Chapter 333: Jiang Sheng's Expectation
Translator: flycrane01 Editor: Millman97
Zuo Feijing was hiding in the depths of a dense forest. Countless blurred colors were replacing one another on the surface of the Tiger King Battlesuit. The stealth camouflage that was continuously changing melded him with the forest. The concealment rune array extended an invisible spiritual cover which blocked all the temperature changes and metal reactions.
Unless a mystic color hit him in the face, Zuo Feijing was confident that he could escape the scanning of any probe magical equipment.
This was the third shelter that he chose.
He had set up another eight shelters that were exactly the same as this one.
He had also selected five interlinked underground caves that extended into various directions. There were two underground rivers through which he could go miles away without being noticed.
In all the shelters and underground caves, he had set up serial traps to tackle the beast puppets.
Many pieces of surface-to-air magical equipment had also been deployed, which could shoot down the Vicious Bee Armed Shuttles with his telepathic thoughts.
From midnight to right now, Zuo Feijing had been busy working without a moment of rest for five hours before he was able to complete such a large battleground for guerrilla warfare.
He was waiting for the crystal warship patiently, like the most skilled hunter who was lurking in the darkness seeing the brutal prey coming close to the long-prepared traps one step after another.
He would wash away the disgrace from the Flying Crystal race half a month ago with the most eye-catching battle ever so that everyone would know who had been wearing the best crystal suit!
Prolonged explosions echoed in the distance.
Tide Berserker stayed in the horizon for a long time.
Judging from the fierce engagement, more than one crystal suit had been detected. Maybe the other crystal suits had all been suppressed.
But had Li Yao really been captured?
Zuo Feijing felt irritated the moment he thought of the vulture who had been wearing the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit.
"Just wait for it. Last time, you were lucky. This time, I will crush over you with overwhelming capability!"
Right then, noises came from the communication channel.
Zuo Feijing was stunned.
For better disguising, the communication channel had been kept in the silent mode, so that the crystal warship would not detect the spiritual waves from it.
Now that the communication was reopened, it only meant one thing.
The sham battle was over!
As he expected, Supernova Jiang Sheng's tired voice was the one to speak.
"Feijing, come on out. It's over."
Zuo Feijing was dazed. Then he exclaimed in joy, "The battle's over? Have the other three crystal suits all been suppressed?"
The communication channel was silent for such a long time that Zuo Feijing thought the communication had been cut off, but then Supernova Jiang Sheng said softly, "No. Tide Berserker… has lost combat capability."
"What?!"
Zuo Feijing was dumbfounded. His facial muscles were twitching so violently that there was no telling what his expression was.
Supernova Jiang Sheng sighed and explained, "A crystal suit hijacked a Vicious Bee Armed Shuttle and sneaked into the crystal warship pretending that he was a pilot. Then he broke into the cockpit and performed the decapitation strategy.
"According to the calculation of the commanding center, there was a 61% likelihood that he would have successfully assassinated Ning Feng, captain and the highest commanding officer of the crystal warship.
"Even if the assassination failed, there was still a 93% likelihood that he would have demolished most of the officers and operators, destroyed the operation panels and deprived the crystal warship of combat capability.
"Therefore, the sham battle is over. You can get out now."
Zuo Feijing was rendered speechless. Somebody seemed to have tossed a bowl of hot water on his face, where all kinds of countenances were replacing one another.
After a moment, he gnashed his teeth and said, one word after another, "It was Li Yao, wasn't it?"
Jiang Sheng replied, "Yes. Vulture Li Yao."
Right then, a red sun rose up from the valley, finally getting rid of the arms of the horizon. It tore the gloomy clouds apart with thousands of rays of light and charged at the boundless sky.
…
As if a cold front of -100°C had just passed, the air in the commanding center was entirely frozen. Everyone was solidified by the invisible frigid wind, not even able to blink their eyes.
But deep down their heart, a volcano was erupting. Astonishment, confusion, anger, shame, and appreciation… were all bursting out.
Complicated emotions were flowing in their hearts like magma.
It was not unprecedented for a crystal warship to be broken into by the enemy.
Otherwise, the federal army would have marched into the Dark Desolate Domain a long time ago instead of stationing themselves in the southernmost Grand Desolate Plateau.
However, throughout history, the enemies who had broken in and destroyed crystal warships were all at the level of demon kings or even higher.
Never had anyone imagined that a Cultivator at the high level of Refinement Stage, plus the cheapest MP crystal suit of the federation which had been considered by some people to be nothing more than a pile of garbage, would be able to conquer such a three-hundred-meter steel beast which was armed with a pair of Heaven Splitters and twelve Taiyi Lightning Railguns!
Every part of the light beam was playing the video clips of the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit's fighting.
In the beginning, it blew a Vicious Bee Armed Shuttle into pieces within half a second with a Triple-headed Heavy Six-barrel Vulcan Machine Gun.
Then, it broke through the cross-fire of twelve Taiyi Lightning Railguns, innumerable flying swords, and countless crystal cannons, before it breached the shell of the warship with half of the spiritual energy contained in its crystal reactor.
