Chapter 155 Only One Thought

Chapter 155: Only One Thought

Fu Zhangzhou!?

Wasn't that the second evolutionary form of Fu Zhangzhou's spiritual body?

What on earth happened?

A wave of immense dread surged through him, clutching Fang Ran’s heart so tightly he could barely breathe.

Seeing his extreme reaction, the man quickly asked with concern, "Guide, what's wrong?"

Fang Ran stiffly shook his head, then abruptly straightened up.

He looked toward the lake, pushed aside the tall grass, and prepared to rush forward.

The man quickly reached out and grabbed his arm.

"It's very dangerous over there!"

Fang Ran turned to look at him, his expression more distraught than if he were crying.

"I have to go check."

With that, he broke free from the man's grip, ignored the shouts behind him, and dashed out of the grass without a backward glance, sprinting toward the lake.

"Rumble!!!"

Another series of explosions roared around the lake, sending several geysers shooting skyward, their sounds mixing with the howls and roars of monsters, relentlessly assaulting his eardrums.

Fang Ran was beyond coherent thought; his mind was singularly focused on rushing in that direction to ascertain the sentinel's condition.

The metallic scent of blood grew thicker, and his heart sank further and further.

Fu Zhangzhou cannot be harmed!

Fang Ran had walked this path to the lake once before.

Back then, Fu Zhangzhou had been severely injured saving him, yet he had remained calm enough to exit the cave and search for a way out by the lake.

Today, with the sentinel's condition uncertain, he was utterly incapable of remaining calm.

Fang Ran knew the monster might just be bluffing, trying to disrupt their thoughts, but he still couldn't help feeling panicked, his heart hammering so wildly it felt like it might burst from his chest.

Some things, once accepted, once possessed, then lost again...

He couldn't be sure... if he could bear such consequences.

Fang Ran stumbled wildly through the shadows of the forest trees. The vegetation along the path grew sparser, while smooth stones became increasingly numerous.

In his panic, his foot slipped, and he lost control, pitching forward.

At the very same moment.

A figure suddenly darted out from the grass beside him.

The expected pain never came. Instead, a scorching energy cradled Fang Ran's waist and abdomen, holding him suspended for a moment before gently lowering him.

Footsteps gradually approached from afar.

Fang Ran lowered his head, watching as a shadow fell before him.

"Guide Fang Ran, what happened? Why are you in such a hurry?"

The speaker's tone was gentle and concerned, but to Fang Ran, it sounded like a demon's whisper, utterly chilling.

This voice was...

Wen Qi.

This person was clearly a guide, yet he could release energy belonging to a sentinel...

Was he not even bothering to pretend anymore?

Fang Ran clenched his fists, slowly stood up, and forced himself to look directly at the person blocking his path.

Wen Qi looked down at him, a smile on his lips, his expression unchanged from usual.

"Sentinel Lu Wenshan has been gone so long without returning, so I came over myself."

He pointed toward the lake. "Shall we go check it out together?"

"You..." Fang Ran took a step back, trembling as he forced out a few words. "Just... who are you?"

"No."

"What... are you?"

Wen Qi smiled at him, sighing in mock disappointment. "Don't you remember me?"

"Fang Ran, we've met before."

"By the lake, and even in your dreams..."

Wen Qi slightly lowered his head, the dappled light filtering through the branches making his smile increasingly eerie.

"Fang Ran, I am now very glad that, on a whim, I decided to let you live back then."

"It's you!?" Fang Ran jolted violently.

Several memories flashed through his mind.

The distorted face of "Li Zhen" by the lake, and the enchanting flower spirit from his dream...

"It's me."

"I initially noticed you because of Fu Zhangzhou, but I didn't expect you to be even more fascinating than him."

"You..." Fang Ran said, his voice trembling. "Was it also you who impersonated Fu Zhangzhou earlier!?"

Wen Qi did not answer his question, only fixed him with an intense stare.

"Fu Zhangzhou was a suitable vessel, though flawed."

"Until you appeared, things took a turn."

He took a step closer to Fang Ran, saying in an eerie tone, "Fu Zhangzhou's consciousness is gone."

"Fang Ran, from now on, you'll be my guide."

"Impossible!" Fang Ran exclaimed in agitation, "I don't believe it..."

Wen Qi suddenly burst into laughter, "What's impossible about that?"

"I stole Shen Ke's body and shattered Zheng Mingyu's spiritual sea."

"You..." Fang Ran was so shocked by his words that he was at a loss for how to react.

"What did you say?"

*This person...*

*Does he also know the trajectory of this world?*

"Correct." Wen Qi stared at him, enunciating each word:

"I did all of this."

His eyes flickered several times, and the expression on his face gradually turned manic.

"I was originally just a Free Sentinel, but by accident, I was infected by an aberrant creature and gained abilities similar to a Guide's. After the military discovered my secret, they captured me and conducted experiments."

He turned his head, glancing toward some unseen point, his face dark with resentment.

"Five whole years... in that abandoned military research center."

"Later, this area suddenly mutated. During their retreat, an accident occurred, and they couldn't take me with them."

"When I woke up, my body had disappeared, but my consciousness somehow remained and merged with this forest."

Fang Ran looked at him, disbelieving, and said, "This whole forest is actually a single conscious entity..."

Wen Qi tilted his head and took another step closer to him, "It even chose a host for me."

"Shen Ke!?"

"Yes." Wen Qi sneered, "That fool Shen Ke still tried to reclaim his body, but instead, I discovered his secret."

"He, after all... knows plenty of surprising things."

*So that's how it is!*

Fang Ran gradually emerged from his extreme shock and stared fixedly at the deranged man before him.

*So this world has veered off its original path...*

*Not only because of his presence as a variable but also due to Wen Qi's constant interference.*

Wen Qi abruptly grabbed his wrist, "Fang Ran, just give up."

"Fu Zhangzhou no longer exists in this world... I will claim his body and absorb his power."

"No..." Fang Ran tried to wrench his wrist free but found himself unable to move.

A weird, crazed grin appeared on Wen Qi's face, "Fang Ran, accept my energy. As long as I leave a mark in your spiritual sea, you will become my Guide."

Fang Ran's heart lurched in alarm. A surge of searing energy instantly rushed into his body from his wrist, heading straight for his spiritual sea.

*Damn it!*

*This person's ability is unique—he can actually reverse the flow of a Sentinel's energy into a Guide's body.*

Just then, a torrent of energy suddenly burst forth from within his spiritual sea.

It directly forced Wen Qi's energy out of Fang Ran's body.

Wen Qi's face fell, and he shouted, "Impossible!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he was hurled backward over ten meters, his body crashing into a large tree.

Fang Ran stood frozen, too shocked to utter a sound. Every nerve in his body felt as if it had exploded, leaving him tingling all over.

*Was it... Fu Zhangzhou?*

There was no time to think.

Fang Ran turned around and dashed toward the lake.

He had only one thought in his mind.

*The Sentinel must still be there!*

This was the psychic bond between the two of them.

"Fang Ran!" Wen Qi shouted from behind, seemingly intending to give chase.

At the same time, all kinds of noises came from the direction of the lake.

Footsteps, shouts, roars...

The next instant.

The wind whipped past Fang Ran's ears as a huge black shape suddenly sailed over his head.

"Thud!"

A huge black beast slammed down heavily between him and Wen Qi.