Wang Zhuo’s face turned extremely grim.
The giant carpet swooped down, a spiritual pressure radiating outward, while the white phantom instantly arrived before him.
[Bai Xiaoshou wants to initiate a Pro-Invest for me.]
[Bai Xiaoshou wants to invest 6666N for me.]
Just as Wang Zhuo hesitated whether to accept the investment and flee to a new fate trajectory, a beam of light abruptly appeared from a nearby building. There, an ethereal female figure shimmered with light in her hand, and a hallucinatory curtain of light illuminated the area.
Caught in that light, even the Paleshade Wyrm closing in on Wang Zhuo blanked out for a second, and in that second, the giant carpet overtook Nianlong and surged to Wang Zhuo’s side.
{Beware of treachery.}
Robin Lo shouted from the other side. Yang Zicang felt his thoughts slow for a full second. –Treachery? What treachery?–
The female figure’s hand flickered with silver-white threads, and she held an Enightmare module device that had lost its original shape, like a mage who could turn the tide just by standing still.
Seeing this, Wang Zhuo said with pained reluctance:
–Miss Jiajia spent two light abilities on me at once… What a waste!–
{It’s fine. She can still collect Light Gates. It’s just that obtaining that [Slow Light] again will be a bit more troublesome. As long as you can come back.}
Yang Zicang swiftly lifted the giant carpet out of the light’s range.
In just one or two seconds, the person on the ground had already rushed into a group of bound spirits, stirring the monsters into a chase.
–Who are you.- At the edge of the giant blanket, Yang Zicang looked coldly at the woman.
The woman below the door chuckled lightly and said, –Four Symbols Team, Ning Jiajia. First time meeting you—hello, Mr. Yang Zicang, director of Park Ming Group.-
She took a step back, and her figure vanished behind the door. The energy swirling within the doorframe began to dissipate.
Robin Lo exclaimed in shock:
{They can actually manufacture a psychic gate here?}
After returning to camp, Robin Lo first suggested that Yang Zicang go pick up Lu Zhi. As for the gathering place in the Frequency-Lost Land, they would temporarily not expand its personnel, leaving Lu Zhi primarily responsible for protecting it.
–Makes sense.-
By the way, hand the Virtual Zero Chronos weapon over to that kid Liang Xi—it will surely blow his mind.
Yang Zicang left without even eating dinner. From that day on, Lu Zhi, equipped with the pyramid-shaped treasure given to him, became the human radar of the camp.
……
As the flight path of the second bound spirit was fully deciphered, Hong Haocheng obtained a rough map of this area.
–Your activity area is really just a straight line between two points. Don’t you ever check out other parts of the city?-
The youth sighed and groaned, scratching his head in frustration. But at least he had managed to acquire another section of the area map.
He casually plucked a wild fruit, stuffed it into his mouth, and then looked at the Odd-Even Lake Sword in his hand.
Psychic attacks are the rarest and most formidable form of offense; only a top-tier team can hope to defend against them.
And the third attack of this sword must be psychic attack!
It is a special ability weapon no less formidable than the Void Zero Chronos war device!
Hong Haocheng vaguely recalled that last time, when he severed his wrist to make medicine, this sword had seemed to act abnormally.
–How about it, let’s try your strongest form?-
Hong Haocheng’s gaze swept into the distance.
A few days ago, he had already noticed a small, ordinary earth-bound spirit over there.
That creature was about two meters tall, but even so, its hand was as large as a palm-leaf fan.
–Before I leave this place, I’ll take you down first!-
Thump thump thump!
The small earth-bound spirit suddenly heard rapid footsteps thundering on the ground behind it. It turned its head slowly and hesitantly, only to see a stranger charging toward it at breakneck speed.
–Odd-Even Lake Sword!-
Just as he closed in on the monster, Hong Haocheng gritted his teeth and raised the longsword, first slashing at one of the fingers on his left hand.
Pfft—blood sprayed.
–What number is it now!-
[The Odd-Even Lake Sword declares that the current number of people is even.]
[The Odd-Even Lake Sword states that I have become an incomplete person, just like its creator, subjected to others’ criticism.]
[Because the originally paired body part has become odd, the Odd-Even Lake Sword declares: I, the misfit destined to be rejected, am currently odd-even.]
The longsword’s blade hummed with a –yo,- turning translucent. The youth lunged forward, the semi-transparent blade slicing swiftly through the monster’s body.
–Painful, but easy.-
Hong Haocheng rose to his feet, glanced back calmly, and a hand as large as a palm-leaf fan came slamming toward him.
–Whaa!-
Bang! A silvery-white phantom flame flared across his body as he was sent flying by the slap.
[I neutralized 100N.]
The earth-bound spirits nearby, seeing the commotion, howled at the sky and charged over with heavy, thumping steps!
–Why did it fail?-
This was his first attempt at a telekinetic-form attack—and it had failed spectacularly. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Hong Haocheng turned and punched the chest of the monster that had caught up to him in two strides.
Thump!
A dull, muffled drum-like sound. The monster opened its mouth, and from within came a faint, grating roar as its other hand swung around. The youth ducked low, gripping the longsword in his right hand while his left fist shot out, blood splattering from the severed finger.
Pfft-sss.
The blood splashed onto the earth-bound spirit and quickly seeped in.
The frenzied monster suddenly faltered—something inside it seemed to twist and writhe, slowing its movements.
