novelraw Chapter 102 : Red Moon Snow Plain
Chapter 102 : Red Moon Snow Plain
The mechanical doors opened to both sides, and the interior of the lifting device instantly lit up with white light. Following a beep, a red line spread from the center outward.
"This one works!" Zhou Chen's face flashed with delight. "After searching all this way, we finally found one that works."
He happily walked a few steps into the lifting device, his footsteps tapping several times. The control panel of the lifting device fully activated, and the surrounding mechanical equipment lit up, ensuring the entire control system could still operate.
"It should be fine. Although the exterior has suffered severe energy erosion, the interior can still function normally."
Chen Sui examined the surrounding equipment, and as she stood up, her gaze turned toward the direction they had come from in the mine tunnel, her expression thoughtful.
"How is this one good when all the previous ones were broken?"
"Maybe the energy erosion didn't reach here?" Zhou Chen casually guessed.
Chen Sui looked at the path cleared through the snow tin ore to the other side. The area around the lifting device had originally been covered by ore, and Zhu Jing Fu had to dig away the snow tin to expose the marker position behind it.
Her gaze swept over the snow tin ore that had been covering the device. This portion of ore was generally of poor quality, with chaotic energy contact, showing very low purity.
It was as if the snow tin ore had absorbed the energy erosion that should have fallen on the device.
"Is this mine tunnel getting colder?"
While observing the surroundings, Chen Sui noticed the cold gradually climbing up the mech, and the heat provided by the fire stone seemed insufficient.
The fluctuation of ice energy was silently rising.
"So shall we... go?"
Zhou Chen pointed at the lifting device. The heat from the fire stone exploding in the cockpit reduced his perception of the surrounding temperature, but he fully trusted Chen Sui's feeling without any doubt, even immediately moving toward the lifting device.
Chen Sui's energy perception rippled outward in circles. Xie Chunshi's gaze observed the surroundings, and finally, upon touching the snow tin ore, he felt an extremely slight tremor: "We may not have time."
Chen Sui's eyes snapped open. In the brief minutes since Zhu Jing Fu activated the lifting device, the mine tunnel's vibrations had intensified. She looked toward where Xie Chunshi was gazing and found the source of the energy she had sensed.
The snow tin ore ahead was gradually melting, like snow dissolving, white liquid with a metallic sheen falling into the stone cave with a plop, seeping toward the depths.
The remaining snow tin ore was shaking, and the massive ore that could block the entrance emitted colliding sounds as they struck each other.
Xie Chunshi immediately looked at the others, warning: "Energy barrier, be alert."
Energy light burst around the five Zhu Jing Fu members. Just as the bullet comments were rapidly posting, at the front of the mine tunnel, obvious cracks appeared in the snow tin ore. The white crystals spanning the cave suddenly shattered, explosion sounds constantly echoing in the mine tunnel.
"I have an ominous feeling," Zhou Chen looked at a crack extending from the distance directly to his feet. His tone was complex, his falling posture carrying a hint of practiced resignation: "We're going to fall again."
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt something wrapping around his waist, and in his vision, the mine tunnel seemed to be torn apart, with the half beneath his feet sinking toward the underground.
Rumbling sounds accompanied the falling mineral crystals.
The cave was instantly filled with flying dust!
Dust particles were illuminated by different light rays under the swaying searchlight.
The ground developed spider web-like cracks, with biting cold emanating continuously from the fissures.
"We're going down!"
The moment the cracks burst open, Chen Sui's perception spread out, immediately following the energy fluctuations downward, passing through the solid ice frozen soil layer rich in energy, where a familiar energy fluctuation came from below.
This fluctuation allowed Chen Sui to instantly assess the situation. She quickly said over the team channel: "There's a mineral vein underground!"
These words were somewhat distorted amid the crashing and collapsing sounds, but the Zhu Jing Fu members still heard the content clearly. So the five mechs, which had been pushing upward, suddenly stopped. With an unwavering posture, they directly jumped into the fissure of the mine tunnel.
