Chapter 266: Lighthouse in the Storm (110K+ Hits, Requesting Monthly Votes!)

"Interstellar Military?!"

"It's the Phoenix Society's reinforcement from Xilan City!" Kiki exclaimed.

"That's right! The Seventh Investigation Battalion is stationed in Xilan City—we're saved!" Sun, the company commander, shouted excitedly upon hearing the voice through the communicator.

At this moment, everyone finally realized: Lin Xian had used the gravitational lens not only to repel the monster tide but also to light a beacon for the Phoenix Society's interstellar troops, substituting the blocked signal with a "flare" to guide the reinforcements toward the direction of the Combined Train.

"Looks like Brother Lin must have picked up the Phoenix Society's signal and pulled off this move!" Shi Di said with great satisfaction: "Damn, that was brilliant!"

Qian Dele looked at Lin Xian in astonishment and nodded: "Old Shi, I believe you now—this kid is truly extraordinary."

"Quick, quick, get Lin's team leader treated first—it's almost nightfall; let's immediately tend to the wounded and reorganize the train," Ningjing said decisively. After the brutal battle, the entire frontline nearly collapsed; now that they had a moment to breathe, the best choice was to reorganize immediately regardless of circumstances.

"Alright, hurry!"

"Shu Qin, Miao Lu, tend to the wounded! Lu Chang in the building, inspect the train!" Chen Sixuan immediately gave orders.

Meanwhile, Kiki used her telekinesis to lift Lin Xian and flew him into the carriage.

The Infinite, Longshan No. 1, the Emperor Project team, and the five hundred-man vehicle columns all seemed to have surfaced from a suffocating underwater abyss, gasping for air.

Upon learning that the Phoenix Society's reinforcements were arriving, everyone was overwhelmed with emotion; many burst into tears of joy.

Instantly, each vehicle column became bustling with activity: treating the wounded, tallying losses, rearming and restocking ammunition, awaiting the coming night.

On the Infinite, Kiki brought Lin Xian back to Carriage No. 3. Crew members from other carriages flooded in, their gazes burning with intensity as they watched Lin Xian receiving treatment in the med-bay. In their darkest moment, their team leader had reignited the flame of hope!

At this moment, in everyone's hearts, Lin Xian felt like a savior god!

Vrrrrm!!

Hawk-class aerial gunships, Lightning-2 aerospace fighters, H50 bomber formations, and even a 30, 00-ton Dreadnought-class aerial aircraft carrier, surrounded by an escort formation, tore through the sky with earth-shaking sonic booms.

Simultaneously, on the snow plains ahead, ground forces rumbled forward from the east, advancing toward the northern rail line.

This unit was the Phoenix Society's interstellar military, en route to reinforce Trakama Ice Valley. Along the way, they received the automatic signal feedback from Lin Xian's signal pillars—a hundred-kilometer electronic beacon network successfully connected with the reinforcements and guided them toward the northern rail line.

This was originally a small feedback device Lin Xian had designed cautiously, never expecting it to be used—he believed the Phoenix Society's reinforcements would struggle to locate them in the blizzard and darkness, and even the flight-capable psychic sent to seek help might not reach Xilan City.

Yet his makeshift "flashlight beacon" had indeed contacted Xilan City's reinforcements. The only problem: the signal pillars' positions had shifted, the train had already moved, and when Lin Xian detected the patrol aircraft's signal, the connection vanished before he could respond.

That's why he devised the plan to use the gravitational lens as a flare-beacon.

As night fell, all injured aboard the Infinite were receiving treatment. Longshan No. 1 had also suffered heavy losses. Bai Bai had expended considerable energy during the pursuit and was now slightly recovered, ascending to the roof to observe anomalies with his ability—no one dared relax, aware of the danger after dark.

From the train, Bai Bai gazed toward the rear of the convoy. His youthful face suddenly changed expression—he saw, within the blizzard, a colossal entity with countless grotesque limbs swaying like a giant sea urchin standing on the snow plain, its red eyes flashing once before vanishing as the train accelerated and the Phoenix Society reinforcements drew near.

