Yan Qi didn’t bother to explain her sister’s confusion and simply asked,
“Yan Yu, how many Flesh Blooms have we destroyed so far?”
Yan Yu thought for a moment before answering.
“Seven.”
After getting her sister’s reply, Yan Qi pressed further.
“Then how many are left?”
Yan Yu opened her mouth to answer immediately, but before she could speak, realization dawned on her.
“There are still seventeen Flesh Blooms left… I see what you mean, Daoyan.
Instead of rushing to support the Special Affairs Bureau members in Jingshan District to deal with the escaped Abyssal Beasts and the blooming Flesh Flowers, it’s better to prioritize the ones still inside the black barriers that haven’t bloomed yet.
Otherwise, even if we manage to handle the Abyssal Beasts and the blooming Flesh Flowers, the remaining ones will just keep emerging one after another. With just the two of us—even with the Bureau’s help—we’d never be able to stop all the Abyssal Beasts in time.
If that happens, we’d have no choice but to watch Ninghang City descend into chaos, giving those hidden cultists the perfect chance to take advantage of the situation.”
Hearing Yan Yu’s answer, Yan Qi wasn’t surprised that her equally sharp sister had figured it out so quickly. A faint smile crossed her lips as she praised,
“You’re pretty quick on the uptake, Yan Yu. I barely gave you any hints, and you already understood my point.”
“Don’t praise me—I don’t deserve it.”
A little embarrassed that she hadn’t grasped Yan Qi’s meaning right away, Yan Yu brushed off the compliment.
Seeing this, Yan Qi didn’t press further and simply changed the subject.
“Alright, enough about that. Let’s keep moving. The faster we destroy these unbloomed Flesh Flowers, the safer Ninghang City will be.”
“Got it. But… do you think the Bureau can really hold off the Abyssal Beasts and destroy the already-bloomed Flesh Flower in Jingshan District?”
Thinking of the situation over there, Yan Yu couldn’t help but voice her concern.
Yan Qi reassured her,
“Relax, the Bureau isn’t full of useless people. They can handle a dozen Abyssal Beasts and one blooming Flesh Flower.”
“If you say so, then I’ll trust it.”
Without another word, the two moved forward side by side, following Yan Qi’s plan to the next nearest black barrier.
Once inside, Yan Qi and Yan Yu wordlessly readied their weapons and sprinted toward the Flesh Flower’s location.
Cutting down every Abyssal Beast in their path, they were almost there when Yan Qi suddenly spotted a newly arrived figure standing beside the Flesh Flower.
The green glass bottle in the man’s hand triggered memories of her past encounters with cultists.
Realizing the danger, Yan Qi immediately hurled her spirit sword at him.
Sensing the impending threat, the cultist—who had been about to use the bottle’s contents to accelerate the Flesh Flower’s growth—rolled aside at the last second, narrowly avoiding death.
But the Flesh Flower beside him wasn’t so lucky, sliced clean in half by Yan Qi’s blade.
“Who’s there?!”
Having dodged the attack, the cultist—still unaware that the black barrier had become Yan Qi and Yan Yu’s hunting ground—snapped his gaze toward the direction of the strike.
Before Yan Qi could even answer, however, his eyes locked onto her face.
An avid internet user and devout cultist, he instantly recognized her, his expression twisting in shock.
“So it’s the Empress Daoyan who’s been ruining our plans?! Damn it, my luck is terrible today.”
Knowing full well how overpowered Empress Daoyan was, the cultist cursed his misfortune internally.
But with his mission on the line—and failure meaning certain death—he wasted no time. Smashing the remaining bottles at his waist, he unleashed his supernatural ability, summoning a swarm of deadly pathogens to overwhelm the sisters.
Seeing his subtle but ultimately futile movements, Yan Qi instantly knew what he was attempting.
“Yan Yu, get away from me—now!”
Understanding what was coming, Yan Yu didn’t hesitate. She bolted to a safe distance in seconds.
Once sure her sister was clear, Yan Qi ignited her body in azure flames, shielding herself from the cultist’s plague-based attack.
“Wha—?!”
“No time for questions. Just drop.”
Not giving him a single opening, Yan Qi—already confident his pathogens couldn’t harm her—dashed forward in a blur.
The cultist barely registered the movement before a searing pain erupted in his chest.
Then, darkness.
“Pathetic.”
Standing over the fallen cultist, Yan Qi muttered under her breath before calling out to Yan Yu.
“All clear. You can come back now.”
After making sure no stray Abyssal Beasts were lurking, Yan Yu hurried over and stared down at the unconscious man.
“How did this guy even get inside the barrier? And why didn’t the Flesh Flower attack him when he got close?”
“Probably some kind of trick. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it this far.”