Chapter 305: Crisis
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The cracks on the ground suddenly glowed light blue. Everyone was stunned by what they were seeing, except for Shi Chongming. Shi Chongming’s face was already drained of blood as he gasped, "Blue Crown Serpents!" He had seen this animal before during his ascetic training. Back then, he had watched from up high and afar at the chilling blue light. It was only when the blue light receded that he carefully approached the place to take a closer look. For kilometers around where the blue light had been, he could only see mechs reduced to useless wreckage.
The already startled group turned a shade paler.
On the ground, a misty blue light leaked out of the cracks. It would have made for an astonishing sight from high above the skies. The blue light stretched outwards for a few kilometers.
The rustling sound became louder and louder. Shi Chongming acted first. He deployed his mech while the rest of the guards recovered from their shock and took out their mechs next. However, Shi Chongming knew that, even with his mech out, it was already too late.
Blue Crown Serpents lived beneath the earth’s surface, and only emerged occasionally. They were naturally vicious and moved quickly, making them terrifying creatures. More importantly, they often appear without warning.
The guards’ mechs were already out, the pilot cabins opened. The guards rushed to their mechs like their lives depended on it.
"Imb*ciles, come back here. D*mn it, are you leaving the Second Young Miss behind?" Shi Chongming was infuriated by the escaping guards.
The guards stopped in their tracks and looked to each other. They quickly turned back. Shi Chongming was right. If anything happened to Shi Fuyin, they would not survive for long even if they outlived the young lady. Unlike normal hired guards, the guards assigned to protect the aristocrats themselves were all chosen from their own clan or tribe. The guards families were all with the aristocrats. If they left the Second Young Miss to escape themselves, not only would they be punished by death when they returned to the tribe, their families would also suffer greatly.
Their escape just then was done out of instinct to save themselves. Shi Chongming’s yelling had brought them back to their senses. Shi Chongming sighed to himself. The Second Young Miss rarely headed outdoors. These bodyguards were all inexperienced, and had panicked when trouble arrived.
He stole a glance at the cold female combat expert, and found her to be completely at ease. Just her reaction was enough to prove her superiority over everyone else here. Shi Fuyin had always stayed close to her parents, never experiencing anything so frightening like this. She quivered in fear and held on tightly to Rui Bing, her face as white as a sheet.
In just the blink of an eye, the blue light suddenly glowed more intensely. Rui Bing finally saw the Blue Crown Serpents clearly. Each snake was two to three meters long. The source of the blue light was a glowing pattern on its body. On its belly was a muscular protrusion and at the tip of the snake’s head was a sharp horn, flanked by two air sacs that expanded and contracted rhythmically.
Rui Bing had never seen anything like it, but she was not too perturbed. Not many things in the world that could disturb Jie experts, and lesser still for Rui Bing.
Based on the Jie experts’ level in the He Yue galaxy, many of the Jie experts in the Five Galaxies would not be on par with them. Combat was a dying skill in the Five Galaxies, so it was natural that their level was no match against the He Yue galaxy. However, the Five Galaxies were also home to many talents, such as Rui Bing. Her battle with Ye Chong had enabled her to attain Jie and become the third Jie expert in the Rui family. After that, with her intense mech piloting training, she had broadened her skill set and improved herself even more. It was this extra improvement that allowed Rui Bing to be on the same level as the Jie experts in the He Yue galaxy.
Female combat experts were rare, and a female Jie expert was even rarer.
The Blue Crown Serpents were fast, but Rui Bing’s sharp eyes could follow their movements easily. The protrusion in their bellies helped them to move. As the meaty protrusion pushed, the snake could move from one place to another in a flash of blue. The intense blue light made it even harder to see them clearly.
The mechs out in the open were the first ones to be hit. Ding ding ding! The Blue Crown Serpents launched themselves at the mechs, like blue energy beams raining on the metallic machines.
The seemingly invulnerable mechs were destroyed instantly, spraying a million fragments outwards.
Everyone but Rui Bing turned even paler. The Blue Crown Serpents were known for their viciousness, but no one imagined that the creatures could be so terrifying. Rui Bing’s expression remained calm, but she was also surprised inside. These creatures were truly horrible! She was the only one of the group who could see exactly how the snakes launched their attack.
