Puppets Molded, an Unknown Internal Saboteur

Haiyuan City, the lowest level.

Beneath the inverted tower, Chi You's embryonic heart resides in the center of a massive cavity, breathing in boundless Honkai Energy. The flesh on its surface resembles flowing metal, shrouded in an ominous and eerie glow.

Accompanied by a violent, drum-like roar, the entire enormous embryonic heart vibrated, with the faint sound of rushing streams mingling within, like accompaniment in a symphony.

Su Qing'an's body was located at the center of the heart embryo. Compared to this large organ cultivated from the remaining cells of Chi You, this figure appeared too small and inconspicuous.

The boy was surrounded by thick, blood vessels that intertwined like vines into a network. A vibrant, rose-red color gushed from them, watering the cavity inside his heart and staining his pale skin and crisscrossing scars the same color.

It wasn't blood that could be touched normally; the intense heat used it as a medium to burn, causing an indescribable phantom pain even though the skin was clearly not injured.

Chi You is very different from normal organisms. It is similar to a silicon-based life form. Its blood has only a similar color. Its essence is to devour substances and enhance its own ability. The consequence is that touching its skin will endanger one's life.

This is to promote gene fusion in the best way.

If Su Qing'an wanted to rely solely on the physical body's endurance, he would need to acquire Chi You's Gene Ability to devour all matter and enhance his own essence, and then suppress the flesh and blood instincts cultivated by Chi You's physical body.

Splash, splash.

Blood continued to pour down, soaking his skin until the flesh and bones beneath were visible. The boy endured the pain. His body failed to activate the self-healing effect of the Fusion Gene. Under this forced imminent death, the Black Abyss White Flower beside him obeyed his will, emitting a pure white light and repairing his flesh and blood.

Normally, the Honkai Beast genes will intertwine with the original genes during the initial transplantation process. During this process, the illogical self-healing power will be maximized. With the help of corresponding drugs, this will evolve into various unreasonable deformations and distortions, gradually stabilizing the gene chain to perfection.

However, since it can be placed on oneself, this initial entanglement seems to have encountered a subtle problem.

Chi You's genes are probably even less likely to resonate or intertwine with the genes of previous Emperor-class.

Su Qing'an believes that, apart from the fact that it is Judgment-class, the deeper reason is that it is too difficult and unreasonable for the potential hidden in genes to be reproduced on the human body.

Chi You's only ability is to devour external matter to increase his size and overall quality. If we translate this to the human body structure, doing the same thing would mean becoming a monster similar to Chi You.

At the same time, this violates the stability principle of Fusion Gene.

If Su Qing'an truly succeeds in integrating Chiyou Gene, the abilities he gains will inevitably deviate significantly from the original Gene Ability, resulting in a massive degree of modification based on the core essence.

As for what kind of abilities it would acquire, Mei naturally guided it deliberately; this Chi You heart embryo was created for this purpose.

Because of this special nature, the boy had to use the power of the Black Abyss White Flower to get through the most difficult initial period, gradually bringing the two closer together and carrying out the initial fusion of their genes.

This significantly increases the time required.

Shortly after Kevin's Chimera Project succeeded, the two switched shifts the following day. He had been inside the embryonic heart for three whole days, but progress was still slow.

"Cough cough."

The boy's once upright back was now broken inch by inch by blood. His flesh and organs were as if they had been corroded by sulfuric acid. Only a few threads of his sweater could barely hold him together. From a distance, he looked like a human figure pieced together from broken corpses.

Su Qing'an's dark eyes were completely swallowed by the crimson liquid, and then more blood derived from it poured in. The nerves responsible for transmitting pain were completely severed, and his consciousness could only perceive a void. There was no pain or sorrow, no torment, and no struggle.

The aura of being infinitely close to death brought him one step closer to a complete Soul State without him even realizing it.

Just as Su Qing'an was controlling the Stigmata on his body to withdraw the Honkai Energy cycle and prepare to stop at the boundary to manipulate his power to repair himself, he vaguely sensed a piercing pain traveling through his bones and nerves, which should have been empty, suddenly pulling away that sense of emptiness that came from death.

However, without using the power of [Creation], the current repair and self-healing abilities still cannot prevent death from coming. But Su Qing'an was not disappointed, because this meant that Chi You's genes were truly beginning to merge with his own genes.

So he calmly adjusted the output of his power, letting this newly generated power devour the dripping blood, gradually returning the melting flesh and bones to their original state.

After breaking the cycle of zero, the formal genes fused into this heart embryo, beginning another cycle of reincarnation.

Compared to a normal gene transplant surgery, Su Qing'an's special condition is destined to lead to a much longer and more protracted period of time.

As the missionaries had worried and considered, if all went well, the boy would continue to stay in Haiyuan City and carry out a brand-new plan centered on Chiyou Gene.

Compared to Kevin's Chimera Project, Su Qing'an at that time, due to the special nature of Chi You's Gene Ability, would inevitably be able to complete the second transformation faster and with lower risk.

But...

For some reason, the boy was able to vaguely understand a fact in his semi-conscious state.

