When it came to speed, wind ability users were supposed to be top-notch, but those who mastered spatial teleportation had an edge over them. Qi Ze dared not underestimate the man from the other realm; after rescuing him, he didn't simply run, but activated various talismans for survivalâflying talismans, concealment talismans, earth escape talismans, breath control talismans, water control talismans, land travel talismans, and more. He employed a method of evading in a zigzag manner, constantly changing his route, gradually moving away from the scene of battle.
The man he held in his arms struggled fiercely at first, perhaps thinking that Qi Ze was also an enemy. After being slapped hard and scolded, he calmed down. The man from the other realm possessed immense mental power. Every time Qi Ze activated a talisman, he could sense the subtle changes in spiritual energy, so he kept pursuing relentlessly, never losing track. Eventually, Qi Ze stopped running forward and instead hid behind a thick wall using an earth escape talisman.
The man he had rescued was Prince Cassio, the third prince of the Kurt Empire. He hadn't expected to be abducted at all and was completely unaware of how this person had approached and managed to take him. With his 4S-level strength, even if he wasn't invincible worldwide, he was undoubtedly a top-tier powerhouse. Yet, he had encountered several individuals he couldn't handle.
One of them was the spatial ability user who had been chasing him earlier, and now, this... youth was another. Yes, he was one hundred percent sure that the person who took him away was definitely a young boy. His opponent was petite, and it was somewhat difficult for someone barely over six feet tall to hold him tightly in their arms. Therefore, he was now trying his best to stand on tiptoes, spreading his wide robe to cover himself.
Prince Cassio didn't know who this young boy was, but during the escape, he slowly realized that the boy and the spatial ability user weren't working together. The youth seemed to possess many unique abilitiesâsometimes flying high in the sky with him, sometimes diving underground, occasionally jumping into a river and swimming downstream. But even so, he couldn't shake off the pursuit of the spatial ability user.
The youth had one arm tightly around Prince Cassio and the other hand pressed against the back of his head to prevent him from moving. This was a reflexive action out of urgency, but Prince Cassio sensed a protective intent in it. He was almost certain that the youth meant him no harm and harbored no ill intentions. So, he gave up struggling and quietly stayed in the boy's arms.
The footsteps of the spatial ability user sounded outside the wall. He could have approached stealthily, but he intentionally made noise, probably intending to startle his prey. If the target felt fear or tension, they might reveal themselves.
Through the footsteps, Qi Ze immediately understood that his hiding place was temporarily safe. Back in the Qianyuan Continent, he had been continuously pursued for months. He had dealt with experts in the Soul Separation and Spirit Division stages, and even several mighty beings in the Soul Fusion stage. How could he be afraid of the current situation? As long as the man in his arms didn't betray their location, he had ways to hide.
Fortunately, the man was sensible and remained quiet, barely breathing, which somewhat balanced Qi Ze's mood. Saving someone was an impulsive act. If the person saved turned out to be valuable, it would be fine, but saving a fool would truly be a stroke of bad luck!
The spatial ability user wandered nearby and suddenly said, "Come out. I've seen you."
Qi Ze and the man remained motionless.
The spatial ability user didn't care that he hadn't tricked them out. He raised his arm and released spatial fragments, cutting apart the surrounding buildings, vehicles, street lamps, and everything else. A few of the fragments struck the magic robe and were neutralized by the defensive formation. After a round of slicing, the spatial ability user waited for a moment before launching another round, leaving the surrounding structures riddled with holes and on the verge of collapse.
Qi Ze's magic robe had already been weakened by the attacks, and he feared it wouldn't withstand much more. But at that moment, the man from the other realm canceled his probing thoughts. His spatial fragments could penetrate anything and had enough destructive power to attack enemies miles away without dissipating. Although he had merely sliced through the surrounding buildings, he had actually swept across a thousand-mile radius. If the two of them were hiding nearby, they would have likely been hit already. All that was needed was to search for corpses slowly. If no one appeared, they must have escaped, and he could search further afield.
With that thought, he prepared to leave, but then he saw several monsters crawling out of the rubble not far away, opening their bloody mouths and roaring at him. The man initially intended to ignore them, but when he turned around, he noticed a few more monsters emerging from the rubble on the other side, encircling him. He laughed coldly and then bit his fingertip, dabbing blood onto his forehead, seemingly preparing some kind of powerful move.
Qi Ze's spiritual eyes had the function of seeing through objects, and he was watching this scene intently. As an alchemist, he lacked the high combat power to resist the man's capture, but he could craft suitable weapons based on the man's weaknesses. He couldn't take revenge himself, but he had plenty of leverage to get others to help him exact revenge.
