Chapter 221 - 220: Counter-kill

Lu Yi blinked, completely enthralled by shipping her favorite couple up close.

Zhang Qin waved his hand. "Chairman Sheng killed it, so he should be the one to decide."

"Our junior deserves the most credit, so this one should go to her," Lu Qi said in his booming voice.

His tone and expression both radiated a matter-of-fact certainty.

Zhang Ziyue slumped against her brother, her face etched with exhaustion. "Our team could survive losing anyone, but not you, junior. If you hadn’t Healed me just now, those worms would’ve chewed me down to a skeleton."

"Well, I had a blast! I felt like I was playing a video game, getting more and more into the zone the longer I fought!" Zhang Qin said, pulling a handful of large and small Beast Crystals from his pocket.

He said to Jian Yu, "I’ve decided. For the Beast Crystals we got this time, after we set aside the ten required for the mission, I’m giving thirty percent of my share to our junior."

Zhang Ziyue quickly added, "In that case, I’ll give her thirty percent of my share, too."

Lu Qi’s voice was quiet. "I need the Beast Crystals for money, but since it’s our junior’s first mission and she helped me so much, I want to give her twenty percent."

The group began discussing how to split the Beast Crystals, and Jian Yu couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

Yan Ying’s gaze swept over the pile of glittering, tempting Crystal Cores.

Her eyes were fixed on those Beast Crystals, the desire to claim them as her own growing increasingly intense.

’If I could give that 3S Rank Beast Crystal to Grandpa,’ she thought, ’he’d definitely become even stronger.’

Jian Yu, worried that someone might feel it was unfair, said, "We’re all a team. Let’s just stick to the rules we set at the beginning. You really don’t have to..."

Teacher Hu glanced at Sheng Yue and said with a smile, "They’re right. You’re the core support of this team. Your value can’t be measured by Beast Crystals."

Yin Jiu’s tail swayed forward and hooked around Jian Yu’s wrist. "Sweetheart, hurry and take them. It’s what you deserve. You’ll get even more next time you come out with my master, you know."

Sheng Yue glanced at the time. "Let’s get out of here first."

He lowered his head slightly. "Teacher Hu, please take Team Six’s things back to them."

"Alright, no problem. They aren’t far. I can get back before nightfall." Teacher Hu hadn’t expected a single trip to involve so much.

The blood of Mutant Worms was unique; it wouldn’t attract other Mutant Beasts.

But the Ultimate Eye after dark was more terrifying than a tide of Mutant Worms.

Teacher Hu urged, "Put the Beast Crystals away for now. We’ve had a long day. We need to find a place to rest and set up camp."

Jian Yu saw they were all wearing backpacks, and her gaze flickered to Yan Ying, who was getting up right along with them.

Jian Yu held out her hand. "Give me your things. I’ll put them in my Space Ring. I can also hold onto anything you don’t urgently need."

"Thanks, junior." No one hesitated, all of them visibly relieved to shed their heavy loads.

The first compartment of the Space Ring was filled to the brim with Beast Crystals.

Jian Yu touched the ring on her finger. ’I wonder how Ling Yanzhi, Xi Yu, and the others are doing.’

...

「Linxing Academy.」

「Afternoon.」

Ling Yanzhi and his group arrived right on schedule for the appointment.

The academy was bustling with life, filled with the sounds of happy chatter and laughter.

The small apple in Yang Zhang’s arms fell to the ground. ’The aura of the Soul Ghost Bodies is gone. These should be real people,’ it transmitted.

The Red Snake Bow’s form seemed to communicate, ’They look so happy.’

Xi Yu scanned the surroundings with his Soul Power.

He shook his head at Ling Yanzhi. "Nothing."

’In less than a day, all the people possessed by Soul Ghost Bodies have vanished?’

’They must have evolved to the point where they can conceal their Netherworld Energy,’ Yang Zhang guessed.

Red Snake flicked its Snake Tongue. ’What’s a little masking? They can even resurrect. *I* can’t even resurrect.’