…

On the Infinite, everyone was busy. Xiao Yuan and the others had received treatment; Shu Qin and Chen Sixuan were urgently charging the powered armor. But the train's ammunition was nearly exhausted—only the electromagnetic railgun remained usable; everything else was gone.

Lin Xian's head throbbed. He opened his eyes and realized he'd dreamt again—he was back in Jiang City, atop his apartment building. The sky above, once filled with monstrous floating corpses, was now clear; the massive cloud mass had vanished.

The setting sun slanted low; the city lay desolate and ruined.

Beep. Beep.

His watch beeped. Lin Xian glanced at the time.

18: 0.

His expression changed. He reflexively ran downstairs—but when he reached the stairwell, he found his shelter's door locked. Confused, he reached out, activated his Mechanical Heart, effortlessly unlocked the mechanical latch, and pushed the door open.

The living room was empty. Lin Xian, holding a short knife, quietly closed the door and checked every room. Strangely, no one was there.

The living room, kitchen, storage room, bedroom—all remained exactly as he'd left them after fleeing Jiang City. He remembered Kiki had smashed the door behind him, yet now it seemed to have been reinstalled.

Due to the hasty escape and disrupted plans, he'd left behind many items: food supplies, a generator, and kitchen equipment he hadn't yet absorbed.

Yet strangely, someone had clearly lived here—canned goods had been opened in both kitchen and living room, and hot meals had been cooked.

This eerie scene made Lin Xian realize—he wasn't dreaming.

"Jiang City should be buried under eternal night by now. But just now, the sky was bright. And yet these changes are undeniably from after I left… What's going on…?"

As Lin Xian puzzled over this, he suddenly heard movement from the bedroom—he'd checked it himself moments ago, and it had been empty.

His head still heavy, Lin Xian took a deep breath and walked toward the bedroom again. But when he reached the doorway, he saw a shadow standing inside.

From its silhouette, it appeared to be a woman.

"Who are you?!"

Activating his Mechanical Heart, Lin Xian found his abilities accessible. Facing a human, he felt no great fear.

Yet the woman, upon hearing his shout, suddenly turned her head toward him—her expression filled with terror, yet she seemed unable to see him.

"Who's speaking?"

Lin Xian was startled. He now clearly saw the woman—around twenty-six or twenty-seven, short, slightly curled hair, strikingly beautiful, radiating fierce elegance.

Suddenly, her gaze fixed on his position. She raised a finger—and an immense force caused the space around Lin Xian to warp like ripples in water.

Lin Xian stepped back sharply. Not only was she a psychic, but her technique bore a striking resemblance to his gravitational lens. He prepared to counterattack—only to see her step forward, snatch at the air where he'd just stood, and the space beneath him violently collapsed. A crushing sensation of weightlessness surged over him!

Splash!

【Non-mechanical energy converted. 600 Mechanical Source Points acquired.】

【Current Mechanical Heart Level: LV. (4690/7000)】

A hum and a holographic display appeared simultaneously in his mind. Lin Xian broke into a cold sweat, gasped sharply, and sat upright.

Clank. Clank.

He was now lying in the bedroom of Carriage No. 1. The Infinite glided silently across the snow plains. Outside the window, darkness reigned; the blizzard's howl was muffled.

Inside the carriage, the heating system radiated warmth. The cabin was empty.

Waking up, Lin Xian felt dizzy, his expression puzzled.

First, he wondered why he'd dreamed twice of Jiang City—who was the woman in his shelter?

Second, he was confused by his current situation. He raised his hand to check the time—it was already 23: 2.

Near midnight. No monster tide. No attacks. No gunfire. Outside, the silence was terrifying.

Lin Xian was puzzled. Had Xilan City's reinforcements eliminated all the monsters?

He rubbed his heavy head. Earlier, he had forced himself to use the gravitational lens, relying on the slight recovery from the heteromorphic cube. He now understood the terrifying weakness Kiki had felt when lifting the train over the broken track—it felt like infinite proximity to death, a depletion so severe it threatened even heartbeat and breath.

