Wu You and Xia Panqiu, as if arranging their affairs, finished telling Chen Lusi their final requests.
The atmosphere was somewhat tense.
Both of them were well aware of what this meant for Chen Lusi.
So, after Chen Lusi said, "I will help," both remained silent instead of responding.
After bandaging Xia Panqiu, Chen Lusi looked up slightly at the night sky, also falling silent, lost in thought.
Two hours.
Half of it had quickly passed.
Xia Panqiu held her phone and suddenly said, "Xiaoxiao said he would come over, but he must take on the guardian responsibility and bring the 'daughter' along. She said she couldn't joke with the entire Celestial Strategy Mansion… so it will be slow."
"Understandable."
Wu You lit another cigarette, exhaled a breath, and said, "This is already risky. We'll try to stall as long as we can. Hopefully, this ghost story can last a bit longer."
[Interesting, interesting, interesting...]
As soon as he finished speaking.
The low murmur like a dream began to echo.
Wu You turned around, looking at the tramp appearing on the grave mound, eyes rolling back, and sighed, "Well, a ghost story relying on scares won't last long."
"I want to ask something."
Chen Lusi, brought back to his senses by the tramp's murmur, also turned around.
He withdrew his gaze from the night sky and suddenly asked, "Do you have a technique that can enhance reaction ability, allowing people to see attacks clearly…"
Wu You was puzzled and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Like me."
Chen Lusi pointed at himself, "My arm can transform into a blade, but I've never been trained. Not to mention fighting; I am not even cannon fodder… Since you've recruited someone like me, you should have a solution for it, right? Like some techniques that can change this situation?"
"..."
Xia Panqiu and Wu You exchanged glances, then replied softly, "There is, but you can't learn it… or rather, it's difficult to master at your current stage."
"Why?" Chen Lusi turned to Xia Panqiu.
Upon hearing the question, Xia Panqiu raised her uninjured left hand and slowly clenched her fist.
Under the moonlight.
Chen Lusi clearly saw the veins under Xia Panqiu's fair and slender arm gradually becoming prominent, and a dim blue light slowly flowed along with the blood.
"All body-based techniques involve certain risks."
Xia Panqiu explained softly, "For example, the 'Partial Enhancement' I'm using. This technique is simple. It uses the spirit to enhance parts of the torso, allowing you to have physical qualities beyond ordinary humans for a short time. But the effects and side effects of using such a technique in the Oozing Blood Stage and the Incarnation Stage are different. Using it in the Oozing Blood Stage has almost no side effects, but in the Incarnation Stage, it might lead to swelling, pain, or even dismemberment of body parts.
To put it simply, the degree of our body's alteration directly determines the effect and consequences of using the technique.
The technique you mentioned exists, which we call 'Eye'. It's one of the basic techniques and can enhance reflex nerves from the sensory side. But the minimum requirement to use this technique is the Oozing Blood Stage, because only at that stage, when the spirit surges with the blood inside the body, can you largely change the body functions without leaving severe side effects.
I don't know how far you've progressed, but you're definitely not at Oozing Blood. Under such circumstances, wanting to use 'Eye' by forcibly altering body functions with a slight spiritual force inside you will result in very severe side effects."
"... Such as?"
After a moment of hesitation, Chen Lusi asked.
"Becoming blind, or even having your head explode, is possible."
Xia Panqiu lowered her hand and said softly, "Techniques that directly act on the body are not to be taken lightly. Moreover, even if you start learning now, it's too late. Becoming proficient in a technique requires a lot of practice... and we've abandoned the practice method of memorizing techniques forcibly through actions and short phrases. It's practically impossible to learn in a short time."
"Is it that terrifying?"
Somewhat at a loss, Chen Lusi pondered and said, "Then, teach me anyway… Maybe I can learn it. Besides, let me ask, does Celestial Strategy provide compensation for fallen members?"
Looking into Chen Lusi's eyes, Xia Panqiu shook her head, "... It doesn't have to come to that."
Wu You interjected as well, "Yeah, young man, we don't want you performing a 'blind eye' show in front of me... We appreciate your kind intentions, but honestly, even if you could learn 'Eye', it wouldn't change anything."
"... Actually, I have an idea."
After a moment's hesitation, Chen Lusi picked up the short knife given by the mature woman from the ground, which was intended for a 'duel' with Li Tian, and explained, "My Authority Ability is the Transforming Blade, right? Since they're both Authority Abilities, even if my blade can carry edges, Lu Hao shouldn't be able to control it, right?"
