He Yu smiled, and Zhen Xing couldn't help smiling along with him.
He had a hint of roguish charm in his looks. Especially when he toyed with his Rubik's Cube, his phoenix-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, giving him an indescribable allure. Yet at the same time, he possessed an unwavering determination and a strong sense of justice. He wasn't as flirtatious as Eugene, nor was he as upright and proper as Bo Jingshan.
That contradictory temperament somehow fit Zhen Xing perfectly. It made him no less striking than the impeccably modeled people from Mechanical Planet, impossible to look away from after a single glance.
Now, as he smiled, his long phoenix eyes seemed to shimmer with light, as though filled with countless brilliant stars. His deep, husky voice carried an irresistible magnetism.
"You really do know everything."
He wasn't surprised. If he could figure something out, then someone as intelligent as He Yu certainly could as well.
If he hadn't left the Species Collapse instance early and watched the entire thing unfold from beginning to end, he probably wouldn't have thought so deeply about all its problems. Yet He Yu, who had been caught in the middle of it all, understood everything perfectly. It was astonishing.
He Yu didn't waste words. He took out his familiar notebook, spinning his pen between his fingers. Human hands really were much more comfortable.
At that thought, the pen stopped spinning. Holding it lightly between his index and middle fingers, he lazily said,
"Then let's analyze it."
Zhen Xing's gaze remained fixed on He Yu's fingers. Those slender, elegant fingers with distinct joints were mesmerizing even when they merely twirled a pen. It was impossible to look away.
Hearing those words, he abruptly snapped out of it, gathering his thoughts before looking into He Yu's eyes.
"In the Species Collapse instance, no one had a humanoid form. Me, Bo Jingshan, Ling Buchen, Wanrenzhan, Eugene... none of us could cultivate."
After a pause, he added helplessly,
"And I was just a little kitten. I barely had any sense of participation before the match ended. Thanks for avenging me."
He Yu narrowed his beautiful eyes slightly. Though much shorter than Zhen Xing, he carefully looked him up and down from head to toe until Zhen Xing became visibly uncomfortable.
Only then did He Yu sigh regretfully.
"What a pity. The little white kitten you turned into was actually pretty cute."
It was obvious what he regretted.
He hadn't been able to hold Zhen Xing in his palms and pet him.
A palm-sized little white kitten, looking so pitiful...
Who wouldn't want to play with it?
Zhen Xing: "..."
For some reason, the tips of his ears grew warm.
He felt rather regretful himself.
What a huge missed opportunity.
If only He Yu had held him in his hands...
The moment that thought crossed his mind, his ears became even redder.
Ling Buchen, who had practically no presence until now, stepped forward innocently.
"Weren't you talking about not being able to cultivate? It does seem that way. Nobody had a humanoid form, so naturally there was no way to cultivate. In the previous instance, apart from a single equipment reward, nobody gained any improvement."
The moment he spoke, the conversation returned to the main topic.
Bo Jingshan said thoughtfully,
"Up until now, doesn't it seem like the competition has been encouraging everyone to kill each other?"
The equipment gained from killing a contestant far exceeded what one earned by completing objectives.
Besides, killing people was often easier than completing missions.
Hearing that, He Yu's eyes turned cold.
"Exactly. You were prepared to cultivate, yet the instance didn't give anyone a humanoid form, making cultivation completely impossible."
Zhen Xing frowned in thought.
"So someone doesn't want us cultivating?"
He Yu replied quietly,
"They don't want us changing systems."
His eyes narrowed slightly, making it impossible to read the emotions hidden within them.
It wasn't merely that they were preventing cultivation.
They were preventing them from switching to an entirely different power system.
He Yu had already suspected this before.
Did the Federation truly know nothing about cultivation?
Probably not.
There was another clue He Yu hadn't mentioned despite attaching enormous importance to it—
Before the passage between Blue Star and the Universe Federation had even opened, it had already been attacked.
All their previous efforts had been wasted.
Even worse, they still had no idea who had launched the attack.
Zhen Xing took a deep breath.
"It's a shame we're trapped inside the competition. We know almost nothing about what's happening outside. I wonder whether the people outside have noticed anything strange."
The previous season had encountered serious problems.
This season looked normal on the surface.
In reality, it was just as problematic.
Those blue eyes appearing in every instance...
Being unable to leave even after clearing an instance...
The organizers interfering...
Each issue was another warning sign.
He Yu knew all that.
But instead of responding, he shifted the topic.
