How Do You Want to Die?

"Ah!"

The refined-looking man let out a frightened yelp and slammed the door shut, his face drained of all color.

The moment the door closed, a silhouette slipped out from a corner and ascended the stairs.

Lu Yuan had spotted the scene while searching for the Soul-Devouring Orb, and casually dealt with both men on the spot.

Scenes like this were far from the first he had encountered along the way. All of it stemmed from the severity of the current Aberration — particularly in the districts where it had previously struck. Waves of ordinary people had fled their Residential Zones and poured into other areas, making an already chaotic situation even worse. Whenever Lu Yuan came across something serious enough, he couldn't help but step in.

Time passed, and darkness fell. At night, his Shadow Clones moved far more freely — no longer any need to worry about being spotted — and his search speed increased considerably.

Even so, Lu Yuan had combed through nearly half the city and still found no trace of the Aberrated Individual controlling the Soul-Devouring Orb.

*Could they have fled after realizing their earlier Aberration had been wiped out?*

The thought barely had time to form before wisps of black mist began seeping out from somewhere not far away. Simultaneously, the Evolution Cube inside him gave a faint tremor.

Lu Yuan froze mid-air. A cold light crossed his face.

*Still here?*

*And from the look of it, they're trying something again.*

He glanced at the slowly spreading black mist but didn't rush toward it. Instead, he dissolved into the darkness, changed course several times, and moved in whichever direction the Evolution Cube's tremors grew strongest.

What surprised him was that the strongest signal was coming from the exact opposite direction of where the black mist had appeared.

This Aberrated Individual was operating differently from the ones before. If the previous two Soul-Devouring Orb bearers had possessed this same ability — making the Aberration manifest somewhere other than their own location — tracking them would have been far more difficult. In truth, without the Evolution Cube, finding this hidden Aberrated Individual would have posed a serious challenge even for Lu Yuan.

He moved through the darkness. Before long he had covered roughly sixty kilometers and reached the city's outskirts, where the Evolution Cube's tremors surged to an intense peak.

He looked down. Below lay what appeared to be a perfectly ordinary Residential Zone.

Narrowing his eyes, Lu Yuan kept adjusting his position by following the strength of the tremors until he came to a halt before an unremarkable three-story detached house.

According to the Evolution Cube, this was the epicenter.

The Aberrated Individual was almost certainly inside.

Lu Yuan dissolved his body into black mist, merged with the shadows, and slipped through the gap beneath the door.

The house had its lights on, but it felt cold and empty. Moving through the shadows, he quickly discovered two bodies lying in bed on the second floor — a middle-aged couple. Their faces were ashen, all vitality gone; ordinary people whose souls had been devoured by the Soul-Devouring Orb.

He glanced at them, raised an eyebrow slightly, then moved on. He swept through all three floors without finding anything out of the ordinary.

He couldn't help frowning. *Made a mistake? The Evolution Cube's tremors were this strong — it can't be wrong.*

*A basement? A hidden room?*

He thought back to the last Aberrated Individual — that one had been in a basement too. Lu Yuan returned to the ground floor and searched carefully. He avoided using his perception ability openly, not wanting to tip off his quarry. If the Aberrated Individual had some special means of escape, things could get very messy very quickly.

Even so, it didn't take long. He found a hidden door concealed behind a bookshelf in the study.

Lu Yuan turned himself to shadow and slipped through the crack. Beyond the door, a passage descended into the dark.

The moment he entered, he felt it — powerful Spirit Power fluctuations, strange and unsettling in character. He was already familiar with this particular sensation; the previous Soul-Devouring Orb bearer had given off the same energy.

*Found you.*

A faint smile crossed his lips. He descended the stairs and emerged into a wide, open basement.

At its center sat a single person, cross-legged on the floor: a strikingly beautiful black-haired woman with a striking figure. Black mist swirled around her, and grotesque, contorted faces screamed and wailed within its depths. She was entirely absorbed in whatever she was doing, utterly unaware of Lu Yuan lurking in the shadows.

He watched her, cold detachment settling in his eyes.

Golden radiance bloomed around him as the Great Solar Spirit Body blazed at full power. Terrifying heat radiated outward, and the stone floor and walls of the basement began showing signs of melting. As that terrible energy surged, the black-haired woman finally noticed him.

