Blue Star.
In Hua Yu's game livestream, the audience held their breath, focusing intently on every maneuver on the screen.
This version of Old Hua Yu is clearly more challenging compared to the previous version.
As the plot slowly progressed.
The Poison Fairy and Shadow Fairy clashed and fought, resulting in all the monsters on the map going insane.
Amidst the chaos.
Hiyakura, Forget-Me-Not, and Tao Yao became separated.
After that, Hua Yu had to control her character and start dealing with and harvesting the monsters on the map.
On the game interface, Hua Yu controlled Hiyakura, skillfully weaving through various obstacles.
Her movements were clean and swift, each hit precise.
Even without her younger sister beside her for support.
She still deftly handled wave after wave of Disaster Beasts.
"Hey, friends? Has the anchor's gameplay improved recently?"
Hua Yu's fingers flew across the keyboard.
On the screen, Hiyakura instantly transformed into a pink shadow, slipping through a crowd of Disaster Beasts, defeating them all before they could react.
However, the barrage did not buy it.
"Haha, I don't believe it, I absolutely don't believe it! Is this the kind of gameplay Hua Yu is capable of?!"
"Don't pretend, it's your younger sister playing for you, isn't it?"
In the lively atmosphere of the livestream.
Hua Yu fought off wave after wave of beast tides.
As a gigantic, hard-scaled elite monster fell, the system notification sounded:
[Old Disaster Round 20 has been cleared]
Hua Yu let out a sigh of relief and gently rubbed her somewhat sore wrist.
At that moment, the game screen suddenly shifted and entered a brief cutscene.
Hiyakura and Forget-Me-Not struggled forward in the ruins when they suddenly saw a familiar pink figure, of course, it was Tao Yao, who had been separated for a long time.
Then.
The character controlled by Hua Yu quickly resumed movement.
She controlled Hiyakura, as usual, jumping and crouching around Tao Yao, observing her from various angles.
"Hmm... my wife still looks as good as ever!"
Hua Yu commented while observing.
After a brief evaluation.
She finally interacted with Tao Yao, entering into a conversation at a leisurely pace.
The dialogue here mainly showcased the joy of their reunion.
However, before the joy of reunion could dissipate.
A heavier blow soon followed.
With Forget-Me-Not bringing up the subject of their mother.
Hiyakura and Forget-Me-Not, under Tao Yao's lead, came to a secluded corner.
There, Forget-Me-Not's mother leaned quietly against a massive Disaster Beast corpse, no longer alive.
The entire livestream fell silent.
Hua Yu stared blankly at the screen, her fingers paused on the keyboard, motionless for a long time.
She had long anticipated that such a plot development might occur.
But when it really happened, she still felt a strong impact.
The barrage quickly turned slow and heavy:
"How could this happen..."
"Little Forget-Me-Not's mother..."
"Isn't that too cruel…"
Hua Yu's eyes remained fixed on the screen.
Watching in-game Forget-Me-Not rush to her mother's side, crying hysterically.
That heart-wrenching wail seemed to penetrate the screen, striking directly at her heart.
Suddenly, Hua Yu stood up abruptly, her chair sliding backward with a screech.
Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging deep into her palms, yet she felt no pain.
"Dead? Just like that?!"
Hua Yu's voice was filled with disbelief and anger, "How can this be?! What about little Forget-Me-Not? She's so small... she still needs her mother…"
Hua Yu's voice gradually choked up.
And the viewers in the livestream were also deeply moved by this scene.
"This... really died?"
"It's over! With no younger sister around, little Hua Yu probably can't hold it together!"
"Wait... that's not how it goes! If the anchor is crying like this, then her empathy must be off the charts, right?"
Hua Yu's eyes were red and glistening, tears hovering in her eye sockets.
She took a deep breath, trying hard to calm her emotions.
Even though she was still sad inside.
She knew the game had to continue, the plot needed to advance.
"I'm sorry, everyone."
Hua Yu said softly, her voice somewhat choked, "Let's continue."
Her fingers returned to the keyboard, and she began to control Hiyakura.
In the game screen, Hiyakura slowly stood up, gently patted Forget-Me-Not's shoulder, silently comforting the little girl who had lost her mother.
The camera pulled back, and the scenes in the game world gradually expanded.
In the South River Snowfield, the disaster caused by the two fairies continued unabated.
The Disaster Beasts divided into two factions continued to slaughter each other.
The entire world seemed to be trapped in an endless chaos.
In the distance, a giant frost beast was fiercely battling with a group of Disaster Beasts shrouded in poisoned fog.
Its massive body resembled a moving iceberg, every swipe of its claws sending several Disaster Beasts flying.
