The second floor of the inn wasn’t very high, and considering the large lawn downstairs with soft ground, when the people were thrown out from the explosion, except for a few unlucky ones who bumped into rocks and were dizzy, most of them quickly shook their heads and stood up from the ground.
Bai Jingru’s supernatural ability primarily enhanced her physical qualities, including perception. With a single glance, she realized that among the thrown-out individuals, Zhao Xiaokui was not there.
She swung open the car door and rushed down, grabbing the collar of the nearest person who had stood up, asking, “What happened? Where is Zhao Xiaokui from the Huaxia team? What exactly happened!”
“No—,” someone suddenly shouted at this moment.
Bai Jingru turned around, only to see Shen Zhifei, who had come down at the same time as her, rushing straight towards the inn.
“Stop her!” someone in Huaxia shouted; he looked like a member of the Nightwalkers. “Captain Zhao is out of control! Don’t let her go up; she’ll be in mortal danger!”
“I’ll go check!” Phyllis jumped out of the car, blocking Bai Jingru, who was ready to run towards the inn and rushed towards the inn.
But just as she reached the entrance, a piercing and painful howl echoed through the sky.
Everyone, whether they had stood up or not, standing or sitting, revealed expressions of pain in the midst of this scream.
Even Phyllis, with the highest superhuman level and the strongest resistance to this impact, was momentarily dazed.
She lifted her head, and her light green eyes suddenly deepened. At the same time, large areas of her exposed body began to show fish-scale-like emerald green scales. Despite feeling immense pressure exerted on herself upon entering the superhuman form, Phyllis furrowed her brows, but still bravely charged in.
As Phyllis rushed inside, Shen Zhifei had already reached the stairs of the inn.
When the screams erupted, she instinctively covered her ears but was surprised to find that the menacing sound did not cause her any harm. Instead, she could discern pain and grievance within this resounding voice.
Quickening her pace, she ran upstairs.
Soon, she reached the second floor and could see what had happened.
The second floor of the inn was now in complete disarray.
Supported by several pillars, the roof appeared precarious.
Cracks marred the ground, and the wooden floor was peeling layer by layer. In some places, large gaps had opened up, offering a direct view of the first floor. However, none of these details captured Shen Zhifei’s attention. What truly drew her gaze was the mermaid girl rolling continuously amidst the wreckage.
Zhao Xiaokui was in a miserable state.
In her fully manifested superhuman form, she tightly closed her legs, rolling on the ground.
The earlier scream seemed to have exhausted the strength within her, and now, she silently opened her mouth, adopting a roaring posture. Long, sharp fangs extended outside, but there was no sound emanating from her throat.
This version of Zhao Xiaokui was undoubtedly terrifying.
Already beautiful, her fierce expression made her resemble a beast about to prey on someone.
Just by looking at her appearance, an endless fear emerged from the depths of the heart, instilling a sense of dread.
“Xiaokui.” Shen Zhifei softly called Zhao Xiaokui’s name and approached her. “Xiaokui…”
Zhao Xiaokui paid no attention to her arrival.
She continued to destroy everything within her sight, and at the end of her two straight and slender legs, there seemed to be an invisible fishtail.
This unseen tail whipped through the air with each of her rolls, creating explosive sounds. Wherever the tail reached, everything shattered and ruptured, turning into powder.
As Shen Zhifei approached Zhao Xiaokui, she knelt on the ground.
The continuously rolling Zhao Xiaokui suddenly rolled towards her direction and was tightly embraced by Shen Zhifei, who extended her hands.
She made an effort to press her forehead against Zhao Xiaokui’s, attempting to enter her consciousness and soothe her uncontrollable state.
However, Zhao Xiaokui did not cooperate; her dark golden eyes were cruel and bloodthirsty, almost breaking free from Shen Zhifei’s grasp several times.
Shen Zhifei could hear the impatient sound of the invisible fishtail whipping through the air. Holding Zhao Xiaokui, she felt a heart-wrenching pain. “Xiaokui, Xiaokui, can you hear my voice? Don’t be afraid, I’m by your side, don’t be afraid…”
The lifeless eyes of Zhao Xiaokui, as if truly hearing her voice, suddenly stopped moving. She turned her head, and her dark golden eyes stared straight at Shen Zhifei.
In the next moment, Shen Zhifei felt a sharp pain in her neck.
A large amount of fresh blood flowed from her veins, continuously pouring into Zhao Xiaokui’s mouth, bringing a slight chill to Zhao Xiaokui, who felt like she was rolling in a blazing fire.
For the illusion, Zhao Xiaokui actually had a way to cut off its source.
That was by devouring all the souls that constructed this illusion. Without souls, there would be no obsession, and the illusion would naturally collapse.
However, this was evidently a method to be used only in extreme circumstances.
In the military camp within the illusion, most of the soldiers had ascended to supernaturals from ordinary people, and their souls were not particularly powerful.
If it weren’t for the powerful obsession supporting them, the thousands or even tens of thousands of souls would not have been able to endure until today.
However, when ordinary things accumulate to a certain quantity, it becomes quite a formidable matter.
