Chapter 165 162: Earthquake

It was a pity he couldn't brew any fruit wine. Luo Kai picked all the ripe apples, returned to the small hut, and gently stroked Zilan.

Zilan immediately extended a tendril to wrap around his finger. A frequency passed between the man and the plant, and in a moment, Zilan understood his meaning. Its stem and leaves contracted rapidly, transforming into a light purple seed.

Luo Kai placed the seed that was once Zilan into his necklace, blocked the hut's door and windows with some rocks, then shouldered the large bag of apples and departed.

Waves of heat still rolled across the land, and not a soul was to be seen in the wilderness. The ground was visibly cracked, yet the plants continued to grow vigorously. The previous night's Star Energy had made their Life Force even more resilient. They drove their roots deep into the earth, struggling to absorb moisture and fight the heatwave.

As Luo Kai walked under the blazing sun, a faint coolness always permeated the air around him. This was the Essence of Water in his body at work, not only regulating his temperature but also drawing the scarce water molecules from the air to gather around him.

He waved his hand, and a small orb of water condensed in his palm in an instant—countless times faster than before. 'Come to think of it,' he mused, 'my affinity for water has grown not just because my Spiritual Power has increased, but also because of the Cyan Dragon Brain Marrow.' Heaven and Earth are divided into Yin and Yang. Among the Five Elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—Wood and Fire are Yang, Metal and Water are Yin, and Earth balances the two. That Cyan Dragon was clearly a Yin Attribute Complete Form Fierce Beast, so its brain marrow could significantly increase the consumer's affinity for Yin Attribute Energy.

He strolled along the highway. His pace looked slow, but he was actually moving extremely fast. With each step, his body seemed to float, covering the distance of an ordinary person's seven or eight strides. The previous night's Star Energy had once again strengthened his physique. His weight had increased significantly, yet he felt lighter than ever.

Around noon, a city shrouded in rising coal smoke appeared ahead: Longyang City. Luo Kai had come this time to say goodbye to the few people he knew. He didn't have many acquaintances—just two girls, Xiaozhuo and Erya.

He had only just reached the city's edge when he frowned. The air was thick with an overpowering stench of decay. The sides of the road were littered with the rotting carcasses of stray cats and dogs, and flies swarmed through the air.

There was hardly anyone on the city's streets. The outdoor temperature today was at least forty degrees, and it was unbearably hot and dry. Everyone was taking shelter from the heat inside buildings.

Luo Kai arrived at Pan Shi Sports School and waited at the entrance for the two girls to be let out. He hadn't been waiting long when a gasoline-powered car pulled up. A man in his forties got out, approached him, and asked respectfully, "Are you Mr. Luo Kai?"

Luo Kai looked at him, puzzled, and nodded. "I am."

"Greetings, Mr. Luo. I was sent by City Lord Su. The City Lord himself would like to invite you for a meeting."

'This Tri-Eyed Race City Lord is incredibly well-informed. He knew the moment I set foot in Longyang City.' Luo Kai had no desire to see him. Su Wenlin had schemed against him time and time again; it was already more than generous that Luo Kai hadn't gone looking for trouble with him. He shook his head. "I have other matters to attend to, so I'll have to decline. Please inform City Lord Su for me that perhaps we'll meet again if fate allows."

The man stood frozen, unsure of what to do. 'Just what kind of man is Su Chengbo?' he thought. Even Duke Yiven, a Great Lord of the Xingma Kingdom, had to treat him with the utmost respect. Yet this refined-looking young man before him had actually refused his invitation.

Soon, the school bell rang, and a large crowd of boys and girls swarmed out of the gates. Two girls holding hands were particularly eye-catching among them—it was Xiaozhuo and Erya. He hadn't seen them in nearly a year, and the two little girls had grown much taller. The baby fat on their cute faces had given way to a more mature look, and their figures had become more defined. They had blossomed into vibrant young women.

"Big Brother!" "Uncle!"