However, the Disaster Beasts affected by the poisonous fog seemed to have lost their sense of pain, charging towards the frost beast even after sustaining severe injuries.
In the sky, several flying Disaster Beasts controlled by the Shadow Fairy were chasing a group of their kind influenced by the Poison Fairy.
They chased each other in the high altitude.
During this process, Disaster Beasts occasionally fell from the sky, crashing to the ground with a dull thud.
The entire snowfield resembled a vast battlefield, filled with the wails and sounds of slaughter from the Disaster Beasts.
Once pure white, the snow now bore blood and poison fog, stained into mottled dark colors, resembling a doomsday scene.
At that moment, Tao Yao gently spoke:
"The Poison Fairy has already fled, and the Shadow Fairy is nowhere to be found. There are probably no other survivors remaining in the snowfield. We did what we could; next... let's head back to Peach Blossom City."
She paused, continuing, "Although we didn't save more survivors this time, we gathered information about the two fairies and confirmed the existence of the Poison Fairy."
"This information will be very helpful for our future defense work."
"At least... we now know the enemy's details and can develop better response strategies."
Hiyakura nodded in agreement.
She glanced at Forget-Me-Not beside her; the little girl had cried herself out and was leaning on Tao Yao's shoulder, quietly sobbing.
"Then let's go."
Hiyakura said, "Forget-Me-Not's condition isn't good; we need to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible."
Tao Yao nodded in agreement, then bent down and gently carried Forget-Me-Not on her back.
The three began to move towards the exit of the snowfield, embarking on their journey back to Peach Blossom City.
They carefully crossed the battlefield, avoiding the still-fighting Disaster Beasts.
Tao Yao walked ahead with Forget-Me-Not on her back, while Hiyakura guarded the rear cautiously, ready to respond to any potential emergencies.
They climbed over fallen trees and circled around bottomless ice caves, pushing through the wind and snow.
Finally, after several hours of trekking, they successfully exited the bounds of the South River Snowfield.
The sky was completely dark now.
Moonlight cast on their weary figures, creating long shadows on the ground.
On the road between the South River Snowfield and Peach Blossom City,
They found a relatively safe place to rest temporarily.
Tao Yao and Hiyakura built a campfire, the warm light dispelling the night's chill.
Forget-Me-Not had already fallen asleep.
But her eyes were still glistening with tears, clearly indicating that her mother's passing had dealt her a tremendous blow.
The little girl's brows were tightly knitted, seemingly unable to escape the cruel reality even in her dreams.
Tao Yao gently approached Forget-Me-Not, took out a light purple petal from her bosom, and carefully placed it on Forget-Me-Not's nose.
"This is a Dream Butterfly Flower petal," Tao Yao explained softly, "It has a calming effect and can help Forget-Me-Not have a good dream. Although it cannot change reality, at least it can allow her to temporarily forget the pain in her dreams."
Hiyakura nodded, giving a grateful glance to Tao Yao. Then, Tao Yao continued:
"I know you have questions for me. The reason I interrupted you earlier was that I didn't want Forget-Me-Not to know the truth. It would be too cruel for her; she shouldn't have to endure such pain. If you have anything to ask, you can do so now."
Hiyakura looked at Tao Yao sitting by the campfire.
The firelight illuminated Tao Yao's face, adding a soft glow to her already delicate features.
However, a hint of fatigue and worry was evident in Tao Yao's expression, as if something heavy weighed on her heart.
After a moment of silence, Hiyakura finally asked:
"What happened during the time you got lost before?"
When the two fairies were fighting, and the Disaster Beasts went mad, Tao Yao indeed got separated from them.
Hiyakura was unsure whether it was due to an uncontrollable force or if Tao Yao had done it intentionally.
This question had been lingering in her mind, causing her unease.
Tao Yao was silent for a moment, her gaze turning toward the distant darkness, as if reminiscing about what happened during that time.
The campfire crackled softly, breaking the silence of the night.
At last, Tao Yao took a deep breath and slowly replied, "At that time, I was the one who chose to get lost."
Hiyakura's eyes widened in disbelief upon hearing this, revealing her incredulity.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but then swallowed her words.
On second thought, she found it somewhat reasonable.
Tao Yao was so capable; those frenzied Disaster Beasts might have been tough, but they should not have been much of a concern for her.
In such a situation, how could Tao Yao accidentally get lost?
Hiyakura thought to herself, wondering why she hadn't considered this point earlier.
"Why?"
Hiyakura couldn't help but ask, her voice filled with confusion and slight unease.
Tao Yao calmly looked at the campfire, the flames dancing in her eyes as if recalling the scene from that time.
