Ice apocalypse, I hoard tens of billions of supplies

Zhang Yi was still shaken.

If Yang Xinxin hadn't been so prescient, he might have already lost himself under the shepherd boy's influence, or even been assimilated by Samael's power.

The newfound power within him was both an asset and a potential threat.

"I'm all right."

He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and his eyes sharpened again. "Brian, can you still keep up with Burning Bones and the others?"

Brian sniffed carefully and nodded: "Although your 'scent' was a bit off just now, their scent trails are still there. Come with me."

After the illusion faded, the deathly silence of the forest seemed even more profound.

Zhang Yi did not take a step immediately. He stood still, his brows furrowed, as if he was reliving the experience of being on the verge of the abyss.

Brian scratched the ground nervously with his paws. "So, bro, what are you waiting for?"

Yang Xinxin watched him quietly, waiting for his instructions.

She looked at the change in Zhang Yi's expression and seemed to understand something.

"What did you just see in Samael's illusion? Did you discover something new?"

That was not Samael himself, but merely an overflow of Samael's spirit and will. However, those who were spiritually influenced could experience Samael's intense will.

This is a disaster because people's minds may be corrupted and forcibly assimilated by Samael.

However, if you can resist this kind of mental pollution, it is a huge opportunity!

Zhang Yi, who has lived for more than 30 years, can converse with Drucker, a giant who has lived for billions of years and comprehended the true essence of the world's origin. Isn't that a tremendous gain?

Brian and Yang Xinxin didn't have that opportunity because Brian was a modified dog with a pure heart; as for Yang Xinxin, her spiritual power was enough to shock the four knights of the Yihen Clan.

"Don't rush off."

Zhang Yi finally spoke, his voice carrying a strange calmness, completely different from the danger he had just displayed.

He turned to look at Yang Xinxin, his eyes sharp and clear, yet also concealing a kind of restless madness.

"I want to try being mentally corrupted again! That guy seems to be trying to tell us outsiders something."

"By figuring out the reasons, I can understand the essence of mental pollution. Perhaps, I'll also gain other insights!"

"Brian, keep watch around and alert us immediately if there is any unusual activity."

He first gave instructions to the white Labrador.

Although Brian was puzzled, he still growled to show that he understood, his ears perked up and his nose twitched, spreading his senses to the maximum extent.

"With Brian, the world's number one police dog, here, I guarantee that no danger will be able to get close without my senses!"

Then, Zhang Yi's gaze fell on Yang Xinxin, with unusual seriousness.

“Xin Xin, I’m about to do something very dangerous.” He pointed to his forehead. “Samael’s mental pollution, although it was suppressed by your rules just now, I… experienced something different from it.”

He paused, as if searching for the right words: "A... vague sense about the nature of power. It's dangerous, but it could also be crucial. I don't want to miss this opportunity."

Yang Xinxin gazed at him with her bright, obsidian-like eyes, neither asking nor objecting, but simply listening quietly.

"I will proactively lower my defenses and accept the pollution again."

Zhang Yi's voice was low and firm, "I need to experience and understand the 'rules' that Samael wants to convey, even if they are distorted. But the risk is that I might get lost again, or even be assimilated."

He pointed to the faintly visible fallen puppet behind Yang Xinxin: "Therefore, I need you to set up a final insurance policy for me. Aim your arrows at me. Once you determine that my consciousness exceeds the safety threshold, or I show any signs of being completely controlled, do not hesitate, act immediately."

These words were spoken calmly, yet they made Brian's hair stand on end.

"Hey! Zhang Yi! Are you crazy?! We're trying to avoid that thing's pollution, and you're actually going to go for it?"

The Labrador was so anxious it was spinning in circles, "What if Yang Xinxin makes a mistake, or you fall too low too quickly..."

"That's the meaning of insurance."

Zhang Yi interrupted it, his gaze still fixed on Yang Xinxin, "I trust Xinxin's judgment. I also trust myself; I won't be defeated so easily. This is a gamble, but the stakes are worth it."

Yang Xinxin stared at him for a few seconds. In her eyes, which seemed to understand cause and effect, a data-like light flickered slightly, as if she were rapidly calculating various possibilities.

Finally, she nodded slightly: "Understood. Rule locked: Target Zhang Yi, consciousness contamination level exceeds 50%, or irreversible assimilation characteristics appear, forced purification to be executed."

The opponent was not Samael himself, so for Yang Xinxin, getting Zhang Yi to wake up was not a problem at all.

Even if Zhang Yi is truly assimilated, the [meme virus]'s power can be used to forcibly change his cognition.

This is not defense, but a backup of a higher level of capability, ensuring absolute safety.

"OK, that puts my mind at ease!"

Zhang Yi smiled slightly, took a deep breath, and his eyes were filled with excitement—the excitement and determination of an explorer facing the unknown abyss.

He found a relatively flat rock with his back against a huge dead tree root, slowly sat down, took a deep breath, and then slowly closed his eyes.

"let's start."

With a thought, the invisible mental barrier around him, constructed from spatial power and a strong will, slowly dissipated like melting ice and snow.

Almost the instant the barrier disappeared, the omnipresent, cold, and viscous mental pollution of the Dark Sun Forest, like sharks smelling blood, surged wildly into his unguarded mental world.

The Fallen Puppet behind Yang Xinxin solidified completely, and the eerie longbow composed of cause and effect and memes was drawn back. An arrow exuding a cold chill was nocked on the string, its tip pointing precisely at Zhang Yi's brow.

Yang Xinxin's eyes were incredibly focused, like the most precise instrument, watching every slight change in Zhang Yiyi's body.

Brian stood to the side, a hint of worry in his eyes, but there was nothing else he could do at the moment, so he could only silently complain in his heart while keeping watch on his surroundings.

Those in the shadows felt a little worried upon seeing this.

However, considering Zhang Yi's steady behavior and the fact that Yang Xinxin was there as a backup plan, they relaxed a little.

"The prison guard doesn't seem to be in a hurry at all!"

Fatty Xu scratched his head and said with some curiosity.

[Bluebird] Li Yangyang draped her arm over her shoulder, her brows slightly furrowed.

"Since entering the Dark Sun Forest, Lord Zhang Yi has given the impression that he has everything under control."