Chapter 506

Chapter 506 Body Restored

The deductions forming in Qi Xia’s mind were beginning to take shape, and he turned his thoughts toward the motives of Terrestrial Horse.

Why, as an {Earthly Branch}, would it go to such lengths to relay information about Wen Qiaoyun to him?

What possible gain could she have from this?

At this point, Qi Xia’s reasoning hit a slight dead end. He felt he was missing some crucial clue.

He was aware that the {Earthly Branches} and the {participants} had long been adversaries, the two fiercest powers in constant opposition.

Even if Terrestrial Horse truly wished to express approval of someone, given her character, it would be delivered with gritted teeth and reluctant words.

She would never utter something like, {Even Wen Qiaoyun failed}

‘Because you have no reason to hope for Wen Qiaoyun’s success…’ Qi Xia touched his chin again, ‘In other words, as an {Earthly Branch}, you inadvertently spoke from a {participant}’s perspective… Meaning someone else compelled you to speak…was it a participant?’

Qi Xia recalled how Qiao Jiajin had used {Purge All Power} to instantly destroy all the contraptions in Terrestrial Horse’s game venue. This suggested that those devices had originally been constructed using {Reverberation}, pointing to a {participant} having aided the {Earthly Branches}, as {Earthly Branches do not possess Reverberation}.

Using the simplest logic, Terrestrial Horse must have sought help from one or more {participants} in the past, indebting herself to them, and her current actions were a repayment of that debt.

‘Participating in these two games this time has been profoundly beneficial.’ 

Qi Xia gave a slight nod, aware that what he needed most in this moment was insight.

With memory beyond his control, Qi Xia resolved to place all his hope in intelligence. Every Terrestrial-grade game yielded a wealth of information.

He realized he differed from the other participants: just a scrap of intelligence, a word or even a look, could allow him to reconstruct the whole picture.

“When I fully comprehend {End Point}, that will mark the beginning of upheaval.” Qi Xia lifted his gaze toward the sun, a sun the color of dirt set against a crimson sky, as if calling across the void to someone.

Black streaks continued to crawl across the sun’s surface, extending inward from all directions.

{Click}.

The door of the nearby building swung open. Qian Five emerged with his team, taking on the appearance of a young man this time.

He and those following him bore no visible injuries, though their expressions were tinged with fatigue. It seemed they had faced not a test of strength, but of wit.

“Five ge!”

Members of the surrounding {Cats} hurried forward, relief flooding them as they confirmed everyone was unharmed.

Qian Five had not anticipated that two teams would already be gathered here, nor that there were so many among them bearing injuries. His expression darkened instantly. Without a word of greeting, he rushed forward to check on the condition of each person.

“Five ge, we’re fine!” {Mighty Gale} Qiu Twenty waved hurriedly. “But you need to check on Qiao ge, he’s in bad condition!”

Qian Five quickly made his way to Qiao Jiajin’s side and gently shifted his body to assess his condition.

Qiao Jiajin’s both hands were fractured, with his ribs collapsed and his body riddled with what looked like bullet holes and small burn marks. The wounds were severe; if not for Qiao Jiajin’s exceptional constitution, he likely would have already succumbed.

Seeing Qian Five in motion, Qi Xia stepped forward a few paces. He had never observed Qian Five’s talent for rescuing others firsthand; this moment provided the perfect opportunity.

Qian Five made no overt gestures. He simply lifted his head and scanned the group, as if assessing or selecting someone. In mere moments, his gaze fixed on Luo Eleven. “Eleven.”

“Coming, Five ge.” Luo Eleven immediately understood and stepped forward, extending his hand.

Qi Xia watched from a short distance, noting that Luo Eleven shared a similar build with Qiao Jiajin, though slightly leaner.

Qian Five reached out with his right hand and touched Luo Eleven’s arm. In an instant, his figure shifted, mirroring Luo Eleven perfectly.

Qi Xia furrowed his brow, studying every motion. Qian Five slowly released Luo Eleven’s hand, then placed his left hand on Qiao Jiajin. Instantly, Qiao Jiajin’s body began to change as well.

The transformation was nearly instantaneous. Before Qi Xia could fully register the process, Qiao Jiajin’s fractured hands were restored, and all the wounds across his body vanished.

It was then that the prowess of {Conjoined Identity Bloom} became evident to Qi Xia.

Qian Five appeared to function as a {medium}, using the alteration of his own body, or that of others, to enact a restorative effect.

Though referred to as ‘restorative’, in reality it resembled a complete reconstruction of the body. He copied a body onto himself, then replicated that same body outward.

What seemed an unremarkable ability, {Conjoined Identity Bloom}, produced astonishing results in Qian Five’s hands.

Qi Xia remembered when he first met Qian Five, who was then a slim woman. On that day, Qian Five had single-handedly {healed} every member’s severed limbs, undoubtedly through the same ability.

Then…what was Qian Five’s true form?

Qi Xia now understood Qian Five’s abilities, but one critical mystery remained unsolved—

Qian Five’s {trump card}.

The true strength of {Conjoined Identity Bloom} lay not in casually altering one’s own or another’s body, but in its ability to evade the massive resetting orchestrated by Celestial Dragon and Azure Dragon.

Today, apart from the {Earthly Branches}, Qian Five’s memory persisted the longest, all thanks to his previously mentioned {trump card}.

Unfortunately, Qian Five remained unwilling to reveal it, and Qi Xia had no way to discern it on his own.

In the span of just a minute, Qian Five had restored all the injured members present. Qiao Jiajin and the others slowly rose to their feet.

“Damn… what?” Qiao Jiajin blinked at his {brand-new} body, disbelief written across his face. “Where’s my cut scars? When did I become so small and scrawny?”

“Who’re you calling small and scrawny…” Luo Eleven thinned his lips and glanced at Qiao Jiajin. “At least you were revived using my body… and now you’re still being picky?”

“Huh? Am I using {know no pain}’s body now…”

“{Affliction Dismissal}!!” Luo Eleven shouted. “Don’t think that just because you fought for our lives I won’t scold you… Who’re you calling {know no pain}?”

Qian Five laughed and stepped beside Qiao Jiajin, nodding toward him. “This is all I can do for now. The next time we revive, your body will be fully restored. For now, just stay alive—you can’t collapse here just yet.”

“Oh… well, okay…” Qiao Jiajin replied blankly.

Seeing everyone gradually regain their composure, Qian Five was about to show a relieved expression when his brow furrowed once more. “Where’s Eighteen?”

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TL Note: Rant goes here ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)