Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 156 A Small Discovery of the Lighthouse
As the fire died down, only the crackling sounds of the burning bones of the Devouring Beast remained on the scorched earth.

Bai Yuekui stood in the center of the chaotic battlefield, his Alaya consciousness returning to his back.

She hadn't entered the Return to Origin state yet, and was looking around to see if there were any more Devouring Beasts attracted by the Life Source Essence.

After a while, dozens of pan-evolving creatures seemed to have discovered the enormous life essence and were rushing towards it from a distance.

Bai Yuekui's gaze locked onto them.

She opened her palm again, and the dragon talisman, engraved with a dragon pattern and warm to the touch, lay quietly in her palm.

She weighed the dragon talisman in her hand, looked at the Devouring Beasts running towards her, and a smile appeared on her lips.

Then, Bai Yuekui gripped the dragon talisman in his hand and aimed it at the distant Devouring Beast horde.

A blazing fireball roared out, streaking into the horde of beasts.

boom!
The explosion ripped through the silence of the wasteland once more, swallowing the Devouring Beasts along with the ground beneath their feet.

As the smoke and dust cleared, the faint night light revealed only a charred, shallow crater.

Bai Yuekui looked at her spoils with satisfaction, and then, as if flipping a coin, she gently flicked the dragon talisman into the air with her thumb.

The talisman traced an arc in the cool moonlight, which she then caught precisely.

"so fun."

Bai Yuekui muttered to himself as he carefully put away the Dragon Talisman and the other two talismans. He then left without lingering.

She turned and walked toward the motorcycle parked some distance away. The headlights pierced the night as it carried her to the next area that needed cleaning.

Yang Chen escorted Theresa to the entrance of the Bai family villa. As soon as Theresa unlocked the door with her key, a small figure rushed over and hugged her leg.

"Mommy! You're back!" Little Yuekui looked up at Yang Chen outside the door and called out obediently, "Yang Chen."

Theresa gently stroked her youngest daughter's hair and led her into the house.

Yang Chen smiled and followed him into the house, closing the door behind him.

In the living room, Bai Jingyu was sitting on the sofa drinking tea, while Bai Yuetian was idly pressing the TV remote.

Hearing the noise, the two of them looked over at the same time.

Bai Yuetian didn't see Bai Yuekui at first glance, so he immediately craned his neck to look behind them and asked in surprise, "Hey? Orange, where's my little sister? Didn't she come with you?"

Yang Chen walked into the living room and explained, "Yue Kui said he was going to deal with the Devouring Beasts and asked me to take my mother-in-law back first."

"Clean up the Devouring Beasts?" Bai Jingyu put down his tea, his brows furrowing slightly.

"It's so late, and she's going alone..."

Before he could finish speaking, Bai Yuetian interrupted him loudly, asking Yang Chen a question.

"Going to clear out the Devouring Beasts? Why didn't you go with her? It's getting late, it's not safe!"

Yang Chen looked at Bai Yuetian's expression that seemed to say, "How could you take care of my sister like this?" and smiled helplessly.

"Don't worry, I gave her the talisman."

Upon hearing this, Bai Yuetian slumped back into the sofa.

"Oh, that's okay."

Seeing his son's contrasting reactions, and then looking at Yang Chen, who remained calm and clearly had great confidence in Bai Yuekui's strength, Bai Jingyu opened his mouth but ultimately swallowed back his fatherly worries.

Little Moon Queen leaned against Theresa, blinking her big eyes.

Watching the adults' brief conversation, she seemed to understand something and muttered softly, "Devouring Beast? Did Sister... go fight monsters?"

Theresa bent down and picked her up, saying softly, "Yes, sister will go and drive away the bad things, so everyone will be safer."

Xiao Yuekui nodded as if she understood, then stared at Yang Chen.

Yang Chen felt Xiao Yuekui's gaze, smiled gently at her, and then said to Bai Jingyu, "Father-in-law, don't worry. Yuekui knows what she's doing; she'll go back after she's done cleaning up."

Bai Jingyu nodded, relieved.

Yang Chen looked at Bai Yuetian, who had slumped back onto the sofa, smiled, and asked, "What about you? Are you going back to Dragon Bone Village tonight, or are you staying here?"

Bai Yuetian crossed his legs, swung his toes, and answered without thinking, "I'll stay here! Anyway, going back would just mean facing an empty house, nothing like the liveliness here."

As he spoke, he made a face at Xiao Yuekui, earning a disdainful eye roll in return.

He then asked Yang Chen, "Are you coming again tomorrow?"

Yang Chen nodded: "Yes, Yue Kui and I will come over first thing tomorrow morning."

At this moment, Xiaoyuetian, who had been listening intently from the side, couldn't help but frown and look at Bai Yuetian: "What are you doing here? There's no extra room for you to sleep in our house!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Yuetian immediately perked up and deliberately teased him, raising his chin in a roguish manner.

