Chapter 249: Chapter 249: District 66

With Xu Qingsui’s words spoken, the unease in the two men’s hearts became a reality.

Lu Jingyu had already experienced this once before. He knew it was impossible to stop Xu Qingsui’s footsteps, and in his mind, he had already begun to consider the Heiyu Alliance’s next step in expansion.

Shen Yan, however, couldn’t control himself. "Can you not leave?" he asked, his emotions surging.

Xu Qingsui froze for a moment, not expecting such a strong reaction from him.

After a brief pause to collect herself, she said, "I have been constantly tempering myself, hoping that my abilities can continuously improve. Until I achieve my goal, I won’t stay in one place forever."

Although the two of them should have already sensed something about her situation, they had considerately refrained from asking, and Xu Qingsui had no intention of volunteering the information.

At her tactful explanation, Shen Yan’s eyes visibly dimmed.

"Then what if, one day, the Spirit Barrier inside my body starts to loosen?" he asked suddenly. As if he had found a breakthrough, he hurriedly looked at Xu Qingsui again.

Xu Qingsui paused, subconsciously cupping her chin. This was indeed a problem!

The effectiveness of the Spirit Barrier was directly proportional to her Spiritual Ability. For example, before she devoured the Mermaid Core, her abilities had not been sufficient to use the Spirit Barrier to help Shen Yan. Now that she had devoured the Mermaid Core, she could do it, but this was only relative to her past self.

Although she was currently using the Spirit Barrier to temporarily control his condition, the effects would have limitations due to her own constraints. Over a long period of time, the barrier’s effects might actually fail.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Qingsui said, "If you find the effects weakening, you can come find me, and I will re-shield you.

"By then, if my abilities have improved, the effects of shielding you again will be even more significant."

Knowing he couldn’t change Xu Qingsui’s decision, Shen Yan could only accept her solution. "Then where should I go to find you?"

"Next, I will first go to Zone 66, then Zone 34, Zone 49, and then Zone 78."

Xu Qingsui listed the safe zones according to the proximity of her Contract targets on the Spiritual Map.

The two men looked at Xu Qingsui, their eyes flickering. Her purpose was too clear-cut. What kind of secrets was she hiding?

The doubts in their hearts grew heavier, yet still, neither of them asked. This was Xu Qingsui’s own secret; without her permission, they wouldn’t pry.

Lu Jingyu silently memorized this sequence as well. Once he had made the necessary arrangements, he would go find her too.

"Zone 66?" Shen Yan suddenly mused. As if remembering something, he turned to Xu Qingsui and said, "Because the laboratory requires a massive amount of supplies, I am acquainted with Lu Shiyin, a business magnate in Zone 66. I’ll prepare a letter for you later. If you run into any trouble in Zone 66, you can go find him. Upon seeing my letter, he will definitely help you."

"A business magnate?" Xu Qingsui repeated.

Shen Yan nodded. "Supplies are scarce in the apocalypse, but he holds at least seventy percent of them in his hands. Even the majority of supplies in the Imperial City flow from him.

"With his status and position, if you encounter any issues, they can be easily resolved."

Learning of Lu Shiyin’s identity, Xu Qingsui was somewhat surprised. But conversely, asking this kind of person for help would definitely incur a massive favor. She didn’t want Shen Yan to be burdened with more debts of gratitude because of her.

"I appreciate your kindness, but I’m not going there to stir up trouble. I won’t need to use such a major connection."

"It’s best if you don’t need it, but preparing in advance brings peace of mind. I’ll head back and prepare it later."

Xu Qingsui tried to decline a few more times, but Shen Yan blocked every attempt. Left with no choice, she could only agree.

At worst, she just wouldn’t use the letter.

"The situation here will stabilize soon. Just like last time, you set off first, and I will come find you later," Lu Jingyu said. Since Shen Yan had made a gesture, Lu Jingyu naturally had to say something as well.

His meaning was very clear: he would continue to follow in Xu Qingsui’s footsteps.

Right at that moment, Apocalypse suddenly bounded into the middle of the trio, shielding Xu Qingsui and letting out a roar at Lu Jingyu and Shen Yan. It was as if it were saying it would take good care of Xu Qingsui.

The initially tense atmosphere returned to normal with Apocalypse’s appearance. Since things had reached this point and some words were better left unsaid, Lu Jingyu and Shen Yan could only take their leave for now.

Xu Qingsui had always been a woman of action; the next day, she prepared to set off.

Lu Jingyu once again handed the camper van over to Xu Qingsui, while Shen Yan pressed the prepared letter into her hand. Both men wore expressions of hesitant restraint, but after a moment of wavering, they still didn’t say what was on their minds.

In the end, they could only stand shoulder-to-shoulder, watching Xu Qingsui depart.

Xu Qingsui drove along, following the markers on the Spiritual Body Map. After less than two days of driving, she entered a vast desert of shifting sands.

According to the indications on the map, she had already entered the territory of Zone 66. As long as she crossed this desert, she would be able to see the Zone 66 safe zone. Xu Qingsui stepped on the gas pedal, preparing to reach the destination before dark.

In order to adapt to different environments, the camper van’s tires had already been reinforced. However, while crossing the desert, accompanied by a loud BANG, a tire still blew out.

The vehicle shook violently. Xu Qingsui gripped the steering wheel tightly, barely preventing the van from rolling over. Even so, the vehicle veered off course and became stuck in a sandy pit.

Frowning, Xu Qingsui got out of the car to inspect the damage, planning to change the spare tire herself first. But she discovered that the spare tire was already half-buried in the gravel and sand; with her strength alone, it was simply impossible to fix the problem.

Feeling utterly helpless, Xu Qingsui had no choice but to open the Spiritual Map to check how far away the safe zone was, preparing to hike there to seek help. But at that moment, she noticed a red dot—representing her Contract target—moving in her direction.

Xu Qingsui was slightly taken aback. Was she about to meet her third Contract target just like this?

She dismissed the thought of hiking to the safe zone for help and sat by the car, waiting for her Contract target to arrive. Before long, the silhouette of a camper van indeed appeared in the desert. Before Xu Qingsui could even stand up to flag it down, the other party had already noticed her and drove the vehicle over.

The vehicle stopped in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing a profile with a sharply defined jawline. The person turned his head, exposing a cold, aloof face. But unlike Lu Jingyu, a shrewd gleam flickered within his deep, piercing eyes.

Xu Qingsui clicked her tongue. She took a quick glance at the Spiritual Map to confirm that this man was indeed her Contract target.

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