Both external and internal factors will likely present various obstacles that could distort this outcome.

As he drew ever closer to the Realm of Emptiness, his intuition became even sharper and more accurate.

Su Qing'an seemed to be gradually arriving at the legendary Path of Sincerity, glimpsing a future that was both blurry and filled with malice.

Is Fuxi about to awaken ahead of schedule? Or has the tenth Herrscher already been born in the outside world, preparing for a major conflict?

Or is it simply the sheer oppression caused by the slow approach of the Finality?

A long time.

The young man suppressed all his distracting thoughts and focused on his transformation.

Regardless of the possibility, becoming Fusion Warrior would be a crucial contribution to the overall situation.

He had no need to be distracted before that.

Even for lovers who care deeply about each other, with Su Muxi hidden in their Mind Lake as an emergency means and a communication device, it's unlikely that there will be any safety issues.

Therefore, all we need to do is entrust everything outside to Mei and Kevin.

At this time.

The Haiyuan City.

Wan Ning at the ocean currents sweeping upwards, listening to their roaring sound that seemed to leap into the clouds, and smiled.

She's really lucky.

The girl's eyes were slightly upturned, revealing a charming smile. Her lips moved slightly as she whispered silently.

Stay a little longer, Su Qing'an.

The next day.

Yesterday's fierce battle did not result in many serious injuries, but the report from this three-person team has attracted great attention in the main urban area.

In this era and during these challenging times, the arsenal and the Holy Gate route are undoubtedly vital lifelines on the outer perimeter of a city.

Being silently weakened means there's a certain probability that all outer defenses will be breached without the enemy's knowledge, leading to significant lapses in combat readiness and unnecessary casualties.

Clearly, this is a significant event that cannot be ignored in the current unfavorable situation.

If we do not carefully examine the reasons behind this, discover the weaknesses that can be remedied, and improve them, then the next time there could very well be even more serious casualties.

This time it took several hours to find out, what about next time?

Could a sudden surge of Honkai Beast suddenly appear and attack the city?

Is it possible that the fact that a supreme Emperor-class army was at the city gates only became known to the public later?

The fact that Australia's main city and a branch of the Moth to Fire are now located in the same place undoubtedly carries significant weight.

However, these involvements with the three-person team are limited to an increased patrol area and the provision of portable space vehicles for easy evacuation should an unexpected situation arise at the next mission location.

Since returning to the team to carry out missions and responsibilities, Fu Hua has been living in an apartment in the main city, about 130 square meters, enough for three people to live in.

Although it was far less comfortable and spacious than the villa in Brisbane, it lacked those things that easily evoked feelings of sadness.

Since Seele's death, this is the first time the three of them have lived together again after a long separation.

The atmosphere, which should have been subdued and somber, was easily broken by the Little Feather that had come to life. Everyone wanted to hold that exquisitely beautiful little girl in their arms and gently stroke her fur.

Just like Su Qing'an would refuse to let her conjure up a bun herself, preferring the feeling of slowly weaving one herself, enjoying the atmosphere and feeling is the key to the fun.

Su Muxi felt it didn't matter whose arms she was in while watching TV, but if she had to choose, she would prefer to snuggle in Su Qing'an's arms.

As for whether this reason is due to the fact that the other party accounts for the majority of spiritual births, or because daughters are naturally closer to their fathers, or simply because of the meticulous care provided by the teenager, it is difficult to know.

But for most people, Su Muxi is probably seen as a sweet and caring daughter.

As for whether it contains substandard cotton, that depends on the person.

Just like how Yae Sakura thinks the cotton inside is rotten, but Carole thinks the little girl is perfect for being lifted up high, can play Mario and Snake with her, and can occasionally pat her head, making her an undeniably warm-hearted little angel.

Even though her background was quite unusual, which gradually changed how she viewed Fu Hua, it didn't prevent the birth of this affection.

Shiyu Qiluo felt the same way, but unfortunately, Su Muxi couldn't stay too far away from Fu Hua due to the constraints of the Soul Link. In addition, Su Qing'an didn't have the resources to remotely recharge her with the Black Abyss White Flower. She was only able to appear in the outside world thanks to the link she established with Fu Hua that time, so she didn't have many opportunities to raise her high.

Since that day, the girl has felt her consciousness becoming hazy at certain times, and her thoughts about it have faded considerably.

Because the staff had advised her that she might experience some discomfort after the successful gene transplant, she attributed it to a normal reaction during the second gene stabilization process.

"Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi?"

She suddenly heard a clear, soft voice, and subconsciously lowered her eyes to meet the slightly raised face before realizing her current situation.

I was still watching TV with Xiao Xi.

Why did you suddenly lose focus?

Shiyu Qiluo wanted to smile, but the crimson in her eyes suddenly spread, spreading into a dark, ink-like color, and the brilliance within them dimmed, becoming empty.

Her expression remained unchanged, becoming somewhat stiff.

But all of this was fleeting; the girl, completely unaware of the strange anomaly, laughed and said, ignoring it:

"What's wrong, Xiao Xi?"