At Zhao Xiaokui’s current level, devouring the souls of a dozen ordinary supernaturals was no problem, and with some effort, she could handle a hundred. However, several thousand or even tens of thousands of souls, including many second or even third-order supernaturals, exceeded Zhao Xiaokui’s swallowing limit.
But the imminent occurrence of the battle forced her hand.
She had no choice but to quickly devour all the souls, preparing to regurgitate them once the illusion was broken.
However, she didn’t anticipate that her body’s supernatural energy would be so greedy.
Almost as soon as the first soul entered her body, her supernatural energy rejoiced and eagerly began to transform and absorb the energy brought by the souls.
After leaving the illusion, she tried to regurgitate the already-swallowed souls but found it impossible.
Her supernatural energy was incredibly greedy, to the point that it didn’t obey her mental control. It firmly clung to the devoured souls, refusing to let go, showing an attitude of not stopping until it finished eating.
What could Zhao Xiaokui do? She could only endure it.
Fortunately, the souls in the military camp had been dead for many years. They appeared intact but were actually broken to the point where only a few simple scenes remained in their memories. Occasionally, vivid memories flashed by, such as a fiancée waiting at home, parents hoping for their child to succeed, and a newborn child. These scenes were fleeting.
Even the deepest obsession, worn away by time, is ultimately reduced to the simplest and most primitive thought.
In normal circumstances, these souls were like a bag of potato chips for Zhao Xiaokui – a casual and easy consumption.
The fleeting fragments of memories had no impact on her consciousness whatsoever.
But what if there were tens of millions of similar fragments?
Soldiers from different places, speaking various dialects, sincere and heartfelt admonitions, and genuine concerns, all converged into an incomprehensible murmur. Countless voices simultaneously echoed, creating a storm in Zhao Xiaokui’s consciousness. She desperately resisted this pollution caused by the power of ordinary people.
Under the harassment of countless memories, she felt a splitting headache, wishing to pass out, yet compelled to scan through each scene. Meanwhile, the supernatural power constantly absorbing external forces began to transform her body as it accumulated to a certain degree.
Except for the forced enhancement when she first returned due to an ordinary person’s body being unable to bear Zhao Xiaokui’s soul, all of Zhao Xiaokui’s subsequent advancements were gentle and just right. Her body grew bit by bit under the infiltration and nourishment of power, continuously increasing in strength. However, this time, with the infusion of immense energy, Zhao Xiaokui once again experienced the long-forgotten pains of growth.
She felt like a piece of iron being sandwiched over a raging fire, where the scorching flames aimed to melt her, shaping her into the desired form. Bones, muscles, blood—everything felt intensely hot as if about to boil.
It wasn’t until she was embraced by Shen Zhifei, with the familiar scent and voice, that she regained a semblance of consciousness.
When Shen Zhifei’s voice sounded, those constant whispers around her ears suddenly became distant. Although still audible, they seemed as if coming from the other side of a mountain, unable to disturb her thoughts.
As Shen Zhifei held her, she felt an unprecedented comfort, her entire soul intoxicated, akin to being drunk, only wanting to drift into a deep slumber in that embrace.
Suddenly, she sensed a strong thirst.
She stared at Shen Zhifei, an inner voice telling her that this person carried the beverage she desired.
As Shen Zhifei’s blood entered her throat, it quickly neutralized the surging power. In an instant, the gentle force repaired the bones and muscles, previously filled with cracks during the transformation.
Reluctant to drink more of Shen Zhifei’s blood, yet strangely unwilling to stop, she forced her fangs out as the pain eased to a bearable level.
Shen Zhifei’s wound healed instantly, but Zhao Xiaokui used her fangs to gently brush against the healed skin as if showing reluctance to part.
The slightly dizzy Shen Zhifei pressed down on Zhao Xiaokui’s forehead, preventing her from continuing to feed.
She didn’t mind sacrificing her own life for Zhao Xiaokui, but she didn’t want her to wake up and find a severely wounded or dying lover.
Zhao Xiaokui was obedient; despite the strong desire for a few more sips, she obediently retracted her fangs, like a child snuggling in Shen Zhifei’s embrace.
The sky outside gradually brightened.
Phyllis, who had been observing on the second floor for quite some time, cautiously asked, “Is she okay now?”
Shen Zhifei’s face was pale, lips dry and peeling. She gently stroked Zhao Xiaokui’s hair, gazing into her eyes with tenderness. “Do you know where we can find water? She might need some.”
Arthur, carrying the still-living representative from the Y City, approached and inquired, “Do you know where there’s water?”
The Y City representative, eyes filled with horror as he witnessed the events on the second floor, looked at Zhao Xiaokui with fear. Hearing Arthur’s question, he shivered and said, “There’s a lake right next to the town of Fula. If you need a large amount of water, you can go there.”
Shen Zhifei nodded at him, “Thank you.”
The man dryly replied, “It’s my honor to be of assistance.”
His tone was filled with admiration.
To make an uncontrollable superhuman become gentle, this seemingly gentle and harmless woman must be incredibly powerful!