As the blood seeped into his forehead, it burst into bright light. The monsters seemed somewhat fearful, yet they were attracted by the ability user's flesh and refused to leave. After the light faded, a fierce beast six meters tall appeared in front of the man. It resembled a tiger but had the mane of a lion, with powerful muscles covering its entire body, sharp claws and fangs exposed, looking incredibly majestic.
The beast roared, causing the monsters to retreat, but their hunger overpowered reason, and they ultimately engaged in battle. The man leaped onto a lamppost and waited calmly while a massacre unfolded below him. The monsters' sharp claws could tear super alloys into pieces, but they couldn't even scratch the beast's fur. In the initial clash, despite being outnumbered, the beast's side suffered repeated defeats and soon left the ground littered with remains. The beast shook its mane and roared again before transforming into a tiny dot of light and entering the man's forehead.
The man's figure flickered and disappeared from the lamppost, seemingly retreating far away. However, Qi Ze remained hidden in the wall, pressing down firmly on the person in his arms to prevent him from acting rashly. After half an hour, the man reappeared in the same spot, gazing around for a moment before finally leaving for good.
Qi Ze waited another hour, watching as the sky darkened before cautiously peeking out. Still, he activated two invisibility talismans, not daring to reveal himself.
"Thank you," the man he had saved whispered almost inaudibly.
"I can't understand you," Qi Ze pointed to his ears and waved his hands.
"Thank you," the man immediately said in the Empire's common language.
"I understand now," Qi Ze opened his magic robe, allowing the man to step out, explaining, "I pasted an invisibility talisman on you. No one except me should be able to see you." This was one of his few high-level talismans that could avoid the notice of a Great Consummation cultivator. It should also be able to deceive the man from the other realm.
But he wasn't entirely sure, so he quickly said, "You're a local and should be familiar with this place. Can you find a safe spot to hide for a while?"
"Of course," the man led the way, introducing himself, "I'm Cassio. You're... Qi Ze, right?" The youth's face was already well-known throughout the Galaxy. The moment Cassio removed his magic robe, he recognized him, feeling a natural sense of "so that's how it is."
The spatial ability user they had encountered earlier had an extraordinary background. His level far surpassed 4S, even 5S, reaching a height unimaginable by ordinary people. To protect Cassio, the Empire had sacrificed at least a dozen top-tier experts, and even the entire T3 force fell victim to his hands. The spatial fragments he released were incredibly powerful, capable of dismembering hundreds of mechs instantly, with terrifying combat prowess.
Only Qi Ze, whose origins were even more mysterious, could successfully lead him to safety. But why was he in the Kurt Empire? Thinking about this, Cassio asked the same question.
"This is the Kurt Empire?" Qi Ze finally realized where he had landed. The Kurt Empire was one of the old empires in the Black Eye Galaxy, possessing considerable strength. Meanwhile, the Huaxia Empire was merely a rising power, still lagging behind the Kurt Empire. If he remembered correctly, the Kurt Empire had participated in the siege of the Huaxia Empire this time.
"You're too busy taking care of your own affairs?" Qi Ze pointed at the monsters climbing on the streets and buildings, mocking.
Cassio spoke bitterly, "To this day, I don't know who wants to capture me, or where these monsters come from. In just a few hours, they caused chaos in the imperial palace and then spread throughout the entire city. If this continues, the Kurt Empire will suffer the disaster of having its capital destroyed."
"The same methods, the same situation, and you still haven't realized who the culprit is?" Qi Ze glanced at him.
Cassio was shocked, "Are you saying that the man earlier was sent by Mu Ran? He also wants to deal with the Kurt Empire? The Mu family's ambition is too great!"
The mastermind wasn't Mu Ran, but Mu Feixing. They didn't seek territory but the method of resurrection. However, Qi Ze didn't intend to disclose these insider details to someone he had just met, as the person would never believe him. He sized up Cassio and noticed that the man's eyes subtly leaked spiritual light, his aura harmonious, subtly stirring the demonic aura in the air. He should be a dark ability user above the 3S level, considered a top expert in the Black Eye Galaxy, making him perfect for serving as a vessel for resurrection.
The man from the other realm had come to grab him, probably looking for experimental material. Thinking about this, Qi Ze's gloomy mood slightly improved. By foiling the enemy's plans, he had regained some interest, and he would settle the remaining grievances slowly.
As they walked, the two exchanged information and gained a certain understanding of the current situation. The Kurt Empire wasn't the only one suffering; many countries and regions had also discovered these monsters, which spread rapidly within a short period. If this continued, the zombie craze that nearly wiped out humanity would return. These new zombies were immune to ability attacks, and their physical strength rivaled that of high-level mechs. Eradicating them completely would not be something accomplished in a day or two.
