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Without a sound, the Corpse Spot Anomaly within his body was activated, and its Anomaly Ability triggered in an instant.

Brown corpse spots appeared on Chen Yu's hands, spreading along his arms and onto the fruit, infecting it with the spots!

A stench resembling the natural decay of hundreds of rats emanated from the fruit.

This proved that it was indeed a corpse!

Without a word, Anomaly Child innocently took the corpse-spotted fruit from Chen Yu's hand.

Then it swallowed it in a single bite.

The instant it swallowed the corpse-spotted fruit.

Anomaly Child's expression contorted into an unprecedentedly ferocious grimace.

It was as if what it had eaten was not fruit.

But a full bottle of deadly poison!

Before it could fly into a rage, its body immediately began to rot and collapse!

Brain matter mixed with scarlet blood spewed madly from its eyes, ears, nose, and mouth!

Thud!

When it collapsed to the ground, Anomaly Child was already like a wooden puppet, completely motionless!

Witnessing this scene, Han Ningning's face was filled with utter astonishment, and she cried out in terror, "H-How did it die?!"

Chen Yu stood up and explained indifferently, "Because it violated the anomaly rules. Corpse spots only appear on corpses. I had the corpse spots infect the fruit, so in its eyes, a fruit infected with corpse spots was corpse meat.

In reality, this wasn't meat, but vegetarian fruit. The rules became disordered, and eating food that violated the rules caused it to crash."

Chen Yu was very clear by now that this thing was not Ghost Infant at all.

Calling it Anomaly Child was also wrong; it should be Anomaly Eater.

It could only eat meat and could not eat vegetarian food.

Chen Yu had guessed correctly.

Hearing this, Han Ningning was even more shocked.

Corpse spots?

When had Chen Yu managed to infect the fruit with corpse spots?

Could it be that he had yet another corpse spot anomaly inside his body?!

Chen Yu walked over to Anomaly Eater and did not devour the child whole as he had done previously.

Instead, he reached out and grabbed its chest.

Sure enough, a blackened, rotting heart was connected to its exterior there.

This was the core of Anomaly Eater.

The desire to eat meat originated entirely from this.

The child was merely a corpse.

Immediately afterward, Chen Yu swallowed Anomaly Eater's heart directly.

Although the heart emitted a strong, pungent, and utterly inexplicable stench.

Yet when eaten, that stench suddenly vanished.

The feeling was somewhat like chewing stinky tofu?

[You have devoured Anomaly Eater's rotting heart.]

A prompt appeared.

After Anomaly Eater's heart was completely swallowed and digested by Chen Yu, it transformed into a surge of energy that flooded his limbs and bones.

After circulating through his body once.

It finally rushed into a certain anomaly within his body.

[Headless Ghost Shadow has acquired new energy and advanced to level 7 (60%).]

[You have devoured the core heart of Anomaly Eater.]

[Anomaly Eater: lv7.]

[Potential: Three stars.]

[Acquired Anomaly Ability: Anomaly Eater.]

[Anomaly Eater Ability Introduction: You can share the meat you are currently consuming with others, using corpse meat as a medium. Once someone accepts it, they will become the next corpse for you to consume.]

As the series of prompts appeared.

Chen Yu had acquired yet another new anomaly ability.

Meanwhile, seeing Anomaly Child completely crash, Han Ningning let out a long breath of relief.

At the same time, her heart was filled with inexplicable shock.

She never expected that Ghost Infant, which had given the Investigation Bureau such a headache, would be resolved by Chen Yu so easily.

Just how many secrets were hidden inside Chen Yu's body?

Or rather...

How many anomalies were actually inside him?!

Chen Yu didn't say, and she naturally didn't dare to ask, as this was someone else's secret.

Her goal was to resolve the zoo incident, and now that Ghost Infant was dead, her own mission was accomplished.

She still naively believed that this child was Ghost Infant.

With that, Chen Yu pointed at the corpse not far away. "I've checked. The corpse this child ate belonged to a little girl. It's probably the granddaughter that the old woman outside lost."

Chen Yu smiled, a playful glint flashing deep within his eyes.

Since the cute school belle Han Ningning had already come all this way, why not play the role of fishing bait once more?

Chen Yu looked at her pale yet still exceptionally pretty face.

To his surprise, he felt a faint, inexplicable sense of anticipation for what was about to happen to her.

[My old baby, you really are a pervert.] Her phone vibrated.

A prompt from Anomaly Era surfaced.

"What?!"

Hearing this, Han Ningning instantly wore a look of sorrow and said, "If the old grandma finds out about this, she'll definitely be even more heartbroken."

"There's nothing we can do."

At this, Chen Yu suddenly changed the subject, the corners of his mouth curving into a smile as he said, "An old woman suddenly appearing at the zoo—don't you find that very strange?"

