At that moment, the little girl was nestled among a sea of colorful balls, her petite frame sinking deep into the pile. She was so well hidden that one could easily miss her if they weren't looking closely.
Despite being covered in blood, Chen Wei's only concern was for the little girl's well-being, fearing she might catch a cold. He gently lifted his sister from the balls and carried her to the bed.
Once Chen Mei was tucked in with a blanket, Chen Wei stood by, watching her flushed cheeks with an involuntary smile spreading across his face.
"Brother."
As Chen Wei was about to leave the room, he heard MeiMei's voice from behind.
Startled, he turned to see the little girl had rolled over, one hand peeking out from under the blanket, clutching it tightly.
Her lips curled into a sweet smile, and she murmured in her sleep, "Brother, you're so amazing. MeiMei wants to see more magic."
Hearing this, Chen Wei couldn't help but laugh again.
She was dreaming about him performing magic.
After leaving the room, Chen Wei began to wash off the day's grime. His recent outing had been a true battle, with countless mutated fierce beasts falling by his hand, their exact number unknown to him.
Now, except for his face, which was slightly less smeared with blood, his body was drenched in it.
Freshly cleaned, Chen Wei stood before the mirror, examining his reflection. His muscles had filled out, and his wheat-colored skin glowed faintly, a sign of the absorbed life energy that had enriched his cells.
He also noticed he seemed taller, and the contours of his face were more defined.
Chen Wei wasn't one to be vain, but looking at his reflection, he couldn't deny a certain handsomeness.
"Ah... So these are the perks of cultivation? My skin has a new glow, and my physical abilities have greatly improved."
He murmured to himself, a self-satisfied grin appearing on his lips.
After changing into fresh clothes, Chen Wei retired to his room for some well-deserved rest.
The next morning, bright and early, Chen Wei stepped out into the courtyard. There he saw Igris, the farm's guardian, sitting amidst the crops, eagerly absorbing the farm's life energy.
As far as the eye could see, countless energy particles converged towards Igris's gaping mouth.
Just then, the Farm's Assistant Robots sprang into action—it was harvest time.
The forty-plus assistants worked with remarkable speed, swiftly reaping a vast expanse of crops.
Igris, deep in her cultivation, suddenly sensed a drop in the surrounding energy particles.
Opening her large eyes, she spotted the tiny figures below her, feverishly harvesting the crops as if competing with her for the bounty.
"Sisi!"
Having reaped the benefits of the farm, Igris was not about to relinquish her spot so easily. Her serpentine nature hissed forth, her large eyes growing colder by the second—a blatant threat to the Farm's Assistant Robots.
But the assistant robots were unfazed by her intimidation; they simply followed Chen Wei's commands.
With the crops ripe, they dutifully executed their orders and commenced the harvest.
Igris's massive form took up a considerable portion of the farm, prompting more than a dozen assistant robots to approach her.
Their hefty pincers extended and plunged beneath Igris's body, lifting simultaneously.
Effortlessly, the robots hoisted Igris's enormous form, which weighed at least several hundred thousand kilograms.
They then carried her towards an open area.
Igris, coiled atop her mound-like body, was transported as if by magic.
She continued to emit her snakelike hisses, her eyes now betraying a human-like shock, seemingly bewildered that these tiny beings could lift her colossal frame.
Chen Wei, watching from the yard, couldn't suppress a chuckle at the sight.
He understood Igris's mindset—her speechlessness, shock, confusion, and rising anger were all clear to him.
Once Igris was moved aside, the assistant robots wasted no time in harvesting the exposed crops.
The buzzing of machinery filled the air.
In an instant, the vast swath of crops vanished from view.
Igris's eyes seethed with icy murderous intent at the sight.
"Igris."
Chen Wei's voice echoed in her mind at that moment.
Startled, Igris's body shuddered, and she immediately became docile.
"Master."
Her voice came out meekly as her once cold eyes softened to clarity.
"These fields are all for my harvest, and I forbid you from harming any servant here, got it?" Chen Wei instructed.
"Master, Igris understands," Igris responded dutifully.
"If you need to absorb life energy, or what you call energy particles, feel free to do so."
"But remember, you cannot prey on anything that's grown or bred in this zone, understood?"
Chen Wei reiterated his point to Igris several times, considering that the farm's crops, livestock, and fish were all valuable exchange points.
It would be a terrible loss if Igris were to spoil them.
Truth be told, Chen Wei wasn't against feeding Igris, but given Igris's massive size, he knew that one meal for the creature would be colossal.
The livestock he had raised wouldn't be nearly enough.
We're talking millions of exchange points here.
After laying out his rules, Chen Wei looked up at the sky. The energy shield was still intact, and he hadn't felt any significant tremors during the night.
This indicated that the nuclear bomb had yet to strike.
"System, do you have any idea when the nuclear bomb will hit?" Chen Wei inquired.
"The data suggests a nuclear bomb will hit here at 10 AM," the system replied.
"10 AM, huh?"
A sharp glint appeared in Chen Wei's eyes as they narrowed thoughtfully.
Sacrificing a few for the greater good was a harsh reality, yet it was a principle many upheld.
But Chen Wei couldn't accept it.
Why should they be the ones forsaken, without even a single rescue attempt from the military?
Now, they were facing a direct nuclear strike, severing any sliver of hope for their survival.
Chen Wei was convinced that no other life would remain in the city beyond his domain. Soon, his city would become an actual city of the dead.
____
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