"Hahahahaha—"
Jing Yuan's sudden uncontrollable laughter stunned everyone present. What was going on now?
"Old Jing, don't scare me! What's wrong with you?" Bailu asked fearfully.
Based on Jing Yuan's earlier explanation, those possessed by a heliobus would have their deepest hidden emotions brought to the surface. Yanqing had only revealed one secret before Jing Yuan "heroically" silenced him. But now, if it was Jing Yuan's turn…
Still laughing, Jing Yuan said, "Sorry, everyone. The truth is, I'm a hidden Emanator of Elation on the Xianzhou. I'm done pretending—I'm laying it all bare…"
Everyone: ??? What did he just say?!
Stelle brandished her baseball bat, leading the charge. "Quick, quick, elbow him! If he says any more, we won't be able to forget it! Rules are meant to be broken!"
The group rushed forward again, swiftly knocking Jing Yuan to the ground before he could say anything more explosive.
Given Jing Yuan's physical resilience, the initial group attack didn't faze him much—until Stelle's accidental elbow strike seemed to break his toughness bar, followed by a flurry of punches and kicks.
Whoosh—
The turquoise flame, which had barely settled in Jing Yuan's body, emerged again and, under everyone's watchful eyes, dove into Bailu's body.
Jing Yuan rubbed his head. "What just happened…?"
Stelle, furious, slammed her bat into the ground. "Who came up with this mechanic?! It's never-ending! Are we all supposed to get possessed one by one?!"
This time, however, Bailu's reaction differed from Jing Yuan's. She crouched down, clutching her head, motionless for a long time, muttering to herself: "Working twenty hours a day for just a hundred credits—who came up with this exploitative system? I just want to die…"
"No, no, it shouldn't be me who dies—it should be those dragon masters! Those old fossils are useless half the time, but they hoard all the good stuff and pin it on me. No way, I can't swallow this! I'm the Vidyadhara High Elder—I should make them work for me."
"Yes, that's right! I'll make all the Vidyadhara work twelve hours a day, with thirteen hours of overtime, no days off all year. If anyone collapses from exhaustion, they'll have to pay compensation…"
Stelle was speechless, raising her bat—
Bang bang bang bang bang—
Whoosh—
The turquoise flame emerged from Bailu's body and dove into Dan Heng's.
Bailu rubbed her head. "What just happened…?"
"Hahahahahaha—"
Dan Heng's reaction mirrored Jing Yuan's. After a moment of stunned silence, he burst into uncontrollable laughter: "Hahahaha, hahahahahaha—"
"What's he thinking of now…" Stelle muttered under her breath.
—"Of five people, three must pay a price. Blade, you are one of them, hahahaha!"
—"Yingxing, did you think changing your face and identity would erase your past sins? Hahahaha—"
—"Yingxing, my vengeance knows no end."
Stelle was utterly shocked. So this is the malice you've been hiding deep down? I really thought you were just a mild-mannered guy letting Blade chase you around.
The group rushed forward again, using physical means to expel the heliobus.
Swish—
The turquoise flame emerged from Dan Heng's body and dove into March 7th's.
Dan Heng rubbed his head. "What just happened…?"
Seeing this, Stelle was already numb. She was ready to physically expel the heliobus once March 7th started acting up. But this time, March 7th was different from both Bailu and Jing Yuan. She neither froze in a daze, muttered to herself, nor burst into random shouting. She seemed completely fine.
"March?" Stelle called out tentatively. "You okay?"
March 7th checked herself over and nodded lightly. "It feels a bit weird… but I don't seem to be affected."
Hearing this, Stelle felt a deep sense of confusion. Nothing? Why is March 7th the only one unaffected?
Could it be that the heliobus's power doesn't work on Emissary-level individuals? But that didn't make sense—Jing Yuan had just claimed to be a hidden Emanator of Elation, so why was he affected? Wait, no, that couldn't be right. Ugh, what am I even thinking? Forget that, forget it!
Could it be… March 7th was one of those people with an impregnable heart, immune to Phantylia's power?
Stelle let out a sigh of relief. As expected of March the Ancestor—she's just that impressive!
However, unbeknownst to Stelle, as she turned to check on the others, a predatory glint flashed in March 7th's pink-blue eyes before being concealed.
While Stelle was checking on the others, a soft body suddenly wrapped around her from behind, followed by a bite on her neck so forceful it felt like it might tear it open.
Caught off guard by the attack, Stelle was completely stunned. She struggled instinctively, shouting for help: "Save me, March!"
"Stelle, I want to keep you by my side forever. Is that okay? Heehee~"
The familiar voice came from behind, and Stelle realized that the one biting her neck like a wild beast was none other than March 7th, who had seemed perfectly fine moments ago!
Does this heliobus have a latency period or something?!
"Stelle!"
Dan Heng and the others' expressions changed as they rushed forward, but no one dared to act rashly. March 7th was gripping Stelle's neck tightly with her teeth, and a single misstep could leave Stelle with a torn neck.
"March, March! Easy, it hurts—!"
Tears welled up in Stelle's eyes. In a flash of inspiration, she reached for March 7th's neck, armpits, and other ticklish spots, hoping to make her let go.
—But it was no use. March 7th only bit down harder.
Huh?
Suddenly, Stelle didn't know what she had touched in her panic, but she felt the grip on her neck loosen. The others seized the opportunity, rushing forward to pin March 7th down and subdue her.
Swish—
The turquoise flame emerged from March 7th's body and, with lightning speed, dove into the small Stellaron's body, which had been watching the chaos unfold with an "aba aba" expression.
March 7th rubbed her head. "What did I just do…?"
Stelle, still feeling the lingering pain in her neck, poked March 7th's forehead repeatedly in frustration. "Well, March, I never would've guessed! The most malicious thing buried in your heart is biting me?!"
"You—almost—bit—my—neck—off!! Are you a zombie or something?"
March 7th's cheeks puffed up, and knowing she was in the wrong, she lowered her head in rare submission, letting Stelle poke away.
Meanwhile, after the turquoise flame entered the small Stellaron's body, a sly, mischievous smile appeared on her once innocent and clear face. She stood tall, pulling out her phone in front of everyone. "You bunch of fools, didn't see this coming, did you? While I seemed to be doing nothing, I actually recorded everything that just happened!"
"Everyone, you don't want this video getting out, do you? Heh heh heh heh heh…"