Chapter 68

Yu Tianming stood at the center of the knights, staring upward at the scene before him, a sight that could only be described as miraculous.

The unfurled blood-colored petals swayed high in the air, overlooking everyone below. Countless sturdy red tendrils burst from the ground. Amid the surging crimson waves, they were surrounded like ants by despair.

Yu Tianming could only pour all his strength into activating his ability, boosting everyone present. Yet in this raging world of aberrant plants, they had no power to counterattack. They could only barely evade lethal strikes.

“Yu Tianming, focus all your power on me. I will kill Blood Flower.”

The youth from the lower district spoke with reckless confidence. Yu Tianming found it absurd and laughable. In his view, waiting for Bai Muqing or a lucid Sykes was their only chance of survival. How dare this E-class ability user Pei Xi issue orders to him?

He was about to refuse when memories of his encounters with the Cloud Soarers surfaced. Whether it was Pei Xi or Zhao Mei, there was something inexplicably strange about these people. With Pei Xi’s E-class strength, he should have died at Sykes’s hands long ago, yet he always escaped.

“I will give you one minute.”

Yu Tianming gritted his teeth. He wanted to see what kind of miracle Pei Xi could produce.

He concentrated all his power onto Pei Xi, enough to raise an ability user’s strength by two tiers. In the next instant, Pei Xi’s blade-transformed hands tore through the woven cage of branches, bringing light to the trapped group.

Pei Xi leapt through the constantly attacking aberrant plants. His blades sliced through every obstacle until he reached the base of the blood flower. His hands returned to normal as he pressed them against the stem.

Yu Tianming stared in shock as the towering stem gradually darkened, taking on a metallic sheen. Pei Xi had used Metal Aberration to turn the blood flower’s stem into his own sword.

A deafening roar erupted from the sky. The blood flower was impaled atop the massive blade. The sky-covering petals drooped. A black shadow flashed within the central stamen, followed by an endless surge of blood, like a pierced heart. A crimson waterfall cascaded toward the ground.

Yu Tianming clutched his cracked glasses. Inappropriately, the legend of the God of Hope surfaced in his mind. The god, immortal, had battled the demonic dragon until heaven and earth darkened, finally driving a colossal sword through the dragon’s heart.

“How could this be possible…”

Pei Xi could not be the prophesied reincarnation of the God of Hope. Yu Tianming knew clearly that the empire would only acknowledge Sykes in that role.

Perhaps the lower district’s test had been wrong. Pei Xi’s Metal Aberration could not possibly be E-class. At the very least, it was A-class.

But that was his limit. If Pei Xi was sensible and willing to serve them, Yu Tianming could recommend him for exceptional promotion after the tournament on behalf of the Crown Prince. If he refused, then—

Yu Tianming frowned. How could Pei Xi refuse? Their goals must be the same. To make the empire better. Anyone who stood in the way of that goal would become the enemy of the entire empire.

Yu Tianming exhaled and adjusted his gentle expression. He would recruit this talent for the Crown Prince. Naturally, he also needed more people loyal to himself.

The face of that black-haired, green-eyed boy flashed through his mind. If he recruited Pei Xi, then the entire Cloud Soarers would belong to him as well.

“Wait, what is that sound?”

Someone shouted sharply.

Yu Tianming, immersed in thoughts of the future, turned in confusion. Then his pupils widened behind his glasses.

Damn it. Where did this flood come from?

The flood roared down from the high ground. The members of the nearby Cloud Soarers squad immediately turned and fled without the slightest hesitation. While running, Kyle muttered, “Why does this feel so familiar?”

“We have really been getting way too involved with water lately!”

Luqi shouted cheerfully from the very front.

“Stop chatting and run faster!”

Roy, bringing up the rear, cried out in utter despair.

As the breached flood surged in all directions, the aberrant realm gradually collapsed following the death of its core. The blood-colored light curtain shattered. The towering trees that surrounded everyone vanished one by one. Even the pursuing flood disappeared at some unknown moment.

They had returned to their own world.

The Cloud Soarers quickly located Pei Xi, who had been fighting alone moments ago. Seeing that their captain was safe and unharmed, everyone finally let out a breath of relief. Excitement surged through the group. This time, they had not only eliminated a high-risk aberrant realm that had long plagued the lower district, but also destroyed its core, earning an enormous amount of points.

