Chapter 76 Bitter at the Entrance, Sweet in the Aftertaste

Chapter 76: Bitter Start, Sweet Aftertaste

Fang Ran lowered his head, reaching for Fu Zhangzhou's hand.

The sentinel, however, chuckled softly. Just as their fingertips were about to meet, he deftly flipped his hand, clasping Fang Ran's firmly and pressing it against his own heart.

Fang Ran raised an eyebrow, meeting his gaze.

Fu Zhangzhou's eyes seemed to shimmer, bright and brimming with anticipation.

*Let him be.*

Fang Ran didn't pull his hand away. Instead, yielding to the sentinel's grip, he slowly released his psychic energy.

*Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump...*

Through the thin combat suit, he could feel the steady, powerful beat of the sentinel’s heart.

His consciousness felt like it was sinking into a gentle marsh, their heartbeats gradually synchronizing.

The next moment, a spiritual connection formed.

A sudden gust of wind swept through Fang Ran’s Spiritual Sea.

The grassy field, as if bathed in sunlight, surged upward, as if anticipating something about to burst forth from the soil. A gentle yet potent energy radiated from him, sweeping into every corner of the room.

The others noticed the commotion.

While some disturbance was normal during a guide's purification of a sentinel, it was exceedingly rare for someone like Fang Ran to instantly project psychic energy outward with such force.

Inexperienced guides might not grasp its significance, but seasoned individuals recognized it immediately: a profound resonance had formed between their psychic energies.

For a moment, Fang Ran and Fu Zhangzhou’s actions captivated everyone’s attention, including Wen Qi, who had been seated on the sofa.

He had been chatting and laughing with Zhong Wan, but now he paused, his gaze fixed intently on that small corner.

Just then, the very "unwanted individuals" Fu Zhangzhou had mentioned made their appearance.

Lu Wenshan entered the room with his team.

They looked somewhat disheveled, many of them injured, and were hoping to find a guide for purification.

But the moment Lu Wenshan stepped inside, he noticed the eerie silence in the room.

*Why was it so quiet?*

Frowning, he scanned the room, eventually following everyone’s gaze to the corner where Fang Ran and Fu Zhangzhou were.

As if sensing something, Fu Zhangzhou stirred at that moment.

He positioned himself in front of Fang Ran, in an almost embracing posture, shielding his guide from curious stares.

Fang Ran, unaware of the attention he was drawing, remained focused. His spiritual energy lingered over the black desert as he slowly opened his eyes.

To his surprise, there was none of the acrid scent left behind by the previous energy burnout.

Instead, it was... quiet.

So quiet that he could hear the faint whisper of wind.

The cool breeze from his own Spiritual Sea had drifted here, stirring up the black sand beneath his feet.

*This is...*

*Greenery!*

Fang Ran’s eyes widened.

Where the black sand had been swept away, an expanse of green was revealed.

After Fu Zhangzhou’s forced burnout last time, this green land had shrunk to a mere pinprick.

Unexpectedly... not only had it not vanished, it had expanded.

What was once just a square foot had now...

He looked around—the green land stretched out, nearly forming an oasis.

An indescribable feeling swelled in Fang Ran’s heart.

This place was no longer lifeless...

No wonder that guy Fu Zhangzhou had insisted he come in and see.

He slowly crouched down.

Placing his hand on the ground, psychic energy flowed from his palm.

The entire green land shivered slightly.

Before him, the black rose slowly and gracefully emerged from the soil.

It unfurled its leaves, blooming in full splendor.

Fang Ran couldn’t tear his eyes away.

The black rose in Fu Zhangzhou’s Spiritual Sea was already devastatingly beautiful, but at this moment, it seemed to possess an added allure.

His gaze drifted downward, noticing something vine-like coiled around the rose’s roots.

The vine was slender and delicate, with pale gray leaves.

It looked somewhat familiar...

Back in the ABO world, Fang Ran had worked at a trading company.

Responsible for tea procurement, he had naturally sampled teas from all over the world.

His favorite had been vine tea.

This tea was unique—it wasn't true tea but grew on vines.

As for its taste...

Bitter at first, sweet aftertaste.

Even to the point where the sweetness became cloying, catching people off guard.

*This really is like Fu Zhangzhou...*

Back when this sentinel first began to pursue him, he never imagined the two of them would become so deeply entangled.

But now...

He had no regrets.

As an Omega, he had long noticed a hint of bitterness in his pheromones.

Turns out this was the source.

This world couldn’t possibly have a vine tea plant—it must be that he had influenced Fu Zhangzhou.

The sentinel had triggered his Omega gland, and he, in turn, had changed the sentinel’s Spiritual Sea.

Between the two of them, who influenced whom more deeply... that was hard to say.

In any case, they were destined to be intertwined...

*Who cares.*

His gaze shimmered slightly as he reached out to touch the leaves on the vine.

As if unwilling to be neglected, the black rose began to gently sway its petals, accompanied by the cool breeze blowing from Fang Ran’s Spiritual Sea, surreally enchanting.

Fang Ran smiled.

How could he not have guessed what the sentinel was thinking?

His fingers lightly brushed the petals as he began to release his spiritual energy, soothing it.

As if responding to him, the rose’s petals suddenly trembled.

One small petal began to drift down, eventually landing in Fang Ran’s palm.

*A petal?*

In the moment Fang Ran was stunned, the petal began to sink into his palm, disappearing completely within seconds.

"......"

*Another instance of their spiritual energies merging!?*

Though just a small amount...

His palm had already begun to warm slightly, and the cool breeze within his Spiritual Sea gradually grew warmer and more agitated...

Fang Ran recalled the first time the two of them performed the purification...

"Fu Zhangzhou!"

"That shameless dog!"

He could only increase the output of his spiritual energy, purifying the sentinel while trying to suppress the building heat...

Meanwhile, in the room, Fu Zhangzhou suddenly opened his eyes.

His gaze flickered several times.

He looked down at the guide in his arms.

Their spiritual connection was still ongoing, and the purification was going smoothly, though Fang Ran’s face was slightly flushed, with a thin layer of sweat, his bangs dampened and stuck to his forehead.

*He looked so beautiful.*

Dozens of eyes were still watching them from behind.

Especially that insolent sentinel, whose gaze felt like it could burn holes through his back.

*So what?*

Fu Zhangzhou adjusted his position again, pulling Fang Ran completely within his embrace.

He leaned close to the guide’s hair, once more catching that fresh, intoxicatingly sweet scent.

He closed his eyes.

Unable to resist, he left a faint mark on Fang Ran’s hair.

A treasure found by an evil dragon must be tightly guarded—what kind of territorial dog would share it with others?

The sentinel’s eyes darkened once more.

*What's mine is mine.*

*Always mine.*