“If we don’t act now, once the Flesh Blossom matures, the people of Ninghang City will suffer terribly.”
Fully aware that the Flesh Blossom was on the verge of maturity, Yan Qi answered her sister’s question before swiftly drawing her bonded spiritual sword—her signature weapon as the Dao Yan Empress—from the void. Without hesitation, she leaped from the mountaintop and charged straight toward the Flesh Blossom.
Seeing this, Yan Yu had no intention of staying idle on the summit. However, remembering Ji Zige beside her and the girl’s extraordinary powers, she turned and asked,
“Hey, Little Zige, why haven’t you used your powers to boost mine and Dao Yan’s stats?”
Hearing this, Yan Qi, multitasking through Ji Zige’s body, quickly responded,
“Because there’s no need. You and Dao Yan are both three-star superhumans. Dealing with these Abyss Beasts—most of which aren’t even one-star—is a breeze. Why would I need to buff you?”
“Oh, I see. No wonder you haven’t used your powers yet.”
“Alright, Sis, enough chit-chat. Hurry up and join Dao Yan in wiping out these Abyss Beasts so we can go home and rest.”
“Got it. But… are you sure you’ll be fine alone?”
“Last time, I fought a three-star Abyss Beast solo without any trouble. Do you really think I’d have problems now?”
Reminded of their past battles together under Ji Zige’s guise, Yan Qi couldn’t help but tease her sister.
Hearing this, Yan Yu finally recalled their previous fight and immediately looked sheepish.
“Sorry, I forgot about that.”
“No need for apologies. Just get moving!”
“Right!”
With that, Yan Yu gripped her Bloodthirsty Sword and followed Yan Qi’s lead, rushing down the mountain toward the Flesh Blossom.
Sensing the approach of two powerful superhumans, the nearly bloomed Flesh Blossom instantly recognized the threat. Without delay, it frantically commanded the Abyss Beasts it had spawned to intercept the sisters.
But mere one-star Abyss Beasts stood no chance against two three-star superhumans.
In a flurry of blades and flashes of steel, the creatures were swiftly sliced apart, collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
“If this is all you’ve got, Flesh Blossom, then you might as well vanish from this world right now.”
Standing atop the corpse of a grotesque Abyss Beast, Yan Qi taunted the flower with a provocative smirk.
Whether it understood her words or simply sensed her mockery, the Flesh Blossom erupted into a frenzy. Several unhatched flesh sacs around it swelled rapidly before bursting open—revealing multiple two-star Abyss Beasts.
“These Abyss Beasts… Their aura is stronger than the one-stars but not quite at the three-star level. So they’re two-stars?”
Yan Yu muttered, quickly assessing the new threats.
Unlike her sister, who remained unfazed, Yan Qi—who had studied the Flesh Blossom extensively—was visibly stunned.
“How is this possible? The Flesh Blossom isn’t supposed to spawn anything beyond one-star Abyss Beasts!”
Before she could dwell on the anomaly, the enraged Flesh Blossom—having expended half of its abyssal energy—commanded its newly spawned two-star beasts to eliminate the intruders.
Obedient to their creator’s will, the Abyss Beasts charged recklessly at the sisters.
“Why isn’t Dao Yan reacting at all?”
Noticing Yan Qi standing motionless, seemingly lost in thought, Yan Yu frowned in confusion. But with no time to ponder, she brandished her Bloodthirsty Sword and took to the skies, engaging the two-star beasts in a fierce battle.
Thanks to the vast gap in power, it took only minutes for Yan Yu to dispatch the strange but ultimately ineffective creatures.
“Dao Yan, did you not see those two-star Abyss Beasts?”
Returning to Yan Qi’s side, Yan Yu frowned at her still-dazed sister.
Finally snapping out of her shock, Yan Qi offered an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, I was caught off guard by something unexpected. Plus, I knew you had things handled, so I… spaced out a little.”
“What could possibly shock you that much?”
Yan Yu’s curiosity was piqued.
“I’ll explain later. First, let’s deal with this Flesh Blossom.”
Avoiding the question for now, Yan Qi pointed at the weakened flower—now defenseless after exhausting its energy and losing all its minions.
Nodding, Yan Yu held back her questions, watching intently as her sister prepared to finish off the Flesh Blossom.