Chapter 52 – Yu Tiantian

Chapter 52 - Yu Tiantian

Rong Mi was well-prepared for the assault from behind.

He had sent Ayin and Sandel away precisely to facilitate the attacker's move.

Purple spirit flames flickered, illuminating the surrounding space.

Those flames seemed to seep into the assailant's forehead, penetrate his mind, and melt away his spirit domain.

A chilling intent permeated the air around him, causing the attacker's breaths to quicken dramatically.

In an instant, paralyzing fear gripped his heart, creating the illusion that his mental domain had been seared through. A piercing pain akin to needles stabbing his mind emerged.

The assailant took a deep, deliberate breath, forcing himself to calm down.

He knew that it was impossible for Rong Mi to truly incinerate his mental domain.

That painful sensation was merely an illusion born from the intense sense of threat.

...After all, how could Rong Mi's mental energy possibly enter his own mental domain unobstructed?

"You don't dare to kill me," he said with greater certainty. "You can't kill anyone."

Standing before Rong Mi was a slender figure with a delicate appearance – Yu Tiantian, the competitor who had participated in the Ice and Fire Tournament alongside the original host and had crushed the latter into an ice butterfly cocoon.

Like the original host, Yu Tiantian had once been a star network singer.

Rong Mi recalled the Deep Space Echoes, a band closely associated with the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association.

"You were the lead singer of which star network band before?" He searched through the memories of the original host. "Luxurious Rose."

"After the Ice and Fire Tournament, they should have replaced their lead singer, right?"

Yu Tiantian: "..."

Yu Tiantian gritted his teeth.

The reason he had stumbled during the live broadcast of the Ice and Fire Tournament... wasn't it because Rong Mi's sudden change in attitude towards him had led him to misjudge the situation?

Yu Tiantian wore a resentful expression.

He had shed his innocent bunny facade during the mecha tournament. His gaze turned cold, and his muscles tensed, ready to pounce at any moment.

Rong Mi ignored his impending action, his demeanor turning indifferent as he calmly asked, "Why did you join the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association?"

"Because I don't want to die from a mental domain illness," Yu Tiantian replied coldly. "Have you ever seen an ice butterfly suffering from a mental breakdown?"

There was a hint of mockery in his tone, and Rong Mi's eyes darkened, understanding what Yu Tiantian was implying.

Rong Mi: "No."

There were reasons behind the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association's proliferation within the Human Star Domain.

They indeed had their own set of behavioral logic, using it to brainwash others.

Yu Tiantian twisted his lips into a grotesque smile.

"That's right."

"For they never fall into chaos... They possess unique, magnificent genes that spare them from such torment!"

"They don't have to constantly pray for healers to save their lives! Do you understand? They don't need to!"

This was by no means the first time Rong Mi had heard such an argument.

The young man's hand remained steady, gazing straight into Yu Tiantian's eyes.

There was a hidden desperation and madness in her gaze.

"My parents were miners on a resource planet. Exposed to cosmic radiation for extended periods without sufficient wealth or merits to afford healers, they died in their beds from illnesses."

"I grew up on that same resource planet... While I can afford low-tier healers, high-ranking ones only serve in war zones!"

"The doctor said if I can't receive treatment, at fifty... a hundred... I too will one day succumb to a mental domain illness."

"Human genes are inferior, we're so fragile... I'm tired of enduring this fragility!"

"How do they protect you from mental domain ailments?" Rong Mi asked calmly. "Genetic modification?"

"Yes. Input the Ice Butterfly's genetic fragments," Yu Tiantian smiled. "Starting from the low-level ones to the high-level... completely transforming my mental domain structure!"

"Rong Mi, you know this isn't necessarily a bad thing," he said. "The Ice Butterflies want more resources and territory, so let them come, and they'll bring us a healthier mental domain..."

"Human mental energy is what the low-level Ice Butterflies need to evolve into high-level ones," Rong Mi coldly interrupted. "Ice Butterflies feed on humans."

"It's understandable that you want to live. But there's no need to sugarcoat the idea of introducing lions into a flock of sheep."

"Lord Cecil promised not to devour innocent humans!" Yu Tiantian exclaimed. "There are so many prisoners in the federal prisons... war criminals, murderers... and those already diseased..."

