Night had fully fallen when Luo Shixin arrived.
The dark sky hung low, shrouded by thick clouds that swallowed the moonlight. The night wind carried the faint yet piercing scent of burnt metal and blood. His figure descended from the air almost without a sound, his boots touching the laboratory courtyard like a falling shadow.
There was no welcome.
Only a silence that felt wrong.
The laboratory stood like a giant corpse—surrounded by thick electrified fences that crackled softly, blue currents running along their surface. Beyond the fence, darkness moved.
Rustling.
Claws scraping against the ground.
From the shadows of the trees, silhouettes of mutant humans wandered aimlessly. Their eyes reflected dim light, jaws hanging open as hoarse howls echoed from every direction. Ragged screams mixed with hungry roars, creating a symphony of madness that made the air feel heavy.
But Luo Shixin's attention was drawn elsewhere.
The sound of chaos.
From inside the laboratory.
Faint—yet unmistakable to his sharp hearing.
Metal crashing. Small explosions. Something moving… something far too large.
His eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward, then broke into a run. His body shot across the courtyard, his shadow stretching beneath the blinking red emergency lights. He forced his way through a side access door and headed straight for the main staircase.
The deeper he went, the clearer the sounds became.
Sirens wailed wildly, piercing the ears like endless screams.
The thick steel door on the ground floor had been destroyed—bent inward as if struck by a gigantic monster from the other side. Thin smoke seeped through the gaps.
Several beastmen wearing laboratory robes rushed out, their faces pale with terror.
"Move!"
They didn't even notice Luo Shixin as they ran past him, slipping on blood, falling, then scrambling back up just to flee again.
A bad premonition gripped his chest. He quickened his pace.
Then—he stopped.
His breath caught.
The sight before him felt like a newborn hell.
The laboratory floor was covered with lifeless bodies. Beastman guards lay scattered in horrifying positions—some impaled against walls, others entangled by thorned vines that had pierced through their armor. Blood pooled between the metal panels, flowing slowly like a dark crimson river.
And among it all…
golden plant tendrils writhed wildly.
They pulsed with life, covered in poisonous black thorns that lashed through the air with sharp cracking sounds. Every movement left scratches on steel, as if metal were nothing more than soft soil to them.
At the center of the destruction stood a single figure.
Xue Yunxue.
Her body remained upright despite her heavy breathing. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes torn in several places, stained with blood and dust. Dim light reflected in her cold yet exhausted eyes.
She looked small amid the ruins—
yet also like the eye of a storm that had just destroyed the world.
Luo Shixin's heart trembled. His gaze swept across the room once more.
Hundreds of guards… destroyed. Alone?
Did… this girl do all of this by herself?
For a brief moment, a strange thought crossed his mind.
Perhaps… he wasn't truly needed here after all.
But just as that thought appeared—
RAAAAUUUGHHH!!
A terrifying roar shook the air.
The sound came from deep underground. Not human. Not an ordinary mutant.
The laboratory floor trembled lightly. Then it shook again.
The vibrations grew stronger, causing pools of blood to ripple like boiling water. Ceiling lights swayed violently, electrical cables crackled, and dust fell like ash rain.
The already-cracked metal floor finally gave way.
With a deafening tearing sound, the iron flooring was ripped apart from below—forced upward as if torn open by gigantic hands. Fragments of steel flew into the air, spinning with dust and sparks.
Then something emerged.
Slowly.
A massive body filled with gray muscle crawled out from the underground darkness. Its skin looked like flesh forcibly stitched together with metal plates, black veins pulsing beneath the surface like living worms. Sharp bones protruded from its back, while its jaw opened far too wide to belong to anything human.
Its breathing was heavy.
Wet.
Each exhale released white vapor mixed with the stench of decay.
The mutant creature stood directly before Xue Yunxue.
Too close.
Too fast.
And Xue Yunxue—her energy nearly depleted—had no time to react.
The creature's eyes glowed with a dim red light.
Its arm lifted, a gigantic claw ready to strike down—
But before the attack could fall—
SWOOSH!
A sharp gust split the air.
A golden shadow dove from above at lightning speed.
