo Yin had thought Yuan Chu finally found a Source Core she needed, only to watch her feed it to the butterfly, making his heart feel strangely uncomfortable.
"Why isn't it running away?" Huo Yin asked casually.
"Because I won't let it run." The Space-Rift Butterfly had delivered itself to her door, Yuan Chu saw no reason to let it go. Under the surveillance of the Heavenly Dao's rules, seizing every bit of fortune she could get was fair game.
Her straightforward response left Huo Yin speechless. She was probably the only person with the confidence to say something like that.
Once the butterfly swallowed the Flash-Bone Egg, Yuan Chu waved her hand to let it fly to the side, then turned to Huo Yin and asked quite seriously, "Are we sleeping together tonight?"
Huo Yin: So proactive?!
After overcoming the crisis at Strange Stone Canyon, the destiny's luck surrounding Huo Yin had multiplied several times over, surging like a roaring tide. In Yuan Chu's eyes, he looked like a delicious feast.
"Mm." Huo Yin responded with restraint, meeting her expectant gaze.
Perhaps it was time to take things a step further.
After washing up that evening, Huo Yin wore only a pair of pajama pants, exuding warm steam as he walked slowly toward Yuan Chu, who was leaning against the headboard.
Yuan Chu wore matching pajamas, her collar slightly open, her long hair draped over her shoulders, and her head tilted slightly, exposing her long, fair neck.
"Chu'er." Huo Yin climbed onto the bed, wrapping his arm around her waist, his eyes burning bright.
Yuan Chu looked at him, then paused as a radiant light flickered in her eyes, flashing several strange images in rapid succession. An intimate act she had never experienced before was going to happen in just a few minutes.
Yuan Chu: ...
Her predictive ability had allowed her to experience an unbelievable future in advance.
This man wants to mate with her. Should she agree?
Yuan Chu pondered carefully, she had to make a decision within three minutes.
"Chu'er, I'm so lucky to have you by my side all this way." Huo Yin took her hand, lifting it to his lips for a soft kiss.
Yuan Chu looked down at her held hand without saying a word.
"Tell me, you'll never leave me, right?" Huo Yin looked at her intently.
Yuan Chu knew that as long as she answered "I won't," something major would happen immediately.
She still had one minute and fifteen seconds.
Yuan Chu held her handheld console, its screen flashing rapidly as it automatically searched: How to decline a man's courtship call? Waiting online, super urgent.
💬 Is he handsome? Is he good to you? Do you dislike his closeness?
Yuan Chu: Handsome, good to me, don't dislike it.
💬 Then why the hell are you declining?! In a world where you could die at any second, if you find a guy who's handsome, treats you well, and doesn't annoy you, what is there to hesitate about? Go for it!
Yuan Chu: Is that how it works? Is human mating really this casual? Don't people have to take responsibility after mating?
💬 The guy is the one who should take responsibility; you just enjoy it. If he turns out to be a jerk who walks away afterward, just find a better one.
Yuan Chu: Emmm, feels like something's not quite right.
"Chu'er?" Seeing Yuan Chu remain silent, Huo Yin couldn't help leaning in and lightly biting her earlobe.
"Mm... I won't."
"What?" Huo Yin asked lazily.
"I won't leave you. Never." This man was her Child of Luck, from the moment they established their bond, he had become her sole anchor in this world. She was willing to fulfill all his wishes to the best of her abilities.
Twin blazes ignited in Huo Yin's eyes. He pulled her tight against his waist and pressed his lips to hers in a deep, passionate kiss.
Yuan Chu didn't understand romantic love, but she was willing to learn. The Child of Luck was not only her ticket to escaping the Heavenly Dao, but also her teacher in learning how to be human. She was like a blank sheet of paper, whatever painting emerged in the end depended entirely on the Child of Luck she chose.
Yuan Chu's compliance allowed their relationship to leap forward, crossing the final boundary and turning them into lovers in every sense of the word.
Huo Yin experienced the most wonderful night of his life, his gaze toward Yuan Chu filled with tenderness and satisfaction.
Looking at the Child of Luck beside her pillow, Yuan Chu suddenly asked, "Will you take responsibility for me?"
Huo Yin smiled. "How do you want me to take responsibility?"
"Mm... don't know."
Yuan Chu thought for a moment before saying, "If you don't take responsibility, I'll go find a better one."
Huo Yin's face darkened instantly. "You won't get a chance to find a better one for the rest of your life!"
Meaning he was willing to take responsibility.
Yuan Chu was satisfied. Truth be told, she didn't particularly feel like looking for another one anyway.
After lingering together for half the morning, Huo Yin stepped off the hover-car refreshed, rallying the others to prepare for departure.
Everyone had consumed Source Cores, gaining boosts in strength. To better integrate these gains, they needed to engage in battle, so Huo Yin planned to find a suitable location for special training.
The video of the battle at Strange Stone Canyon circulated through various regions at blinding speed, pushing Huagu Team back into the global top ten rankings once again. This was thanks not only to their stellar performance at Strange Stone Canyon, but also to their past reputation.
Huagu Team naturally consisted of more than just Huo Yin and Ji Ming, there were over fifty other members split into various squads, scattered across different regions to gain combat experience.
When they saw the video, the other members of Huagu Team were thoroughly shocked. Just a short while ago, they had received the tragic news that Huo Yin, Ji Ming, and the others had fallen in battle.
Unable to reach them, they had assumed both were dead, never expecting to see their captain online, surrounded by people who weren't original members of Huagu Team.
💬 Captain, where are you? Why haven't you contacted us for so long?
💬 Looks like Huagu Team gained some incredible newcomers. Captain, when are you introducing them to us?
💬 Captain, did you forget your old friends for the new ones? What happened to 'never parting ways for a lifetime'?
💬 Captain, did you guys run into trouble? Where's Ji Ming?
After a month of training, Huo Yin received over a hundred messages from other Huagu Team members. He had previously chosen to lay low due to his physical condition, but now that he had recovered, there was no longer any need to hide.
Just as he prepared to reply, he suddenly caught sight of a message that sparked rage and alarm in his heart.
💬 Captain, someone is secretly hunting members of Huagu Team. Please be extremely careful. (Scorpion)
Who would hunt them?
Huo Yin could only think of Ji Ming, yet he truly didn't want to believe Ji Ming could be this ruthless. Faking his own death to switch sides and openly join the Kingdom of Dali was one thing, but the other members of Huagu Team hadn't participated in that battle and didn't know his secret. Was it really necessary to wipe them out completely?
Besides, Huo Yin was still alive, meaning Ji Ming's original plan had already failed, killing others to silence them was already too late.
Huo Yin's expression turned dark, a storm gathering within his eyes.
------
Yuan Chu: Predictive foresight lets her know everything, including when a certain someone wants to jump her bones.
Huo Yin: Chu'er is always so cooperative. What a thoughtful little angel ^_^@~
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