152: Chapter 152 Liquidation and Return

Luo Dechuan shrieked instantly!

His eyes widened frantically, a dry gasp escaping his throat, and in the next second—

A glimmer of eerie light split open on his forehead.

A screen-like 'consciousness image' emerged from the back of his head.

It was as if a projector had suddenly been switched on.

It was:

[Brass Pantheon · Sacrificial Structure Diagram]

[Cloned Subject Number: R-04R-051...]

[Source Lord: Unnamed Consciousness Core · Residual Coordinates · South Desolation System ∞0: E14]

[Note: This carrier's pollution level exceeds the limit; initiate descending order processing]

Chu Yunting's pupils shook violently!

Zhao Wei jerked his head up and cried out, "So... he wasn't the only one?"

Ye Nanxing stood beneath the projection and spoke coldly:

"He is merely a 'vessel'."

"Those so-called 'clones' are actually sacrifices."

"brass never intended to create another version of Itself."

"It is feeding itself."

"—Constantly devouring believers to prolong its own life."

Luo Dechuan's expression changed wildly as he roared, "You don't understand! You don't understand anything!! You haven't seen Him—you don't know its power!"

Chu Yunting said coldly, "But you couldn't even manage to be a good 'vessel'."

"Since you are nothing but an abandoned pawn."

"Then—"

He raised his hand, and a black armed pulse gun appeared in his palm.

Bang!

A single shot pierced through the center of Luo Dechuan's brow.

A line of blood hit the ground as his body slowly collapsed, his face still etched with the fear of being betrayed.

It was as if he only realized just before death,

That the 'God' he had believed in all his life,

Had never regarded him as a 'human'.

Chu Yunting turned to look at Ye Nanxing, his voice low:

"Thank you."

Ye Nanxing didn't speak, only casting a faint glance at the corpse on the ground.

Before Luo Dechuan's body had even grown cold, Chu Yunting had completely taken over the base's main control room.

The brass core was finally crushed, and the energy system began its reconfiguration.

This 'nest of gods' built on madness finally saw its curtain fall in reality.

The cleanup operation lasted for two full days.

All nearby Alienated Hunters were purged.

The sources of mental pollution were completely suppressed and sealed; Ye Nanxing personally supervised the multiple seals on the spatial coordinates to ensure this place would never again become a breeding ground for the 'Resurgence of Divine Dreams.'

And on the morning of the third day,

Ye Nanxing looked at the rift valley where the mist had dissipated and turned to say calmly:

"—We are returning to Tianlang Mountain."

Zhao Wei responded immediately, "Notify the team to prepare."

Zhang Tianjin weighed his gun, his eyes brightening slightly: "Finally, a chance to catch our breath."

Standing behind Ye Nanxing, Chu Yunting nodded gently.

There was fatigue in the corners of his eyes, and his posture was still somewhat heavy.

But in that moment, his heart was unexpectedly... at peace.

The dream of the brass was shattered.

And he was still standing by Ye Nanxing's side.

Not as a follower after a completed mission,

But as her tacitly acknowledged 'companion'.

She hadn't said they should part, nor had she rejected him.

"To be able to go back with her..." Chu Yunting lowered his eyes slightly, the corners of his mouth curling up irrepressibly.

"—That is enough."

He looked back at Zhao Shan and Lin Kui, who were following silently: "Let's go."

Let's go.

Zhao Shan gave a simple smile: "I finally get to see the legendary 'Tianlang Mountain'."

Lin Kui nodded silently, a flash of killing intent flickering in his eyes before vanishing—

To him, protecting Chu Yunting was more important than which base they returned to.

The earth remained dead silent, and the wind and snow came in fits and starts, like the never-ending gasps of the Apocalypse.

But on an abandoned highway, a clean and efficient convoy was slowly moving forward.

Leading the way was a steady, silver-gray tactical RV, followed by two well-equipped multi-functional modified vehicles. Their bodies were freshly painted and so clean they didn't look like they had just emerged from the wasteland.

This was Ye Nanxing's group's 'mobile palace'.

A mobile base in the truest sense.

Zhou Xiao and Shang Xu stood side by side next to their own old vehicle, watching the side door of the slowly stopping silver-gray RV open.

A faint woody scent mixed with fresh air diffused into the atmosphere.

That was the purified airflow released by the internal environmental control system.

In the next second, Chu Yunting stepped out, casually handed a bottle of hot water to Ye Nanxing, and whispered, "The energy storage pod is stable; you can have a hot bath this afternoon."

Hearing this, the corner of Zhou Xiao's eye twitched slightly.

He looked down at his own 'life-support vehicle,' which was covered in scorch marks, oil stains, and temporary weld repairs, and fell into a long silence.

Shang Xu frowned: "Are you really going to follow them?"

"Your Wind Eye problem isn't fully resolved yet, and our team needs to integrate resources—"

"Don't you usually hate being part of other people's power structures?"

"Why are you going back with her this time?"

Zhou Xiao didn't answer her question.

He just looked from afar at the figure standing at the very front of the team, reorganizing the spatial storage plan.

That figure was like a banner in the wind and snow; no matter how cold or lonely, she never bowed her head.

"You know why I'm going," he said calmly.

"She... is more than just an ability user."

"She is the quietest core in the center of the entire storm."

"I want to see how far she can go."

"—And see how long he can stand by her side."

He cast a brief glance at Chu Yunting, who stood nearby with a 'calm' expression.

The waves in his eyes were indescribable.

Shang Xu fell silent.

After a long while, she gritted her teeth: "...Then I'm going too."

Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you say not to get involved in their mess?"

Shang Xu snorted coldly, "I see you're not thinking straight, and I'm worried."

"If you don't come back, I won't be able to repay that little bit of sentiment I owe you."

Zhou Xiao gave a light chuckle: "Then let's go."

The spirit stone vein was sealed, and the rift valley base was now an empty shell.

The eighteen-person team lined up, the convoy started, and engines roared.

Ye Nanxing stood in the cockpit of the lead vehicle and said softly:

"Destination—Tianlang Mountain."

Ye Nanxing sat in the lounge area, using a hand-drawn sketch to map out a new structural model for spatial abilities.

Hearing the sound at the door, she looked up and glanced at Zhou Xiao.

The latter was covered in dust, his expression calm, no longer the 'lone wolf' who watched everything with cold indifference.

Ye Nanxing didn't speak.

She just gestured slightly toward the empty seat on the right.

The meaning was clear: sit.

Zhou Xiao wasn't polite and sat down directly.

Meanwhile, Shang Xu sat by the window, quietly taking in the interior: wooden floors, a constant temperature system, an automatic water purification tea station, and even three layers of storage, folding beds, a medical bay, and a backup power station...

"...Is this even a place for humans to live?"

Shang Xu muttered under her breath, then looked at Ye Nanxing, her eyes finally carrying a hint of complexity: "When exactly... did you prepare all of this?"

—At this question, everyone looked at her.

In fact, they had all wanted to ask this for a long time.

They just never had the chance, nor did they dare to ask.

Ye Nanxing didn't look up, only saying faintly:

"The first day after my rebirth."

In that moment.

The interior of the vehicle fell completely silent.

So quiet that one could hear everyone's heartbeats skip a beat.