manynovel Chapter 238: The Cycle of Life and Death, the Defeat of the Immortal Item!
Chapter 238: The Cycle of Life and Death, the Defeat of the Immortal Item!
"Brother... Brother Cheng..." Wang Kang's voice trembled. Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Cheng Ye's low growl."Move aside!"
Cheng Ye gritted his teeth, striding forward and scooping Luo Kuke up from the ground.
Luo Kuke was likely already dead, but his vital signs had not completely vanished; he was just rapidly mutating into an Infected Body.
Was there a chance to save him?
He did not know, but he absolutely refused to stand by and watch a living, breathing person completely turn into cold metal right in front of him.
"Hold the cup for me!"
Once Wang Kang took the cup, Cheng Ye extended two fingers, pressing them hard against Luo Kuke's iron-transformed mouth, and forcefully pried it open.
Perhaps his force was too sudden and fierce, as the layer of rust on half of Luo Kuke's face was torn open, revealing a pitch-black cavity along with a few falling shards of scrap iron.
Taking the cup back from Wang Kang, he carefully tilted it, allowing the transparent Living Water Essence to flow toward the opening.
One drop...
Two drops...
Such a treasure could bring the dead back to life and grow flesh on white bones; its efficacy was extraordinary!
Yet, as it dripped down at this moment, it failed to elicit the slightest reaction from Luo Kuke. Instead, it was blocked by his iron-transformed throat, showing not a single trace of being absorbed.
"Is it still... not working?"
Cheng Ye lost his composure, a rare occurrence for him.
He could charge and slaughter his way through a horde of Crab-men without changing his expression, remaining perfectly calm even in the face of life-threatening danger.
But he could not remain indifferent to his friends, acquaintances, and the people he cared about disappearing forever right before his eyes.
Between life and death, there lay a profound terror.
Cheng Ye felt lost for a moment, only snapping back to reality when Wang Kang's exclamation rang in his ears.
"Brother Cheng, the back of your hand..."
"The back of my hand..."
Cheng Ye abruptly came to his senses and looked down at his hand.
The Withering Rune on the back of his left hand was glowing with a faint, dark red light. Instead of staying on his skin, the glow actually traveled along the arm holding Luo Kuke, slowly spreading onto the other man's body.
Visibly, the rust on Luo Kuke's head began to peel off. Wisps of dark brown iron-transformation aura were extracted by the rune, scattering into the air and quickly vanishing without a trace.
What? The Withering Rune was acting on Luo Kuke?
Before Cheng Ye could recover from his shock, the Life Force Rune on the back of his right hand suddenly flared up.
A pale green light enveloped the Living Water Essence he had just dripped into Luo Kuke's mouth. Like snow melting in the sun, it caused the essence to completely dissolve into his iron-transformed throat.
The next second, Cheng Ye clearly felt the "corpse" in his arms softening!
Luo Kuke's iron transformation began to rapidly recede. It started at his chest; his previously stiff torso began to rise and fall again as his heartbeat grew stronger and more vigorous.
Following that, this surge of vitality spread through his blood vessels, flowing toward his liver, kidneys, lungs, and other vital organs. It restored the softness and vigor of flesh and blood to the organs that had been on the verge of turning completely to metal.
It was working!
Cheng Ye's eyes suddenly lit up, though his hands did not speed up. He maintained the slow dripping pace to ensure the Life Force Rune could imbue every single drop of essence.
It was like using an AED defibrillator to save a patient in cardiac arrest.
Ba-thump.
Ba-thump.
Luo Kuke's body suddenly began to twitch repeatedly. That surge of vitality spreading from his internal organs, having completely revitalized his viscera, violently surged upward, rushing along his neck toward his brain.
Through the skin that had not yet fully shed its rust, a trace of pale green energy flow could even be seen rapidly rising, shaking off the debris clinging to his face piece by piece.
"Cough... cough..."
A sudden, violent fit of coughing erupted from his arms. Luo Kuke's chest he heave, and the iron filings piled on his face fell away like falling snow, revealing the flushed, blood-tinted skin underneath.
Those rust-covered eyes also snapped open. The cloudy gray light faded significantly, once again revealing a glimmer of life belonging to a living human.
"I..."
"You are not dead," Cheng Ye immediately stopped the dripping. There was still nearly half a cup of Living Water Essence left.
However, he could clearly sense that Luo Kuke was unable to absorb any more.
