The rescue team was already close, and with Yasu’s secret assistance, they hadn’t encountered any major crises along the way. The deep-sea beasts summoned by the strange power had all retreated to the bottom of the sea. Under Yasu’s threat, they didn’t dare to surface or to prey on the easy targets right before them.
As they got closer, the environment became increasingly harsh, and the signal was intermittent, with the target signal growing weaker and weaker.
“This won’t work. If it gets any weaker, we’ll lose the target.”
“We’re still some distance from the target. Damn it, we can’t pinpoint the location directly. The magnetic field in this area is too strange.”
“Yeah, I had almost given up hope of finding the target, but then we suddenly picked up the signal.”
“Forget all that, let’s focus on bringing them back as quickly as possible.”
Yasu stood on the deck, facing the sea. The sea breeze blew his hair back, revealing his sharply defined face. His lips were pursed tightly, exuding an oppressive aura that silenced those who wanted to urge him to return to the cabin.
“Are you scared?” Yasu suddenly asked.
The young man was startled. “What?”
“Are you scared at this moment?” Yasu patiently asked again.
“A little,” the young man scratched the back of his head, “but it’s okay. I’m more excited. Experiencing something as strange as this, I’ll have no regrets in this life.”
“Really strange,” Yasu muttered softly, “you humans are really strange.”
His voice was so soft that the young man didn’t catch it clearly. “What did you just say?”
“Nothing, let’s go inside.”
The ship continued forward, cutting through the giant waves as these people pressed on toward their goal courageously, though Yasu thought they didn’t need to take such a risk.
It was strange. Why would one risk one’s life to save a completely unrelated person? Such actions would be seen as foolish in the Siren tribe. To them, the weak weren’t worth saving; Sirens had all survived numerous life-and-death battles and never grieved for their fallen kin. They only blamed the other party for their lack of strength.
Yasu had been on land for a while now, and he still couldn’t understand many of the things humans did, especially some that seemed very foolish to him. But humans seem to enjoy doing these things.
Like now—even knowing the danger ahead, not one of them suggested turning back. The light in their eyes was unyielding, and for a moment, Yasu found that light too dazzling.
The rescue team was getting closer, while the battle on Li Shu’s side was gradually reaching a fever pitch.
The two were evenly matched. Though Lu Xi was slightly stronger, that person knew him too well, even predicting where Lu Xi would strike next. Neither could gain the upper hand, and the fight had reached a stalemate.
At this rate, they could fight for days and nights without a clear winner.
The man who called himself Daniel grew anxious. He could barely keep up with Lu Xi by relying on trickery. He knew that if this dragged on, his chances of winning would only diminish. If he failed, there would be no second chance.
His gaze inadvertently swept over Li Shu. He knew how much Lu Xi cared about this human. If he could get a hold of this human, he believed his odds would increase. As long as he could carve out a small gap, he could win this game.
His eyes that were as cold as a snake’s slid over Li Shu’s skin. Li Shu frowned in disgust. He didn’t need to guess what the other party was planning.
If he wanted to use him to control Lu Xi, he’d have to see if he had the ability first.
The more dark power flowed out of Lu Xi, the more unbalanced the world’s forces became, and the larger the crack grew. If that power truly broke free from Lu Xi, this world would be finished.
It was no exaggeration.
Even though he was using the body of an ordinary human, his soul was still that of a powerful being, and he could sense certain things clearly.
1314 showed up again, regardless of the risk of being discovered: [Host, there’s no time left. We can’t let them keep fighting. We have to seal that power quickly, or this world won’t be able to withstand it. I’ve activated the emergency authority. The host can use fifty percent of his power in one minute, for thirty seconds. The host must seal that crack during this time.]
As soon as 1314 finished speaking, Li Shu felt the familiar power surging within him, and with it, a seal appeared. Li Shu quickly scanned it, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
But now was not the time to dwell on this. He cleared his mind of distractions and memorized the formation as quickly as possible.
The fake Lu Xi was handling Lu Xi’s attacks while inching closer to Li Shu.
1314 started the countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Now—
The man dodged Lu Xi’s killing blow and twisted his body mid-air, heading straight for Li Shu.
Li Shu took the opportunity to push the captain aside, pretending to be in a panic and run straight toward him.
He was about to fall into the man’s hands.
Lu Xi’s eyes were red with anger. “If you dare hurt him, I won’t spare you!”
A triumphant smile spread across the man’s face as he reached out and grabbed Li Shu’s arm, pulling him into his embrace.
He had his hostage.
But before he could utter his words of victory, the man’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You—”
Li Shu had timed it perfectly. The moment he touched the man’s body, his power returned in full force. What seemed like a light push carried immense strength. The man was caught off guard and he staggered backward.
At that moment, Lu Xi was already close. He grabbed Li Shu’s arm and pulled him back. He didn’t even bother attacking; once he had Li Shu, he immediately began retreating.
He had thick skin and it didn’t matter if he got hurt, but Li Shu absolutely couldn’t be harmed.
