9: "Hound" Modifier

Zhou Xing turned on the light. Opening the old-fashioned refrigerator, he found that there wasn't much food left—only half a pack of biscuits nearing their expiration date.

However, Zhou Xing's expression tightened. When he opened the refrigerator just now, it had been slightly ajar, yet he clearly remembered closing it before he left.

After a meticulous and cautious inspection of the room, Zhou Xing discovered a very faint footprint on the windowsill.

Instantly, Zhou Xing gave Lin Yue and his sister a meaningful look.

"Keer, did anyone come by today?"

Zhou Xing walked over to the bed, pretending to tidy the bedding. His fingers brushed against a cold object beneath the frame.

He pulled it out to find a miniature bugging device; its casing still held a trace of body heat.

"No, brother," Zhou Keer shook her head, but immediately followed up by silently mouthing: "This afternoon... someone saying they were checking the water meter... came by..."

At that moment, a faint noise came from outside the window, sounding like the click of a camera shutter.

Zhou Xing suddenly threw an icicle out like a bolt of lightning. The sound of shattering glass rang out, and a dark shadow could be seen vanishing from the rooftop across the way.

"We're definitely under surveillance. It seems the Divine Gene Company's Recovery Team is planning to move in directly."

Lin Yue spoke up as well, then looked at Zhou Xing. "We need to move, fast."

"Sister, hold onto me tight!"

Zhou Xing grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around his sister. His Frost Power erupted instantly,

and a thick layer of ice immediately blocked the entire doorway.

Almost at the exact same time—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The enemy launched their attack, a dense hail of bullets pouring in like a rainstorm.

Fortunately, the ice was thick enough. Though it nearly shattered, it managed to withstand the sudden onslaught.

Using this window of opportunity, Zhou Xing kicked open the bathroom's ventilation window and leaped out with his sister in his arms.

Lin Yue followed close behind, wings manifesting on her back as she rushed ahead to reach them first.

Her wings unfurled in the darkness, precisely catching the falling pair before speeding off in another direction.

"I suspect your sister was marked as an experimental target a long time ago."

Lin Yue's voice carried through the wind. "Two years ago, the Divine Gene Company developed the 'Heavenly Eye' satellite system, which can use divinity radiation to lock onto targets directly.

It can quickly lock onto even the weakest fluctuations of divinity.

Over the years, most of the ordinary people suffering from divinity erosion who disappeared have secretly become their test subjects."

Zhou Xing's heart sank.

During the flight, Zhou Xing could feel his sister trembling violently in his arms.

He looked down and was startled—at some point, a needle mark had appeared on his sister's neck.

Centering on the needle mark, the surrounding skin looked like biological scales, which were currently flickering incessantly.

"Lin Yue, my sister's neck is glowing. What's going on?"

"It's obvious. They must have injected her with a 'divinity locking agent' without you knowing!"

Lin Yue's voice came through. "For the next six hours, your sister will remain locked by the 'Heavenly Eye'."

Damn that Divine Gene Company!

Zhou Xing was consumed by rage.

Just then, Lin Yue suddenly dove, leading them into an abandoned subway tunnel.

Zhou Xing jumped down while holding his sister, and Lin Yue retracted her wings.

In the darkness, she quickly tapped a section of the wall. A hidden door opened, revealing a small interior space.

Inside was a small medical pod.

"Quick, get inside!"

She quickly activated the purification program within the medical pod, and a blue light screen enveloped Zhou Keer.

She looked at Zhou Xing and said, "The Watchers have another safe house in the north of the city that can block satellite scans, but..."

Rumble!

Suddenly, a violent vibration echoed from deep within the tunnel.

On the medical pod's monitoring screen, five red signal sources could be seen approaching.

As they drew closer, their forms became clearly visible on the monitor.

Three of them were human-shaped Recyclers,

but the other two looked like specially engineered beast-like cyborgs.

"They actually deployed 'Hound' Modifiers!

These are tracking weapons specifically invented by the Divine Company, only deployed when a target's value is high enough.

Every single one of them has reached the foundation condensation Realm."

Lin Yue's face paled. She looked at Zhou Xing and said, "Quick, take your sister and leave first. There's a modified motorcycle at the end of the passage. The key is in the left handlebar."

Deep in the tunnel, the roars of the "Hound" Modifiers drew closer.

Zhou Xing didn't move.

He knew all too well that if he left, Lin Yue's fate was sealed.

Although Lin Yue could fly, her strength was only at the peak of the Essence Circulation Realm.

Facing "Hound" Modifiers of the foundation condensation Realm plus three skilled Recyclers, there was no chance of survival.

"What are you still hesitating for? Go now, or there won't be another chance!"

Seeing Zhou Xing standing motionless, Lin Yue shouted urgently.

"Buy me some time."

Zhou Xing's voice was low as he took out the two "god of war" divinity fragments he had obtained from Luo Jin.

The fragments hovered in his palm, emitting a dark red glow.

Lin Yue realized what Zhou Xing intended to do, and her expression changed. "Are you crazy? Forcing a fusion will make your body explode! And you want to do two fragments at once?"

Zhou Xing didn't answer and shoved the fragments directly into his mouth.

"Damn it, Zhou Xing, you lunatic!"

It was too late for Lin Yue to stop him. She could only think of a way to stall for as much time as possible.

[The interval between the host's successive fusions of divinity fragments is too short. This fusion carries a certain level of risk.]

[Two 'god of war' fragments detected. Automatic divinity fusion initiated.]

[Fusion of two 'god of war' fragments successful. Final divinity content: 23%.]

['god of war' fragment (23%) is being automatically integrated...]

[Estimated integration time: 3 minutes.]

[Estimated strength after integration: Early foundation condensation Realm.]

This was the system's voice echoing in Zhou Xing's mind.

However, he was in no position to check the information right now.

After swallowing the two "god of war" divinity fragments,

Zhou Xing's entire body began to swell. Veins bulged on the surface of his skin, and some blood vessels even burst open.

He leaned against the wall, letting out continuous roars of agony.

"Big sister... my brother... he'll be okay, right?"

Zhou Keer was almost scared to tears. She looked at her brother with a face full of worry, her whole body trembling as she asked.

"Don't worry, he'll definitely be fine. Watch your brother; I'll be right back."

Lin Yue gritted her teeth and spun around. Her wings manifested as she went to buy as much time for Zhou Xing as possible.

At this point, she could only place all her hopes on Zhou Xing.

He was attempting a dual-attribute fusion, after all. What if he succeeded?

As Lin Yue charged out, the Hound Modifiers had already appeared within her field of vision.

Upon seeing Lin Yue, they let out piercing mechanical barks and lunged at her like lightning.

Lin Yue pressed her palms together, condensing series of wind blades and blasting them forward—

"Wind Blade: Strangling Execution!"

The two "Hound" Modifiers were sliced by the wind blades,

but their metallic bodies possessed incredible defensive power. The wind blades only produced sparks upon impact, causing their forms to pause momentarily.

They shook their mechanical heads, their metal claws tearing through the air as they pounced again.

Damn it, their defense is too high!

Lin Yue nimbly dodged one claw with a side-step, but the other "Hound" Modifier had already flanked her.

Puchi!

Claws pierced through her shoulder, tearing away a large chunk of flesh as blood splattered everywhere...