"I'd love to! Not only do I want to stay here, but I also want to sleep in your bed tonight! How about it?"

"You!" Xiaoyue jumped up from the sofa in anger, pointing at Bai Yuetian, "That's my bed! What right do you have to sleep in it!"

"Because I'm your brother! Your future self!" Bai Yuetian said confidently.

"It's my right to sleep in my own bed!"

"You're not me! I would never grow up to look like you!" Xiaoyuetian's face turned bright red, and it looked like the two of them were about to start arguing again.

"Alright, alright," Teresa quickly smoothed things over, gently pressing Xiaoyuetian's shoulder, "Xiaotian, don't be rude."

Bai Jingyu rubbed his temples helplessly and said to Bai Yuetian, "Yuetian, say less and stop teasing him."

Xiao Yuetian then sat down angrily, but still glared at Bai Yuetian defiantly.

Bai Yuetian stuck her tongue out at him.

But he also had some doubts in his heart. He couldn't understand how Bai Yuekui and she got along so well when they were young.

With the little farce over, Yang Chen, seeing that it was getting late, prepared to take his leave.

"Father-in-law, mother-in-law, I'll head back now."

As soon as he stood up, Xiao Yuekui, who had been quietly standing to the side, gently tugged at the corner of his clothes.

Yang Chen looked down and met the little girl's big eyes, which held a hint of reluctance.

Little Yuekui tilted her head up and asked softly, "Yang Chen... are you leaving again?"

Yang Chen explained gently, "Okay, let's go back first today. I'll come over with your sister tomorrow, okay?"

Xiao Yuekui blinked, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "So when you go back... are you going back to Dragon Bone Village?"

Yang Chen smiled and said, "That's right, let's go back to Dragon Bone Village."

Xiao Yuekui then asked, "Can I come along?"

"Well...didn't we agree that I'd take you to see it in a few days?"

"What about the ecological base? It's the amazing place that my sister and mom went to today."

Yang Chen did not answer directly, but gently touched her hair.

"That's a place that needs to be kept secret. Maybe when Xiao Kui grows up a bit more and becomes more powerful, he'll be able to go there."

Little Yuekui seemed to understand, but she nodded and said, "Yes! I'll grow up quickly!"

Yang Chen stood up and nodded to Teresa and Bai Jingyu: "Father-in-law and mother-in-law, I'll be going now."

Bai Jingyu said, "Okay, be careful on the road. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Yang Chen glanced again at Bai Yuetian, who was still exchanging glances with Xiao Yuetian, shook his head helplessly, and turned to walk towards the door. The night air carried a slight chill.

The light coming from inside the room confirmed his suspicions.

He gently pushed open the door, and Bai Yuekui was indeed back. She was sitting cross-legged on the sofa in the living room, facing the door, intently staring at the screen.

The screen flickered with light and shadow, accompanied by intense game sound effects. She skillfully controlled the game controller, clearly engrossed in the battle.

Hearing the door open, Bai Yuekui didn't turn his head, but casually said, "I put the talisman on the table."

Yang Chen looked up and saw the three talismans placed side by side on the table next to him.

In an instant, the three talismans transformed into three streams of demonic power that entered Yang Chen's body.

Sensing the return of magic, Yang Chen turned his gaze back to the figure immersed in the game world.

He sat down next to Bai Yuekui and looked at the screen: "Still playing so late? Looks like the cleanup went smoothly tonight."

"Hmm," Bai Yuekui responded, his fingers still rapidly pressing the buttons.

"They are all of the generalized type; there is only one of the metamorphic type."

Yang Chen responded with an "Oh".

There are no traces of monarch-level beings on their continent, and the birth of metamorphic beings takes time; the only ones that can appear in large numbers are pangenetic beings.

Bai Yuekui finally managed to glance at Yang Chen during the countdown for his game character to complete a level.

"How's everything at home? My brother didn't come back with you?"

"It's alright, it's just that your brother had another fight with his younger self and wants to sleep with Xiaotian."

Upon hearing this, Bai Yuekui's lips curled up slightly, seemingly unsurprised.

Her attention returned to the screen; a new game had begun.

Yang Chen stopped bothering her and simply sat quietly to the side.

After a while, Bai Yuekui finally cleared the current level, put down the controller, and stretched his stiff arms and neck.

"Are you tired?" Yang Chen asked.

"It's alright." Bai Yuekui stood up. "I'm going to take a shower. Remember to get up early tomorrow morning; we need to go to the teacher's place."

"I know." Yang Chen nodded, watching her walk towards the bathroom, and added.

"I also told Xiao Kui that we're going to Jiuchuan together tomorrow."

"Oh, I see."

lighthouse
City Lord's Hall.