【Congratulations! Mechanical Enhancement Successful! Ice Wall upgraded to Adaptive AT Field Shield!】

【Adaptive AT Field Shield: Generates a spectrum-dispersed, concentric polygonal force field that buffers and decelerates kinetic weapon damage, and partially weakens energy weapon damage.】

"Force field shield… even interstellar military tech hasn't achieved this…"

Lin Xian sat on the bed, fingers spread. A nearly transparent, warm-white polygonal shield bloomed before his palm. His palm's electric surge sustained the field, expanding rapidly with his will.

"Can adjust size, maintain continuously."

Lin Xian's eyes gleamed with delight. He'd feared the field's energy cost would be excessive—but now he saw it was only slightly higher than the ice wall, still within acceptable limits. Creating and sustaining a shield protecting his front side wasn't difficult.

Meanwhile, he opened his R&D Center.

【R&D Center】

【TRP-4 Special Industrial Powered Exoskeleton Armor (Blueprint): 1 day 17 hours】

"You're awake?"

As Lin Xian studied his R&D Center, Chen Sixuan's voice sounded beside him. He looked up to see her standing at the door, her face lighting up upon seeing him awake.

Lin Xian rubbed his head, pointing vaguely out the window: "What's going on? Did we clear our markers?"

His first thought: Xilan City's reinforcements had wiped out a monster tide and erased their markers, allowing safe nighttime travel.

But Chen Sixuan shook her head, walking over: "Yes, all markers have been cleared. It's strange—after that tide retreated, no more appeared. We suspect the Seventh Investigation Battalion may have been shielding us."

Lin Xian frowned: "Markers cleared? How?"

His gravitational lens had only killed a portion—the vast majority had merely been repelled. Logically, markers shouldn't have vanished.

"The Hell's Black Chrysanthemum isn't glowing anymore. Director Ding confirmed—we all have no markers now."

"Alright…"

Lin Xian's expression darkened. This abnormality unsettled him, yet the Combined Train glided silently through the blizzard—undeniably true.

Chen Sixuan also looked worried: "We find it strange too. Everything changed too fast. Without marker clearance, we can't explain our current situation."

"Click-click… Hey, Brother Lin."

At that moment, Lin Xian's communicator crackled—Shi Di's voice: "Brother Lin, awake?"

Lin Xian rubbed his head: "Feeling better. What's the situation?"

"Phew! Good you're awake—you scared us half to death with how you looked!" Shi Di exclaimed, relieved: "Now we're heading back to Xilan City with the reinforcements. Weird thing—since night fell, not a single weird creature has shown up. I guess either the reinforcements' firepower scared them off, or your move earlier terrified the snow demons into hiding!"

"Hmm, probably."

"Glad you're okay. Once we reach the city and reorganize the train, I'll treat you to drinks!"

Lin Xian replied, then fell into deep thought. Nothing happens without cause. He didn't believe the snow demons had suddenly been intimidated by human troops—or changed their nature.

Nor could he believe they'd been frightened by his gravitational lens.

The only plausible explanation: the markers had been erased. Though unbelievable, it was good news for everyone—at least they could rest, and survive.

On Longshan No. 1, cleanup of the battle's aftermath continued until deep night. Many combat personnel had rotated off duty; engineers and logistics staff were working overtime repairing carriages and external armor.

In the blizzard, repair crews in heavy work suits hung outside the carriages, welding. Inside and outside Longshan No. 1, figures bustled everywhere.

"Right-side armor damage exceeds 35%. Repairing it will be a massive task. The main issue is ammunition—we've only got less than 2% left of the rounds we acquired from Silent City and previous exchanges with the Phoenix Society."

In Longshan No. 1's conference room, Ningjing said grimly, holding a mobile terminal.

Shi Di waved his hand: "Irrelevant. Once we reach Xilan City, we'll have plenty of time to resupply and rearm. The Nightwalkers are here too—we're now cooperating with the Phoenix Society. With their support, Longshan No. 1 is officially a regular military unit."

