Chapter 154: Is the News Reliable?
They had just disembarked from the Starship when they saw an aide who had clearly been waiting for some time.
The aide’s expression was grim. He hurried over to Hu Yan, saluted, and reported in a rapid-fire voice, "The Insect Clan’s grand army is attacking. They broke through our border defenses with incredible speed. We fear there are mutated members of the Insect Clan. The Emperor couldn’t reach you and has already ordered Marshal Sates to reinforce the border. He commands you to report to the palace immediately upon your return."
Hearing this news, the expressions on Bai Zhi’s and the others’ faces all changed.
A grave look also appeared on Hu Yan’s face. He turned to Bai Zhi and the others and said, "You all head back first. The food stores at home are enough to last several months without you leaving. If necessary, have the butler activate the defense systems. Just tell him what I said, and he’ll know what to do."
Bai Zhi nodded solemnly. "Okay."
Hu Yan reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her for several seconds before letting go. He looked up at Lang Qiu and the others and said, "Protect Bai Zhi."
Lang Qiu nodded with a solemn expression. "Don’t worry."
Yue Junxiao and Yan Yichen also said gravely, "Even if we die, we won’t let anything happen to Bai Zhi."
Sang Mo added, "If they really break through, I’ll take her to the Black Domain."
Hearing the words "Black Domain," Hu Yan’s aide instantly fixed his gaze on Sang Mo.
There was a simple reason for this. The Black Domain was unlike any other place; it was a gathering point for nearly all fugitives, including a great number of pirates.
Rumor had it that a few years ago, they had a leader with an unpredictable temperament. Despite this, the place had become a haven of freedom that countless people yearned for. It wasn’t a large territory, but it was incredibly wealthy, and you could do whatever you wanted there.
Many nations had tried to conquer it multiple times but failed. This was because their leader was not only extremely intelligent but also possessed bizarre skills, supposedly at an SS-level of power or higher.
In short, all sorts of rumors circulated.
Some said he was fierce and rugged in appearance. Others claimed he was big and burly. Still others insisted he was exceptionally handsome. But no one had ever seen what he actually looked like.
After hearing this, Hu Yan’s gaze fell upon Sang Mo. He stared at him intently for a long time. Sang Mo simply returned his gaze calmly. Their eyes met, as if they had reached some sort of understanding.
Hu Yan turned and left with his aide without a backward glance.
Bai Zhi suddenly called out, "Hu Yan, think about what I told you before! Also, I left a gift for you there. You can go get it before you leave."
None of them had expected the Insect Clan to arrive so quickly. In fact, Bai Zhi had been preparing to use the gift on the Eldest Prince, but the Eldest Prince hadn’t rebelled. Instead, the Insect Clan came first.
Hearing Bai Zhi’s call, Hu Yan paused and looked back.
His expression was hard to see under the shroud of night, but in the next second, Bai Zhi felt another presence enter her spirit sea.
Bai Zhi was taken aback. She looked at Hu Yan, who stood across from her, seemingly unchanged. But inside her spirit sea, there was indeed a miniature version of Hu Yan.
’This is the first time I’ve ever seen Hu Yan physically in front of me while his spiritual power is inside my spirit sea,’ she thought. ’It’s a strange feeling.’
In her spirit sea, Bai Zhi gazed at the humanoid figure. The next moment, she was pulled into Hu Yan’s embrace and kissed.
In stark contrast to the passion within the spirit sea, in reality, everyone else only saw Hu Yan turn to look in Bai Zhi’s direction, but he made no other move.
However, they could sense his powerful emotions—he was deeply shaken and seemed to want to do something, but he restrained himself because there were too many people around.
Only Bai Zhi felt as if she were melting into Hu Yan’s body. He kissed her deeply, urgently, yet with a sense of restraint—a feeling she had never experienced before.
After what felt like an eternity, just as Bai Zhi felt she was about to run out of breath, Hu Yan released her.
But they remained very close. He leaned down slightly, resting his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling.
Hu Yan placed a soft kiss on her forehead and whispered, "Take good care of yourself. I’ll visit you in your spirit sea when I have time. If you run into any trouble you can’t solve, reveal the mark on your forehead and go to my maternal grandfather and his family. They will help you when they see it. I’ll finish this and come back as soon as I can."
Bai Zhi only had time to say, "Come back safely."
Hu Yan nodded and withdrew from her spirit sea.
Bai Zhi watched Hu Yan’s departing figure, her lips pressed tightly together.
It was as if the warmth still lingered on her lips, but in the dark of the night, his figure had long since vanished.
For the Insect Clan to attack at this moment, it was clear they came with ill intent.
’Hu Yan had fallen into their trap once before,’ she thought. ’This time, I hope he can repel them safely.’
Bai Zhi was also incredibly grateful for the decision she had made yesterday, which had allowed all of them to level up. Hu Yan, in particular, had perhaps become the most powerful person in the entire Federation.
Although she was still worried, she had even more faith that Hu Yan’s abilities would be enough to handle the situation.
Bai Zhi stood there for a short while before saying, "Let’s go. We should head back too."
"Don’t worry, Bai Zhi! Hu Yan is incredibly powerful now. He’ll definitely be fine!" Yue Junxiao said, deliberately trying to make her smile.
Bai Zhi knew he was trying to comfort her. She smiled and reached out to pinch his cheek. "I know. I was just wondering why the Insect Clan would suddenly launch an attack."
Lang Qiu also frowned and added, "It is a bit suspicious. Although the Insect Clan has been making frequent moves at the border for years, they’ve never taken concrete action. For them to attack so suddenly... could something have happened?"
But at that moment, Sang Mo spoke up in a calm voice, "In recent years, the Insect Clan has developed several types of Evolution Species. However, because these Evolution Species are extremely rare, they haven’t been able to make a breakthrough. It’s possible their test subjects have evolved, allowing them to create more Evolution Species."
Sang Mo’s words made everyone turn to look at him.
Yue Junxiao had always been one to speak his mind, so he immediately asked, "How do you know about this?"
Yan Yichen added curiously, "Yeah, you’ve been with us this whole time. Where did you get this information?"
Sang Mo shot them a glance. "I have my own channels for information, naturally."
Bai Zhi, however, just frowned and asked, "Are you sure this information is reliable?"
Lang Qiu chimed in, "If that information is true, then their sudden attack would make sense."
Sang Mo said, "I don’t know if they succeeded, but the Evolution Species are real. For years, they’ve been dedicated to researching how to evolve more of their kind and strengthen the Insect Clan. Since they haven’t made a major move for so long, this sudden attack can only mean the time is right."
Hearing this, their expressions changed. Yan Yichen immediately asked, "Then should we tell Hu Yan this news?"
Hearing his question, Sang Mo scoffed. "This information is from several years ago. Hu Yan has fought them personally. You think he wouldn’t know about this? He knows far more than you do. Otherwise, what do you think he’s been so busy with lately?"