"Father, calm down for a moment. What happened with Xiaogou?" Ye Shengkuan inquired.
"What happened? Are you telling me you don't know what your son is up to?" Old Ye's fiery temper flared in his retort.
To the outside world, Old Ye was a benevolent grandfather figure. But to the Ye family... he was more like an active volcano that no one dared to provoke. Compared to the infamous Ye Zhentian of Modu, most of the Ye family would still prefer to be near Ye Zhentian—he at least treated them with genuine kindness.
Scratching his head on the other end of the line, Ye Shengkuan was baffled, not fully grasping his father's insinuations. "Father, please don't reprimand me out of nowhere. Just tell me what that scoundrel of a son of mine has done this time! When he's back, I swear I'll beat some sense into him!"
"Beat him? You think you'll still get the chance? That idiot followed Xu Que into an A-Class dimensional rift!"
At this, Ye Shengkuan was struck speechless, the words "A-Class" echoing repeatedly in his mind as dread set in.
"Father… maybe I should consider having another son," he ventured cautiously.
"Out of my sight! I'll deal with you when you get back!"
As the call ended, Old Ye sprang to his feet. "Find out where Ye Huan and Ye Xiang are."
"Yes, Sir," the bodyguard responded before swiftly exiting the room.
…
Inside the dimensional rift, an odd pair wandered deeper into the unknown, one with an incessant chatter and the other, a stony silence. The pair was, of course, Xu Que and Ye Gou.
"Brother Xu, how about we head to a C-Class rift instead? I'm way out of my league in a place like this. Look at that ominous tree ahead… and those eerie, swaying plants…"
Before Ye Gou could finish his sentence, his expression froze in sheer terror. What on earth was *that* thing? He took a few cautious steps back, vowing then and there never to harm another plant.
A massive, writhing vine with vivid red petals and a dark purple center greeted them—a monstrous carnivorous flower, its broad stalk covered in needle-sharp thorns that promised agony to any who dared approach. As the flower wobbled, its pollen fell like a sinister rain, wafting in purple clouds.
Narrowing his gaze, Xu Que lunged at the monstrous flower the moment the pollen fell, his blade flashing as he evaded the thrashing vines. He sliced through the nearest vine with a swift, practiced move, then darted in close, poised to strike at the flower's base.
With a fierce slash, he cleaved the grotesque blossom from its stem, and as it hit the ground, the writhing vines fell still.
Just as Xu Que prepared to sever the roots, a dark shape surged from beneath the earth, causing a small mound of soil to rise. Focused on his attack, Xu Que barely noticed the shadow sneaking up behind him.
"Arghhh!"
He turned in time to see another massive carnivorous flower open its jaws wide—and promptly swallow Ye Gou whole.
Good heavens! It was a twin blossom!
Xu Que gave a wry smile, then leaped forward, closing the distance in an instant. With a flash of his blade, he brought the creature down, sending Ye Gou sprawling from its maw, coughing and shaken.
Ye Gou stumbled backward, barely registering the remains of the flower as he stared, dazed. Xu Que's voice broke through his confusion. "Calm down. It's dead."
Realizing he was safe, Ye Gou released a deep breath. "Xu Que, let's get out of here… this place is…"
Before he could finish, Xu Que tossed him a spade. "Start digging out the roots of that flower."
"Uh, right…" Ye Gou set to work, only to hear a system notification moments later.
"Hey, hey, hey! What's going on? It says *I* killed the giant carnivorous flower!"
"Of course. You dug up the roots, didn't you?" Xu Que replied, barely looking over.
Ye Gou swallowed hard, astonished. A single A-Class creature had granted him two entire levels' worth of essence, along with 85 points of honor… and far more power than he'd ever gained from months of training. It was like riding a rocket!
"Brother Xu! Look, two orbs dropped from it!" Ye Gou shouted excitedly.
"Collect them. We'll check them out later," Xu Que replied, already focused on the forest beyond.
"Got it!" Ye Gou's eyes gleamed with excitement as he pocketed the loot. But his enthusiasm quickly turned to disappointment. "Dang it! I thought it was gear—it's just materials!"
Hearing Ye Gou's lament, Xu Que allowed himself a cryptic smile. "Let's keep moving."
"Right behind you!"
Now, Ye Gou kept his distance, eyeing any unusual movement with caution. As they delved deeper, Xu Que felled over twenty carnivorous flowers along the way, leaving Ye Gou to dig up each plant's roots. Before long, Ye Gou had leveled up from E-Class to C-Class.
"Brother Xu, I'm starting to think I made the right choice following you," Ye Gou remarked proudly as he continued to dig.
"Is that so?" Xu Que's lips curved upward. "You might not be saying that in a moment."
"With you here, what could I possibly have to worry abou—"
The forest suddenly erupted with an ominous hum, growing louder by the second.
"Are they here?" Xu Que grinned, his gaze fixed on the trees ahead.
Just then, Ye Gou's voice shattered the tension. "What the—!"
A swarm of gigantic yellow wasps, each the size of a watermelon, emerged from the depths of the forest, their vicious mandibles promising pain to any who crossed their path.
"I swear, I'm never touching honey again!" Ye Gou dropped the spade and took off running at full speed.
Predator wasps locked onto their fleeing prey, pursuing Ye Gou with relentless focus, while the remaining swarm zeroed in on Xu Que. Sensing their murderous intent, Xu Que's blood roared in anticipation. He met the approaching swarm head-on, unleashing a powerful technique with his blade.
As wasp after wasp dropped to the ground, Xu Que continued to wield his sword with deadly precision. Yet the sheer number of wasps proved overwhelming, far too many to handle with a few strikes alone.
With a swift defensive maneuver, Xu Que unleashed another technique, summoning a powerful companion to aid him as he braced for the fight. Together, they dove into the fray, prepared for the relentless onslaught ahead.