Lu Mingming walked forward with unwavering determination, the silver-purple lightning coiling around her fingertips emitting crisp, crackling sounds.
The energy within her spiritual sea erupted unprecedentedly, clamoring to find a target for release.
The once terrifying bloody sky gathered dark clouds, engulfing the Alliance Great Forest in darkness, leaving only a blood-red crescent moon hanging in the sky.
In the sky, a dazzling bolt of lightning tore through it. After what seemed like centuries, a deafening thunderclap reverberated, like a hammer striking a drum.
Lu Mingming remained unfazed. With a gentle swipe of her index finger, a tree blocking her path was severed at the waist and crashed to the ground.
Her mental state was not as good as usual, as if she had suffered a great spiritual blow. All emotions were numbed, and she relied on her instinctual hatred to find the strength to move forward.
Her eyes, stripped of their gentleness, were profoundly hollow, unable to focus on a single point.
The purple mist grew denser, and with each breath, the air became filled with a strange fragrance.
"That's right, keep coming. You're a good child. When all this is over, we'll still be good friends."
The voice of the Dragon Clan leader suddenly softened, as if whispering seductively next to her ear.
"As long as the competition ends, you can go back to living with your cubs. Your little white tiger, little Samoyed, little kitty, and little snake..."
"Wait."
Lu Mingming suddenly stopped and gently advised.
"Could you please, you imposter, act a little more realistically?"
Her eyes suddenly cleared, all purple light vanishing completely, leaving no trace of being controlled.
"H-how is that possible? Why are you awake!"
Oscar dropped the wooden stick in his hand, his face contorted with disbelief, as if he couldn't fathom his proud illusion being so easily broken.
Oscar scanned the unchanged, dense purple mist surrounding them, gazing warily at Lu Mingming, who stood beneath a tree.
He hadn't noticed at all when she had broken free from his control.
Lu Mingming sighed helplessly.
"Didn't the fact that Grey-Red was beaten back to his original form by me give you even a sliver of caution?"
In truth, Lu Mingming's consciousness had been hazy, only becoming fully clear a few minutes ago.
The reason was simple: she and the Dragon Clan had never met or interacted in the interstellar world. How would they know how many cubs she had at home?
If they had seen her from the contestant seats, why would they spend time recognizing a cub from a small planet?
Lu Mingming lowered her head, scooped up the silent little cub sitting at her feet, and gently stroked its ear.
"This is hilarious, you've dragged this on for so long."
Recalling how the little cub had used all its strength to hold onto her foot, Lu Mingming couldn't help but smile, her eyes softening with affection and indulgence.
The little cub had successfully emerged from its eggshell, revealing a pair of fair and tender little white feet, with no snake tail as Lu Mingming had imagined.
This also exposed the existence of the illusion.
Lu Mingming had always suspected the little cub was of the snake clan but had never received concrete confirmation, nor had she revealed the cub's identity to the outside world.
Lu Mingming smiled and asked "Oscar,"
"Your illusion requires a scent to draw out everyone's hidden, undiscovered fears, right?"
"Oscar" remained silent, his expression visibly worsening, his teeth grinding audibly.
"Excuse me, I have other matters to attend to, so I cannot accompany you further."
Lu Mingming, holding her cub, curved her lips as she looked at the figure on the high tower.
With a light touch of her toes, she rapidly retreated, seeking a safe location.
"Where are you running off to?"
Oscar's and the Dragon Clan leader's voices merged, becoming sharp and shrill, laced with anxiety, sounding increasingly familiar.
Lu Mingming laughed, "Mind your own business, and go play in the mud in your illusion!"
"Don't you want to stay and see what's happening outside? I won't hurt you."
The Dragon Clan leader's voice, merging with Oscar's, revealed Lu Mingming's current desire.
Lu Mingming paused, her smile serene, her fingertip's spiritual energy surging in contrast.
"You better be telling the truth, not some trick."
