Outside the cave, the air felt noticeably colder, as if the tension from inside had seeped into the surroundings. Xuan Long followed An Mo out in silence, his steps steady but his expression grave.

After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice low but firm. "What exactly happened inside?"

An Mo did not answer immediately. He stood still, his gaze fixed somewhere in the distance, his expression dark and unreadable. It was as if he was suppressing something... annoyance, perhaps even anger.

After a brief pause, he let out a quiet breath and spoke in a cold tone, "That man... actually dared to give up on his life."

Xuan Long’s expression changed instantly. His brows drew together, and a trace of disbelief appeared in his eyes. "What?" he asked, his voice tightening. "Why?"

An Mo turned his head slightly, his gaze sharp. "He absorbed so many purple crystals," he said flatly, "but he couldn’t advance even a single rank."

For a moment, Xuan Long could only stare at him.

"...That’s impossible."

His voice was filled with disbelief. Even someone with the poorest talent, after absorbing such a vast amount of energy, would show some progress. It was simply the law of the beast world.

After all, these crystals are literally the cores of evil ferocious beasts. So it is like transferring one’s hard work to another. It does not require much talent to absorb these crystals, the only hard thing is that they are extremely rare.

And Rong Ye was far from untalented, his aptitude was considered quite good even among their kind.

So how could something like this happen?

Xuan Long’s eyes slowly narrowed as a thought surfaced in his mind, dark and unsettling. An Mo noticed the shift in his expression and gave a short, knowing look.

"You’re thinking the same thing?" he asked.

Xuan Long turned to him. "You guessed it too?"

An Mo let out a faint scoff. "Of course. I’m not blind."

For a brief moment, the two of them fell silent, the same conclusion forming clearly in their minds.

Then, almost at the same time, they spoke.

"He’s been poisoned."

Their voices overlapped, their expressions equally grim. The answer was too obvious once seen from that angle. There was no other explanation that could justify such an abnormal situation.

Something had been done to Rong Ye long ago, something vicious enough to cripple him without leaving any obvious trace.

Inside the cave, Su Qinglan was completely unaware of their conclusion. She was still holding Rong Ye in her arms, her movements gentle as she supported his unconscious body. His breathing had calmed, but his face remained pale, his brows tightly furrowed even in sleep, as if the pain within him had not faded at all.

Her heart tightened at the sight.

"System..." she called softly in her mind, her voice tense. "Help me. What happened to him? And... make him sleep deeper for now. His emotions are too unstable."

She could still feel the lingering turmoil within him, and it frightened her. She was afraid that if he woke up too soon, he might hurt himself.

"Yes, host," the system replied immediately.

Rong Ye’s body relaxed further in her arms. Su Qinglan adjusted her hold carefully, letting his head rest comfortably in her lap. She wiped the sweat from his forehead with her sleeve, her fingers moving slowly, as if afraid to disturb him. Then she leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"What happened to you..." she whispered, her voice soft and aching. "What made you suffer like this..."

Her gaze lingered on his face before she asked again, more firmly this time, "System, tell me clearly. Why is he like this?"

The system paused briefly before answering, "Host, Rong Ye has been unable to advance despite absorbing a large amount of energy."

Her brows furrowed immediately. "Why?"

"Because he has been poisoned."

The words struck her like a sudden blow.

"Poisoned?" she repeated, her eyes widening.

"Yes, host," the system continued calmly. "There is something inside his body preventing the energy from circulating. All the power he absorbs is gathered and trapped in one place. It cannot flow through his meridians, nor can it strengthen him."

Su Qinglan’s expression slowly hardened.

"It is like... something inside him is absorbing everything," the system added. "A parasite. A bug. It feeds on the energy he absorbs."

For a moment, Su Qinglan fell completely silent.

"So all the energy he absorbed..." she said slowly, her voice turning cold, "...was taken away?"

"Yes, host."

"And that thing also stopped him from growing stronger?"

"Yes."

Without another word, she activated her healing ability and carefully examined Rong Ye’s body. Her spiritual sense moved through him slowly, checking every part in detail.

At first glance, everything appeared normal. His meridians were calm, his veins stable, his body in perfect condition.

But that was exactly what was wrong.

After absorbing so many purple crystals, his body should have been in chaos. The energy should have been surging violently, showing clear signs of a breakthrough.

But there was nothing.

It was as if everything had been swallowed cleanly, leaving no trace behind.

"It really is like something is sitting inside him..." she murmured, her eyes darkening. "Taking everything for itself..."

"Yes, host," the system confirmed.

At that moment, Su Qinglan’s thoughts immediately turned toward one place, the fox beast city.

She remembered something Rong Ye had once said, that he had been praised as the most talented among his generation. If that was true, then this situation made no sense unless someone had interfered from the very beginning.

Her eyes narrowed sharply.

A face surfaced in her mind.

His elder brother.

She did not want to jump to conclusions, but everything pointed toward him. Who else would benefit from Rong Ye’s fall? Who else would go to such lengths to not only eliminate him but also destroy any chance he had to rise?

"That bastard..." she muttered under her breath, her voice filled with suppressed anger. "Not only did he try to kill him... he even cut off his path completely..."

It was too vicious.

And too well hidden.

If not for the system, no one would have ever discovered it.

Her hand gently stroked Rong Ye’s face, her fingers brushing against his tear stained cheek. Her heart ached at the sight of him like this, so broken and defenseless.

"I will kill him..." she whispered softly, though her tone carried a chilling resolve.

Just then, a sudden movement made her freeze.

Her stomach shifted slightly.

Then, there was a soft kick.

Su Qinglan blinked in surprise, her hand instinctively moving to her belly. Another small movement followed, gentle but unmistakable.

Her expression softened immediately.

"Baby..." she murmured, gently patting her stomach. "Calm down... your father is okay..."

A faint smile appeared on her lips. It was the first time she had felt them so clearly, and the warmth that rose in her heart was undeniable.

Yet at the same time, there was a hint of sadness.

"Are you worried about him too...?" she whispered.

As if responding, there was another small movement. Her smile deepened slightly, becoming more genuine.

Then she lowered her gaze to Rong Ye once more, her fingers brushing through his hair with quiet tenderness. "See... even your cubs are worried about you," she said softly.

She held him a little closer.

But her eyes turned cold. She would find a way to remove that poison, no matter what it took. As for the one responsible...

Her lips curved faintly, but there was no warmth in that smile. Only a quiet cruelty.

"If you went so far just to destroy him..." she thought coldly, "...then let us see what happens when the one you tried to ruin becomes the one who destroys you."