Chapter 108: An Anticipated Turn of Events

Chapter 108: An Anticipated Turn of Events

September is harvest season.

As the prosperous star systems faced fierce invasions by the Devil Army, which targeted areas rich in resources and crops, this year's harvest in many places has been affected.

In contrast, the exiled Tianlong system, previously neglected by the empire, has seen a surprising turn of events. With the disconnection and cancellation of links between it and other star systems, the original Devil Army has shown signs of relocating. This has unexpectedly led to a thriving, bountiful harvest in Tianlong, now united as one.

Tianlong's fertile land and sweet water produce fruits and vegetables that are fresher, sweeter than those from other places.

The quality of livestock such as chickens, ducks, fish, shrimp, cattle, and sheep is carefully managed. Additionally, many merchants have shown interest in engaging with Tianlong, leading to a huge boost in trade exports this year.

Xu Qingran has an event scheduled for the end of the month and has completed all necessary tasks by mid-month.

Regarding the urban planning of Silver Star and Tianlong City, Xu Qingran, being more adept at fighting, finds the scholarly tasks challenging. Thus, he has handed these tasks over to Deputy Mao and the civil officials of the Tianlong system for discussion and planning.

He only needs to regularly check in on the urban planning meetings with them, discuss and finalize decisions together, and implement them step by step.

"Colonel Xu, be careful on your way!"

After confirming his work arrangements, Xu Qingran slipped out of the East City office building.

However, news of his upcoming 'business trip' had already spread throughout the camp. The guards he encountered were cheering him on: "It's just a public debate, Colonel Xu, go for it!"

"Just handle it like you always do! If any fool from the Golden Wing dares to bully you again, just beat them up!"

Xu Qingran laughed: "Do you want to send me back to the Tower of Evil, kick me out of Tianlong, and take over yourselves?"

The guards immediately panicked: "No such thing!"

"The Devil Army threat isn't completely dealt with yet, we still need the Colonel's command!"

"Yes, yes, and the Tianlong system's location is the most unsafe in the empire. Besides the devils, we have many external threats to defend against. How could we bear to let the Colonel leave!"

Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow, drawling deliberately: "Oh, so if these issues are resolved in the future, you won't need me anymore, right?"

Everyone yelled together: "No!!"

Their faces and necks turned red with anxiety, stumbling over words to clear up the misunderstanding.

Xu Qingran was just joking with them.

Seeing everyone rattled, he waved goodbye with a good mood.

On his way, he ran into the group of guards who had barged into his old office and smashed it on his first day of duty.

He smiled at them and said, "I might be away for a while this time. I hope my office won't be totally wrecked when I return?"

Those guards were indeed embarrassed by his remark.

They quickly waved their hands in assurance: "No, no, that was all a misunderstanding! Colonel, don't worry, we will definitely take good care of your office while you're away, keeping it clean and tidy!"

Just as Xu Qingran finished chatting with the camp guards and was heading to the airport, he saw a companion from Mu Zisheng's starship hurrying over to him, shouting: "Young Master Xu, Young Master Xu! Wait!"

The person's voice was excited: "Young Master, I have good news!"

The black dog, companion of the white dog, has woken up.

The person asked him: "Young Master, do you want to check on it before you leave?"

His answer was clear: "Yes."

Xu Qingran boarded the aircraft of Mu Zisheng's friend and flew with him to North City.

On the way, he also talked about Mu Zisheng: "Your captain's name has been cleared, and he and Mu Zixuan can now safely return to the empire and appear in public. You guys must be really happy these days, huh?"

Surprisingly, the other person didn't look as happy as Xu Qingran expected, but rather somewhat worried.

He sighed: "Yeah, we're definitely happy for the boss, but he doesn't seem very happy himself? After watching the news broadcast, he locked himself in his room for two days."

"When he came out, he was back to his usual self, but he never brought up the past accusations again."

"I don't know what he's thinking."

The driver also seemed down: "We're happy, but when you think about it, there's a lot to consider."

Like what's going to happen with Mu Zisheng and Mu Zixuan.

Clearing their names means they'll be called back by the empire. They've been together for at least ten years, and they gathered together because of Mu Zisheng, already as close as family.

Now that they're about to leave, the sadness quickly overshadowed the joy.

Xu Qingran listened but didn't say anything more.

This is something Mu Zisheng and his team need to resolve internally.

Returning to the starship after a long time, everyone on board gave him a warm welcome.

Xu Qingran came to the familiar medical department, where Mu Zixuan was counting a batch of herbs just brought from North City.