"... There's no such precedent." Wu You said, nodding with curiosity.
"Actually, my Authority Ability not only allows me to transform my limbs into blades, but also to create blades by bloodletting."
Hearing the confirmation, Chen Lusi raised the short knife in his hand, "So, if I cover this short knife with my blood, wouldn't I have a weapon Lu Hao can't control?"
Wu You looked at the short knife in Chen Lusi's hand under the moonlight, his eyes lighting up.
"It's useless. Even if you have a weapon, you're still no match for Lu Hao."
Xia Panqiu bit her lower lip and said softly, "Let alone piercing his heart."
"It's for you to use."
Shaking his head, Chen Lusi handed the short knife to her, "In such a situation, if it's a real fight, my arm transforming into a blade would be more useful."
Xia Panqiu hesitantly asked, "Then what's your plan…?"
"This is what I'm thinking... How about I 'duel' Lu Hao?"
Through meditation, Chen Lusi activated his ability to sense the spirit. Upon opening his eyes, he explained while raising his hand, employing an old trick to gather all the floating light points around him into his palm.
"Duel..."
"Chen Lusi, damn! What did you do?!"
Xia Panqiu was still confused.
Wu You couldn't sit still, for he witnessed with his own eyes, as Chen Lusi raised his hand and devoured the surrounding spirit like a whale, that the body of the tramp rolling his eyes on the grave mound gradually became faint, as if being torn by something.
He suddenly jumped up, shocked and exclaimed: "Stop quickly, the Anomaly Realm is about to collapse!"
"..."
Chen Lusi swallowed the oversized 'Spirit Pearl' in her palm in one gulp, then covered her mouth to suppress the nausea, and muttered, "Then quickly teach me the 'Eye', I really have an idea."
Wu You: "..."
Xia Panqiu: "..."
...
"...can't even last two hours."
On the stone arch bridge.
Lu Hao watched the body of the tramp gradually become translucent and smiled faintly.
"Lu Hao, I just got news that Xiaoxiao is bringing her 'daughter' over here."
The mature woman with a peony tattooed on half of her face put down her phone and suddenly spoke.
Lu Hao casually asked, "When did they set off?"
"About half an hour ago."
Lu Hao looked at the tramp, who had stopped pacing and whose body was becoming increasingly translucent, and sneered, "Starting from Peng City, it takes at least four hours; the 'vegetables' will already be cold."
Next to him.
Li Tian, clutching his right hand that had barely stopped bleeding, heard this and showed a look of despair on his face.
"Are you scared?"
Lu Hao noticed him, approached him, patted his shoulder, and whispered, "Don't be afraid. I just said, I really like your Authority Ability. As long as you kill your old companions, you will become my companion... They abandoned you anyway, didn't they?"
"..."
Li Tian trembled, not daring to speak.
Lu Hao looked at the frightened Li Tian, showing a malicious smile, and asked, "What are you going to do?"
Li Tian, under the gaze, stammered, "... Kill my companions."
Lu Hao stared at him, "What?"
Li Tian whispered, "... Kill Chen Lusi."
Lu Hao still wouldn't let go of him, "I still can't hear you."
Li Tian gritted his teeth and replied word by word, "Kill-Chen-Lusi."
"Hahaha."
Lu Hao couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Yes.
Just like that.
The feeling of dominating the weak.
The mature woman with the peony tattoo also laughed, amused by the change in Li Tian's expression.
Their laughter echoed together.
Pure malice blended within.
Li Tian slowly lowered his head, his body shaking even more.
He regretted it very much, truly regretted it.
If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have joined the Celestial Strategy.
No one said he would encounter something like this...
"Lu Hao."
At this moment, a stout man with a dull expression suddenly called out.
Lu Hao stopped laughing, turned to look at the tramp who was about to completely dissipate, with a faint smile.
Time flowed slowly.
In just a minute.
The tramp could no longer maintain a human form.
Gradually dismantling, drifting away with the wind.
Three stones fell to the ground.
In the next moment.
Chen Lusi, Wu You, and Xia Panqiu were abruptly expelled, appearing suddenly at the other end of the bridge, falling down.
"We meet again."
Lu Hao looked at the three on the ground, smiled, and greeted them.
"..."
Chen Lusi got up, patted her pants, looked at Lu Hao, took a deep breath, and directly asked: "Lu Hao... have you seen Xia Panqiu in white silk?"
"..."
The moment this question was asked.
Everyone fell silent.
Xia Panqiu slowly lowered her head, looked at her toes, and bit her lower lip hard.