[Good grief, Zhu Jing Fu, true to your nature]
[When others encounter such a situation, they run away; you Zhu Jing Fu think about making a profit]
[What's going on with this snow plain? Why does it keep collapsing?]
[The Red Moon Snow Plain is covered in snow year-round. The ground underneath isn't solid; it's all frozen soil with energy layers, easily triggered to collapse]
[They've only just arrived and it's collapsed twice]
[The second time they could have escaped, right? The lifting device area wasn't collapsing. Star Alliance construction is indeed strong; it can withstand even this]
[What did Chen Sui discover that made her jump so decisively?!]
The collapse of the frozen soil layer caused the ground above to shift, opening a huge hole, and the Zhu Jing Fu mechs jumped into this opening.
The feeling of actively jumping down was completely different from being forced to fall, at least according to Zhou Chen.
The mechs landed steadily, still able to swing their weapons to deflect falling gravel and ice chunks.
"Holy shit, you said this is a mineral vein?!"
Zhou Chen steadied himself, waving away the obstacles around him, and looking ahead, he was immediately astonished.
Crimson Snow Star had many mining areas underground, with interlocking, continuous mineral veins. Originally, there were Star Alliance-built barriers that would not easily collapse, but with the erosion of energy field energy, many metal ground frames were damaged, and after collapsing, connected directly to other mineral veins.
Chen Sui now looked up and could still see the crack in the frozen soil layer above.
"Fortunately, the exit hasn't been buried," she said with some relief. Zhou Chen watched as she put away her gun again, with an attitude suggesting 'if the exit had been blocked, I would have blasted it open.' "After we finish mining, we can still go out through the opening."
After speaking, she looked around.
The cave was completely dark, impossible to see without the mechs' searchlights illuminating the flying dust.
"Is there really a mineral vein here?"
Looking at the bare stone walls illuminated by the searchlight, Zhou Chen asked somewhat puzzled.
Xie Chunshi surveyed the mine tunnel. "This mine tunnel doesn't show traces of Star Alliance excavation."
Chen Sui glanced around, noticing dried, frozen mucus traces on the stone walls: "It's an energy body cave. There are claw marks here too; it should be traces of a large energy body's life."
"We've entered an energy body's nest?" Zhou Chen stared in shock.
Chen Sui was very calm: "Yes, but this is itself a mineral vein. The ore has undergone some mutations under the smelting of the snow plain energy. This energy wave attracts energy bodies to come for food and nesting."
As she said this, walking into the interior of the cave, a second light source appeared in front of them, different from the mech searchlights.
This familiar deep blue light, and bone-chilling cold that could be felt upon approaching.
"It's it's it's— snow melting stone!"
Zhou Chen's memory of mineral materials was simple and crude; he basically remembered anything he had seen before, especially snow melting stone, which was an old friend from not long ago.
Zhou Chen suddenly ran forward, excited beyond measure as he began to dig for minerals. Seeing his posture, Chen Sui and the surrounding teammates exchanged glances, finding it somewhat amusing.
"Why don't we throw away the snow tin ore? It takes up space."
Zhou Chen turned his head, earnestly suggesting.
[What did you say?]
[Bro, once you've eaten your fill, you completely disregard your brothers' lives]
[Don't do that, bro. Leave the snow tin ore for us]
"Keep it for now. When your spatial button is full, then you can pick and choose."
Chen Sui's thinking was very clear—if they discarded it now, what if what they found later wasn't as good as snow tin ore?
Zhou Chen was no longer listening, starting to mine frantically, his movements skillful, his handling seasoned. If the live broadcast audience hadn't been following Zhu Jing Fu's broadcast all along, they would have thought he had been immersed in the field of maintenance materials for many years.
The snow melting stone in the mine tunnel grew naturally, but Chen Sui looked past the layers of blue crystals toward what lay ahead.
There were many more complex energy fluctuations inside.
Inside the mine tunnel, there was more than just snow melting stone.