Seizing the chance, Hong Haocheng’s fists flailed wildly like convulsions, consuming his already meager Chronos rapidly. Soon, only a few decades of principal remained—earned from the fish he’d caught.
There were an overwhelming number of monsters in the city—he simply had no chance to hunt down a lone Bound Spirit on his own. Now that he finally spotted one, he foolishly attempted to deliver a finishing blow with his sword, but the creature simply ignored his psychic attack.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Heavy footsteps reverberated, and other monsters charged over quickly.
An intense oppressive aura filled the surroundings. Hong Haocheng gritted his teeth and punched the giant.
[I’ve exhausted all my Chronos.]
–Ah, I still have my lifespan left!-
His body rapidly aged, but barely before his thirtieth year, a sudden, intense aura of death washed over him.
An extreme panic seized the youth, as if warning him—Stop! Right now!
[I, the Mysterious Triangle, can amplify threefold.]
[I have amplified 27N.]
Bang! His fist slammed into the forehead of the monster that had voluntarily lowered its head.
[City 11, Qi Xiaona wishes to initiate a Pro-Invest for me.]
–What?-
Hong Haocheng suddenly looked up. On the chest of the Bound Spirit before him, a faint light flickered.
The Bound Spirits charging from all directions actually all stopped in their tracks.
The clamor of the crowd fell silent for a moment.
A tiny, feeble voice came from within the Bound Spirit in front of him.
{Just… you won’t be able to kill me with this little lifespan, you know.}
[City 11, Qi Xiaona wishes to initiate a Pro-Invest for me.]
Moxel’s mental voice came again.
Hong Haocheng slowly raised his head.
On the monster’s chest before him, a ragged scarlet ring struggled to surface on its torso, its trembling threads refracting into the crimson ring on his own chest.
[Qi Xiaona invested 1634.7N for me.]
Somehow, that palm-leaf-fan-sized hand had shrunk by a full circle. It dragged the longsword, now transformed into a psychic entity, from the dazed Hong Haocheng’s grip.
The moment it took the sword, the longsword reverted to an ordinary shape.
Thud! The longsword pierced clean through the earth-bound spirit’s throat—which had also shrunk by a circle—by its own hand.
–Ah, you!-
Hong Haocheng reached out and caught her faint, flickering form shimmering within the blue energy.
{Th…thank you… let me… with a human body… run… I can’t hold them back anymore…}
Boom! Several massive hands swept toward him. Hong Haocheng snatched the longsword she had pulled out and discarded, his body nimbly leaping back, rolling several times before landing on the ground.
Hong Haocheng raised his eyes to gaze at the slowly toppling figure. It rapidly dissolved into a pile of jelly-like mass mixed with human remains, scattering.
He knew the earth-bound spirit had once been a kindred soul like himself, but having turned into a monster—much like a human becoming a zombie after death—it was already an entirely different life form, its track-drawing line no longer bearing any trace of its former humanity.
But now—she had awakened!
Tears streaked down Hong Haocheng’s cheeks as he turned and fled.
–Who created this goddamn world?!-
Boom! Two monsters charged from behind Hong Haocheng, lunging fiercely. But since they both targeted him, they slammed into each other and crashed to the ground.
He merely glanced back, then dashed agilely into a dilapidated building ahead.
These human structures were the best refuge from them.
In the city, most Earth buildings had been reduced to ruins. Only some self-built structures, resembling colossal otherworldly castles, still stood defiantly under the swirling vortex of clouds, like monuments commemorating bygone glory.
They announced to all comers that the roving energy giants outside once had their own intelligence and lived their own mundane yet brilliant lives.
As Hong Haocheng walked among the towering buildings, a gnawing hunger set in. The stumps of his severed fingers began to squirm, slowly regenerating new digits.
After more than an hour, the sword in his hand transformed from translucent to solid iron.
[The Odd-Even Lake Sword declares: It is now odd.]
……
Meanwhile, with Lu Zhi’s arrival, the illusion attack had already spread over twenty miles.
Although this consciousness-twisting assault was useless against the surrounding earth-bound spirits, any human who entered would be detected by Lu Zhi. His spiritual avatar could materialize beside the newcomer in an instant.
Under these circumstances, it was no longer possible for the people of City 23 to scout the camp at close range as they had before.
–Those guys are out of options now.-
Inside the tent, Lü Zhi, who was being well-fed and well-drunk, said, –Don’t worry. If they dare to come, they won’t be able to escape my perception.-
–If that’s all,- Yang Zicang glanced at the crowd in the tent, –since City 23 wants to probe our background, then we can also prepare for the year-end battle.-
–Mr. Yang, what do you have in mind?- someone asked.
–If you need our help, just say the word.- These people all vowed.
Yang Zicang looked at the strangers who had successively exchanged submission pages to enter City 11.
–I’d like to ask you all to help me collect the roster of the Four Phases Heavenly Group, along with their corresponding abilities.-
The chief team of each city consists of relatively well-known figures; their abilities have been more or less exposed. As long as one is willing, they can still be obtained.
One person below glanced left and right, then said, –I’m not sure about their abilities, but I can provide you with the list, Mr. Zicang. Leave this task to me.-
Yang Zicang’s gaze fell on this person. –That would be excellent.-
After walking out of the camp gate, Yang Zicang activated Syn-Link to Robin Lo.
[It seems we can’t expand our recruiting business for now.]
{What?}
[Use your Moxel ability to investigate those who entered the team using the book pages these past few days.]
Robin Lo’s eyes darkened.
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