Xiaozhuo and Erya spotted Luo Kai at the same time. Their surprised shouts rang out as an excited, red-faced Xiaozhuo rushed forward without a second thought and threw herself at him.

Erya, being much more mature, didn't rush forward like Xiaozhuo. She stood to the side, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"Whoa, you've gotten so heavy, little one." Luo Kai, still not used to such open affection, gently pushed Xiaozhuo away.

Xiaozhuo's eyes were red as she complained, "Big Brother, where have you been for more than a year? How come you never came to visit me?"

Xiaozhuo and Erya were well-known at school. Since classes had just been dismissed, there were many students at the gate. They all stopped, staring in surprise and quietly wondering who this refined-looking young man could be.

"Come on, I'll treat you to a meal." Luo Kai disliked being the center of attention, so he took the two girls by the hand and headed toward a nearby restaurant.

Along the way, Xiaozhuo chattered nonstop, asking Luo Kai what he had been up to for the past year. Luo Kai, of course, wouldn't say, and just fobbed her off with vague answers.

When they reached the restaurant's entrance, he noticed Erya looking melancholic and asked softly, "Erya, what's wrong?"

Erya snapped back to reality and forced a smile. "It's nothing, Uncle. You've gotten even more handsome."

Xiaozhuo chimed in, "Yeah, yeah! Big Brother, do you have a secret for looking so good?"

Luo Kai subconsciously touched his face. 'So absorbing the Essence of Water has made my skin smoother and my features more refined,' he thought. 'I'm starting to look like a pretty boy.'

They found a table in the buffet-style restaurant. As Xiaozhuo went up to the counter to get some food, Luo Kai noticed Erya seemed lost in thought. 'She's clearly got some girlish worries on her mind,' he reflected. 'It's a phase everyone goes through.' Not knowing what to say, he simply patted her on the head.

Erya's eyes turned red, and she finally couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Luo Kai was taken aback. "Why are you crying? Is something bothering you? You can tell your Uncle."

From a distance, Xiaozhuo's voice called out, "Big Brother, what do you want to eat? Hmm... Oh, right! You like meat!"

Erya quickly wiped her cheeks and shook her head. "Uncle, I'm just... I'm just really happy to see you."

Soon, Xiaozhuo returned with a large plate of food. She noticed the backpack next to Luo Kai and sniffed the air curiously. "Big Brother, what's in your bag? It smells fragrant."

Luo Kai smiled, opened the backpack, and took out two bright red apples. "Try one," he said. "I grew them myself."

Xiaozhuo took an apple and bit into it. Her wide eyes lit up as she exclaimed in amazement, "It's so sweet! How can an apple taste this good!"

A sense of satisfaction washed over Luo Kai as he watched the two girls eat with such delight. He picked up an apple for himself, but just as he took his first bite, a sudden feeling of danger welled up inside him. His expression tightened. He stood and scanned his surroundings. It was the middle of lunch hour, and the restaurant was packed with people eating and chatting. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

His expression clouded over as he sat back down. 'At my current level, my mysterious Sixth Sense is practically instinct,' he thought. 'Something bad is definitely about to happen.'

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the restaurant suddenly lurched. Food scattered from the tables onto the floor. A visible fissure raced across the ground, and a dense web of cracks spread over the restaurant's walls. Accompanied by a series of thunderous RUMBLES, concrete slabs began to break away from the ceiling.

"AH!"

"Help... AHH!

The earth began to tremble violently. Everything happened so suddenly that his ears were filled with terrified screams. Luo Kai shattered a falling concrete slab with a single punch, then scooped up the two dazed girls—one in each arm—and burst through a wall to get outside.

Rumbles like muffled thunder echoed from deep underground—the sound of bedrock grinding violently together. It was an earthquake!

All of Heaven and Earth seemed to be shaking. The city's solid concrete buildings were insignificant before this great power of Heaven and Earth, and they began to collapse in droves. The entire city was enveloped in a cloud of dust.