As the flames and shockwave reached Ning Yu, she immediately activated her recharged ability, [Blood Mirror].
The explosion's force was reflected by the [Blood Mirror], but since there was no enemy to target, Ning Yu didn't attempt a perfect counter timing, which would have amplified the explosion's power.
Even so, the explosion's power was formidable.
When the smoke cleared, Zhuang Wugou's head had been obliterated, and the reflected blast had blown a massive hole in the exhibition hall's wall.
If not for the [Blood Mirror], the group would have likely been severely injured or killed.
Ning Yu took out an extractor from her pocket and began extracting serum from the Sloth.
It was then that she realized a serious problem:
With Zhuang Wugou gone, the core of the base was missing, and she wondered how the Ark would continue to function.
This depended on how crucial Zhuang Wugou's role had been in the base's operations.
All the parts that relied on him would now need to be reassigned elsewhere or to other people, and she wondered if this would cause chaos within the base.
Despite Zhuang Wugou's actions, the current state of the Ark base was actually quite suitable for staying temporarily.
Ning Yu knew that the apparent prosperity of the Ark base was partly due to its well-established systems, but more so due to Zhuang Wugou's advanced technology, such as the zombie power generation in the underground second floor.
He had also established research groups and a system for cultivating awakened individuals.
Although all of this was ultimately to serve the purpose of sending awakened individuals to die and become nourishment for mutated zombies.
So, what would happen to the Ark base now?
Ning Yu had a big question mark in her mind.
She suddenly thought of someone who might be willing to take over this responsibility.
Shaking her head, she stopped thinking about these messy things. If the Ark fell apart, so be it.
All she cared about were Shen Yiyue and her sister.
Shen Yiyue was already packing up all the weapons, while Ji Mengyao helped Wu Di to his feet.
"Let's go back?" Ning Yu suggested.
"Today is also Mengyao's birthday."
When Ning Yu mentioned this, everyone remembered.
However, the events of the day were too heavy, and Ji Mengyao seemed to still be in shock, her eyes dull and her head lowered.
Wu Di was still in a daze, silently being supported by Ji Mengyao. He had also heard Zhuang Wugou's words.
But from the beginning, he hadn't come to the Ark for any ideals; he had only come to be with Ji Mengyao.
Now, seeing that Ji Mengyao seemed to be in a bad mood, he didn't say anything.
......
On the way back, Ning Yu drove silently, with Ji Mengyao and Wu Di in the backseat and Shen Yiyue in the passenger seat.
"Mengyao, happy birthday."
Wu Di took out the turntable he had wanted to give her and placed it in Ji Mengyao's hands.
He had cleaned off the dust during the journey, and it now gleamed like new.
He gave Ji Mengyao a gentle smile.
Ji Mengyao temporarily forgot about Zhuang Wugou's incident, as at least one happy thing had happened today.
As soon as she looked up, she pointed at Wu Di in surprise:
"You....?"
Wu Di, seeing Ji Mengyao's reaction, was momentarily confused:
"What's wrong with me? Do I have a flower on my face?"
Shen Yiyue, hearing this, turned around to look at Wu Di, but all she saw was his smile that hadn't yet faded.
But Shen Yiyue suddenly realized something and exclaimed, "Ah!"
"What's going on?"
Ning Yu, also puzzled by their reactions, wondered what was so special about giving a birthday gift.
The birthday gifts she and Shen Yiyue had prepared for Ji Mengyao were still at the apartment, not yet taken out.
"Wu Di.... he smiled!!!"
Shen Yiyue excitedly shook Ning Yu to emphasize her excitement.
Ning Yu quickly stopped her, worried about the dangerous driving:
"Alright, alright, I'm still driving...... What? What did you say?"
Now even Ning Yu couldn't help but glance back, completely forgetting her earlier warning about driving.
Wu Di's warm smile had already disappeared, replaced by a look of bewilderment. Hearing Shen Yiyue's words, he touched his face, as if he didn't recognize himself.
"Really? I feel like I'm completely different from before!"
His face lit up with excitement, his third expression after the smile and bewilderment.
"Your emotional disorder....."
Ji Mengyao covered her mouth, unable to believe it, but also thrilled, her eyes welling up with tears of joy.
"Mengyao? What's wrong? Why are you crying....."
Wu Di's excited expression turned to panic as he saw Ji Mengyao's reaction, unsure of what to do.
This was probably the day with the most expressions Wu Di had ever shown.
"You fool, do you know how long I've been waiting for you....?"
She began to sob, but it wasn't out of sadness, but pure joy.
"I was so afraid that one day you.... would never be able to accept this emotion...."
Now it was Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue's turn to be stunned: How had these two progressed so quickly in just one day?
Waiting for you for so long? This emotion?
What had they done when the two of them were alone?
Wu Di, however, seemed to have suddenly come to terms with it, as he could finally express and feel emotions like a normal person.
Without any hesitation, he pulled Ji Mengyao into his arms and whispered in her ear:
"Mengyao, I've kept you waiting."
His bold actions and words made Ji Mengyao blush, and she lightly poked him:
"What are you doing, Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue are still here!!"
But she didn't push him away, staying comfortably in his embrace.
"Wow!!!!!"
Shen Yiyue, the ultimate gossip, was the most excited.
"You two..... when did you progress to this point?"
Her curiosity was burning.
Ji Mengyao, now embarrassed, tried to escape Wu Di's embrace, but he held on tightly, his strength too much for her to break free.
"Ah.... it's so sweet, I'm full of dog food."
"Come on, Ning Yu, open your mouth, don't be shy, have some too!"
She tried to feed Ning Yu some imaginary dog food, earning a glare from Ning Yu, who reminded her she was still driving.
The two in the backseat were immersed in their sweet world, whispering secrets to each other.
Shen Yiyue lay down in the front seat:
"Woohoo, so sweet! You two should get married soon."
Her eyes, however, kept glancing at Ning Yu, who was driving seriously.
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