Ling Yanzhi’s brow twitched.

He watched as the very same Level 2S Soul Ghost Body host from this morning put on a leader’s airs and said, "Oh, come now. I’ve already told you our academy has no Soul Ghost Bodies."

Ling Yanzhi raised an eyebrow.

’What the hell?’

’A Soul Ghost Body, swearing up and down that it isn’t a Soul Ghost Body.’

Ling Yanzhi smiled. "Director Fang, to make the inspection easier, please gather the students in the square first."

Director Fang nodded. "Of course, of course."

Ling Yanzhi’s gaze nonchalantly swept over the students walking around in their Half-beastification forms.

’They look so much like real people,’ Red Snake murmured again and again. ’They parasitize Awakeners, so how can they still summon the host’s Soul Beast? Have they evolved to the point where they can even fake a half-beast form?’

’It should only be the High-level Soul Ghost Bodies that have this ability,’ Yang Zhang corrected. ’The low-level ones we saw this morning couldn’t even speak. The people in the square are fine. They’re real survivors.’

Ling Yanzhi received a message about reinforcements from the Alliance.

Red Snake relayed the message: ’Great! Awakeners from over a dozen nearby planets are here.’

Ling Yanzhi looked up and narrowed his eyes.

High above, the figures of Si Xu and Duan Feiye appeared.

At the same time, Lin Yu arrived with an elite team from the Alliance to rendezvous.

Director Fang’s expression changed slightly. "What is all this?"

Lin Yu’s expression didn’t change. "They’re volunteers from nearby planets."

Director Fang’s face darkened. "Several thousand Awakeners volunteered to come help you with an inspection?"

Ling Yanzhi chuckled. "That’s right."

Lin Yu quickly added, "It’s mainly because we were afraid you would refuse the inspection again."

"..." Director Fang accepted Lin Yu’s explanation, his expression softening. "I’ll have everyone come over now."

He turned around, the smile vanishing from his face.

’So much for the plan. The trap is useless now.’

Duan Feiye landed on his feet. "There’s something wrong with him."

Si Xu’s eyes were calm, his tone full of pity. "Another human possessed by a Soul Ghost Body."

Xi Yu’s gaze was dark. "He’s going to run."

Ling Yanzhi was already a step ahead, giving chase. "You guys go save the people."

Xi Yu was worried and followed him.

Fang Xu hadn’t expected to be discovered so quickly.

He stopped and let out a piercing shriek, the sound carrying a commanding Spiritual Attack.

In an instant, the students who had been strolling leisurely attacked Ling Yanzhi and Xi Yu, still in their half-beast forms.

Red Snake twisted its head and bit down hard.

On the possessed human body, the sleeve of the left arm tore apart, and a purple-black bite mark spread upward at a visible rate.

The Soul Ghost Body abandoned the body, hastily detaching itself.

Xi Yu couldn’t fly. He could only use his spiritual power to levitate two meters into the air.

He recalled Yang Zhang, and several black tentacles as thick as buckets shot out from his back, viciously stabbing into the chests of "those people."

As the toxins were injected, their eyes lost focus, and with a series of sharp, ear-piercing shrieks, the Soul Ghost Bodies detached from their hosts.

A group of breathless, pale-faced corpses fell to the ground.

A swarm of red-eyed, floating things appeared in mid-air.

Ling Yanzhi’s pupils contracted sharply.

His knees bent slightly, his muscles tensed instantly, and his whole body shot forward.

His shadow stretched long as a giant tail covered in red and black scales swept out.

As the giant tail swept through, flesh and blood flew everywhere.

Xi Yu reaped them madly, afterimages of his claws flying about like he was slicing fruit.

A trace of terror flashed through Fang Xu’s eyes, but in his heart, he felt no fear.

’Because they can resurrect.’

’So what if they’re powerful? There’s no way they know I can resurrect.’

’I’ll just wait for a chance to possess a dead body. Maybe I can even turn this around and kill them.’