Seeing him, Mu Zixuan was first startled, then smiled: "Colonel Xu, long time no see."

"Now when I see you, I can't help but check if my more dangerous drugs are locked up."

The last time Xu Qingran met Mu Zixuan and the others was when he knocked out Shen Tingyu and left on an excuse.

Hearing this, he said with a grin: "Don't worry, I won't steal next time."

"If I need something, I'll ask you directly."

Mu Zixuan laughed.

The young man's fair face was flushed, and he looked healthy: "Come on, I'll take you to see them."

The white dog and its partner were still in the last ward.

Mu Zixuan said: "Fifth brother's method is quite effective. The greatest miracle in the world is love."

Whether it's friendship, family, or romantic love.

Emotional bonds and attachments can always awaken a soul that doesn't want to wake up.

Outside the ward, you could see the two big dogs circling each other inside.

The black dog's internal and external injuries had long been healed, and it was able to get out of bed and move around not long after waking up. Except for being weak and thin from years of only liquid food and glucose, there was no major issue.

Before Xu Qingran entered, the white dog had already sensed his arrival.

It immediately let go of the black dog, which was still rubbing against its neck, and walked to the door to greet him, lifting its head for Xu Qingran to pet, looking thrilled.

Xu Qingran affectionately rubbed its cheeks: "You've gotten thinner."

Right away, he felt another pair of eyes intensely watching him.

It was the black dog that had just woken up.

Its eyes were an unusual shade of gold, filled with suspicion towards him—and even towards the surrounding environment and people. That icy, naturally fierce stare was very much like the dissatisfaction of seeing one's beloved being taken away.

Xu Qingran mused to himself, this black dog has quite the temper.

Just as he thought this, he heard the white dog beside him let out a low, threatening growl, directed at its mate.

Clearly, it was dissatisfied with the black dog's aggressive attitude.

The black dog seemed naturally submissive, especially obedient and fearful of its partner. With just a stern look from the white dog, the black dog, which had been majestic and seemingly capable of killing everyone present just a second ago, instantly sat down, obedient and well-behaved.

Despite its majestic Blue Bay Shepherd appearance, it whimpered softly towards the white dog.

It was hard to believe this dog had once been the king of the pack.

With the white dog watching, the black dog didn’t dare to object to its partner's new companion.

It could only tolerate Xu Qingran’s approach, albeit reluctantly, when he started petting it. However, as Xu Qingran continued to pet it, it felt a soothing, spiritual presence similar to its partner's from him, and soon, it was completely won over.

Xu Qingran looked at the two large dogs, one black and one white, and said to the white dog: "I have to leave for a bit, and I’m not sure when I’ll return."

"So, what’s your plan now? If you want to return to Tianguang Mountain in the north, I’ll respect whatever you decide."

He wasn’t the type to disregard others’ wishes and forcibly keep what he liked by his side.

—Of course, except when it came to certain men.

The white dog gently tugged at Xu Qingran’s pant leg.

For their entire clan, choosing a partner meant giving up their freedom and being willing to stay by their partner's side to fight together. So if Xu Qingran was leaving, it naturally wanted to follow.

Over the years in the north at Tianguang Mountain, the white dog had already defeated every challenger it faced.

For it, becoming the king of dogs was only because there was no one in the pack who could defeat it, not because it had to cling to that position. And its and the black dog's children were already reaching adulthood. It had protected them from evil people, but it didn’t plan to protect them forever. When the time came to let go, it naturally wanted to start living its own life.

Xu Qingran was always on the move.

The white dog hoped to see a world beyond the north and wanted to compete with more biological groups.

Xu Qingran understood the white dog's intentions.

So on the way back, he brought two large dogs with him.

The one who sent him back to the east city was Mu Zisheng.

Driving his exclusive aircraft, he flew quietly, with Xu Qingran and the two large dogs by his side.

In the car, Xu Qingran proactively said to him: "I heard from your companions that you've been in a bad mood recently."

Mu Zisheng's eyes paused, not looking at him: "It's just that everything happened too suddenly, and I'm not prepared."

"I also don't know what to do next."

To be honest, returning to the palace in glory was once a big wish and obsession for Mu Zisheng. In the first few years after being driven away, even with Shen Tingyu secretly helping and supporting him, he still harbored resentment in his heart.

Thinking that one day he would achieve greater success outside and prove Mu Ziyue and Suya wrong.

