“Don’t go over there, something’s wrong! There’s something in the air. Those people have already been mesmerized. If you rush over there like this, you’ll end up just like them.”

Relying on her formidable Spiritual Power, Xu Qingsui had discovered the root of the problem. This was what kept Su Qingyan from throwing his life away for nothing! But since they couldn’t go over and stop the team members, they could only watch helplessly as the others sacrificed themselves in vain.

“How can we save them?” Su Qingyan asked, his face etched with urgency.

“It’s pollen,” Xu Qingsui explained. “The pollen in the air has a hallucinogenic effect, and they’ve all fallen prey to it. If we want to save them, we have to deal with the pollen.”

Xu Qingsui had been the first to identify the issue, but figuring out how to solve it was a completely new challenge. In the end, it was the Golden Octopus that gave her a clue.

On a large tree beside them grew a parasitic flower that emitted a faint, fluorescent glow. As long as she devoured its source of corruption, Xu Qingsui would gain the ability to break the illusion. Not daring to delay for even a second, she immediately devoured the source of corruption. Her Spiritual Power surged significantly once again.

Feeling this new ability coursing through her body, she quickly shattered the illusion created by the pollen.

The power Xu Qingsui displayed left both Su Qingyan and Li Xianxu thoroughly shocked. However, given their current circumstances, neither of them probed her with too many questions. With the illusion dispelled, all the team members were accounted for. The next step was to traverse the jungle and clear the dungeon. With the help of Li Xianxu and Xu Qingsui, the journey became much easier.

As they made their way through the jungle, Xu Qingsui heard the name of the pharmaceutical company from Su Qingyan’s lips once again. According to Su Qingyan, everything here had been caused by that very company. In order to test their serums, they had essentially turned this place into a testing ground. Ultimately, this resulted in a parasite capable of infesting any living organism.

Noticing the change in Xu Qingsui’s expression, Su Qingyan couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem with what I just said?”

Xu Qingsui slowly shook her head. “No. It’s just that I’ve been to so many safe zones, and surprisingly, I’ve found traces of the pharmaceutical company in every single one of them. I now suspect that everything is connected to them.

“Perhaps all of this is man-made. All of us are just like guinea pigs—experimental subjects for those people.”

Xu Qingsui’s speculation was met with silence from Li Xianxu and Su Qingyan.

In truth, many things hadn’t been completely untraceable; they just hadn’t paid them much attention. Now that someone had finally connected the dots, they realized that the situation wasn’t nearly as simple as they had imagined. This matter was no trivial thing, and its implications were massive.

Neither Li Xianxu nor Su Qingyan were ordinary men. As the realization sank in, their eyes filled with a fierce intensity. One refused to allow himself to be manipulated, while the other refused to let such an abhorrent organization exist. Right then and there, the three of them made a firm decision inside the dungeon: they had to investigate this matter thoroughly and restore peace to the world.

With that said, Xu Qingsui also linked all of this to her Spiritual Map.

“I don’t know how to explain this to you, but if my guess is correct, I think I know exactly where that pharmaceutical company is.” She paused, knowing she had been guided by the Spiritual Map all along the way, drawing closer and closer to the truth. She had a strong premonition that the final destination of the Spiritual Map was the pharmaceutical company itself. “If you’re willing to believe me, then after we leave this dungeon, we can go search for the company together.”

Although they hadn’t known each other for long, and Li Xianxu and Su Qingyan were no ordinary men, neither of them doubted Xu Qingsui’s words. They agreed to her invitation without hesitation.

It didn’t take long before they finally crossed the jungle and cleared the dungeon.

The trio didn’t waste any time. After Su Qingyan treated the wounds of all the injured members, the group headed toward Zone 78.

Just as the three of them left, Lu Jingyu and his group arrived at Zone 49. After making a few simple inquiries, they learned that Xu Qingsui had picked up yet another companion: Su Qingyan.

The three men looked grim, collectively feeling that the pressure on their shoulders had just grown heavier. Their thoughts were surprisingly aligned: they were terrified that Xu Qingsui would become another man’s woman. Without delay, they also rushed toward Zone 78.

Meanwhile, Xu Qingsui’s trio had already tracked down her sixth Contract partner, Jiang Xu.

Arriving just in time for the start of a dungeon, the three of them entered it together with Jiang Xu. Although she hadn’t been in this world for very long, tales of Xu Qingsui’s exploits had already spread far and wide. Jiang Xu had heard of her well in advance, knowing that she had won over many illustrious figures.

Seeing Li Xianxu and Su Qingyan standing guard by her side right now only made him all the more curious about her. It was a pity that the dungeon had already begun. If he wanted to get to know her properly, he would have to wait until it was over.

[The dungeon “Glacier” is now open. All participating warriors, please prepare yourselves.]

[Dungeon Duration: 12 hours. Please clear the dungeon within the allotted time. Failure to clear the dungeon within the specified time will result in the annihilation of all participating members.]

A massive glacier rose from the ground. Above the glacier, watermarks that looked like bloodstains spelled out the rules of the dungeon.

[To the brave and fearless warriors: 1. The seemingly indestructible ice is just like a frozen heart—it appears strong but is actually fragile. This is especially true for areas where cracks have already appeared. Please do not step on them! 2. The ancient glacier is the accumulation of thousands of years. No one knows what exactly has transpired over these millennia. Do not explore at will. Let whatever slumbers within the glacier silently remain as it is. 3. The glacier is holy and pure, able to reflect everything like a mirror. Therefore, please do not use Spiritual Power within the glacier for more than ten minutes. Otherwise, bear the consequences at your own risk. 4. Everything has already entered its final stage. The answers lie behind the glacier, and the final outcome lies behind the glacier as well.]

Reading the final rule, Xu Qingsui suddenly had the bizarre feeling that it had been written specifically for her. She had transmigrated into this world for some inexplicable reason, leaving her with far too many doubts and unanswered questions. This felt like her final stop. All the mysteries were about to be unveiled.

Xu Qingsui didn’t say another word. Without hesitation, she followed Jiang Xu and stepped into the dungeon.

Right after their group entered the dungeon, the figures of Lu Jingyu and his two companions appeared outside. Staring at the dungeon’s entrance, the three men felt an exceptionally heavy weight in their hearts. A single, resounding command echoed within all of their minds, “Protect Xu Qingsui.”

The three of them exchanged glances. For once, they didn’t bicker. Immediately after, the three of them walked toward the dungeon together.

By this time, Xu Qingsui’s party of four had already encountered their first obstacle: the Ice-Surface Temperature Monster. Although Xu Qingsui had already fought a Temperature Monster in the desert dungeon, it couldn’t even compare to the one standing before her now.

The drastic drop in temperature froze the four of them into a state of numbness in a mere instant.

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