She slowly explained, "I knew where the battlefield of the Shadow Fairy and Poison Fairy was, so I went there on my own."
"Why didn't you call me?"
Hiyakura pressed, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction and concern.
Tao Yao turned her head, her gaze soft as she looked at Hiyakura.
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, breaking into a gentle smile.
"That was a fight between two fairies; even though you, little Hiyakura, are impressive, they are after all two powerful beings standing at the pinnacle of the world. The magical energy released from their clash could have hurt you."
Tao Yao's voice was gentle, with an obvious concern, "I could not bear to see a beautiful girl like you getting hurt. So, I went there myself."
Upon hearing this, Hiyakura's cheeks immediately turned a faint pink.
Tao Yao always said such strange things from time to time.
Her tone softened considerably, and her inquiry towards Tao Yao was no longer as forceful as at the start.
"And then?" Hiyakura asked softly, curiosity shining in her eyes.
Tao Yao's gaze became somewhat distant, as if lost in memories. While recalling the events of that time, she slowly explained:
"Back then, I thought I would wait for the two fairies to weaken each other and then take advantage of the situation to profit from their exhaustion. But the actual situation was different from what I had imagined."
She paused for a moment, continuing,
"The Poison Fairy is very powerful…"
"The virus she controls, no... it can't even be called a virus."
"She can make everything lose its vitality. Corroding every life, even the hardest rocks can be eroded under her influence."
"I witnessed a forest wither and die in her poisonous fog in just a few minutes."
"Those Disaster Beasts under her control could continue to fight, despite their bodies being mutilated, as if they felt no pain."
Tao Yao's tone carried a hint of reverence,
"Her power is terrifyingly strong. In front of her, life seems so fragile. Even I wouldn't dare to easily approach her poisonous mist."
At this point, Tao Yao paused slightly, a helpless expression crossing her face.
"But even then, she could still do nothing against the Shadow Fairy. The Shadow Fairy might not be as powerful as her, but she can firmly restrain her."
"If I hadn't acted at that time, the eventual outcome would have been the Shadow Fairy consuming the Poison Fairy's power. At that time, the Shadow Fairy would only become even stronger."
Upon hearing this, Hiyakura's eyes flashed with understanding. She immediately guessed what happened next.
"So… you intervened?"
Tao Yao looked at Hiyakura and gently nodded.
The light of the campfire flickered in her eyes, almost telling the story of that thrilling battle.
The night wind gently blew, bringing the rustling sounds from the distant forest, as if nature were accompanying this story.
Tao Yao took a deep breath and nodded slowly, a complex emotion flashing in her gaze.
"Yes, I intervened."
Her voice was low and firm, "At the moment when the Poison Fairy was about to be consumed, I stopped the Shadow Fairy."
She paused for a moment, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly, revealing a confident smile.
"To be honest, the Shadow Fairy was not my match. I easily drove her away."
Tao Yao's tone held a hint of nonchalance, as if recounting a very ordinary event.
Upon hearing this, Hiyakura's eyes flashes with surprise and admiration. She knew Tao Yao was strong, but she didn't expect that even the Shadow Fairy, who could contend with the Poison Fairy, was so easily overpowered by her.
She couldn't help but ask, "What about the Poison Fairy?"
Tao Yao's expression became somewhat strange, as if recalling something unpleasant.
"The Poison Fairy also escaped."
Her tone was flat, as if stating an established fact, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Hiyakura displayed a look of disbelief at this response. "She escaped?"
Her voice was filled with confusion and unease.
Tao Yao nodded, her gaze growing profound, as if traversing time and space, returning to that heart-stopping moment.
"At that time, Forget-Me-Not's mother was in so much pain; I had never heard such a painful scream before."
Her voice was low and contained a barely detectable tremor,
"She briefly regained her sanity, briefly took control of her body…"
Tao Yao paused, taking a deep breath as if trying to calm her emotions.
"And her last request was for me to free her…"
Her voice grew even lower, as if divulging a heavy secret:
"She used her own will to confine the Poison Fairy within her body. She wanted to kill a fairy capable of causing an end-of-world crisis in its cradle."
Upon hearing this, Hiyakura was completely stunned.
A flicker of shock, surprise, and sorrow swept across her eyes in a complex mix of emotions.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something.
But ultimately, all that escaped was a single word: "You…"
Before she could finish, Tao Yao took over the conversation. "I acted…"
Her voice was low and heavy, a flicker of pain passing through her gaze, "The Poison Fairy had completely merged with her. That was the best moment to destroy a fairy."
Hiyakura froze at this point.
