Chapter 863: Zhou Huai’s Plan
On the broad back of the abyss dragon, Xiao Hei, the gale was completely blocked by an invisible barrier of dragon might.
Zhou Huai sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly lowered, and fell silent.
He was rapidly analyzing the current situation in his mind.
Now, Mr. Duan has successfully escaped and absorbed the core essence of the Sea God.
After his higher-dimensional godhood was further completed, the extent to which his power expanded was immeasurable.
According to the intelligence from Anubis, the coordinates of the eighth ruin have been completely exposed. It is hidden beneath the glacial fault line in the far north, in the abyssal cage known as the "Throne of Despair".
Zhou Huai knew very well that Mr. Duan would never allow this force to revive.
The other party must have already set off for the ruins of the Eighth World.
If we head to the far north with Chun now, we'll likely run into Mr. Duan at the Throne of Despair.
At that point, it will probably be a final battle where it's a matter of life and death.
With his current half-step transcendence realm, plus the billion merit points he just acquired and the guaranteed SSS-level clone, he has the strength to fight, but against the unfathomable Mr. Duan, the odds of victory are still unknown.
More importantly, Zhou Huai knew that he still had a crucial task to complete.
Save the mother.
In this world where data and higher-dimensional laws intertwine, his mother's death and disappearance have always been his deepest obsession and the core driving force behind his fight against higher-dimensional deities.
With a thought, Zhou Huai summoned the system panel.
A special mission in dark gold floated at the very top of the list.
【Ultimate Main Quest: Save Mother!】
【Task Deadline: 100 days】
【Current remaining time: 48 days, 11 hours, and 36 minutes】
Looking at the countdown on the panel, Zhou Huai's eyes darkened slightly.
The system initially gave a 100-day period.
Along the way, in order to fight against Mr. Duan, he traveled to various historical sites, and before he knew it, the deadline was less than fifty days.
Time became extremely tight.
Most importantly, the system had subtly hinted that the hidden clues related to the mother were key to defeating Mr. Duan.
Even now, facing the crisis of the eighth relic being seized, Zhou Huai must devote his energy to holding onto this trump card.
In order to play the long game, Zhou Huai planted a strange parasite inside the bodies of the ancient remnants of the race.
It is now an absolutely perfect locator.
As long as the host is alive, no matter where they escape to, they cannot escape the perception of the omniscient void.
Judging by the time, those ancient races should have already fled back to their base camp—the Free Federation—after their crushing defeat.
"A free federation, huh..."
We can use the parasites to pinpoint their location, follow the trail to destroy their hideout, and uproot the secret about the mother's whereabouts.
Just as Zhou Huai was planning his next move.
"Zhou Huai?"
A cool, clear voice rang in my ears.
Chun looked at Zhou Huai, who had been sitting on the dragon's back in silence for a long time, and finally couldn't help but speak up.
Zhou Huai raised his head, suppressing his murderous intent.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Huai asked.
Chun frowned slightly and asked Zhou Huai what he was thinking with a serious expression.
"Anubis has already determined the exact coordinates of the eighth ruin, and Mr. Duan may arrive in the far north at any time."
Chun paused, her gaze fixed on Zhou Huai's eyes. "Time is of the essence. Should we go and meet up with Anubis now? We must enter the Throne of Despair before Mr. Duan does."
In her view, this is the only and most urgent option at present.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Huai decisively shook his head.
"No"
"I have more important things to do."
Looking at the bewildered Chun, Zhou Huai calmly added, "I need to part ways with you for now."
The air seemed to fall silent for a moment after those words were spoken.
"us?"
Chun slightly widened her eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in her cool gaze.
"What? Are you going to abandon me?"
Having gone through so many life-and-death battles, from the alliance at the ruins to the deadly trap at the bottom of the Atlantic, she had always believed that the two of them were inseparable comrades-in-arms.
Seeing the astonished expression on the face of this once high and mighty First World Goddess of Nature, Zhou Huai's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and the corners of his mouth turned up.
He raised an eyebrow and joked:
"You still can't bear to part with me?"
This sudden teasing startled Chun.
"What...what nonsense are you spouting!"
"I thought that after going through so much together, we were already a community with a shared future."
She bit her lip, her tone tinged with self-deprecation: "Looks like I was just being presumptuous."
Hearing Chun's somewhat defiant words, Zhou Huai stopped joking.
He knew Chun's concerns, and dividing his forces at this critical juncture was undoubtedly extremely risky.
That's not how you say it.
Zhou Huai looked directly into Chun's eyes, his tone becoming serious.
"I have my reasons for doing this."
He didn't explain in detail about his mother and the system mission; those were his most closely guarded secrets, but the determination in his eyes said it all.
“In the far north, that old fox Anubis is cunning and scheming. Someone needs to keep an eye on him to prevent him from betraying us or causing trouble at a crucial moment.”
Zhou Huai paused for a moment, then continued, "And what I'm about to do is also related to whether we can ultimately defeat Mr. Duan. If this move doesn't work, even if we gather all the strongest people in the Eighth World, we may not be able to win."
Chun didn't speak.
She crossed her arms, narrowed her eyes, and scrutinized Zhou Huai for a long time, trying to discern his true intentions beneath his calm expression.
A fierce wind howled around the two of them.
The abyssal dragon, Little Black, seemed to sense the subtle atmosphere as well, steadily flapping its fleshy wings without making a sound.
After a long while, Chun sighed helplessly.
She knew Zhou Huai; once this man made a decision, no one could change it.
Moreover, he never does anything he's not sure of. If he says there are more important things to do, there must be a reason.
Chun lowered her hands.
"In that case, I respect your choice."
Her tone returned to its usual coolness, but her eyes held a hint of concern.
"I will go and meet with Anubis to stabilize the situation in the far north."
Chun turned around and slowly rose into the air. "When you're done with your work, come to the far north and meet up with us."
"Don't die out there."
Zhou Huai nodded.
Then, he gently patted Xiao Hei's hard scales.
"Walk."
The Abyss Dragon, Little Black, let out a deep roar, its massive body tracing an arc in the air before turning and flying away.
A dark golden light tore a path through the clouds, speeding towards the Free Federation before turning into a black dot in the blink of an eye.
Chun hovered in mid-air, watching Zhou Huai's departing figure, remaining silent for a long time.