Chapter 043: Insight and Innate Potential? The Innate Potential to Make Wishes Come True! [Please Subscribe!]

Xu Ran thought he had misheard. "Principal, my name is Xu Ran, not Xu Yuan (Make a Wish)... And my 'Insight' aptitude really isn't a 'Wish-Granting' aptitude!"

The principal smiled and patted Xu Ran on the shoulder. "It’s not about making a wish. It’s about having complete trust in you. You once purged the fear brought by the Nightmare Mother for the children. Even the fact that the Nightmare Mother was hiding inside a pregnant woman was your deduction!"

"Children’s thinking is unconstrained, and combined with your monstrous 'Insight' aptitude, I believe you can create another miracle!" The principal looked at Xu Ran with eyes full of favoritism. "In short, just make bold guesses! It doesn't matter if you're wrong; it won't change anything. We are all putting our heads together, and perhaps in our exchange of ideas, we will find the solution!"

Instructor Lin Chang nodded in agreement. "Indeed, three cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang. One person racking their brain is never as good as everyone thinking together. Moreover, a child's way of thinking is truly more flexible, bolder, and more daring than an adult's."

Hearing the principal and the instructor, everyone turned to look at Xu Ran. Was it Xu Ran who figured out the Nightmare Mother was hiding inside a pregnant woman? Their gazes immediately changed, filled with a glimmer of earnest hope.

His mother rubbed Xu Ran’s head. "Baby, try your best to think. If you find a way, you’ll be saving the lives of over three hundred thousand children in the city, won't you? Just be a hero one more time!"

Hu Niu chirped, "Big Brother Ran! You can do it! Be a hero!"

Zhu Yuheng added, "G... go for it!"

Xu Ran: "..."

Be a hero again? When was the last time he was a hero? Oh... that was when he helped the children in the kindergarten clear away the fear caused by the Nightmare Mother. Xu Ran remembered—he had indeed been ridiculously cool that time.

Should he try again?

Xu Ran narrowed his eyes. He had lived here for nearly two years, and through his interactions with every child, he had already developed deep attachments. Especially the little ones who couldn't even speak clearly yet, but followed him around every day, babbling "Big Brother Ran." Such cute little toddlers, now being controlled like marionettes, standing only a hair's breadth away from death...

The key was... the monster in the sky was still issuing sharp taunts from time to time. "Do you really think you are a god?"

Xu Ran took a deep breath. He couldn't help but recall his former vow: "I will crush everything!"

*How can I not fulfill a boast I've made?*

With this thought, Xu Ran immediately sat cross-legged on the ground and closed his eyes. At this moment, his mind was flooded with details—the Guhuo ghosts, the children, the sacrifices, the nightmare threads, the underground... He tried to find the breakthrough point.

"Go for it, Xiao Ran! You're the best!" his mother cheered.

The principal watched Xu Ran, whose face was filled with deep thought. "'Insight' aptitude... perhaps he will give us a surprise. Let’s not disturb him; let’s stand further away and let him think in peace."

The group moved fifty meters away. Of course, they didn't just wait and watch; everyone was frowning, proposing their own ideas.

The principal said, "Let me summarize the situation. The problem is that the Nightmare Mother is using nightmare threads to hold three hundred thousand children hostage as a shield against attacks from powerful figures. Even if we can hurt it, we must first consider the safety of the children."

"In other words, we cannot solve this through simple combat. We must first find a way to rescue the children..."

Instructor Lin Chang added, "If there were no children as hostages, two Nightmare Mothers wouldn't even be a threat. Its brilliance lies in taking three hundred thousand hostages, making our powerful experts hesitant to strike. An attack that bypasses the hostages basically doesn't exist... This seems almost unsolvable."

"What if we transport the three hundred thousand children out of Jing City, away from the Nightmare Mother's main body?"

Aunt Lu sighed, "The Cleanup Team has already tried. The Nightmare Mother killed that entire group of children on the spot and warned all cultivators not to attempt moving them."

"Dammit! If only those purple-green threads weren't there!"

The principal pondered, "By the way, is there a spell that can force children into a state of excitement so they can't sleep? If the Nightmare Mother controls the children by invading their dreams, let's make sure they don't sleep!"

Ye Ping let out a breath. "Excitement spells? They don't work. The Cleanup Team tried it earlier; the children just wouldn't wake up!"

Li Qinghong suggested, "I have an idea! Create illusions for the Nightmare Mother... let it fall into a dreamscape, and then we move the children."

A light dawned on the group. "That’s a good proposal!" the principal exclaimed.