Until later, he met a group of like-minded friends, and during his adventures with them, he gradually forgot his pain. Even Mu Zixuan, who was nearly withdrawn due to the initial shock, started to feel happy again.

Now, he is just confused about his future choices.

"Our time as humans is limited, after all," Xu Qingran suddenly said.

"Perhaps you feel that as a prince, with such major problems and chaos within the royal family, you feel obligated to take responsibility. However, if the reasons for this chaos have nothing to do with you, you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself."

Xu Qingran took out some jerky given to him by the people of North City from a snack bag, feeding the white dog as he spoke, "If you're really worried, you can go back and take a look."

"Experiencing the environment firsthand is a good way to figure out where you want to spend the rest of your life."

Xu Qingran has experienced many partings and deaths along his journey.

Regarding this, he’s pretty detached about it, with only clear goals: "Just because you’ve been to a place doesn’t mean you have to stay there forever. Some people, parting doesn’t mean you can never contact or see them again in this life."

"Your feet are your own—go wherever you want and do what you please."

Mu Zisheng listened quietly for a long time.

It wasn’t until he’d escorted Xu Qingran back to the East City camp that he finally said solemnly, "Thank you."

Xu Qingran smiled and waved at him, walked toward his aircraft with the two big dogs, not looking back.

The meeting was set to take place in the Silver Dragon’s Celestial Serpent system.

Not at the military headquarters, but at Mu Yesha’s main research institute. The situation in the Celestial God system is pretty chaotic right now, so to ensure the safety of all participants, Mu Yesha, who is in charge of hosting this meeting, simply set the location at her own territory.

After all, she isn’t worried about the Golden Wing faction causing trouble.

From Celestial Dragon to Celestial Serpent, it takes about seven or eight days to travel across the vast Celestial Dragon system. Xu Qingran left the galaxy nearly two weeks early to avoid any mishaps.

His concerns proved to be necessary.

Halfway through the journey, shortly after passing through the Sea God system’s space station checkpoint and entering the desolate waste star region, Xu Qingran was suddenly ambushed by a group of devil tribes. They cornered him near a waste star and attacked his aircraft, trying to bring it down.

Xu Qingran did not panic because of the sudden situation.

He ordered the white and black dogs to take cover in the rear defense cabin, and just as he was about to manipulate the control panel to counterattack with his combat aircraft, his consciousness was abruptly yanked away. He struggled for a moment, and before the scene before his eyes completely darkened, he tapped a hidden spot beneath the control panel.

Only then did he allow his consciousness to be pulled away by another annoying presence within him.

Xu Qingran's vision blurred, and he shifted into his own spiritual sea.

He saw an endless expanse of light blue, the radiant glow of spiritual energy in the pool. In the glow, he could not see the form of the ultra-high-level consciousness of the devil tribe, only to hear its furious voice demand, "Xu Qingran, why does it seem like my consciousness is trapped by you?"

"Are you deceiving me?"

Xu Qingran sighed and admitted, "Took you long enough to figure that out?"

"For all your boasting about being highly intelligent, I think you’re hilariously clueless."

In the glow of the spiritual sea, electromagnetic waves occasionally flickered.

Upon closer inspection, one would find that their flashing paths combined to form a large net, fully enveloping the entire spiritual sea. Every time the invading energy actively approached, it would be burned and corroded by the energy of the electromagnetic waves.

It had only tried for a day, and its energy had already diminished noticeably.

If this continues, it won't be long before Xu Qingran counterattacks, and it will be gradually worn down by these microcurrents.

After realizing it couldn't easily break free, the devil clan leader, with a do-or-die mindset, decided to proceed with devouring Xu Qingran's soul. However, upon approaching, it discovered another, more detestable lightning energy within his soul, startling it into hesitation.

In its fury, it finally understood that this was a 'trap' set by Xu Qingran.

—Who would have thought that among the humans they had been fighting for years, there would be such an anomaly with a built-in 'power system' in his body?!

"Even if it weren't for me and Shen Tingyu today, you would surely find another host to survive."

"So I might as well sacrifice myself a bit, lure you in, and then destroy you."

The devil king let out a sinister laugh.

It sneered, "Just you, a mere human?"

"Indeed, right now I am just a consciousness, and within your mind, you do have the power to fight."

"But don't forget how fragile human bodies are." The devil's voice was sinister, its malevolence reminiscent of Mu Ziyue. "Do you really have the ability to deal with me while also handling my minions?"

"Once you are attacked from the outside and injured, your spiritual energy will start to drain, won't it?"

Xu Qingran and his aircraft are now in an uncontrollable state.