She remained silent for a long time, as if processing this heavy information.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke, her tone soothing but understanding: "Tao Yao, it's not your fault... If it were that kind of situation, perhaps there really was no other way to eliminate the Poison Fairy…"
Her sentence trailed off.
Suddenly, Hiyakura snapped back to reality.
"Wait! Didn't you just say… the Poison Fairy escaped?"
Tao Yao gently stirred the fire, speaking slowly:
"Yes, even having reached that point, the Poison Fairy still survived."
Her tone carried a hint of helplessness and confusion, "Or to put it another way, I thought I had eliminated her, but later I discovered I was unable to kill her at that moment."
Hiyakura's expression froze in disbelief. "How is that possible?"
Her voice was filled with incredulity, "Not even you could..."
Tao Yao shook her head, her gaze becoming even deeper.
"I saw the Poison Fairy's poisonous flower in Forget-Me-Not's eyes…"
Her voice was low and heavy, "If we could judge, the Poison Fairy matched the description of Forget-Me-Not's mother. She is indeed a biological virus with a strong ability to spread."
Tao Yao paused, her gaze sharpening.
"I suspect that as long as her affected targets are not completely cleared, she cannot be entirely eliminated."
Her tone was calm but carried a chilling coldness.
Upon hearing this, Hiyakura stiffened.
A chilling sensation crawled up her spine, causing her to involuntarily shudder.
She subconsciously glanced at the deeply sleeping Forget-Me-Not, hesitantly asking:
"Are you suggesting...?"
Tao Yao's gaze also fell on the sleeping Forget-Me-Not, a hint of complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
"Forget-Me-Not may very well have been infected by the Poison Fairy."
Her voice was low and heavy, as if announcing an unchangeable fact.
This statement hit Hiyakura's heart like a heavy hammer.
She felt a wave of dizziness, as if the entire world were spinning.
The night wind blew, and the campfire's light flickered across both their faces, casting wavering shadows.
In the distance, the howling of beasts echoed, as if accompanying this heavy topic.
Tao Yao and Hiyakura both fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
That night seemed longer than ever.
And beneath this shadow, a more terrifying question quietly emerged:
If Forget-Me-Not really was infected by the Poison Fairy…
Then doesn't that mean...
As the night deepened and the campfire gradually dimmed, the anxiety and confusion in both Tao Yao and Hiyakura's hearts burned ever more brightly.
Hiyakura fell into a long silence, the night wind gently brushing her hair, as if soothing her trembling heart.
Her gaze wandered back and forth between the sleeping Forget-Me-Not and Tao Yao, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
Finally, she murmured in a trembling voice:
"According to what you said... to completely eradicate the Poison Fairy, we must destroy all the targets she has infected, doesn't that mean..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Hiyakura suddenly stood up, her hands clenching into fists, her voice tinged with anger and determination: "No! We can't do that!!"
Her body trembled slightly, her eyes glistening with tears, as if resisting a terrifying conclusion.
Tao Yao quietly observed Hiyakura's reaction; her hand gently stroked the sleeping Forget-Me-Not resting against her leg, her fingertips tenderly tousling the little girl's hair.
Her gaze was filled with warmth and compassion, as if looking at her own child.
"Don't worry; little Forget-Me-Not is not yet at that stage…"
Tao Yao's voice was gentle and calm, as if comforting a frightened little creature.
She shifted her gaze away from Forget-Me-Not and looked at Hiyakura, continuing, "Based on my observations of Forget-Me-Not's mother, I have a simple guess."
Hiyakura's body relaxed slightly; she sat back down, wholly focused on listening to Tao Yao's words.
Tao Yao's voice remained calm, but it carried a glimmer of hope:
"Forget-Me-Not is not deeply poisoned right now. As long as we don't provoke the Poison Fairy, the poison won't spread throughout her body, and as long as the Poison Fairy doesn't merge with her flesh and blood, there is still a possibility of separation."
Upon hearing these words, Hiyakura's eyes suddenly brightened, as if she had seen a ray of light in the darkness.
She eagerly asked, "So that means, Forget-Me-Not is still saveable?"
Tao Yao smiled warmly, her smile like sunlight in winter, filled with warmth and hope.
She firmly stated, "She will be saved; she definitely will!"
This phrase acted like a shot of adrenaline, flooding Hiyakura's heart.
She felt a warm flow surge from her heart, instantly calming her anxious emotions.
She looked at the sleeping Forget-Me-Not, her eyes seemingly filled with determination.
The night wind blew once more, and the embers of the campfire flickered in the darkness.
Forget-Me-Not turned over in her sleep, a sweet smile gracing her face.
Perhaps in her dream, there was no Poison Fairy, no danger.
Her mother seemed to still be by her side…