The Black Tower beneath Bai Zhu's feet was still sinking.
Windblown sand swept past with the last ashes of Oasis, carrying the hollow desolation of all things coming to an end.
In the distance, several black dots were moving this way, kicking up thin trails of dust.
Before he could even catch his breath, a figure charged over from afar, covered in sand and fury.
"Bai Zhu!"
Milluki's expensive custom-made clothes were wrinkled like dried pickles, and his face was so dark it looked ready to drip ink. He rushed up to Bai Zhu, pointed at his nose, and his voice cracked with rage.
"I spent the entire trip fixing your heaps of junk! And you got to sit up there like some lord! Where's my overtime pay?! What about compensation for emotional damage?!"
Farther away, Piyu held up her phone, swinging the camera between the two of them while excitedly providing commentary. "The drama of the year: the love-hate feud between a long-suffering technical consultant and a hands-off boss!"
Bai Zhu ignored the Milluki who was about to explode and merely waved a tired hand.
His gaze passed over Milluki's shoulder and landed on Ging, who was walking over behind him.
Ging's expression did not change much, but his eyes had been studying Bai Zhu the entire time.
Meeting his gaze, Bai Zhu took the black shard from his pocket.
Within the shard's cracks, the translucent insect egg was still pulsing rhythmically, like the tiny heart of some unknown creature.
He weighed it in his hand. This thing did not look like some treasure; it looked more like a death warrant.
The next moment, Bai Zhu swung his arm, and the black shard whistled through the air as it flew precisely toward Ging.
Ging raised a hand and caught