The thousands of meters radius filled with dark creatures—whether Dark Natives, Dark Demon Eye Star People, or Dark Drule—were brutally overwhelmed by the energy shockwave of mingled light and darkness. The dark energy within them backfired severely, causing their bodies to burst open and dissolve into pure dark energy, merging with the Black Fog.

"No!!!" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Suddenly, the Dark Giant growled in defiance as blue Light Energy suppressed the darkness, taking the upper hand and drowning the massive figure entirely.

"Boom!!!!"

Blinding Light Energy exploded, and flames shot into the heavens. For the first time, the Dark Volcano erupted with scorching fire, scattering the oppressive dark clouds. A fleeting ray of sunlight pierced through to illuminate the Dark Volcano.

"Crash..."

Moments later, the infernal flames dissipated, and loose debris tumbled intermittently from the edge of the volcano’s crater.

The surviving Abra and others stood wide-eyed in disbelief, staring at Leng Xinlan, who was panting heavily by the giant pit.

Xiong Er extended his hand, his large eyes glaring as he stammered, "You... Miss Leng, you..."

Leng Xinlan turned her back to Xiong Er and waved gently. "No need to thank me."

"No... it’s not... You... Miss Leng, since you’re so strong, you could’ve broken through the encirclement earlier. Why did you make us take a detour through the dark passage and come back? Were you..."

Xiong Er hesitated and decided not to finish the sentence.

Leng Xinlan’s forehead darkened with exasperation. Am I being blamed?

How was I supposed to know the Principal’s device would be so effective?

With Unbreakable Realm Five-star strength, it’s unbelievable I managed to annihilate this many dark creatures.

Or maybe these dark creatures were simply too weak?

But then, why did the previous wave of dark monsters seem relatively unaffected?

Leng Xinlan couldn’t help but wonder.

She didn’t realize that becoming a dark creature wasn’t as simple as enduring dark energy infusion.

The success rate for dark energy assimilation was only three to four percent, while failure meant death.

Those dark monsters were accumulated over the centuries, and the dark energy within them had become naturally stable.

Meanwhile, these dark creatures transformed using Pioneer dark technology, although boasting high success rates, still lacked stability, making them vulnerable to dark energy backlash.

Dismissing her doubts, Leng Xinlan struggled to muster the strength to call for the group to leave this area.

The commotion earlier was too intense. Who knew whether more dark monsters might be drawn to the scene?

Before she could speak, two fear-filled screams echoed suddenly above the crater, and the group watched with wide eyes as two figures plummeted from the sky, landing before them.

"These are... the Pioneers!" Leng Xinlan stared at one of the fallen figures, her expression instantly changing.

The ones behind this were actually Alien Pioneers!

And there was also the Drue Traitor Budala—it was a trap set by the two of them.

She finally realized.

Then her expression shifted again as she looked skyward. Despite her weakened state, a faint smile crossed her face.

"Brother Qin, why are you here?" she said softly with a smile.

A sturdy figure clad in black battle armor descended slowly, landing next to Leng Xinlan and handing her a potion.

The faceplate of the battle armor retracted, revealing a square-jawed face with rugged stubble.

"Haha, my elder told me to capture the Blue Flame Phoenix, and I wanted to check on you while I was at it. Who knew you’d make it to the Dark Volcano ahead of me.

If I hadn’t received an anonymous message saying you were in trouble, I wouldn’t have come here!"

The man’s expression was indulgent. He initially reached out to pat Leng Xinlan’s head, but halfway through, he hesitated and withdrew his hand.

Leng Xinlan was much younger than him, and he had always treated her like a sister, so the gesture wasn’t inappropriate.

But considering her nominally higher status and the presence of other people, spreading rumors would cause too much trouble.

Leng Xinlan noticed his awkwardness and rolled her eyes.

"Qin Quan, you’re supposed to be an Unbreakable Realm Six Stars powerhouse—why are you hesitating like some lackluster man?" she teased.

Qin Quan answered seriously, "The old man often lectures us brothers that while traveling, we must always speak and act cautiously..."

Seeing him start rambling, Leng Xinlan quickly cut him off.

"Alright, alright, your Qin Family traditions are enough to hear about. Honestly, I wish that kid were as disciplined as you so Xiao Bai wouldn’t have to worry so much."

"That kid?"

Qin Quan laughed. "You’re talking about Qin Shou, right? The one the old man mentioned?"

"If not him, then who?" Leng Xinlan pursed her lips.

"Haha, I think that kid’s alright. The name Kai Jushou is famous everywhere, though he’s toned it down since he got more renowned. It’s been ages since I’ve seen one of his videos about targeting monsters’ weak spots." Qin Quan chuckled.

Among the "Both Civil and Military" four siblings, he was the one with the most lingering wounds due to past battles, leading to a decline in strength, leaving him at just Unbreakable Realm Six Stars.

Yet, for this reason, the old man often felt guilty and regularly visited him for casual chats.

In recent years, the most frequent topic from Qin Long was none other than Qin Shou, who hailed from modest beginnings.

Clearly, Qin Shou was no ordinary character!

Leng Xinlan, noticing Qin Quan’s admiration for Qin Shou, snorted in discontent and said, "Brother Qin, you’re disagreeing with me now—you’ve changed."

Qin Quan quickly smiled apologetically, "Haha, alright, alright, I was wrong. Please forgive me."

"No, even if you beg me, I won’t forgive you."

"You’re already this old, yet you still act like a child..."

"What do you mean, ’this old’? Qin Quan, you better explain this clearly..."

"Oops, I misspoke! I’m sorry, I’m sorry..."

"You’re done for."

"Come on, it was just a slip of the tongue—no need to get all worked up."

"You’re done for."

Watching the two continue wasting time, Abra and the others suppressed their frustration.

Please, for the love of everything, help us heal first and then keep bantering, okay?