It might not be long before he crashes directly on the desolate planet.

Xu Qingran asked the devil, "If my body is damaged, won't you, trapped inside, also perish as well?"

The devil sneered arrogantly, "That's why I say humans are weak. My spiritual power is not something ordinary humans can match. Even if your organs are damaged, I can repair them with my spiritual power. Even if you lose both eyes, I can grow new ones!"

"If it weren't for having no other choice, I wouldn't want to reside in such a fragile human shell."

Xu Qingran thought, so that's how it is.

Then, to eliminate the devil, the only way is indeed to destroy its consciousness. The electromagnetic net's power seems weak compared to its spiritual energy. If it's not dealt with before it breaks free, letting its consciousness escape and continue to harm others would be disastrous.

The devil has now penetrated further into Xu Qingran's body, but it hasn't completely taken over yet.

So Xu Qingran struggled briefly and regained control of his body. Upon reopening his eyes, he found that his aircraft had been damaged by the attacks and, without timely control, was plummeting rapidly.

If not slowed down and avoided, a direct collision with the ground from such a height would destroy even the best aircraft.

The cabin's alarm blared incessantly.

Xu Qingran, enduring the discomfort of the devil trying to wrest control of his mind, tightly gripped the control stick, reconnected his spiritual power with the aircraft's transmitter, and increased the release of his spiritual power. After some effort, he finally managed to bring the aircraft back into stable flight before it hit the ground.

Despite this, the aircraft had already been severely damaged by the devil king's summoned minions.

Xu Qingran did his best, merely preventing the aircraft from exploding upon impact. The aircraft stumbled into a sandy area, skidded along the ground for a while, and finally stopped after colliding with a huge rock.

Not long after, a plume of black smoke began to rise.

"Warning, system offline! Warning, system offline!"

The aircraft's operating system crashed after the impact.

Xu Qingran shook his head, which had inevitably suffered from the collision, unbuckled his seatbelt, and went to the rear cabin to release the two large dogs that had also endured the chaos in the defense pod. Then he kicked open the cabin door and went out with them.

The system weakly said in his mind, "I'm still here, not offline yet, host."

Xu Qingran, hearing the timid mechanical voice, was both annoyed and amused.

After landing, he asked, "Did that guy notice you?"

"No, I temporarily stayed with the special ability, and it didn't dare to enter."

"However, its invasion has already crossed the defense line, and I can't block it anymore," the system said.

"It's fine," Xu Qingran said, staring at the group of devil soldiers closing in. "We'll handle it right here today."

The system was nervous, "But host, you're alone... well, barely, plus two dogs!"

"But the black dog is still recovering, and both the white dog and your energy are limited. Besides dealing with external threats, you also have to constantly worry about internal betrayal..."

In Xu Qingran's eyes, the glow of spiritual energy flickered again.

He drew the spiritual blade from his waist, and with the first wave of spiritual detection instantly released, he immediately located the source crystals on those devils.

The power of lightning, fueled by his spiritual energy, surged into the weapon in his hand.

He narrowed his eyes, revealing a long-absent killing intent, "Did you forget? Someone once said I'm not alone."

"So, I just need to hold out until then."

At that moment, at the space checkpoint station of the Swan System under Silver Dragon jurisdiction.

"Hey, hey, hey! The cross-camp restrictions between the two camps haven't ended yet; you can't just barge in like this!"

"Without a permit, you can't enter our Silver Dragon galaxy—"

The warship bearing the golden wing insignia brazenly broke through the widest checkpoint channel. Ignoring the guards' attempts to stop it, it forcibly breached the defense gate and re-entered the starry void. Faced with such a massive combat starship, the space station guards were utterly powerless.

They chased and shouted from behind, but the warship paid no attention.

Setting the nearest jump point, it vanished from sight in the blink of an eye. Just as the station guards were about to contact the nearby station's security team, someone ran out of the office and stopped them, "Wait, no need to call!"

"Let them through."

The guard holding the communicator looked puzzled, "Why is that?"

"We just received a call from the second princess, instructing all Silver Dragon galaxy stations to give a green light and passage permission to that numbered warship."

"The commander of that warship appears to be Shen Tingyu..."

Since Xu Qingran promised Shen Tingyu not to take reckless risks, he has been reporting almost everything he does to him.

Including the devil's invasion progress inside him, his itinerary, and even his journey from the Dragon System to the Sea God System, he kept Shen Tingyu informed via phone or communicator. After all, Shen Tingyu had experienced the devil's cunning.