Even with the green glow of the Life Force Rune on the back of his right hand imbuing it, the remaining essence merely swirled in his mouth. It could no longer seep into his body, unable to continue replenishing the loss of vitality caused by the Source Heart Flesh Iron.
The two forces seemed to have reached a certain equilibrium. The iron transformation on Luo Kuke's upper body had basically receded, his skin returning to a soft state, and the rise and fall of his chest steadied. But his lower half remained in a rigid, iron-transformed state. His legs were like two rusty iron pipes, incapable of even bending.
"I'm... not dead?" Luo Kuke repeated blankly, subconsciously raising a hand that still bore a few iron shells to touch his own face.
When his fingertips touched warm, soft skin, an unprecedented brilliance suddenly erupted in his eyes. Even his voice trembled, "I'm really not dead?"
A wave of pleasant surprise exploded in his heart like a tidal wave, simultaneously washing over the hearts of Cheng Ye and Wang Kang.
The hope of dragging a life back from the brink of despair felt exceptionally precious at this moment.
"Before we achieve final victory, do not just drop dead on me, or else I will have to hog all the credit for myself."
Cheng Ye let out a long breath, his tense shoulders finally relaxing. He pulled off his face mask and could not help but slump onto the ground. For a brief moment, a profound sense of exhaustion washed over him.
How nice would it be to never step foot into the Wilderness again, to just return to the Buffer Zone of Happiness City and live a peaceful life forever.
But in the next second, as his gaze fell upon the blinking runes on the backs of his hands, that thought was immediately suppressed.
This world would never become gentler just because someone backed down. Only by constantly running forward and acquiring even greater power could he prevent such tragedies from happening again. Only then could he protect the people he cared about and keep them from easily slipping away.
None of the three spoke. They sat in silence for a while, savoring the subtle joy brought by this resurrection from death.
It was not until a burst of enthusiastic applause echoed from the town center again that Cheng Ye snapped back to his senses.
"Where is Garcia?"
"Over there." Wang Kang immediately pointed toward the west side of town. Under the bright moonlight, one could faintly see a human head sticking out of the ground next to the detection sphere, looking particularly conspicuous.
"Take me with you. Let's go together," Luo Kuke hastily called out upon hearing that the two were leaving. He tried to shift his body but was trapped by his iron-transformed lower half, leaving him squirming in place.
Cheng Ye glanced at him, handed the empty cup to Wang Kang, and bent down. Wrapping an arm around Luo Kuke's waist, he effortlessly hoisted him onto his shoulder.
Although the man's lower half was made of solid iron and weighed a considerable amount, it was a piece of cake for his current physical strength.
The three of them quickly arrived beside the detection sphere in the west of town. Garcia's head was bowed, as if he were still asleep.
The majority of his body was buried in the dirt, leaving only his head exposed. Dark green vines had already sprouted from the top of his head, dotted with damp soil. He looked like a half-human, half-plant monster.
Hearing their footsteps, Garcia slowly opened his somewhat blurry eyes and asked in a groggy voice:
"Is... is it over? Has the Immortal Item... been contained?"
"Not yet," Cheng Ye replied in a low voice before Luo Kuke could speak. His gaze landed on the vines atop Garcia's head, feeling a bit surprised. "Are you using Tan Ming's Petrification Curse to suppress the vine growth inside your body?"
Good heavens.
He had let Tan Ming into the underground cave to battle the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch.
Garcia was quite clever, knowing to use the Petrification Curse to absorb the vines' vitality and slow down their rate of eruption.
However.
Compared to Luo Kuke, it did not matter whether Garcia lived or died.
Inspector Cheng had always drawn a clear line between those he favored and those he despised. While he would not go as far as to ruthlessly kill a "colleague" at this juncture, he certainly was not going to waste the remaining Living Water Essence at the bottom of the cup on him.
"Yes... yes..." Garcia nodded with difficulty, the vines on his head swaying gently with the motion. "I can still hold on... for seven days. Seven days!"
"Alright, if you need anything, just tell Wang Kang. Do you want some water?" Cheng Ye asked casually.
Upon hearing the word "water," Garcia immediately shook his head violently. The vines on his head thrashed wildly as if greatly stimulated. "No... no water! If it's going to rain, please dig me out. I cannot... touch water again!"
"Okay," Cheng Ye nodded in agreement, raising his eyes to gaze at the night sky.
The moon was bright, the stars were sparse, and the sky was clear without a single cloud. Obviously, it would not rain anytime soon.
It was now fully autumn, and the rainy season in Shi Province had long passed, so there was not much need to worry about that issue.
