This Character is Suspected of Cheating! [Unlimited Flow]

He Yu hadn't tricked Eugene at all. Inside the instance, everything was being livestreamed in full. If he "taught" Eugene now, it would be the same as teaching the entire Universe Federation publicly. The Federation had already learned the cultivation method from him—why would they still cooperate with Blue Star?

He Yu wanted to survive, but he also wanted Blue Star to survive.

If Eugene wanted to know the actual details, then, just like Zhen Xing, he could only enter the Transit Station and turn off the livestream.

That privilege existed only because of the exchange between Eugene and He Yu. As for everyone else...

They could forget about it.

Eugene fainted, and He Yu returned to the Life Tree.

The Life Tree was still flourishing. The Devil Vine had found a way to restrain its own growth, and Love Planet had remained peaceful during this period.

He Yu walked beneath the tree. Before he could even take out the broom, vines wrapped around his waist and lifted him into the Life Tree.

The vines extended from the black shadow's palm. They carried him up into the tree, but didn't let go...

He Yu glanced at him.

The vines reluctantly loosened and withdrew back into Xiao Lü's palm.

This guy was becoming more and more disobedient. There were vines everywhere around them, so why did he have to use the ones growing from his own palm?

[Bullet Screen: "I guarantee it, he absolutely wanted to take advantage!!"]

[Bullet Screen: "Completely agree. He definitely wanted to hug and cuddle him. Tsk tsk, he's really learned, hasn't he?"]

Xiao Lü was even more experienced than they imagined.

He Yu lay down to bask in the sun.

Xiao Lü moved closer. His human form became increasingly stable. Aside from his face, which was still difficult to make out, his upper body looked more and more human. Those blue eyes were dazzling.

Dragging his vines behind him, he stretched out beside He Yu and carefully lay down, attempting to rest his head on He Yu's chest...

A slender finger pressed against the black shadow's forehead.

He Yu looked at him.

Xiao Lü: "..."

Slowly, he raised a hand. The tip of a vine pointed toward He Yu, where a beautiful little white flower bloomed, filled with obvious flattery.

—A little flower for you.

It still didn't work.

He Yu simply looked at him without moving his finger.

Xiao Lü looked aggrieved.

"Can't I? Before, I could lean on you."

He Yu replied without emotion,

"Before, you were only a vine."

Although the vine and the human form were both him, lying beside He Yu was obviously not the same.

Xiao Lü thought for a moment.

Then he slowly raised his head.

Had he given up?

No.

He transformed back into a vine on the spot.

The black shadow dispersed, replaced by a vibrant green vine overflowing with life. It swayed gently up and down before softly pressing itself against He Yu, perfectly obedient.

Xiao Lü said,

"I'm a vine, not a person."

—Well... there didn't seem to be anything wrong with that statement.

He Yu stopped resisting. He withdrew his hand and slowly closed his eyes.

The vines that weren't pressed against He Yu gently swayed from side to side, their owner's excellent mood obvious.

One vine after another climbed over, competing to occupy spots beside He Yu.

If the entire vine were compared to a single person, then he was trying his hardest to let as much of himself as possible stay close to He Yu...

The vine resting against He Yu was the most obedient. It remained perfectly still, already so happy it seemed ready to burst.

While He Yu wasn't paying attention, the tip of that vine quietly stretched out like a thief and lightly brushed against He Yu's lips.

Just one touch...

Then it instantly withdrew!

The vine became so excited that little white flowers bloomed all over it.

From a distance, it looked as though the Life Tree had suddenly burst into bloom.

The sun shone brightly.

It really was a beautiful day.

Wanrenzhan stood beneath the tree.

"Lift me up too."

Xiao Lü ignored him.

Wanrenzhan curled his lips.

Not expecting any help from the vine, he grabbed onto one himself and prepared to leap into the tree.

Smack—

The vine whipped him away violently.

Wanrenzhan disappeared into the distance in a perfect arc, accompanied by loud cursing.