"The end times have arrived," Cassio led Qi Ze to a high-end villa area and, seeing the rivers of blood and scattered limbs, couldn't help but feel a deep sorrow.
"This is a man-made disaster. Catching the culprit can solve all problems," Qi Ze set up a maze array, a separation array, an attack array, and a defensive array outside the villa before sitting in the living room to meditate. Facing an expert several levels above him, no amount of caution was excessive.
Cassio observed him continuously burying energy stones in the ground, finding his behavior rather strange, but he held back his questions.
"You say you escaped from that man's clutches?" he chose a less sensitive question.
Qi Ze closed his eyes and hummed in response.
"Why did they want to capture us?"
"To extract my memories, and to seize your body," Qi Ze spoke succinctly.
This sentence contained a massive amount of information, but as a prince, Cassio naturally thought deeper than the average person, so he quickly grasped the key points. If Qi Ze's value was measured in terms of ratio, his brain undoubtedly accounted for ninety-nine percent of his worth. Obtaining his memories was akin to acquiring a treasure trove. And as a 4S-level dark ability user, Cassio was quite rare in the Black Eye Galaxy. If one could somehow seize this power, the benefits would be endless.
"If I had known that they only wanted to capture me, I should have gone with them. My country wouldn't have suffered such a disaster," Cassio fell into endless self-blame.
"Those people come from a second-class civilization. Destroying a plane of a third-class civilization shouldn't be a difficult task. Even if you had gone with them, they wouldn't have spared the Black Eye Galaxy. Frankly speaking, the spatial ability user was merely a henchman. His master is a biologist named Doctor Kulun, who loves experimenting on humans, is deranged, and has no taboos. This monster is his creation. He targeted you with a purpose, but releasing these monsters was merely for entertainment. In his eyes, you people are mere ants. No one cares about stepping on a few ants while walking, so your self-reproach is entirely unnecessary. What's destined to happen will happen."
Qi Ze knew this mindset all too well, as the Qianyuan Continent operated similarly. Low-level cultivators might be regarded as ants by the mighty, but mortals were less than ants. Some titans could destroy a continent with a single gesture, causing countless lives to perish, but who would care?
"How do you know all this so clearly?" Cassio looked at him warily.
"I escaped from Doctor Kulun's operating table. Do you think I'm clear enough?" Qi Ze finished meditating and took out a mask from his Qiankun Bag, covering his face with it. In a blink, the mask merged with his skin, and his facial features underwent significant changes. His round and large eyes became narrow almond-shaped eyes, his black pupils turned blue, his hair turned golden and slightly curled, transforming his pure Eastern appearance into the Kurt people's high nose and broad eyebrows.
Cassio stared at him dumbfoundedly. After a moment, he sighed, "Now I understand why you could escape from those people." Ignoring the boy's miraculous means of traveling through the sky and earth, just looking at this mask was enough proof of his capabilities.
"Thank you for saving me," Cassio said seriously, "I will do everything in my power to ensure your safe departure."
"No need," Qi Ze waved his hand, "I want to stay by your side."
"Why?" Cassio touched his stunningly handsome face.
"When I'm ready, I can use you as bait to lure out that spatial ability user. He is Doctor Kulun's most capable subordinate. Killing him is equivalent to severing one of Doctor Kulun's arms." Qi Ze's expression was grim, his words laced with malice.
Cassio's hand froze, feeling somewhat self-indulgent. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Judging from my assessment, that spatial ability user is of high rank, at least above 5S. Moreover, he carries such a ferocious beast inside him. How will you kill him? Truthfully, our most elite T3 force of the Kurt Empire has already been destroyed by him. Hundreds of mechs couldn't match his strength alone. Can you imagine the scene?"
How could Qi Ze not? During his days of fleeing for his life, he had witnessed countless grand spectacles. Facing the siege of hundreds of cultivators, he could still maintain composure. Why would he be afraid of a spatial ability user in the Spirit Division stage? He didn't love holding grudges because he would retaliate on the spot, never dragging it for ten or a hundred years. Even if an alchemist's strength was inadequate, there were always various counter-killing methods.
With that thought, Qi Ze took out a mask from his Qiankun Bag and tossed it to Cassio, "Before I'm ready, don't expose your whereabouts. By the way, change your scent as well." Then he threw over a magic robe.
Cassio hurriedly thanked him but hesitated to put on the mask. Seeing Qi Ze glance over, he asked, "How do I take this mask off?" He didn't want to lose his handsome face.
"Attach your mental power to your fingertips and gently lift it off," Qi Ze demonstrated.
Cassio was reassured and repeatedly tried on the mask, pulling out a small mirror from his Interspatial Button to check himself. He was uncomfortable with this ordinary face but didn't complain, instead, grooming his hairstyle as neatly as possible to appear more handsome.