He turned to Lu Yong: "Report casualties."

Lu Yong's face was grim. He held the casualty list and sighed: "27 dead, 133 wounded. Nineteen are still infected by darkness, isolated. We've applied the Nightwalkers' method—hopefully they'll improve."

Thud!

Shi Di slammed his palm on the table, expression complex, exhaling sharply: "Damn it… this is truly fate's curse."

"Thankfully, the Infinite provided full-spectrum med-bays—we saved many of our gravely wounded. The other vehicle columns are even worse off…" Ningjing said.

"Where's Bai? How is he?" Shi Di asked at this moment.

Ningjing shook her head: "Still unconscious. Probably overused her ability—hasn't woken up yet."

"But Boss, isn't this too weird? We haven't encountered a single problem since last night." Feimao said with concern: "I just feel uneasy."

"What's there to feel uneasy about?"

Lu Yong gestured outside: "The entire Seventh Investigative Battalion has been deployed to guard us. When was the last time we got this kind of treatment?"

Ningjing looked at Shi Di: "Old Shi, don't blame yourself. If not for your help with the Emperor Project team, Xilang City wouldn't have sent such a large force to aid us. If we'd faced this terrifying monster tide alone, we wouldn't have made it to Xilang."

Longshan No. 1 had been stranded in the snowfield because it was attacked by a snow monster tide; seeing Shi Di's grim expression, Ningjing could only comfort him.

Shi Di waved his hand: "First, treat the wounded. We're not new to big battles—learn from setbacks. Armor needs upgrading, and the promised Longshan Fortress can't be as flimsy as paper."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In the snowy night, the heavy armored front of Longshan No. 1 smashed through deep snowdrifts and surged forward.

On the Emperor Team's side, the convoy moved steadily under the escort of the reinforcement forces.

Inside the vehicle, Yu Yuheng had just finished communicating with Commander He of the Investigative Battalion and immediately began emergency deployment with the team.

"We've copied the experimental data four times. Once we reach Xilang, we'll hand it to the Nightwalkers' couriers to relay it out of the Extreme Cold Vortex's shielding range from multiple directions. But the Stele Core is problematic…" He looked at a large silver metal box inside the vehicle, inside which lay the 【Stele Core】 of the Prototype-1: Pangu—the mech's black box, storing massive amounts of movement and combat data, and most crucially, data captured by experimental instruments during direct encounters with S-class anomalies.

Besides helping the Emperor Project improve and upgrade its super-large human weapons, the most important thing is that it can help humanity gradually uncover the mystery of S-class anomalies, and through research, discover more secrets related to Darkness and the Star Abyss. Thus, the value of the 【Stele Core】 exceeds, in some ways, that of the Prototype-1 itself.

"Comrade Yu, delivering the Stele Core is a problem. All external communication from the Yunjiang Plain is currently blocked—even our superiors don't know our location and can't send reinforcements. Only after a courier departs with our coordinates can the Stele Core be delivered." Yu Yuheng nodded: "This thing is more important than the entire team's lives. I've already spoken with Commander He. Zhao Yu, the commander of the Xilang City branch, is the regional supervisor and has an intercontinental radio. They'll find a way to get our item out."

On the Infinite No.

"Click… buzz… Synchronizing with all convoys: air squadrons have returned. We're about an hour from Xilang City."

The voice of He Zhen, the reinforcement force commander, came through Lin Xian's communicator.

"Part of the Seventh Investigative Battalion's reinforcements are following behind our train. The air squadrons have already returned. We'll reach Xilang City in about an hour."

"By the way, Lin Xian," Chen Sixuan said now: "There's a Nightwalker among the reinforcements—currently on our train. They seem very interested in Kiki, Fire Brother, and your ability."

"On our train?"

"Yes. They requested to board. They're in Car 2 right now."

"I'll go check!"

Hearing there were Nightwalkers, Lin Xian's spirits lifted—this official Phoenix Association ability-user organization had finally appeared!