—Damn it. Why was He Yu carried up so gently in an embrace, while everyone else just got smacked away?

—This vine was seriously too much!

Xiao Lü had no idea what "too much" meant.

The tree belonged to him and He Yu now.

Other people wanted to come up?

Dream on.

Xiao Lü clung tightly to He Yu.

The little white flowers swayed gently in the breeze, filling the air with romance.

[Bullet Screen: "Out of this entire dating instance, they're probably the only ones actually dating..."]

[Bullet Screen: "This instance is so relaxing. Is He Yu really just going to spend all thirty days like this?"]

[Bullet Screen: "Isn't anyone curious about He Yu's cultivation method? If there's another way to increase combat power, equipment won't be nearly as important anymore!"]

What cost the Federation the most money?

Equipment.

If combat power could be increased directly without relying excessively on equipment, the amount of money saved would be unimaginable. It would also open a completely new path for poorer Federation citizens, narrowing the gap between classes.

Now that it had been confirmed He Yu possessed a "cultivation method," and that Bo Jingshan and Zhen Xing had already begun learning it...

A huge number of Federation citizens petitioned the Royal Palace.

They wanted that cultivation method.

Equipment was different. Even if divine-grade treasures appeared in the Top Talent Show, ordinary people would never have a chance to own them.

But a cultivation method was different.

Once it existed, everyone could learn it.

Whether or not the Top Talent Show system actually had a way to obtain it, Federation citizens relentlessly pressured both the organizers and the Royal Palace.

The Royal Palace remained relatively composed.

After all, they already had people on Blue Star, and information could be transmitted back in real time.

The organizers, however, were anything but calm.

Every day, countless citizens and experts from major families came asking questions.

Qiu Dao dealt with wave after wave of visitors.

After finally sending away another group, Qiu Dao hid himself.

"Just tell everyone I'm not here!"

"We can't interfere with what's happening inside the system anyway. The Top Talent Show has existed for countless years. Generation after generation of truly supreme experts built it together. How could we possibly interfere..." someone complained.

Qiu Dao wiped the sweat from his forehead, panting.

"They know that too. But they can't get anything from inside, so they keep pestering me instead. The well-informed people have already gone to wait outside the Royal Palace for news."

Another person sighed.

"We really don't have any solution. Unless this season ends. But who can guarantee who'll survive to the end? He Yu? His combat power is still his fatal weakness."

Qiu Dao nodded and was just about to respond...

When someone nearby suddenly said,

"Something seems wrong with the boss in He Yu's instance."

Qiu Dao blinked.

"Huh?"

He shot to his feet.

"Why didn't you say that sooner?!"

The man looked wronged.

"We didn't notice anything unusual about that blue-eyed boss before."

"...Blue eyes..."

Qiu Dao muttered.

Then his pupils suddenly contracted.

"A meeting. Now!"

—

While He Yu rested, everyone else went searching for forging materials.

Including Duan Yuchen and Wanrenzhan.

They couldn't wait to gather resources and forge equipment.

Zhen Xing and Ling Buchen were already improving themselves.

They absolutely couldn't stop moving forward.

Falling behind even a single step meant death.

As soon as they left the Life Tree's territory, they gathered together.

People who normally couldn't stand one another temporarily put aside their grievances to discuss matters.

Wanrenzhan sounded impatient.

"Zhen Xing and Bo Jingshan are still staying beneath the Life Tree. Duan Yuchen and I can't stay away for long. Whatever you're going to say, hurry up."

Gedai's face was solemn.

"Then let's skip the nonsense and get straight to the point."

"Are we really just going to watch them become stronger?"

Siya asked,

"Can we stop them?"

She paused before sighing in disappointment.

"He Yu himself isn't terrifying. His attack power is too low, and he can only display his true value by supporting others. Originally we could've killed him."

"But this instance has the Devil Vine backing him..."

