Chapter 2604: Mutation The Keyboard System’s shop did sell beautiful costumes, but they provided no combat benefits or special effects, and on top of that, the prices were exorbitant. Zu An remembered complaining that only someone out of their mind would spend so many Rage points to buy a bunch of rags. He'd been moved by the bikini though. He'd thought that the price could be worth it if he could get a valkyrie to wear it. But that was merely a fleeting thought. The series of events that happened afterward resulted in him forgetting all about it. He'd never thought that all of a sudden, Mo Xi would make this request! He eyed the bikini’s price—2,999,999 Rage points. Those damned capitalists are the same everywhere. It’s three million, but they still want to play mind games to make you think you're only going to spend two million-ish. “Are you certain that’s what you want?” Zu An sought confirmation, as the situation felt nothing short of ridiculous. Mo Xi nodded. A rare hint of desire shimmered in her eyes. “You must work hard to raise your cultivation and sever her contract afterward,” Zu An added worriedly. Mo Xi nodded impatiently in response. Not daring to dawdle any longer, Zu An quickly bought the bikini. When she saw the little strips of cloth Zu An held in his hand, the Mermaid Queen blushed. The Ocean races were open when it came to clothing, with many opting for revealing swimming clothes. Even so, she had never seen such skimpy clothing before. Overjoyed, Mo Xi snatched the bikini. For a moment, Zu An was worried that Mo Xi would start changing her clothes on the spot. While that thought sparked his anticipation, the mood didn’t seem right for that. In the end, however, Mo Xi merely turned on the spot, and her super short skirt was immediately swapped with the bikini. Zu An’s nose almost spurted blood on the spot. This woman doesn’t even try to hide it at all! But he had to admit that her figure was out of this world. Her healthy brown skin tone gave her an air of primal wildness and vibrance. Even the Mermaid Queen couldn’t help but remark, “Little sister Mo Xi has an incredible figure.” Mo Xi turned to Zu An with expectant eyes. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶 Zu An understood her intention and complimented her. “It looks great, but you shouldn’t wear it outside. It’d feel as if other men were taking advantage of you if they saw you in it.” His worried expression brought amusement to Mo Xi’s eyes, but she still accepted his suggestion. Her expression seemed to say, “Don’t worry, I’ll wear it for you alone.” Zu An asked her to use ‘Farewell, Nanchao’ to sever her contract with him so she could stay with the Mermaid Queen, but she turned down his suggestion, saying that she could stay here without severing the contract. Zu An was surprised. These valkyries are incredible, to be able to exist independently in a distant spacetime far away from their hosts. Have I underestimated their potential? Was I too focused on my growth, so I neglected them? “Thank you, hubby.” The Mermaid Queen’s eyes regained their usual spirit. Hope was always the most important thing in this world. Mo Xi was currently still weak, but her existence brought hope to the Mermaid Queen. Even if she couldn’t sever the contract in the end, her company would still make the days in the Frost Palace more bearable. Zu An grabbed her hand and said, “I’ll be back.” “Mm~” The Mermaid Queen leaped into his arms and embraced him tightly. The two of them hugged for a while, cherishing their final moments together. “Big brother Zu, it’s time to go,” Yun Yuqing’s voice suddenly echoed. She had flown over from the distant celestial palace. Her disposition felt sharper than before, as if she had gained greater confidence. She quickly noticed the bikini-wearing Mo Xi and was taken aback. Hold on! What’s with this sexy woman wearing such bold clothes? Zu An also sensed the flickering of the distant warp portal and understood that it was on the verge of disappearing, but he stared yearningly at the Mermaid Queen. The Mermaid Queen walked them out to the Frost Palace’s entrance. Her hands were so tightly locked with Zu An’s that their palms turned pale. It was as if they were inscribing each other into their bodies. Separation was usually signified by the setting sun, but why did the warm rising sun suddenly feel so sorrowful too? The Frost Palace was shrouded in a white fog that seemed to represent indissipable melancholy. “Big brother Zu, we have to leave now, or else we won’t make it in time.” Yun Yuqing didn’t want to be the villain in this situation, but she had no choice but to remind him. The warp portal was flickering with increasing intensity, and its light was dimming. It looked as if it would vanish at any moment now. The Mermaid Queen leaned in and passionately kissed Zu An. Unable to suppress her emotions anymore, her tears fell to the ground, making crisp sounds resembling pearls striking a jade plate. These sounds echoed endlessly in Zu An’s heart. Yun Yuqing lifted her eyebrows. She felt as if she should be angry at this situation, but she could sympathize with the persistent melancholy lingering in the air. Zu An opened his mouth, but the countless words in his mind were jammed in his throat. In the end, they manifested as a string of meaningless, quivering noises. “Go on. I’ll keep waiting for you.” Suddenly, the Mermaid Queen gently but determinedly pushed Zu An toward the warp portal. “I’ll be back for you!” Zu An was finally able to release some of the stifled feeling in his chest. “Mm!” The Mermaid Queen tearfully waved Zu An goodbye. The wind tugging at her robe made her appear even more frail. As her voice slowly grew more distant, Zu An finally came to understand what it meant for the ‘wind to sting his eyes’. Yun Yuqing dragged him into the warp portal, and the two of them returned to Taoqiu’s outer perimeter. The portal vanished practically as soon as they stepped out of it. Had they been a second slower, they would have been trapped in the Celestial World for good. The Fiends and the Shamans were the ruling races of heaven and earth. A clash between entities of their might would take a long time to conclude. This battle could easily last for tens of thousands of years. A war marking the end of an era was bound to be anything but simple. “Big brother Zu...” Yun Yuqing didn’t know how to console Zu An. Words fell flat here. Zu An rubbed his cheeks. By the time he stood up once more, he had already reverted to normal. “Don’t worry about me. At least there’s a sliver of hope. I’ll find her one day. On another note, have you awakened your bloodline?” Yun Yuqing felt conflicted. She would have been less worried if he'd simply burst into tears and vented his emotions. If a day when he could no longer maintain his strong front ever came, he would only end up in greater pain. But she couldn’t open his heart, so she could only reply, “Indeed. I seem to be Zhuanxu’s descendant. Our bloodline should have grown thinner with each generation, but it suddenly mutated when it came to me and became purer. My bloodline is closer to the founding Green Emperor than Zhuanxu’s.”