This was to ensure that in case of any emergency requiring urgent assistance when Xu Qingran was not by his side, Shen Tingyu could always know his location.

Including the emergency contact button Xu Qingran later set up on his aircraft, which, when pressed, would automatically send real-time coordinates to Shen Tingyu's phone. Although it was just a single message, they had already agreed that triggering it meant the situation was very urgent and required immediate help.

And Shen Tingyu, during Xu Qingran's return journey, had been leading his army patrolling the area closest to Xu Qingran's location. So, upon receiving Xu Qingran's message, he could rush over at the fastest speed.

When he received Xu Qingran's message, he was wandering in the public border area between the Swan System and the Golden Wing jurisdiction. From there, it would take about three days at the warship's top speed to reach the coordinates provided by Xu Qingran.

With him on the starship was also Xie Nanjun.

Noticing the sudden change in the starship's course, he ran from the bottom floor to the top command room, slapped his hand on the metal platform next to Shen Tingyu, and questioned, "What are you doing? Didn't we already set the plan to encircle and suppress the A3 area devil group? What's with this mid-course change?"

Xie Nanjun has been speaking to Shen Tingyu in a bit of a disrespectful tone recently.

As if he's quarreling and acting out with Shen Tingyu.

Truth be told, he is angry with Shen Tingyu.

But mainly, he's angry—Shen Tingyu, this jerk, didn't tell him, his friend of many years, that he was dating Xu Qingran! Recalling his previous actions in front of them, all the while going to his house to ask about his mysterious lover.

So these two were in on it together to mess with him!

What a joke!

After Xie Nanjun finished his angry questioning, he heard Shen Tingyu, who was focused on the navigation route, reply, "Xu Qingran is in danger and needs help."

After so long, it was rare to hear this familiar name from Shen Tingyu again.

Xie Nanjun blurted out nervously, "Danger? What danger? What crazy thing has he done again!"

After asking, he realized he was still upset with Shen Tingyu and Xu Qingran for keeping him in the dark.

He coughed a few times to backtrack, "I mean, he's a colonel in the Silver Dragon Battalion. Even if he's in danger, he should look for his own people in Silver Dragon. Why come to us?"

Shen Tingyu finally turned to look at him with a smirk.

With a knowing smirk, he retorted, "Why do you think?"

After asking, he stepped down from his main command console and went to the front driving control console to inquire about the navigation status from the crew in charge.

Leaving a dumbfounded Xie Nanjun standing there.

It took Xie Nanjun a while, a moment, to react.

Thinking—did he just get fed a big mouthful of their PDA right in front of his face?

The journey that was supposed to take three days was cut down to two and a half days by Shen Tingyu.

The battleship entered the desolate star zone and quickly locked onto the most likely location of Xu Qingran. From afar, the radar had already detected a swarm of devil signals, an astonishing number, and nearby, there were signs of more continuously gathering towards that place.

"Wow, what kind of secret weapon does Colonel Xu from Silver Dragon have on him?"

If Shen Tingyu hadn't informed them beforehand that they were going to help Xu Qingran, the military guards on the ship would have thought they had accidentally discovered some valuable resource-rich planet.

"I heard he's alone? With so many devils, he can't possibly still be alive..."

"No," the girl in charge of data observation tilted her head and said seriously, "Clearly, these devils are after Young Master Xu. If he were dead, they wouldn't keep heading towards that place."

She analyzed carefully, "Under normal circumstances, the number of devils on that desolate star would be enough to overwhelm a psychic."

"But they are still seeking reinforcements from outside, obviously because the target they want to deal with hasn't reached their expected end."

After hearing this, everyone was even more stunned.

Only the source of terror has changed from the devils to Xu Qingran.

—He's alone, what kind of strength does it take to hold out for so long? This incredible stamina, even their General Shen might not be able to achieve!

The speed of the fighter jets is faster and more convenient for landing than the bulky battleship.

So when they were only a few thousand miles away from the desolate planet, the first batch of scout troops responsible for reconnaissance and clearing the way were released, heading straight for the desolate planet where Xu Qingran was located. Shen Tingyu handed over control of the battleship to Xie Nanjun and followed them over.

When they found Xu Qingran, he was on top of an X-class devil.

Somehow, he had climbed onto its head, one hand hooked onto the small, hard horn on its head, and the other hand holding a gun aimed at an I-class mother body rushing towards him from a hundred meters away, shooting accurately.

The thread-like beam of psychic energy, with thunderous power, coiled like a small dragon.