Gedai said quietly,

"The next instance will be different."

The Devil Vine couldn't possibly follow them into the next instance.

Wanrenzhan pursed his lips.

"That's something to worry about next time."

"I fight Bo Jingshan every single day. I can clearly feel his combat power increasing, but it's not nearly as fast as I'd imagined."

"As long as we obtain more equipment than they do, our combat power can still surpass theirs."

He wasn't stupid.

Those daily fights hadn't been meaningless.

The two of them had definitely found some way to strengthen themselves.

But it certainly wasn't fast.

How long would it take them to gain fifty points of combat power?

Wanrenzhan didn't know.

But he did know that if they obtained equipment worth fifty combat power before then, they'd still come out ahead.

Outside the Top Talent Show, increasing one's own combat power naturally offered greater long-term benefits.

But this was a competition.

A competition that wasn't actually very long.

Rapidly piling up equipment was still the fastest shortcut.

Eugene nodded in agreement.

He had only just regained consciousness, and his mechanical arm had only recently been reattached.

If circumstances hadn't forced him to come, he would've preferred resting longer.

"Everyone knows we need more equipment."

"What we need to discuss now is..."

"How to deal with those three."

Yes.

Deal with them.

Zhen Xing and Bo Jingshan had already moved ahead of everyone else.

If nobody dealt with them now, then once they became stronger, wouldn't they be the ones dealing with everyone else?

The same was true for He Yu.

Although weak himself, he could cultivate overwhelmingly powerful allies.

—Those three had become a genuine threat.

Duan Yuchen said,

"They're powerful, but not invincible."

"The prerequisite is that we join forces."

He looked around the group with obvious doubt.

Could people like Eugene, Gedai, Siya, and Qiong, all of whom had numerous conflicts with one another...

Really cooperate?

Eugene's mechanical face remained expressionless.

"If we don't cooperate, none of us will survive."

"This is our only option."

"None of us can defeat Zhen Xing or Bo Jingshan alone."

Wanrenzhan narrowed his eyes.

"And you're trustworthy?"

"You were the one who wanted to cooperate with He Yu just moments ago."

Eugene rolled his eyes.

"Didn't those negotiations fail?"

"Besides, I no longer intend to cooperate with him."

"A person like He Yu cannot be allowed to continue growing."

"Zhen Xing and Bo Jingshan are superpowerhouses."

"But He Yu..."

"...is the one who creates superpowerhouses."

Duan Yuchen visibly relaxed.

"As long as everyone's willing to cooperate."

"We'll do everything possible to eliminate those three before the finals."

Siya asked,

"How?"

Gedai answered,

"This instance has the Devil Vine, so we can't make our move."

"We'll wait until the next instance."

"If any one of them ends up alone..."

"We'll join forces and kill them."

After a brief pause, he added,

"I propose eliminating He Yu first."

Who didn't want to eliminate He Yu?

His abilities were extraordinary.

Unfortunately...

Those same abilities had become everyone else's death sentence.

It wasn't that they were shamelessly turning against him.

This competition allowed only one survivor.

If survival and personal interests weren't involved, none of them wanted to make an enemy of He Yu.

Many of them even admired him.

But for their own safety...

They had to kill He Yu first.

Wanrenzhan suddenly muttered,

"After this instance ends, only two thousand contestants will remain."

"The next instance..."

"...should be the Slaughter Round, right?"

Everyone's expressions immediately turned serious.

Preliminaries.

Elimination Round.

Slaughter Round.

Semifinals.

Finals.

That was the structure of the Top Talent Show.

The further they advanced, the more brutal the competition became.

There was only one Semifinal and one Final.

Both were unimaginably cruel.

If they wanted to survive...

They had to start eliminating every powerful opponent who threatened them.

He Yu...

He truly inspired fear.

Anyone who had dealt with him...

Even felt somewhat afraid of becoming his enemy.

But they had always been enemies.

If elimination didn't mean death, who would willingly oppose someone like He Yu?

