During the period of external training, Chi Yan only returned to Xiaguang City once.
After more than half a year, the little girl had undergone earth-shattering changes. Perhaps due to cultivation and sufficient nutritional supply, Chi Yan did not appear particularly young. She stood at 1.6 meters tall, her youthful innocence long gone, replaced by sharpness, ferocity, and maturity honed by over a year of hardship.
No one would have imagined that she was still just a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl.
However, at this moment, Chi Yan was covered in the sinister blood of monsters. With every step she took, she left behind dark footprints, and black blood continuously dripped from her body, sizzling and smoking as it hit the ground.
Wrapped in viscous black blood, with broken organs such as eyeballs and severed fingers clinging to her, Chi Yan appeared even more terrifying to outsiders.
Her posture, like a cat poised to pounce, resembled a monstrous beast about to hunt. "Welcome home."
Fang You rubbed her hair. After brushing away the black blood, Chi Yan's hair remained undamaged, looking as if it had just been pulled from water, showing no signs of corrosion.
Her eyes were clear and bright. She grinned, her small fangs glinting in the sunlight. "Teacher, I've brought gifts back!"
"This is for teacher, and these are for the younger brothers and sisters," she said, seeking praise.
Then, she began to pull out item after item from her storage artifact.
A severed arm with an eye staring from its palm, still bleeding fresh blood.
A semi-transparent piece of fur, imbued with spatial ripples, that seemed to twitch as if not entirely dead, still very fresh.
A string of severed heads, their eyes blinking, their lips trembling, appearing remarkably fresh.
Fang You: "..." "Your younger brothers and sisters will surely love these gifts."
Putting aside their appearance, these materials were quite valuable.
It was just that Chi Yan clearly had a misunderstanding of how to process materials, prioritizing freshness above all else. Well, as long as they were usable, it was the thought that counted. The children at the orphanage would surely understand.
From afar, Captain Hong Feng swallowed hard as he looked at the bleeding items. "Who is this person... she seems very strong, giving me a sense of immense pressure!"
He turned his head to look at Instructor Lao Li from the Sunshine Orphanage.
But before Instructor Lao Li could speak, the dark figure in the distance suddenly turned its head to look at him. Her eyes held the vastness of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and Captain Hong Feng felt an overwhelming tide of blood washing over him.
He couldn't help but take half a step back, still feeling a lingering fear.
Yet, when he looked up again, the mountains of corpses, seas of blood, and overwhelming tides of blood seemed to have vanished like an illusion. The dark figure in the distance was now squatting on the ground, continuing to pull out one gruesome item after another, yet somehow giving an impression of docility.
...What kind of deceptive illusion was this! The bald old Li looked towards the source of the sound, stroking his chin.
From just the dark silhouette, it was difficult to identify the person. However, if combined with her habits and strength, he could probably guess who it was.
A little surprised, yet also resigned.
"Her? You could say she's the senior disciple of the orphanage, the direct student of our院长. Chi Yan." Hong Feng: "???" Are you kidding me? And I have proof!
Your院长 Fang has only been in office for two years, and he hadn't taken any orphanage students before. You're telling me that in two years, he's cultivated a myth from scratch?
This joke isn't even funny.
"Sigh, never mind if you don't say it. I can probably guess. A friend of your院长, or perhaps a former student of your院长?"
"No wonder your院长 was able to bring about a radical change in the Sunshine Orphanage as soon as he took office. It turns out your院长 has experience in cultivating a myth, possessing extensive and impressive teaching experience."
Captain Hong Feng felt he had seen through everything.
Especially when he saw Instructor Lao Li's dumbfounded expression, he became even more certain of his guess. "I knew I guessed correctly. It wasn't that hard to figure out." Instructor Lao Li gave him a thumbs-up.
You're amazing, you're incredible, you're a master of speculation.
Unfortunately, you're far from grasping the true greatness of our院长.
Unlike me, Lao Li, who has long seen through the院长's low-key facade to recognize his noble and unfathomable inner self.
Tsk tsk, worthy of me.
Coming to Sunshine and becoming a disciple of the院长 was the most correct decision of my life. "Ah~ Sun~ you are so bright~" He hummed a song and walked away self-satisfied, leaving a bewildered Captain Hong Feng behind.
There are so many strange people in Sunshine.
Xiaguang City had fallen into a death zone, with monsters continuously breeding and corruptive scars spreading towards the clear sky. However, humans were remarkably adaptable.
