"What's going on?"
Ye Zhongming looked toward the only one here who could give him answersâthe black cat.
Today's events were truly bizarre.
Before coming to rescue the Talking Lady, he had assumed she was under attack.
Given that she and the black catâboth level-eight beingsâalong with countless zombie subordinates, couldn't resolve the situation, he figured the threat had to be either overwhelming numbers or a level-nine enemy.
That was why Ye Zhongming had been so cautious. He had prepared thoroughly before setting out, with the mindset of helping if possible but not risking his own life if the situation was hopeless.
At one point, he had even considered the possibility that Talking Lady was already dead. In that case, he would simply continue north toward the Bering Strait to seize the Mountain King Crown.
Now, seeing Talking Lady in this state, he realized his assumptions had been wrong, at least partially. Talking Lady was trapped in a condition he couldnât yet comprehend. This so-called "rescue" might not be the traditional kindâthere could be deeper implications.
"Silk Ghost."
The black cat raised a paw, pointing toward Talking Ladyâbut Ye Zhongming understood it was referring to the white filaments.
"It... has trapped my master."
Ye Zhongming pieced together what had happened through the black cat's fragmented explanations.
He didnât know why Talking Lady and the black cat had left the Chinese region for this frozen wasteland, but he now understood that Talking Lady had suffered what might be the most severe setback of her evolution so far.
The black cat said that things had initially gone smoothly after arriving here. Their strength and ability to control zombies quickly made the Talking Lady the dominant force in the city.
Some time ago, after meeting the conditions for evolution, Talking Lady and the black cat began the process of advancing to level nine.
Talking Lady took every precaution for safetyâstationing hordes of zombies as guards (including some at level eight) and hiding deep underground in this secluded cavern. Even if something breached the entrance and fought through the undead hordes, locating this exact chamber would take forever.
So, the pair began their evolution in peace.
But then, disaster struck.
These white filaments appeared.
At first, they merely wove a web around the area. Talking Lady and the black cat, already deep in their evolution, noticed nothing. Once the web was complete, the filaments began creeping onto their bodies.
Both awoke from their evolutionary trance when the threads first pierced their flesh.
Normally, this would mean evolution had failedâan interrupted process.
At that moment, both the Talking Lady and the black cat were terrified.
The best-case scenario for a failed evolution was losing the chance to reach level nine forever. The worst? Being torn apart by the accumulated energy meant for their advancement.
But soon, they realized something strangeâthe evolution hadnât stopped. It had only slowed.
The energy was still transforming their bodies, but at a reduced pace.
Why?
Because the energy was being sucked away.
The culprit? These white threads.
Talking Lady faced a dilemma:
End the evolution actively, guaranteeing failure but possibly preserving a slim chance for future attempts.
Do nothingâhoping they could break free as their bodies grew closer to level nine.
She chose the second option, too afraid to risk the first.
But soon, she realized this wouldnât work either. While being drained, neither she nor the black cat could complete their evolution, and their chances of escape dwindled by the minute.
The threads were evolving faster than they were. Every second wasted made their situation more hopeless.
So, Talking Lady made a decision.
Unwilling to abandon her shot at level nine but unwilling to gamble everything, she freed the black cat from the threads' grasp. Thankfully, this didnât sever their symbiotic bond or the black catâs own evolutionary potential.
It was the best she could do.
Freed, the black cat attacked the threads franticallyâbut even its level-eight claws, famed for their sharpness, couldnât damage them. The threads were indestructible, driving both to despair.
They tried everything:
Commanding subordinate zombies to attack with skills or toxins.
Using fire, ice, and other elemental assaults.
All failed.
Finally, before losing consciousness, Talking Lady gave one last solution:
"Get Ye Zhongming."
Hearing this, Ye Zhongming couldnât help but roll his eyes internally.
Letâs be realâTalking Lady and the black cat coming here to rule the roost definitely had something to do with distancing themselves from him.
But couldnât they have committed fully? Now that they were in trouble, they remember him? Wasnât that a bit too opportunistic?
Still, he kept his thoughts to himself. While their actions rubbed him the wrong way, Talking Lady and the black cat had helped him and Cloud Peak Mountain Villa in the past. So, he quickly shifted focus to the white filaments.
The black cat claimed nothing could harm them. Ye Zhongming wasnât convinced.
Drawing Wind and Thunder, he prepared to slash at the threadsâbut the black cat leaped in his way.
"Look!"
It swiftly explained why it had stopped him, darting nimbly through the web until it reached the cavern wall. Its claws scraped at the stone, uncovering a hidden recess covered in grayish material. When brushed away, it revealedâ
A demon crystal.
From this crystal, countless white filaments extended, clearly the source of the entire web.
But what shocked Ye Zhongming most was the crystalâs color, mostly silver.
Silver. The mark of level nine.
In that instant, things clicked.
Red Hair had mentioned an obscure energy that pressured her, possibly level nine. Could this "Thread Ghost" be it?
"Donât touch it. It will drain your energy. Master... canât sustain it anymore. Itâs about to reach level nine!"
The black catâs warning was urgent.
Ye Zhongming nodded. Talking Ladyâs energy was no longer enough to fuel the filamentsâ final evolution. This thing needed a new power source.
But how could he save Talking Lady without touching the threads?
After a momentâs thought, he stepped back and swung Wind and Thunder, activating his job skill. He aimed to test whether the energy slash could sever the filaments.
But the moment the bladeâs energy touched the threadsâ
Something unexpected happened.