Chapter 471: Alliance of Powers and Secrets

Xia Qing met her idol’s gaze with bright, unwavering eyes. She stood up and thanked him sincerely. “I’ll remember every word you just said. I’ll remind myself never to lose my way in the pursuit of power, and never forget the promise I made you.”

Zhang San handed over the glass test tube he’d been toying with, the one filled with a colorless, transparent liquid. “Go on. Drink it.”

“Thank you, Third Brother.” Xia Qing forced herself through the pain, clutching the glass test tube with trembling hands. She popped out the rubber stopper and downed the potion in one go.

Not that she needed to ask—the liquid had to be the antidote her idol had just developed to suppress Devastation Element.

Watching Xia Qing drink so decisively, Zhang San looked satisfied. He lazily asked, “I’ve still got the blood test data from Er Gou and Crippled Wolf before they were poisoned. Did you ever check Alpha’s Devastation and Evolution Element levels?”

Xia Qing nodded. “After Alpha recovered from exposure to Devastation last time, I tested him. Evolution Element was at 7, Devastation Element at 4‰.”

So, Alpha was a high-level evolved Green Lantern Wolf.

“When you get back, check their current element levels. Feed them one dose of the Devastation Element Antidote. Test again after a day. If their Devastation Element hasn’t returned to pre-poisoning levels, give them a little more, but only as needed. Don’t overdo it or you’ll mess up their internal balance.”

After explaining how to use the antidote, Zhang San asked for Xia Qing’s data. “What were your blood levels for the two elements before you got poisoned?”

Xia Qing answered directly. “Evolution Element 6.5, Devastation Element 12‰.”

“That bad? So you’re a dual-power evolver, strength and vision?”

Since her idol asked, Xia Qing didn’t hold back. “I actually have three evolution paths. I’ve told others I’m a single-path only to protect myself. My strength evolution is level six, auditory at seven, vision at nine.”

So she had more abilities than he’d guessed, and rare ones at that—an advanced triple-path evolver. Zhang San pushed up his slipping glasses and asked, “What year did you develop all three? How old were you?”

Xia Qing answered earnestly. “At fifteen, the first year of the disaster, when creatures had their initial major evolutions. I didn’t know my exact levels until I got to the Territory and tested in Territory One.”

Zhang San finally understood. “No wonder Luo Pei taught you sniping. Yan Long wants to take you for special training. And you dared to fight the Fire Phoenix Trapping Team with just three wolves. I really underestimated you.”

But he’d guessed wrong—Luo only taught her gun skills because she’d traded him spring water.

“You weren’t wrong, Third Brother. I might be an advanced triple evolver, but I’ve got little combat experience and my overall strength is low. Right now, only you and the three Azure Dragon Squad leaders know my actual abilities. Yan doesn’t know yet. Please keep it secret for me.”

Zhang San nodded. “If you’re going to train with Yan Long, you won’t be able to hide it. She’ll find out, and that’s fine, just make sure Ji Li doesn’t know unless you want to join Hui One Base’s special forces. With your ability, why not join a top squad and lead from the front instead of breaking your back with the Construction Team, or now, farming?”

Xia Qing answered honestly. “I’m mainly afraid that if my abilities are exposed, I’ll end up locked in a lab. I also haven’t found a perfect team yet. So I joined Construction to learn survival skills during the disaster, planning to farm my own land once things eased up. The second the Lords’ policy was announced, I claimed my own Territory to start.”

Zhang San was surprised. “So even the Azure Dragon Squad didn’t impress you?”

“They only arrived at Hui Three Base after I joined the Construction Team. The past couple years, I’ve just been following Luo on missions.” Truth was, Xia Qing never planned to join Azure Dragon Squad, but there was no need to go into detail.

Through his glasses, Zhang San carefully observed Xia Qing. Even after taking the Evolution Element stim shake, she could still sit and talk clearly. The more he saw, the more satisfied he looked. “To awaken triple-path powers as soon as the disaster hit means you have exceptional potential. But you were way too undernourished before—your Evolution Element is below average for someone like you, while Devastation Element is much higher than normal.”

“In the next three months, eat 150 pounds of python meat. Eat as much Green Lantern food as you can, and have a few high-Evolution spinach plants every day. You need balanced nutrition. Once your Devastation Element drops and Evolution Element rises, your evolutionary level will increase again.”

Xia Qing’s eyes sparkled. “Third Brother, how can I trigger speed evolution?”

Was this really a question a triple-path advanced evolver should ask?

Zhang San looked at her with disdain. “Evolution direction and DNA are connected. To put it simply—whatever you were good at before the disaster, there’s a high chance your evolution will follow that.”

Speed had never been Xia Qing’s strong suit, even before everything went to hell… her spirits sank.

Seeing her deflate only made Zhang San more amused. “Since you’ve got advanced auditory and visual evolution, your secondary and seventh-eighth brain nerves must be well developed. Your information processing should be solid, too. What’s your running speed level now?”

“Between level two and three.”

Zhang San looked even more disdainful. “That’s pretty bad.”

Xia Qing could only sigh.

“With your potential, with the right training and enough work, you should at least hit the peak level for speed evolvers.”

Level five peak? That’s Jing Kuan and Er Yong’s speed! Xia Qing felt a little better. Taking advantage of her idol’s good mood, she probed carefully. “Third Brother, you’re an advanced evolver with huge power—how do you stay clear-headed and not lose yourself?”

Zhang San yawned. “You know what my evolution is, don’t you?”

Did she really need to ask?

With his professional achievements and scrawny body, Xia Qing didn’t even have to think. “You must be an advanced Brain Evolutionary. I’ve still got Green Lantern pecans—I’ll bring you another hundred pounds, okay?”

Zhang San named his price. “Make it 250 pounds. You just took the medicine, and the stim shake put some fresh strain on your body. I’ll need to mix up a new repair serum for you.”

A true top-tier idol—he even considered his fans’ health. Xia Qing nodded without hesitation. “Alright. Sorry for the trouble, Third Brother.”

“One correction: I have no combat strength. I’m not someone with great power. Whether in peacetime or the disaster, researchers are just tools for those with real strength. People like me have to exchange research for resources, safety, and supplies. If you’re skilled, you trade results. If not, you trade promises.”

Zhang San slouched back in his chair, sounding almost indifferent, as if ‘tool’ had nothing to do with his own life.

“I’ve just been luckier than most researchers. I’m a little clearer in the head, and I can see where Blue Star’s evolution is headed. That’s the only reason I got to choose my own path to power.”

Xia Qing said nothing.

“You’re too modest. With your research skills, you’d have no problem keeping yourself safe. You could’ve built your own combat team—you’d never need to depend on anyone’s power.”

Zhang San yawned again. “I’m just lazy and don’t have the energy for that, so I ally myself with people I get along with and do what I enjoy. You founded an alliance, right?”

There must be advanced auditory evolvers in Territory Seven—it’d be easy for Third Brother to overhear conversation from neighboring Territory Six. Xia Qing wasn’t surprised he knew about the Lords’ Alliance.

She got the hint and extended the invitation immediately. “Right. I founded the alliance to help each other out—farm better, boost survival chances. We’ve only got six Territories as members—Three, Four, Five, Six, Ten, and Fifteen. You’re a Territory Lord too. Want to join us?”

“Count me in,” Zhang San replied with a broad smile.

With Zhang San, the Lords’ Alliance gained a powerful new member. Xia Qing found herself smiling even wider.