I transformed into a cute girl and lived a carefree life in the apocalypse.

Since the Mirage Dragon's location essentially turns that area into its own sphere of influence, there's no reason why the other Sequence-level creatures wouldn't know this.

So, are the insect beasts and the Gu King related to the Qing Dynasty?

"Skeleton Hunter... I'll kill you sooner or later!"

Yan Ziming took one last, fierce look in the direction where the Skeleton Hunter was.

One day, she will rely on her own true strength, not on the help of the useless Xi, to personally kill the Skeleton Hunter and the Tyrant.

Even if the difficulties are endless, we must go forward without hesitation.

..........

"We couldn't find it... so let's assume for now that the insect beast is related to the Mirage Dragon."

Bai He put down the book in her hand, and Yan Zimo and the others were sitting in front of her.

"Let's talk about what we decided a long time ago. You should still remember the plan to contain the insect hive. Our goal is to eliminate the queen insect."

"No matter how well the mother insect hides, as long as it continues to reproduce, there will always be clues to follow. This task is now entrusted to you."

Yan Ziming's gaze sharpened slightly. "What about the Gu King?"

"Without any clues, we can only let nature take its course."

Bai He sighed. The peace established by the Battle of the Mountains and Seas had only lasted a short time, and now another storm was about to break out.

After saying that, she seemed to remember something, and what she said next almost reduced Yan Ziming's efforts to ashes:

"Until we find a way to deal with the insectoid beasts, the recapture campaign plan is frozen. Even if we recapture the Jiangning Military Administrative District now, it will only be an isolated city, and it is impossible to relocate residents there. Our idea is... to put it on hold for now."

hum!

It felt like a giant hammer had struck, and Yan Ziming felt his head buzzing.

The Jiangning Military Administrative Region, which was finally recaptured after suffering thousands of casualties, was abandoned so easily?

This is the second time they've decided to abandon Jiangning.

When they were first abandoned, Yan Ziming and the others had no choice but to go with the flow. Looking back now, they are filled with regret for their weakness at that time.

Now they have all spread their wings and soared to great heights, suppressing one side of the land. They have finally managed to reclaim Jiangning, but after only a few days, are they going to hand it over again?

Yan Ziming and Ye Qianxue expressed their inability to accept it.

"Even if I'm all alone... I will guard that place..." Yan Ziming gritted his teeth, making a huge decision.

"It's no use," Bai He said calmly.

"We still have enough strength to recapture more cities."

That's a waste of effort.

"But--"

"Stop talking." Bai He stood up, somewhat reluctantly, and placed her hand on Yan Ziming's shoulder. "I know you're in pain, your home has been taken away time and time again... but please understand!"

Snap——

Yan Ziming's small hands clenched tightly, and her eyes dimmed considerably. Ye Qianxue beside her did the same.

Once again... failed to protect anything?

Bai He couldn't bear to watch any longer and shook her head as she prepared to leave.

Before leaving, she said as if talking to thin air, "I heard there are traces of the mother insect around Bei'an?"

"I appreciate your kindness."

Half an hour later.

In an area south of Bei'an, a dazzling yet desolate flower of lightning bloomed. The soaring blue-purple flames seemed intent on burning away everything old and decaying, leaving behind new sprouts and opening a new chapter...

29. My destination has always been here.

The vigorous recovery campaign was halted.

The explanation given to outsiders was that "the plan needs to be adjusted and progress should be made steadily." However, those in the know are well aware that the entire plan was thwarted because of the insectoid beast.

At the current rate, I'm afraid there won't be any progress for at least a year or two.

The worst outcome would be that the entire recovery campaign would become a "failed project" and come to nothing.

In just two days, half of the army withdrew in an orderly manner, and the rest will return to Beian in a few days.

Jiangning Military Administrative Region

Yan Ziming sat alone in his former home.

It was supposed to be a home, but it was really just a pile of rubble.

The surrounding streets and iconic houses had been burned to the ground in the war, turning into a dark and indistinct ruin.

Guided by the familiar feeling in her memory and her intuition, Yan Ziming finally found this place.

"Hehe, big sister, look at this! It's pretty, isn't it?"

My lovely little sister, holding a beautiful jewelry box, approached me with a smile, opened the box, and inside was an exquisite necklace.

"Ta-da! Happy birthday, big sister!"

Yan Ziming chuckled, "Idiot, my birthday was yesterday. You must have been sleeping all day and are still a bit groggy, right?"

"Ah! Then why didn't you wake Chiyuki, Big Sister! There's no one else celebrating Big Sister's birthday except Chiyuki!"

"That's really going too far! Even though it's the truth..."

Yan Ziming, embarrassed and annoyed, grabbed his sister's cheek, but not with much force. Ye Qianxue, however, shouted loudly as if it were a serious matter.

"Alright, alright, stop pretending. Weren't you going to give me a present? I was just kidding. There are only ten seconds left until my birthday."

“Ehhhhhh?!”

Ye Qianxue hurriedly put the necklace on Yan Ziming, managing to catch up with him in the last second.

"Whew~~ Safe base~~"

"I feel like what you said is ambiguous... Never mind, but I already told you not to send me jewelry, it doesn't suit me..."

"Big sister, don't you like this gift?"

"...No, I like it very much...it's my favorite."

Looking at the scene before him, Yan Ziming couldn't help but reach out his hand, only to have it grabbed by a hand reaching out from the other direction.

"Big sister... don't make it sound like Qianxue sacrificed herself!"

Behind her, the real Ye Qianxue puffed out her cheeks and shook Yan Ziming's shoulder with her free hand in dissatisfaction.

"Ahaha...sorry, sorry, it just brought back memories. Lately, I've found that when I calm down and carefully recall something, it feels like I'm actually there. I guess this is one of the manifestations of the ethereal state?"

She has been sitting here for two days and two nights without moving.

As if time and space had shifted, scenes that had once occurred on this land were presented to Yan Ziming in a way that was almost realistic.

I used to see elderly people sitting casually by the roadside basking in the sun for half a day, but now Yan Ziming finally understands why.

Everything the eye sees is a memory, and everything the heart thinks is the past.

Actually, there's another line after that—everything the eye sees is regret.

But Yan Zimo does not regret his past.

Yan Zimo's second life motto—

"Five, ten, thirty, or even a hundred years from now, no matter what sad things happen, I will never regret the days I have lived."

"Because I came."

All that remains in our lives is the memory; we can cherish those years, but we must never let ourselves be consumed by them.

"Qianxue".

Yan Ziming called out to her younger sister, Ye Qianxue, who obediently sat down next to her, completely unconcerned that her skirt was covered in dust.

He affectionately ruffled his sister's hair and whispered, "Would you like to hear my thoughts?"

"Mmm." Ye Qianxue responded softly, snuggling closer to her older sister.

My feelings are the same as my older sister's; the sadness of watching something precious slip through my fingers is a torment for them.

Let's find out what my older sister thinks now.

Yan Ziming looked up at the night sky and said to himself, "I really don't want to give this place up for nothing. At least, I can't do that while it's in my hands."

"Ah."

"I won't say anything fancy like 'home is where people are'... This is where we started, where everything began, our roots. As the saying goes, fallen leaves return to their roots, and these roots must be preserved."

"Ah."

"I've thought about it. If there's really no way to keep them here, even if the entire army withdraws, no matter how hard it is, we'll protect this place with just a few of us."

"Ah."

"Qianxue, some things are only worth trying to hold onto after you've lost them, but then you realize they're like sand slipping through your fingers, impossible to grasp."