Chapter 84: Ink Snake Reigns Supreme

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Ink Snake Reigns Supreme

Bai Qianluo let out a whale-like cry as the power within his body erupted instantly. Just as he was about to leap out of the whirlpool, the bizarre energy pulling at them unleashed a terrifying, overwhelming suction force. To make matters worse, the surrounding mutated plants and Mutant Beasts relentlessly lashed out, trying to entangle them.

Bai Qianluo was already coughing up blood. Even Chu Moyuan was injured, blood dripping from his body. Despite their dire condition, the two men shielded Qiao Suluo perfectly, not allowing her to suffer a single scratch. Right as they were sucked into the whirlpool’s undercurrent, Qiao Suluo abruptly lost consciousness.

When Qiao Suluo finally woke up, she found herself in a valley. The rain had stopped, and sunlight filtered through the mottled leaves of the trees. It was a picturesque scene filled with the chirping of birds and the fragrance of flowers. With every breath she took, she could feel how incredibly fresh the air was.

"Where is this?" Qiao Suluo asked curiously.

The system replied, "This should be the other side of the whirlpool’s undercurrent. The Spiritual Energy here is abundant. The place you lived in before severely lacked Spiritual Energy."

"No wonder breathing feels so refreshing and comfortable here," Qiao Suluo said. "But where are Bai Qianluo and Chu Moyuan?"

Now fully awake, she hurriedly began searching for the two of them. She remembered them risking their lives to protect her right before she passed out. Checking herself over, she confirmed she didn’t have a single injury.

After running a quick scan, the system said, "Their lives are not in any immediate danger, and they are nearby. You should look around first."

"And what about Que Hongjin? Is he doing okay?" She had asked the system about him earlier and was told his life wasn’t in danger. However, after realizing just how bizarre and perilous the Ancient Secret Forest truly was, she couldn’t help but worry.

"Don’t worry, Host," the system reassured her. "Que Hongjin is perfectly fine and very much alive."

Hearing this, Qiao Suluo breathed a sigh of relief. "Then do you know where he is right now?"

"My current System Power isn’t strong enough to detect his exact location and situation," the system replied.

Understanding the limitations, Qiao Suluo immediately got up and rushed to search the vicinity for Bai Qianluo and Chu Moyuan. "Bai Qianluo! Chu Moyuan! Where are you?"

After walking for a while, the sudden, metallic scent of blood hit her nose. Following the smell, she soon found a massive, injured Ink Snake lying in a patch of tall grass not far away. One look was all it took for Qiao Suluo to recognize that it was Chu Moyuan.

She vividly remembered how he had used his snake tail to shield her when they were being swallowed by the whirlpool and attacked by the mutated plants. Although she was usually terrified of snakes, knowing that this was Chu Moyuan’s true form and that he would never hurt her completely washed away her fear.

She hurried to his side, only to suddenly realize that her Healing Ability was completely depleted. "System, my Healing Ability is practically useless. It’s gone right after I use it."

The system explained, "Host, you should have learned the law of conservation of energy. There is no perpetual motion machine in this world. It’s unrealistic to expect your Healing Ability to be inexhaustible without replenishing it.

"Moreover, Bai Qianluo’s injuries were too severe earlier. You used up your entire Healing Ability to save him, which is why it’s completely drained now."

Qiao Suluo knew the system made sense. Left with no other choice, she entered the Space Mall to exchange her points for medicinal herbs. After absorbing the power of the herbs, she immediately used her restored Healing Ability to treat Chu Moyuan’s wounds.

However, buying those herbs had drained all the points in her mall account. She couldn’t afford to care about that right now. Without enough herbs, her Healing Ability would be too weak to treat him.

Sensing her concern about the points, the system said, "Host, now that I have upgraded as a system, you can improve your Healing Ability by completing missions in the future. You don’t necessarily have to rely entirely on herbs.

"As you complete more missions, my system will continue to upgrade, which will grant you even greater permissions."