"In an energy body's cave, under what circumstances would so much snow melting stone grow?" Gu Qinxue had a similar question, asking in Chen Sui's direction during a pause in digging snow melting stone.
Xie Chunshi had been hovering around Chen Sui, with an imperceptible posture of surrounding her 360 degrees while mining, always maintaining a normal distance from her. Therefore, when Gu Qinxue spoke, he could hear every word clearly.
The energy fluctuations Chen Sui sensed couldn't determine the specific minerals; she could only judge the value of the ore based on energy type and intensity.
Hearing Gu Qinxue's words, she thought briefly, "It should be the energy body's energy storm interference. This mineral vein is a snow melting stone mine. After being consumed as food by energy bodies, the snow melting stone can still continuously grow under the impact of energy storms, resulting in the minerals we see now."
Xie Chunshi waited for her to finish, his eyes flashing, imperceptibly exhaling, suppressing his body's slight trembling, his tone steady as he added: "Energy minerals contain energy and are the first choice of food for energy bodies and energy storms. Most energy bodies feed on minerals, but energy bodies that can stockpile large amounts of minerals are relatively rare, unless they need to hibernate."
"So, these energy bodies enter dormancy during the Red Moon state and awaken during the Aurora state?"
Chen Sui quickly thought of the adaptation principles of energy bodies to energy fields.
Xie Chunshi nodded, "The Red Moon state has random ice and fire attributes. The Aurora state has a large number of lightning storms, which will trigger lightning-attributed energy bodies to appear actively. Besides that, the Aurora state has normal temperatures, without extreme cold or heat. Many energy bodies that can't tolerate extreme cold will also be triggered, awakening from dormancy to search for enough food to last through the Red Moon state."
"So the energy bodies are still asleep now. Can we take all their minerals?" Puluo said from the side. He paused his mining actions and asked in a straightforward, honest tone with slight hesitation.
Chen Sui felt that if Zhou Chen had said these words, they wouldn't have had the same impact as when Puluo said them.
She couldn't help but look up at Puluo, "Puluo, your thinking is becoming more flexible."
Chen Sui's tone was very complex, recalling that the original Puluo was an upright, honest good kid, but now, following the Zhu Jing Fu school team, he was robbing and stealing.
Tsk.
—This is wonderful!
[Today we gather here to thank our friends, the energy bodies, for collecting a pile of minerals for us, saving us from having to search far and wide]
[Zhu Jing Fu won't force the energy bodies to write "friendly gift," will they?]
[How can they write when they're asleep? Wake them up?]
[Huh? Why write at all? Open your mind—the fact that Zhu Jing Fu didn't take the energy crystals is already a tremendous thank you]
[Wow wow, it still has to be you. Learned it perfectly—graduated!]
What Puluo said was what Chen Sui had in mind from the beginning. At this moment, she was thinking about something else. Xie Chunshi noticed her occasional glances toward the depths of the cave entrance while mining, and through some tacit understanding, he comprehended Chen Sui's thoughts.
"If energy bodies hibernate, it should be a group behavior, and around high-level energy bodies."
Energy crystals couldn't be taken away; they could only take energy minerals and such.
Chen Sui's thoughts were pulled back by his words. She blinked, her gaze somewhat guilty, covering it up by saying: "Is that so?"
"That's too bad."
Chen Sui forcefully broke off a piece of snow melting stone, seeming to transfer her battle intent against the energy bodies to the snow melting stone.
"This cave probably can't withstand a fight either," Gu Qinxue looked up. Even without touching the rocks above, one could feel threads of cold seeping down. The frozen soil layer was right above, completely unable to withstand gun bombardment. "If you really want to fight, we can take them up to fight."
She thoughtfully suggested an alternative to Chen Sui.
Xie Chunshi smiled helplessly, his gaze becoming somewhat sharp when looking toward the depths of the cave.
If Chen Sui's attention had been on him at that moment, she should have been able to feel that the Team Leader's energy fluctuation had become extremely faint since entering the mine tunnel.