Leaving Garcia "planted" in the ground, the three of them returned to the truck and sat back down.
"Xiao Kang, drink the rest."
"Sure thing." Although Wang Kang did not know what this liquid was, having seen Luo Kuke return from death's door thanks to it, he understood it was absolutely no ordinary item.
He took the cup and downed it in one gulp. The next second, pure life energy slid down his throat and into his body, nourishing the exhaustion accumulated from days of continuous toil like a warm current.
Within seconds, Wang Kang's eyelids began to grow heavy. He forced himself to shake his head, his voice laden with heavy drowsiness:"
Brother Cheng, I... I'm so sleepy."
"Go to sleep if you are tired. Now that I am awake, all of you can sleep soundly," Cheng Ye nodded.
Unable to hold on any longer, Wang Kang flopped onto the ground with a thud. Leaning back against the truck compartment, he instantly fell asleep.
The Ten Thousand Steps Iron granted him an endless stream of stamina, but this stamina ultimately consumed his core life energy. The wave of drowsiness hitting him right now indicated that his life energy had not only been fully replenished but was greatly overflowing.
'This Living Water Essence is truly potent,' Cheng Ye sighed to himself. 'I still have two portions left to exchange. Later, when I use a 100% Recharge Value to get the enhanced version, the effects will probably be even more astonishing.'
He had to admit, the harvest from this trip to the underground cave had far exceeded his initial expectations.
Beside him, Luo Kuke was also running on fumes. Seeing Cheng Ye glance over, he muttered, "Inspector Cheng, I'll be troubling you."
"Sleep. Sleep as long as you want," Cheng Ye gave a slight nod.
He waited until both of them were sound asleep before standing up, stepping out of the compartment, and gently closing the door behind him.
In Dabo Town, during the day he had spent unconscious, order had been maintained entirely by Luo Kuke, Wang Kang, and Garcia.
Now that he was awake, the three of them had collapsed, leaving him to hold the fort alone.
Fortunately, all threats were currently manageable. All he had to do was bide his time until Tan Ming and the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch determined a victor.
Cheng Ye walked over to the first truck, slid open the cargo door, and took inventory of their supplies.
Bai Wei had clearly come prepared, anticipating that this might be a protracted battle. There was absolutely no shortage of food and drink.
Just the yellow-pouch nutritional paste, where a single packet could keep one full for a whole day, numbered fully five thousand. If rationed carefully, it would effortlessly last them a week.
However, the Mental Pollution still lingered. The longer time dragged on, the more variables would arise. They could only take things one step at a time.
After finishing his inventory of the supplies, Cheng Ye paused for a moment before turning and heading toward the town center.
At that moment, the residents gathered around the campfire were still chatting enthusiastically. He stepped forward and warned them in a deep voice that noise at night might attract Infected Bodies and Infection Sources.
Hearing this, the crowd immediately lost their festive mood and obediently returned to their living units to rest. The once noisy open area quickly fell silent.
"Chang Kai, you will be in charge of the security patrols in the Red Zone. Dispatching a team once every three hours is enough. I will join you," Cheng Ye called out to the somewhat familiar-looking Chang Kai.
"Yes, sir!" Hearing that Cheng Ye would personally lead the team, Chang Kai's eyes lit up. But right after agreeing, he could not help but ask meekly, "Inspector Cheng, Inspector Garcia and Inspector Luo Kuke have been missing for a whole day now. Are they... okay?"
"They are fine; there is no need to worry," Cheng Ye waved his hand dismissively, his tone resolute. "There were some unforeseen variables in this Assessment, but with me here, the situation will not spiral out of control."
After settling matters in the Red Zone, he sought out Li Jie. "Li Jie, you will lead the patrols for the Blue Zone. Same thing—once every three hours. I will accompany the team."
"Understood!" Unlike Chang Kai's hesitations, Li Jie had no extra questions and accepted the order cleanly and efficiently.
With the patrol arrangements handled, Cheng Ye turned and strode toward the government administration building.
Reaching the fourth floor, he found two rows of body bags stacked in the corner. They held the remains of Huang Liang's group.
He silently bent down, his gaze fixed on the body bags as he softly murmured, "Soon. Just wait a few more days, and everything will be over."
Having done all this, Cheng Ye stepped out of the building. Facing the slightly bleak autumn night breeze, he climbed up to the rooftop.
The monitoring equipment previously set up by the Covert Agents was still left on the roof. He casually swept these things aside and sat down against the edge of the rooftop.