Ye Ping looked embarrassed. "You're making things difficult for us. In all of Huaxia, there are no illusion-type cultivators above the Yue realm. Below the Yue realm, it definitely won't work. The Nightmare Mother specializes in the psychic field; would it be fooled? But fine, I will have the illusionists give it a try. If we can move the children from the Demigod Kindergarten... that would be perfect!"

Uncle Ye immediately made a call. Li Qinghong, Instructor Lin Chang, the principal, and Instructor Song Yu immediately prepared to move the geniuses of the Demigod Kindergarten as quickly as possible. However, within minutes, news of failure came through the phone.

"Chief Inspector, six illusion-type cultivators have passed out. This plan is completely unfeasible..."

Ye Ping looked up at the crowd helplessly. "We have to think of other ways... Keep thinking, I feel that if we pool our wisdom a little more, we can break the deadlock!"

And so, everyone scrambled, discussing dozens of other plans. But without exception, they all failed. Amidst the heated debate, an hour slipped away in the blink of an eye.

Xu Ran suddenly opened his eyes. The principal noticed his movement and hurried over. "Did you think of something?"

Xu Ran shook his head, looking mentally exhausted. "Four hours left, right? I'll think some more."

Meanwhile, inside the city, Zhao Ying, Gao Yuan, and Huang Liang were soaring through the sky, driving strange stones into the ground.

"The Nightmare Mother should be buried somewhere beneath this area."

"Let’s isolate it and see if we can sever the nightmare threads."

"I'm ready."

"I've finished the setup."

"Isolation Array!"

A massive semi-circular light barrier rose instantly, covering a three-kilometer radius. Inside and outside the barrier, a strange energy pulsed, attempting to cut off the Nightmare Mother's connection to the outside world. However, those purple-green nightmare threads passed through the barrier with ease.

"What? It can't be isolated? Its mental energy quality is definitely at the god level."

Huang Liang, Zhao Ying, and Gao Yuan wore grave expressions; their hearts sank to the bottom.

High above, the massive purple-green woman's face still held a sinister smile, while tens of thousands of zombie infants, with bloodshot eyes and scarlet tongues, burst into sharp, manic laughter in unison.

"As expected, I am the Nightmare God. How could a puny array isolate the great power of a god? Tee-hee! Tee-hee!"

Hearing this, the expressions of Zhao Ying, Gao Yuan, and Huang Liang became even heavier.

Gao Yuan muttered, "The Nightmare God? So it is indeed a god-level ghost creature. How did this thing get into Huaxia? Damn it!"

Huang Liang added, "The good news is that it isn't too powerful. It's not as suffocating as other gods."

Zhao Ying said, "We must find a way! A god that hides in the shadows is definitely not invincible; it must have a flaw. Everyone, keep going! Do not be intimidated by it; we will find the opening!"

The Nightmare Mother let out a mocking laugh that echoed throughout the city. "Tee-hee, keep struggling! Keep struggling! What an interesting play!"

Zhao Ying gritted his teeth. "A large batch of Guhuo ghosts is being born. All members of the Cleanup and Investigation teams, eliminate them immediately."

Huang Liang suddenly spoke, "Wait? Everyone... I've discovered that the Nightmare Mother doesn't seem to have the ability to kill all the children in an instant. I'm going underground again."

"Tee-hee-hee..."

"Go ahead and try. Guess which children I will kill next? The geniuses of the Demigod Kindergarten, or the geniuses of the Demigod Kindergarten?" The Nightmare Mother laughed weirdly. "I have absolute certainty that the moment you enter the ground, I will instantly kill ten geniuses. Furthermore, every time you take a step closer to me, I will kill one more."

Huang Liang, standing at the underground entrance, stopped in his tracks. *Forget it, it's not time to gamble yet. Let's wait for other plans... Until the final moment... I must pretend to be timid to paralyze it...*

Seeing Huang Liang deterred by the threat, the eerie laughter echoed over the city.

"Tee-hee! Struggle! Despair! You have four hours left!"

"Four hours later, I will become a god, turning into an eternal, undying paradise for the children. All my children shall return to my body. Come back... my children! Come back... my children!"

The demonic voice resounded through the city. More and more children had purple-green threads connected to the back of their heads, becoming marionettes. They floated into the air, drifting toward the location of the Nightmare Mother, their parents unable to hold them back.

Fortunately, the sound of Uncle Ye’s flute drifted across the city, keeping the children suspended in mid-air. However, the situation was not optimistic. Guhuo ghosts emerged from the corners of the city, rushing to grab the children and drag them underground. Thankfully, the Cleanup and Investigation teams were out in full force, suppressing the ghosts on the streets, and local cultivators were organizing to resist.

At this moment, under the pitch-black night, battle flames lit up the entire city. Amidst the noise and chaos, the immortal sound of the jade flute never ceased, with notes falling like flower petals upon the city.