"Oscar" let out a low laugh, his voice shifting from a deep, magnetic male tone to a tender, crisp child's voice in an instant.
Finally, the two voices intertwined, indistinguishable from each other.
The high tower collapsed with a roar, and everyone instantly vanished from the face of the earth, returning to an environment filled with pervasive purple mist.
A little girl, projected by a purple beam of light, played with her pigtails, her voice full of admiration.
"You are truly smart, Lu Mingming. It wasn't in vain that I've paid special attention to you all along."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Lu Mingming's expression was blank.
"We are not enemies. I accidentally injured you before. You, as a pure-blooded human disliked by beast-humans, and I, as a witch clan whose ancestors were annihilated by beast-humans, should unite to overthrow their rule."
The little girl enticed.
"You care so much about your cubs and your friends. Have you ever thought if they've truly told you everything? You are pitiful, constantly being deceived. It's time for the truth to be revealed."
Lu Mingming remained silent, her heart feeling as if an invisible boulder were pressing down on it, or like a turbulent lake, her mind a complete blank.
The little cub, which had been quietly nestled in Lu Mingming's arms, had been staring at the distant phantom since the little girl appeared, its rose-colored eyes glinting with intense killing intent.
"It seems you sensed something was wrong long ago."
Seeing Lu Mingming's silence, the little girl couldn't help but burst into laughter, her mixed male and female laughter sending shivers down one's spine.
"If you have something to say, say it quickly. I don't have time to play games with you."
Lu Mingming, for the first time, revealed her impatience.
"Alright, alright, then I'll show you the truth."
The little girl waved her hand, and a huge projection appeared on a bloody screen, clearly showing the chaos and turmoil on the Alliance's main planet.
Lu Mingming looked at the projection with concern.
All the optical cables were completely blocked. Every aircraft was crammed with beast-humans, their faces filled with terror, carrying bags and luggage, anxiously looking out the windows to calculate their escape time.
The Alliance official entrance was chaotic, with scorch marks everywhere. The tallest sign was broken in half, clearly indicating a major battle had occurred.
The camera slowly shifted to the interior.
At a negotiation table, clear lines were drawn. On the left, a five-pointed star crafted from pure gold was displayed, with a white-haired elder at the head, forming a circle.
On the other side, a tall, handsome man in military uniform perfectly outlined his flawless inverted triangle physique.
The man's golden hair was as dazzling as the midday sun, but his ice-blue eyes were as frigid as the unmelting ice and snow of the polar regions, filled with indifference.
It was Orlanal.
"How is it? Familiar, isn't it?"
Noticing Lu Mingming's dazed look, the little girl narrowed her eyes.
Lu Mingming took a deep breath, her eyes flashing with sharp light.
"What do you want to do to my friends?"
"You've never doubted his identity, have you? We wouldn't dare touch him."
The little girl said playfully, but in reality, she was secretly manipulating purple mist towards Lu Mingming.
"Why don't you keep watching what happens next."
At the conference table, a tall and beautiful woman behind the white-haired elder shyly walked towards Orlanal.
The white-haired elder unreservedly revealed his ambition: "As long as you marry our empire's eldest princess, our empire will fully support you in becoming the Alliance heir. You have five minutes to consider."
"Grandfather, your time is too short. Let me think a little longer," the woman cooed, secretly glancing at her intended.
As time ticked by, Lu Mingming inexplicably grew nervous, sweat beading on her palms.
In the endless wait, the projection flickered with a spark of electricity, the screen turning white for a moment before returning to normal.
Lu Mingming focused her gaze again. Both sides were empty. On Orlanal's spot, a mess of clothes indicated that something significant had occurred.
A clump of clean silver-white fur wriggled in the pile of clothes. A cute, round-headed little creature with a cold expression crawled out from the military uniform, stepping on a contract. Its pair of ice-blue round eyes were imprinted in Lu Mingming's sight.
The little girl watched the unfolding drama with great interest.
"So, did you guess this gift? Do you like it?"