Chapter 153 This Is Impossible

Chapter 153: This Is Impossible

For over ten minutes, Wen Qi remained motionless, his face devoid of expression, as if frozen in place—a lifeless puppet.

Strange.

If fear were the cause, he should have sought a hidden spot and waited for Lu Wenshan to return and lead him away.

But… Wen Qi’s current reaction was simply too bizarre.

Fang Ran glanced at Lu Wenshan beside him. "Sentinel Lu Wenshan, when did you realize something was amiss with him?"

Lu Wenshan frowned. "From the moment that fire-elemental Marauder Sentinel appeared."

"While fighting me, that person intentionally or unintentionally lured me towards your location."

"Moreover, when you both purified me, Wen Qi’s spiritual energy felt very peculiar."

"Peculiar?" Fang Ran recalled the scorching energy from earlier. "Was it… not like a Guide’s spiritual energy? More like a Sentinel’s?"

"Yes," Lu Wenshan nodded. "That’s why I didn’t accept his purification energy earlier."

"But logically, a Sentinel’s spiritual energy cannot enter another Sentinel’s body…" Fang Ran said, puzzled. "You were already wary of him back then?"

Lu Wenshan looked at him, his eyes flickering, his words unusually hesitant. "Indeed. Just now… allowing you into my Spiritual Sea was also to protect your spiritual energy from his influence."

"Fang Ran… please don’t take it the wrong way."

Fang Ran shook his head.

This topic was rather intimate.

For an S-class Sentinel to open their Spiritual Sea to a Guide, it would either be out of absolute trust as a friend or as a bonded partner—and they were neither.

From the reaction during the purification, Fang Ran had already surmised their compatibility was exceptionally high.

Lu Wenshan was an outstanding Sentinel.

Yet, his heart was already completely occupied by someone else, leaving no room for anyone.

"The situation was truly urgent earlier, and my purifying you was out of necessity," Fang Ran offered an apologetic smile. "Sentinel Lu Wenshan, please don’t overthink it. I’m afraid… Fu Changzhou would be displeased."

Lu Wenshan also offered a wry smile. "I understand."

Fang Ran averted his gaze, saying nothing further, and the atmosphere instantly grew awkward.

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly echoed behind him.

"Why would I be displeased?"

Fang Ran froze, his heart immediately racing uncontrollably, and he spun around at once.

Fu Changzhou hovered in mid-air, his gaze fixed intently on him.

Lu Wenshan also looked up towards Fu Changzhou, his frown deepening.

"Sentinel Fu Changzhou, where are the others?"

Fu Changzhou glanced at him but offered no reply. In a flash, he landed before the two of them.

The Sentinel appeared to have just unleashed a burst of energy, his entire demeanor agitated.

He exuded an overwhelming aura of fire-elemental energy, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His gaze fell on Fang Ran, and he frowned slightly.

"Fang Ran, why are you here? Didn’t you go to the new waiting point?"

After speaking, Fu Changzhou glanced at Lu Wenshan behind him, his expression growing even more displeased.

"Lu Wenshan, stay away from Fang Ran."

Seeing his expression, Fang Ran knew the man was unhappy.

But there was also an indescribable…

Oddness?

The atmosphere among the three was indeed somewhat awkward.

From Fu Changzhou’s perspective, suddenly seeing him here, alone with Lu Wenshan, it was normal for him to be displeased.

But Fang Ran couldn’t shake the feeling that… the man’s reaction was not quite right.

Too restrained.

"Fang Ran, come here." The Sentinel, seeing no response from him, gradually clouded over, his tone sharpening.

"Fu Changzhou…"

Fang Ran hesitated for a moment, taking half a step forward, but an inexplicable sense of dread suddenly surged from deep within him. Instinctively, his steps faltered.

At the same time, Lu Wenshan behind him suddenly reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder with a slight pressure, his intent to stop him unmistakably clear.

Fang Ran flinched.

Not just because of Lu Wenshan’s action, but also because he unexpectedly didn’t want to approach the person in front of him.

This is impossible.

He had just received a temporary mark from Fu Changzhou and was at the peak of his dependency on him.

The joy he felt upon seeing the Sentinel earlier had now completely vanished. Fang Ran turned and exchanged a look with Lu Wenshan.

Lu Wenshan instantly received the signal in his eyes.

The next moment, the Sentinel abruptly pulled him behind him, simultaneously raising his hand.

"Boom!"

A purple-blue psychic shield rapidly formed in his hand, barely managing to block the attack from the fire-elemental Sentinel opposite them.

Scorching energy erupted violently across the small hillside.

The temperature rose sharply, and a wave of heat instantly swept outwards.

Even with the ice-elemental Sentinel’s shield protecting them, Fang Ran, standing behind Lu Wenshan, could still feel the immense and surging power of that energy.

Fang Ran’s heart trembled; by now he was absolutely certain.

This person was strong, but he was not Fu Changzhou.

Lu Wenshan glanced back at him. "Guide Fang Ran, are you alright?"

Fang Ran shook his head and shouted at the Sentinel opposite him, "Who are you? Why are you impersonating Fu Changzhou here?"

The person wearing Fu Changzhou’s face actually began to laugh wildly.

"How dull, to be discovered so quickly. Fang Ran, what gave me away?"

Fang Ran stared at the person before him, frowning.

He could already roughly guess what this entity was.

Fu Changzhou had encountered something similar before.

That monster had mimicked his appearance to approach Sentinels, attempting to purify them.

The reason he felt something was wrong was that in a situation like just now, if the real Fu Changzhou had appeared, he would have immediately started fighting Lu Wenshan without a single wasted word.

He might even have come to him to act sweet and gain some advantage after the fight.

This person was babbling, and his act was not even convincing.

"You monster, don’t talk to me wearing that face."

The person across from him looked at him, the smile on his face gradually turning eerie. "Guide Fang Ran, I’m afraid I cannot grant your wish."

"Fu Changzhou’s consciousness has already been dissolved by me. I am now using his body."

"Impossible!" Fang Ran blurted out.

His mental link with Fu Changzhou was still intact—how could this person have taken over his body?

"Is that so?" The person across raised an eyebrow, his tone provocative. "Aside from Fu Changzhou, which other fire-elemental Sentinel could unleash such astonishing energy?"

"Boom!!!"

Another massive roar came from the direction of the lake.

The person glanced in that direction. "It seems the show over there has also begun."

He slowly turned his head back, looking at Fang Ran again, his eyes glowing with an eerie greenish light.

"Fang Ran, you are my Guide, aren’t you?"

"We’ll meet again soon."

After saying this, the person gave another eerie smile and vanished instantly.

Impossible.

Fang Ran’s mind replayed the person’s words.

What did he mean by "consciousness dissolved"?

His connection with Fu Changzhou was clearly still there.

Yet, a wave of intense panic surged within him, and he couldn’t stop trembling.

"Guide Fang Ran, don’t be afraid."

Lu Wenshan, standing beside him, saw Fang Ran’s reaction and knew he was worried.

He said reassuringly, "This person might just be bluffing. Sentinel Fu Changzhou is so strong; he wouldn’t let this guy succeed so easily."

Fang Ran sighed, nodding weakly, and took the terminal Lu Wenshan handed him.

His gaze inadvertently fell upon the screen.

Huh?

Wen Qi was gone?