166: Section 166

Jing Yuan looked at Mark with an expression of disbelief and asked, "Did you guys encounter a Monarch-level Phage Beast?"

"It wasn't a Monarch-level, it was a Metamorphic Type! However, it's a species we've never encountered before."

The one speaking was none other than Bai Yuekui.

Jing Yuan stared at Bai Yuekui and said, finding it hard to understand, "I don't get it. You are so powerful; how could anyone sacrifice themselves when going out with you?"

Confronted with Jing Yuan's question, Bai Yuekui was left speechless.

"Watch your mouth!" Great Mountain walked up aggressively. "Do you think Boss Bai wanted to watch them sacrifice themselves? She couldn't help it!"

"Great Mountain!" Bai Yuekui barked, stopping him.

But Xu Tong stepped forward and said, "What we encountered this time was a new type of Phage Beast. It can emit a special sound wave that destroys Lingyin Bullets, causing our spirit-state induction to fail. Furthermore, its sound waves disrupt Summer Bean and Mydo's source essence connection. This method of attack is something we've never seen before!"

"Exactly! You can't blame Boss Bai!" Summer Bean also stood up. "No one wanted this to happen!"

Jing Yuan didn't mean to blame Bai Yuekui; he just didn't understand how someone could die while out with someone as powerful as her.

Unless they encountered a Monarch-level, then perhaps even Bai Yuekui would be helpless.

Bai Yuekui didn't offer an explanation either. She addressed the group, "Jing Yuan is right; this matter is my responsibility! But things have come to this, and there's no turning back! However, I'm still going to take back Mydo and Fang Yuan's life source essence!"

"Boss! You can't go!"

"That's right! Boss, if you fight again, it will accelerate your cellular decay!"

Bai Yuekui said with a grim expression, "It was because I worried too much just now that this situation occurred! No matter what, I must bring back Mydo's life source essence!"

Jing Yuan walked over and asked in confusion, "What's the point of bringing the life source essence back? Is it possible you can actually resurrect her?"

Bai Yuekui nodded first before saying, "We are currently researching it. However, right now, not a single drop of life source essence can be allowed to fall into the hands of the ecology. Even if it means risking cellular decay and source essence dissipation, I must bring them back!"

Jing Yuan looked at Bai Yuekui. "Although I don't quite understand, if you have a way to resurrect Mydo, then count me in! I'll go with you!"

Chapter 169: Reclaiming life source essence

"I'm going too!"

"Count me in!"

The villagers eagerly signed up.

"I'm going as well!" Mark also stepped forward. "Mydo sacrificed herself to save me; I have a responsibility to bring her back!"

Jing Yuan glanced at Mark; with his current combat power, he likely wouldn't be able to do much.

Although Jing Yuan wasn't at the scene, he could guess that with Mark's personality, he must have fought desperately but still failed to protect them.

Mark's current strength was still too weak, but saying that directly would be too hurtful.

At that moment, Bai Yuekui spoke up, "We don't need so many people! Star Shatterer, Taciturn, Xu Tong, the three of you come with us. Xu Tong, Taciturn, go and get the soul storage equipment!"

"Yes."

Bai Yuekui walked through the crowd to the outside.

Jing Yuan patted Mark's shoulder and said, "Don't blame yourself too much. I'll bring them all back."

After saying that, Jing Yuan followed behind Bai Yuekui and left.

Led by Bai Yuekui, the group of five boarded a vehicle at the supply station.

Once Xu Tong and Taciturn each brought a metal canister, the five of them set off on their journey.

On the road, Jing Yuan looked at the metal canister in Xu Tong's hand and asked Bai Yuekui, "What is this thing?"

"Equipment for storing life source essence!" Bai Yuekui glanced at Jing Yuan and said, "The principle is very complex, so I'll keep it brief."

"Okay!"

"You know that the core organ inside a Phage Beast is called a spirit seed. As long as the spirit seed is destroyed, the Phage Beast will die completely. Actually, it's not a complete death; shattering the spirit seed only makes it return to the ecology."

And the spirit seed is precisely the organ where the Phage Beast stores life source essence. The life source essence that Phage Beasts absorb from humans is stored within the spirit seed! This portable soul storage device is something we manufactured by mimicking the spirit seed; it can also store life source essence!"

"By finding their life source essence, can they be resurrected?"

"The Life Iteration System we are currently researching is intended to resurrect those who have passed away. However... we haven't succeeded in our research yet!"

Jing Yuan frowned. "In other words, even if we get the life source essence back, there's no way to resurrect them!"

Boss Bai remained silent.

Star Shatterer said, "Even so, we must bring back their life source essence. Firstly, we cannot let the ecology obtain more life source essence. Secondly, once the Life Iteration System is successfully researched in the future, we can still resurrect them!"

"What happens if the ecology gets life source essence?"

Bai Yuekui explained, "The goal of the ecology is to absorb the life source essence of all people. In the short term, if the ecology absorbs more life source essence, it could give birth to powerful Phage Beasts!"