This very spot was exactly where he had sat with Jiang Chuan when they first came to scout the area.
Yet, a fortnight had passed. It was the same location with the same view, but his state of mind and Dabo Town itself were now a world apart.
In just three short days, more than half of the dilapidated buildings in the town had been demolished, leaving only their foundations.
The living units had also begun to take shape. Five had been constructed in the Red Zone, capable of housing seven hundred people. In the Blue Zone, seven had been built around the parking lot, accommodating a thousand people.
Although they were all designed as Large Shared Sleeping Areas for now and would inevitably require future remodeling, the present Dabo Town already exuded a brand-new sense of human vitality and Life Energy. The dilapidation of its past was no longer visible.
Cheng Ye raised his eyes to gaze at the distant White Water River. The moonlight spilled over the river's surface, sparkling and rippling.
He watched it quietly for a moment before withdrawing his gaze. With a flick of his finger, he opened his interface panel and began to meticulously review yesterday's gains.
First was the Recharge Value. It had fully replenished while he was sleeping, and extracting the Living Water Essence just now had consumed one percent.
Tapping the notification bar open, lines of messages began to flood the screen.
[Detected that the Collector's equipped skill (Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse) has undergone a form alteration. Updating specific information.]
[Information update successful. The Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse has been polluted by a special power, and its essence has changed!]
[Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse (Lv.5, Parasitic Talent) has automatically uninstalled and vanished.]
[Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse (Lv.0, Parasitic Transcendent Talent) has been recorded by the Collector and automatically bound to the Collector's equipment.]
[Detected that the Collector's unequipped skill (Heart-Protecting Fire) has undergone a form alteration. Updating specific information...]
[Information update successful. The Heart-Protecting Fire has been polluted by a special power, and its essence has changed!]
[Heart-Protecting Fire (Lv.1, Transcendent Talent) has automatically vanished.]
[Heart-Protecting Fire (Lv.0, Transcendent Talent) has been recorded by the Collector and automatically bound to the Collector.]
[Affected by the skill form alterations, the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Symbiotic State and the Blazing Eagle Symbiotic State have undergone changes.]
"Hmm?"
Cheng Ye's gaze swept over the panel's notification messages one by one. His brows suddenly shot up as a wave of surprise welled in his heart.
The Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse had actually evolved?
Previously, it was just a Lv.5 normal parasitic talent. Now, not only did it gain the prefix "Transcendent," but its skill level had also plummeted straight down from Lv.5 to the absolute minimum of Lv.0.
What did this mean?
Could it be that once any Normal Skill reached Lv.5, if it wanted to continue advancing, it had to first return to Transcendent Lv.0 before breaking through upward once more?
Moreover, the Heart-Protecting Fire connected to Little Flame had also been forcibly downgraded to Lv.0 by Tan Ming. This was simply absurd!
Cheng Ye hurriedly opened his Skill Bar, scanning the specific changes to both.
[Collector: Cheng Ye]
[Current Rank: Lv.2 Novice (97.8/100)]
[Skills: Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse (Bound), Wild Marsh Physique, Fish-Mimicking State, Envoy of Tan Ming]
[Abilities: Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Symbiotic State (Balanced)]
[..]
[Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse (Lv.0; Parasitic Transcendent Talent)]
[Description: Originating from... Influenced by a special power, its life essence has undergone a qualitative change. It has officially entered the ranks of Transcendent Creatures and gained a physical existence.]
[Growth Value: Lv.0 (1.88%)]
[Growth Method: .]
[Current Effects:]
[1. When equipped, the absorption speed of external nutrients (including energy crystals, special flesh, etc.) is fixedly increased by 300%.]
[2. When equipped, allows the activation of the special ability: Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Symbiotic State.]
[Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Symbiotic State (Balanced)]
[Description: Upon activating this ability, biological symbiosis with the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse is achieved, granting Skill Sharing, Attribute Sharing, and Ability Sharing. Due to the massive gap in life essence between the Collector and the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse, a Cost will be forcibly borne after every symbiosis.]
[Current State: Balanced State]
[Currently Sharable Skills:]
[Size-as-Desired (Lv.0, Transcendent. Freely adjust body size to obtain twice the physical attributes corresponding to that body size; current maximum height increase: 3.8 meters, current minimum height reduction: 1.1 meters.)]
[Earth-Shrinking (Lv.0, Transcendent. Gain the ability to freely Flash within range. Within a 50-meter radius, instant teleportation is possible following one's Intent; current available uses: 6 times.)]