The survivors of Xiaguang City quickly adapted to their arduous lives – they had no choice but to adapt, as the warriors who had emerged from seas of corpses and mountains of blood would not indulge them.
Furthermore, the Sunshine Orphanage was located in the outer ring of Xiaguang City.
Xiaguang City was not like the super-oases in the current world. The living conditions for the citizens in the outer districts were still very high, but they were ultimately ordinary civilians, easy to manage.
Fang Mou heard that the other sanctuaries had encountered quite a few troublesome issues. Every era had its share. Even in a civilized empire like Kandra, there were bound to be scoundrels.
The children of the Sunshine Orphanage were even more adaptable, now viewing the disasters outside as insignificant. They treated the monsters that attacked the orphanage as part of their daily training.
They were constantly transforming through battle and cultivation. One day, Director Fang visited the orphanage's medical department.
This department was perfect for slacking off. Most orphanages would not have physicians; tasks such as treatment and surgery were handled by puppets.
However, the Sunshine medical department... remained deserted.
The orphanage had established a field hospital closer to the front lines to handle the rescue of the wounded. The so-called medical department was actually a remote area of the research base, rarely visited.
Fang You walked in directly, passing through several identity verification checkpoints, and then took an elevator down to the research base hundreds of meters underground.
"Beep—" "Director's card~"
The alloy door slowly opened, revealing a futuristic silver-white space bustling with figures. Although most were puppets assisting with tasks, there were also quite a number of living people here.
Tong Lin, a part-time physician wearing black-rimmed glasses, approached.
On the surface, she was a physician. In reality, she had served as a lead researcher in the scientific research department of a certain underground organization, focusing on the application of monsters and disasters.
The organization she belonged to had attempted to create myths by harnessing the power of monsters and disasters. Tong Lin did not agree with this.
She believed that the human body itself was the most perfect treasure, with infinite potential waiting to be unlocked. Modified humans who had integrated monster energy were merely flawed products.
Later, when the organization's base was destroyed by the Kandra Empire's authorities, Tong Lin escaped from the unreliable organization with differing ideologies. She drifted to Xiaguang City and applied for the position of orphanage physician, a retirement post where she could slack off.
But as she slacked off, she found herself returning to her old profession. Not entirely her old profession, though.
What she was researching now was how to unravel the secrets of monsters and disasters, and using her previous connections, she had gathered a group of supporting researchers.
"Come, let Director Fang see our research results." She clapped her hands with confidence.
Following her steps, Fang You arrived at an experimental platform and saw a section... about several meters long, resembling a vastly magnified blood vessel, or perhaps a withered branch.
—The corruptive scar! The corruptive scar was visible yet intangible.
It seemed to exist in a higher dimension, capable of interfering with awakened individuals who passed through it, yet it could not be interfered with or destroyed.
However, for Fang You, who possessed the "Spear of Dao Breaking," this was not a problem. A gentle poke could dislodge a section of the corruptive scar.
Unfortunately, while it was easy to destroy a small section of the corruptive scar, it was far from enough to destroy the countless corruptive scars covering Xiaguang City with just the Spear of Dao Breaking.
"Have you found a way to destroy the corruptive scars?" he asked.
Tong Lin coyly replied, "I've found it, but not entirely."
She spoke slowly, first detailing the direction of her research, the setbacks and difficulties encountered throughout the process, and how tight funds and personnel were.
Director Fang's face darkened. "Cough, cough."
Researcher Tong Lin reluctantly skipped the prelude of begging for sympathy and entered the professional section. "Firstly, according to the research of my former organization, monsters have attribute differences, which are mostly regional rather than individual."
"For example, two 'Knocking Children' might have different attributes. Child A's attribute is 'Flesh and Blood,' while Child B's attribute is 'Darkness.' Child A will exhibit a preference for gnawing on flesh and blood, and its self-healing ability will be stronger. Child B's contaminating impact is more likely to trigger darkness in people's hearts... However, the difference is very subtle and can only be discerned through long-term observation with special equipment."
There were many other obscure professional terms involved.
Director Fang's head ached from listening. He really wanted Tong Lin to cut to the chase and stop wasting time, but that would make him seem uncultured.
He could only patiently listen.
"...From these corruptive scars, we have detected the attribute of 'Darkness.' I suspect that the existence and spread of the corruptive scars are related to the 'Shadow of Gloom,' which symbolizes 'Darkness,' 'Negativity,' and 'Death' among the unspeakable evil gods."