Her expression collapsed. Shock split across her face.

In that same instant, a golden sword flash blazed past.

The next moment, she felt searing heat, heard agonized shrieks ringing at her ears — and then darkness swallowed her vision.

Lu Yuan watched as the black-haired woman slowly dissolved into ash beneath the intense heat. He let out a slow breath.

She had been Battle Sovereign rank. Had he let her fully unleash her power, killing her would still have been straightforward — but the collateral damage would have been immense. This was a Residential Zone; he couldn't afford to fight openly here. A real battle would have likely killed every resident in the surrounding area from the shockwaves alone.

Fortunately, he had caught her by surprise while she was focused on controlling the distant Aberration, and eliminated her in a single strike.

That, too, was only possible because of the significant leap in his own strength lately. Otherwise, even catching a Battle Sovereign off guard wouldn't have guaranteed a one-shot kill. The last time he had faced a Battle Sovereign wielding a Soul-Devouring Orb, it had taken Sacred Brilliance to finish the job.

This outcome was the best he could have hoped for.

He watched the black mist slowly recede, a Soul-Devouring Orb rising to float at its center. Lu Yuan took a deep breath.

Xikou City, East District.

The moment the black mist appeared, nearby Night Watchmen immediately alerted the branch. Upon receiving word, Bai Linlong notified Li Qinghe and Lu Yuan, then led a team of Night Watchman warriors toward the site.

Li Qinghe, who had been following up on leads, frowned and shot off like a streak of light, vanishing from the spot and heading for the East District at full speed.

Before long, no fewer than eight Battle King Rank warriors, Li Qinghe at Battle Sovereign rank, a full contingent of Battle Venerables, and other warriors below Venerable rank had all assembled in the East District.

Watching the black mist slowly emerge, Bai Linlong's expression darkened. "It's happening again... Still no leads?!"

The Deputy Director beside her shook his head, his expression equally grim. "Nothing yet."

Li Qinghe spoke calmly. "Deal with the Aberration in front of us first."

Bai Linlong gave a slight nod. "Elder Li is right."

Then Li Qinghe glanced around with a puzzled look. "Where's my little Yuan?"

Bai Linlong blinked, then realized she meant Lu Yuan. She looked around herself with an odd expression — and found herself just as baffled.

Lu Yuan was nowhere to be seen.

"I did send word to Elder Lu..."

The others all wore equally puzzled expressions.

While they were still puzzling over it, the black mist abruptly thickened. Shadows materialized one after another, drifting toward the residential buildings. The residents, already being guided to safety by Night Watchmen and constables, screamed at the sight despite themselves.

Li Qinghe had no time to dwell on it. "Handle the Aberration first!"

Dark energy rose around her and she charged into the black mist — with Lu Yuan absent, the responsibility fell to her. But just as she soared upward, the Shadows suddenly let out piercing shrieks and burst apart into puffs of black smoke. The black mist that had been massing into storm clouds overhead churned and then faded away into nothing.

The Aberration vanished just as silently as it had appeared.

Li Qinghe hung motionless in the air, taken aback.

The others stared at where the Aberration had been and exchanged bewildered glances.

"What happened? Where did the mist and Shadows go?"

"No idea... how did it just vanish like that?"

At that moment, space rippled above them — and Lu Yuan's figure materialized.

The instant Li Qinghe spotted him, she flew over. "Little Yuan, where on earth did you disappear to?"

Bai Linlong and the others hurried over as well.

"Elder Lu, the Aberration appeared out of nowhere and then vanished just as suddenly. Do you know what happened?"

Lu Yuan smiled. "I tracked down the Soul-Devouring Orb's bearer. She was trying to trigger the Aberration again, same as earlier today. I sensed her, killed her — and the Aberration here disappeared along with it."

Silence fell over the crowd.

Li Qinghe stared at him. "You're saying the Soul-Devouring Orb's bearer is already dead?"

Lu Yuan smiled and nodded. "Mm."

He produced a black box and opened it. A Soul-Devouring Orb floated out from within.

Li Qinghe had seen one before. She confirmed it without hesitation. "That's the Soul-Devouring Orb!"