Eventually, with a time bomb, the assault team, which consisted the strongest soldiers on board, was eliminated.
The scenes were seared into everyone's brains and wouldn't be forgotten for a long time.
Their impression grew deeper still after the refiners and the bomb experts of the military studied the detonation system of the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit carefully and came to a conclusion.
According to the analysis of the professionals, the detonation system, even if made up by ordinary crystals, could still trigger an explosion that could affect at least ten cabins nearby because the intense blast from the explosion was restrained in the limited space.
Since the assault team was too crowded back then, they might've been blown to pieces with no survivors at all.
As for the Cultivators inside the assault team, they were closest to the crystal suit and would have suffered from the blast the most. It wouldn't help even if they had opened their spiritual shields in time.
The analysis report changed everyone's expressions. Their burning eyes aimed at the delegates of the Grand Desolate War Institution.
"Congratulations."
After a long time, a Cultivator from Star Nebula University applauded Yuan Manqiu first.
"Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit is indeed an excellent MP crystal suit model which can enable the craziest Exo to achieve the most incredible accomplishment."
Cultivators from the three major sword-training sects, after a long sigh, offered their compliments to the Grand Desolate War Institution, too.
But the delegates from Deep Sea University stood in absolute silence, as if they were being suppressed by an ocean weighing tons.
Before the Tiger King Battlesuit was able to demonstrate its full strength, the crazy Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit had ended the sham battle with his insane actions. It was truly… vexing!
Everyone turned their furious and indignant gazes to Supernova Jiang Sheng.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Sheng walked to Yuan Manqiu and said solemnly, "Senior Sister Yuan, I was wrong.
"At the wake of Professor Zheng Xuan, I declared that the Project Mystic Skeleton would never succeed.
"But the reality has proven my declaration to be more than wrong. The Project Mystic Skeleton has succeeded. Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit is a very competent MP crystal suit model.
"One must admit his wrongdoings. I sincerely apologize to Senior Sister Yuan, to Professor Zheng Xuan, and to all the staff and students of the Refining Department of the Grand Desolate War Institution.
"When you meet Li Yao, please forward my apologies to him, too. I once said that he would achieve nothing in the Refining Department of the Grand Desolate War Institution. But as it turns out, he has grown into an exceptional refiner.
"The detonation system that he designed and refined is one of the best pieces of explosive magical equipment I've ever seen.
"However—
"MP crystal suit is only one kind of magical equipment. This victory means that the Refining Department of Grand Desolate War Institution stands equal to the Refining Department of Deep Sea University now.
"If you really want to beat us, please bring out new, stronger magical equipment!
"I'm looking forward, very much, to compete with Senior Sister Yuan and outstanding young men such as Li Yao in the marvelous world of magical equipment!"
…
In front of the blinking light beam, Ren Xingbei stood still and straight, like a crashed warship which had completely lost momentum.
Shangguan Ce patted his shoulder and said, "Old Bei, don't let it bother you too much. You should know that it's hardly likely that a crystal warship would charge at the enemy line alone. Crystal warships are always in formation.
"Once the enemy approaches, several, or even dozens of crystal warships will shoot together and blow the potential intruder to pieces.
"Therefore, it's impossible that such a thing would ever happen in a real battle. Stop brooding on it."
Ren Xingbei glanced at him and sniffed.
"Shangguan, we've been friends for decades, and we've suffered much more brutal failures together than this. Do I look like someone who can't bear the consequences of a failure?
"I just…"
He paused for a long time. Then he waved his hand and said in annoyance, "Alright, forget it. Let's check this lad who has just created a miracle.
"Vulture Li Yao? Interesting!"
…
At the medical center of the Fifth Fleet.
Li Yao was soaking in the dark green recovery liquids. His body was bobbing up and down, his eyes closed.
The wounds and injuries on his body were too many to count. There was not one inch of his skin that was intact. His muscles were dry, his arteries were bulging, and he looked as thin as a skeleton now.
He had used up all his spirit, determination, and physical strength in the previous battle.
He suffered most from the attacks of the Taiyi Lightning Railguns and countless flying swords when he was breaking into Tide Berserker.
Although his body had been built up by the Thousand Tempering Hundred Refining technique, it was still seriously damaged.
According to the doctors, the severity of the wounds almost equaled to him being crashed into by a full-speed, charging crystal warship.
"Art of the Swallowing Whale, activate!"
Li Yao opened his mouth and started drinking the recovery liquids.
The pores all over his body were also unlocked, absorbing the nutrients contained in the nutrition liquids crazily to repair the drained and damaged veins and nerves.
"The concentration of the recovery liquids is dropping fast!"
"The strength of his bones, muscles, and arteries is improving fast. His heartbeat and breathing are stable now, too."
"He's absorbed enough recovery liquids for three people to use over a day and a night in only ten minutes!
"Such an absorption rate is far beyond the ability of ordinary Refinement Stage Cultivators. The Cultivators from the Grand Desolate War Institution are indeed formidable."
The crazily bouncing figures and the quickly recovering body amazed the doctors and nurses of the Fifth Fleet.