[Locked (Will unlock after 50 symbiotic cycles)]
[Locked (Will unlock after 100 symbiotic cycles)]
[Locked (Will unlock after 500 symbiotic cycles)]
[Currently Sharable Attributes:]
[Life Energy +1450% (Based on the current state of the symbiotic host)]
[Strength +800%]
[Speed +675%]
[Defense +1250%]
[Note: Due to the massive gap in life essence between the Collector and the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse, Attribute Sharing will increase the Cost.]
[Currently Sharable Abilities: Locked (Elevate life essence to unlock abilities)]
"Good lord, a Transcendent Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse. Doesn't that mean it has become a... Mother Source?"
Cheng Ye furrowed his brows.
Tan Ming's power was truly terrifying to actually force such a thorough metamorphosis upon a Benign Infection Source.
More crucially, the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse clearly had no physical form before, yet Tan Ming had forcibly endowed it with one.
This meant that after Transcendent Symbiosis, the strength and attributes it could provide would experience an explosive surge.
Size-as-Desired. Although his maximum size limit had been noticeably reduced, the stipulation of obtaining twice the physical attributes corresponding to his physical size would grant him an even stronger burst of Combat Power.
The newly added "Earth-Shrinking" ability was even more outrageous. Was this not the exact equivalent of the Flash ability in video games?
Being able to move freely within a fifty-meter radius meant that if someone tried to shoot at him, they would simply be courting death.
Within a range of three hundred meters, he only needed to activate Earth-Shrinking six consecutive times to close the distance. Absolutely no one could withstand such an ambush.
And...
"Over ten times the Life Energy and Defense bonuses, plus eight times the Strength, and six times the Speed?"
Cheng Ye was momentarily dumbfounded.
This set of data was not based on his previously weak body, but acted as a multiplier relative to his current physical condition.
Even though it was still inferior to the attributes granted when using the Angled Sea Star, once the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse possessed him, would ordinary people even be capable of breaking his defense?
Would even those ordinary Infection Sources still pose a threat to him?
But when his gaze fell upon the Cost section below, the excitement that had just surged within him quickly cooled down.
Even if the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse had undergone a qualitative change, its essence remained a Parasitic Talent. Its symbiotic model was completely different from that of the Heart-Protecting Fire.
So, what would the updated Cost be?
[Special Debuffs:]
[1. The Collector cannot uninstall the Fixed Special Skill: Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse. This skill is subject to Permanent Binding in the Skill Bar.]
[2. Every time the Collector uses an ability, a certain amount of Life Energy must be consumed as activation resources. Current resource requirement: 5% per use. Maximum 24-hour requirement: 35%. Exceeding 35% within the cycle period will no longer deduct Life Energy for ability usage.]
[3. Every time the Collector uses the "Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Symbiotic State" ability, an unavoidable Cost must be borne.]
[Current mandatory Cost: 50 kilometers of high-intensity exercise (must be completed within 15 days).]
[Every time the Collector uses Attribute Sharing, an unavoidable Cost must be borne.]
[Current mandatory Cost: Fixed extraction of 350% Life Energy (50% per instance / Extracted once every 24 hours / Lasting for 7 days).]
[4. This talent has been locked by a special power and cannot be fused with other non-parasitic talents or skills. Do not attempt to do so; otherwise, it will lead to massive changes in the Collector's life form, or potentially result in death.]
'As expected, after the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse became a Transcendent, the costs and restrictions changed as well.'
Cheng Ye read through it carefully and nodded slightly.
Although the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse had completed its evolution, the talent's prefix still included the word "Parasitic," so the inability to uninstall the skill was well within his expectations.
And the previous model of fixed Life Energy extraction had changed to deducting activation resources only when abilities were used.
This alteration proved that the basic parasitic toll of the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse had already been met, making subsequent energy consumption far more flexible.
"The lost Life Energy can be recovered through my physique, so this particular hazard is much less severe now."
Cheng Ye felt slightly satisfied.
But as he continued reading down the list, a headache began to throb in his temples again. The fixed Cost for using the ability had noticeably increased.
Previously, it was 100 kilometers of moderate-intensity exercise. Now, it had become 50 kilometers of high-intensity exercise. The distance was halved, but the difficulty had more than doubled.
What was even more ruthless was that using Attribute Sharing required a continuous extraction of 350% of his Life Energy. Even with the Living Water Essence, he might not be able to completely withstand it.