Jing Yuan looked at Bai Yuekui, his gaze drifting. "I thought that since you live on The Surface, dealing with Phage Beasts would be as simple as eating a meal."

"Nothing is simple." Bai Yuekui frowned. "Over these years, as we've fought Phage Beasts on The Surface, many people have been sacrificed. You only saw two people today, but over the past several decades, the number of people we've lost is no less than that of the Lighthouse!"

Looking at Bai Yuekui, Jing Yuan suddenly felt that the image of this long-legged beauty was no longer just the peerlessly powerful and heroic figure he had imagined.

She seemed to be carrying a great many burdens on her shoulders.

So heavy that it made it hard for her to breathe.

"Boss Bai!" Jing Yuan asked, "Do you have a way to deal with the ecology?"

Bai Yuekui was silent for a moment before saying, "I do! But it requires cooperation and sacrifice!"

Jing Yuan nodded; what was there to fear from sacrifice?

"Fine! Then after we return from retrieving the life source essence this time, let's have a good talk about dealing with the ecology!"

"Alright!"

Bai Yuekui also nodded in agreement.

Jing Yuan looked at the others around him and asked, "Then tell me the plan for next!"

...The vehicle drove directly to the outskirts of District C3.

They found a high vantage point to observe, and below was a dense swarm of Phage Beasts.

Jing Yuan was stunned by the sight; there were at least over a hundred Phage Beasts in that dense mass.

Jing Yuan looked at the Phage Beasts below and remarked, "They're all just small mobs!"

Indeed, they were all Pan-genetic Types below; this was evident from their body sizes.

Xu Tong said, "They are small mobs, but their numbers are too high. Besides, there was a big one earlier, but Boss Bai already took care of it!"

Star Shatterer looked at Bai Yuekui in surprise, "Boss, you made a move again?"

Bai Yuekui's expression was grave. "The situation was urgent then; I couldn't consider that much!"

Jing Yuan looked at Bai Yuekui and asked, "What exactly is your situation? Aren't you quite powerful?"

Xu Tong explained, "Boss Bai was injured in her early years. Although she is powerful, as soon as she uses her Source Essence Potential, her cells undergo irreversible decay, and there's a risk of source essence dissipation."

Bai Yuekui didn't say much about her own matters. She looked at the Phage Beasts below and said, "I've already had Tasia mark the two Phage Beasts that absorbed Mydo and Fang Yuan's life source essence. But there are too many Phage Beasts down there now; we need to disperse them to search."

"But even if we find them, as soon as we make a move, all the Phage Beasts will discover us."

Jing Yuan looked at the Phage Beasts below. "If they discover us, so be it! They're all small mobs; just kill them directly!"

"But there are too many Phage Beasts; I can't locate all their spirit seeds! And there are mana flowers in this place; if we don't destroy the spirit seeds, they'll just resurrect very quickly!"

"Locating spirit seeds?" Jing Yuan looked at Xu Tong with a face full of confusion. "So you guys rely on you locating the spirit seeds to be able to kill Phage Beasts?"

"Yes!"

"This..." Jing Yuan hesitated. In that case, even if the people of Dragon Bone Village were incredibly strong, without Xu Tong's support, they would be just as blind as the people of the Lighthouse when facing Phage Beasts.

Star Shatterer looked at Jing Yuan and said, "If you can directly destroy a Phage Beast's physical body, that will also destroy the spirit seed."

"Alright, enough talk!" Bai Yuekui stopped their conversation and continued, "Xu Tong, Star Shatterer, you two go find those two Phage Beasts. Once found, use the anesthetic! Bring them back to the shielding zone. Jing Yuan and Taciturn, come with me to draw the attention of the remaining Phage Beasts!"

"Aren't you unable to make a move?" Jing Yuan looked at Bai Yuekui.

"I can't worry about that much now!"

"Don't be in such a hurry!" Jing Yuan reached out to stop their actions and said, "Boss Bai, let's change the plan. Taciturn and Xu Tong, go find those two Phage Beasts. You and Star Shatterer provide cover for me from the rear! I'll go down and slaughter all these Phage Beasts!"

"Can you handle it?" Xu Tong said in surprise. He had never seen someone so reckless; even Boss Bai wasn't this bold.

But Star Shatterer and Taciturn had witnessed it before, so they weren't particularly surprised.

Bai Yuekui looked at Jing Yuan and asked, "Can you locate the Phage Beasts' positions?"

"I can."

For Jing Yuan, a single sweep of his Mental Power was enough to know the locations of the Phage Beasts' spirit seeds.

Facing so many Phage Beasts, no matter how strong one was, if they couldn't achieve a one-hit kill, it was quite dangerous.

Bai Yuekui nodded. "Fine! We will remember this favor."

Jing Yuan smiled. "Don't talk about favors; just count it towards my workload!"

This way of putting it was somewhat unexpected for Bai Yuekui.