Yu-Gi-Oh!: This isn't a duel!

Page 231

"That happened three years after your mother's accident."

"At that time, I was not the mayor of Tian Shu City. I had just managed to destroy one of the secret strongholds of the 'Xu Yan Society' during a secret operation."

"These five sealed cards... and the method of summoning the Earthbound Gods..."

His gaze swept over Exodia in Chen Yuexi's hand, "...and she, both were discovered there."

Ling Zhiyong slowly raised his withered hand, which had become emaciated from the loss of life force, his fingertips trembling slightly, and pointed at the white-haired girl who was nestled in Ling Shiyao's arms.

"what?!"

"But...but I remember..."

Ling Shiyao was struck dumb. She looked up at her father in disbelief, her mind reeling.

She subconsciously began to recall the past when she spent every day with her "sister".

But the harder you try to recall, the clearer those memories of playing together, eating together, and sleeping together become, as if seen through frosted glass, as if shrouded in a thick fog.

Is the girl next to me really... my sister?

For the first time, Ling Shiyao couldn't help but have deep doubts about her own memories.

Xie Wan'an, standing to the side, showed a knowing look.

She had always found it strange. She and Ling Shiyao had grown up together since childhood, but she had no recollection of Ling Shiyao ever having a younger sister.

But every time she raised this question, Ling Shiyao spoke with absolute certainty and a firm attitude, so she couldn't ask any more questions and just assumed that she had misremembered and had no choice but to believe her.

Chapter 183 The Secrets of That Year, the Twisted Truth!

Ling Zhiyong's voice carried a hint of weary reminiscence as he continued:

"At first, I thought she was just a poor child who had been captured by those beasts from the 'Xuyan Society' to be used for human experiments."

“In that hellish stronghold, there were countless children like her locked in nutrient tanks.”

"But most of them are dead, or, of course, she's the only one."

"So I took her and all the research materials that were seized back with me."

"Back then, because of your mother's passing, you were always sullen and didn't play with your peers. I was afraid that you... afraid that you would develop some kind of problem."

"I was thinking of having her come with you, since you're both girls and you look about the same age."

"I immediately posted missing person notices in the hope of finding the child's parents."

"But soon after, I noticed that something was wrong with you. You would get angry for no reason, and your temper became more and more volatile, which was unlike your usual self."

“You still insist on naming her ‘Ling Shiqing’ and keep telling me that she is your sister.”

“I sensed something was wrong, so I went back and spent the night reviewing the research notes of those people from the ‘Xuyan Society’.”

"It was on that night that I learned her chilling true identity..."

Ling Zhiyong's voice was very low, "So, she was a child who was injected with a spirit when she was still a child."

"It was created by those madmen from the 'Void Society' specifically to serve as a 'vessel' for the descent of gods!"

“There are many such children, but most of them cannot withstand the power of the spirits and die in the process.”

"And she was the only successful experiment, but she was not without flaws."

"The first drawback is that her intelligence is very low and cannot be improved. Theoretically, she will remain a mentally challenged child for the rest of her life."

"Secondly, she simply cannot control her power and will unconsciously influence the people around her."

"They might even alter the memories of those around them, treating her as the most precious person in their lives."

"So during her time at the Void Gathering, she was mostly isolated within it."

"Now that I think about it carefully, I realize that I was influenced by the fact that I left her by your side without any precautions."

"You'll know what happens next, after you know all this."

“I was terrified and immediately forcibly removed her from your side.”

"Although you were furious for several days and smashed a lot of expensive things because of this."

"But after she left, your mental state... gradually returned to normal."

“And I,” Ling Zhiyong said slowly, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes, “among others.”

"After thoroughly studying the forbidden research notes of the 'Void Society,' they decided to begin their plan."

"—Attempt to bring a god into the world and completely master His power!"

After listening to Ling Zhiyong's chilling account, the scene fell into a deathly silence.

Only the occasional cries of survivors and the roar of machinery breaking the somber atmosphere in the distance broke the silence.

They thought the crisis facing the gods had been resolved, but little did they know that a chilling secret spanning several years was hidden behind it.