Huang Liang felt a murderous rage deep in his eyes. "Brother Ye is still holding on. Let's think of another way. If it really comes to it, we can only force a kill at the very last moment!"

Force a kill? Zhao Ying and Gao Yuan looked grave. The price to be paid would be too tragic. Perhaps the first to die would be the dozens of super geniuses from the Demigod Kindergarten. If they were all lost in this battle, would the old principal be able to handle the blow? Would he cough up blood and die?

"Brother Huang Liang... I know you're anxious, but please, don't rush. There must be a better way."

Huang Liang's tone was as calm as a volcano before an eruption. "I hope there is a better way... I hope to save the three hundred thousand children and slay the Nightmare Mother. Don't worry, until the last moment, I won't lose control."

Time ticked by. Another hour passed. Xu Ran opened his eyes. Everyone’s gaze turned toward him, as if waiting for his "Insight" aptitude to work its magic.

"Baby, how is it? What did you find?" his mother asked.

Xu Ran didn't say a word. Honestly, he hadn't thought of any good way to kill the Nightmare Mother while bypassing the hostages. It was too difficult! If it were ten years later, he would certainly be able to do it, but now, he was only six years old.

Xu Ran sighed and looked up at the distant sky. Directly above the center of Jing City, a huge monster hung like a black cloud. Tens of thousands of bloodshot-eyed zombie infants floated up and down, connected by snake-like umbilical cords, twisting and winding... dense purple-green threads hung down, controlling three hundred thousand marionettes!

The terrifying, eerie figure seemed as if it would crush the entire city. The people and cultivators of Jing City, looking up, felt a sense of helplessness growing within them. In front of this thing, humanity seemed like nothing more than livestock.

"Tee-hee... countdown, one hundred and eighty minutes! Fear! Tremble! Despair! My children, welcome the arrival of the Nightmare God!"

"Countdown, one hundred and seventy-nine minutes."

"Tee-hee, my children, come back to my body quickly..."

The weird laughter resounded through the city again.

Hearing the laughter, Xu Ran frowned. "...Infants, children... it seems to have a special preference for them."

Xu Ran seemed to have grasped something; a brilliant light shone in his eyes.

"Principal, you really made your wish come true. I think I’ve found a way to kill the Nightmare Mother while bypassing the hostages!!"

Xu Ran’s solemn expression stunned everyone.

"Ah?" the principal gasped.
"Ah?" Li Qinghong followed.
"Ah?" Aunt Lu echoed.
"Ah?" his mother added.
"Ah?" Instructor Lin Chang joined in.

They were incredulous and skeptical. "Xiao Ran... you... you really thought of a plan?"

Xu Ran nodded. "I have a seventy percent chance, but I need you to buy me four hours. Uncle Ye, can you hold out for four hours?"

Uncle Ye exhaled deeply. "It’s a bit of a stretch for me to hold on for four hours alone, but I can have Zhao Ying come to support me. If he comes, I can hold on."

Xu Ran said, "Then let Uncle Zhao help you. I need four hours."

Ye Ping asked, "Do you really have a way? To slay the Nightmare Mother without harming the three hundred thousand children?"

Xu Ran nodded. "Seventy percent."

The group looked at him with newfound respect, leaning back in their chairs. *No way? Does 'Insight' aptitude really equal 'Wish-Granting' aptitude?*

"Baby, is your plan really useful? Can you tell us?" his mother asked.

Xu Ran nodded. "Mom, great things are accomplished in silence. If I say it out loud, it won't work. Wait until I succeed. Of course, I can't guarantee it; I only have a seventy percent chance. If I don't succeed in four hours, then we have no choice but to kill the Nightmare Mother at any cost."

The principal gripped Xu Ran’s shoulder. "Wait, are you planning to execute the plan alone?"

"Yes, I must execute the plan alone," Xu Ran answered.

The principal was deeply worried. "How can that be? That Nightmare Mother's energy level should have reached the Yue realm. What’s the difference between a child with 3800 blood points running over there and committing suicide? I don't agree."

His mother’s voice trembled. "Baby, don't scare me. You're only six and a half! No plan can be executed successfully by a six-year-old child! Tell the principal, tell Sister Qinghong, tell Uncle Ye; they will execute your plan. You cannot go."

The principal nodded. "She’s right. Even if we must take a risk, we will be the ones to take it. You must stay in the kindergarten!"

Xu Ran spread his hands. "Sorry, but my plan can only be executed by me. No one can replace me."

Li Qinghong offered, "How about I stay by your side to protect you?"

Xu Ran shook his head. "A Yue-realm cultivator by my side would be noticed by the Nightmare Mother immediately, wouldn't they? To increase the success rate of the plan, I must act alone and in secret!"