They had already excavated a distance of snow melting stone, but the surrounding cold showed no signs of dissipating. Instead, it gathered more intensely, the entire cave like an ice cellar. The heating from the fire stone was no longer sufficient to dispel the cold, causing Zhou Chen's mech to shiver constantly.
"Why are you so frail?" Puluo watched him jumping up and down, trying to make his frozen limbs more flexible, and couldn't help but marvel, "Even Suisui with her weak constitution doesn't act like you."
This statement suddenly raised Chen Sui's vigilance.
An attacker's physical ability should be stronger than an analyst's, not to mention that Zhou Chen had a father who was a Border Army soldier, receiving border military training from childhood. His constitution, if not top-tier, shouldn't be this poor.
Among the five, he was the most severely affected.
She looked at Zhou Chen, who was leaping in place, his mech's movements causing the cave to tremble slightly. Within this tremor, Chen Sui heard a faint sound. Her energy perception returned, and she quickly reached out to press Zhou Chen's shoulder.
Zhou Chen's trembling sensation transmitted through her palm. Gu Qinxue noticed nearby, a flash of confusion crossing her brow. She flipped her palm, producing a ball of fire, and swept it over Zhou Chen.
Chen Sui clearly felt Zhou Chen's body stabilize as the fire passed over him, then continue to shake after the flames departed.
"Wow, awesome!"
Zhou Chen admiringly looked at Gu Qinxue: "Now I want fire attribute too. It's so warm."
Gu Qinxue frowned: "How did you get this frozen?"
"You need a spiritual healing now," Chen Sui's energy probed into the spiritual domain, immediately sensing signals of energy disorder. She frowned, explaining: "This isn't chill; it's energy diffusion, ice-attributed energy causing temperatures to continuously drop."
"We should be approaching the energy bodies' hibernation nest."
Chen Sui said.
Zhou Chen perked up at the mention of spiritual healing: "Really? Then should we hurry to the base station?"
"Hey, are we fighting the energy bodies or not?"
Chen Sui nodded, watching his silly excited posture, inwardly feeling uneasy. She felt something was off.
After the Sultry Red Forest competition, when Zhou Chen's examination results came out, she had performed a spiritual healing for him. How could his core crystal condition have deteriorated so quickly?
This energy field was undeniably strange.
"The Red Moon state should have no effect on thunder-attributed core crystals. The Aurora state might trigger strong reactions," Xie Chunshi explained the energy field environment conditions of the Red Moon Snow Plain.
Xie Chunshi felt the surrounding energy's invasion and interference. The ice-attributed energy outburst of the Red Moon state did not produce violent, visible energy storms like ordinary energy fields, but rather a silent, imperceptible disturbance. As a water-attributed awakened one, Xie Chunshi deeply felt this.
But for thunder-attributed individuals like Zhou Chen, there should theoretically be no serious impact.
Chen Sui lowered her voice, communicating with him: "Zhou Chen's condition isn't right. After getting out of here, let's go directly to the base station."
Xie Chunshi nodded.
Energy body points could be earned anytime. In a dangerous energy field, protecting teammates was naturally the priority.
A very long vein of snow melting stone was completely cleared by Zhu Jing Fu's passage. The deep blue light in the cave gradually extinguished until, finally, only the mech searchlights remained.
As the mechs advanced forward, inside the mine tunnel, the ground was covered with scattered minerals.
These minerals, whose names Zhou Chen didn't even know, some emitting faint light, others hidden in darkness.
He immediately ran forward, arms embracing a pile of minerals, then signaling Puluo to open his spatial button, directly pouring them in.
The mech searchlights swept across, revealing a path covered like a carpet of gemstones, causing the bullet comments to instantly explode.
[No way, can there be such good fortune?]
