After Gu Defen's speech ended, Lu Mingming waited for a while longer, but still sensed no sign of any living beings.
Lu Mingming raised her arm; the screen of the dark optical brain was in standby mode. The forest was still affected by magnetic field interference, indicating that the competition time was ongoing.
This meant it was currently the evening of the third day.
After confirming this, a sense of unease instinctively arose in Lu Mingming's heart.
"I need to go find them. I can't let them remain under Gu Defen's control," Lu Mingming murmured softly.
The little cub poked its head out from her bag, its eyes filled with confusion, as if asking: *I finally managed to get you to a safe place, and now you want to go back and court death?*
Lu Mingming looked into the distance, at the eerie night sky formed by a mix of scarlet and blue-black. She was torn between heading in the direction of the shy vines or backtracking to the central area. It seemed that the central area had experienced some uncontrollable events and was far more dangerous than ever before.
In the sky, beams of light of different colors slowly floated into mid-air – all of them star sources from various planets. Some shone as brightly as stars, others resembled fireflies, all emitting a brilliant glow towards the encampment situated in the center. One by one, they willingly walked into the trap, gradually converging into a brilliant purple laser beam shooting into the sky.
"Excellent. You know what's good for you. I declare that upon my ascension to the position of Alliance Lord, I will grant you, my loyal subjects, rewards." Gu Defen's voice was unashamedly arrogant.
"What does that mean... is Gu Defen rebelling?" Lu Mingming looked up at the camera. The broadcast had gone silent again.
As the energy intensified, the dazzling purple light surged, projecting a human-like figure from the ground into the sky. The figure wore a pure silver beaded headdress, estimated to weigh about ten catties, which pressed down firmly on its neck, causing its head to bow further towards its spine. The person was dressed in opulent attire, clearly of high status. A mass of black mist obscured the face, making it impossible to discern its features. A swarm of poisonous insects crawled around its lower body, moving up its aged, wrinkled skin, sending shivers down one's spine.
This figure appeared for only a brief moment before being replaced by a seemingly pure and flawless little girl in a white dress. Like a saintess, the little girl held the purple star source in her hands. Tendrils of energy condensed from it, spreading with the night breeze and transforming into purple smoke that enveloped the Great Forest of the Alliance.
That scent had returned.
As the purple smoke approached, Lu Mingming lightly covered her mouth and nose, simultaneously retreating rapidly to find a safe location. Unfortunately, despite her timely evasion, a wisp of purple energy was still inhaled. The rich fragrance filled her nostrils, and her heart began to beat violently. Lu Mingming trembled all over, shaking like a sieve. The throbbing pain, which had not appeared for a long time, resurfaced, this time more ferocious than ever. It felt like vines tightly coiling around Lu Mingming, the small, sharp thorns bringing a dense, unbearable ache. Lu Mingming's legs gave way, and she leaned against a nearby tree, slowly collapsing onto the ground. She curled into a ball on the ground, trying to raise her head to survey her surroundings vigilantly, the strange fragrance lingering persistently in her breath.
Suddenly, the quiet broadcast reported again.
"We regret to announce that one team has been punished for lacking star sources. This team is from Xingfu Planet." Gu Defen's words were accompanied by a laugh of unknown meaning.
Upon hearing the words "Xingfu Planet," Lu Mingming clenched her fists, struggling to rise and lean against the tree. The blurry scenery before her gradually cleared. Unbeknownst to her, a hundred-meter-tall tower, constructed from special materials, now pierced the sky. Three people, strung together with coarse ropes, swayed precariously in the chilling high altitude.
"Lu Mingming, where are you?! All the teams have surrendered. Hurry back and save us! All it takes is one star source!!" Hong Wan, hanging in mid-air, screamed in near breakdown. Beside him was Xu Jiajia, her head bowed low, sobbing quietly, her desperate cries piercing Lu Mingming's ears. The remaining person was the Dragon Clan leader, his body covered in blue and purple wounds, hanging half-dead like a shrimp on a rope, his life uncertain.