Unfortunately...

Elimination meant dying.

Duan Yuchen took a deep breath.

"We still don't know what the next instance will be."

"We'll decide when we get there."

"I just hope we'll actually have an opportunity to make our move."

"For now, let's focus on gathering resources."

Looking seriously at everyone, he continued,

"Zhen Xing and Bo Jingshan are constantly growing stronger."

"He Yu can also forge equipment to strengthen them."

"I'm already close to mastering equipment forging using energy."

"If you don't want them to crush us..."

"...then you must keep me alive."

"I'll be the core."

"I'll forge equipment for all of you."

This was the best arrangement.

During previous Top Talent Shows, once the middle stages were reached, factions had naturally formed.

A single contestant couldn't withstand everyone joining forces.

Gedai nodded first.

"I believe everyone understands who our true enemy is."

"Unless absolutely necessary..."

"...I hope we eliminate the other faction first."

"Agreed?"

Siya nodded.

"Agreed."

Qiong shrugged.

"No objections."

Wanrenzhan grunted.

"Fine."

Duan Yuchen nodded.

"No problem."

Eugene replied,

"Works for me."

The two factions were temporarily established.

Unlike the earlier "Avengers Alliance," which had formed during the early Elimination Round without any real urgency...

Things were different now.

He Yu had recruited two allies through his cultivation method.

And those allies were Bo Jingshan and Zhen Xing.

If everyone else didn't unite...

Those three were destined to reach the Finals while eliminating everyone else.

Joining them wasn't a solution either.

By the later stages, facing Zhen Xing and Bo Jingshan wielding the Crescent Moon Curved Blade...

Who among them actually stood a chance?

—The best solution was to unite more people...

...and kill them.

The core of that faction was He Yu.

Eliminating He Yu first was the optimal choice.

After so many instances, everyone understood just how terrifying He Yu's mind really was.

Killing him would never be easy.

They might even fail.

But this was a path they had no choice but to walk.

He Yu could forge equipment.

He could increase combat power.

He could support powerful fighters.

If they didn't gamble while his own combat power was still pitifully low...

How could they possibly survive later?

Gedai looked toward Duan Yuchen.

"Master Duan, we'll leave the equipment to you."

"The rest of us will gather forging materials."

"There are still ten days left in this instance."

"Let's not waste any time."

Duan Yuchen nodded.

"No problem."

The six reached an agreement.

As for the fact that every piece of equipment still had to be "purchased" from He Yu by signing an IOU...

Not a single one of them cared anymore.

—There would never be a chance to repay those debts.

—

Day Thirty.

The final day.

The couple trials ended.

Although everyone had passed, the Love Value remained at zero.

No matter how they'd switched partners over the past thirty days...

Not a single point of affection had ever appeared.

Xiao Lü hadn't expected anything from them in the first place.

He couldn't even be bothered looking at them.

Instead, he shyly looked toward He Yu.

A beautiful white flower bloomed from the tip of his vine and stretched toward him.

His deep blue eyes stared intently at He Yu with complete focus.

He spoke softly.

"Love."

The little flower trembled gently before He Yu.

It looked incredibly adorable.

Wanrenzhan curled his lips.

Wasn't it just forming a team?

Every single time, they acted as though it were a marriage proposal.

And then there was that Rainbow Wedding afterward.

They reenacted the whole thing every single day.

Wasn't it exhausting?

Inwardly, he cursed both the man and the vine.

He Yu looked at the bashful Xiao Lü and sighed.

"Xiao Lü."

"I can't team up with you today."

Xiao Lü froze.

He Yu took out a card.

Relationship Severance Card.

It had originally been Duan Yuchen's trump card on the first day of the instance.

He'd never imagined He Yu and the others had been listening from inside the pit.

After stripping Duan Yuchen clean, He Yu hadn't wanted any of his other equipment.

He had wanted only this card.

Everyone had almost forgotten about it.