"The Species Collapse instance had an incredibly high difficulty. It gathered all the strongest contestants together despite their vastly different strengths. Ignoring luck, many contestants were doomed from the very beginning."
Zhen Xing immediately understood what He Yu meant and nodded.
"Setting aside how the previous instance was ultimately cleared, many contestants really were doomed the moment they entered. You were a Tangyuan, and a fairly strong one. But I still believed you had no chance. Without offensive equipment, you were only the strongest support. Once transformed into a toy, unable to use energy, you were completely restricted. You could have died easily."
He Yu wrote his own name in the notebook, lowering his gaze.
"In reality, it was even worse. A ball has no combat ability whatsoever. No legs, tiny little hands, unable to attack... the restrictions were overwhelming. White Tangyuan only possessed combat ability because the Inheritance was Black Tangyuan."
He circled the words "Black Tangyuan."
Then he looked toward Zhen Xing.
His head didn't move, but his eyes stared over the top of his glasses, sharp enough to cut.
"Do you understand what I'm implying?"
Zhen Xing froze for a moment before nodding seriously.
"I do. The system assigned you the completely useless White Tangyuan, but since the Inheritance was Black Tangyuan, the two of you were similar. That's why you gained at least some combat ability."
As he spoke, his pupils suddenly contracted.
He stared at He Yu in disbelief.
He Yu raised the pen to his lips, silently telling him not to continue.
Zhen Xing pursed his lips.
He said nothing further.
But inside, enormous waves crashed through his heart.
The Top Talent Show system contained two opposing forces.
If one force wanted He Yu dead...
Then the other wanted to save him.
The one trying to kill him was tied to the entire system.
The one trying to save him...
The blue eyes?
Or perhaps something connected to the blue eyes?
That was the furthest Zhen Xing could reason.
His eyes burned brightly as he stared at He Yu, hoping to find the answer on his face.
Unfortunately, He Yu had always kept his emotions hidden.
His expression revealed absolutely nothing.
He Yu asked again,
"Who else do you think was specifically targeted?"
Zhen Xing thought seriously before listing several names.
"Myself, Eugene, Siya, Cheng Zhao."
The kitten, the mask, the crown, the chain...
None of them were particularly useful.
Their starts had all been unfavorable.
He Yu wrote down the four names.
Then he circled two of them.
"You and Cheng Zhao. The two of you truly had terrible openings. You 'died,' and if Cheng Zhao hadn't been rescued in time, he would have died as well."
Cheng Zhao had literally been dragged out of the grinder.
At the time, Black Bear had almost killed him.
Had He Yu not impersonated Kunhui, Cheng Zhao would have died.
They all might have died.
The previous instance had been unimaginably difficult.
They had all been turned into toys while being forced to complete nearly impossible objectives.
Without He Yu, unless they possessed votes, they would probably all have perished inside.
It was precisely because of He Yu...
...that they were still alive today.
Zhen Xing's expression darkened.
"Is it because I told you Cheng Zhao works for District Three's government?"
He Yu's gaze became profound.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps it was simply coincidence. After all, the previous instance was extremely difficult. Everyone's mortality rate was high. You and Cheng Zhao were simply unlucky enough to be captured early."
Zhen Xing nodded.
"That's possible."
The two exchanged a glance.
By silent agreement, they classified it as "coincidence."
If it truly had been coincidence, then fine.
If it hadn't...
Turning off the livestream didn't mean they had escaped surveillance.
There was no point discussing it further.
Zhen Xing asked,
"You still haven't questioned Cheng Zhao?"
He Yu tapped his notebook with the pen.
"There wasn't enough time in the previous instance. Besides, with the livestream running, Cheng Zhao wouldn't have spoken. Now is the perfect time to review everything."
He looked toward the center of the transfer station.
Most contestants had gathered there.
Yet almost all of them kept stealing glances toward He Yu's group.
When those people gathered together whispering...
How could anyone not speculate?
A combination of He Yu and Zhen Xing on the eve of the elimination match...
Simply imagining them plotting something was enough to make everyone's scalp tingle.
Of course they were paying attention.
He Yu looked over.
His eyes immediately met Cheng Zhao's.
He raised a hand and beckoned.
Without hesitation, Cheng Zhao abandoned everyone else and hurried over.
"He Yu, were you looking for me?"
He blinked.
Before the previous instance had begun, simply standing beside He Yu had frightened him.
But He Yu had saved his life.
Now Cheng Zhao felt extremely favorable toward him.
