Chapter 27: When Precision Fails, Let Range Prevail

Liang Zhi knew full well that he was no match for the mad monk Jin Yue.

So he immediately prepared to call for Qiu Shilu’s help, only to find she was even more beleaguered than he was.

Her clothes at the arms, shoulders, and thighs had already been torn in several places—luckily, she’d dressed conservatively before setting out, or she’d have been exposed entirely by now.

The culprit was the hunting falcon perched on Craven’s shoulder.

This creature was astonishingly swift; Qiu Shilu’s heavy hammer was no defense against it. Each time, it managed to tear off a strip of cloth.

And because she was wary of the falcon, she couldn’t focus on dealing with the other enemies.

In addition, the black-haired spider kept her nerves taut.

Its body was as large as a cartwheel, its hairy legs spread out to a terrifying two-meter diameter. Eight eyes glistened above fearsome mandibles, making it a sight to chill the blood.

Did it have venom? Were those black hairs barbed and poisonous? Its grotesque form alone would be enough to make any ordinary girl faint from fright.

As for the massive red-scaled python and the gorilla with its tremendous strength, Qiu Shilu did not regard them as serious threats.

She had contemplated capturing the ringleader first, but Craven kept his distance, refusing any close-quarter confrontation.

He seemed to know in advance that Qiu Shilu possessed immense strength and had never intended to meet her head-on.

Craven licked his lips. He was not a native of Da Dong, but a refugee from the western world.

To survive, he had lived in the jungle for over ten years, becoming almost as wild as a beast, and thus he had developed animalistic instincts.

One of them: seek out the finest mates and propagate his line!

In Da Dong, he could not act with impunity, but if his target was an enemy, then nothing was forbidden.

Liang Zhi darted behind Qiu Shilu, waving his battle flag. The steel wires lashed out, slicing off several bristling legs from the massive spider. “Let’s switch opponents—you deal with that mad monk, and I’ll take on this wild man.”

“Off you go!”

The red-scaled python was seized by Qiu Shilu’s hand and flung aside as easily as tossing a noodle. “I’d love to swap—the human’s much easier than the beasts—but our enemies don’t seem inclined to agree.”

Liang Zhi glanced around and saw that Jin Yue’s eyes blazed with murderous intent, as if he meant to devour Liang Zhi whole, while Craven’s gaze at Qiu Shilu was even more alarming—enough to make any film audience shudder.

Swapping opponents was no easy feat.

Liang Zhi tried several times, but Jin Yue always kept a safe distance from Qiu Shilu, never allowing her a chance to swing her hammer.

Meanwhile, the animals showed no interest in Liang Zhi, intent only on capturing Qiu Shilu alive.

As he observed, Liang Zhi realized these beasts would be difficult to handle; there was nothing on them he could link to—effectively neutralizing his abilities.

Both foes were veterans of many battles among those with powers, well aware of which adversary suited them best.

Liang Zhi and Qiu Shilu found themselves tightly constrained.

As the situation grew ever more dire, inspiration struck Liang Zhi. “If we can’t switch opponents, then let’s fight together. Let’s fall back to that big iron gate.”

Back to back, the two resisted wave after wave of attacks, wielding their abilities in concert. Instantly, the situation shifted.

The hunting falcon and spider could be kept at bay with Liang Zhi’s steel-wire battle flag; the other creatures prowled the periphery, not daring to come near.

Qiu Shilu’s iron hammer posed a formidable threat—Jin Yue dared not approach rashly.

Fighting as they retreated, the pair soon reached the iron gate. Now, at least, they wouldn’t be ambushed from behind, but they were farther from their adversaries.

Qiu Shilu swung her massive hammer, striking only air. “Are we just going to keep dragging this out? This is their territory—the longer we wait, the worse it gets for us.”

Liang Zhi shook his head. “No, it’s time to strike back.”

“Strike back? How?” Qiu Shilu was caught off guard.

Liang Zhi placed a hand upon the iron gate. The metal began to ripple and swirl, pooling in his palm until a metallic sphere formed.

“Can you throw? Smash them with this!”

Qiu Shilu caught the metal sphere, weighing it in her hand. It felt just right. She fixed her gaze on the giant spider.

This thing was the stuff of nightmares, a mortal enemy to every young woman. With it on the field, she could scarcely breathe.

She gripped the sphere in her right hand, stepped forward with her right foot, body twisting rightward, then drove off her left foot, arms whipping forward like a lash.

Whoosh!

The iron sphere hurtled toward the spider, whistling through the air like a fired shell.

With a thunderous crash, she missed her mark.

But Liang Zhi’s eyes lit up, while Jin Yue and Craven paled. The iron ball had embedded itself deep in the ground, sending earth flying.

“We mustn’t let that thing strike us,” Jin Yue said gravely. “It would be fatal!”

Qiu Shilu gave a rueful smile. “My aim isn’t great.”

Liang Zhi’s eyes gleamed. “If accuracy isn’t enough, we’ll use area—expanding the range is simple!”

The iron gate twisted more rapidly now. In moments, Liang Zhi held another sphere, but this time it was laced with cracks.

He had crafted a shrapnel bomb.

Whoosh!

The sphere sailed forth again, veering even farther off course.

But as soon as it struck the ground, it exploded, fragments scattering in all directions!

One shard embedded itself in the spider’s belly. That abdomen, larger than two watermelons, burst with a sickening pop.

Countless spiderlings, each the size of a thumb, wriggled out amid a wash of greenish pus—utter chaos ensued.

“That iron ball worked well, but it’s still too sturdy. It needs to break apart more easily.”

Liang Zhi bit his lip, turning away to continue his experiments. With a living catapult on hand, all he had to do was supply the ammunition.

“Hey, don’t turn your back completely—be careful!” Qiu Shilu warned him immediately.

In that instant, Craven’s eyes turned cold. Qiu Shilu’s throws were already dangerous enough; if Liang Zhi kept “developing” like this, the next projectile might well be the end for him or Jin Yue.

So he had to kill Liang Zhi first.

“Agur, go—kill that man!”

The hunting falcon on Craven’s shoulder shot forth like the wind, faster than when it had attacked Qiu Shilu before.

Agur was the falcon’s name, Craven’s trump card. Its talons were strong enough to pierce a human skull in one strike!

Previously, it had only shredded Qiu Shilu’s clothes because Craven had other intentions. Even that was frightening enough.

Now, however, Craven activated his “Beastmaster” ability, sharing a portion of his own physical strength with Agur.

Agur’s speed was now several times its peak; even a crossbow bolt couldn’t hope to catch it.

Qiu Shilu tried to warn Liang Zhi, but the falcon was simply too fast. She had barely raised her hand before it was within a meter of him.

A smile played at Liang Zhi’s lips. “Finally, you’ve taken the bait.”