Unexpectedly, at this critical moment, Ye Zhongmingâas the leader of Cloud Peakâstill hadn't moved.
Confusion arose as everyone stared intently at the light screen.
"What⊠are those?"
Some voiced this question aloud.
At this point, the Zhuangxiang Eight Trigram Palace was on the verge of collapse, yet the thunderâs brilliance had only dimmed slightly.
The Talking Lady, who had taken a step back earlier, now stepped forward again.
Ye Zhongmingâs inaction didnât reassure herâthis was where she differed from Cloud Peakâs other members.
After all, she was a mutated lifeform, one that had evolved to level nine and was now at the peak of her confidence and emotional state.
She wasnât willing to entrust her life to Cloud Peak or Ye Zhongming, no matter how deeply intertwined their fates might be.
As a last resort, she prepared to act, whether Ye Zhongming requested it or not.
Many in the Youth Army had already channeled energy into their weapons, ready to strike at any moment.
Yet, just then, the translucent barrier of the Zhuangxiang Eight Trigram Palace, which had been on the brink of shattering, suddenly stabilized. Even more astonishingly, the terrifying Annihilation Thunderstrike began visibly dimming at a rapid pace!
What was happening?
Not only were the observers baffled, but even the Talking Lady turned to Ye Zhongming in confusion before shifting her gaze elsewhere.
On the light screen, many finally noticed the earlier questions.
At the edge of Cloud Peakâs formation, a group of strange lifeforms had appeared unnoticed. They knelt on the ground, hands pressed to the earth in a posture resembling "atonement."
These beings were arranged in a perfect circle around Cloud Peakâs members, equidistant from one another. Beneath them, a glowing energy line connected them all, its origin traced back to Xiao Mi, âthe one who had placed her hand on the Zhuangxiang Eight Trigram Palaceâs barrier earlier.
"Is she⊠absorbing the thunderâs energy?" Ruan Xiaoâs eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to Wu Xiu.
The Cannibal Chainâs leader lowered her hands, along with her earlier ambitions.
"I donât know how sheâs doing it, but⊠it seems so."
Ruan Xiao nearly blurted out "Impossible!" but swallowed the word.
If someone had actually achieved what he deemed impossible, then it was possible.
Ye Zhongmingâs expression remained unchanged, but a faint glimmer of relief flashed in his eyes.
The moment the Mechanical Genius revealed the Fortune Cardâs effect, Xiao Min proposed her idea to Ye Zhongming. With his immediate approval, this scene had unfolded.
It was riskyâbut undeniably worth it. The kneeling figures surrounding them were growing stronger at an alarming rate.
These were the gene warriors left behind by Alamos, the special variants fused with White Cave Crystals that eliminated issues like rejection and evolutionary stagnation.
The White Cave Crystals ensured these artificially created lifeforms wouldnât suffer from negative side effects. They didnât require nutrient baths, nor were their strength levels fixed upon creation. In short, the problems Liu Zhenghong had struggled with were resolved by these crystals.
Of course, they werenât flawlessâlow initial levels, imperfect base designs, and limited abilities were among their shortcomings.
But their ability to evolve like natural mutant lifeforms, even faster and stronger, more than compensated for these flaws.
These gene warriors required life energy to evolve. Normally, the Annihilation Thunderstrikeâs power couldnât be absorbedâits sheer force would obliterate them instantly, even in its standard form.
Xiao Min was the key to making this work.
During a previous trial, she had obtained a rewardâan unidentified candy. Uncertain of its effects, she had kept it unused until now.
After all, it was non-tradable, non-giftable, and bound to her alone.
When faced with the terrifying Guardian Beast later slain by the Talking Lady, Xiao Min had secretly consumed it.
The Female Guardâs philosophy was to rely on themselves firstânot others, and certainly not Ye Zhongmingâto overcome challenges.
Xiao Min was no exception. She would use any means at her disposal, including this mysterious candy, without hesitation.
The consequences? That wasnât her concern.
The result: the candy was called "Constitution Candy," granting the consumer a special physical constitution.
Naturally, it couldnât compare to Ye Zhongmingâs top-tier constitutions like the Beautiful Celestial Body. This candy had five grades, and hers was the second-lowest, bestowing the "Luminous Physique."
In essence, it allowed her to convert any energy type into another, retaining a portion of it within her body to enhance specific attributes.
This was an extraordinarily powerful trait.
Of course, the enhancement wasnât instantaneousâit progressed graduallyâbut it was remarkable nonetheless.
Under normal circumstances, this constitution wouldnât provide an immediate power boost. But against the thunder?
Xiao Minâs idea, approved by Ye Zhongming, had led to this moment. She converted the thunderâs energy into life energy, funneling it into the gene warriors.
Bathed in this life energy, the gene warriorsâ strength skyrocketed, and Xiao Min herself grew steadily stronger.
To onlookers, Cloud Peakâs countermeasure seemed unimaginable.
The Annihilation Thunderstrikeâso destructiveâcould be absorbed and repurposed?
Wasnât this too broken?
However, this state didnât last long. After barely ten seconds, Xiao Minâs body jerked violently as if struck by an invisible force, sending her flying. The energy absorption ceased abruptly.
With its outlet gone, the Zhuangxiang Eight Trigram Palace shattered instantly. The now-unimpeded Annihilation Thunderstrike descended upon Cloud Peakâs warriors.
Without their combined attack, without their barrier, and without their ingenious energy conversion, what could possibly withstand the thunderâs remaining fury?