Chapter 267

“That’s the revenant in the atrium!”

Ies screamed and scurried on his short legs to stand behind Ye Qingfeng.

The revenant danced in time with the music, its movements fluid and precise, every gesture exuding elegance.

“It seems this guest hasn’t had enough yet!”

“Leicaen!”

Ye Qingfeng suddenly called out.

“What is it?”

“This one would be perfect for Victoria Housekeeping—have you considered hiring it?” Ye Qingfeng asked seriously, pointing at the revenant.

“Um...”

Leicaen froze, then his face darkened as he shot back:

“Victoria Housekeeping may be a company, but we’re like family. Are you seriously suggesting you work alongside a monster and treat it as a friend?”

Hiring a revenant as an employee? How bold!

Does this bastard Ye Qingfeng even understand the situation?

But still... that elegance was too elegant! What time is this?!

If it weren’t for the revenant, he might have actually made the offer.

As the melody built toward its climax, the revenant’s dance shifted—another revenant emerged from its back, colored entirely black.

It took the silver revenant’s hand and danced in harmony with the music.

“There are two revenants!!”

Leicaen shouted to warn everyone.

“So the rumors about this building are true...” Ling murmured.

“I’ll hold them off. You find a chance to reach the rooftop.”

Ye Qingfeng stepped forward two paces, blocking the group, and signaled Leicaen to take Rien and Ies away first.

“No! Absolutely not!!”

Ling refused firmly.

“Uh... I think that’s not safe either. How about Ye Qingfeng and Leicaen go up together?” Rien suggested from the back, “Me and the Rope Jiang sneak up later?”

Ye Qingfeng glanced sideways at Rien. If this were the past, he’d have wholeheartedly agreed with her suggestion.

“Let’s adjust it slightly: Leicaen, take them up first, then come back down to support me.”

He turned to Leicaen, pretending to consult the group, but his eyes signaled him to act immediately—forcefully drag Ies and Rien to the rooftop.

Leicaen understood Ye Qingfeng’s intent perfectly, but he frowned, hesitating for a long while without moving.

In truth, whichever choice he made was fine—his sole purpose for entering the Hollow was to observe Ye Qingfeng’s true combat strength and his connection to Aether energy.

Ye Qingfeng didn’t understand Leicaen’s true intentions, nor why he hadn’t acted yet; his frustration grew.

Who knew when the airship might fail next? Nico, Mao You, and Anbi were still up there!!

[If I use Bullet Time to hurl Leicaen and the others to the rooftop, then return here to take the two revenants, how much time and stamina will it take at minimum?]

[Without conserving stamina, it can be done in two to three minutes, consuming three to five tenths of your stamina—exact amount depends on your usage.]

Three to five tenths? Let’s say four—enough to eliminate these revenants.

“Leicaen!”

Ye Qingfeng decided to warn Leicaen first.

“What is it?”

“Would it be okay if we damaged Barre Building a bit?”

“Yes! Very okay!” Leicaen had a bad feeling—“Wait! You’re going to—do WHAT—?!”

Ye Qingfeng activated Bullet Time instantly, snatched up Ies from beside his foot, shoved him into Rien’s arms, then hurled Leicaen and Rien toward the exit in sequence.

As the two and the fabric neared the exit, Ye Qingfeng seized the moment to test his teleportation ability—he drew a deep breath, activated the power, and vanished in a flash, reappearing beside Leicaen.

Landing first on the ground, he spun around to catch the falling group, dragged them onto the rooftop, then slammed the door shut and locked it with wire.

Only after completing the sequence did Ye Qingfeng check his stamina cost from teleportation.

Summary: Extremely useful—and stamina cost is low!

———Time resumes flowing———

Ye Qingfeng felt his stamina drop nearing four tenths; he immediately shut off Bullet Time to avoid exhausting himself before dealing with the two revenants.

The revenants paused, bewildered by the sudden disappearance—their faceless expressions seemed to ask: Where did they go?

Before they could think further, they sensed a sharp rise in Aether concentration behind them. They turned—and saw Ye Qingfeng raising one hand like a gun, a purple sphere expanding before his fingertip, Aether visibly converging into it.

The two revenants exchanged a single, perfectly synchronized glance.

Should we fight?

Is there a fight to be had?

If we dodge or endure this strike, we’ll turn the tables.

What if we don’t?

Let’s retreat? Good revenants don’t suffer unnecessary losses...

Yeah, let’s go...

Ye Qingfeng feared these revenants might launch a surprise attack—they moved too fast, and his Aether sphere could easily be dodged at range.

He planned to wait until the charge was complete, then use Bullet Time to close the distance and guarantee a hit.

To ensure one-shot elimination, he compressed the Aether sphere to its absolute limit—near his control threshold—so one shot would be enough.

He’d already imagined his cool pose—only for the enemy to refuse to cooperate...

Seeing they had vanished completely, he lost interest and released the compressed Aether sphere. The purple ring expanded, nearly affecting the entire Hollow.

He dismissed it as a visual effect, not thinking further.

Unaware that the Hollow’s Aether concentration had subtly risen—twice in succession—and even so, it changed nothing.

Forming the sphere increased Aether concentration; releasing it (like an explosion) raised the baseline Aether level.

In short: the former raised quality, the latter raised quantity.

Like a single drop falling into a lake—no ripple at all.

(Almost forgot to post—

The next segment after this scene will reveal all foreshadowing. These chapters may feel rushed, with fast pacing.)