The promised third collapse, where is it?!!

Yes, the World Serpent that surfaced two years later was responsible for this thing becoming commonplace (exaggerated description), but they achieved it through large-scale human experimentation to forcibly activate it.

At least for now, the total number of naturally awakened Stigmata users worldwide is less than a thousand; it's a genuine one-in-ten-million chance.

Not to mention that natural Stigmata also have their ranks. "Unconditionally ignores 80% of lightning attribute effects, and combat power increases when in a lightning attribute environment." This is clearly among the very top tier, no matter how you look at it.

For Fu Li to just take it from Mei for free?

Anyway, the girl doesn't know he's the one who did it, right?

It's not happening.

One of Fu Li's life philosophies is, "Friends can owe me things, but I cannot owe friends things."

So, he turned back midway, contemplating what kind of excuse he could use to trick Mei into separating those fair, beautiful, slender legs so he could examine them.

Fu Li was also speechless about the Stigmata's location; where else could it have awakened but at the base of her thigh!

Fortunately, he knew that the awakening location of this thing was random, otherwise, people might mistake it for the kind of silver patterns that often appear in those awful plots!

However, that's just what he said. Seeing Mei, who was curled up with her knees hugged to her chest and her head buried in them, looking so lonely, Fu Li, who was observing from behind the door, felt too embarrassed to disturb her.

After a moment of thought, he tiptoed, activated Breath Concealment, and retreated.

He retreated to the first floor and suddenly increased his footsteps.

His shoes made an expected 'clack' sound on the wooden stairs, and at the same time, a clear voice with a natural tone rang out, "Mei, I left in a bit of a hurry just now and forgot to ask what you wanted for breakfast. You're not in the bathroom right now, are you? Would it bother you if I went up?"

Mixing eating and using the restroom in one sentence, one can only say, "That's so you."

"Fu, Fu Li?"

Mei, who was huddled in the corner, looked up in a panic, her fingers subconsciously brushing away the wetness at the corners of her eyes.

After hastily wiping away the small pearls that had fallen, she quickly got up and tidied her wrinkled white shirt.

"Wait a moment! Give me another minute!"

"Okay."

A Li, super obedient.

One minute later—

"Okay, Fu Li, you, you can come in!"

"Then I'm coming in?"

"Come in."

The girl took a deep breath, a serene smile, no different from usual, appearing on her pale lips.

Fu Li, carrying Mikazuki Munechika, stepped onto the second floor amidst the pattering rain.

He naturally avoided looking at Mei's pure and pretty face, instead going to another corner of the room and sitting cross-legged with a huff, "Kiana's sleep-talking is too loud, I don't want to sleep with her anymore!"

This was the truth. That woman not only talked in her sleep but also snored, ground her teeth, scratched the walls, and practiced martial arts. Fu Li had barely lain down when a large kick came flying, almost hitting him in the mouth. It made him seriously suspect she was faking sleep and deliberately retaliating.

Upon hearing this, Mei, who had been wondering if she had been discovered, chuckled, "You say you're asking me what I want to eat, but you actually want to sleep somewhere else, right?"

"Hehe."

Fu Li didn't deny it. He placed Mikazuki Munechika, still in its scabbard, on the floor as a pillow, leaned over, and rested his head on it.

The girl continued to tease, "Now you complain about her being noisy, but when you get married in the future, won't you have to sleep in separate beds every day?"

"Married? To her? Hmph!"

Fu Li, with his eyes half-closed, let out a scoff, "My evaluation is that she's not even worth one of Mei's fingers."

"Oh? Is this considered a confession?"

"It's not really, it's just an evaluation from the perspective of 'the perfect woman in a third party's eyes'?"

"That's very rude. Mei and Kiana aren't ingredients clearly priced at a supermarket."

"I'm sorry, I was wrong!"

"Alright, I forgive you."

Mei tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear, her picturesque eyebrows flashing with a desire to learn, "Speaking of Kiana, Fu Li, why did you suddenly decide to give up? You even chased her from Shenzhou to the Far East before."