Bai Linlong and the others snapped back to their senses, feeling as though they were dreaming.

"...So with the Soul-Devouring Orb recovered, this kind of Aberration won't happen here again?"

The middle-aged man beside Bai Linlong asked, barely containing his excitement.

Lu Yuan smiled and nodded. "As long as there isn't a second one here, it won't."

A brief silence fell. Then smiles of relief and elation broke across their faces.

"Elder Lu, we can't thank you enough!"

"I'd heard you were a once-in-a-generation genius, but today I see that description doesn't begin to do you justice!"

"To track down something as sinister as a Soul-Devouring Orb so effortlessly — truly extraordinary!"

Night Watchmen and Battle King Rank warriors from the great families chimed in one after another, words of praise tumbling out without restraint.

Lu Yuan was mildly at a loss. They were too worked up — the flattery was starting to make even him a little embarrassed.

Bai Linlong's beautiful eyes shimmered with genuine feeling. "Elder Lu, I truly cannot thank you enough. Without you, there's no telling how many lives would have been lost."

"Just doing my part," Lu Yuan said with a smile. "It's what I should do."

Bai Linlong smiled softly. "To express our gratitude, I'd like to host a small banquet in Elder Lu's honor — I wonder if you would grace us with your presence?"

Before Lu Yuan could answer, he felt a sharp pinch at his waist. His mouth twitched. He glanced down at his side, then over at Li Qinghe, who was standing right beside him with a bright, pleasant smile.

"..."

He managed a strained chuckle. "Apologies, Director Bai. Other areas are still dealing with similar Aberrations — we need to move on. I'm afraid we can't stay."

Bai Linlong seemed to catch on. She glanced at Li Qinghe and smiled with a touch of sheepishness. "Of course — then I won't keep Elder Lu and Elder Li any longer."

Li Qinghe smiled. "No need to press us. We'll be off now, won't we, little Yuan?"

Lu Yuan nodded. "Yes."

Then, with all the composure in the world, he reached out and slipped his arm around Li Qinghe's waist. Li Qinghe went rigid — body and expression alike.

Before she could say a word, space rippled, and they were gone.

Bai Linlong watched the direction they had disappeared, a flicker of disappointment passing through her eyes. The others exchanged glances, then looked quietly at the surrounding air and said nothing.

Thousands of kilometers from Xikou City, the two of them reappeared above a stretch of open wilderness.

Li Qinghe looked around, found herself in the middle of nowhere, and shot Lu Yuan a flat look. She pressed down on the hand still resting at her waist. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Hmm... leather armor, so I can't feel much. If I could just slip my hand underneath—"

He hadn't finished before Li Qinghe seized his face between her hands. "Little Yuan, you are getting more and more full of yourself! Tsk, tsk — Director Bai was quite something, wasn't she? All graceful and exquisite, and you were staring at her with those eyes of yours... 'grace us with your presence' — ha!"

Lu Yuan put on his most innocent expression. "...That has nothing to do with me. I didn't even say yes."

"But you wanted to."

"Absolutely not. How could Director Bai possibly compare to my Sister Qinghe?"

He said it with a perfectly straight face.

The grip on his face softened slightly. Li Qinghe gave his cheek a smug little pinch and smiled triumphantly.

"Oh? And what's so wonderful about your Sister Qinghe?"

Lu Yuan considered for a moment. "Hmm... Big Bear?"

Li Qinghe: "..."

She went rigid. Then she turned on him with her teeth clenched and fixed him with a murderous stare. "All right. How do you want to die?"

Lu Yuan startled. After a moment's thought, he offered: "Die of... pleasure?"

"Lu Yuan!!"

Li Qinghe immediately threw her arms around his neck and began pinching his face. Lu Yuan put on a very pained expression — in truth, she was no longer a match for him physically, and defense was his strong suit. She hadn't really put much force into it either, so he felt almost nothing. But the performance was expected.

When Li Qinghe had finally worked it out of her system, Lu Yuan spoke up. "Sister Qinghe, shall we head to the next area?"

Li Qinghe huffed, shot him a look, then nodded. "Fine. Let's go to Yunzhou City."