Without hesitation, he stood and walked with Chen Sixuan toward Car 2.

!

In Car 2's information center, most of the Infinite No.'s core members were gathered. Two strangers had boarded: a man and a woman, both wearing uniform cold-weather gear, over which they draped black trench coats. The coats looked rigid, as if assembled from hexagonal panels of some special synthetic material, seemingly absorbing light—deeply mysterious.

"Lin Xian, you're awake!"

Seeing Lin Xian enter, Kiki floated up excitedly from her chair. Meanwhile, Shu Qin, Daliang, and Shasha also turned to look.

Lu Xingchen had been dragged along to help but was now asleep, slumped in his chair.

Ding Junyi seemed to have already struck up a conversation with them.

The man and woman turned at the sound. Lin Xian noticed both were young—the man looked about 27 or 28, with a clean-cut face, cheerful expression, and eyes that flickered like quick lightning. The woman was younger, barely 22 or 23, with short, neat hair, darkly painted lips, chewing gum, and one hand on her hip as she sized him up.

"Captain Lin, hello." The man's eyes flickered with surprise before he stepped forward and extended his hand: "Nightwalker Unit One, Courier Team, Zhou Wuer."

"This is Pengpeng, my partner."

"Lin Xian." Lin Xian shook his hand: "Courier Team? You're just messengers?"

"Exactly." Zhou Wuer nodded: "The Nightwalker Organization has three divisions: Couriers, Eternal Night, and Starfire. Each handles different missions. Eternal Night Unit Two investigates Dark Tides and the Star Abyss. Starfire Unit Three supports survivor groups and protects key assets. Our Courier Team's main job is information relay. One of our current tasks is to make contact with you."

"How did you know we were here?" Kiki asked curiously.

"We didn't. All Courier Teams across the Yunjiang Plain received this mission. We operate on saturation deployment—we're active in every region. Whoever finds you makes contact and completes the task." The woman named Pengpeng added.

Lin Xian nodded. Earlier, Wei the Scientist had told him the Phoenix Association used three global coordination methods: first, drone signal-column anchor points—similar to his own signal-column tactic but requiring far more Dark Blood Essence to maintain wide coverage. Most communication relied on couriers and encrypted radio codes.

He looked at Zhou Wuer now: "The Phoenix Association specifically contacted me? Why?"

"Of course, to thank you for assisting our support team, and to propose cooperation." Zhou Wuer spoke naturally, smiling warmly: "The Phoenix Association's Yubei City No. 4 Support Team submitted a mission log that specifically mentioned you—the mechanical ability user who executed a bold and brilliant 'Towing Plan,' saving tens of thousands. The team leader's evaluation of you was extremely high."

"White Group Leader?" Lin Xian blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected Bai Shuang to rate him so highly—enough for the Phoenix Association to take notice.

"Oh right, I remember they were crossing Hengshan Pass too," Kiki said. "We haven't seen them in ages. I thought we'd meet them at Hengshan Pass."

Zhou Wuer's expression turned serious: "Yes, but… the No. 4 Support Team's operational codename has been canceled."

"What? Canceled? What does that mean?" Chen Sixuan asked.

"During the relocation operation on the Wei River, the No. 4 Support Team successfully evacuated 5, 62 survivors, who were received by the Phoenix Association's Wei River Branch and are now being transferred to Longjiang. Bai Shuang and most of her team members were killed. The unit's codename has been retired." Zhou Wuer explained.

"What?!" Everyone was stunned. Lin Xian frowned tightly: "When did this happen?"

"A few days ago."

Zhou Wuer looked at them, his eyes devoid of sorrow, filled instead with solemn respect: "The Yubei City airport rescue was an unprecedented, successful operation. Whether the Iron Guard 52nd Brigade or the No. 4 Support Team, these comrades steadfastly defended the Phoenix Association's supreme principle: protecting human civilization. This has been absolutely affirmed by Phoenix City!"