"Then they can eat the poor, those who aren't as wealthy – it doesn't matter."

"Domesticate humans, letting them reproduce, lose their freedom, lose their thoughts, all while supporting your species' evolution." Rong Mi spoke casually, with a faint, careless laugh. "You can deceive others, but stop deceiving yourself."

"The things you just said sound like you've been brainwashed."

"Is Cecil the name of an Ice Butterfly? Have you seen it? Or did you only hear about these mental domain gene enhancement rumors from your superiors at the Symbiosis Association?"

Yu Tiantian: "Of course I have! Every member of the Symbiosis Association has seen Lord Cecil!"

Emotion surging, he promptly rolled up his sleeve to show Rong Mi the design on his arm. "This is the mark I received after meeting Lord Cecil! It proves that I'm qualified for genetic modification!"

Rong Mi's gaze descended to see the tattoo on Yu Tiantian's arm.

It was the very same black emblem of the Starry Sky Melody Band.

The shape matched the tattoo sticker they had seen on high schooler Marco's arm previously.

However, in the next moment, the color of Yu Tiantian's tattoo shifted.

In an instant, the black ink took on a vibrant red akin to the venom sac of an ice butterfly, glaringly vivid.

On Yu Tiantian's slender arm, the red seemed like flowing ice butterfly blood, so vivid that it appeared as if it could come alive at any moment.

Rong Mi's pupils constricted.

Not just seemingly!

The tattoo blurred momentarily in Rong Mi's sight before suddenly moving.

The triangular pattern melted and swelled upward, transforming from a mere geometric symbol into genuine wings.

A palm-sized ice butterfly emerged from Yu Tiantian's arm, expanding abruptly in the air and darting forward swiftly!

"Sir Cecil inscribed this pattern with his mental energy," Yu Tiantian cried out with a smile. "It's his spiritual imprint! —"

"I despise you, Rong Mi," he vented. "I entered the Icefire Tournament for you, to lure you in, to trap you within the ice butterfly's cocoon..."

"You're a healer yet you don't care about your abilities! You never use them to save lives, talking about pursuing your dreams! Healers are scarce assets to humanity, so there must be a powerful family backing you up! You have no idea about the pain we endure while you compose that nonsense music..."

"And you still dared to come close to me, claiming you loved me..."

Rong Mi: "..."

"I told you, my taste has changed!" Rong Mi emphasized again.

He hastily retreated, speaking calmly, "Everyone has the right to choose their own path."

"Certainly," Yu Tiantian spat angrily. "But now, you can only... accept my choice. I choose your death!"

The ice butterfly that had detached itself from Yu Tiantian's arm suddenly vanished from Rong Mi's field of vision.

At the same time, a terrifying gust of mental energy swept through the passage. The walls on both sides creaked and cracked under the pressure.

Rong Mi was aware that the ice butterfly still existed, but its speed was so swift that it evaded his perception.

He also realized that it was not a real butterfly.

Instead, it was an illusory projection created by a potent burst of mental energy, identical to the mental fluctuations Rong Mi had sensed when the Ardor Butterfly exploded.

This spirit energy originated from that butterfly that should have perished but was still alive!

Dealing with this spirit energy phantom was no easier than dealing with an ordinary ice butterfly!

The low-level ice butterfly formed by the spirit energy was even swifter than its real counterpart, reaching Rong Mi in the blink of an eye.

That wisp of spirit energy was not as potent and unfathomable as the one that had emerged from Ya Die's remains, yet it still struck fear into Rong Mi's heart, just like the first time she had encountered it.

The inherent suppression of a higher level of spirit energy could not be overcome by human will.

Yet, Rong Mi no longer hesitated.

... Moreover, he had been training doubly hard these past few days! His mental power had been consistently strengthening!

Rong Mi swiftly leaned back to dodge.

He didn't touch the spatial button on his neck, for it didn't contain an armor but Ya Die's corpse.

Even if he had an armor, he wouldn't be able to utilize it in this narrow passage!

Without the aid of an armor, a human's speed couldn't match that of an Ice Butterfly.

Rong Mi managed to avoid the sharp gale from the spirit Ice Butterfly's venom gland, but he couldn't evade its subsequent wingspan.