"Fortunately, I withdrew from Xingfu Planet's team early and joined Count Gu Defen's faction. Otherwise, I'd be hanging here today. Lu Mingming, you're truly a jinx! Surrender quickly and hand over the star source." A figure slowly walked onto the high platform, wearing the familiar uniform of a Xingfu Planet team member – Oscar, who had sworn to go independent. His face was etched with arrogance, and he carried a small cleaver in his hand.
"Dream on," Lu Mingming uttered weakly, her once raven-black eyes now covered with a faint purple hue. Setting aside the fact that she had no communication with the traitors, the star source she carried had already been absorbed by her spiritual sea and could not be produced. It was better to fight head-on.
"Good, very good. You have courage." Oscar's face darkened, and he inexplicably clapped his hands in response, as if acknowledging Lu Mingming's answer. "In any case, this Alliance belongs to Count Gu Defen. Keeping you here is of no use." He ground his teeth and spoke again, "Your answer has cost your friends their lives."
Oscar took a step back, raised his cleaver high, and brought it down forcefully. Hong Wan's rope was severed, and he plummeted rapidly, leaving behind a curse that drifted over the forest. "I don't want to die!!! Lu Mingming, I will not let you go! You killed me!!" As the tragic scream subsided, it was followed by a dull thud as he struck a rock.
The pungent smell of blood made Lu Mingming feel nauseous, her mind replaying Hong Wan's cries and angry curses. Lu Mingming tightly bit her lip, leaving a bloodstain.
"Are you going to hand it over now?" Oscar asked with a light chuckle, killing a person so easily having no impact on him. "Since there's no answer, let's deal with the second person – my good teammate Xu Jiajia."
Hearing her name, Xu Jiajia looked at Oscar on the high platform in terror. "We've known each other for three years, are you going to kill me?"
"So what?" Oscar replied with a cold expression, decisively cutting the rope and watching impassively as her crying abruptly stopped. Lu Mingming instinctively felt a wave of nausea, as if she could only dispel the lingering shadow of this nightmare by vomiting all the contents of her stomach, along with the stomach acid.
"Lu Mingming, they were entirely killed because of you," Oscar declared loudly from the high platform, his laughter sharp and piercing. Lu Mingming's eyes turned red, almost to the point of tears, the resentment burning through her reason. Her friends, in order to protect her, had sent her to the periphery of the forest, and this was the result... She couldn't accept it.
"The last person, will you come out?" Oscar picked up a wooden stick nearby and began to beat the Dragon Clan leader's head with it, again and again. The Dragon Clan leader finally showed some signs of life. Even suspended in mid-air, his fear was imperceptible. More accurately, there were no longer any living emotions, his complexion turning pale and bluish, more terrifying than a century-old zombie emerging from a coffin.
"Lu Mingming... I truly regret helping you so many times," the Dragon Clan leader said with a wry smile, his words like a knife piercing Lu Mingming's most vulnerable heart. "You completely disregarded our lives and watched from the shadows as we died one by one... Your conscience and your future will be buried along with your wrong actions!!" The Dragon Clan leader spoke with finality, as if he could foresee the future.
A tear silently rolled down Lu Mingming's cheek, the purple hue in her eyes intensifying. "I can't let more people sacrifice themselves for me." Lu Mingming made up her mind and slowly walked step by step into the depths of the forest. Though miles apart, Oscar seemed to perceive Lu Mingming's movements clearly. The cleaver in his hand remained suspended above the rope binding the Dragon Clan leader.
The little cub quickly wriggled out of the bag and, as if walking for the first time, stumbled every three steps. Fortunately, it finally managed to run and embrace Lu Mingming's ankle, clinging to her with all its might. However, its effect was minimal. It was too small and too light, being dragged along like a tripping vine ball. *So clumsy,* Lu Mingming thought. *I really need to teach her more about using her spiritual power; she got tricked by such a simple illusion.*