Huge wings spread in a powerful motion, brown feathers gleaming beneath the red alarm lights. Luo Shixin descended like a living arrow, the air around him splitting under the pressure of his speed.
He caught Xue Yunxue just before the mutant's claw smashed into the floor.
BOOOM!
Metal exploded behind them.
The shockwave slammed into Luo Shixin's back as he pulled the girl into his arms and leapt upward, away from the monster's reach.
Startled, Xue Yunxue instinctively grabbed onto his clothes.
"Shixin…?"
Her voice was soft, almost disbelieving.
She looked up.
Luo Shixin's handsome face was incredibly close—his jaw tense, sharp eyes reflecting the red emergency lights. His breathing remained steady, yet something heavy hid behind his gaze.
He had truly come.
Come to find her.
For a moment, time seemed to slow between the powerful beats of his wings.
Warmth filled Xue Yunxue's chest… then quickly tightened again.
Luo Shixin's gaze fell on her—deep and difficult to read. Not entirely angry, yet not calm either. There was worry, restrained anger, and something more complicated than both.
A look that made her feel guilty.
Slowly, Xue Yunxue turned her face away.
She didn't dare meet his eyes any longer.
She knew.
She had ignored his warning.
She ignored Luo Shixin's warning and came here alone. Every decision had been hers—and it had nearly cost her life.
The monster's roar shook the air beneath them once more—louder, closer, sending vibrations deep into their bones.
Without hesitation, Luo Shixin beat his wings again.
The wind spiraled wildly as he carried Xue Yunxue out of the laboratory ruins. They shot through collapsing corridors, burst past a half-destroyed steel door, and emerged into the open courtyard illuminated by dim emergency lights.
He landed lightly on the ground.
Dust scattered around them as his boots touched the cracked concrete surface. Slowly, he lowered Xue Yunxue, making sure she could stand before finally releasing his embrace.
The night air felt cold—yet thick with the smell of blood and ozone.
The laboratory courtyard looked deserted.
The scientists who had been fleeing earlier were gone without a trace. Only scattered research equipment and abandoned emergency vehicles remained. In several places, burned circular marks glowed faintly on the ground—evidence of illegal teleportation device activations.
They had fled.
Leaving everything behind.
Leaving their monster behind.
Luo Shixin's gaze hardened.
If that creature escaped the laboratory grounds, the electric fence would not hold it for long. Wild mutant humans roamed outside. If the two threats met… the result would become an uncontrollable disaster.
He could not allow that to happen.
The ground behind them trembled.
The laboratory walls cracked from within.
Then—
BRAAAAKK!!
The front section of the building burst outward, chunks of concrete and steel blasting through the air like a meteor shower. From the darkness inside, something slowly crawled out.
The mutant creature emerged completely.
Its body was far larger than before—nearly two stories tall. Its skin was a grotesque fusion of rotting flesh and forcibly embedded metal plates, stitched together by pulsing black tissue. Its head was too large for its body, its jaw split almost to its ears.
A long tongue dangled outward.
Covered in sharp thorns glistening with thick greenish fluid.
Each movement produced a scraping sound like metal dragged across bone.
Its arms were long and uneven, ending in gigantic scythe-like claws. Corrosive liquid dripped from their tips, hissing as it touched the ground.
Its eyes—
were not merely red.
They were empty.
Hungry.
No awareness. No logic. Only pure killing instinct.
The creature slowly straightened, its bones cracking and shifting audibly, then lifted its head to inhale the night air like a beast newly released from a cage.
Then it saw them.
A long roar erupted from its throat, powerful enough to make the electric fence tremble.
In the distance, the howls of mutant humans beyond the fence immediately answered, as if recognizing a higher predator in the food chain.
Xue Yunxue held her breath.
What kind of creature… was this?
The night wind suddenly spiraled violently.
Luo Shixin's aura surged sharply, compressing the surrounding air until the ground trembled faintly. Golden light ignited from his body, faint at first—then growing brighter until it became blinding.
His body changed.
His bones lengthened with heavy cracking sounds as golden light wrapped around him like a reborn sun. In a burst of energy, the human form vanished, replaced by a gigantic golden eagle spreading its wings across the laboratory sky.
