Chapter 129: [Let's Go!]

Since the "Sky-Dancing Flight Technique" requires frequent flying, Tang Mubai decided to put on a show for the system.

Taking the high-altitude route proved to be a stroke of genius; the non-human lifeforms scattered across the No. 9 Restricted Zone were largely incapable of targeting him. Only the occasional giant avian predator required any real caution.

Whoosh!

Gale-force winds whipped against his face, howling across the sky and the land below. Tang Mubai summoned his "Body-Protecting Qi" to withstand the relentless buffeting, following the vague guidance of his sixth sense as he soared toward the gathering point of the Yin-煞 energy.

Upon reaching the coordinates, he plummeted rapidly, breaking through a dense canopy of trees to hover just above the water's surface.

It was a dark, secluded pool, silent and still. The calm water was crystal clear, devoid of even a single floating leaf or piece of debris. Beneath the tree crowns, wisps of cold, malevolent energy drifted through the air. Despite the lack of wind, the atmosphere was chilling enough to make one’s soul tremble.

Tang Mubai stood in mid-air, scanning his surroundings with a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Instead of acting immediately, he produced a metal cylinder designed to contain the energy and began channeling the "Taiji Heart Canon" to absorb the Yin-煞 drifting in the air.

One wisp, two, three...

Just as the last of the ethereal energy was about to be drawn in—

Splash!

The tranquil surface erupted. Amidst a shower of mud and spray, a giant snake, twenty meters in length, with dense, grey-black scales and a girth as thick as a barrel, lunged from the depths. It bared a triangular head and a gaping maw filled with razor-sharp fangs, snapping toward Tang Mubai.

Before the jaws could even close, a plume of black gas sprayed forth, enveloping him entirely.

Boom!

Prepared, Tang Mubai swung his Flame-Bone Blade, twisting his body to deliver a sideways slash. The searing blade-aura tore through the miasma and toxic gas, slicing diagonally beneath the serpent’s neck. A massive spray of blood erupted, painting the air before raining down onto the murky water.

The snake’s carcass, severed in two, hit the water with a pair of dull thuds, sending mud flying into the sky.

[Vitality +169]

As the collection notification flashed, Tang Mubai maneuvered his body backward to avoid the splatter. A moment later, he returned to finish absorbing the remaining Yin-煞.

Once completed, the metal cylinder indicated it was half-full. This was significantly more than his last haul; combined with the Fire-煞 he already possessed, he estimated he could forge six or seven "Two-Forms Sword Auras."

Not bad.

Stowing the cylinder, Tang Mubai activated his "Sky-Dancing Flight Technique" and shot toward the heavens, preparing for his return journey.

Just then, a familiar scream pierced the air from the right.

He sharpened his hearing, tilting his head to listen.

"It really is him!"

Fang Lin!

The scream had come from three hundred meters to the right. Had it been anyone else, Tang Mubai might have hesitated, but knowing it was Fang Lin, he immediately dropped his altitude, skimming over the treetops toward the source of the cry.

Fang Lin was Fang Shuixian’s only son. If anything happened to him, she would be devastated. Having lived together for so many years, Fang Shuixian was as dear to him as family. Tang Mubai had no desire to see her spend her life in tears, robbed of all motivation.

...

This was a patch of woodland near the water’s edge.

Fang Lin and his group, who had originally been traveling on a makeshift motorboat, were now all ashore, wielding weapons to fend off a swarm of crocodiles. Their boat lay shattered and sunken in the water.

The attacking crocodiles were five meters long, covered in thick, hardened scales. While their heads and bodies were grey-black, their tails glowed with an eerie red hue, like flickering embers. As the beasts thrashed, they released streams of fire-snakes that assaulted the group.

Fang Lin’s scream had traveled so far because he had failed to dodge in time; a fire-snake had struck him, incinerating his clothes and leaving his skin severely scorched. He now lay on the ground, trembling in terror as more red-tailed crocodiles emerged. He tried to stifle his cries, but the searing pain forced low, guttural moans from his throat.

Beside him, two other students—a boy and a girl—had also been struck by the fire-snakes, their faces streaked with tears of agony. The girl’s upper body was hideously burned; even if she survived, her life was effectively ruined.

Of the dozen people in the group, only two could put up any real resistance. The rest were merely trying to lure the beasts away.

The only one capable of posing a genuine threat was a cold, elegant woman with a tall frame, wielding a long sword. Though the crocodiles were thick-skinned, her sword-aura cut through their defenses, leaving them bleeding profusely.

If there had only been a few, she would have cleared them out long ago. But there were hundreds, and they kept crawling out of the water, surrounding them in a relentless circle. They feared neither pain nor death, charging forward in waves.

The woman was stretched thin, unable to cover all sides at once. She darted about, rushing to save those in danger. Everyone present knew that if this continued, no one would make it out alive.

"Teacher, run!"

Gao Lianhu, his right arm scorched, swung his alloy saber with his left hand and roared at the woman.

"Teacher Wang, as long as you get the news of this mutation back, our sacrifice will have been worth it!" shouted Zhou Hailong, his face covered in mud and his clothes soaked through.

"Teacher Wang, forget about us, just go!"

"Teacher Wang, if this keeps up, no one will survive! Our deaths will be for nothing!"

"Wang Chan'er! Are you deaf? Get the hell out of here!"

"Damn these mutant crocodiles! Die, die, just die, ahhh!"

The air was filled with screams, curses, and roars. Fang Lin and the others were desperately trying to force Wang Chan'er—their team mentor—to leave.

At only twenty-two, Wang Chan'er was a true prodigy. She had graduated just last year and had already reached the Third Grade of the Master realm. After staying on as a mentor, she had led her class to first place in the school-wide competition.

With her strength, if she abandoned them, she could undoubtedly break through the encirclement and escape. But if she stayed, it would be a pointless sacrifice.

Annihilation, or the survival of one to report the intelligence? Fang Lin and the others chose the latter.

"Teacher Wang..."

"Shut up!"

Her cold command cut through the chaos. Wang Chan'er, sweat dripping down her face and her breathing ragged, slashed another crocodile away and retreated to the group. She unleashed her pressure, forming a protective barrier around them, and barked, "Everyone, close in on me! We are going to break through—"

Hum—

The air suddenly trembled.

An arrow, imbued with a terrifying, violent momentum, abruptly tore through the void and descended from the sky!