“The situation here looks very abnormal.”

Sitting inside the cave, Jing Xi observed the outside through the opening and whispered, “What exactly happened?”

It had only been a few hours since the signal was interrupted, yet all the wild beasts and Ghosts had vanished.

At the mention of this, Chi Yao’s eyes turned cold.

“It is ‘It’. It has awakened.”

Jing Xi turned to look at him, somewhat surprised.

“You saw it?”

“I don’t know if it counts as seeing it.” Thinking of something, Chi Yao asked, “Did you check those vines?”

Jing Xi nodded. “They are parasitic vines, a rare mutated plant species. Qiu Tianlin said this plant can parasitize animals and live by sucking flesh and blood.”

This result didn’t surprise Chi Yao too much.

“The beast herds here have all been eaten by them.”

Jing Xi’s eyes widened slightly.

Although he had guessed as much on the way here, hearing Chi Yao say it was still shocking.

“What about the Ghosts?” Jing Xi asked.

“Even Level 5 mutated species can’t escape; how could they be spared?”

Chi Yao sneered, goosebumps rising again as he recalled that giant eye. “If we hadn’t hidden here, we probably wouldn’t be able to talk so leisurely right now.”

Jing Xi: “Is it related to the magnetic field here?”

Chi Yao nodded. “These parasitic vines don’t have the ability to sense prey on their own; they rely on sound waves to move. Once the sound waves are blocked, they become blind.”

Jing Xi frowned, lost in thought.

“That’s not right—”

The number of parasitic vines in this forest was massive. How could they all follow the commands of a single sound wave?

Unless they all grew from one main body.

Jing Xi: “These parasitic vines might belong to the same vine plant.”

But if that were true, how huge would that vine have to be?

Chi Yao: “You guessed half of it right.”

Jing Xi’s eyes flashed. “You know?”

Chi Yao held his hand, leaning against the corner of the wall, and looked out of the cave.

“Before you came, I was only guessing too.”

Jing Xi: “How so?”

Chi Yao: “You said these parasitic vines can parasitize animals and survive by sucking blood, but they don’t necessarily have to suck the host’s blood.”

“You mean they aren’t one plant, but are parasitizing the same animal?” Jing Xi frowned. “But the probability is too low. To provide nutrients for a forest full of parasitic vines, how massive would that animal have to be?”

Chi Yao: “What if it’s the size of this forest?”

Jing Xi was stunned. Meeting his gaze, he understood his meaning almost immediately.

But understanding was one thing; it was simply too shocking. “You mean, this forest is some kind of living animal?”

Chi Yao nodded. “That is ‘It’.”

“Under normal circumstances, a host parasitized by vines might be drained of flesh and blood.” The smile on Chi Yao’s lips was cold. “But this one is exactly the opposite. It uses these parasitic vines to absorb prey to provide nutrients for itself.”

In the beginning, the Ghosts tried their best to stop the beast herds from entering the forest, probably because they didn’t want it to absorb nutrients and become stronger.

But later, when the herds fled outward, the Ghosts blocked them from leaving, likely intending to use them as sacrifices.

Hearing Chi Yao say this, Jing Xi said indifferently, “Feeding it full with the beast herds so they themselves suffer fewer losses. Unfortunately, they calculated wrong.”

Chi Yao: “It hasn’t fully awakened yet. We have to find a way to kill it.”

Whatever this monster was, it was too dangerous.

A cold wind carrying a strange fragrance blew into the cave.

Jing Xi: “What’s that smell?”

Chi Yao’s heart skipped a beat, his breathing unconsciously accelerating.

“It’s attracting prey again.”

Jing Xi sniffed. Aside from smelling the scent, he didn’t feel anything.

He turned to look at Chi Yao. “Then— Chi Yao, what’s wrong?”

Chi Yao was breathing rapidly, his face looking terrible.

“This smell makes me very uncomfortable.”

Jing Xi hurriedly supported his shoulders. “Is it unbearable? Put your mask on tight. Xiao Hei, activate purification mode.”

“Tried it. It’s useless.”

Cold sweat slid down from his forehead. Chi Yao propped up his forehead. “The smell will fade in about ten minutes. If other people or beasts approach, it will release this scent.”

Hearing this, Jing Xi rejoiced in his decision.

“I’ve already ordered the blockade of all jump points and intercepted all Ghosts coming here. No one should be entering in the short term.”

Chi Yao felt his heart being clutched. The thought of going out flashed through his mind over and over, but he forcibly suppressed it.

Unknown how much time passed, the scent still filled the entire space.