[These energy bodies are truly conscientious, directly mining the ore and placing it here, just ready to be taken]
[Good grief, just a second ago we were laughing at Zhu Jing Fu's bad luck, always encountering ground collapses. Now it turns out it's not bad luck but too good luck]
[It's over, Zhu Jing Fu hit the buffet]
[Spatial button: Maximum challenge]
[No need to pick through these minerals, just take them all]
[Zhou Chen didn't dare use his Four-sided Mace for mining, but now he's just sweeping everything]
[You're a real bandit, brother. That crystal fell into the corner, and you still had to pick it up]
[Suisui told him to pick it up—that's called thriftiness!]
Chen Sui watched him tossing handfuls into the spatial button, busily picking up anything he missed. Behind her, Xie Chunshi picked up what she missed. The five Zhu Jing Fu members moved forward, leaving the path behind completely unobstructed, not a single crystal remaining.
This wasn't even the place with the most crystals. As Zhu Jing Fu continued forward, Xie Chunshi's voice suddenly sounded: "Enough."
"We can stop now."
He looked up; in front was a small mountain of minerals completely blocking the view of the cave.
When he spoke, Chen Sui's perception swept out. Through energy sensing, she detected energy body fluctuations behind the minerals.
"High-level energy body group, with SSS-level."
"Over 50 SS-level fluctuations, low-level energy fluctuations in the hundreds."
These numbers made Zhou Chen step back, sucking in a breath: "How many? Hundreds?"
Although low-level energy bodies were nothing to fear, hundreds of them?
They could drain his mech's energy completely.
Zhou Chen immediately stopped sweeping up minerals and turned around. "Let's escape."
Chen Sui nodded, "Quickly, before they wake up."
[Screenshot for posterity]
[First time seeing Zhu Jing Fu not robbing]
[Sis, I thought you'd fight even if the king of heaven showed up]
[Can't fight; the cave will collapse]
[Since Sultry Red Forest, not many caves Zhu Jing Fu has entered haven't collapsed]
The bullet comments were still scrolling rapidly, while on screen, the five Zhu Jing Fu members turned and moved toward the cave exit.
The mechs returned along the original path, planning to enter the upper snow tin mine tunnel through the hole they had fallen through. The lifting device there could lead directly to the surface.
The stone cave was extremely dim, the mech searchlights swaying as they found their way. Xie Chunshi had marked a fixed point at the cave exit position beforehand; they just needed to follow the team channel coordinates to arrive precisely.
When Zhu Jing Fu reached beneath the cave opening, Zhou Chen's mech had already pushed beyond the frozen soil layer, looking down toward the opening, reminding them: "All clear, mech propulsion can get out!"
As soon as Zhou Chen's voice fell, he noticed that the four teammates below weren't looking up but were staring at the other half of the mine tunnel path they hadn't trodden.
"Thump!"
"Thump—"
Heavy footsteps trampled on the stone cave, the sound drawing closer, a wave of energy fluctuations sweeping over from the distance.
"Three SS-level energy bodies, one SS+," Chen Sui said, her hand pausing as she was about to switch guns, immediately changing to a spear instead.
Gu Qinxue drew her Thorny Fire Whip, her gaze cold: "Are these awake ones, or ones that never slept?"
"Probably sentries," Xie Chunshi guessed.
Energy body groups entering brief dormancy would have energy bodies continuously on guard. After all, this cave stored their food supply.
"Zhou Chen will have to wait."
Chen Sui's voice sounded as the mech searchlights shone forward, illuminating a huge beast crawling out from the distant cave.
The searchlights illuminated the crystalline armor on its body, deep black hard stone-like shells covering pillar-like limbs and an ugly beast head, layered with metallic-sheen crystals.
As the muffled footsteps drew closer, the energy bodies gradually approached the mechs. The SS+ energy body led the way, with three SS-level energy bodies lined up behind, completely blocking the cave.
Chen Sui saw that their limbs had hard, long claws, with curved nail beds that could easily insert into rock wall layers. This body characteristic allowed them to move nimbly in various mine tunnels.