The Blue Crown Serpents were fast. They attacked with the seemingly thin horns on their heads. Rui Bing was surprised to find that they had attacked repeatedly in the same spots. After the first wave of snakes, the second wave launched themselves to the exact spots targeted by the first wave. The tough mech armors finally gave way under these continuous and accurate attacks.
That was how the snakes could penetrate the mech armors. Normal people would only be horrified by the power of the Blue Crown Serpents, but Rui Bing could appreciate with her sharp senses the uniqueness of these creatures.
The Blue Crown Serpents were not so scary themselves. It was their continuous attacks that made them terrifying.
Shi Chongming looked at the mech fragments scattered on the ground, feeling hopeless. He looked to the Second Young Miss with guilt and regret.
This was the limit of any mech pilot. A mech pilot without a mech would be vulnerable. Any close range attack would likely end a mech pilot’s life, unless he or she had excellent combat skills.
An alloy pole fell beside Rui Bing. She gently hooked it up with her leg and took it in her hand. The alloy pole was suitable enough to use, weighing just right and providing a good grip. While Rui Bing was confident of her combat skills, the situation at hand was not one that could be resolved quickly. With a weapon in hand, Rui Bing felt a little safer.
What else could she do in this situation? This was a fight for survival!
Rui Bing’s aura suddenly transformed from pure coolness to intense focus, like a blade unsheathed. Her long, black hair flew a little despite there being not even the slightest breeze. With a pole in hand and her white training garb on, she looked positively handsome and valorous.
She brushed gently on her left arm, and Shi Fuyin’s right grip was instantly released. She gave another push, and Shi Fuyin was tossed in Shi Chongming’s direction. Shi Chongming was startled, but he quickly reacted and caught the Second Young Miss.
"Stay behind me." Her cool voice was absolute.
Just then, the Blue Crown Serpents began to attack the group.
Rui Bing’s face was grim as the pole in her hand began to move. Rui Bing’s movements were simple, but her attacks never missed. Once the trick to the Blue Crown Serpents’ attack was known, their power was greatly reduced. Rui Bing got better and better at predicting their attacks, and her movements grew even sparser.
She could hear painful howls and shrieks from everywhere around her, but Rui Bing kept to her attack range. She was determined not to be distracted, since she knew that protecting two people was the most she could do by herself. She could only steel her heart and continue fighting, but her attacks grew more and more ruthless.
Shi Chongming held onto the Second Young Miss tightly, looking at the back of the figure in white training garb. Her shoulders were not exactly wide, but he felt strangely safe behind them.
Just who was exactly this woman?
He knew next to nothing about this cold lady, except for her name, Rui Bing. Where was she from, and who was her teacher? He did not the answers to those.
He took a quick glance at the guards around him, most of them reduced to bones. Shi Chongming felt miserable. The Blue Crown Serpents attacked like a crazy shower of lasers. Amidst the blue flashes of attacks, a single pole had carved out a safe space just enough for three people to fit in.
Whack! Splat! He could hear the continuous attacks from the pole. The rustling sound loomed over him like the depths of despair. Time seemed to slow down. How long could she hold on? This was the only question in Shi Chongming’s mind.
As fate would have it, Rui Bing was not the only one in a crisis.
On Coxcomb, Mu and Shang’s bionic eyes were blinking madly. Little Rock sat in front of the photon processor, drenched in sweat. He stared fixedly on the photon processor as his hands flew across the controls. Zhu Ling watched him worriedly, and even Lian Yue refrained from his usual lackadaisical and foolish manners, staying quietly at the side.
Finally, Little Rock heaved a sigh of relief. However, his forehead was already lined with trickles of sweat, and he was completely soaked. Zhu Ling’s eyes softened as she handed over a towel for Little Rock. He returned a sincere smile to her. Lian Yue could not help but exclaimed jealously, "Ah, poor me, no one handed me a towel!"
No one paid him any attention. Zhu Ling asked Little Rock softly, "What happened just now?"
"Mu just met a really strong guy in the virtual world, and they fought for awhile. Then a couple more strong guys came to watch from the side, so I went to help. But it was dangerous, getting to the end, Mu nearly lost himself in there," Little Rock explained, still a bit shakened.
"Impossible! Who can possibly be stronger than Boss Mu in the virtual world?" Lian Yue protested despite himself. Indeed, Mu had always reigned supreme in the virtual world. They had all witnessed it themselves. Even Shang was almost undefeatable in the virtual world. How could Lian Yue not be surprised by the news of a few new characters at the same level as Mu?