Her expression shifted slightly. "Then I’ll focus on doing missions from now on."

While treating Chu Moyuan, Qiao Suluo noticed black smoke seeping out of his wounds. "Is this... has he been invaded by dark energy?"

The system explained, "He was likely injured by a Mutant Beast or mutated plant, causing his wounds to become corrupted.

"Therefore, you need to use your Purification Ability to cleanse this dark energy. If it spreads and fully corrupts him, he won’t just turn into a crazed beast—he could even become a Mutant Beast."

Qiao Suluo’s face paled. If it weren’t for Chu Moyuan and Bai Qianluo, she would have been the one corrupted by the dark energy.

"I’ll heal his physical injuries first."

Deep in his unconscious state, Chu Moyuan felt someone treating him with immense gentleness. A warm, sun-like aura wrapped around his body, compelling him to instinctively draw closer to it.

Since childhood, he had been an outcast among the Snake Beastmen, rejected simply because the color of his snake form differed from the rest of his family. No one had ever treated him so tenderly.

Seeing that his external injuries had healed, Qiao Suluo wanted to complete a task to earn points and upgrade her Purification Ability. She gently shook his massive snake body. "Chu Moyuan, wake up..."

Swayed by her gentle nudges, Chu Moyuan slowly opened his eyes. The moment he saw Qiao Suluo, he instinctively transformed back into his human form, seemingly afraid that his snake body would frighten her.

With an earnest expression, Qiao Suluo said, "Chu Moyuan, you’re awake! That’s wonderful. I’ve healed most of your wounds, though a few are still lingering.

"But I promise I’ll heal you completely. You’ve seen what I can do when I treated Bai Qianluo, so you know I’m not lying to you.

"So, are you willing to come home with me?"

Chu Moyuan stared at her fixedly with his cold, profound eyes, taking in the anxious worry swimming in her gaze.

"Is she worried about me?" he wondered.

He instinctively wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but something held him back.

Seeing him remain silent, Qiao Suluo grew anxious. She desperately needed her Purification Ability right now!

"You can just agree for now!" she urged. "If you end up unhappy and want to leave later, it’s not like I can stop you, right?"

As she spoke, she pulled a coin purse out of her spatial storage and opened it to show him. "Look, this is the silver I earned. There’s over sixty taels here. I originally intended to go buy your freedom, but when you weren’t at the Beast Fighting Arena, I had no choice but to come looking for you in the Ancient Secret Forest. I’m not lying to you."

A complex, profound emotion flickered in the depths of Chu Moyuan’s eyes. No one had ever cared about him this much.

"I am a Cold-blooded Snake Beastman," he said slowly. "Because my true form doesn’t share the typical traits of the Chu family, I am despised even within my own clan."

He wondered why she would ever want to take him home. The other members of the Chu family all had vibrantly colored snake forms; none of them had an ink-black body like his.

Qiao Suluo retorted immediately, "That’s not your fault. That just shows how shallow their understanding is. It means your bloodline is far stronger than theirs, and they’re simply jealous of you.

"I heard that a long time ago in the Beast World, the Ink Snake was revered as the supreme ruler among all snake species."

This was something the system had told her. She had no idea if it was true, but saying it would probably cheer him up.

"Besides," she added, "once I completely heal you, I’ll help you fiercely slap the faces of everyone who ever bullied or humiliated you! I’ll help you vent your anger and make sure that even if they can’t stand you, they won’t be able to do a single thing about it!"

Chu Moyuan suddenly let out a soft chuckle, his voice crisp and deep. "You really know how to comfort someone.

"But aren’t you afraid of snakes? I can’t believe you want to take me home with you."

"I am afraid of snakes," Qiao Suluo answered honestly. "But as long as I know it’s you, I’m not afraid."

Hearing those words, Chu Moyuan felt as if something had slammed fiercely into his chest. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he suppressed the surging emotions in his heart.

"Alright," he whispered. "I accept."