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--That? Is that? The smell of power. Humans, oh humans, you're truly indestructible no matter how much you try to crush them.

This material-gathering trip appeared calm on the surface, but beneath the surface, turbulent undercurrents were something Tao Qiu and Lou Yu could precisely sense.

Upon reaching the edge of the forest, Tao Qiu had Lou Yu sit on his back, said goodbye to the Red Fox, and flew away without looking back.

Once they were back on their own turf, after dropping Lou Yu off and getting into the car, Tao Qiu leaned into his arms and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Suddenly, I feel like it was so rash of us to go up the mountain like this. What if... a pack of foxes goes berserk and kills us both?"

Tao Qiu said this, but there wasn't a trace of fear in her expression; on the contrary, she seemed a little excited.

For example, someone who is afraid of ghosts but loves going to haunted houses, will come out cursing how terrifying it was, but will never mention that they will never go there again.

Lou Yu smoothed his slightly messy hair, squinted, and smiled, "So? You won't be going to get materials anymore?"

Sure enough, Tao Qiu immediately retorted, "How can that be? We definitely need to go get it, and the current situation is only suitable for the two of us to go."

Lou Yu hugged him and said, "Don't worry, it won't be another two or three months until I go to get it again. By then, my abilities will be even stronger, and I'll be able to protect myself better, so you won't have to worry about me as much."

Tao Qiu turned around and hugged him back, resting her chin on his shoulder, and said softly, "Of course it's a good thing that you can become stronger, but protecting you is something I do willingly. Please don't feel burdened by it."

"Yes, we'll do whatever Qiuqiu says." Lou Yu's tone remained smiling.

Tao Qiu asked curiously, "When that old fox got so close to you to look at the photos, weren't you afraid at all?"

"Of course I'm afraid." In front of Tao Qiu, Lou Yu was willing to reveal his vulnerability and shortcomings. "Countless humans have died at its hands. Those who know it call it a demon. Don't be fooled by its polite and kind demeanor just now; its arrogance and ferocity are impossible to hide. When it approached me, I could almost smell the blood on its body."

Lou Yu's heart was pounding, but whether for the sake of human dignity or to save his life, he couldn't show weakness in front of that fox.

Tao Qiu said, "The idea of exchanging our materials for my fruit was Old Fox's. He has a strange illness and is about to die. The fruit can save the Fox Clan cubs but not his illness. He loves the Fox Clan very much. As long as he doesn't suddenly act crazy before he dies, even if he hates humans, he shouldn't harm us when we go to get the materials."

Lou Yu wasn't surprised to hear that the old fox was sick, but simply said, "Is it that kind of disease that makes mutated monsters lose their minds and go crazy?"

Tao Qiu's eyes widened. "You know about this disease?"

"Hmm." Lou Yu explained to Tao Qiu, "Back then, when the monster tide suddenly receded, everyone wanted to figure out why. Through long-term observation, researchers discovered that some of the mutated monsters seemed to have fallen ill. When they were sick, they would go mad and couldn't distinguish friend from foe. Most of them either got attacked and killed by other mutated monsters, or they died suddenly after exhausting themselves. Initially, the researchers thought this reason was very plausible, but it was later overturned."

Tao Qiu asked, "Why?"

"Because the number is too small," Lou Yu said. "If the first batch of mutated monsters numbered ten thousand, then the number of mutated monsters that researchers observed to have become sick or died from illness over the years is only thirty. Subtracting those that haven't been discovered, the number of diseased monsters we currently know of can be recorded in a thin file."

"The giant green python near the Yong'an Base is also on the register. The old fox on the mountain hasn't appeared for years, and everyone thought it had died of illness. Who would have thought that although it was indeed sick, it has still lived to this day."

The green python Lou Yu mentioned must be referring to the Green Python's mother.

Tao Qiu roughly understood. "The quantity is too small; it only proves that the disease exists among the mutated monsters, but it cannot be a strong reason for the retreat of the mutated monster tide."

Lou Yu: "Yes, and even if the mutated monsters really did regress because of this disease, since researchers haven't found the cause of the mutated monsters' illness, this disease cannot be used by humans. Therefore, most people feel that instead of looking for opportunities from the outside world, it's better to strengthen ourselves, especially after the reagent appeared, very few people are now focusing on this matter."

Tao Qiu's tone was somewhat disappointed. "You don't know the cause of the illness either?"

Lou Yu felt that there was something hidden behind his words.

"What's wrong? Do you really want to know the reason?"

Tao Qiu didn't want to tell Lou Yu about her past experience with the disease yet, so she laughed it off, saying, "I'm just wondering why some mutated monsters get sick while others don't."

Lou Yu said, "Researchers believe it's highly likely related to genes and living environment, just like how genetics and environment have a significant impact on cancer in humans. However, this is just speculation because the research sample size is small and there are countless confounding factors, making it difficult to establish a consistent pattern."

Tao Qiu sighed softly.

Lou Yu looked at him and asked, "Is Qiuqiu afraid she might have this disease too?"