As if frightened, Li Shu buried himself in Lu Xi’s chest, clutching his clothes tightly. A steady stream of power flowed from Lu Xi’s chest and into his body, allowing him to draw the formation given by the system at the fastest speed.
Formations were never simple, especially the intricate one within Lu Xi. Li Shu controlled his power carefully, repairing the damaged seal as quickly as he could.
It was more difficult than he had imagined. Sweat formed on his forehead as he clung tightly to Lu Xi’s clothes.
Whoever had laid this formation was far more powerful than anyone Li Shu had encountered before. Just repairing a small corner had drained all his energy. It was hard to imagine how powerful the person who had laid the complete formation must have been.
1314 was also too focused on the situation to worry about being exposed. This moment was too crucial. If they failed, they would be buried with this world. It watched the formation that was slowly being repaired, wishing it could jump in and help.
“What’s wrong? Li Shu, are you okay? Are you hurt? Did he injure you?” Lu Xi’s voice was filled with murderous intent by the end.
The thirty seconds passed in the blink of an eye. At the last second, as Li Shu drew the final stroke, his power was drained away. When the system announced success, his highly-strung nerves relaxed, and he nearly fainted. Fortunately, Lu Xi was holding him, or he would have collapsed to the ground.
“I’m fine,” Li Shu slowly steadied himself with Lu Xi’s arm and raised his head from Lu Xi’s chest. “What happened to him?”
The situation wasn’t good on fake Lu Xi’s side. The man had collapsed on the deck. His body had been assaulted by a strange power and now he could no longer stand. He watched the figure gradually approaching, and a trace of despair flickered in his eyes.
He knew he had failed.
He could no longer continue fighting and at this point, what he would face was imaginable.
But he wouldn’t regret it. If he had the chance to do it all over again, he would still choose this path.
The wind on the sea had calmed down, and the dark clouds slowly dispersed. Sunlight broke through the clouds and poured down, the golden beams stretching from the clouds and reaching into the ocean, creating a breathtaking scene.
Lu Xi had returned to his human form. He did not let go of Li Shu, holding him as they slowly approached the man who had the same appearance as him.
His eyes looked down from above condescendingly, and fake Lu Xi felt as if the events from many years ago were being replayed. He was still the weakling who, despite giving his all, couldn’t succeed. Even after so many years of growth, he still couldn’t defeat this person.
When obsession is too deep, it becomes a demonic thought, a shadow that can never be stripped away, a shackle that would trap him for a lifetime. He had built a strong prison and locked himself in it without realizing it.
“You don’t remember me? Hahaha…” The man laughed, tears spilling from his eyes. He had spent his life chasing after this powerful king, but the king had never looked at him straight in the eye.
It was sad and lamentable.
But no one present would feel sorry for him. Li Shu never considered himself soft-hearted. He had lived through too many years and lost too much; indifference had become his best protection.
“Lu Xi, you really don’t know him?” The overly similar appearance made Li Shu take note, and combined with the name “Daniel”, he had a strong feeling that the male protagonist was related to this person.
Lu Xi frowned and thought for a moment, confirming that he had no impression and shook his head.
This was strange. Judging by this man’s demeanor, he seemed to have a deep connection with Lu Xi, yet Lu Xi himself claimed to have no impression…
He was lost in his thoughts when he was suddenly interrupted.
“The king truly forgets easily. What I’ve remembered for so many years isn’t even worthy of a place in your memory. Truly, truly…” The man covered his face, half-crying, half-laughing.
What could be more powerless than this? It seemed like he had returned to that day when he was lying on the ground in disgrace, while that person was surrounded by others, disdainful to even look at him. Over the years, no one had dared to ignore him anymore. He had stood tall, and relished the pleasure of being surrounded by people. He had turned himself into another person, but at this moment, all his pretenses were torn away. He became that disgraced, powerless weakling again that was bullied by others.
If anyone felt bewildered, Lu Xi felt the most bewildered. He had no idea where this person, who looked exactly like him and had a strange aura, had come from, and he had almost hurt Li Shu.
But it didn’t matter. He didn’t care about any of this, except for the fact that Li Shu had been hurt. That was unforgivable.
That was the one reverse scale that could not be touched, and this man had not only touched it, but also dared to attempt to seize it.
Lu Xi took a step forward, releasing all his pressure directly onto the man who had fallen to the ground. The man who was already severely injured couldn’t bear it, his face turning paler as blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
“Wait for me.” Lu Xi left these words, leaving Li Shu where he stood, then took a step forward and stretched out his hand.
His movements were very fast. By the time Li Shu reacted, Lu Xi’s hand was already around the man’s neck. He showed no intention of holding back, and was determined to kill the man directly.
“Wait—” The mysteries surrounding this person had not yet been solved, he couldn’t be allowed to die so easily.
Lu Xi looked over in confusion.
Li Shu explained, “I have some questions I want to ask him.”