Although she had a small intention of diverting her emotions, the girl was genuinely curious about the reason for Fu Li's 180-degree turn in attitude.

Kiana, who had been pestered to the point of annoyance, often went to Mei, her friend, to complain and ask for advice. While rambling, she would also show Mei the chat logs of Fu Li's pestering.

Excerpt from the chat logs—

Sunny and cheerful Fu Li Li: If you don't actually like me.

Sunny and cheerful Fu Li Li: Just tell me, don't keep me hanging.

Sunny and cheerful Fu Li Li: Your attitude gives me no hope.

Sunny and cheerful Fu Li Li: I'm tired, I don't want to be like this anymore.

Domineering Moon Sea Fish Cat: Ahhh, I've told you so many times! I don't like you at all, you annoying guy!!!

Sunny and cheerful Fu Li Li: I don't believe you.

Mei couldn't help but burst out laughing after reading the content, spontaneously crowning Fu Li with the title of "Ultimate."

And this was just the most insignificant ripple in a sea of chat logs.

It wasn't for nothing that Fu Li, having returned from rebirth, himself felt Kiana hadn't been wrong at all; he really had been a bit much back then.

Although there were many factors, such as "After my parents died, I returned to Shenzhou alone and relied on Kiana for seven or eight years," and "The surprise of reuniting by chance, intertwined with the despair of discovering she'd forgotten our childhood promise, nearly shattered my heart," this was only from his own perspective. He had undeniably caused trouble for her.

He had expected too much and been disappointed, that's all.

Thus, facing such a dark history, the person involved chuckled self-deprecatingly and, without another word, chose to change the subject.

"I'm thinking about what to do during the day."

Fu Li lay on the ground, legs crossed, gazing at the water streaming down the window. "When Kiana wakes up, we'll let Bronya go."

"Bronya? ...Let her go?"

Hearing the enemy's name, Mei instinctively gripped her dagger. Realizing what he meant, her eyes widened and then narrowed.

The girl in the darkness tried to calm the tremor in her voice, but her heart pounded with her increasingly rapid breaths.

"You... can bear to?"

Chapter 63: "Mei: Kiana doesn't want Fu Li, but I do!"

A gentle breeze brought a hint of coolness, and the air was filled with the fragrance of the earth.

The sound of dripping water from under the eaves, interwoven with the occasional distant hum of passing cars, formed a pleasant nocturne. On a night like this, everything felt so peaceful, so serene, drawing one into the quietude.

Mei couldn't describe her feelings at that moment. She clutched her dagger and, in a voice that was almost a groan, instinctively asked, "Let Bronya go? You... can bear to?"

"What's there to bear or not bear? She's just a little burden anyway. It's better to let her leave sooner rather than let her interfere with our escape, saving us trouble."

Fu Li turned his back to her, propping his head up and deliberately avoiding the sight of the girl's tear-streaked face. He pouted, "Changkong City is about to undergo changes. By then, Anti-Entropy's defense network will definitely be broken. We'll seize the opportunity to leave."

The impending Third Honkai would undoubtedly be a catastrophe for ordinary people, but not so for an A-rank like Bronya.

Not to mention that once free, she would surely reunite with Cocolia, who held significant military power. Even if she didn't, as long as she didn't encounter an Emperor-class Honkai Beast, a mobile disaster of critical level, the girl could still move freely in the chaotic Changkong City.

Fu Li wasn't blind; he could see the escalating conflict among the three major families.

Rather than forcefully suppressing the restless seeds and ending up with everyone in a mess, it was better to separate and give each other time to calm down.

There were always more solutions than problems! Who knew, maybe the situation would have changed drastically by the next time they met!

They were still young, and their future was long.

Speaking of the future—

"After leaving Changkong City, if you and Kiana still want to go to St. Freya to seek refuge with her aunt, I'll send you there. If you want to follow me, we'll continue to form our Invincible Trio Squad, get a Sky Battleship, and fly all over the world. If we encounter anything interesting, we'll jump in."