Tao Qiu remained silent and did not speak.

Lou Yu only guessed half right. Did he already have it? Or not? He hadn't?

If it weren't for that glowing fruit, he would have been dead long ago.

Lou Yu assumed Tao Qiu was tacitly agreeing, since even the miraculous fruits he cultivated couldn't cure this disease.

So he hugged Tao Qiu even tighter and comforted her, "Qiuqiu is so lucky, she won't get sick."

Tao Qiu buried her face in Lou Yu's shoulder and said in a muffled voice, "Then, let's take Little Yu's good wishes."

Because the topic of the illness had been brought up, Tao Qiu's mood had become rather low, so Lou Yu stayed with him a little longer, arriving almost just as the base gates were closing.

This time, there was no prey in his car, and the staff in charge of the inspection breathed a sigh of relief, but were also a little disappointed.

Lou Yu won't fall out of favor so quickly, will he?

As for the boxes containing the materials, they were safely transported inside after Lou Yu presented the inspection exemption document signed by Lou Quan.

As soon as Lou Yu entered the gate, he was picked up directly by someone sent by Lou Quan and taken to the research institute.

After handing the box to the excited and eager PhDs, Lou Yu sat in his office with Lou Quan, drinking tea and waiting for the test results.

Lou Quan looked at the photo of the old fox Lou Yu had taken and said calmly, "That mutated monster that used to eat people without blinking an eye now looks so kind and gentle. Not only did it obediently let you draw its blood and cut its fur, but it also let you return unharmed. My dear brother, what you actually awakened was the ability to control all mutated monsters, but you didn't tell me, did you?"

Lou Yu drank his water with a smile, "You're the boss, whatever you say goes."

Lou Quan looked Lou Yu up and down. "Tsk, if you weren't my brother, and the only superhuman in the base, I'd really like to dissect you and see if your internal structure is different from ours."

Lou Yu: "Then? You can only dream about it for the rest of your life."

"Hey, what do you think would happen if I spread the word that I could get Central Base -level mutated monster blood without taking any damage?"

"Take me back, treat me to the best food and drink, and from then on Yong'an Base will lose a superhuman, and the time it takes you to develop the Awakening Reagent will be indefinitely extended."

Lou Quan sighed deeply, "Being the boss of this base is truly frustrating; I'm being played like a puppet by you."

Lou Yu: "Then why don't you quit your job and go home to inherit the family business? If you don't want to do it, there are plenty of other people who will."

Lou Quan: "You have a sharp tongue. I hope you don't find a wife this year either."

Lou Yu: "Let's encourage each other."

Lou Quan: "..."

The test results confirmed that the blood and fur were indeed from a high-level mutated fox.

Lou Yu was exhausted after running around all day, and once he knew everything was alright, he was going home.

Before leaving, he made sure Lou Quan transferred the money to his account as soon as possible.

Lou Quan: "Get lost, you man whose eyes are only for money."

Lou Yu: "You don't love money? Then transfer all your remaining balance to me. I'm very poor; I have family to support."

The staff members who overheard their conversation couldn't help but suppress their laughter, all assuming that Lou Yu was referring to his teammates when he said he had family members to support.

The old fox's blood and fur made Lou Yu a fortune, but also caused Tao Qiu to suffer heavy losses, with half of her last harvest going to the Fox Clan.

Watching the foxes happily carrying away the crops, Tao Qiu felt her heart bleed.

He thought, "Next time I'll have to ask Lou Yu to buy me more delicious food to make up for it."

Busy yet leisurely days pass quickly; in the blink of an eye, Tao Qiu's newly planted crops have been harvested, and it's already July.

The summer sun was scorching. Green Python brought its Little Snake to play, but there was something in the cave that the Green Python couldn't see. Unable to invite the mother and cubs into the cave to cool off, they could only play together by the pool.

Fortunately, the pear trees were lush and green, and the ground beneath them was covered with green grass, like a green carpet, making it incredibly comfortable to lie on.

A few days ago, Tao Qiu found several packets of grass seeds and scattered them all around the pond. He then used his supernatural ability to accelerate their growth, making them grow to a height of four or five centimeters, just the right height to step on.

The leaves of this green grass are so soft that you don't have to worry about getting cut if you lie on it naked.

The baby birds and the Little Snake played in the water by the pond, while Tao Qiu and the Green Python lay down, one in a coil and the other in a tucked-up position, resting and chatting.

Tao Qiu sighed mournfully.

--The baby birds have such thick feathers, it must be really tough for them in the summer. But I can't shave them, otherwise they'd look bald. I've been letting them sleep here these past few days, it's cooler with water.

The Green Python hissed.

--This summer seems even hotter than last year. I haven't dared to let my Little Snake stay in the sun for long these days.

Snakes are cold-blooded animals, so they especially love basking in the sun, but they cannot tolerate excessively high temperatures or prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.

Tao Qiu popped a berry into her mouth, a little worried, "Chirp, chirp."