As he hurried over, the viewers in his Bullet Screen grew excited as well.
[Bullet Screen: "Finally! We can see what they're doing!"]
[Bullet Screen: "The four of them all turned off their livestreams. I really want to hear what they're saying."]
[Bullet Screen: "Hehe, looks like everyone's camping in Cheng Zhao's livestream."]
He Yu nodded.
"Turn off your livestream."
The viewers: "..."
[Bullet Screen: "Disperse, disperse. I'll go follow the 'passage attacked before opening' incident instead. I'll come back once He Yu opens his livestream again."]
Cheng Zhao obediently shut off his livestream, becoming even more curious.
"Why turn it off? He Yu, are you discussing strategies for the elimination match? Are you taking me along?"
The more he spoke, the brighter his eyes became.
He Yu smiled faintly.
"No. I simply want to ask why you entered the competition."
Cheng Zhao: "..."
His entire expression instantly drooped.
"Obviously to become a god, to temper myself. Besides, there are three divine-grade treasures inside the system. Naturally I also wanted—"
Zhen Xing interrupted him.
"You're lying."
Cheng Zhao widened his eyes.
"I'm not! Everything I said is true!"
He wasn't as exquisitely handsome as He Yu, nor as attractive as Zhen Xing or Yuan Ze. He also lacked Eugene's and Gedai's perfectly modeled appearance.
But his features were handsome, his build tall and athletic.
He was every bit the image of a bright, sunny young man.
Now, staring wide-eyed, he looked incredibly sincere.
Yet He Yu remained expressionless.
"You're from District Three's government. Were you sent here by them? What was your mission?"
Cheng Zhao's pupils contracted.
A moment later, he blinked blankly.
"What are you talking about?"
He Yu nodded and calmly wrote behind Cheng Zhao's name:
District Three government. Has a mission.
Cheng Zhao: "..."
He honestly had to admire that.
He deflated.
"What are you two even thinking? I do work for District Three's government, but they didn't send me here. Why would they? To send me here to die?"
His tone was utterly sincere.
Even Zhen Xing hesitated for a brief moment.
He Yu's expression never changed.
He stared directly into Cheng Zhao's eyes.
"Cheng Zhao. When I saved you in the previous instance, you said that you'd do anything I asked. Right now, what I want... is the truth."
Cheng Zhao pursed his lips.
His fingers unconsciously played with the hem of his clothes.
His gaze drifted.
He Yu was simply too perceptive.
He now deeply regretted it.
He never should have turned off his livestream.
Even more, he never should have come running over so eagerly.
Zhen Xing said,
"Cheng Zhao, no matter why you entered or what your mission is, surely you don't want to die before completing it. Tell He Yu. He might be able to help."
Cheng Zhao looked at He Yu.
"If I turn my livestream back on now... is it too late?"
He Yu smiled gently.
"Too late. You need to tell me everything you know."
Cheng Zhao spread his hands helplessly.
"But I honestly don't know anything. I'm just an ordinary contestant. I simply wanted to gamble on my luck and entered the Top Talent Show."
He Yu nodded, jotting something down before looking back up.
"Cheng Zhao, I saved your life in the previous instance. May I ask you a few questions? You can answer truthfully, can't you?"
Cheng Zhao raised his chin seriously.
"Of course. Anything I know, I'll tell you."
Zhen Xing frowned.
"He won't."
He Yu waved dismissively.
"I'm asking something else."
He fixed his eyes on Cheng Zhao.
"When did you register for the competition? Did you know the contestants who signed up before you?"
Cheng Zhao froze.
He hadn't expected such seemingly unrelated questions.
Thinking of He Yu's intelligence...
He looked at him with obvious vigilance.
He was genuinely afraid He Yu was digging a trap.
He Yu grew impatient.
"So? Are you going to answer? Is your life really worth less than a few questions?"
Cheng Zhao instinctively shook his head.
"No. It's definitely worth it."
After hesitating, he chose honesty.
"I registered fairly late. I knew the contestants who had signed up before me."
"Had Zhen Xing, Eugene, Yuan Ze, Siya, and Wanrenzhan already registered then?"
"Yes."
"Did you know how many divine-grade treasures the Top Talent Show contained?"
"No. People said there were three. I only knew about Li Zhan's zither... the one you gave to Ling Buchen."
"Can you play the zither?"
"...No."
He Yu nodded.
"Who else is in your family?"
Cheng Zhao simply couldn't understand why He Yu kept asking such questions.