The young man, envisioning the future, smiled and said, "We might still face pursuit from Cocolia and others, but she's already chasing so many people, a few small fries like us won't make a difference. Besides, Anti-Entropy isn't a monolithic entity; there's the infighting between the Reformists and Conservatives, and a whole lot of corruption among different Executor factions..."

To his shame, Mei hadn't really heard most of this.

The moment she heard Fu Li 'abandon' Bronya and 'choose' her, the girl's heart seemed to stop.

It felt as if something was gently cradling her entire being. Even her heavy breathing became faint and almost imperceptible. Her mind was blank, as if she were floating on clouds, with a gentle breeze caressing her face, warm sunlight embracing her, and the whole world smiling at her.

Pick me, he doesn't want Bronya, he wants me, hehe~

It was manipulation, but neither the initiator nor the recipient was conscious of it.

And the effect was, without a doubt, outstanding.

"Fu Li!"

"What's up?"

The person whose rambling was interrupted looked over.

"Is your head uncomfortable?"

Mei, who had come to stand beside the boy, knelt down and moved the Mikazuki Munechika that was propping up his head aside.

Fu Li didn't react at first, until the familiar, firm sensation returned to the back of his head.

"Tell me a bedtime story. This will be your reward."

The girl, offering the boy the comfort of her lap, lowered her head and looked down at the two large lumps in front of her, saying with a troubled expression, "I can only see a little bit of your face. You adjust the position yourself."

Was it comfortable?

Not exactly comfortable.

Just as Fu Li had said before, compared to the feel of a pillow, Mei's lap was far inferior in every aspect.

However, the meaning behind it was incomparable.

Remembering his objective, he subconsciously glanced towards the area beneath her skirt. Catching sight of the familiar Lightning Stigmata pattern out of the corner of his eye, he quickly withdrew his gaze as if committing a crime.

"Tell a story?"

It seemed the Stigmata was an imprint, not a plunder.

Reassured, Fu Li focused his gaze forward, his eyes on his nose, and his nose on his heart.

"Yeah, telling stories."

Mei tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her crystal-clear pupils reflecting a captivating brilliance.

"Just like you used to do for Kiana all the time."

She smiled, her peripheral vision catching the sight outside the window, which only made her smile widen.

The rain had stopped.

The night sky, washed clean by the thunderstorm, was always so clear. The scattered stars dotting the tranquil horizon, when gazed upon for a long time, evoked a sense of profound depth and could elevate one's thoughts to a state of enlightenment.

However, no matter how much enlightenment or elevation he experienced, Fu Li couldn't understand why Mei's girlish heart had suddenly accelerated from a pitiful, wronged state into a landslide.

"Like I used to do for Kiana?"

He repeated blankly.

"Yeah."

The girl smiled faintly, then her eyebrows suddenly shot up. "What? You'll tell Kiana, but you won't tell me?"

Mei's delicate pout sent a shiver down Fu Li's spine. He desperately searched his mind for keywords related to "Kiana" and "stories," and after a long while, he found a faint clue in an inconspicuous corner.

Every confused teenager, brimming with both confidence and insecurity during their adolescence, harbored a dream of becoming a writer.

Fu Li, the great general who was still riding the waves of puberty at sixteen, was no different. When he shared his wild characters and events with others through his writing, he felt an unparalleled sense of satisfaction.

Young boys, in their awkward phase, often wanted to show off their "greatness" to the girl they admired. Thus, Fu Li would often stop Kiana in the hallways or actively seek her out, happily sharing his spontaneous ideas and plot points with her.

Unfortunately, when one person dislikes another, no matter what they do, it only invites impatience and irritation.

"Yes," "Right," "Mm," "Oh" became the girl's rapid-fire responses to the boy's attempts. Even so, the clumsy boy, who hadn't given up hope yet, still tried to win her over in this way.

Little did he know, all of this was overheard by another girl who was at a low point in her life.