The frozen spacetime around them remained deathly still. In the distance, Alvin and the others stood like statues.
Only the pale streak of electricity flickered faintly, waiting for Shen Yi's answer.
Shen Yi's thoughts raced.
The system?
He had never told anyone about it, so there was no way the other man should have known.
Yet the rapid growth of his power—especially when he fought the Black Fog on Blue Star and absorbed Ability Fruits—had indeed been closely tied to the Black Fog.
Later, in the Shadow World, he had encountered Black Mist Rifts, purified Black Fog creatures, and even obtained the Flame of Continued Combustion. Which of those steps had truly been free of the Black Fog's shadow?
Had he seen through something?
Or did his way to change the situation mean using the Black Fog, or drawing power from it, to fight the Black Fog itself?
The thought sent a chill through Shen Yi, mingled with an indescribable thrill.
He remained silent for a long time. The aged voice did not press him; it simply waited.
At last, Shen Yi sent his thoughts back. Rather than confirm or deny it, he asked a question of his own.
"What if I said yes?"
Whether he answered or not, that moment of silence—and the minute ripple in his mind when his secret was touched—had already revealed everything.
Shen Yi's control over his mind was exceptionally strong, and he had shown almost no emotion. But that perception, reaching across the endless void from a level beyond his understanding, had caught his brief hesitation all the same.
The pale streak of electricity fused with the golden Dragon Pattern seemed to pause for an instant, as though processing or confirming what it had learned.
A soft sigh, barely audible yet laden with the