Chi Yao felt his consciousness becoming blurry, his reason fading in waves. Continuous perception turned into fragmented segments.

“Chi Yao?!”

Jing Xi watched as Chi Yao’s eyes turned into vertical pupils, his canine teeth sharpened, and his slender, beautiful hands gradually turned into beast claws.

He quickly undid Chi Yao’s cufflinks; the bestial transformation was still spreading.

“Chi Yao? Wake up?!”

Jing Xi didn’t know how much pain he was facing right now. He could only watch, unable to help with anything.

Hearing Jing Xi’s anxious voice by his ear, Chi Yao subconsciously hugged the person tight, burying his face in his neck and inhaling deeply.

Sensing his intention, Jing Xi released Little Blue to block the cave entrance, isolating the scent inside from outside as much as possible, while simultaneously releasing pheromones.

The sweet smell of wine pulled back some of Chi Yao’s fleeing reason.

He whispered, “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

Rather than harm, this scent was more like an inducement, inducing the activation of the beast genes in his body and suggesting he approach the core area.

Like hypnosis.

“No wonder the bestial transformation phenomenon among the Ghosts is so severe—”

Jing Xi looked serious.

Previously, they guessed the Ghosts transformed on a large scale because they encountered a strong enemy, but the facts didn’t quite match their guess.

After blocking the entrance, the scent didn’t disappear.

Jing Xi was anxious and ordered Little Blue to activate purification mode again.

Chi Yao’s voice was slightly panting. “This smell isn’t smelled; it acts directly on the nerves. Can’t block it, can’t disperse it. It’ll pass in a while.”

Jing Xi kept a cold face, his heart aching terribly.

“Xiao Hei, detect the degree of bestial transformation.”

Xiao Hei: “Bestial transformation area exceeds 15%—16%—17%—”

The degree was still increasing. Once it exceeded 30%, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Thinking of the two repair serums in his pocket, Jing Xi hesitated greatly.

The medicine developed by Qiu Tianlin shouldn’t have major issues, but using it on Chi Yao forced him to be cautious.

Chi Yao: “It’s very hungry.”

Jing Xi’s eyes flashed. “You can sense its thoughts?”

Chi Yao: “I can feel some.”

Hearing Chi Yao’s heavy breathing, Jing Xi felt very guilty.

“I’m sorry. If I hadn’t come, it might not have released this scent again—”

The scent released this time was for him.

“What silly things are you saying?” Chi Yao looked up at him. “It’s hungry. To eat, it will keep luring prey in. It has nothing to do with you.”

Seeing the changes on Chi Yao’s face, Jing Xi’s heart convulsed.

It was more serious than the rampage at the military headquarters; his ears had also undergone morphological changes.

“Is it very ugly?” Chi Yao mocked himself.

Jing Xi held his face and kissed him gently. “Qiu Tianlin gave me repair serum, but I don’t know how effective it is—”

Chi Yao took a breath. “Did you bring it?”

Jing Xi hesitated for a moment, took the medicine out of his pocket, and handed it to him.

“You decide whether to use it.”

Chi Yao glanced at it and raised his hand to take it, only to find his hands were already in the state of claws. He gave a bitter smile.

“You help me.”

Jing Xi: “Won’t you consider it more? In case—”

“For me, no consequence is more serious than turning into a beast.”

Chi Yao looked into his eyes. “You should understand me.”

Jing Xi’s throat choked up.

Perhaps Chi Yao was relatively successful among modified humans; bestial transformation could bring comprehensive improvements in strength and perception. But he also knew how much Chi Yao hated this special ability.

To Chi Yao, this was proof of his unbearable childhood.

Chi Yao had Xiao Hei return to its normal state, pulled open his collar, and looked at Jing Xi.

“Quick.”

Jing Xi’s gaze swept over his collarbone; the skin there had also become rough and hard.

He hesitated no longer, stuck the syringe into Chi Yao’s upper arm, and pushed the medicine in.

The cold liquid spread rapidly throughout the body along with the blood.

Chi Yao gritted his teeth, resisting the sensation of violent tearing.

His whole person was like boiling water, constantly reorganizing from the inside out.

Jing Xi threw away the syringe and held his hands tightly.

“It will be okay.”

Chi Yao had no time to attend to what he was saying; fighting the severe pain took all his energy.

Watching the timer on the virtual screen, Jing Xi’s heart beat wildly.

Thirty seconds later, Chi Yao’s claws gradually subsided.

One minute later, the skin on his fingers regained its delicate touch.