Yet now, on the very last day...

He Yu had taken it out.

And intended to use it.

What was he trying to do?

Just as that thought appeared—

He Yu flipped the card.

The Relationship Severance Card disappeared.

His calm voice echoed.

"Sever the relationship between He Yu and Xiao Lü."

Everyone: "!!!"

Xiao Lü froze completely.

His blue eyes stared at He Yu in utter disbelief.

[Bullet Screen: "HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT! The instance is almost over and there's still another twist?!"]

[Bullet Screen: "Oh my god! What is He Yu doing?!"]

[Bullet Screen: "AAAAAH! Don't let my ship end like this!!"]

[Bullet Screen: "It was always doomed. The last day means they'll separate anyway."]

Wanrenzhan had been happily watching the show.

Those two had been showing off their affection for thirty straight days.

He'd nearly suffered internal injuries from enduring it.

Finally!

Hahaha!

He Yu had turned against that rotten vine.

Serves him right!

He hugged his axe and watched gleefully.

Without the slightest hesitation, He Yu turned around.

His calm gaze landed on Wanrenzhan.

"Love."

Wanrenzhan: "?"

Everyone: "?"

—What kind of plot twist was this?

He Yu...

Had chosen to love Wanrenzhan?!

Wanrenzhan himself was dumbfounded.

Holding his axe, he stared blankly at He Yu.

Ever since entering the instance, all he'd wanted was to become partners with He Yu.

Unfortunately...

He Yu had only ever chosen to kill him.

Then Xiao Lü had appeared.

They'd become a fixed couple.

Wanrenzhan had repeatedly requested to team up, only to be rejected every time.

Who could've imagined...

On the final day...

He Yu would choose love?

After his initial shock...

Wild joy exploded inside him.

—Hahaha!

—He Yu actually chose to love me!

—I have to choose "Kill" and torment him to death!

Who told him to choose "Kill" against me on the first day?

Wanrenzhan blurted out almost instinctively,

"Love!"

His mouth denied it.

His body answered honestly.

The words escaped before he could think.

As though he feared that if he hesitated even slightly...

He Yu would change his mind.

Rumble—

The sky instantly transformed.

Dark clouds gathered.

Lightning flashed.

Thunder roared.

Violent wind and torrential rain descended within moments.

The bright sunshine vanished.

The entire world became dark and gloomy.

There was no Rainbow Wedding.

Even the flowers and grass surrounding them instantly wilted.

The blooming flowers shriveled away.

The very air became suffocating.

Wanrenzhan jumped to his feet.

"Hey! Hey! Devil!"

"What are you doing?!"

"Where's the Rainbow Wedding?"

"Becoming a couple comes with special effects!"

"You can't change the rules just because you're jealous!"

The black shadow, who had been staring only at He Yu, suddenly turned toward Wanrenzhan.

All traces of shyness and timidness disappeared.

Those blue eyes overflowed with murderous intent.

Wanrenzhan froze.

The vines suddenly lashed toward him.

This time...

Unlike before...

The Devil Vine genuinely intended to kill him.

The Devil Vine was no longer what it had been during their first meeting.

Now it overflowed with life and boundless energy.

Vines surged toward Wanrenzhan from every direction with unstoppable killing intent.

Within a two-kilometer radius...

Everything became covered by frenzied vines.

Wanrenzhan's expression darkened.

He leapt into the air, gripping his axe as he attempted to fight back.

Admit defeat?

Impossible.

"I'll kill you!"

The Devil Vine's voice was hoarse and icy.

Its eyes had become completely emotionless.

Pfft—

After being struck only once...

Wanrenzhan spat out a mouthful of blood.

His body staggered.

The Devil Vine attacked even more fiercely.

One vine wrapped around Wanrenzhan.

Another shot directly toward his head.

He Yu spoke calmly.

"Xiao Lü."

"Stop."

"Don't make trouble."

"I have my own plans."