Its feathers gleamed like molten metal blades.
Its sharp eyes shone coldly, filled with the dominance of an apex predator.
The eagle's cry shook the air.
Its massive wings beat powerfully.
Each flap unleashed dozens of razor-sharp wind blades—golden energy knives raining downward like death itself. They struck the giant mutant repeatedly.
Flesh tore apart. Metal plates split open. Black fluid sprayed into the air.
But something was wrong.
The wounds… moved.
Black strands of flesh writhed rapidly, sealing the tears before blood could even flow. New tissue grew at a horrifying speed, merging together as if the creature possessed regenerative power.
Luo Shixin's eyes narrowed. The laboratory had successfully created a mutant with regeneration at this level.
Within seconds, the wounds vanished.
Faster.
Far faster than the level-eighty mutant Xue Yunxue once faced in the contaminated forest.
The monster even appeared more ferocious, as if pain only made it more alive.
Its roar echoed as the thorned tongue lashed through the air, smashing into the ground and exploding the concrete.
Xue Yunxue clenched her teeth.
Without wasting time, she pulled several potion bottles from her storage pouch. Her hands trembled slightly as she removed the stoppers and drank the recovery liquids one by one.
Warm fluid flowed down her throat.
Her nearly depleted energy gradually returned. She activated her healing ability, restoring the wounds across her body until she was completely recovered as before.
"I can still fight…" she whispered softly.
She raised her hand.
The ground beneath her feet pulsed.
Plant roots burst through the earth, spreading rapidly toward the monster's legs. Green vines mixed with golden light wrapped around its body, attempting to restrain its movements.
Thorns grew, piercing joints and gaps between metal plates.
The golden eagle in the sky immediately seized the opening—Luo Shixin dove sharply from above, claws blazing with energy, striking the monster's shoulder with destructive force.
BOOOOM!
The ground cracked.
The monster was pushed back several meters.
But before they could breathe in relief—
another sound began to rise.
Rustling. Growling. Hungry howls.
The fierce battle had drawn the attention of creatures beyond the fence.
Around the laboratory, shadows began gathering.
Dozens… then hundreds of mutant humans arrived, their eyes glowing in the darkness. They surrounded the electric fence like beasts drawn by the scent of fresh blood.
Electric currents lashed their bodies.
Flesh burned.
Smoke rose.
Yet they did not retreat.
Some mutants even threw themselves against the fence, their bodies charred yet still crawling forward. Burned hands clutched the wires, flesh melting while their jaws continued to snarl wildly.
But Xue Yunxue did not stop.
She ignored the pain, ignored the exhaustion gnawing at her bones. Amid flashing electricity and the heavy scent of blood filling the air, she advanced alongside Luo Shixin with a single shared goal—
to destroy that creature… no matter the cost.
The golden eagle swooped low, its shadow sweeping across the ground like a giant blade. Wind blades spiraled around it, tearing away pieces of mutant flesh bit by bit. Chunks of tissue scattered, striking the ground with sickening wet sounds.
But the monster did not fall.
Its body pulsed.
Wounds closed.
New flesh grew over old flesh like something that refused death itself.
Suddenly—the giant head lifted.
Its long tongue extended outward, writhing like a living creature of its own. The black thorns along its surface trembled… then opened.
In a split second—
Hundreds of poisonous spikes fired at once.
The air instantly became a sea of black projectiles. The spikes shot forward with piercing whistles, slicing through the wind like a storm of deadly needles that left no space to breathe.
The night sky seemed to darken.
Luo Shixin beat his golden wings, twisting midair to evade. Winds spiraled violently around him as energy blades burst outward to deflect the attack—
but the distance was too close.
Several spikes pierced his shoulder.
Toxic energy exploded inside his body like freezing fire. The golden light surrounding the eagle flickered chaotically, his spiritual formation cracking one by one like glass struck by a hammer.
The eagle's cry faltered. Its massive wings lost rhythm. Its body wavered—
then fell.
He slammed into the ground with a terrifying crash, shattering concrete and sending a towering wave of dust into the air. Golden light shattered into scattered fragments—and within that flash, the eagle form collapsed, replaced once more by his human body.