And for the final point, Cheng Ye took one look at it, his gaze uncontrollably drifting toward the direction of the White Water River.
Tan Ming placed restrictions on the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse? It would no longer devour transcendent seeds, but it also could not be fused with other skills?
It was hard to fathom the thoughts of this Transcendent from the old era. He could only suppress his doubts for now and turn his attention to the changes in the Heart-Protecting Fire.
However, after merely two glances, Cheng Ye looked away.
From the skill description, the Heart-Protecting Fire had only dropped by one level, and its growth value had gone from the previous 15% to 37%, as if it had been purified and refined.
What exact changes this refinement had brought about could not be checked for the time being, as he had not equipped it yet.
"I will wait until the pollution dissipates before equipping it. I cannot afford any unexpected complications."
Having finished reviewing all the changes, Cheng Ye pondered for a moment and stopped dwelling on the shifts in his Strength.
There was only one final step left for his Rank promotion. Containing the Immortal Item would definitely be enough to fill these gaps.
What was more crucial right now was to maintain order in Dabo Town until Tan Ming and the Immortal Item determined a victor.
The sun rose, and the moon set.
Five days quietly slipped by in silent waiting. Counting from the day the Assessment began, this ordeal in Dabo Town had already gone on for nine days.
By the banks of the White Water River.
Luo Kuke sat stiffly on a boulder, his gaze landing squarely on the flowing river surface before him. His eyes were somewhat distant, and it was impossible to tell what he was pondering.
It was not until the sound of familiar footsteps approached that he slowly turned his head. Forcing a weak smile, he asked in a raspy voice, "How is the situation in town?"
"It is alright," Cheng Ye stopped beside him, slightly furrowing his brows as he shook his head. "Even though we ran out of sedatives a long time ago, I just knocked out anyone who was on the verge of a breakdown, so the situation has not escalated out of control. And strangely enough, the Mental Pollution today seems to be weakening. The residents' condition is even better than yesterday."
"You are not just comforting me, are you?" Luo Kuke paused, smiling self-deprecatingly with a trace of uncertainty in his tone.
"You are overthinking it," Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow. "How about I carry you on my back for a stroll around town? Everyone's minds are in a state of chaos right now anyway; no one is going to pay special attention to you."
"Let's skip that," Luo Kuke hastily shook his head, a flash of embarrassment in his eyes. "Looking like a half-man, half-iron freak, it would be too humiliating to be seen."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted back to the river, resting on the setting sun that was about to dip below the horizon. After a moment of silence, he sighed softly, his tone turning heavy. "Food... we probably don't have much left, do we?"
"Hmm... true. The final packet of nutritional paste was just finished today."
Cheng Ye nodded calmly. "Fortunately, we still have an ample water source. As long as we ration our drinking water, we can hold out for another four or five days."
This battle of Transcendents was far longer than he had initially anticipated.
Tan Ming and the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch had been fighting for nearly a week, yet a victor still had not been decided.
However, judging from the shifts in the residents' mental states, he could vaguely sense that this battle would finally reach a conclusion in another three to five days at most.
But, what if Tan Ming lost?
The moment this thought surfaced, Cheng Ye forcefully pushed it down.
Construction work in the town had ground to a halt two days ago. An increasing number of people affected by the Mental Pollution were becoming manic and could no longer be placated with words. They could only be restrained through medication or sheer physical force. In truth, the situation was slowly deteriorating.
He fell silent for a moment. The two of them just sat quietly by the water, much like they had for the past five days, occasionally zoning out and sighing.
Cheng Ye would share updates about the town's situation, and Luo Kuke would recount a few amusing anecdotes from his past days wandering the wasteland. But more often than not, they were simply cloaked in silence.
It was not until the exact moment the setting sun fully vanished below the horizon that an extremely faint, invisible ripple suddenly swept across the riverbank.
Cheng Ye jolted in surprise. He subconsciously raised both hands, only to see the runes on the backs of his left and right hands lighting up simultaneously.
One red, one green. One bright, one dim.
The crimson radiance of the Withering Rune abruptly flared to an intense brilliance, nearly swallowing all the surrounding light, while the green glow of the Life Force Rune rapidly dimmed. The world seemed to be instantly plunged into a bleak desolation.
But this eerie phenomenon lasted for merely a split second before everything instantly returned to normal.
At the same time, a vague yet distinctly clear Intent transmitted through the runes and directly carved itself into his mind:
"It is over!"
It was... Tan Ming's voice!
He... had won!