"If you still don't believe me, then all of you, come with me."

Ling Zhiyong's withered face showed no expression as he waved towards another direction of the ruins.

He gestured for Chen Yuexi, Chen Yuan, You Yang, Tian Daolian, Ling Shiyao, Xie Wan'an, and others to leave with him.

Professor Mo and the few other researchers who had survived the ordeal and were in a daze also silently followed at the back of the group.

No one stopped them; they all needed a relatively quiet space to process the overwhelming and alarming information they had heard that day.

The group re-entered the now-ruined underground altar.

At this moment, the forbidden altar, which had once consumed countless efforts, has been completely destroyed, leaving only the pungent smell of burning and the broken walls crushed by divine power.

The roads on the surface had mostly collapsed due to the previous earth-shattering battle, leaving almost nowhere to step. On the other hand, the underground passages they had built for secrecy were largely unaffected due to their sturdy structure.

Chen Yuexi and Chen Yuan remained silent the whole way, holding hands tightly and keeping their heads down, clearly still trying to process Ling Zhiyong's words.

Ling Shiyao, lost in thought, gazed at the girl who would sometimes run up to her and affectionately call her "sister," and at other times run up to You Yang and curiously tug at his clothes. She remained silent the whole way, her mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

You Yang was pondering why this girl called him "Dad".

Is it the mentality of a fledgling? He had heard of this term before.

But something doesn't seem right.

Logically speaking, it was Ling Zhiyong who rescued her from the hellish stronghold, and afterwards, for the sake of research, it was Mo Tieshan who spent more time with her. Yet, she did not show any attachment to either of them.

what on earth is it?

Could it be related to the card spirits?

You Yang reached out and touched his pocket, still able to feel the heat of the cards.

After the battle with the Earthbound God, You Yang roughly understood that there was a kind of almost soul-like resonance between him and those ace Pokémon.

It's hard to put into words, but in the instant he rewrote the card and summoned [Rapid Raptor - Winged Rebellious Falcon], he could clearly feel something deep within him being touched.

It was as if the loneliest and most helpless days of the past were completely awakened at that moment.

Then, it was torn apart and crushed into dust by the raging thunder.

It wanted to tell itself that they had always been there for these people.

During those loneliest and most lonely years, these cold cards accompanied him through them, and now they have become his strongest force to make a living in this world.

As for the other cards, they mostly succumb to the "pressure" of these trump cards.

You Yang could sense that, apart from a few special cards, there was always a slight, subtle lag when using other cards for the first time. Although it only lasted for a moment, it already explained the problem.

With each person harboring their own thoughts, they returned to the underground research institute in this eerie and silent atmosphere.

"Inside are all the research notes that were seized from the 'Void Society' stronghold."

Old Mo pointed to a heavy, secret room behind him that required both iris scans and password verification, and said in a hoarse voice, "You can look through it yourselves."

As soon as the words were spoken, Chen Yuexi and Chen Yuan exchanged a glance and rushed inside. At this moment, they desperately needed an answer, an answer to the truth about the destruction of their family.

Xie Wan'an pulled Ling Shiyao, who was still somewhat dazed, inside. She had always been filled with curiosity about this mysterious organization, which even her family records only contained a few words about.

You Yang naturally entered with Tian Dao Lian and the others, but he wasn't very interested in these dry research materials.

He just followed along listlessly, picking up the most worn-out diary, which looked as if it had been soaked in blood, from the mountain of documents and flipping through it casually.

But upon closer inspection, he discovered something unusual.

July 8th, sunny

Another failure today, this is the seventh time... Even mentally sound adults find it difficult to withstand that enormous power of the spirits, let alone toddlers whose minds are not yet developed.

July 13th, cloudy

fail……

July 23rd, cloudy

fail……

August 1st, sunny

Failure...still failure...

According to the ancient stone tablet, only a 'pure person' can bear divinity. Have we... misunderstood?

Could it be that newborn babies are not 'pure' enough?

Could it be that this road is completely impassable?!

August 21st, Cloudy

No, that's not right!

I haven't fully understood the oracle yet!