As he leaned back, the butterfly wings appeared on both sides of his body, swiftly closing in towards the center—

A purple barrier of mental power emerged, forming a towering shield beside Rong Mi.

If he hadn't just learned how to control the density of his mental power a couple of days ago, Rong Mi might not have been able to withstand this attack.

But now, under the extreme compression of mental energy, the shield was incredibly resilient!

With a loud boom, the mental energy shield shattered under the impact of the butterfly's wing, but it still completely repelled the icy butterfly's assault.

Rong Mi somersaulted backward and produced the silver dagger that Lu Yi had lent him between his palms.

The secret-silver dagger could multiply the user's mental energy input to supercharge the disintegration of the enemy's mental energy.

Rong Mi wasn't entirely sure what "supercharged" meant in this context.

But... considering it was an ultra-rare metal in legends, it certainly wouldn't be a mediocre tool!

Otherwise, Lu Yi wouldn't have lent it to him!

Thoughts raced through his mind as the intricate grooves on the dagger ignited instantly with mental energy, bursting into flames.

Rong Mi unhesitantly increased the output of his mental energy, causing beautiful purple hues to shimmer deep within his eyes. Swirling energy particles filled the narrow space, transforming the world into a blazing inferno in an instant.

Yet, the silver dagger remained chillingly cold.

Calm and weightless, it reverberated softly, as if imbued with a life of its own...

The razor-sharp edge extended outward.

In the next moment, with Rong Mi's spiritual energy fueling the flames, she thrust the dagger forward, piercing the Ice Butterfly's abdomen.

It was smoother, easier than Rong Mi had ever imagined... almost effortless.

It was as if the blade had sliced through a butterfly-shaped cake decoration made of colored whipped cream.

"Your Lord Cecil didn't expend much energy when creating the mental imprint," Rong Mi observed through the icy-blue wings of the ice butterfly and the purplish mental energy mist, eyeing the pale Yu Tiantian.

"And... you haven't learned your lesson from the Ice and Fire Tournament."

"People aren't static," Rong Mi smiled. "Just as 'Rong Mi' could evolve from someone who couldn't operate a mecha to a pilot, I will constantly strive to..."

Become stronger...!

The silver blade shimmered radiantly, intertwined with pulsating purple flames that illuminated the passage brightly.

Amidst the blinding glow, the ice butterfly illusion let out a shrill scream as it disintegrated rapidly.

Rong Mi stepped forward swiftly, reaching out to seize Yu Tiantian's neck.

Yu Tiantian, panic-stricken, dodged clumsily. In the midst of her distress, she suddenly remembered something and frantically pressed a button on her wrist.

"Beep! ——"

Red lights flickered on the security robots idling along the passage walls.

"Receiving attack signal—scanning enemy—"

Several laser guns suddenly locked onto Rong Mi.

The usually silent security robots instantly activated their targeting systems, their charged barrels glowing in anticipation.

Yet, Rong Mi neither dodged nor evaded.

Disregarding the security robot's assault, he pinned Yu Tiantian against the corridor wall, his hand clasped tightly around her neck, rendering her unable to move.

Simultaneously, a shimmering silver beam of freezing light illuminated behind Rong Mi, reaching the young man's side in an instant. Even before the laser gun could fire, several security robots were entirely encased in ice.

Icy silver frost coated the walls of the passage, and from its depths emerged the Silver Wolves, their ice-blue eyes momentarily fixing on Rong Mi's back.

"Aooh!" The wolf let out a sharp howl as it dashed forward swiftly.

Noticing the warning in the wolf's howl, Rong Mi instinctively gripped Yu Tiantian's shoulders and swiftly dodged to the side.

A tremendous crash echoed behind him.

The building trembled, its structure beginning to crumble.

A large, dark-gray aircraft forcefully pierced into the skyscraper, shattering the metal-glass windows of the floors.

This was clearly a modified aircraft, larger than Rong Mi had anticipated.

Its exterior was incredibly robust, with sharp metal spikes appended to its front end. Moving at high speed, it tore through the spot where Rong Mi had just been standing.

It was like a towering barrier standing between Rong Mi and the Silver Wolves.

The two-story-high aircraft burst through the building with its functions intact, merely acquiring a few scratches on its exterior.

