At that moment, while holding Lin Qian, Ye Xin suddenly began coughing violently. Her face turned pale, and her condition was clearly deteriorating.
Seeing this, Lin Qian anxiously spoke to the man on the other end of the strange connection: "I don't fully understand what's happening here, but tell me—how are you going to help me, and what's the cost?"
"There's no cost. I just need to help you through this crisis to complete my task, and I'll receive my reward. Annoying system, really," the unfamiliar man scratched his head, then looked at Lin Qian. "So, bro, what's your situation over there?"
"We're being chased by a powerful enemy. The enemy is also seriously injured, but I need to unleash strength far beyond my current capacity to kill it," Lin Qian quickly summarized.
"Why are you talking to yourself? Have you gone mad?" the voluptuous woman standing next to the man in the video frame shouted at him.
Meanwhile, Ye Xin, cradling Lin Qian, was just as confused. "Xiao Qian, what's going on? Why are you babbling nonsense?"
"Ah, this girl is making things complicated. The task's countdown is almost up." The unfamiliar man muttered while looking at the woman beside him.
The woman puffed out her chest in displeasure. "I told you not to speak in that weird language I don't understand!"
"You're speaking Chinese!" At that moment, Lin Qian's eyes flashed with recognition, and he blurted out.
Ye Xin, still holding Lin Qian, was equally perplexed. She couldn't understand the language her husband had just spoken—something entirely foreign to her.
"No way! A fellow countryman? This is crazy! Why does it feel like there's some grand conspiracy hanging over us?" The man in the other universe's communication window widened his eyes in shock as he realized Lin Qian was speaking his language.
"The power I'm using here is called soul power. What do you call it over there?" Lin Qian asked, starting to piece things together.
"Soul power? We call it vital energy on our side. Looks like we really are from completely different worlds," the man replied, understanding the situation.
Lin Qian's eyes narrowed. "Interesting… Looks like things just got even more intriguing. Fellow countryman, I'll reach the pinnacle of this world and uncover the truth. Can you do the same over there?"
"Reach the pinnacle? Please, I'm the kind of guy with hacks on my side. Of course, I can." The man waved his hands as if manipulating something in thin air. "I've already sent over an item through a special delivery that should solve your problem. Interestingly, it seems the channel will close after this, so I can only help you once."
"I'll meet you at the top, my friend," Lin Qian said. At that moment, the video frame between them started to crack.
The unfamiliar man smiled brightly, giving Lin Qian a thumbs up. "To my fellow countryman—when we both surpass our respective universes, let's meet again and uncover the mystery together."
"Until we meet again!"
With a shattering sound, the spatial communication window connecting two different chaotic universes collapsed into fragments. Lin Qian's expression was more serious than ever.
For the first time, he felt an intense desire to reach the pinnacle, to return to the blue planet he once called home, and meet this fellow countryman who had helped him at such a critical moment.
"Xiao Qian?" Ye Xin, noticing Lin Qian had stopped talking to himself and was now smiling, looked at him in bewilderment. It was a smile she had never seen on him before.
"Nothing, just connected with an old friend," Lin Qian chuckled, then opened the system's email window.
Since arriving in this world, that email window had remained inactive. This was the first time it had lit up—and it might be the last.
Upon opening the email, Lin Qian saw an attachment.
"Now it's your turn to shine. Don't let me fail this mission."
There was a simple message beneath, signed: Descendant of Yan and Huang!
Lin Qian eagerly examined the attachment to see what his fellow countryman had sent to help him overcome this crisis.
The attachment materialized into a small, ordinary medicine bottle, its design reminiscent of the glass bottles sold in pharmacies back on Earth. That familiar feeling stirred a deep sense of nostalgia in Lin Qian.
"It's even in a blue bottle!" Lin Qian laughed, recognizing the bottle's design. He flicked the cap open and poured the contents into his mouth.
As soon as Lin Qian drank the potion, his eyes turned crimson, and his soul power ignited violently, his aura skyrocketing into an uncontrollable frenzy.
"Xiao Qian, what's happening to you?" Ye Xin cried out in alarm, startled by the sudden change in Lin Qian's state.
"Xin'er, just wait for me!" Lin Qian's eyes locked onto the massive purple-black fish chasing them. His Imperial Armament activated, and his twin swords merged into one.
Imperial Sword!
In the blink of an eye, Lin Qian vanished from Ye Xin's grasp and reappeared behind the charging fish.
"Xiao Qian, don't be reckless!" Ye Xin called out in desperation, only to be stunned by what she saw next.
Lin Qian hovered in mid-air, his Imperial Sword raised high. With one mighty swing, a massive golden blade shot forth, slicing through the center of the purple-black fish.
The enormous creature continued its charge, but as it approached Lin Qian and Ye Xin, it suddenly split apart from the middle, spewing purple blood as its body fell to the ground in two massive halves.
Lin Qian remained suspended in the air, sword in hand, a triumphant smile on his face. "Crisis averted. Thanks, brother."
As Lin Qian finished speaking, his body suddenly burst apart, blood spraying everywhere as he collapsed into unconsciousness.
Power that great always comes with a price.
Ye Xin, still in shock, rushed forward to catch the bloodied Lin Qian. But the exertion of it all had taken its toll on her as well. Her face paled, and she blacked out, falling unconscious while holding Lin Qian tightly.
Even as she passed out, Ye Xin clutched Lin Qian, their bodies gently floating toward the distant ground.
Meanwhile, in another world, in another chaotic universe, the man who had helped Lin Qian sat in a serene valley, leisurely fishing by a pond.
"Ding! Chosen One, task completed. Please claim your mission reward."
A deep male voice echoed in his mind, bringing a smile to his face. "You're welcome!"