Luo Shixin knelt at the center of the small crater created by his impact.
His breathing was heavy. Every inhale felt like drawing burning embers into his lungs.
Fresh blood flowed from his shoulder, but its color slowly darkened. The poison spread rapidly beneath his skin, the veins along his neck turning blackish-blue, writhing like living creatures crawling toward his heart.
Pain scorched his nerves mercilessly.
Yet his eyes—remained sharp.
Calm.
Not a single trace of retreat could be seen.
"Let me treat your wounds first!" Xue Yunxue's voice rang out in panic as she ran toward him, breathing hard.
Luo Shixin did not even turn his head.
"Let me defeat it first."
His voice was low and steady, like an unshakable stone against a storm—a general who had survived too many battlefields to fear pain.
Golden light gathered once more in his palm. Slowly… then brighter and brighter.
Spiritual energy condensed, forming a long golden sword. Its blade pulsed like the core of a sun, releasing pressure so intense that the surrounding air trembled and the ground cracked faintly beneath it.
Without waiting—he dashed forward.
Fast.
Far too fast for ordinary eyes to follow.
The monster roared and swung its claw, the massive strike tearing through the air with enough force to rip apart armored vehicles. But Luo Shixin had already vanished from its attack path.
He appeared directly beneath the monster's body.
At the same moment—
Xue Yunxue raised both hands. The earth answered her call.
Cracks spread rapidly before the ground exploded open. Giant vines burst forth like ancient serpents, coiling around the monster's legs and piercing the gaps between its metal plates. Thorned roots drove deep, tearing flesh while restraining its violent movements.
The creature thrashed wildly, struggling to tear apart the plants binding it.
"Now!" Xue Yunxue shouted.
Green light filled the air around her.
Hundreds of energy blades formed—thin as leaves, yet radiating deadly sharpness. They trembled briefly… then shot forward all at once.
A rain of green swords pierced the monster from every direction.
Flesh split open.
Bones cracked with horrifying sounds.
Black fluid sprayed outward like rotten rain, vaporizing the ground upon contact.
The monster's roar shook the night.
Beyond the electric fence, the mutant horde howled wildly as if sensing the suffering of a higher predator within their evolutionary chain.
The gigantic body finally faltered.
Its knees slammed into the ground.
That opportunity came only once.
Luo Shixin leapt.
All his energy gathered into the golden sword in his hand. Blinding light wrapped around him, turning his silhouette into a spear of light descending from the sky.
His target was clear—the chest. The core of the creature's life pulse.
But just before his blade reached its mark—
the monster's tongue lashed out.
Fast. Unnaturally fast. Like a living shadow.
The thorned tip pierced straight through Luo Shixin's chest.
His body jerked violently midair.
His breath stopped. The world suddenly fell silent.
"Shixin!" Xue Yunxue cried anxiously.
Pain exploded from his chest, spreading through his entire body like thousands of blades twisting at once. Warm blood poured out, soaking his clothes and dripping onto the monster's face below.
Yet—his eyes remained open.
His grip did not waver.
With a low roar that sounded almost like the growl of a wounded beast, Luo Shixin pushed himself forward instead—allowing the thorn to pierce deeper just to close the remaining distance.
Closer.
Close enough to kill.
Then—he thrust his sword.
The golden blade pierced the monster's chest, shattering bone and tearing through the organs within. Golden energy erupted from the wound, burning its flesh from the inside.
His hand drove deeper.
Warm. Slick.
He felt something beating powerfully beneath layers of writhing flesh.
The mutant's heart.
He seized it.
The creature roared in desperate agony, its body convulsing violently, but Luo Shixin did not release his grip.
With one powerful pull—he tore it out.
A wet ripping sound filled the air.
The massive heart was ripped free, still beating wildly in his hand, pumping black blood that evaporated before finally cracking… and crumbling into ash.
The monster's roar stopped abruptly.
Its body froze.
Then slowly collapsed, like a mountain of flesh that had lost its soul.
Silence.
At last—silence.