Lord Morgan sat on the highest metal chair.

Elon, the commander of the hunters and also the chief instructor, stood tall and straight below the steps.

He had just finished a detailed report, and his face still showed confusion.

"...That's roughly the situation, Lord City Lord." Elon's voice was steady, echoing in the empty hall.

"In the last two ground missions, the number of Devouring Beasts encountered by the Hunter Squad has decreased sharply. Based on past experience, even at gathering points marked as 'mildly dangerous,' we would at least encounter a small group of Devouring Beasts. But these last few times, the Hunters only encountered one or two lone, metamorphic Devouring Beasts, which were easily eliminated."

Morgan tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the seat.

“This is strange…” Morgan began slowly.

"When we first came to this continent, there was a shortage of Devouring Beasts. Their numbers increased on subsequent trips to the surface, but now they're decreasing again."

I remember that time when Hongkou was still alive, she led a team to search for supplies on the ground.

And now... sigh.
Morgan suppressed his thoughts and said, "This situation is very unusual. Even if the number is small now, it may suddenly increase again one day. We cannot be careless."

Elon nodded, clearly having considered this as well: "We've also conducted long-range observations, but so far there's been no sign of a large-scale appearance of Devouring Beast hordes. They... seem to have disappeared out of thin air."

He stepped forward, his tone becoming more resolute.

“Lord of the City, although I don’t know why the number of Devouring Beasts has decreased so drastically, I believe this is also a rare opportunity. The hunters’ mission efficiency has greatly improved, and the casualty rate has been reduced to a minimum. I request that we take this opportunity to increase the frequency and scale of ground missions during this period of time, and collect as many survival supplies as possible.”

Morgan remained silent, his gaze fixed on Elon.

This old subordinate's temples were already streaked with white, but his eyes were still as sharp as a hawk's, and his body was still as reliable as steel.

He sighed softly, a sigh filled with helplessness and remorse.

“Elon…” Morgan’s voice softened slightly.

"You've worked hard. We had already let you relinquish your command and focus on training the next generation of hunters in the training area, but now, due to the circumstances, we have no choice but to put you back on the responsibilities of the hunter commander."

Elon paused for a moment upon hearing this: "Lord, you flatter me. It is my duty to ensure the continuation of the Lighthouse."

When Hongkou was still around, the hunters' casualty rate was already very low, and they were able to bring back the necessary supplies, but unfortunately...
Morgan looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, which ultimately turned into firm approval.

He nodded and said in a deep voice, "Approved. Your judgment is correct. Seize this opportunity and intensify the collection of supplies."

Elon lowered his head and replied, "Then I'll go prepare it right away."

Morgan nodded, and Elon followed him out of the hall and headed toward the armory.

After Elon left, Morgan turned his gaze to the side of the hall.

There stood Dr. Carrie, her expression showing a hint of impatience and sarcasm.

"You heard Elon's report just now," Morgan's voice broke the silence.

"What are your thoughts on the unusual number of Devouring Beasts?"

Dr. Carrie scoffed at this, "Ideas? What ideas could I possibly have?"

"Perhaps there's internal competition among the Devouring Beasts too?"

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Or perhaps, as I said last time, there really are survivor strongholds on this continent that we don't know about, and... they are well-equipped and powerful, and they come out to use the Devouring Beasts as punching bags when the time comes?"

"I'll say it again: we can send people to explore the distance and see if anyone can actually survive on the ground."

Morgan frowned even more: "Dr. Carrie, let's not talk about such unfounded speculation anymore."

“No basis?” Carrie interrupted him, her eyes turning serious.

"The Devouring Beasts wouldn't disappear on a large scale for no reason unless a more powerful force intervened. If we rule out natural factors, then 'human' cleanup is the most reasonable explanation. Would you rather believe that the Devouring Beasts went to a meeting?"

Morgan remained silent for a moment.

“Even if such a force does exist,” Morgan said slowly, his voice low.

"They are all unknowns. Making contact rashly could bring annihilation to the lighthouse, and the number of people the lighthouse can sustain with its food supply is limited."

Morgan paused, then continued, "If they really exist, what will happen to the people at the lighthouse if they take them in? I'm afraid they won't even have enough insect cakes to go around."

"So you choose to hide forever above the clouds, pretending that there are only monsters and ruins below?" Carrie's words were laced with undisguised sarcasm.

"Conservatism and caution are good, Lord City Lord, but excessive conservatism is cowardice and stagnation. Now that we have this new discovery, we need variables, we need new possibilities, even if they come with risks."

Looking at Morgan's unpredictable expression, she knew she couldn't persuade the city lord.

She waved her hand lazily.

"Forget it, I'm just a researcher anyway, the decision is yours."

Dr. Carrie walked toward the door, saying as she went, "Don't call me unless it's something important. I'm very busy."

(End of this chapter)