In the crowd, Shu Qin's face grew heavy. She spoke: "Is the mortality rate for Phoenix Association's Dawn Rescue missions really this high? I remember Yubei City's emergency teams lost three batches already. Bai's team was the fourth to reach the airport—and that was only after the Iron Guard Brigade fought their way from Fengcheng and Chong'an to protect them…"

Zhou Wuer didn't seem surprised. He softened his casual smile.

"Casualties are inevitable. The Awakening Day and global catastrophes happened too fast. Humanity had no time to react. To save more lives, our emergency teams are deployed in saturation mode—including our Nightwalkers. Currently, only about 500 Courier Teams remain active across Asia-Pacific, but our operational codenames have already reached 2, 64. Death isn't unfamiliar to us…"

"What?" Chen Sixuan was shocked: "The Nightwalkers are an ability-user organization—how can the death rate be this high?"

"Greater power, greater responsibility~"

The woman named Pengpeng spoke casually: "Precisely because ability-users are strong, we handle Dark Night investigations and information relay—higher success rates, but also greater danger. Most of us use aerial vehicles, so our casualty rate is even higher."

"Still, I don't really like flying. Too dangerous. I have acrophobia. If not for missions, I'd rather take the train."

Zhou Wuer seemed cheerful, but everyone felt a crushing weight in his words.

Before this, many had thought of the Phoenix Association as a safe haven and the Nightwalkers as an elite group of powerful ability-users. Now they realized the brutal reality of its operations.

Seeing the silence, Lin Xian looked at Zhou Wuer: "Get to the point. Why are you here?"

"To deliver two messages."

Zhou Wuer didn't waste time: "First, we thank you for your assistance and offer a special gift from the Phoenix Association. We also hope you'll join the Phoenix Association—or at least establish official cooperation. Second, we'd like to conduct some tests on your ability. Our ability research is deeply interested in the nature and mechanics of mechanical abilities."

"And you too, Miss Kiki." Zhou Wuer turned to Kiki: "Telekinesis is a rare type. Beyond combat, it has many other strategic uses."

"Like what?" Kiki raised an eyebrow, arms crossed, curious.

"For example, testing the quantum consciousness theory—validating the von Neumann-Wigner interpretation's hypothesis that consciousness can influence wave function collapse. Or building a 'Consciousness-Particle Coupling Chamber' to measure how thought affects double-slit interference precision—all still within basic physics."

Zhou Wuer continued: "In neuroscience, since telekinesis manipulates matter, even cold dark fundamental particles driven by energy—what's the output mechanism? Quantum entanglement channels? This could significantly advance neural decoding technology. You've already encountered the Emperor Project—you're familiar with neural-sensory driving systems."

"Honestly, the possibilities are endless."

Kiki's face showed astonishment: "Whoa—you're trying to use abilities to crack physics?"

"Why not? Are abilities inherently theology? The discovery of cold dark fundamental particles proves they're just another form of matter." Zhou Wuer answered like a scholar, utterly serious.

Ding Junyi nodded: "I agree. When humans first discovered fire, they thought it divine. But science later revealed it as high-temperature gas or plasma. So it's possible abilities can be explained scientifically too."

Lin Xian looked at Zhou Wuer, his gaze deep: "Using materialism to dissect idealism—the Phoenix Association truly deserves the title 'Light of Humanity.'"

"Relax." Zhou Wuer smiled, waving his hand: "We won't dissect you. That's what anti-human organizations do."

"Hey, but Lin Brother is our train captain. If you take him away, and Kiki Sister too, what happens to us?" At this moment, Shasha asked a crucial question.

Even Lu Xingchen, who had been asleep, opened his eyes slightly to look over.

"Joining the Phoenix Association doesn't mean dissolving your team," Pengpeng said confidently: "The Phoenix Association is a global mobile organization. Even Phoenix City and Noah aren't safe fortresses and can't shelter all survivors. We're currently building a Dawn Line and a space elevator in the polar regions as backup plans. Our main duty is global aid. Joining doesn't mean staying at headquarters—survivor groups anywhere can become part of our force. As the saying goes: a spark can start a prairie fire. Phoenix Association or Nightwalker branches can exist anywhere, within any survivor team."

