"Meng Yao, slow down. What happened to Wu Di?"
Shen Yiyue felt dizzy from Ji Mengyao's shaking, but she could tell from Ji Mengyao's anxious demeanor that something urgent had happened.
"Today is my birthday, and that guy has disappeared. He's been acting mysteriously lately, and he even refuses when I invite him for drinks."
"Are you all hiding something from me?"
Ji Mengyao felt a strong sense of unease growing increasingly intense in her heart.
"He..."
Shen Yiyue hesitated only briefly, realizing there was no point in keeping secrets anymore, seeing how worried Ji Mengyao had become.
"He wanted to secretly prepare something you like as a gift."
She honestly told Ji Mengyao, while also feeling a sense of foreboding in her heart.
"What thing?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Mengyao's suspicions were confirmed - Wu Di must have left the base, otherwise he wouldn't be absent even on her birthday.
Something must have gone wrong.
"I think it was... a vinyl record player..."
Shen Yiyue recalled after a moment, finally remembering what Wu Di had mentioned last time.
"That... idiot!"
Ji Mengyao couldn't contain herself anymore and ran out towards her apartment.
"Meng Yao, where are you going?!"
Shen Yiyue tried to stop the impulsive Ji Mengyao, but she was too fast.
"I'm going to find him!"
Her voice carried from a distance, as she had already run quite far.
"Wait! We'll come with..."
Shen Yiyue tried to call out, feeling partly responsible since she had helped plan this. But then she realized:
Ning Yu had left early in the morning and hadn't returned yet.
This left Shen Yiyue in a dilemma - should she chase after Ji Mengyao immediately, or wait here for Ning Yu to return before acting together?
Her mind raced as she made a decision:
Wait one more hour, and if Ning Yu hasn't returned, have Shen Qianqian pass on the message while she goes ahead first.
Seeing Ji Mengyao's state, Shen Yiyue also sensed something bad might have happened.
She couldn't help but recall the incident with Wan Heng, who had also left the base and was ambushed by mutant zombies.
And according to Ning Yu's analysis, it was likely orchestrated by someone.
30 minutes later.
Shen Yiyue sat anxiously on the sofa waiting, knowing Ji Mengyao must have already left the base. She paced back and forth, even making Shen Qianqian notice her sister's anxiety.
Suddenly, the apartment window opened, and Ning Yu climbed in from outside, carrying someone on her back.
Shen Yiyue had no time to wonder why Ning Yu came through the window, rushing over to tell her:
"Something terrible happened, Yu..."
"I know, Wu Di's in trouble."
Ning Yu settled the injured Lin Hao on the sofa, beating Shen Yiyue to delivering the news she had just received.
"How did you know?"
Shen Yiyue was stunned.
"That's not important now. Quick, help treat Lin Hao, then we'll leave the base."
Ning Yu didn't answer her question, instead pointing to Lin Hao who was still bleeding. She had only given him basic first aid.
Shen Yiyue immediately noticed his condition and had no time to get details from Ning Yu - that could wait for the car ride.
She placed her hands on Lin Hao, and though bandages obscured his injuries, his pained expression clearly eased.
The deep cuts inflicted by Yan Xing were instantly healed by Shen Yiyue's ability.
"Ji Mengyao has already gone after him."
Shen Yiyue said urgently, having just used her power.
Ning Yu nodded, having guessed that Ji Mengyao might have discovered something was wrong.
Only Lin Hao on the sofa looked completely bewildered - his wounds that had been causing him such pain were suddenly completely healed. He sat up and removed his bandages.
It was a medical miracle, absolutely incredible. If possible, he wished he could become an Awakened One too.
But Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue had no time to deal with him, already preparing to leave.
[Ding! Task: Near and Far progress updated!]
[Task: Near and Far (4/4) Find Ji Mengyao and Wu Di]
While gathering supplies, Ning Yu received the task progress update in her mind, seemingly reaching the final step.
She tried to glean information about Wu Di's fate from the task prompt, but unfortunately the task title contained no qualifying terms.
In other words, whether they would be found dead or alive was uncertain.
Now that Ji Mengyao had surely taken her own car, they needed to get another vehicle.
Hopefully they weren't too late.
The two quickly left to borrow a car from the exploration team.
......
Ji Mengyao opened the car door and killed a zombie lying underneath with one swing of her axe.
She looked up at the building before her.
City A Cultural Exhibition Center.
She could guess why Wu Di had come here - there was a famous store that specialized in vinyl record players showcasing their machines here.
She remembered mentioning to Wu Di while drinking that they should come check if they could get a record player when they had the chance.
She had only mentioned it casually then, and since no missions had brought them near here, they never came.
She never expected Wu Di would silently remember and come here to find one as her birthday gift.
Ji Mengyao should have felt touched by Wu Di's thoughtfulness, but now she could only feel panic.
She remembered Wan Heng's empty, lifeless face after death, and feared seeing Wu Di like that.
That fool!
Ji Mengyao bit her lip. Rather than birthday gifts, she wished Wu Di wouldn't do such foolish, risky things.
And he came alone to create a surprise.
She dared not imagine what situation Wu Di might be in as she dispatched several approaching zombies with her fire axe, making her way to the exhibition center entrance.
She keenly noticed several recently killed zombies on the ground, their heads destroyed.
She knew this method all too well, making her more certain Wu Di was here!
Climbing over the ticket gates at the entrance, she found many zombies inside had been cleared out.
The surviving zombies were mostly stragglers, and seeing this, Ji Mengyao felt slightly relieved - there didn't seem to be any major threats.
She found a small map of the venue and located the vinyl record player exhibition area, moving in that direction.
The venue was quite large, divided into many sections, with her target being in Zone B.
But just as she reached Zone B's entrance, before even reaching the record player exhibition area, Ji Mengyao's breath caught.
She saw a bloody suit jacket on the ground, in a style she knew all too well.
Because she had personally helped Wu Di choose it.
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
