Chapter 6: Has It Faded?
Still a whip entwined with vines covered in sharp thorns! Attached to the whip was a cluster of red spiritual energy—an extraordinary force that she unconsciously gathered in moments of rage.
White Bun came to an abrupt halt and turned around. Ye Moxi lashed out with the whip, striking the rapidly approaching figure squarely.
“Ugh…”
It was not the roar of a beast, but more like a human groan.
Only then did Ye Moxi clearly see—it was a person, glowing red all over.
Wasn’t the desert star system filled with sentinels mutated into beasts by genetic collapse?
Then what was this humanoid creature?
Before she could ponder further, the figure struck back!
Over a dozen golden arrows rained down toward Ye Moxi.
“Damn it!”
Ye Moxi was on the verge of swearing in frustration.
“So you only know how to play with supernatural powers, huh?”
She swung the thorn-covered whip with her right hand, while raising her left to unleash a volley of thorny vines, blasting toward the humanoid.
At the same time, the golden arrows flew close enough to strike. Ye Moxi barely dodged in time but was hit several times. Fortunately, her new combat suit’s defense was impressive! Though the struck bones and flesh ached fiercely, no blood had been drawn yet.
Indeed, the advanced combat suit featured a tough exoskeleton layer that protected her limbs from injury, greatly enhancing her overall defense.
But the opponent wasn’t so lucky!
The vines and whip inflicted considerable damage. Blood lines splattered with each strike.
Ye Moxi’s spirit surged.
She wielded the whip with renewed vigor.
“Tried to chase me? Take this!”
She poured even more spiritual energy into it—the whip radiating streaks of green and red as it struck the figure…
One lash, two lashes—the crimson glow surrounding the humanoid faded away… No, it was the red light enveloping it that suddenly vanished!
Its eyes no longer shone with golden light…
“Oh my…”
Ye Moxi quickly covered her eyes.
No one had warned her—the creature was completely naked! The glaring flashes as it jumped about… oh dear! Would she get an eye infection?
*Thud.*
When Ye Moxi uncovered her eyes, the humanoid had collapsed to the ground.
It really had fallen!
And it even smashed a hole in the ground!
---
Ye Moxi patted White Bun.
“Let’s get out of here, quick!”
“Ugh, it hurts…”
Another groan sounded.
Was this really a human?
Ye Moxi was startled.
Had she almost killed a person just now?
She jumped down from White Bun.
In the crater lay a filthy figure—long legs, chiseled eight-pack abs, impressively sculpted chest muscles, delicate collarbones, and a sharp jawline…
His gray-blue hair obscured his face. On his right index finger was a silver ring.
So it was a person after all? Then why had he been chasing her? Given his ferocity, she was certain he had considered her and White Bun as prey!
“Ugh…”
The figure stirred again.
Quick-witted, Ye Moxi noticed her whip had already wrapped him up tightly.
She wasn’t blind.
He wore nothing at all! She didn’t want to risk getting an eye infection! Plus, he had just attacked mercilessly — who knew when he might strike again?
The whip’s thorns remained embedded in his skin, causing blood to bead and drip.
Daring to struggle?
Ye Moxi felt no sympathy, only tightened her grip on the whip.
She thought silently: Is he human or beast? Never mind! If he moves again, I’ll make him submit once more!
In both her past lives, Ye Moxi had never been treated like this!
Except by Dili.
But she wouldn’t let Dili off either!
The figure struggled even more violently, trying to cut through the vines with golden arrows.
Ye Moxi’s anger flared again! Her wood-element supernatural power surged, mixed with purer red energy that unknowingly flowed along the whip toward the figure’s body.
“Still moving!”
She even kicked twice.
“By jungle law, you tried to kill me first, so killing you now means no legal consequences!”
The bound figure struggled more fiercely.
Ye Moxi tightened the vines further, soon turning him into a bloodied man. But in the process, the thorns scratched her fingers, and her blood dripped onto his wounds, mingling with his own.
Finally, he stopped moving.
---
Ye Moxi hesitated, then kicked him twice more. The figure twitched slightly but remained still.
Could he really be dead?
She was all talk, but had no intention of taking a life…
She bent down to check, when suddenly he sprang up, lunging at her.
Ye Moxi saw a mouthful of sharp white teeth rushing toward her face. Instinctively she raised her hand to block, only to have him clamp down hard on the soft flesh between her thumb and index finger.
“Ah… it hurts!”
Ye Moxi winced in pain but couldn’t shake him off.
She clearly felt teeth piercing her flesh and even heard him swallowing.
He was drinking her blood?
What next, would he bite off a chunk?
These desert star inhabitants all seemed intent on killing her!
A surge of fury overwhelmed her. She summoned a sturdy stick, about thirty to forty centimeters long, into her empty hand.
She aimed for his head—better to strike the back of the skull so the impact wouldn’t cause him to tear flesh.
After all, any man on this desert star was likely a beastly sentinel mutated by genetic collapse. Why this one remained humanoid was a mystery, but if he tried to harm her, killing him by accident would be justified, right?
*Bam.*
Ye Moxi struck hard.
The figure’s body shook, and she felt the grip on her hand loosen!
Great! She quickly covered her hand and leapt back.
Wailing silently, she knew she’d need to get a rabies vaccine—three shots!
Damn, today had been a huge loss! Not only had she been beaten, but also bitten and had quite a bit of blood drunk from her. She had to make it up somehow…
She wondered how much that silver ring on his finger was worth—would it be enough to pay for the rabies shots?
In the invisible sea of spirit consciousness, red energy clashed with swirling black energy fragments.
The purest portion settled firmly at the center of the recently assaulted spirit sea.
Like a seed, it took root and sprouted…
Finally blossoming into a fiery red lotus, which continuously generated new energy, gradually eradicating the lingering black energy piece by piece!
The figure on the ground suddenly trembled violently, as if convulsing.
A red glow appeared on his forehead—the shape of a fiery lotus.
Startled, Ye Moxi withdrew her whip, scowling at her own palm.
The figure’s eyes suddenly opened…
What kind of eyes were those? Devoid of any human emotion, yet Ye Moxi felt they were dozens of times more beautiful than any radiant galaxy she had ever seen in her two lifetimes.
She was momentarily stunned.
The fiery lotus disappeared, and a hand grasped Ye Moxi’s ankle.
...