Meanwhile, Fu Lin saw his chance as everyone's attention shifted. He crouched down and carefully sneaked through the sea of long, white legs.
Despite the beautiful scenery surrounding him, Fu Lin had no time to appreciate it. He could only feel a pair of eyes locked onto him, making him quicken his pace.
A few minutes later, Fu Lin finally broke free from the crowd, collapsing onto the ground, gasping for breath.
"So many dazzling white legs... I almost lost my sense of direction. I nearly got trapped in there... But in the end, perseverance paid off—I made it out."
"Yeah, I've been waiting for you to come out."
----------------------------------
Fu Hua's voice rang in Fu Lin's ears, startling him. He looked up and saw Fu Hua standing under the light not far ahead.
Fu Lin blinked, watching as Fu Hua approached slowly. He quickly stood up, pinched his voice, and spoke in an exaggerated, feminine manner,
"Captain~ Do you need something?"
Hearing this, Fu Hua stopped in her tracks, feeling a sudden chill run through her body. She couldn't help but shiver.
However, seeing the other party wearing a face so similar to her own while behaving this way made her expression darken instantly. She quickened her pace.
"Albedo? Or Fu Lin?… Bastard? Take this inch punch first!"
Fu Hua's figure flashed like lightning through the illuminated area. In a swift move, she lunged at Fu Lin, delivering a fast, precise, and forceful punch straight into his abdomen.
"Hngh—!"
A muffled groan escaped Fu Lin's lips as his body curled up like he had been struck by lightning. His mind flashed through past and present memories like a spinning reel. His legs trembled violently, and his eyes showed a hint of shock.
Then, the pain in his abdomen spread through his body, making him convulse as if he had just been struck by a car. The agony surged through every nerve.
Veins bulged on his forehead as he staggered back a few steps, clutching his stomach with a face full of pain. His strength drained away, and he collapsed to the ground, curling up in agony.
His stomach churned, and bitter bile surged up his throat like a raging tide, filling his mouth with an indescribable nausea.
At that moment, he seemed to experience the full force of the punch he once used to beat Otto. Except Otto could disable his pain receptors—while Fu Lin could not.
As for how much strength Fu Hua had actually used, only she knew.
Just when Fu Lin felt like he was going to die from that punch, the Garuda Factor within him finally started activating, working to heal the wound in his abdomen.
However, the healing was severely suppressed. If there were a progress bar, it would be at only 0.1%.
"A normal human?"
Fu Hua remained in her striking stance. She had expected the opponent to dodge the punch, but now, looking at Fu Lin writhing in pain on the ground, her gaze showed a trace of surprise.
The Valkyries, hearing the commotion, turned their heads in shock. Their eyes widened at the sight of Fu Lin in agony, then shifted to Fu Hua, momentarily frozen in disbelief.
Fu Shi quickly stepped out from the crowd, moving lightly on her feet, with Black Kite trailing closely behind like a shadow.
"Wait, Fu Shi!"
As soon as she saw Fu Lin struggling in pain on the ground, her pupils shrank. Ignoring Fu Hua's obstruction, she rushed to his side.
Fu Shi removed Fu Lin's mask and sunglasses. The surrounding Valkyries gasped.
But Fu Shi didn't care about their reactions. She was focused solely on Fu Lin's pale face, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
"You… Are you okay?"
Fu Lin looked at Fu Shi, trembling as he weakly raised his hand. His lips moved, and his voice was frail and shaky, like a drifting soul in the wind—weak and powerless.
Using the last bit of his strength, he spoke.
"Cough cough! I… I don't have much time left. Seeing that you have someone to take care of you, I can… cough cough cough… rest in peace. I only hope that before I die, you can forgive me for disappearing for over a month without saying a word…"
"I'm so tired, Fu Shi… Don't cry. Let me sleep for a while…"
With that, Fu Lin's eyes slowly lost their light. His eyelids drooped shut, and his hand fell limply to the ground.
"You idiot! I forgive you, so wake up!" Fu Shi weakly slapped Fu Lin's face, her voice choking with sobs.
"Fu Shi, I…"
Fu Hua stepped forward, crouching beside her, gently wiping the tears from Fu Shi's face. For a moment, she looked like a child who had done something wrong, unsure of what to do.
Among the surrounding Valkyries, some silently shed tears, while even those who didn't cry found themselves swept up in the emotional atmosphere. The sorrowful mood spread across the entire plaza.
Hoo~~~ ZZzz...
Hoo~~~ ZZzz… ZZzz...
A faint sound of breathing suddenly reached their ears—soft yet impossible to ignore. As time passed, the sound became louder and clearer.
Fu Hua's gaze froze. She wondered if her ears were playing tricks on her.
When her eyes fell on Fu Lin's chest, she clearly saw the slight rise and fall. Extending a finger, she placed it under his nose to check for breathing.
Fu Hua pursed her lips, withdrew her hand quietly, and let out a silent sigh of relief before speaking softly,
"Fu Shi, he's just asleep."
Valkyries, "He's… not dead?"
Fu Shi was stunned. She pressed her ear to Fu Lin's chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat—something a dying man would never have.
Standing up from the ground, she dusted off her clothes, stomped her foot in frustration, and suddenly felt foolish for believing and forgiving him so easily.
Thinking carefully now, how could Fu Lin, who possessed the Garuda Factor, die so easily? The sudden events had clouded her judgment, making her forget to think rationally.
Realizing this, Fu Shi's face darkened. She grabbed the nearby Black Kite, who had been watching the scene unfold, and dragged her back several steps.
Before Black Kite could react, Fu Shi hurled her toward Fu Lin.
"Chirp?"
"Take this…!"
"Edge of Taixuan, Phoenix? Manifestation!"
"Chirp Chirp Chirp!"