It hit the source crystal on the I-class, and with just one strike, the source crystal with formidable defenses shattered, causing the giant I-class to collapse like a landslide before it could get close to him. Without a moment to catch his breath, he immediately switched to a psychic blade, aiming at the head of the X-class beneath him.

The X-class kept shaking its head, swinging its tail at him.

He dodged it, and instead, in its frenzy, the X-class struck itself, letting out an angry, sharp cry.

Xu Qingran seized the opportunity and drove the blade deep into its skull.

The psychic energy bursting from the tip of the blade, imbued with his abilities, shattered the source crystal inside its body.

The source crystal of a high-level devil was as fragile as glass in Xu Qingran's hands.

It shattered with just one strike.

Deprived of its source energy, even the energy of the X-class dissipated rapidly.

The light in its eyes dimmed, and its body, composed of many chimeras, began to split apart, like a mountain crumbling apart. Xu Qingran slid down its back before its body completely disintegrated, riding the cascade of debris, and landed safely as the fragments scattered like petals.

As soon as he landed, he slashed at a low-level Class II that was pouncing towards him.

After dealing with the X-class, there was still a large group waiting for him below. Fortunately, there was also a white dog, just as fierce as he was, still fighting alongside him.

The reinforcements with golden wings who landed were stunned by the scene.

Xu Qingran was actually still alive!

Two or three days had passed, and he was still in the fight!

Only Shen Tingyu kept a closer eye on him.

He knew that no matter how strong Xu Qingran's endurance was, he was almost reaching his limit. If he continued like this, he would overload his psychic reservoir, just like he did at the defense station base before.

Xu Qingran's reactions were slowing as fatigue weighed him down.

Especially since he also had to deal with the pain searing through his body. If it weren't for the help of the white and black dogs earlier, he might not have held up as well, and his injuries would probably be at least twice as severe as they were now.

In a moment of distraction, a Class I lunged at Xu Qingran from behind.

By the time he noticed, it was already very close, and he hadn't even had time to locate the source crystal on its body. Just as he was about to act, a beam of psychic energy, as sharp as his own, shot from the side and accurately hit the Class I.

With just one strike, it shattered the source crystal on its body.

Xu Qingran took a few breaths on the spot.

Without turning to look, he just laughed at the pile of un-dissolved fragments and corpses on the ground.

His reinforcements had arrived.

The soldiers who followed Shen Tingyu down were all elite.

Their appearance took a huge load off Xu Qingran. Seeing the white dog struggling to muster its psychic energy to continue helping, Xu Qingran patted its head: "It's okay, go back to the cabin and rest. I can handle it from here."

The white dog's mental energy was also severely depleted.

The black dog had already exhausted its recently regained stamina and was sent into the aircraft to rest at the first opportunity.

After receiving his instruction, the white dog glanced at Shen Tingyu, who was approaching their direction, and without pushing itself further, turned and ran towards the aircraft where the black dog was resting.

Shen Tingyu quickly dispatched the devils near Xu Qingran and came to him.

Having barely rested, his face was noticeably paler up close, clearly suffering from overconsumption of mental energy. The strands of hair on his forehead were drenched, along with the hair at his temples, all plastered to his face.

Xu Qingran looked up into those deep blue eyes and exhaled softly.

His deeper consciousness was struck again, shaking his soul as if it trembled.

"Shen Tingyu, I'm telling you, I'm really amazing."

As he spoke, Xu Qingran slid his mental energy blade back into its sheath, his tense body relaxing slightly, and then he simply let himself fall forward.

Shen Tingyu promptly caught and supported him, pulling him close.

Xu Qingran's head rested on his shoulder, tilted slightly upwards.

The starry sky, like a painting, was reflected in his eyes.

He smiled slightly and continued, "For the past few days, I've been really disciplined and held back, not recklessly using my abilities."

"I was afraid that a certain someone would think I might die from serious injuries again, worry that I might shorten my lifespan, and secretly cry while I was unconscious, which wouldn't be ideal."

Shen Tingyu tightened his embrace.

He whispered, "I didn't cry."

Xu Qingran chuckled again.

His soul felt the tug of consciousness once more.

This time, his reinforcements had arrived, so he could rest assured and no longer had to worry about the external situation.

Before closing his eyes, he said to Shen Tingyu, "I'm going to sleep. If I don't wake up for a few days, it's normal, don't worry."

"The next time I open my eyes, if I'm still me, remember to welcome me back."

"If I'm not me anymore, please kill me before the new consciousness escapes."