Qi Ze's temple twitched, turning his head away to avoid seeing.
Cassio put away the small mirror and comb, saying seriously, "As long as you really have a way to kill that man, I'm willing to cooperate. My people are bleeding, and as a prince, I can't just sit idly by. Of course, I'll try my best to protect you from harm. If the plan fails, I'll drag that person to hell, and you must immediately follow my subordinates and leave." Saying this, he sent an email and handed a medal to Qi Ze, instructing, "This is my token. Seeing this, any general of the Kurt Empire will be responsible for protecting you."
Qi Ze pushed the medal away, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, but it's not necessary. This grudge, I must settle. Either I live, or Kulun dies, there's no other option."
Cassio was stunned by the youth's determination and courage. Then, he frowned, "Either I live, or Kulun dies, aren't these two sentences the same meaning? What happened to dying together?"
"What are you staring at?" Feeling Cassio's odd gaze, Qi Ze lifted his eyes to glance at him.
"Nothing, I just find you as amazing as the legends. If it weren't for your invention of the pseudo-super ability mech transformation technique, the Huaxia Empire would have fallen long ago. I can understand why Mu Ran wants your memories. Even without the data left by Master Mu Feixing, sooner or later, you would surpass him. Meeting you is my luck..." Cassio incessantly praised Qi Ze while fetching a medicine box to treat his wounds.
After bandaging up, he sat with his head lowered for a while, inexplicably red-eyed, looking rather melancholy.
Qi Ze originally didn't want to bother with him, but the big man sobbed so loudly that he couldn't help asking, "What's wrong with you?"
"I forgot to bring scar removal medicine. There are too many wounds, and they're too ugly."
Qi Ze, "...Take off your pants."
"What for?"
"I want to see if you're a man or a woman."
Cassio, "..."
"Don't cry. If you stop crying, sit by the door and watch the situation outside for me," Qi Ze took out Number One, handing it a black crystal the size of a fingernail, instructing, "Tell Yan Junyu that I'm fine and ask him not to worry. If possible, please ask him to rush to the Imperial Star of the Kurt Empire immediately."
Number One opened its energy compartment, inserted the black crystal, and then knelt with a bow, seemingly saying "understood." Cassio immediately forgot about his scars, exclaiming in surprise, "Is this a mech model? You want it to help you find Yan Junyu? Do you know how far the Kurt Empire is from the Huaxia Empire?"
"Don't worry about that," Qi Ze waved his hand. Number One jumped onto the windowsill, flew into the sky, and soon disappeared. Even if separated by hundreds or thousands of light-years, it could locate Yan Junyu's position based on their connection.
"It really flew away!" Cassio stood by the window, watching for a long time, sighing, "Qi Ze, you're indeed a genius. No wonder Mu Ran wants your brain."
Qi Ze ignored him, taking out a small bottle from his Qiankun Bag and shaking it under the light. When he left Planet ME219, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he decided to take a Gu. It turned out that his intuition was correct. These monsters had Demon Resistant Bodies but were filled with demonic aura, making them ideal materials for cultivating Gu. No one understood better than him how terrifying the replicated genes of these Gu were. Since they could overcome fatal weaknesses through constant evolution, they could naturally acquire the advantages of other species through constant evolution.
If properly cultivated, he might obtain a Gu with a Demon Resistant Body. That was also the reason he summoned Yan Junyu. A powerful companion spirit beast was indeed precious, but a spirit beast with limitless potential was rare. The Gu inside Yan Junyu's body was such an existenceâit could continuously make up for its shortcomings, evolving and growing stronger. No one could predict what level it could reach.
This was why Qi Ze was obsessed with refining growth-type spirit weaponsâthe greatest joy in life lay in this.
Finally, Qi Ze's mood thoroughly improved. He took out a jar and poured the coin-sized Gu into it, soaking it in poison. After absorbing poison overnight, it should grow more tentacles. Cutting off the tentacles would produce many newborn Gu. Soaking them in poison again, waiting for the newborn Gu to grow, devour, and strengthen, cutting off their tentacles once more, and continuing to soak them in poison...
Repeating this process, he could presumably raise a fairly strong Gu in a short term. Feeding it his own blood daily and refining it in the manner of nurturing a life-bound Gu, he could make the Gu as obedient as an arm, responding without fail. At that time, Qi Ze could take it out to hunt down the monsters, allowing it to continue evolving.
The Kurt Empire lacked nothing but countless monsters. It could save lives and gain benefits simultaneously, so why not? Qi Ze took out the stored poison and slowly poured it into the large jar, the corners of his pursed lips finally curving upwards.
Cassio walked over to him and glanced into the large jar, almost screaming in fright.