"Including Longshan No. 1 and the other six convoys—you've already become Phoenix Association partners. Your rescue of the Emperor Project team has been officially recognized. You're now classified as trustworthy organizations under collapsed order. The Phoenix Association treats you differently from ordinary survivors. Moreover, you've proven exceptional combat organization and survival resilience—something rare."

Zhou Wuer nodded, adding: "Yes. The enemy's power is unmatched, unknown. Under these conditions, preserving human life, progressing gradually, seeking survival opportunities, and mobilizing survivors worldwide are the only ways to find hope in crisis. Seeking a permanent solution is unrealistic. There are no absolute fortresses. So the Phoenix Association can be above, below, inside major cities, or among the people—scattered, surviving, enduring."

Lin Xian's pupils narrowed. He opened his mouth, realization dawning: "So if I join the Phoenix Association, I don't have to be deployed like you? Our team becomes a mobile militia unit, fighting guerrilla-style alongside you?!"

"Exactly." Zhou Wuer and Pengpeng answered in unison, both surprised by Lin Xian's insight.

Everyone's expressions turned complex. Lin Xian glanced at Chen Sixuan. Guerrilla warfare? Suddenly, both felt a chill run down their spines—this strategy sounded so familiar, so visionary!

"Alright."

Lin Xian nodded. He understood the Phoenix Association's logic now. "If so, joining means we take on another identity. But we're barely surviving—what can we contribute?"

"You're asking what the Phoenix Association can offer you, right?" Zhou Wuer grinned, winking: "Bro, I see right through you."

Lin Xian said nothing. He appreciated the Phoenix Association's goodwill, but he wouldn't blindly take up their banner. He'd just escaped death's edge—he was already powerless over the Infinite No.'s survival. He had no energy left for grand ideals of saving humanity.

In truth, Lin Xian had always believed: in the apocalypse, selfishness was the key to survival.

Yet every time crisis struck, he did something stupid. Each time, he told himself it was for his own survival—not to be a savior.

But doing too many stupid things had left him with a strange sense of helplessness.

"Of course."

Zhou Wuer snapped his fingers. A subtle ripple appeared, and suddenly, a silver metal box materialized on the floor behind him!

Everyone's expressions turned shocked. What kind of ability was this?

Pengpeng turned, picked up the box, placed it on the table, and clicked open its locks. Then, before everyone's eyes, she opened it.

"First, the Phoenix Association's special gift, in gratitude for the Infinite No. convoy's assistance at Yubei Airport and your role in evacuating tens of thousands!"

Hss!

All eyes focused on the box. Inside, neatly arranged were ten specially designed vials, each containing a pale green liquid. As soon as it was revealed, Lin Xian's Asymmetric Cube issued a warning.

【Detection of Dark Fear Energy intrusion!】

Lin Xian frowned. He recognized the liquid's connection to Dark Invasion energy—but since they were Phoenix Association, he kept silent.

He also noticed, besides the vials, a crimson circular badge inside the box, bearing a phoenix emblem. But Lin Xian sensed it wasn't just a badge—it carried a precise mechanical energy.

"What's this? Looks like a biohazard?" Kiki leaned in curiously.

Everyone was intrigued.

Zhou Wuer picked up one vial and addressed Lin Xian: "Officially called Cold Dark Reagent. It's Cold Dark Energy extracted from Blood Essence via a Cold Dark Fundamental Particle separator, then diluted in pure water at a 0. % ratio. Drinking it increases an ability-user's Dangling Spirit energy density. Think of it as a drug to upgrade abilities."

"Only 0. %? Will that even work?" Shu Qin frowned immediately.

Ding Junyi now said directly: "It must be that the energy density is too high—it needs to be diluted for the human body to withstand it."

Zhou Wuer nodded and looked at her: "No wonder you're the chief scientist of the Federation's Biological Lab—you're sharp."

