Unbeknownst to Ye Feng and the other two, after their figures vanished from the teleportation array, within the control core of the suspended island, a graceful maiden identical to Ying Yue, with her eyes closed, shed a tear from the corner of her eye in an ice coffin. Her body then shattered, dissolving into specks of light....
As Ye Feng and the other two stepped into the teleportation array, they only felt a distortion of light before their eyes. The next moment, they found themselves on the ground of a mountain peak.
It was no longer daytime afternoon, but the early morning, with the sun yet to rise and stars still visible in the sky.
"Big brother, look over there!"
As soon as Ye Feng stabilized himself, a small voice rang out.
He mechanically turned his head in the direction Xiao Xiao pointed, only to find Water Snake Mountain, the ancient ruin, or rather, the Civilization Seedling's water snake mountain, in the distance.
The space around Water Snake Mountain was greatly distorted, with large sections of peaks disintegrating and collapsing, being swallowed by the central warped area....
Dark, dense clouds gathered above Water Snake Mountain once more, and numerous lightning bolts struck them....
"Boom~ Crackle~!"
Suddenly, a blinding flash of light erupted in a vast area surrounding Water Snake Mountain, forcing Ye Feng and the others to squint.
When Ye Feng and the other two opened their eyes again, Water Snake Mountain had vanished, leaving behind a colossal crater. The surrounding peaks crumbled and collapsed, sinking into the deep pit.
With a large river nearby, a significant amount of river water rapidly poured into the crater.
Before long, the once vast expanse of undulating terrain near Water Snake Mountain had transformed into a network of lakes and rivers of various sizes....
"So this is what they mean by 'seas changing into mulberry fields'!"
Shen Yun Yao couldn't help but sigh as she witnessed this, while Ye Feng's expression was one of daze.
"Crack~ Boom~!"
At this moment, a lightning bolt streaked across the sky, accompanied by rolling thunder.
"Swish~"
Immediately after, a torrential downpour began.
The large raindrops striking Ye Feng's body jolted him out of his daze.
For some reason, a sense of sadness filled his heart.... Perhaps.... it was because of what Ying Yue had just said?
But.... she was clearly an artificial intelligence, and should not possess emotions....
Yet.... Ye Feng genuinely felt emotions from Ying Yue's final words to him.... a trace of sadness, a hint of regret, a blessing, and an earnest anticipation....
"Big brother.... You.... Do you think sister Ying Yue might still be alive.... Should we.... go over there...."
Xiao Xiao, having recovered from the shock of Water Snake Mountain's disintegration and the drastic topographical changes, looked at Ye Feng hesitantly.
Although Ye Feng had explained what artificial intelligence was to her before, for some reason, she still felt a pang of sadness in her heart....
Especially since Ying Yue had shielded him from fatal blows more than once....
"Xiao Xiao.... That's artificial intelligence.... Humans.... invented by humans...."
Shen Yun Yao trailed off by the end, feeling conflicted.
Reason told her that Ying Yue was an emotionless AI, yet emotionally, she....
"Splash~ Splash~"
"Crackle~!"
"Boom~!"
Thus, Ye Feng, Xiao Xiao, and Shen Yun Yao stood silently in the heavy rain, drenched to the bone.
After a considerable while, the downpour subsided, the dark clouds slowly dispersed, and the first hints of red light from the rising sun appeared on the distant horizon....
"Um.... Was I just.... confessed to by an artificial intelligence.... a robot...?"
Ye Feng turned his head, looking at Xiao Xiao and Shen Yun Yao with a bewildered expression.
The two women didn't reply. They nodded in unison, then quickly shook their heads....
"Whoosh~!"
Ye Feng took a deep breath, shook his head, and pushed away the strange sadness in his mind, or rather.... concealed it....
"Xiao Xiao, Yun Yao, let's change into dry clothes first!"
....
By around eight in the morning,
After washing up and having a hearty meal, Ye Feng, Xiao Xiao, and Shen Yun Yao were leisurely lying on the roof of the Hummer, basking in the sun.
"So comfortable.... This is real sunshine~"
Xiao Xiao stretched lazily and murmured contentedly. But the next second, she felt a bit dejected, as she remembered Ying Yue again.
Ye Feng's expression also turned a little somber....
"Uh...."
Seeing this, Shen Yun Yao opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
....
As the sun rose, the temperature began to climb rapidly. Ye Feng and the other two reached for the mineral water bottles beside them, preparing to quench their thirst.
"Ah!~"
Suddenly, Xiao Xiao cried out in surprise and dropped the mineral water bottle she was holding.
"Xiao Xiao, what's wrong?"
Ye Feng leaned over, looking at Xiao Xiao with a puzzled expression.
"Big brother, eyes, there are eyes!"
Saying this, Xiao Xiao pointed at the rolling mineral water bottle on the ground.
"Eyes?"
Ye Feng frowned slightly, picked up the bottle Xiao Xiao had dropped, and immediately found a large eye inside.
As Ye Feng stared at the eye, it blinked and its pupil darted left and right, as if observing its surroundings.
"What's going on? Where did this eye suddenly come from?"
"The bottle is sealed.... and it wasn't there when Ye Feng took it out..."
Shen Yun Yao walked over, her expression guarded.
"This eye.... just suddenly appeared..."
Ye Feng frowned and examined the eye in the mineral water bottle for a while, then turned to Xiao Xiao, "Xiao Xiao, when you were in the control core of the Civilization Seedling, you said you saw an eye, and then it disappeared.... Was it this eye?"
"This.... is.... it looks like this eye!"
Xiao Xiao walked over, observed the large eye that had suddenly appeared in the mineral water, and finally nodded affirmatively.
"This eye.... must be the work of Ajin!"
Upon hearing Xiao Xiao's words, Ye Feng quickly understood.
"Ajin? Ajin from the Sea Restaurant!"
Shen Yun Yao frowned slightly, "Ye Feng, if they've discovered our location through this method, should we leave?"
"No~"
Ye Feng pondered for a moment, then waved his hand. "Some things need to be resolved.... and from his actions, he doesn't seem to harbor any hostility towards us!"
"Oh, alright~"
Shen Yun Yao nodded, a pair of sunglasses appeared in her hand, and she lay back on the rattan chair, enjoying the sun and taking sips of iced cola from time to time.
....
"Yo, young man, you seem to be in a good mood!~"
As noon approached, a familiar male voice to Ye Feng, Xiao Xiao, and Shen Yun Yao rang out.
The three of them turned their heads in unison towards the source of the voice and saw Ajin walking towards Ye Feng. Behind Ajin followed the Sea Chef.
"You made this eye, didn't you?"
Ye Feng picked up the mineral water bottle beside him, pointing at the large eye within.
....