Chapter 591 - 588: Spider and Scalpel

As a healer who often traveled among the various races, Ladi understood that the prejudice between different species was like a great mountain, insurmountable.

Once the seed of suspicion was planted, it would quickly grow into a towering tree, especially when the other party was the notorious Ever-Thirsty.

Knowledge, unlike other resources, was not finite. Minerals, air, living space... those were irreplaceable. But knowledge could be replicated, multiplied, and could even blossom into unique flowers within the minds of different beings.

And yet, knowledge was also the most precious of resources—so precious it was hidden in the depths of the mind, never to be shared.

In that moment, Ladi understood what the Ever-Thirsty had done.

'Conquest and devouring... they truly were the best ways to acquire knowledge.'

They are forever thirsty for knowledge. Forcing a species to overcome its fundamental nature is an impossible task. It was easy to see how they had slowly transformed into what they were now: a race steeped in slaughter.

Ladi's clenched fist relaxed, but moments later, it tightened once more.

"I don't need to understand your plight. All I know is... you invaded the Hua Sheng Islands."

A scorching light once again radiated from him. Streaks of light, like a solar flare, shot toward the projection, shattering the already faltering image.

"I'm simply looking at this from my people's perspective."

Ladi looked toward the cluster of stones and asked, "You invaded the Hua Sheng Islands, yes?"

"Yes."

"You're the ones who controlled the Black Calamity, influenced the minds of the healers, captured them for interrogation, and created corrupting medicines that affected the island's creatures, correct?"

"Correct."

The Ever-Thirsty made no attempt to hide their actions, admitting to each of Ladi's accusations.

"Since you did all this, you will pay the price."

Ladi immediately activated the scalpel beneath his feet and charged the cluster of stones. A white aura enveloped the black blade, like an enchantment. Its edge sliced a glowing white line through the void, and space itself was torn open by the razor-sharp light.

With a flash of cold light, the void and the cluster of stones were sliced in two.

The deep void slowly healed and returned to normal, but the sundered stones remained apart. From the cut, a lightning-like fissure began to spread, branching out rapidly.

The cluster of stones could no longer hold its form and broke apart.

Every one of the hollow stones was now covered in fissures. The blow that had sliced through space had clearly dealt them all significant damage.

Yet the Ever-Thirsty showed no intention of fighting back. Instead, they asked with a hint of curiosity:

"How did you do that? There are a lot of question marks on that blade of yours."

"It's the Black Calamity, but you've layered healing power over it."

"Is that the Source Healing Method? Did you make space itself decay? Is that why the spatial incision affects its surroundings?"

The Ever-Thirsty paid no mind to their own injuries, focused only on questioning Ladi about his scalpel.

"I see. You cut us with that space-cleaving scalpel, then used the Source Healing Method to lock us in that severed state. Because our structure becomes unstable, our bodies automatically shatter."

"So that's it. Another question mark solved."

Only after they had figured out Ladi's method of attack did the Ever-Thirsty begin to repair their bodies.

They, too, seemed to use a healing power. A faint white light spilled from the fissures, and strange, corrupting medicines materialized from nothing, acting like patches to seal the cracks. Soon, their bodies were restored, though they still emanated a faint white glow.

It seemed that to the Ever-Thirsty, solving the puzzle was far more important than mending their wounds. They prioritized understanding Ladi's attack before they would even consider repairing themselves.

Seeing the Ever-Thirsty so brazenly using the healing power of the healers enraged Ladi further. He summoned his scalpel again and slashed out, a terrifying spatial fissure once more ripping through the void.

This time, however, Ladi's slash met only empty air.

It was as if the floating, hollow stones had predicted the fissure's location, instantly darting away.

By a hair's breadth, every single hollow stone had positioned itself just outside the fissure's edge.

'How are they doing that?' Ladi thought, refusing to accept it. He swung his blade again. The scalpel weaved between the stones, tearing open one ghastly spatial fissure after another.

And yet, every time, the hollow stones managed to dodge beforehand, leisurely drifting to the fissure's edge. Once the rifts healed, all the stones were completely unharmed.

Not only that, they even had the spare moment and inclination to answer Ladi's unspoken question.

"The shattering of space has precursors..."

"We call these precursors 'Spatial Ripples.'"

"Just as an object dropped onto the water's surface creates ripples, so too does something tearing through space. If you can perceive these ripples, you can dodge in advance."

"We just need to follow the ripples to move out of the way, and you'll never be able to hit us."

"A cleaver can't strike the spider skating on the water's surface..."

Hearing the Ever-Thirsty's explanation, Ladi paused his assault.

He understood this was no bluff. They had genuinely deciphered his attack and devised a counter.

Ladi's heart sank, and the light radiating from him grew brighter still.

He swung his blade again, slashing toward the hollow stones.

This time, however, the fissure appeared precisely where the hollow stones were, splitting them into fragments.

"Success. You've hit us."

"I felt the ripples, but I couldn't dodge. Why?"

In the deep void, numerous ghastly fissures appeared once more. But unlike before, each was accompanied by another, parallel fissure, the two set incredibly close together.

"I see now. You're opening two fissures at once. One for us to dodge, and the other to strike us."

"One slash to create the ripple, a second to strike the spider on it."

Ladi knew the Ever-Thirsty had once again deciphered his attack. He immediately pressed his advantage, unleashing several more slashes upon the remaining hollow stones. The overlapping fissures instantly shattered them to pieces.

As the fissures vanished, the original hollow stones were gone, replaced by a field of scattered fragments.

But Ladi didn't let his guard down. He maneuvered the scalpel again, slashing at the fragments to annihilate them completely.

The void fell silent.

It seemed the Ever-Thirsty were gone for good.

"Have they been destroyed?" Mo Ling asked curiously, standing on the scalpel's hilt.

"No..." Ladi glanced at the scalpel beneath his feet. "They're still here. The sickness isn't cured. The stones weren't the cause of the disease. We were tricked."

As he spoke, the deep void suddenly began to writhe...