"At first I thought it was strange too, and even suspected that the old grandma was an anomaly. But later you realized she had no anomalous aura; she's probably a resident living near the zoo who came looking here because she lost her child," Han Ningning said.

That old grandma was just like a kind-hearted neighbor, wearing a gentle expression and devoid of any anomalous aura.

So she definitely had to be human.

"However, because the zoo experienced an anomalous incident, all the surrounding residents moved away days ago, and a blockade was set up on the perimeter. It's impossible for a human child and an old grandma to have gotten in," Chen Yu said with a smile.

Her phone vibrated: [Excuse me for interrupting, but may I ask—doesn't your conscience hurt?]

Chen Yu's smile grew even wider.

It did feel like his conscience was a bit troubled.

Next time he got the chance, he would definitely find a non-human anomaly heart to replace it with.

"I'm not sure about that either. Her granddaughter is dead; we should still go out and tell her so she stops waiting," Han Ningning said hurriedly.

"Alright."

Chen Yu smiled faintly, his expression somewhat strange, and then followed Han Ningning outside.

When they reached the doorway.

Han Ningning was astonished to find.

The doorway was completely empty!

The old grandma who had been squatting here crying had vanished without a trace!

"Where did she go?!"

Han Ningning glanced around in surprise and asked.

Chen Yu looked at Han Ningning with a strange expression. "Do you want to know where she is?"

"Where?"

Han Ningning turned her head and asked in confusion.

Yet who would have thought that Chen Yu would suddenly shift his gaze to Han Ningning's shoulder and say with a smile, "She's sitting right on your shoulder."

"???"

Han Ningning was instantly dumbfounded!

Prompted by Chen Yu's words, she really did feel a certain heaviness on her shoulder.

She hurriedly looked up.

An aged, deeply wrinkled, and horrifyingly eerie old face was looking down at her, meeting her gaze directly from above!

The pale, greenish-blue old woman, mottled with corpse spots...

Opened her mouth in a grin, revealing bare gums where maggots wriggled in and out, and a wave of corpse stench hit them full force!

"Ah!"

Terrified, Han Ningning let out a piercing scream!

This old hag was actually sitting on her shoulder in the manner of a child riding a horse, with her legs dangling on either side!

If a normal child were riding on someone's shoulders, that would be normal.

But damn it, this was a gloomy and eerie old crone!

When had she gotten up there?

If Chen Yu hadn't pointed it out, she probably still wouldn't have realized it.

[Hee hee hee... riding the horsie, riding the horsie...]

Discovered, the old crone showed no sign of nervousness. Instead, she emitted small, silver-bell-like laughter resembling that of an infant, vigorously swaying the feet resting on Han Ningning's left and right shoulders as if she were truly riding a horse.

As childish as a little kid.

Hearing this laughter and observing the old crone's actions, Han Ningning was instantly stunned!

So that meant!

This was the real Ghost Infant?!

[Right, you guessed correctly. It is Ghost Infant.]

The phone seemed to see right through Han Ningning's thoughts.

[Even in its infancy, Ghost Infant is enough to kill you eighteen hundred times.]

[Perhaps you should consider kneeling and licking the man before you to beg for a way out.]

[Poor dead weight, humble yourself in flattery and offer a flattering smile. Having the chance to grovel before him or it is already your supreme glory; you must seize the opportunity.]

An infant-stage Ghost Shadow?

This appearance seemed a bit precocious, didn't it?

Wait?!

Kneel... kneel and lick?!

Chen Yu?

Han Ningning grew even more stupidly blank.

Subconsciously glancing at the handsome and cold Chen Yu, her completely blank mind actually and inexplicably conjured up some strange scenario...

Ah, are you out of your mind, Han Ningning! she cursed herself inwardly.

Before Han Ningning could recover from her shock.

She saw the eerie old woman murmur a few words, after which her tongue slid out, probing into Han Ningning's crown.

Like an infant nursing from its mother, it sucked greedily.

Its face showed a look of satisfied contentment after a full meal.

Chen Yu's phone vibrated.

[To tell you some bad news, Ghost Infant has started nursing, and it has grown a bit larger.]

[My old baby, this might just be the toughest anomaly you've ever encountered!]

[A level 8 anomaly rating might not even be the main point; the point is... it's Ghost Infant, an entity that fundamentally shouldn't exist in a small place like Linjiang City.]

"Nursing? Level eight?!"

"Shouldn't exist here?"

Seeing this prompt.

Chen Yu finally understood why Ghost Infant still in its infancy had the appearance of an old crone.

It was absorbing nutrients from human bodies!

It must have absorbed the nutrients from an old woman previously, thereby replacing and controlling her body!

Now that it had started nursing on Han Ningning, it was probably going to replace Han Ningning!

Moreover, judging by the implication of the Anomaly Era prompt.

This fellow... probably had a remarkably big background.