Frowning deeply, he looked suspiciously at him.
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
"Answer."
Cheng Zhao sighed.
"No one. I'm an orphan."
"Do you have a lover?"
"...No."
"Among the younger generation working for the government, are you the strongest?"
"Of course not. Plenty of people work for the government."
"Then where do you rank?"
"Third, probably."
"Do you know much about the Fifth Top Talent Show or the Fifteenth Top Talent Show?"
"Not really."
"Who's the person you're closest to outside?"
"It's..."
...
He Yu asked question after question.
This wasn't "a few."
It was several hundred.
By the end, Cheng Zhao was dizzy.
At first he'd answered while standing.
Then he bent over.
Eventually he squatted on the ground.
Later still, he hugged his head, his eyes vacant, replying weakly without even thinking.
Not only were there countless questions...
Many of them were repeated over and over.
Eventually Cheng Zhao stopped bothering to think before answering.
He Yu suddenly asked,
"What mission did District Three assign you?"
Cheng Zhao's eyes lit up.
He leaped to his feet triumphantly.
"Aha! So this is what you've been waiting for! You wanted to confuse me until I accidentally answered! Too bad! I don't have any mission. Your little scheme failed. Everything I said before was the truth!"
He looked ready to keep rambling.
Instead, He Yu suddenly closed his notebook.
"That's enough. I'm finished. You can go."
Cheng Zhao: "?"
That was it?
After refusing to give up for so long...
He was suddenly giving up?
Completely bewildered, Cheng Zhao stared at him.
Was it because the final trap hadn't worked?
So he'd simply abandoned it?
He Yu remained expressionless.
He clearly wasn't joking.
Frowning, Cheng Zhao slowly left, constantly looking back over his shoulder.
He Yu had thoroughly confused him.
He couldn't understand what He Yu had actually been doing.
After walking several steps, he suddenly turned around again.
"You're really done asking?"
"I'm done."
He Yu nodded calmly.
Squinting suspiciously, Cheng Zhao asked,
"So you finally believe me?"
"I don't."
He Yu pushed up his glasses, smiling with crescent-shaped eyes.
"Cheng Zhao, sooner or later you'll tell me everything. As long as I'm able to help you. Besides... I have a feeling our objectives may actually be the same."
Cheng Zhao frowned even harder.
"I really don't have any secrets. Why won't you believe me?"
With a long sigh, he finally left.
He Yu silently watched his departing figure.
Beside him, Zhen Xing asked softly,
"Did you actually learn anything?"
He Yu had asked countless questions.
On the surface, it looked like everything had been building toward the final question.
And obviously...
He hadn't tricked Cheng Zhao.
But Zhen Xing couldn't shake the feeling something was off.
If He Yu truly wanted to set a trap...
Who could possibly avoid falling into it?
Sure enough, He Yu smiled.
"The last question was merely a smokescreen. The answer I actually wanted... he already gave me much earlier."
In other words...
He had never expected Cheng Zhao to answer the final question.
More importantly, Cheng Zhao's reaction proved he'd been guarding against that question from the very beginning.
If he truly intended to answer honestly...
Why would he need to stay on guard?
Being overly defensive...
...was itself an answer.
"What?" Zhen Xing, Bo Jingshan, and Ling Buchen all looked at He Yu curiously.
He Yu said,
"Cheng Zhao really was sent by District Three's government. He has a confidential mission that's secret from everyone. He knows a great deal of information that he cannot reveal publicly. As for his real objective... I still have no clues."
Zhen Xing looked surprised.
"How could you tell?"
He Yu opened the notebook.
Its pages were densely packed with writing.
He said calmly,
"These were all the questions I asked just now. It's an interrogation technique from Blue Star. The truth is hidden inside the answers."
His fingers spun the pen again as he continued evenly,
"An orphan with no one to rely on except District Three. Not the most outstanding member of the younger generation. Knows little about past competitions, yet knows certain editions extremely well, as though he studied them specifically. No attachments. Absolutely loyal."
He paused.
"Someone like that isn't ideal contestant material."
"He's the perfect expendable operative for a mission."
Zhen Xing looked at him deeply before suddenly asking,
"Is there anything you don't know?"
Putting away both the notebook and the pen, He Yu shook his head.
"There are still many things I don't know."
"But sooner or later..."
"I'll uncover every single one."
After Cheng Zhao left, Qiong walked over.
She wasn't the type of girl who drew attention.
Probably because of both her personality and her specialties, she preferred keeping a low profile.
