I can equip strange items

[Conditions for permanent curing have been met!]

The rotting wolf fangs have been consumed.

The hashtag "#EatWhatYouWant(White)" has been permanently added to the list!

[Seventh equipment slot unlocked!]

"It really works! Even stinky tofu is rotten food!"

Li Yuan let out a long breath, feeling that the hellish taste in his mouth seemed to have faded a bit.

He quickly threw the remaining stinky tofu, box and lid still in, into the trash can, then strode into the bathroom, brushed his teeth several times, and washed his face with cold water.

Back in his room, he immediately took out the dark green bead he had traded with Lu Jiayin—the [Fragmented Heart of Life].

The beads felt warm and smooth to the touch, carrying a strange, refreshing scent, like plant sap, creating a heaven-and-hell contrast with the stinky tofu from before.

Equip it in the seventh slot.

The bead disappeared and occupied the seventh equipment slot.

Panel information expanded:

[Equipment Attribute: Temporary Symbiosis (Green)]

[Effect: After binding to any plant, you can completely merge your body and consciousness into the target plant. During this time, you can sense the target plant's life state and perceive the surrounding environment through its roots, stems, and branches. Once the fusion is broken, the binding will automatically detach, ending the symbiotic state.]

[Permanent fixation conditions: Maintain equipment in its original condition and remain in the forest for 100 hours.]

Current Status: Equipped (Not Bound)

There appear to be no forests near East River City.

The curing conditions are a bit complicated.

However, you can test the effect of the entry first.

Target bound to: Extreme Yang Grass.

Li Yuan immediately focused his mind on the inconspicuous little grass in the flowerpot on the windowsill.

In an instant, a strange connection was established.

Without further hesitation, he activated [Temporary Symbiosis]!

There was no earth-shattering light, nor intense pain.

Li Yuan felt as if his consciousness was a drop of water merging into the ocean, or a wisp of smoke drifting away in the wind.

His vision shifted, blurred, and then reassembled in an instant.

The scene before me was no longer that of a hotel room, but a hazy "world" with a faint golden glow.

He felt as if he had "become" that extremely yang grass.

This feeling is so strange.

It was as if his flesh and blood had completely disappeared, and his body had turned into grass.

In this state, he can "feel" the thirst of the soil, the extreme craving of the roots for nutrients, and the faint "anxiety" conveyed by the leaves due to environmental discomfort.

The clearest signal is a strong "hunger" signal—

It's not targeting yin energy, but rather a substance rich in life energy that is decaying and decomposing!

Corpse!

fertilizer!

Rotten organic matter!

This information pierced Li Yuan's core consciousness like an electric current.

The Extreme Yang Grass needs not only a yin environment, but also nutrients!

The energy and substances released during the decomposition of a corpse rich in the essence of life are exactly the "fertilizer" it desperately craves!

This discovery greatly encouraged Li Yuan.

On Earth, yin energy is hard to find.

Even in the desolate realm, in normal areas, there doesn't seem to be much yin energy.

Unless you specifically seek out the barbarian demon, but that's also quite troublesome.

But ordinary animal carcasses... don't seem to be that hard to get!

He tried to explore his surroundings using the "sensory" abilities of the Extreme Yang Grass.

The roots extend within the limited soil, providing feedback to the tactile sensation of the soil particles.

The slender stems and leaves swayed gently, capturing the faintest air currents and vibrations.

Most remarkably, when he is completely immersed in this state, from an external perspective—

The Extreme Yang Grass showed no abnormalities; it remained an ordinary little grass, only thirty centimeters tall.

This is the perfect disguise!

As long as he doesn't actively dissolve the fusion or cause violent energy fluctuations, no one will be able to discover that there is a living person hiding in this grass!

"I see! While we can't directly induce growth, we can gain the most direct understanding of its state and needs. This is more precise and effective than blindly inducing growth!"

Li Yuan was secretly delighted.

Although the solidification condition of spending 100 hours in the forest is a bit troublesome, the value of this green entry far exceeds expectations.

With a thought, he broke the symbiotic relationship.

Consciousness instantly returned to the body, and vision returned to normal.

He moved his hands and feet to make sure he felt no discomfort.

Then he looked at the scorching grass in the flowerpot with eager eyes.

Fertilizer...corpse...

It is not too late.

Li Yuan immediately got up, picked up a bamboo stick and his phone, and prepared to go out.

He remembered seeing what appeared to be a large farmers' market nearby on his way to the hotel.

Although most stalls have closed by this time, those selling live poultry may still have processed chicken and duck carcasses.

Stepping out of the hotel, the cool night breeze dispelled the lingering smell of stinky tofu on my clothes.

Li Yuan stood by the roadside, preparing to hail a taxi.

Just then, something unexpected happened!

The streetlights that were originally emitting a soft white or warm yellow light suddenly became extremely unstable and began to flicker wildly!

Immediately afterwards, a series of scarlet, constantly flashing countdown numbers appeared on the surfaces of all the streetlights, like those on a cheap electronic screen:

【59: 59】

【59: 58】

【59: 57】

More than just streetlights!

The traffic lights at the intersection also completely malfunctioned, all of them turning a glaring red, with a huge countdown number flashing in the center!

Even more chilling is that above the heads of everyone waiting at traffic lights or walking under streetlights, a translucent, equally scarlet countdown number appears without warning!

"ah--"

"What is that?!"

"What's on my head... what's on my head?!"

"Take a picture with your phone!"

"Help! What happened?!"

Panic spread instantly, like a plague.

Screams, cries, and the blaring of car horns mingled together, shattering the tranquility of the night.

Because the driver inside the car also appears to have been infected.

The once orderly street instantly turned into chaos.

People stared in terror at the numbers above their own or others' heads. Some frantically waved their hands to hit them, some collapsed to the ground in fear, and others ran around like headless flies.

Li Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he immediately looked down at his palm.

Sure enough, on the palm of his left hand, a bright red countdown number was clearly imprinted:

【59: 45】

The numbers continue to decrease relentlessly, second by second.

Clearly, this number may seem like it's above others' heads, but to them, it's in their own hands.

Does it mean "your destiny is in your own hands"? Or something else?

Li Yuan's eyes were gloomy and his face was ugly.

He knew he had been infected, but he hadn't felt anything before that.

"A strange object? Or... a strange creature?"

He quickly looked up and around.

Along the entire street, everywhere you look, whether it's pedestrians, people in cars, or even people behind glass windows in roadside shops, the countdown is clearly displayed above or on everyone's head!

The scope was so vast that it encompassed the entire field of vision, and even further beyond—

He heard chaotic shouts coming from the direction of a taller building in the distance.

It seems that everyone illuminated by the streetlights has been affected.

But it's hard to say whether the source is actually a street lamp.

"The entire city?"

Li Yuan felt a chill run down his spine.

He tried to concentrate on sensing the nearest streetlight that was flashing wildly and displaying a countdown.

He even touched the cold metal lamppost with his fingertips, examining it closely.

However, the feedback was only the feel of ordinary metal and electronic components, without any of the coldness, distortion, or energy fluctuations characteristic of eerie objects.

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[It's almost the end of the month, please vote for me next month!!]