Its front end blazed with an intensely blinding searchlight, causing Rong Mi to instinctively squint his eyes.

Seizing the opportunity, the pilot inside the aircraft activated the side-mounted medium particle cannon, adjusting its aim directly at Rong Mi for a full-powered shot.

Rong Mi: ...

Rong Mi: This weapon is a bit overkill for this situation!

The barrel of the medium particle cannon was almost as tall as a person.

To use such a cannon against an unprotected human was like using a cleaver to cut tofu - a gross overestimation of the tool's necessity.

Though Rong Mi was not exactly a soft tofu.

In an instant, a purple psychic shield was unleashed, colliding with the particle cannon's energy stream and producing a deafening crackling noise.

The impact from the high-speed particle flow forced the young man to involuntarily take a step back. He increased his mental power output, striving to counter the particle cannon's assault with all his might.

Taking advantage of the situation, Yu Tiantian tugged fiercely, freeing himself from Rong Mi's grasp.

He rolled to the right, evading the particle cannon's barrage. From the ground, he leaped up and dashed swiftly towards the aircraft.

"Click... Click-click... Click..."

A silvery frost began to envelop the aircraft's exterior, as the spirit energy of the Silver Wolves spread.

The aircraft's hatch swung open towards Yu Tiantian, and the pilot yelled, "Hurry up! – No one can escape if frozen –"

He had no time to spare for the Silver Wolves on the other side, focusing solely on operating the particle cannon to relentlessly pursue Rong Mi, constraining his movements and preventing him from advancing.

Rong Mi's forehead glistened with sweat, and his eyes took on a purple hue, yet his expression remained calm.

He lifted his gaze towards the aircraft. Through the chaotic energy beams and the open hatch, he caught sight of a familiar figure.

Ellen was bound to a seat inside the cabin, covered in blood and with his head hanging low, seemingly still unconscious. Yet, the fingers hanging by his side twitched slightly.

Averting his gaze from the pilot and Yu Tiantian, he swiftly signaled to Rong Mi.

"Stay vigilant and observe."

In the next moment, Yu Tiantian leaped into the aircraft. The massive vehicle maintained its particle cannon's menacing lock on Rong Mi as it hastily retreated from the building.

The night sky echoed with piercing alarms, signaling the arrival of the security forces and the Academy of Sciences' guards.

The dark gray aircraft executed a swift turnaround in mid-air, distancing itself from the Academy building.

The particles hurtling towards Rong Mi suddenly veered, barraging the surrounding aircraft as they broke free with relentless force, speeding away into the distance.

Rong Mi stepped forward, standing at the edge of the floor opening. He blinked, watching the fleeing vessel leave behind a trail of pursuers in its wake.

Those recently arrived aircraft were merely the vanguard, a small contingent that would struggle to halt the modified escape vehicle in a short time.

Ahead lay a residential area; the security forces, mindful of the capital planet's citizens, would undoubtedly be hesitant to engage in continuous firing.

Moreover, the aerial routes in that part of the city were more intricate, making it an ideal spot to shake off the pursuers.

The guards likely wouldn't be able to catch up with the pursuers. Rong Mi had neither a flying vehicle nor a mecha, making it impossible for him to join the chase.

But there was no sign of disappointment on his face.

On the contrary, he seemed slightly relieved.

This was because Ellen appeared to have regained consciousness and had a plan of his own.

Rong Mi's plan had also unfolded smoothly.

He had subtly held back during the fight, as he had left a trace of his mental energy in Yu Tiantian's mind.

"It's good that they escaped," the young man gazed at the night sky outside and muttered to himself. "I want to see... where you plan to take Ellen."

"To the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association's base, and to Lord Cecil, the legendary figure... hiding somewhere on Capital Star."

"Ao." The Silver Wolf leaped over the huge crater left by the departing aircraft and landed by Rong Mi's feet.

Rong Mi crouched down and raised his arm towards the wolf.

"Young Ayin's collaboration and performance were great too!" the young man said. "Come on, let's give each other a high-five!"

Wolf: "…Woof!"

Wolves had never engaged in such childish behavior.

However, under Rong Mi's expectant gaze, it still raised its furry paw.

It firmly slapped against Rong Mi's palm.