93: Strike them with lightning.

"Xiheng, try to focus your attention."

"It's no use, I've already tried."

"Try speaking to it?"

"Retract!" Gu Xiheng did as he was told. "You see, it's useless."

The two balls of fire continued to burn.

"Um, Xiheng, look, we can't help you here either. Could you move away from the exit and let us out first? We'll leave the lab to you, alright? We really can't stand the heat anymore." Old Fei suggested in a small voice, fearing that if Gu Xiheng got agitated, a stray spark might fall and burn down his precious laboratory.

"Alright!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They quickly grabbed the most important data and any experimental samples they could carry, leaving the lab without a moment's delay.

Gu Yan was the last to leave. "Xiheng, no rush. Take your time, don't feel pressured."

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'll study it a bit more; I'll definitely be able to retract it."

"Good, keep it up! Dad believes in you!"

Gu Xiheng was afraid of burning the lab, so he didn't dare make any large movements or shake his hands.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but his arms were starting to ache from holding them up. The two balls of fire were still burning fiercely, and the paper throughout the lab was turning yellow from the heat.

Gu Xiheng felt helpless and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He hadn't expected that this Superpower, released unconsciously, wouldn't be able to be retracted.

Wait?

Unconsciously?

Could it be?

Gu Xiheng stopped focusing. He relaxed his entire body and closed his eyes, clearing his mind.

A miracle happened; the two balls of fire were slowly retracted by him.

Gu Xiheng looked at his perfectly intact hands. With a thought, the two balls of fire appeared again.

He understood completely now. Only by relaxing his entire body could he control the flames with ease.

Having finally found the knack for it, a relieved Gu Xiheng walked out of the laboratory door.

The crowd waiting outside the lab saw the flames were gone from his hands and collectively let out a sigh of relief.

Once they understood the issue, everyone was a bit amused. It turned out the simplest method was the correct one.

With the first successful experimental subject, Old Fei obtained more accurate data.

Through calculations based on this data, they reached a conclusion that was more precise for their purposes.

Each person only needed to consume one gram to perfectly awaken a Superpower. This meant that such a large energy stone could create many Ability Users.

In the following period, Gu Yan began screening people to mass-produce Ability Users.

During this process, they also discovered that the Superpowers awakened by each person were varied and strange, such as time pause, teleportation, water manipulation, and so on.

Gu Xiheng's high-temperature flames were currently the most powerful; a single burst of fire could turn an Ancient Centipede into ash.

However, his flames were not inexhaustible. While a single flame could burn in his hand indefinitely without any drain, he could only launch five flames a day.

After five flames, Gu Xiheng would become an ordinary person for the rest of the day, devoid of any Superpower, until he recovered the next day.

--

Ai Yue didn't know about the base's arrangements. If she did, she would surely doubt whether she was disliked by the heavens. Otherwise, why did Gu Xiheng awaken such a powerful fire Superpower?

While she had absorbed such a large energy stone, she only gained great strength. Fortunately, her great strength was persistent and wouldn't suddenly vanish in the middle of a battle.

Da Wang had been in a deep sleep ever since absorbing the energy stone. If it weren't for his steady breathing, Ai Yue would have been worried.

However, it was indeed strange. Ai Yue had eaten hers at the same time as him, yet half a year had passed, and why hadn't Da Wang woken up yet?

Could it be that animals have poor digestion? Does it require this much time?

Ai Yue flashed into her space and stroked Da Wang's large, furry head, muttering to herself, "Da Wang, when are you going to wake up? My mom really misses you; she talks about you every day. Also, I brought back a pretty little sister, and I'm going to take her out to play now. You just keep sleeping."

Ai Yue patted his head and flashed out of the space.

Just after Ai Yue left, a golden starlight flashed across Da Wang's body in the space... "Ye Rui, I'm going out to kill Ancient Centipedes. Do you want to come?" Ai Yue said to Ye Rui, who was mopping the floor.

Ye Rui immediately dropped the mop and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, I want to go out. To be honest, staying in all this time has made my body feel like it's falling apart."

"Good, then let's go now."

"Ah? But, but we haven't told Uncle and Auntie yet!"

"Just leave them a note!"

"Okay! It's perfect timing; I want to go out and test the killing skills Sister taught me." Ye Rui ran off with a smile to prepare her things.

"No need to prepare food, just bring a backpack."

"Ah? Then what will we eat?" Ye Rui blinked, a bit confused.

"Don't worry, as long as you're with Sister, I won't let you go hungry."

"Oh." Ye Rui obediently put on her backpack and followed Ai Yue, setting off without asking anything else.

Because over the past six months, she had seen too many strange things in this house.

For example, hot meals appearing out of nowhere, or the kitchen clearly being out of rice and flour, only for a whole bag to appear the next day, along with fresh meat, eggs, milk, and vegetables.

It was magical, but she didn't ask.

Ai Yue and Ye Rui drove the kaibaihe battle shield out of the base.

Ai Yue didn't know where to find Ancient Centipedes, but she knew that wherever there were Bloodthirsty Worms, there would be Ancient Centipedes. Bloodthirsty Worms were their favorite snacks.

And Bloodthirsty Worms loved human blood most, so wherever there were people, there would surely be Bloodthirsty Worms. Finding the Ancient Centipedes would be simple after that.

Ai Yue drove the car around the perimeter of the base.

Sure enough, in an abandoned village near the base, Ai Yue discovered a large number of Bloodthirsty Worms. Before getting out, the two of them sprayed themselves with insecticide and then sprayed the entire car.

Smelling the insecticide, the Bloodthirsty Worms didn't crawl toward them at all.

"Sister, there are only Bloodthirsty Worms here, no centipedes." Ye Rui gripped her military knife tightly, warily scanning the surroundings.

"Don't worry, those big guys must be nearby. These Bloodthirsty Worms are staying in this desolate village because they're being raised here; they don't dare run out, otherwise they would have gone to the base long ago." Ai Yue explained in a low voice.

"Then where are they?"

Ai Yue looked around and, without saying a word, tapped the ground.

"Sister, you mean... the Ancient Centipedes are underground?" Ye Rui asked softly.

"Exactly! Now we need to lure them out."

"How do we lure them?" Ye Rui asked seriously.

Ai Yue grinned. "Naturally, you will be the lure."

Ye Rui turned pale with fright upon hearing this. "Ah? Sister, you're going to feed me to the Bloodthirsty Worms?"

"What are you saying? Why would I feed you to bugs?" Ai Yue tapped her forehead, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.