Chapter 73: Chapter 73: The Most Perfect Sequence Form

This was Li Xingye’s greatest secret and deepest fear, something not even Qiangzi and the others knew.

Ever since his superpower awakened when he was just ten years old, Li Xingye had vaguely sensed its power and terror, and had subconsciously hidden it.

He carefully controlled his superpower, consoling himself that for fighting zombies, it was naturally the stronger, the better.

But as order collapsed in the post-apocalyptic world, despite his best efforts to avoid it, he was one day forced to use it on a superpower user who ambushed him.

The power he absorbed from superpower users was far more potent than what he got from zombies. Before he could even react, their flesh and blood would be completely drained, leaving nothing but ash.

This realization made the young Li Xingye feel immensely disgusted and pained.

He was afraid he would be assimilated by the apocalypse, that he would lose his way, that one day he would turn on his own kind simply for the sake of power.

Li Xingye stared at his palm. His devouring superpower and his Wood Ability had long ago become intertwined, indistinguishable from each other.

The zombie’s words echoed over and over in his mind. His voice trembled as he said, "Sometimes I wonder... could I be the final stage of evolution for High-level Zombies?"

He didn’t dare look at Chi Wan in the space, perhaps not wanting to see an expression of disgust on her usually warm face.

In truth, he could have prevented Chi Wan from seeing any of this, and she would never have had to know his most gruesome and terrifying side.

But perhaps after having his suspicions confirmed by the Eighth-tier Zombie, Li Xingye inevitably spiraled into confusion about his own identity, and almost masochistically, he deliberately showed everything to Chi Wan.

’After Wanwan finds out about all this, she’ll probably see me as a freak,’ he thought. ’Maybe she’ll never look at me with those sparkling eyes, full of hope and trust, ever again.’

’Hate me,’ he thought. ’That will finally crush those secret desires in my heart that should have never existed.’

Like a criminal confessing his sins, Li Xingye quietly awaited Chi Wan’s verdict.

Chi Wan had never seen Li Xingye so dejected. In her heart, he had always been gentle, reliable, and more powerful than anyone else. Despite having to navigate the apocalypse from such a young age, and possessing power greater than anyone, he had never betrayed his own convictions.

In her heart, Li Xingye was a truly "good person." Otherwise, she wouldn’t have developed feelings in what was supposed to be a purely transactional, mutually beneficial arrangement.

Chi Wan took a deep breath, her voice more earnest than ever. "Brother Xingye, actually, from the very first time I saw you deal with those people who ambushed you, I knew. I knew that the version of you who is always so gentle in the space wasn’t the full picture of the ’real’ you."

Li Xingye’s hands clenched tight.

Chi Wan looked at Li Xingye’s ramrod-straight back, sighed to herself, and continued, "I’m not as naive and ignorant as you might think, either. After I met you, I tried to learn what I could about the apocalypse, about a world where order has collapsed. I wanted to understand the environment you live in.

"I know that different worlds have different rules for survival, and you can’t judge the apocalypse by the standards of a peaceful world. Brother Xingye, I’ve seen you kill zombies, and I’ve seen your coldness when you face your enemies. And maybe, like you said, you have an even crueler side, but...

"It doesn’t feel like a contradiction to me, because your fundamental nature has never changed. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"The Brother Xingye I know would rather starve outside the base than feed on his own kind like those other people, even with all the power he has. He uses his strength to protect everyone, and he has a healthy fear of unknown power, even when that power comes from within himself.

"Why would such a good person doubt himself over a few words from that zombie? No matter how ferocious you are when you fight your enemies, your eyes don’t lie. When I look into your eyes, I only feel safe. I’ve never once been afraid.

"Because I know that no matter what you do, your goal is always to protect. Some people might be swept away by power they can’t control and be forced to do terrible things, but I know you never would. Because you are just so, so, so good!"

Chi Wan said all this in one breath, and for some reason, she was the one who felt like crying.

She looked up to find Li Xingye staring at her, utterly transfixed. It was rare to see him so stunned; he looked almost a little silly.

Chi Wan’s eyes were a little red, but she couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter.

She stared intently into Li Xingye’s eyes and said softly, "Brother Xingye, have you ever considered *why* it’s you? Your superpower strengthens differently from everyone else’s, your so-called ’sequence’ is different. So isn’t it possible... that you’re the one who can end the apocalypse?"

Stared at by Chi Wan’s ever-bright eyes, Li Xingye found himself unable to look away. He subconsciously repeated, "End the apocalypse?"

Chi Wan nodded frantically. "Yes! Didn’t you say before that nothing green can grow in the apocalypse? That even plants forced to grow with a superpower are poisonous mutations? But look, your vines are slowly starting to turn green.

"Maybe once they’re completely green, your superpower will be able to make things grow in the apocalypse again! Besides, the fact that you don’t rely on Crystal Cores to get stronger means there’s no limit to your growth, right?!"

Watching Chi Wan’s eyes grow brighter and brighter as she spoke, Li Xingye had a rather inopportune thought: ’If I could stand in front of Wanwan right now, her eyes would be filled with my reflection, wouldn’t they?’

Chi Wan had no idea where Li Xingye’s thoughts had drifted, feeling only that her own idea was very sound. She sat down cross-legged, adopting a pensive expression. "I’ve been thinking about what that zombie said, and I think I’m starting to understand.

"Let’s say everyone has a ’sequence’ that maintains their normal human state. Then maybe superpower users have something extra added to that sequence, which is what gives them a superpower. They get stronger by absorbing more of these extra sequences from Crystal Cores.

"As for zombies, maybe they’re missing the sequence that maintains their normal form, which is why they have to replenish it from humans! Yes! That’s why people bitten by zombies have their sequence destroyed and turn into zombies themselves. It all adds up!

"Brother Xingye, if that’s the case, you aren’t some kind of High-level Zombie at all! You’re the most perfect form of the sequence! That’s why you don’t need Crystal Cores or to ’level up.’ You can indiscriminately absorb the sequences from both zombies and superpower users.

"You even have a powerful ’guardian spirit’ backing you up! You’re the chosen one! Hurry up and get ready to save the world!"

Li Xingye hadn’t expected Chi Wan to deliver such a conclusion after her dead-serious analysis. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

But his heavy, gloomy mood was, in the end, gradually soothed by Chi Wan’s words.