The only regret was that they still had not found Zhao Mei. Otherwise, they could have celebrated together. Pei Xi showed no joy on his face. He was scanning his surroundings, as if searching for something. Beside him stood a girl.

She was tall and slender, dressed entirely in tight black clothes and pants. Her short purple hair was slightly tousled by the wind.

“Wu Shu!”

Luqi, who had fought alongside her before, recognized her immediately. She hurried over and circled Wu Shu with open amazement.

Everyone had a deep impression of this sole female captain in the competition. She had always worn highly distinctive dress before. Seeing her suddenly dressed like this today, they did not recognize her at first glance.

“Why are you here? We did not see you inside at all?”

Luqi asked enthusiastically.

Roy noticed something was off. With a blank expression, he pulled Luqi back and looked from the smiling Wu Shu to Pei Xi.

Appearing only at the very end made everything look suspicious no matter how one examined it.

Pei Xi gave a helpless smile and explained, “It was Miss Wu Shu who helped just now. We defeated Blood Flower together.”

Roy could not believe it. “Then the one who actually killed the core was not…”

“It was me. Sorry. I did not think too much about it at the time.”

Wu Shu raised her eyebrows. There was not the slightest hint of guilt on her face for taking the final blow. The Cloud Soarers fell silent. The atmosphere sank into an awkward stillness.

Defeating Blood Flower was important, but earning points mattered just as much. Only by becoming champions could they obtain the dragon bone reward needed to protect their hometown.

Even Luqi’s bright smile stiffened slightly. A trace of confusion crossed her face, as if she did not know how to deal with this uncomfortable situation.

Watching the scene from the side, Yu Tianming looked at Wu Shu in surprise. Over the past few days, his understanding had been repeatedly overturned.

So the shadow he had glimpsed flashing through the center of the stamen had been Wu Shu.

If he remembered correctly, Wu Shu’s ability was merely standard teleportation. Yet she had abandoned her teammates and entered the aberrant realm alone. Relying on such an unremarkable B-class ability, she had perfectly concealed herself among a group of high-level ability users, waiting patiently for the precise moment to seize the final result.

Ruthless. Cold. Ambitious.

Yu Tianming could not understand it. These actions brought Wu Shu no tangible benefit. Winning through such underhanded methods would only damage her reputation. No man would like a woman so adept at lurking in the shadows. As a woman, her prospects for advancement were already limited.

Could she truly be aiming to win this tournament’s championship? A woman from the middle district with only a B-class ability?

Yu Tianming laughed softly. Wu Shu earning points this time was actually a good thing. Her team posed no threat. If the Cloud Soarers had obtained such massive points, that would have been troublesome.

Now, as long as they found Sykes, this incident that had plagued the empire for so long would finally be resolved. As for the messy aftermath afterward, he could not be bothered to think about it.

Not far away, a knight in a red uniform followed respectfully behind someone. That person walked slowly, exuding a heavy and oppressive aura. His soaked clothes clung messily to his body, but at least he looked human again.

Yu Tianming let out a long breath of relief and hurried over.

Thank the heavens. Sykes had finally regained his senses.

Under the moonlight, Wu Shu smiled. Her purple eyes, however, were unfathomably deep. She reached out and patted Luqi’s head, meeting the girl’s sorrowful and confused gaze without offering any explanation.

There was nothing to explain. She had simply seized the opportunity, striking the core before Pei Xi could, using every method permitted by the rules to benefit herself.

She had coldly watched from the shadows as Luqi fell into danger time and again, never once stepping in to help. Luqi’s goodwill should not be wasted on someone like her.

Wu Shu acknowledged that she was not as strong as these people. Therefore, if she wanted to succeed, she did not mind being despised as despicable.

She withdrew her hand from Luqi’s head and turned, disappearing into the depths of the night.

This time, aside from the considerable points she had gained, her covert operation had yielded an unexpected discovery. So there was another bad woman who was just as skilled at hiding as she was.

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“Your Highness, are you alright?”

