The wilderness was far less peaceful than it appeared.
At first glance, the hunting grounds looked ordinary—ruined buildings, cracked roads, and patches of mutated vegetation spreading wildly. But for those with sharp perception, danger lingered everywhere.
Ye Sheng frowned slightly.
“Something feels off…”
She subconsciously tightened her grip on Gu Luoyu’s hand.
Gu Luoyu didn’t answer immediately, but her crimson eyes narrowed slightly. Her psychic field had already spread out silently, covering a wide radius.
“I noticed it too,” she said calmly. “We’re being watched.”
The moment those words fell, Ye Sheng’s expression changed.
Watched?
Before she could ask further, a sudden scream erupted from the front of the team.
“Ahhh—!!”
One of the noble youths had collapsed onto the ground, clutching his leg. Dark, viscous blood seeped out rapidly, accompanied by a faint black mist.
“Poison?!”
The team instantly fell into chaos.
“Where did the attack come from?!”
“I didn’t see anything!”
“Protect Miss Li Wei!”
Voices overlapped in panic, completely losing their earlier composure.
Ye Sheng’s gaze sharpened.
So this was the “problem” she had a bad feeling about…
Gu Luoyu raised her hand slightly.
In the next second—
Boom!
An invisible force exploded outward from her, sweeping through the surroundings like a storm.
Hidden in the shadows, several distorted figures were instantly forced into visibility.
They weren’t quite human anymore.
Their bodies were twisted, limbs elongated unnaturally, and their eyes glowed with a murky yellow light.
“Polluted espers…” someone muttered in horror.
Unlike ordinary monsters, these creatures retained fragments of intelligence, making them far more dangerous.
“Tsk.”
Gu Luoyu clicked her tongue softly.
“No wonder it felt annoying.”
Before anyone else could react, she had already taken a step forward.
The air distorted.
In an instant, the nearest polluted esper was crushed mid-air, its body folding unnaturally before bursting apart.
The remaining creatures hesitated for only a fraction of a second—
Then they charged.
“Stay behind me,” Gu Luoyu said lazily.
Ye Sheng didn’t argue this time.
She knew very well—this kind of battle wasn’t something she needed to interfere in.
But that didn’t mean she would do nothing.
“Xiao Bai!”
A soft chirp responded.
The small white bird fluttered its wings, releasing a faint glow that enveloped the injured youth.
The black mist around his wound began to dissipate slowly.
Meanwhile—
Gu Luoyu had already finished.
Yes.
Finished.
In less than ten seconds.
The battlefield fell silent.
Several corpses lay scattered across the ground, their forms gradually dissolving into black sludge.
The squad stood frozen in place.
No one spoke.
No one dared to speak.
Even those hidden espers in the shadows remained completely still.
Too strong…
This wasn’t just “powerful.”
This was overwhelming.
Gu Luoyu turned her head slightly, as if nothing had happened.
“Trouble solved.”
Her tone was casual, almost bored.
As if she had merely brushed away some dust.
Ye Sheng blinked… then suddenly smiled.
“Ah Yu is amazing~”
Her voice was soft, filled with pride.
Gu Luoyu paused for a moment, then lightly coughed, clearly suppressing a smile.
“Let’s move on,” she said.
But at that moment—
A faint cracking sound came from within her badge space.
Crack…
Gu Luoyu’s expression changed slightly.
The prophecy stone.
It… had reacted again.