Su Muxi took in all the outward scenes, a barely perceptible hint of concern and worry appearing on her usually indifferent face. She had an impression of the other person in her records, so the initial goodwill meant they were already acquaintances, especially considering their recent interactions.

As a child, she naturally didn't want anything to happen to the other person.

Su Muxi touched Shiyu Qiluo's cheek, using her palm to sense the possible abnormality hidden beneath the ordinary temperature and skin texture, but ultimately failed to discover any specific clues.

Shiyu Qiluo touched the little girl's hair and explained:

"It's probably because you recently had surgery. It's okay, it'll be fine in a while."

Su Muxi nodded to indicate that she understood. She knew the other person was Fusion Warrior, and this explanation made sense, so she began to answer the other person's previous questions with a clear conscience:

"Xiao Qi, I want to drink mango sago pudding."

Looking at her adorable appearance, Shiyu Qiluo couldn't help but pinch her cheek and smiled:

I'll buy it for you!

The girl was completely focused on controlling her game character with the controller, continuing to fight monsters. After thinking for a moment, she commented:

"Xiao Qi is a good person."

But Su Muxi immediately recalled the principle of Equivalent Exchange that someone had taught her, and earnestly added:

"I'll turn into a white sparrow later, and you can pet it."

Good/lustful.

Shiyu Qiluo inexplicably conjured up strange, lewd thoughts from those innocent words and eyes, and said in a serious tone:

"I'll only masturbate for five minutes."

Su Muxi pursed her lips and said seriously:

"Then buy another cup, I want to give it to Xiao Fu."

That's strange.

Although she had the illusion that she was doing something strange, Shiyu Qiluo immediately agreed.

There was no way around it; that White Sparrow was just too adorable.

It's simply impossible to refuse.

Beneath this seemingly warm and ordinary scene, no one knows that transparent threads lurk in every corner of the girl's body, gradually winding and penetrating into every joint, allowing a mysterious power to spread silently, slowly stitching her together into a perfect doll...

Night fell as expected.

The seed of power that was left behind by the Honkai Beast after leaving a wound on Shiyu Qiluo finally fermented completely.

The Honkai Energy naturally generated within the cells of the girl's body was the best breeding ground and nourishment for the power seed. During her slumber, the threads gradually devoured the Honkai Energy and slowly condensed into a faintly fluctuating Herrscher Core in her chest cavity.

Thus, Christianne's puppet was perfectly sculpted.

No one came close to the truth during this period, Shiyu Qiluo herself was completely unaware of it.

The power of domination is too hidden; it neither involves the soul nor truly manifests when others or the host are conscious.

Neither Su Muxi nor Fu Hua could detect anything definitively wrong. Furthermore, since Fusion Warrior do indeed exhibit similar symptoms Shiyu Qiluo had become a puppet remained unknown to the public.

Even though Su Qing'an himself ate and lived with them, it was still difficult for him to discover that the seeds of power had already been sown in the people around him.

Fusion Warrior are Christianne's best targets for domination.

Aside from the fact that the dense Honkai Energy within the opponent's body could serve as a perfect cover for the fluctuations of the power seed, the most important reason is that, as the Herrscher of Domination, she can obtain a portion of the memories and fragmented power of the object of her domination.

Fusion Warrior, with their diverse Gene Ability and greater combat prowess and knowledge compared to ordinary soldiers, are undoubtedly well-suited to allow the powers of the Herrscher of Domination to be fully unleashed to their limits.

Let's assume that Christianne, by fully integrating the consciousness of all her sub-bodies, could be even more powerful than the Ninth Herrscher.

Once this power of dominion has taken root and accumulated to a certain extent, and the group is brought together under one person, it can transcend the limits of common sense.

The Fusion Warrior created by Mei became the best choice for Christianne.

Long before actually making a move against Shiyu Qiluo, she followed the missionary's advice and practiced with the other Fusion Warrior several times, all to ensure that things went perfectly right now.

This reveals a crucial point: rather than domination and seduction, Christianne's intelligence, combined with that of the missionaries, represents a truly perfect fusion.

As the only strategist currently appearing on the Honkai side, Flora's caution, decisiveness, self-control in correcting her mistakes, and even her keen sense of grasping the crux of a problem are all extraordinary. With the aid of [Bewitchment], given the availability of usable pieces and power, the harm she can unleash will be terrifying.

Normally, humans whose power has been fermented to the point of having Herrscher Core have become complete puppets.

Even though his own consciousness still exists, he cannot interfere with his own body. He can only obey the sub-consciousness covered by Christianne and is not a threat at all.

If it were someone else, they would probably think that Shiyu Qiluo could never escape this bondage and could rest easy.

But the missionary was different; she disregarded worldly emotions, yet sincerely believed in the miracles that human emotions could create.

Then.

Someone came to the girl's bedside. Her pupils were empty, and her golden irises were dull and silent. Under Flora's remote control, she extended her fingertip and gently pressed it on the girl's forehead.

[Bewitching] This influences the mind.