"Hahahaha, since you two already know the secret, you must be prepared to take it to your graves, right? Oh no, under the rule of the Jackal Sky God, everyone is to be given a sky burial, just like this trash, aren't they?"
The newcomer's voice was thick with a nasal accent, each word uttered like a ripple disturbing the surface of water. Ren Yuanhao and the female ability user covered their ears, yet they could not block out the strange sonic wave!
However, the female ability user had heard this voice once before when she joined the Nanming Group. Though it was only once, her memory of it was vivid, and she would not mistake it now.
"Zhao Zhennan! Is it really you?"
Zhao Zhennan's voice seemed to come from all directions, "Yue'e, have you forgotten about respecting your superiors? You should call me Director Zhao!"
"Hmph, ridiculous. Do you remember what you told me back then about 'equality for all'? Are you going to slap yourself in the face now?"
Yue'e, the female ability user, uttered these words with great difficulty, her body trembling.
"Oh? Equality for all? That was merely a facade, a facade to deceive the world. I needed such a facade; otherwise, how could I have fooled you all, and the entire southern populace? To think you would still cling to such foolish notions at this point!"
Zhao Zhennan suddenly transformed into a whirlwind, attempting to snatch Yue'e from Ren Yuanhao's side. However, Ren Yuanhao simultaneously activated his wind elemental ability, spitting out two cold words: "Cancel!"
The wind, which had been whistling like a sharp blade, vanished into nothingness under Ren Yuanhao's control!
Ren Yuanhao channeled his true qi into Yue'e's body, alleviating the pain from the sonic wave. He then roared, "I didn't expect to catch such a big fish so soon. Looks like I'm in luck tonight."
"Your luck is indeed good, because tonight is your death day!"
As soon as the words fell, Zhao Zhennan's shadow instantly turned into a flame. Wind and fire clashed, immediately merging into a fiery tornado that directly lunged at Ren Yuanhao and the other two.
However, Ren Yuanhao merely snapped his fingers and calmly said, "Cancel."
Without the wind's support, Zhao Zhennan was like a man doused in gasoline and set alight. His momentum plummeted. Ren Yuanhao raised an eyebrow, and with his other hand, an icy aura raged wildly. Aside from the two of them, the surroundings became like an arctic wasteland ravaged by ice and snow, the temperature dropping drastically.
"Your performance is over."
Ren Yuanhao twitched his fingers. The flames on Zhao Zhennan's body were instantly extinguished. The frigid air, like countless sharp blades, tightened its grip, and the man became like a frozen corpse, unable to move.
— Holy crap? Is the ability core I got from the Dragon Pool last time this powerful?
Just as Ren Yuanhao was utterly bewildered, the System Sister's voice rang out.
"Speaking of which, this thing is quite formidable. It's at least at the peak of an A-class ability, capable of crushing anything below S-class. It's known as the ice-elemental ability, the first transformation of water elemental abilities. Honestly, I misjudged it back then."
"Damn, something that awesome? Then wouldn't the elemental origin ability be even more heaven-defying?"
"You know it. I think you should investigate this man thoroughly. After all, Jiangcheng might have beings like him."
Ren Yuanhao returned to the real world, cautiously approaching Zhao Zhennan.
"I never thought a man who commanded such respect would end up like this. I used to believe he could truly lead us southern citizens out of suffering. The way he looked, the way he conducted himself, we—"
Yue'e spoke as if she were a lost child at a crossroads, her eyes weary.
"Everyone makes mistakes. As long as one recognizes the truth, it's never too late."
Ren Yuanhao's true qi surged out, and he approached with extreme caution. After all, this man had consumed numerous ability cores; he shouldn't have been defeated so easily.
Just then, Zhao Zhennan's finger twitched, as if a sleeping person were unconsciously spasming.
Immediately after, Ren Yuanhao felt an incredibly powerful pressure forming within Zhao Zhennan's body. Before he could react, Yue'e, with a furrowed brow, leaped forward, tackling Ren Yuanhao to the ground and holding him tightly!
*Boom!*
A deafening explosion resounded, almost reaching all of Nanming and shaking the city's sleeping citizens.
This was definitely not a firecracker or a welcoming ceremony. They fearfully walked to their windows, all looking south, but saw no flames. The tremor followed, like an earthquake!
"What are those scumbags in the south up to?"
"I was so scared I thought the earth was ending!"
"Could they be secretly developing some kind of advanced weapon?"
The citizens erupted in discussions on various social apps.
...
At this moment, Ren Yuanhao's ears still buzzed with the aftermath of the explosion. Only then did he perceive Yue'e, who lay upon him, already blown to pieces. Blood stained the graveyard, and countless people cautiously approached.
Ren Yuanhao no longer felt any sensation in his body, nor could he perceive the intense heat radiating from his surroundings. He only understood one thing: the kind Yue'e would never wake from her slumber again.
...
Several days later, when Ren Yuanhao awoke, the first piece of news he heard was that the truth behind South City had been revealed. It was broadcast on television twenty-four hours a day, even showing the bloody scene of him collapsing in the 'graveyard' multiple times.
However, Ren Yuanhao found the matter too strange, almost too simple. He felt as if a thread was tied to him, manipulated by whoever held the other end.
He tried to sit up, only to find himself completely bound by restraints. Furthermore, the bed he was confined to was secured by mechanical restraints crafted from rare local metals using the Heluo craftsmanship!
"Someone!"
Ren Yuanhao managed to rasp out the two words from his dry throat, but no one responded. Even more terrifying was that the place he was in was a stark white room, completely empty.
"Someone!"
Ren Yuanhao attempted to gather his true qi, but as soon as it began to circulate, the patterns on the Heluo mechanical restraints lit up with a dazzling brilliance, directly neutralizing the true qi he had mobilized.
"System Sister, are you there?"
Ren Yuanhao's face was filled with confusion, his heart a mix of worry and endless fear. The flickering lightbulb, spitting sparks, blinked on and off, the only sound a crackling hiss from the lamp head.
"Is anyone there~"
Ren Yuanhao's voice grew weaker and weaker, almost inaudible even to himself.
Fortunately, this situation didn't last long. The System Sister's extremely weak response came through.
"Yes, I'm here, Ren Yuanhao, I think we've been tricked!"
"Tricked?"