In a perfect world, you start by relying on your own strength.

"Sometimes I really suspect that you are actually a transformed Devouring Beast."

Bai Yuekui suppressed the turmoil surging in his heart, tried to calm himself, and looked calmly at Shi Geng who was walking slowly towards him.

After all, she was an "old lady" who had experienced the catastrophe of the apocalypse and witnessed countless life-and-death situations. She had seen the bizarre changes in the Mana ecosystem and witnessed the thousands of forms of the Devouring Beasts. Her mental fortitude had long been tempered to be as solid as a rock.

Even though she was deeply shocked, she remained outwardly calm, but the taut string between her brows betrayed her inner turmoil.

The detector in her hand had long since failed, unable to detect any useful data. Looking at Shi Geng, whose demeanor had been completely transformed and whose life level had transcended this ecosystem, she felt only curiosity.

As far as she knew, even the most powerful Devouring Beasts at the top of the Mana ecosystem, which had already developed intelligence and were able to break free from the influence of the Mana ecosystem, could not get rid of the original mark of the Devouring Beast. Whether it was their physical characteristics or the fluctuations of their life magnetic field, they always carried some strange, inhuman features.

But Shigen is completely different.

He had purely human physical characteristics from beginning to end, without any of the characteristics of a Devouring Beast. He was clean and pure, a completely orthodox human.

Yet, this very human being possesses an immeasurable life essence and an unfathomable life magnetic field, which even the most sophisticated detectors in Dragonbone Village cannot detect to their limits.

"Human potential is limitless."

Shi Gen smiled faintly, "In the end, the Devouring Beasts are just humans who have been forcibly mutated and deformed by a higher level of power."

Having received the immortal inheritance, he naturally understood the root cause of this apocalyptic catastrophe.

The source of everything lies in the original Mana body that drifted away from the fallen immortal. By chance, humans on this planet unearthed the original Mana body in the deep sea, which led to this catastrophe.

Even if Mana's initial form was merely that immortal servant, its power was beyond the reach of ordinary beings. Ordinary humans simply could not withstand the erosion and scouring of this power beyond their comprehension. Their bodies and genes were forcibly twisted and mutated, ultimately turning them into Devouring Beasts that lost their original nature and were dominated by the Mana ecosystem. Over time, this evolved into the Mana ecosystem that now occupies the earth and wreaks havoc in all directions.

Humans possess boundless life potential. As long as they follow the right path of cultivation and are not corrupted by external forces, they can break free from constraints and rise against the tide based on their own foundation. They have no need to become appendages of the Mana ecosystem.

Bai Yuekui's eyes widened upon hearing this, and she stared blankly at Shi Geng, feeling that Shi Geng seemed to understand the Mana ecosystem better than she did.

Ignoring Bai Yuekui's doubts, Shi Geng asked, "Is there any news about the lighthouse?"

Now that he has reached the planetary level, the central electromagnetic cannon of the lighthouse can no longer pose a threat to him, and it is time to return to the lighthouse, where he can find what he desires most.

Bai Yuekui glanced at Shi Geng, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "We just detected the lighthouse's flight path today. Its coordinates are a thousand kilometers to the northeast."

Shi Geng's eyes brightened slightly as he looked up towards the northeast: "A thousand kilometers... not far."

He has now entered the planetary level, and can reach Mach 5 when flying at full speed, covering a distance of a thousand miles in just over ten minutes.

With a thought, Shi Geng's surrounding air surged, and he suddenly soared into the air, his figure taking steps in mid-air, heading straight towards the lighthouse a thousand miles to the northeast.

A faint magnetic field surrounded him, his clothes fluttering in the wind. He transformed into a dazzling streak of light that pierced the sky, the sound of it cutting through the air reverberating everywhere. His speed was so great that the clouds along his path were torn apart, leaving a narrow trail before he disappeared into the horizon in an instant.

After flying for about ten minutes, with strong winds whistling past him, Shi Geng's gaze pierced through layers of clouds, and suddenly a tiny black dot appeared at the edge of his vision.

As he rapidly approached, the black dot quickly magnified, and the long-lost outline of the giant floating lighthouse suspended in the apocalyptic sky gradually came into clear view.

The massive metal hull stands majestically against the sky, with layers of buildings stacked one on top of the other. Its outer walls gleam coldly, and its huge floating engines slowly turn. This is humanity's last floating fortress—the Lighthouse.

Shigen slowed its flight speed, hovering above the clouds, overlooking the entire lighthouse from afar.

The colossal metal fortress hovered majestically, its engines spewing pale blue flames. Its surface was covered with defensive turrets and surveillance radars, making the entire lighthouse impenetrable.

The warning radar around the lighthouse quickly detected the sonic boom cloud high in the sky. The alarm sounded loudly inside the lighthouse, and the sentry guns turned their guns to lock onto the figure floating outside the clouds.

"It's Shi Geng! He's still alive! Quickly, inform the city lord!"

The lighthouse keeper's eyes widened, his pupils contracted, and his face was filled with disbelief and horror.

They stared intently at the figure descending from the sky, their hands trembling slightly.

When Shi Gen was swallowed by the vortex of blood, everyone thought he was already dead. No one expected that he would return unharmed after more than a month.

The piercing alarm escalated again, and the communication channels were filled with panicked shouts. The message was reported up the chain of command at top speed and instantly reached Charles, the Lord of Lighthouse City.

"He's still alive!"

Charles stared wide-eyed at the figure standing in mid-air on the screen, his face filled with disbelief.

In his excitement, he tried to get up, but a sharp pain shot through the wound on his severed left arm. Thin strands of scarlet pigment slowly seeped out from the wound, and his face instantly turned pale with extreme pain.

"Cough cough cough."

Charles clutched his chest and coughed violently, his thin body trembling uncontrollably, before collapsing weakly back into his seat.

His breathing was disordered, and his face was as pale as paper, but his only remaining eye was fixed on Shi Heng, who stood in mid-air on the screen, with an extremely complicated expression.

There was apprehension, lingering fear, resentment, and a deep sense of powerlessness.

He had thought Shi Geng was long dead and could no longer cause any trouble, but to his surprise, the other party was alive and had even returned to the lighthouse.

After a moment of silence, Charles suppressed the throbbing pain in his wound, a shadow crossing his eyes, and murmured to himself, "Shi Heng... you shouldn't have come back."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Geng on the screen made a move. His figure, like a shooting star, went straight through the layers of defense of the lighthouse, ignoring all the warning fire, and landed steadily on the central square of the lighthouse.

The moment it landed, an invisible, immense aura suddenly spread out, causing all the upper and lower classes around it to hold their breath and instinctively retreat, with no one daring to meet its gaze.

Shi Geng's gaze swept indifferently over the surroundings, taking in the familiar yet unfamiliar scene of the lighthouse, a faint smile curving his lips.

It's been a long time, lighthouse.