Shen Jie hesitated for a moment before speaking:

"Li Ying’s condition is getting worse and worse..."

"She was already very resistant to the Zerg Race’s Genetic Assimilation. Plus, after she broke through to Tier Two, the permanent trait mutations have spread to her neck and chin..."

"I can clearly tell she’s becoming more and more insecure. She’s started to fear how people look at her and keeps herself locked in her room, refusing to see anyone."

"No one would really care about that, and once Assimilation procedures become common, Genetic Warriors, who represent absolute Power, should be highly admired."

Lin Feng seemed to understand Shen Jie’s concerns and nodded.

"Are you worried that if Zhang Liying keeps isolating herself like this, she’ll end up with depression?"

Shen Jie sighed in silent agreement.

Having lost their parents, the two had escaped death in Hai City and survived until now, forming a powerful bond of reliance on each other.

Zhang Liying, in particular, was Shen Jie’s mental anchor.

Back in the Slaughter Realm, if Shen Jie hadn’t been focused on the thought of Zhang Liying waiting for him to return alive, he would have long since lost himself to the endless desire for slaughter and been damned for eternity.

However, after Shen Jie’s safe return, Zhang Liying’s mental state only deteriorated further.

His encounter with Ling Yi last night, in particular, had set off alarm bells for Shen Jie.

Ling Yi might have had malicious, ulterior motives, but their final warning had not been a lie.

Zhang Liying’s mental state was already poor, and the slowly spreading Zerg Armor on her skin was constantly eroding her will.

With other awakened Superpowers, this might not have been a major issue. But with Devouring Assimilation, as long as one ingests Zerg genes, the body will unconsciously begin to optimize itself, converting human cells into the Zerg Race’s more advanced ones.

Evolving to become stronger is an instinct no one can resist.

And Zhang Liying’s despondent state would undoubtedly allow this transformation to accelerate.

Until she completely turns into a Zerg Person, losing herself entirely.

Seeing Shen Jie nod, his face etched with worry as he fell silent, Lin Feng let out a low sigh.

"Her condition worsened after you came back. Maybe it’s because of you."

Shen Jie was stunned for a moment, but then it dawned on him.

"Are you saying it’s because my Zerg traits disappeared after my rebirth in the Slaughter Realm..."

Lin Feng nodded and continued his line of thought:

"Exactly. Before, you two could comfort each other in your shared misery. But now, you not only possess absolute power, you’re also free of the physical effects of the Zerg genes..."

"It’s hard for Zhang Liying not to let her mind run wild."

Shen Jie frowned and shook his head.

"No way. We’ve been together since school. I would never abandon her."

"I suspect it’s still because of that incident..."

Lin Feng paused, slightly taken aback.

"You mean when you ate Zerg meat on the day the cataclysm started?"

Shen Jie gave a bitter smile. It was the darkest experience of his life, one he was loath to recall. But with Zhang Liying’s life now on the line, after a moment of internal struggle, he let out a low sigh.

"Yes..."

"Sorry, Brother Feng, I lied back then. I hid the details of what happened."

As he spoke, Shen Jie lowered his voice, his gaze turning to the distant university gymnasium, his expression heavy.

"The truth is, we didn’t eat Zerg meat that night. The other survivors ate the flesh of the Red-Armored Beetles, but they were poisoned and died not long after."

"Later that night, after the harrowing ordeal of the day, we had sweated so much that we were both too weak to even stand. If we didn’t get some food and water, even if we made it to the next day, we wouldn’t have the strength to escape. We would just die."

"So, at my suggestion..."

"Zhang Liying and I... we drank the blood of the dead survivors. The Zerg meat’s toxins had been diluted in their bodies, so when it entered ours, it only made us feverish and hot all over; it wasn’t fatal. In fact, it actually helped us recover our strength, like we’d taken a stimulant."

"But after that, the experience of that night began to haunt Li Ying like a Nightmare. I thought the memory would fade with time, but I never imagined that after we became Awakeners, the Superpower she awakened would be so intricately linked to that experience..."

"The Devouring Assimilation Superpower reawakened Li Ying’s painful memories, especially during her Secondary Awakening, when large patches of Zerg tissue appeared on her body."

"Now, she sees this ability as a curse... divine punishment for devouring our own kind..."

After speaking, Shen Jie shook his head helplessly.

He had been so caught up in fighting that he’d neglected the changes in Zhang Liying’s mental state. He hadn’t paid enough attention to her inner thoughts, which had led to the current situation.

Lin Feng’s analysis had a point, but that was only the immediate cause. The root cause was the Nightmare that had taken hold in Zhang Liying’s mind.

If this continued, even if Shen Jie used his military achievements to trade for Tier Two Zerg Eggs and gave them to her to Upgrade and grow stronger, to resist the Zerg Race’s genetic encroachment...

But once she reached Tier Two Peak, she would inevitably have to enter the Zerg Race’s Realm Trial.

At that point, the Nightmare in Zhang Liying’s mind would surely manifest within that Mental Realm World.

And it would inevitably consume her sanity.

Therefore, it was crucial to uproot this Nightmare as soon as possible, to help Zhang Liying move on and no longer be trapped by her past.

After laying bare the truth of the past and his own plans, Shen Jie looked to Lin Feng for an answer.

After hearing the whole story, Lin Feng clicked his tongue. The situation was indeed tricky.

Especially since they needed to be completely focused on preparing for battle, leaving no extra time or energy to deal with this.

After mulling it over, Lin Feng could only agree for the time being.

"This won’t be easy to solve overnight. How about this: first, let’s have Ling Yi strip away the Zerg Race’s Genetic Assimilation to restore her human body. Let her get out and walk around more..."