The vines froze.

Those watery blue eyes looked toward him.

Filled with sorrow.

Filled with stubbornness.

He Yu met his gaze.

His own eyes remained unwavering.

After a long silence...

The vines slowly withdrew.

Bang.

Wanrenzhan crashed onto the ground.

The upper half of the Devil Vine still retained its black shadow form.

He simply kept staring at He Yu.

His eyes grew sadder and sadder.

When He Yu showed no intention of changing his decision...

He slowly turned around.

Leaving his back facing He Yu.

He Yu looked toward Wanrenzhan.

"Can you still walk?"

"Leave this place."

After speaking...

He turned and walked away first.

Wanrenzhan froze briefly.

Then he jumped to his feet.

Although grinning from the pain, he was clearly delighted.

"Wait for me!"

"He Yu, I never thought you'd actually choose to love me on the last day!"

"Let me tell you, I'm the kind of person who—"

He hurried after him.

As happy as a husky.

Practically wagging an invisible tail.

Bouncing with excitement.

Their figures gradually disappeared into the distance.

Unlike Wanrenzhan's excellent mood...

Xiao Lü's terrible mood could be seen directly from the weather.

The Devil Vine stood completely motionless.

The black shadow didn't move at all.

Dark clouds churned overhead.

The rain grew heavier and heavier.

He simply stood beneath the downpour, allowing the rain to drench him.

Eugene frowned.

"...What does He Yu mean by this?"

Duan Yuchen looked completely confused.

"I have no idea."

"Is he trying to stir up trouble on the very last day?"

Remembering Wanrenzhan's earlier husky-like excitement...

Duan Yuchen's pupils suddenly shrank.

"Wait!"

"He Yu..."

"Doesn't already know about our plan, does he?!"

Everyone: "??"

Siya inhaled sharply.

"Even if he didn't know before..."

"...after questioning Wanrenzhan, he definitely will."

Gedai frowned.

"Why did we ever think of cooperating with Wanrenzhan?"

"He's obviously on He Yu's side."

"He betrayed us."

Qiong replied calmly,

"Even if he wasn't on He Yu's side..."

"...He Yu could still trick him into selling us out."

Killing intent flashed through Eugene's eyes.

"Wanrenzhan can't be trusted anymore."

"He's also an enemy."

"If there's a chance..."

"...eliminate him."

Everyone silently nodded.

—

The rain poured relentlessly.

Fortunately, the ancient forest was dense.

He Yu found shelter beneath a huge tree and stopped.

He shook the raindrops from his white fur coat.

His face remained calm.

Wanrenzhan's grin stretched almost to the back of his head.

After a moment, he forced himself to suppress it.

He coughed, deliberately putting on a stern expression as he approached He Yu.

Deep within the primeval forest...

There wasn't another person anywhere nearby.

Slowly...

He extended a hand.

His broad palm reached toward He Yu's slender fingers.

He Yu remained expressionless.

"Do you not want that hand anymore?"

Wanrenzhan: "..."

He instinctively withdrew it.

Looking at He Yu, he finally forced the romantic thoughts from his mind.

Reason gradually returned.

He frowned.

"Why did you choose to love me?"

—Did he actually fall for me?

—Then why did he choose to kill me at the beginning?

Wanrenzhan couldn't understand it.

He Yu looked at him.

Then suddenly smiled.

He casually plucked a leaf from the nearby tree, slowly twirling it between his fingers.

His voice was gentle.

"Wanrenzhan."

"It's time we talked about your secret."

Wanrenzhan: "?"

His face darkened.

He immediately turned to leave.

Still playing with the leaf, He Yu remained perfectly calm.

"Otherwise..."

"What did you think I became your partner for?"

"Wanrenzhan."

"Some secrets can't stay hidden forever."

"Besides..."

"Without the Relationship Severance Card..."

"...we'll remain a couple."

"You can't stop me."

Wanrenzhan stopped in his tracks.