Yan Qi had no idea how large the detection range of the compass in her hand was. Suppressing her curiosity, she muttered to herself before continuing to examine the strange device.
But just then, she noticed something unusual—among the dozen or so red dots displayed on the compass, one stood out.
“Why is this one hollow while the others are solid? Hmm, there must be something special about it.”
Realizing that the hollow red dot held significance—and knowing that asking Wen Ning would be pointless—she wisely kept the question to herself. After memorizing the location of the peculiar dot, she tucked the compass away and resumed searching Wen Ning’s body.
Once she confirmed that apart from the compass and the earlier Abyssal artifact, he carried nothing else of value, she withdrew her hands in disappointment and stood up.
“Pathetic. You call yourself a cult leader, yet you barely have anything worthwhile on you. I don’t know how you even dare to boss your lackeys around.”
“Damn it, you little brat! Don’t push your luck!” Wen Ning snarled.
“A ‘little brat,’ huh? Sure, I may look like one, but that doesn’t mean I like being called that—especially by someone like you.”
The moment the words left Wen Ning’s mouth, Yan Qi’s smile turned dangerous. Without hesitation, she activated her skill, summoning a dark, viscous liquid from her giant gourd and forcing it down his throat.
Coughing violently, Wen Ning glared at her. “What the hell did you just make me drink?!”
Yan Qi flicked her fox tail playfully, grinning. “Oh, nothing much. Just a special little poison. Don’t worry, it won’t kill you—it’ll just make you wish it did.”
Before Wen Ning could react, an excruciating pain wracked his entire body, as if he’d been run over by a truck. His agonized screams tore through the air.
Just as Yan Yu hung up her call with the Supernatural Affairs Bureau, the bloodcurdling shrieks made her whirl toward Yan Qi. “What did you do to him?!”
“Just teaching him some manners,” Yan Qi replied casually.
“He’s not going to die, is he?”
“Relax. My special brew won’t kill him. It’ll just keep him fully conscious while he experiences pain equivalent to being drawn and quartered—repeatedly.”
Yan Yu’s expression froze. Until now, she had assumed the adorable fox-eared girl with healing powers was some kind of sweet little angel.
After a long pause, she forced a weak smile. “…Is that so?”
“Alright, the Fleshbloom here is burned, the Bureau’s been notified, and this foul-mouthed cult leader has been dealt with. Time to move on.”
With that, Yan Qi recalled her doppelgänger, the Daoist Empress Daoyan, and gestured for Yan Yu to follow.
“Let’s go.”
“I’m coming with you.”
The three of them stepped out of the black barrier, returning to the real world—leaving Wen Ning, the Plague Lord’s high priest, writhing and howling behind them.
…..
This time, instead of heading to the nearest Fleshbloom site, Yan Qi guided the group toward the location marked by the hollow red dot on the compass.
Before long, they arrived. With Daoyan’s help, they breached the black barrier and slipped inside—only to be immediately spotted by the Abyssal beasts and cultists within.
“How the hell did they get here?! I don’t sense any Abyssal energy on them!”
“The High Priest was supposed to stop them! Why are they here? Unless—”
“Damn it! Brothers, sic the beasts on them! Tear these bitches apart!”
As the cultists hurled insults and unleashed their monsters, neither Yan Qi (now a fox-eared loli) nor Yan Yu (transformed into the Bloodthirsty Empress) showed the slightest fear.
After all, these cultists and their creatures were far weaker than Wen Ning and his plague beasts. Plus, Yan Qi’s powers hard-countered them.
However, since Daoyan was merely a分身 (doppelgänger), using her abilities in battle would strain Yan Qi’s true body. So, she had the Empress step back with a plausible excuse:
“I need to rest for a bit. Yan Yu, I’ll leave this to you.”
“Don’t worry. With you backing me up, these losers don’t stand a chance.”
Sword in hand, Yan Yu charged into the fray. Meanwhile, Yan Qi—after having Daoyan retreat to a safe spot—rode her giant gourd into battle, providing support from behind.
Ten minutes later, the fight was over.
Thanks to Yan Yu’s mid-tier three-star supernatural strength and Yan Qi’s healing, the cultists and their Abyssal beasts lay defeated.