Just what on earth had happened in Linjiang City?

Chen Yu frowned.

He faintly sensed that some massive upheaval must be hidden behind all this.

Han Ningning was utterly numb with shock, and hurriedly unleashed the anomaly ability of Ghostly Smiling Face!

Instantly, Han Ningning's complexion turned gloomy, and then an extremely eerie smiling face appeared on her features.

It was just a pity.

Ghost Infant was currently at level 8!

While Ghostly Smiling Face was merely level 5!

With such a vast gap between the two, how could Ghostly Smiling Face possibly contend with it?

Ghostly Smiling Face's Anomaly Ability not only failed to hurt the Ghost Infant—it didn't affect it in the slightest!

The sinister old woman still wore an expression of enjoyment. She had no intention of smiling at all.

"Let go!"

Han Ningning shoved at the Ghost Infant with all her might, but it didn't budge.

She could feel the nutrients and vitality draining from her body!

It was like a mother carrying a child, with all her nourishment being siphoned away by the baby in her womb.

[Your Ghostly Smiling Face is useless now, isn't it?]

[Your vaunted Anomaly Ability has absolutely no effect on it, does it?]

[Give up. I told you just now that you only have two choices.]

[One is to wait here and die. The other is to hurry up and become its devoted lackey.]

[Just a reminder: if you fawn over it now, you'll be getting a great deal. Later, you might not even make the cut.]

[You poor burden. Do you really still have any self-respect?]

Han Ningning gave a bitter smile. The phone's prompts really hit a nerve.

But they were right.

There really was nothing she could do.

All she could do was keep asking Chen Yu for help.

What could she offer in return?

Strange images involuntarily surfaced in Han Ningning's mind again...

She quickly shook her head, banishing the bizarre thoughts.

She turned to Chen Yu for help.

As she turned... she also saw Tong Jian, expressionless as a lifeless porcelain doll.

Tong Jian was closest to her.

Han Ningning could see clearly.

There wasn't the slightest flicker in Tong Jian's eyes.

Clearly, Tong Jian had only acted earlier because of Chen Yu.

As for whether Han Ningning lived or died, it had nothing to do with her.

As long as the Ghost Infant didn't threaten Chen Yu, that was all that mattered.

"Let me handle it."

At this critical moment, Chen Yu walked over and summoned the Ghost Butcher Knife. He raised it and brought it down.

With a swift, clean stroke, he cut the old woman in two.

The old woman's body fell to the ground, apparently lifeless.

Was it over?

Han Ningning's taut nerves finally relaxed, and she let out a breath of relief.

But in the next moment,

her face began to twist!

A blood-soaked infant crawled out of her navel once more.

On the newborn's tiny head, smaller than a palm, was still the old woman's wrinkled face, wearing that eerie, sinister smile!

Han Ningning broke out in a cold sweat. Her body trembled violently, her lips turned white, and her face went deathly pale. It was as if all her strength had been drained away in an instant, leaving her utterly weak.

At the sight of this, Chen Yu raised an eyebrow slightly.

He hadn't expected it to revive even after he killed it!

"Chen Yu, I... I'm sorry. I'm holding you back again..."

"I'm so useless."

"If you really can't deal with it, you have to keep yourself safe. Leave right away."

Han Ningning called out weakly.

Chen Yu nodded and said calmly, "It's already merged with your body. Don't worry, I have a way. Bear with it; it'll hurt a little. I'll be gentle."

Han Ningning was on the verge of tears!

This... this...

She was going to be killed again!

She had just been killed once!

To get rid of the Ghost Infant, she could only nod gratefully.

Chen Yu gripped the Ghost Butcher Knife. Then he raised it and brought it down, cutting Han Ningning in two with a single stroke!

Then he unleashed the Slaughter Ghost Domain.

His eyes fixed fiercely on Han Ningning's body.

A silent blade of energy swept across her body.

It looked like just one slash.

But in truth, there were countless slashes!

By the time Chen Yu withdrew the Slaughter Ghost Domain,

Han Ningning had been shredded into a pile of flesh. The sight was utterly cruel, bloody, and horrifying.

Usually, once an anomaly entered someone's body, killing the person along with it would kill the anomaly too.

After killing Han Ningning, Chen Yu immediately activated the Time Ghost Eye's Anomaly Ability.

Every second that passed meant more time for the Time Ghost Eye to rewind.

It also meant a greater expenditure of mental energy.

The Time Ghost Eye activated.

A red glint flashed in Chen Yu's right eye.

The instant the red light faded, two strange clock hands appeared in his scarlet eye.

The next moment!

After the long and short hands spun around once in a random direction, they stopped at twelve o'clock.

Click!

The hands sprang back!

Time Reversal!

Han Ningning, whose body Chen Yu had chopped into pieces, began to reassemble.

The blood began to flow back.

Her consciousness began to rebuild!