Chapter 235: Chapter 235: Entering the Castle

Lu Jingyu had entrusted him with the task of guarding the safe zone, and he would absolutely not let Lu Jingyu down. He intended to keep his weapons in peak condition. When the Mermaids finally charged, he would slaughter them one by one.

Inside the dungeon, led by Xu Qingsui, the group finally arrived at the castle.

The castle loomed right before their eyes, concealing who knew what kind of Mutants within its walls. To better prepare for whatever challenges lay ahead, Lu Jingyu ordered a ten-minute rest on the spot. Ten minutes was barely enough time to take a leak, but time was of the essence, making those ten minutes feel like a luxury.

During the trek, Shen Yan had finally regained consciousness while being supported by his teammates. Catching his breath, he walked up to Xu Qingsui. "Thank you. You saved my life again!"

Seeing Shen Yan now, Xu Qingsui was reminded of that pitiful Flying Dragon.

"It was nothing, so no need to be so polite! If you really want to thank me, wait until I can neutralize the Frenzy Factor in your body. You can properly thank me then!"

Originally, Xu Qingsui hadn’t intended to tell him so early. She wanted to wait until she possessed sufficient power. However, feeling a surge of pity at the thought of the Flying Dragon and knowing that this issue was a heavy burden on Shen Yan’s heart, she couldn’t resist revealing it ahead of time.

Sure enough, Shen Yan froze on the spot upon hearing her words. He replayed Xu Qingsui’s statement in his mind several times, making absolutely sure he had understood her correctly, before a brilliant light immediately burst into his eyes. "Are you saying you already have a way to fix my body’s condition?"

Xu Qingsui nodded. Seeing Shen Yan’s genuine excitement, she felt she had spoken too soon. She still didn’t know when she would be able to raise her strength enough to solve this problem for him. Giving him hope this early might lead to severe disappointment if the process dragged on for too long. But what was said couldn’t be taken back, so she could only nod under Shen Yan’s expectant gaze.

"I do have a way, but don’t celebrate just yet. With my current abilities, I lack the power to pull it off right now. I still need to increase my spiritual power first.

"I can’t guarantee when exactly my spiritual power will reach the level required to help you." Fearing she might deal Shen Yan a heavy blow, Xu Qingsui’s voice dropped lower toward the end.

She expected to see a look of disappointment cross Shen Yan’s face, but whether he was too thrilled to hear the caveat or just didn’t care, his excitement didn’t diminish in the slightest. Shen Yan stared at Xu Qingsui with radiant eyes, his heart overflowing with elation.

For the first time in all these years, someone had finally told him that there was a solution to his problem. He trusted Xu Qingsui implicitly; even if he had to wait, he was more than willing to do so. Not to mention, this gave him a perfectly legitimate excuse to stay by her side in the future—something that would certainly make it easier for him to pursue her.

"Qing Sui, this has tormented me for so long. Now that you’ve come up with a solution, I don’t even know how to express my gratitude.

"So what if I have to wait a little longer? That’s perfect. I’ll use this time to carefully figure out how to thank you properly. Once everything is truly resolved, I will definitely present you with a grand gift."

Shen Yan’s reaction took Xu Qingsui slightly by surprise, but she was just glad he was taking it so well.

When Shen Yan had first walked over, Lu Jingyu had immediately stepped up to stand beside Xu Qingsui. Now, learning that she had found a way to help Shen Yan, Lu Jingyu felt a twinge of jealousy. Seeing Shen Yan so gleefully thanking her, with intentions as obvious as Sima Zhao’s written all over his face, Lu Jingyu promptly wedged himself between the two of them.

"Time is about up. We’re heading into the castle now!" he declared.

Xu Qingsui immediately refocused her attention and nodded. "We still don’t know what it’s like inside. Make sure everyone stays on high alert."

Lu Jingyu nodded and gave a few quick instructions to the team. After packing up their gear, he once again took the lead, guiding the group into the castle.

It was a classic European-style castle, exuding the charm of the eighteenth century while appearing utterly magnificent and opulent.

Ideally, Lu Jingyu would have preferred everyone to stick together. That way, if they encountered any Mutants, they could look out for each other. However, the place was simply too vast. With their limited time, they couldn’t afford to explore it inch by inch. After entering the castle, Lu Jingyu hesitated before finally deciding he had no choice but to change his strategy.

"Let’s split into squads and explore separately," he announced. This decision was a last resort for Lu Jingyu, and both his tone and expression were heavy with gravity. "We’ve all seen the Mutated Mermaids. The Mutants in here are incredibly tough to deal with and highly aggressive. Everyone must be extra cautious. If you notice even the slightest thing wrong, you must notify the others immediately!"

Having witnessed the capabilities of the Mutated Mermaids firsthand, Lu Jingyu was still feeling somewhat unsettled. The fact that those creatures could make them fall prey to attacks without them even realizing it was far too dangerous.

Splitting up under these circumstances meant he had no idea how long the squads would be able to hold out. Yet, they had no other options. The castle was so massive that if only a single team explored it, it would likely take hours. By that time, it wouldn’t just be them worrying about the Mermaids—the outside world would be facing a massive Mermaid tide as well. Since they had no way to transmit information out to warn the others in advance, he couldn’t even bear to imagine the chaos that would ensue outside once the Mermaids struck.

Lu Jingyu’s worries were plainly written on his face. Seeing this, Xu Qingsui felt a heaviness in her own heart. She stepped forward and patted his shoulder comfortingly. "We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it! You need to trust your team. Weren’t all these people handpicked by Yun Fei to be brought to the 27th District?

"They’re definitely battle-hardened veterans with plenty of experience. As long as everyone stays sharp, they can handle it."

Xu Qingsui’s words struck a chord deep within Lu Jingyu. These were his teammates. He would need them to stand on their own two feet in the future, which meant it was time for him to let go. If he always stood at the forefront and solved every problem for them, when would they ever grow? If they never matured, what could they possibly do when the real crisis hit? Just march to their deaths?

As if a sudden realization had dawned on him, Lu Jingyu’s eyes flickered, and his expression abruptly turned resolute.

"Guide Xu thinks highly of you all, and she’s right. You are the elites of the Alliance. It’s time you proved you can hold your own.

"One last warning: the spirit bodies in here are masters of Spiritual Attacks. You must be on your guard. If you spot anything wrong, report it immediately!"

Lu Jingyu’s speech reinvigorated the initially apprehensive team. The newly formed squads chanted a few rallying cries before marching off toward their respective designated zones.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.