One minute and thirty seconds later, the skin from Chi Yao’s neck to his face recovered, and the length of his canine teeth slowly retracted.

Jing Xi wiped the cold sweat sliding down Chi Yao’s forehead.

“Feel any better?”

Seeing the unconcealable distress in his eyes, Chi Yao smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

“Qiu Tianlin really knows his stuff.”

Every bestial transformation was an unknown process.

Chi Yao thought he could control it, but modified humans were ultimately things created artificially in labs; no one knew how many unknown potential issues existed.

Perhaps one transformation would be the end of his life.

After relaxing, Jing Xi realized he had also broken into a sweat from nervousness.

“Any discomfort?”

Chi Yao shook his head, but in reality, while the bestial state was receding, he still felt very uncomfortable physically.

The scent was still working, and the effect of the repair serum was too domineering and shocking, causing him to consume a lot of stamina.

Chi Yao: “Is there another one?”

“This one is a spare.” Jing Xi handed it to Chi Yao. “Since it works, keep it for yourself.”

Chi Yao fanned his collar, didn’t take it, and said casually, “You keep it. If I lose control, you give me a shot. You’ll definitely be by my side anyway.”

Jing Xi’s heart skipped a beat, looking at him blankly.

Noticing his gaze, Chi Yao smiled: “What’s wrong, looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?”

Jing Xi shook his head and put the medicine back. “No, whatever the situation, I will accompany you.”

By the 11th minute, the scent gradually faded away.

Chi Yao breathed a sigh of relief and joked, “Survived another calamity.”

Jing Xi: “How long is the interval between releases of this scent? Or does it only release when new prey approaches?”

Chi Yao thought for a moment. “From the signal interruption until now, this is the second time.”

After confirming the scent was completely gone, Jing Xi retrieved Little Blue. There was still a big problem before them.

Only three marker points had the ability to block sound waves. They wouldn’t be discovered only if they stayed here.

Jing Xi moved two steps toward the cave entrance and asked in a low voice, “What’s your plan?”

Chi Yao leaned against the other side of the entrance, facing him.

“For any animal, the eyes are one of the fatal points. I originally planned to confirm the interval of its scent release before going over to take a look.”

An unknown creature of this size capable of releasing sound wave attacks that even warships couldn’t withstand, and emitting scents to lure all beasts into the hunting zone.

Without sufficient understanding, there was simply no way to start.

Jing Xi recalled the parasitic vines he saw on the way here and whispered, “If it has always hunted at this frequency, there shouldn’t be any mutated beasts left in this area long ago. And the Ghosts’ attitude toward it is also very subtle.”

Chi Yao: “Indeed.”

If the Ghosts discovered it early on, why didn’t they deal with it sooner?

Cetus was in Li Bo’s hands. He could have used any excuse of land reclamation to bomb the entire C85; he wouldn’t have waited until now.

Taking a step back, if they couldn’t deal with it when they discovered it, they could have just left it alone. Why risk total annihilation to suddenly rush here?

“It didn’t form in a day or two. If it hasn’t been hunting long-term, then it’s highly likely there’s a dormancy period.”

Chi Yao sneered, “Meaning, sleep when full, eat when slept enough.”

On one hand, the Ghosts didn’t want it to wake up, but after it woke, they tried every means to feed it full so it would go back to sleep.

“I’ve never heard of such a creature existing. It probably can’t be unrelated to the Organization.” Jing Xi’s face was cold.

“Not probably, definitely.”

Chi Yao crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “You forgot, these three coordinates were given by Zhang Sheng. Why would the leader of a headhunting alliance know the situation here so well?”

Judging from Zhang Sheng’s attitude and the information given.

He knew the situation here very early on and had investigated for a long time.

Jing Xi followed his logic: “This might be one of the Organization’s main activity planets, and perhaps where some missing persons were detained?”

Chi Yao: “If we can contact Zhang Sheng again, we should be able to know more. Too bad, the net is down.”

Jing Xi: “How about leaving first and making plans later?”

One of them was affected by the scent, the other by sound waves; their combat power was greatly discounted. Moreover, they couldn’t solve an enemy of this level by themselves.

Chi Yao nodded: “That’s the only way. Go back and pull the Qiu Tianlin siblings into a meeting.”

Jing Xi pressed the sensor button on the side of his personal terminal and immediately received a response from the mecha.

“I’m having the mecha fly over. Leave your fighter jet here for now.”

Chi Yao: “En.”

The Flying Dragon mecha was very fast; in less than two minutes, they heard the roar of engines.