Xue Yunxue froze for a brief moment before her senses returned. She ran as fast as she could, nearly slipping on blood as she reached Luo Shixin.
"Shixin!"
She knelt beside him.
With trembling but careful hands, she pulled the black thorn from his chest. Dark poison flowed out along with blood, causing Luo Shixin's breathing to falter.
She forced herself to remain calm. Seeing the blood pouring from his body made panic rise within her—she had to stop the bleeding immediately.
Xue Yunxue supported his body against her shoulder, pulling them away from the monster's corpse, which still emitted rising heat.
Behind them, the giant mutant's body began to decay, its flesh collapsing like dead mud.
She looked at Luo Shixin in panic.
His face was pale—far too pale. Blood continued to seep from the wound in his chest, slipping through his own fingers as he tried to press it closed. His breathing was uneven, each inhale sounding like blades scraping his lungs from within.
"Shixin… stay awake… don't pass out…" Her voice trembled without her realizing it.
Her hands moved quickly.
Potion bottles appeared one after another from her storage space. Emerald, pale blue, and transparent golden liquids were poured without hesitation onto his wound. The thick scent of herbs mixed with blood filled the air.
She pressed her palm against his chest.
Warm green light ignited.
Healing energy flowed slowly, penetrating his skin and entering every layer of his body. The light moved like a gentle river, cleansing the black poison spreading through his veins.
The dark veins along Luo Shixin's neck pulsed violently before gradually fading.
He closed his eyes, jaw tightening as he endured pain that nearly shattered his consciousness.
But they had no time.
Behind them—the laboratory's electric fence finally began to collapse.
Sparks burst wildly as countless mutants continued hurling themselves forward without fear. Their flesh burned, bones exposed, yet they crawled onward like living corpses driven by hunger alone.
One support pillar snapped.
Then another.
And finally—the fence broke.
A wave of mutants flooded in like a black tide.
Growls, howls, and the grinding sound of bones filled the night. Countless red eyes locked onto them with pure madness.
Xue Yunxue turned sharply, breathing fast.
No…
She had to leave now.
She reached into her clothing and pulled out two small teleportation token. Its surface glowed faintly as ancient symbols lit up when infused with her energy.
But before she could activate it—
a shadow leapt from the right.
A group of mutants charged toward them, bodies twisted and deformed—some with extra limbs, others crawling with bones protruding through their skin.
Xue Yunxue stepped in front of Luo Shixin.
She had no choice but to switch into defensive mode.
Plant vines erupted instantly, piercing the ground and lashing through the air. Sharp thorns skewered the first mutant, destroying it before it could approach.
But more came.
And among them—high-level mutants began to appear.
Their bodies were larger, movements faster, their savage aura crushing the air itself. They leapt over the corpses of their own kind, attacking without pause.
Xue Yunxue clenched her teeth. Her energy was nearly exhausted. Her hands began to tremble.
Despair slowly crept into her chest—then she remembered something.
A temporary spiritual energy enhancement potion.
She had created it but never tested it before.
Maybe… this was the moment.
She quickly pulled out a small red-gold bottle, uncorked it without hesitation, and drank it in one gulp.
The liquid felt like fire.
Energy exploded within her body.
Her blood vessels glowed, her breathing grew heavy, and her spiritual pressure surged violently, cracking the ground around her. Her eyes shone with black-golden light.
Giant vines rose from the earth like enraged living creatures. They attacked wildly in all directions—piercing, crushing, and hurling mutants into the air before smashing them back into the ground.
Blood and flesh scattered everywhere. Horrifying screams filled the laboratory courtyard.
Yet their numbers did not decrease.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
Time felt like an endless nightmare.
Every fallen mutant was immediately replaced by another. The horde grew larger, more frenzied, drawn by the scent of blood and overflowing spiritual energy. She had slaughtered hundreds, yet their numbers seemed unchanged.
Xue Yunxue's body began to weaken. The potion forced her beyond her limits.
Her vision trembled. Her breathing grew heavier.
"Just… a little longer…" she murmured.
With her remaining strength, she slammed her hand onto the ground.
The giant vines gathered, intertwining and merging together, forming a living thorn-covered dome that enclosed both her and Luo Shixin. Long spikes grew outward, resisting the relentless attacks of mutants crashing against it from outside.