Sykes glanced sideways at Yu Tianming in silence. His expression was dark, and he did not respond. Yu Tianming stood awkwardly to the side, feeling completely ignored. He adjusted his glasses uneasily.

After a long while, Sykes finally spoke. “Where is Ye Zheng?”

Confusion flashed through Yu Tianming’s eyes. He had expected Sykes to lash out upon waking, perhaps blaming those around him or killing someone in rage. He had never imagined that the first name Sykes would ask about was that of the Saintess.

“Ye Zheng? At this hour, she should be at home, or working at the church.”

Sykes’s golden eyes darkened even further. The look he gave Yu Tianming plainly said that he was speaking nonsense.

Under the oppressive gaze of the Crown Prince, Yu Tianming desperately searched his memory and finally arrived at a possibility. “You saw Ye Zheng?”

“You did not? She was with Bai Muqing.”

Yu Tianming clutched his head, feeling that his brain was not keeping up. He remembered that Bai Muqing had blocked the out-of-control Sykes, allowing the others to go search for the core. Where had Ye Zheng come from?

Wait. Could Ye Zheng have entered the aberrant realm under the church’s orders to rescue Sykes?

It was entirely possible. He had not seen any other church members, though Bai Muqing counted as one. Perhaps the two of them had entered together.

Upon entering the aberrant realm, everyone was randomly teleported. Ye Zheng might have been sent to an especially remote area, which explained why she had not appeared until later.

Aside from Ye Zheng, Bai Muqing, Zhao Mei from the Cloud Soarers, and the main culprit of this incident were all still unaccounted for.

“Your Highness, I did not see her. The aberrant realm was vast. She might still be…”

“Find her!”

Water dripped steadily from Sykes’s white shirt, faintly revealing his skin beneath. He grabbed a handful of his wet golden hair, which clung together in complete disarray.

During his period of confused consciousness, his memories were fragmented.

But one thing was painfully clear. Ye Zheng had pressed his head into sewage, forced water into his body without permission, and soaked him thoroughly. His teeth ground together in fury.

“Ye Zheng was taken away by Sela.”

A female voice interrupted, drawing everyone’s attention. Sykes’s dark and furious expression froze. Even Pei Xi, who had been consoling his teammates, turned to look in disbelief.

On the moonlit street, Bai Muqing walked beside a black-haired, green-eyed boy. Noticing everyone’s gaze, she lowered her eyes in apparent sorrow, staring at the ground to her left.

Her voice sounded strained. “It was her ability that broke the blond girl’s control over His Highness the Crown Prince and turned the tide in our favor. When Sela realized the situation had reversed, she took her away.”

The boy’s slightly hoarse voice followed, filling in the details. “The situation was too chaotic. The river burst its banks. In the flood, we lost track of them.”

Sykes narrowed his golden eyes and fixed his gaze on the suddenly appearing boy. His tone was hostile. “And who are you?”

Pei Xi stepped forward to stand beside him. The boy was drenched, still carrying that black bag. He looked pale and frail, especially when facing the ferocious Sykes.

“This is my teammate, Zhao Mei.”

Then Pei Xi could not help but ask, “Zhao Mei, do you have any other clues? We absolutely cannot allow Saintess Ye to be taken away by that kind of violent criminal.”

He still had many unanswered questions. Why Zhao Mei had disappeared for so long. Whether the torrential rain and flooding inside the aberrant realm were connected to him. And that massive skull, which deeply unsettled him.

But now, the extremely dangerous criminal had escaped, and the Saintess was missing. There was no time to dwell on details.

When the image of that brave and kind Saintess came to mind, not only Pei Xi, but nearly everyone present felt their hearts tighten.

That was the monstrous criminal who had sent mutilated corpses of noble contestants into the Crown Prince’s room. For the upright and gentle Saintess to fall into her hands was unthinkable.

A violent gust erupted around Sykes, knocking Yu Tianming and the others to the ground. He spoke with suppressed rage, “Find that blond woman. I will personally tear her into ten thousand pieces.”

Under the dim and hazy moonlight, the black-haired, green-eyed boy stood quietly amid the agitated crowd. His tousled black hair partially concealed his raised brows. A trace of intrigued light flickered within his illusory green eyes.

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Authors Note

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The next chapter brings an explosive forum meltdown.