Double-Edged Sword

"There's one more thing I think Ya-jie can rest assured about."

Meng Chao looked into Lü Siya's eyes and said seriously, "Although many forces in Dragon City—the Crimson Dragon Army, Martial God Hall, the Fallen Star Society, and Blue Homeland among them—are dissatisfied with the Nine Super Enterprises monopolizing everything, we can still tell right from wrong and weigh priorities. We won't be so easily provoked by the enemy into doing something that delights our foes while grieving our own.

"At this moment, every Dragon City citizen has only one goal: to win the ultimate victory in the Monster War in magnificent fashion.

"So I believe that the vast majority of explorers, including Peak Heaven Realm experts like 'Train Cannon' Long Feijun, won't be so easily brainwashed by the Monster Mastermind."

Lü Siya bit her lip, snorted coldly, and finally shook off Meng Chao's hand. "Then we must stop it before the Wisdom Tree reveals its most savage face!"

"What do you mean?" Meng Chao asked.

"You don't actually think the so-called Harvest Ceremony is over so easily, do you? Listening to the Town Chief's ravings, then inhaling some hallucinogens, pollen, and spores—that isn't real brainwashing."

Lü Siya said, "This is only an appetizer. The real show has only just begun. I heard from the townspeople that during the Harvest Ceremony, the Wisdom Tree can link the brains of all humans and monsters together, allowing everyone to share sensations, memories, and thoughts. Through this, humans and monsters can supposedly gain a profound understanding of one another and build bridges of empathy and communication.

"If I'm not mistaken, this so-called 'profound understanding' is nothing but a smokescreen. The Monster Mastermind's true goal is to find a way to breach our mental defenses, read our thoughts and memories, and plant even more