Chapter 36: Cloud Fluid

Even after Yun Qimu passed out, the lively bustle of Earth Village continued.

The main brain, while grumbling about its host’s reckless disregard for her own life, couldn’t help but feel delighted as it began broadcasting updates.

[Ding dong—Congratulations to player Daina for joining Earth Village.]

[Ding dong—Congratulations to player Glio for joining Earth Village.]

[Ding dong—Congratulations to player Amos for joining Earth Village.]

[Ding dong—Congratulations to player Ah Hua for joining Earth Village.]

A string of notifications popped up one after another. Yun Qimu, having fainted, couldn’t hear any of it, but the main brain was thoroughly enjoying itself. With every new resident, the energy in the core soared, making the main brain so happy it could roll around on the floor, purring from one end to the other. Even when it glanced at the unconscious Yun Qimu, its gaze was no longer as disdainful as before.

Somewhere in an extradimensional space, a tiny red stick-figure, like a little matchstick man, materialized and bounced around excitedly, rubbing its little hands together. “This host is really not bad at all!”

But the host was just too fragile. If she kept risking her life like this and ended up dying, where would it ever find another host whose worldview (and willingness to let it leech benefits) matched so perfectly with its own?

As the saying goes, to build a city you must first build up its people. For the sake of Earth Village’s bright future, it would just have to take a little loss this time.

So, the red matchstick man gritted its teeth, stomped its foot, and siphoned off a tiny bit of energy from the source, injecting it directly into Yun Qimu’s body.

Because the main brain was already bound to its host and the energy source was linked, this energy didn’t leak out to nourish the surrounding plants as it did when building houses or expanding Earth Village. Instead, every last drop flowed straight into Yun Qimu.

Unbeknownst to her, Yun Qimu’s frail body began to change quietly as she slept.

The most direct way to see the changes, of course, was through the host’s status screen.

Player: Yun Qimu

Age: 18

Mental Power: SSSSS+ (Currently depleted, needs a bottle of Mental Stabilizer)

Awakened Ability: Cloud Fluid (Ultimate Infinite Emperor Body, E-rank)

Strength: 3+1

Agility: 7+1

Vitality: -1000 (Still suffering continuous blood loss from Rouge Intoxication; physical constitution has improved a little, now finally comparable to an ant)

Five Senses: (Vision: 5; Smell: 5; Hearing: 5; Taste: 10; Touch: 10)

Skill Cards: 0

Weapon: Pangu Axe (Growth Potential: A-rank)

Storage Slots: 1/10

It was clear that Yun Qimu had awakened her ability, and not just any ability—it was the ultimate evolved form of the Yun family’s foundational Infinite Emperor Body.

The Infinite Emperor Body was renowned for its indestructibility, an impenetrable shield that nothing could break.

But Cloud Fluid was even more extraordinary. Imagine a cloud being punched: it might scatter, but then it would divide, multiply, and grow, forming an even more formidable cloud mass.

This was the true ultimate secret of the Yun family’s Infinite Emperor Body—the strongest physical technique.

In other words, from now on, Yun Qimu no longer had to worry about injuries or bodily harm. The more she was hurt, the stronger she would become.

Just imagine: in battle, one moment she’s coughing up blood and on the verge of collapse, the next she’s back at full strength, even stronger than before. Wouldn’t her opponents be so frustrated they’d cough up blood themselves?

If Yun Qimu were awake right now, she’d probably be jumping for joy—her dream body had arrived out of nowhere!

The main brain propped its little red matchstick head on its tiny hands, grinning and waiting for praise.

Outside.

“Aaaah—help!”

As people were flung into Earth Village one after another, the unlucky Pei Yu found himself caught at the last moment by a rampaging beast, which clamped its jaws around his backside. He missed his chance to hitch a ride with the others and instead got tangled up with the massive beast, rolling around on the ground.

Man and beast were about to be swept together into the raging darkness. Pei Yu flailed his arms and legs, shouting for help.

“Cousin! Cousin, save me! Save your little Yu Yu, I’m not going to make it!”

Under the danmu tree, the group who had been anxiously pondering how to save everyone couldn’t help but crack up at his cries.

Mo Xie’s mouth twitched, but then he moved his large hand, and his power transformed into a long black whip that lashed outward.

Pei Yu’s eyes lit up.

While viciously kicking the beast’s face, he summoned a green whip to intertwine with Mo Xie’s black one.

With Mo Xie’s strength and Pei Yu’s own efforts, the black and green whips yanked Pei Yu back into Earth Village.

No sooner had he tumbled in than the magnetic storm followed right on his heels.

Metal shards and rampaging beasts slammed into the protective shield with tremendous force. Even the massive beast, under the onslaught of the storm, was tossed and battered like an ant.

Now safely inside, Pei Yu’s eyes widened in shock. He patted his chest, still shaken. “That scared me to death! I almost went down with that stupid beast!”

Mo Xie withdrew his power and shot him a sidelong glance. “Can’t you talk properly? You’re too old to be acting like a child.”

Pei Yu puffed out his chest, not the least bit ashamed. “Nope.”

He added, perfectly justified, “If I’d spoken normally, you wouldn’t have noticed me. I was right there in the middle of the beast horde, looking fabulous, and you didn’t even glance my way. Clearly, you didn’t spot me, so of course I had to say something familiar to get your attention.”

Mo Xie was silent for a moment. Looking at Pei Yu’s green hair, pink shirt, and white pants—a walking, eye-searing billboard—he realized he really should have noticed him.

So, for once, Mo Xie had nothing to say.

Pei Yu’s peach blossom eyes curved with delight. Ha! He’d finally won an argument!

Humming a little tune, he glanced around and was instantly thrilled.

“Cousin, what is this place? It’s amazing—it can withstand the magnetic storm, and it’s full of birds and flowers. Look how red these fruits are!”

“Oh, and when I came in, I heard a voice welcoming me to Earth Village. Is this place really Earth Village?”

His excited voice was loud enough that the nearby natives snapped out of their daze and began looking around curiously, quickly becoming restless.

“I heard it too! Ah Hua, did you hear a voice welcoming me to Earth Village just now?”

“I heard it, I heard it! This place is so magical—so many plants, and fruit too!”

“It’s so close to our tribe. How come we never found such a great place before?”

“Ah, I’m hungry. Can I pick a fruit?”

“Wait, why aren’t the chiefs moving?”

The scene fell silent for a moment, then a crowd of natives rushed over, anxiously checking on the surviving green “silkworm babies.”

Just moments ago, these “silkworm babies” had been rampaging out of control, but now they were lying there quietly, their eyes clear of red, looking around curiously.

The natives were instantly overjoyed. “Chief! Chief, they’ve woken up!”"