He shook the metal test tube in his hand: "Don't underestimate this little bit—each vial comes from ten Grade One Blood Essences. Enough to trade for a car."

"Ten Grade One Blood Essences?!"

"That much…"

"So if there are ten vials here, that's a hundred Grade One Blood Essences?" Kiki exclaimed.

The woman named Pengpeng nodded and said: "This substance has extremely high energy density—it's classified as highly dangerous. This dilution ratio is already the absolute limit the human body can safely tolerate. Even so, drinking it causes some discomfort, so we don't recommend consuming too much in a short time."

"So has it been confirmed that consuming this can artificially enhance one's abilities?" Chen Sixuan asked now.

"Uh…"

Chen Sixuan's question made Zhou Wuer click his tongue: "To be honest, this isn't even the first batch we've developed—you should understand that the Phoenix Society is extremely cautious in this area. Our Nightwalkers Organization has tested it on volunteers, but now it's the official version."

"Volunteers? Who?" Kiki asked.

Pengpeng turned to face her: "Everyone in the Nightwalkers Organization is a volunteer. This is our own research—we're the ones testing it."

Zhou Wuer nodded: "Of course, we still can't fully separate the Dark Invasion energy with current technology. That infiltration remains unknown. But the concentration of Dark Invasion in the Blood Essences themselves is far lower than in the Night. After this separation and dilution, the harm to adepts is minimal—but don't get careless. We Nightwalkers use Black Water regularly, and the risk of corrosion is still high. That's why we've publicly released countermeasures to balance or neutralize this invasive force in the body."

"What countermeasures?"

"Get more sun exposure, and…" Zhou Wuer reached to his side, pulled out a sealed metal canteen, pressed a switch, and a straw popped out. He drank, frowned, and stared at the canteen with helpless resignation: "Drink more vegetable juice."

"Vegetable juice?" Everyone exclaimed in surprise.

Zhou Wuer had fully anticipated their reaction. He nodded, helplessly saying: "When I was a kid, my parents kept nagging me to eat more vegetables and get more sun to stay healthy. I never thought that after the apocalypse, we'd actually need sunlight and vegetables to fight Dark Invasion."

"But unfortunately, everything's dead now. Even the soil's been corrupted by Black Water. Vegetables are more precious than Blood Essences—you can't even find them. The Phoenix Society maintains special post-apocalypse hydroponic farms just to produce a tiny amount. Hmph… ironic, isn't it? Humans never appreciate things until they're gone. Back then, I hated bitter melon. Now, we Nightwalkers get only one bottle of bitter melon juice per week—it's nowhere near enough."

After Zhou Wuer finished speaking seriously, everyone exchanged glances—all eyes turned to Lin Xian.

Especially Ding Junyi. Her expression, usually unchanging, now revealed unmistakable surprise as she stared at Lin Xian. She'd already thought his plan to prepare planting carriages was visionary—but she never imagined it could be linked to abilities!

Lin Xian himself was stunned. He never expected sunlight and vegetables could resist and balance the Dark Invasion within the body. If someone other than a Phoenix Society member had said this, he'd have thought it was a joke.

But Zhou Wuer's serious expression—and the way he treated the vegetable juice like a treasure—proved it was real.

Zhou Wuer sensed the odd atmosphere and slowly retracted the canteen. He explained: "The Phoenix Society currently supplies us Nightwalkers with vegetable juice as an antidote to Dark Invasion. Since the effects aren't immediate and rely mostly on the body's own regulation—and because we lack concrete evidence—it hasn't been officially disseminated. We've only promoted it over public radio, to avoid misunderstandings and chain reactions. But it's gradually spread among survivors…"

Hearing this, Ding Junyi's impression of Lin Xian grew even greater. His focus on adapting to day and night, and his preparation of planting carriages—both were things he'd already planned. She'd even begun monitoring changes in adepts inside the vehicle during daylight and collecting data on the Hell Black Chrysanthemum.

'This man is truly mysterious…' Ding Junyi stared at Lin Xian with a blank face, but her heart burned with excitement.

(End of Chapter)