Repeated impacts shook the dome violently. Cracks began to spread across its surface.
She knew it would not hold for long. With trembling hands, she raised the teleportation token once more.
Her energy was nearly depleted, so she activated it immediately.
Light flared. Symbols spun rapidly.
The sound of the world seemed to fold in on itself.
Outside, the mutant horde roared as the plant dome began to shatter.
Within seconds—Xue Yunxue and Luo Shixin vanished from the battlefield of slaughter, leaving behind the laboratory courtyard once again filled with screams and darkness.
The passageway appeared in a burst of fractured light, like shattered glass. In an instant, the chaotic world behind them disappeared, replaced by the suffocating silence of night.
Darkness enveloped the narrow corridor. Damp stone walls reflected faint light from an old lamp that was nearly extinguished. A gentle night breeze drifted through, carrying a cold, quiet scent that felt unfamiliar—yet Xue Yunxue recognized this place.
It was a teleportation point she had used before.
Without wasting time, she immediately knelt beside Luo Shixin.
Her trembling hand slowly rose, and a soft green glow flowed from her palm. Healing energy seeped into Luo Shixin's body like warm water in the middle of winter.
Moments later, his eyelids trembled.
His breath caught before he slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Xue Yunxue's face.
So close. So real.
He could clearly see her concern for him—pure and sincere.
The girl bit her lip, enduring pain that showed clearly in the veins standing out on her forehead. Healing energy consumed immense spiritual power. Cold sweat dampened her temples, yet her hands never stopped channeling energy. Her gaze remained focused—as if the world around her no longer mattered.
For a moment, Luo Shixin said nothing.
Within his body, still numb from poison, something slowly melted inside his chest.
Warmth.
A strange yet comforting feeling spread through him. All this time, he had believed he was merely one among many standing at her side. He had even felt foolish jealousy toward Lu Xiao—thinking Xue Yunxue's care was divided, never truly sincere.
But now…
He saw it clearly.
There was no pretense in her eyes. No calculation.
Only sincerity.
Xue Yunxue did not choose who was more important. She cared for all of them the same way—with her whole self, leaving nothing behind for herself.
And precisely because of that… his chest felt tighter.
"Why… do you always push yourself this far…" he murmured softly, his voice nearly lost beneath his own breathing.
The healing light gradually dimmed.
Xue Yunxue's body began to tremble. The effects of the energy-enhancing potion had clearly reached their limit. Her vision blurred, yet she endured, gritting her teeth as the final wounds on Luo Shixin's body slowly closed.
Cold crept into her fingertips. Her hearing began to fade.
Yet she still managed a faint smile—a small, relieved smile that was almost invisible.
The moment Luo Shixin's injuries fully healed, the light in her hands vanished.
Her body instantly lost all strength.
She fell.
Luo Shixin's eyes widened.
"Yunxue—!"
His body moved on instinct, catching her before her head could strike the stone floor. Xue Yunxue's body felt incredibly light… and frighteningly cold.
Like a flower that had lost the warmth of life.
"Yunxue… Yunxue… wake up…"
His voice trembled—something he himself had never heard before. He gently shook her shoulders, but there was no response.
His chest felt as though it were being crushed.
Panic. A foreign yet terrifying fear crept upward within him.
He forced his body to move. His legs were still numb from the lingering poison, but he refused to yield. With great effort, he sat upright while holding Xue Yunxue closer, trying to share his body warmth with her.
For the first time, Luo Shixin realized something he could no longer deny.
He did not merely want to protect her.
He needed her.
More than he had ever admitted.
His hands trembled as he finally activated his communication device.
"Shaotian…" His voice was low yet urgent, almost pleading.
"Come now. Find us."
He lowered his head, his forehead touching Xue Yunxue's cold hair, and gently kissed her forehead.
"Hold on…" he whispered softly, filled with aching worry.
"I haven't had the chance to say… thank you."
And for the first time in his life, Luo Shixin truly hoped—not as a great general, not as a powerful beast—
but as a man afraid of losing someone who had quietly warmed his heart.