Chi Yao looked up and saw the mecha diving vertically at nearly 90 degrees, plunging straight into the clearing ten meters outside the cave entrance.

“…Are you sure its programming isn’t scrambled?”

Jing Xi grabbed him and ran.

“The sound waves here affect it.”

Staying one minute longer meant one more minute of danger. Jing Xi had the Flying Dragon AI open the hatch and boarded with Chi Yao.

But before they could enter, the ground shook violently again, accompanied by a loud noise.

“What sound is that?!” Chi Yao held onto the hatch to stabilize himself, turning to look around.

Jing Xi frowned. “Sounds like the ground cracking.”

The ground shook severely. Chi Yao suddenly felt something was wrong.

Almost simultaneously, Xiao Hei’s voice rang in his mind.

Xiao Hei: 【This forest is detaching from the ground and is rising.】

Chi Yao thought, as expected.

He pushed Jing Xi inside and closed the hatch behind him.

“Have Flying Dragon fly to high altitude.”

The two reached the cockpit, and Jing Xi quickly issued commands.

After the mecha rose one thousand meters, the Flying Dragon AI issued constant warnings.

【Warning, mecha encountering unknown sound wave attack. Detection system malfunction. Entering self-check repair procedure—Scanning system malfunction, entering self-check—】

Jing Xi set it to ignore warnings and checked the monitoring screen with Chi Yao.

Looking down from high altitude, the “forest” seemed to have suddenly suspended in mid-air and was still rising.

“Are these two patches its wings?”

Jing Xi circled two slowly moving areas with his hand.

Such a huge thing could actually fly.

Chi Yao had a faint bad premonition.

Were the Ghosts so afraid of it because it wouldn’t just stay here, but could move to other planets?

Chi Yao pointed to the place where the eye was discovered earlier: “Xi Xi, aim a shot at this spot.”

Jing Xi: “Okay.”

But after several shots in a row, apart from blasting that patch of woods bald, it was useless.

Jing Xi: “Under the soil is its skin. Too hard to blast open.”

Chi Yao’s eyes swept over the virtual screen, showing the mecha altitude at 5000 meters. The “forest” altitude was at least 3000 meters, with no drive to slow down.

This couldn’t go on.

If it really could leave here, it would be terrifying no matter which planet it went to.

Suddenly, the ground in the blasted bald area cracked open, revealing a scarlet eye.

Through the monitoring screen, Chi Yao saw provocation in that eye.

It didn’t put them in its eyes at all.

Chi Yao rubbed his wrists and said in a deep voice, “Xi Xi, try to contact them and tell them to fly further away.”

Seeing him turn around, Jing Xi busily asked, “What are you going to do?”

Chi Yao’s face was cold. “Even if I can’t kill it, I can’t let it leave here easily.”

“Chi Yao! Don’t do anything rash!”

Jing Xi couldn’t stop him and could only try to contact the Dark Division and Flying Dragon warships first.

With Xiao Hei there, Chi Yao landed smoothly near its eye.

This eye had no pupil, but Chi Yao could feel it looking at him.

He fired a few shots; as expected, they had no effect.

Xiao Hei: 【I can only withstand this for twenty minutes. If you don’t return by then, I’ll dump you.】

Chi Yao looked down at the eye from above, his fingertips becoming slender and long. He smiled: “Enough.”

The surrounding parasitic vines began to stir, constantly piercing up through the gaps in the trees, surrounding him, waiting for the command to attack at any time.

Both sides were deadlocked for a moment. Chi Yao suddenly dove, flying towards the eye.

When he moved, the parasitic vines moved too.

By the time Jing Xi finally contacted both warships, Chi Yao’s shadow could no longer be seen.

“Drop altitude to 3500!”

Flying Dragon AI: “Warning, fuselage encountering unknown sound wave attack. Reducing altitude not recommended.”

Jing Xi had no time to correct the program. He turned off the autopilot directly and flew it himself.

With Little Red’s anti-interference, a large part of the sound waves could be canceled out, but Jing Xi was still in so much pain that cold sweat poured out.

The monitoring screen was full of thrashing parasitic vines.

Jing Xi controlled the mecha to draw the long blade on its back and dive down.

Suddenly, something white flashed before his eyes. Jing Xi quickly magnified the image.

That white object jumped agilely among the parasitic vines, blood splashing.

When he saw clearly what it was, Jing Xi stared blankly, unable to recover his senses.

It was about four meters tall, covered in soft, smooth white fur. Its sharp claws swiped across that eye, leaving several deep scratches.

This white wolf was—Chi Yao?