Wearing a baseball cap, she blended almost completely into the crowd.
Of course, her lack of presence wasn't like Ling Buchen's, whose existence people almost forgot.
Qiong's was a deliberate kind of inconspicuousness.
People noticed her...
Then immediately lost interest.
She walked over step by step until she stopped in front of He Yu, lifting the brim of her cap slightly.
"He Yu. I want to learn this so-called cultivation. Name your price."
She was completely serious.
Qiong was an exceptionally ambitious woman.
Within the Federation, it always took women far greater effort to attain overwhelming strength.
She also came from Chaos Planet, a world despised by the Federation.
Yet despite everyone's prejudice, she had fought her way this far.
Her strength was outstanding.
She possessed numerous abilities.
She had earned everyone's respect.
Moreover, she never relaxed simply because things were going well.
The previous instance had nearly killed her because equipment couldn't be used.
She immediately realized they had become far too dependent on equipment.
Without hesitation, she came to negotiate with He Yu.
She wanted to cultivate.
Decisive.
Resolute.
He Yu admired people like that.
He reached into his backpack and took out a sheet of paper that had clearly been torn from his notebook.
Across the top was a simple title—
Cultivation Method, Fourth Edition.
Qiong accepted it, glanced over it, then sighed helplessly.
"The Fourth Edition? So there were already three versions before this?"
Ling Buchen, Bo Jingshan, and Zhen Xing all raised their eyebrows slightly.
He Yu nodded.
"Yes. This is the newest version. You can try it."
Satisfied, Qiong put it away.
To everyone, the newest version naturally meant an improved version.
After pocketing it, her expression turned serious.
"So... what do you want me to do?"
He Yu narrowed his eyes slightly.
The corners of his lips curved upward.
His glasses rested lightly on the bridge of his nose.
His almond-shaped eyes curved beautifully.
Yet—
The sight made people's hair stand on end.
That smile...
He was plotting something again!
Without hesitation, Qiong immediately took the paper back out and handed it toward He Yu.
Expressionless, she said,
"On second thought, let's forget the deal. Equipment is still the most important thing in this competition."
He Yu smiled faintly.
"You've already read it."
She had already memorized it.
Even if she returned the paper, would she really not attempt cultivation?
Impossible.
Cultivation was no longer optional.
Qiong let out a long sigh before putting the paper away again.
Lowering the brim of her cap until her small eyes disappeared beneath the shadow, she asked helplessly,
"Fine. What do you want me to do?"
"I haven't decided yet. I'll ask you later."
Seeing that she still wanted to refuse, he added calmly,
"It'll be something you're free to decline."
She could refuse?
Then there was no problem.
Completely at ease, Qiong accepted the paper.
"If you're not in a hurry," He Yu continued, "could you answer a few questions for me?"
Qiong frowned slightly.
From experience, every verbal exchange with He Yu ended with him extracting valuable information.
That was a lesson every previous instance had taught.
She really didn't want to answer.
He Yu had already begun asking.
"You have many unique abilities, and you're intelligent. Why weren't you famous on Chaos Planet?"
Qiong hadn't expected that question.
At least this one was safe to answer.
She lifted her cap slightly.
"Obviously I couldn't become famous. In fact, if I hadn't entered the Top Talent Show, I'd never have wanted to become famous. Why would a hacker want that much publicity?"
He Yu nodded.
Then he revealed a dazzling smile.
Pure.
Harmless.
"Qiong, may I learn about your past? Of course... if you don't want to tell me, that's perfectly fine..."
As he spoke, disappointment gradually filled his voice.
Even his expression became slightly lonely.
He Yu was an extraordinarily beautiful man.
His beauty transcended gender.
It transcended planets.
Everyone could appreciate it.
Though he appeared thin and fragile, far from mainstream standards of attractiveness...
No one could deny his beauty.
Especially for powerful people...
Someone who looked weak yet constantly dominated everyone was irresistibly attractive.
The moment he smiled...
Qiong felt momentarily dazzled.
Then, seeing that smile fade into disappointment...
Most people simply couldn't bear it.
They only wanted him to smile again.
To cheer up again.
So by the time Qiong realized what had happened...
She had already nodded.
She had agreed.
Qiong: "???"
She stared at him in disbelief.
"You actually used a honey trap on me!!"
The terrifying part was...
She had actually fallen for it.
From now on...
She would never laugh at Wanrenzhan for being stupid again.
With He Yu's beauty...
Anyone who encountered that tactic would lose their senses.
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