"The mythical beings that met with disaster previously were affected by the corruptive scars, their negative emotions infinitely amplified, and their souls corroded, ultimately leading to their downfall."
"This 'Darkness' and 'Death' are manifestations of authority, intangible. However, we have still managed to create an instrument capable of capturing these dark factors..."
She rattled off a string of technical terms. Director Fang picked out what he could understand and finally summarized:
The network of corruptive scars engulfing Xiaguang City might have multiple 'nodes' or 'sources.' By piercing these nodes, the source of the disaster could be revealed.
And by destroying the source of the disaster, this net of corruptive scars could be torn apart!... Perhaps. Fang You: "..."
"But I used the disaster radar before and didn't find any clues to a source of disaster."
"It's different. To be precise, the source of the disaster doesn't exist yet. Only after breaking through the 'nodes' will the remaining filth converge to form the source of the disaster... probably."
Can't you be more reliable! City Lord's Mansion, office area. The advanced intelligent puppet instructor pushed open the door.
"City Lord, there's news, news from above... Uh, although it's not the reinforcements you most desire, you don't need to scowl. Listen to me finish first."
"The Disaster Strategy Bureau has issued the latest directive: by destroying the source of the disaster located somewhere within the city, the vast majority of corruptive scars can be severed, and the spread of the remaining corruptive scars can be significantly curbed."
"In other words, finding and destroying the source of the disaster can save the precarious Xiaguang City."
"And this time, although the Disaster Strategy Bureau couldn't give us many mythical reinforcements, they have provided tools for detecting and finding the source of the disaster... experimental tools."
"As long as you do this... this... this... and then this, it will be done."
"...That's what they said." City Lord Chen Mo held the armrest and remained silent for a long time.
"Convene all mythical beings for a meeting and prepare for action!"
Under the name of the City Lord, the demigod Chen Mo conscripted all mythical beings in the city to cooperate with the City Lord's Mansion in the action to eradicate the corruptive scars and save Xiaguang.
Of course, Director Fang had no intention of leaving from the beginning.
"If Xiaguang City is swallowed by the corruptive scars, it's likely that the entire Yunxia Province will be in peril... After all, Xiaguang City is like food in the mouth of the corruptive scars right now, stuck. That's why the corruptive scars haven't spread outwards. But once Xiaguang City is swallowed and the 'nutrients of the food' are absorbed, the corruptive scars might spread at ten or a hundred times the speed."
There was also likely a more profound, hidden impact. Realistically speaking, Director Fang couldn't leave either.
He himself was 'stationed at the Sunshine Orphanage,' and he had instructed Lao Li, Chi Yan, and others to assist Captain Hong Feng and other mythical beings from the City Lord's Mansion in breaking through the corruptive scars.
The City Lord's Mansion's conscription of mythical beings and high-level awakened individuals naturally came with promises of many benefits. Setting aside the promised benefits, the City Lord's Mansion also provided a considerable amount of equipment.
Their approach to eradicating the source of the disaster was similar to Tong Lin's, but their equipment was much more advanced. (Tong Lin: Wasn't I facing severe funding shortages!) The action to sever the nodes of the corruptive scars was also quite smooth at the beginning.
Monsters were continuously pouring out. After days of fighting and needing to protect the weak, the mythical beings were somewhat fatigued. However, if it were just a short-term battle, the high-end forces of Xiaguang City were far superior to the monsters.
At least, no eight-star disaster-source-level monsters had been born within the city.
Under the leadership of City Lord Chen Mo and Dean Philola of the academy, both demigods, the human powerhouses broke through like a hot knife through butter, slaughtering seven-star monsters one after another and shattering the nodes of the corruptive scars.
"The spread of corruptive scars in some areas has stopped!"
"The flow of dark authority has also changed. This method is viable! The Strategy Bureau has finally been reliable for once!"
"But I still feel uneasy. Is it really going to be this easy? I have a premonition of something ominous."
"Don't be ominous. You're definitely being affected by the corruptive scars. Calm your mind."
"Wait, look over there..."
As the sixth node was shattered, a faint shadow of the source of the disaster began to emerge.
It was a colossal, transparent object shrouded in black gauze, slowly opening and closing like a flower.
But it was only an illusion.
It was vaguely visible but could not be destroyed, even when City Lord Chen Mo used special weapons.
Along with this flower of annihilation, the gray mist suddenly intensified. The mist began to churn violently, and one by one, giant monsters emerged from it.
The net of corruptive scars covering Xiaguang City rapidly contracted. Bursts of darkness erupted intermittently.
Many mythical beings immediately became dejected. Even though they knew it was the filth causing it, they couldn't control their emotions and minds.
Under their dejection, their combat effectiveness plummeted, and they were immediately beaten to the ground by the monsters.
Demigod Chen Mo judged that as the nodes were broken, the speed of monster generation would increase, and the pressure would grow.
There was no time to delay; they had to be fast!
"Commander Sunflame, you hold off the monsters here. The rest of you, follow me. Let's continue breaking through the nodes. There are only three left!"
When the third-to-last node was broken, an eight-star monster appeared!
"This City Lord will hold off this eight-star monster. You continue breaking through the nodes, be quick!" When the second-to-last node was broken, a second eight-star monster appeared.
Seven-star monsters were even more numerous, "squeezing" into the small city like giants, releasing countless ordinary monsters.
A dance of demons and a howling wind.
The few remaining beacons of light within the city were constantly compressed, becoming precarious. "Roar roar roar—" Chi Yan was on all fours, her skin covered in red beastly markings.
Her teeth became sharp, her arms elongated and powerful. She transformed into a black and red phantom, slashing, biting, and tearing... fighting monsters with frenzied intensity.
Even though the battlefield situation was precarious, this figure drew the attention of the mythical beings. One was its ferocity. The second was its sheer power!
The mythical beings in battle couldn't help but shift their positions, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire. They had no doubt that if they stood in the way of this fierce warrior, they would be torn apart like the monsters, shredded into a bloody mess.
To one side, before the last remaining node.
A figure with a slightly immature face but an extremely robust physique, standing three to four meters tall like a small giant, his heart throbbed like a drum, his body growing segment by segment.
Ten meters! Twenty meters! One hundred meters! Three hundred meters!
He transformed into a giant, his body clad in rock-like armor, with red patterns flowing like lava and blue patterns zipping like lightning, granting him destructive power.
He swung the leg of a seven-star monster, ripped it from its body, and used it as a weapon, sweeping it violently to the side.
Buildings and towers shattered like paper. Countless monsters were pulverized. But it wasn't enough; the power was still insufficient!
The remaining few thousand meters were like an insurmountable chasm; he couldn't cross it and couldn't reach the distant node. Nearby, Captain Hong Feng, Instructor Li, and others were locked in a desperate struggle.
He could only place his hope in Senior Sister.
But Senior Sister seemed to have gotten carried away in the fight, chasing after monsters until she was far away, and even his thunderous shouts couldn't bring her back.
"..."
At this moment, a sword light flew from afar, multiplying into thousands, obliterating all darkness it touched. "Hey, I'm not late, am I." The slender young man, standing on a giant sword, raised an eyebrow.
Behind him, several treasure swords hovered, carrying more than a dozen young experts from the orphanage, all returning to Xiaguang City together.
"Sword rise!"
"Sword fall!"
One treasure sword after another flew out, carrying sword energies as brilliant as the sun, as powerful as thunder, as rapid as a torrent, and struck the ground.
"Second Senior Brother!" the giant shouted. "Next, use this weapon to pierce the distant node!" The sword-wielding youth took it, his sword light like a shadow, piercing the node. The arrival of this fresh force greatly reduced the pressure on many mythical beings and high-level awakened individuals present.
The young mythical being wielding the sword possessed exceptional combat power, no less than the rock-armored giant, and slaughtered ordinary seven-star monsters as easily as killing chickens. The dozen or so people who accompanied this sword-wielding mythical being were also all mythical beings, with formidable combat prowess.
"Are these mythical beings also related to the院长 of the Sunshine Orphanage?"
"That院长 has incredible connections!"
"But these mythical beings are a bit unfamiliar. They aren't from our province, are they? They look quite young too, like all geniuses..."
A mythical being muttered. Captain Hong Feng, whose pressure had eased, looked over.
In the distance, the reinforcements descending from the sky indeed had young faces, like teenagers and young girls. And it wasn't just one or two, but all of them.
Thinking back to the giant mythical being's thunderous shouts of "Senior Sister" and "Second Senior Brother" just now, and the jokes Instructor Lao Li had made in recent days, Captain Hong Feng harbored a truly preposterous guess.
He looked at Lao Li, who was also panting, and swallowed before asking:
"Lao Li, tell me, could it be that all these reinforcements are students from your Sunshine Orphanage who went out for training."