The energy body walked toward the light, suddenly opening its bloody maw. Upper and lower giant teeth covered with dark mucus spewed outward with the airflow as it roared.
The sight made Chen Sui feel somewhat nauseated.
"Crystal Eaters. They feed on energy minerals, with high-energy content minerals and energy liquid being their first choice. They have no hearing or smell, only vision and energy signal perception."
As Chen Sui finished speaking, her long spear swung directly, creating a sharp sound cutting through the air in the cave.
"Then let's fight!" Gu Qinxue's Thorny Fire Whip lashed out, trailing a deep red light stream.
The Crystal Eaters, sensing the rich energy signals on the mechs, lunged directly at the Zhu Jing Fu mechs. The open bloody giant mouth brought fetid wind, waves of frost energy rippling outward like water waves crashing over.
Chen Sui charged forward with her spear, the mech searchlight swaying, the long spear cutting a cold gleam, meeting the Crystal Eater's giant body, the green energy light tearing through the energy wave.
Gu Qinxue's Thorny Fire Whip flashed from behind her, a fierce fire whipping toward the lead Crystal Eater, directly scattering the ice spikes that had formed behind, ready to stab at Chen Sui.
"Swoosh!"
"Clang!"
The four-edged spear blade struck directly on the Crystal Eater's head, the crystal scales flashing with metallic gleam.
"Roar!"
The Crystal Eater roared, the massive sound causing the mine tunnel to tremble.
"Damn, you guys already started fighting?"
Zhou Chen peered down from the upper tunnel opening, and upon seeing this scene, immediately gripped his Four-sided Mace.
Xie Chunshi's gaze swept toward him, carrying a body full of sharp aura: "Stay up there, ready to receive us."
Zhou Chen's movement halted, detecting the vigilance in his tone, suddenly having a bad premonition. He hurriedly looked at Chen Sui and Gu Qinxue's battle.
"Got it!"
Lightning coiled around the Four-sided Mace, ready to blast thunder around at any moment.
The scales that the four-edged spear blade was pressing against suddenly burst open, an energy storm following the spear toward the black and gold mech, turning into ice blades slashing out.
Chen Sui held the long spear with tremendous force, blocking the Crystal Eater, preventing it from advancing no matter how it charged.
Realizing its attack was intercepted, the Crystal Eater became enraged, its four limbs stomping heavily in the mine tunnel.
The cave immediately began to shake.
Chen Sui sensed its emotional change, a flash of light crossing her pupils. Her palm slapped the end of the long spear, causing the four-edged spear blade to rotate and vibrate.
A cold light flashed from the spear blade, and the long spear struck hard, directly flipping the Crystal Eater away.
Chen Sui quickly retracted the spear, her foot kicking forcefully toward the Crystal Eater, the mech leaping up.
"Thud!"
The mech crashed into the top of the mine tunnel.
This sound made the bullet comments want to laugh, as the commotion produced by Chen Sui's mech impact was greater than the energy body's attack.
[Only Chen Sui can hurt Emperor Sui?]
[Good grief, I just saw Gu Qinxue's fire whip hit the top too, and was wondering if the mech propulsion would crash]
[It's over, Emperor Sui hit her head, activating the rage buff]
The bullet comments looked at the screen, where the leaping mech wasn't affected by this impact, and teammates ready to pounce forward took a step forward.
But seeing Chen Sui step on the Crystal Eater's body, leaping up and simultaneously kicking the Crystal Eater toward Gu Qinxue behind her, they quickly adapted to her rhythm, entangling with the energy body.
The Thorny Fire Whip lashed out with a swoosh, fierce fire instantly spreading, intense flames illuminating the mine tunnel. The dancing scarlet fire whip was like a nimbly moving snake, the long whip bending and twisting, fierce fire burning, directly shattering the ice blades thrust by the Crystal Eater. As her wrist exerted force, the long whip instantly tightened as it approached the Crystal Eater.
"Crack!!"
The fierce fire struck the Crystal Eater's hard shell, with thorns catching in the Crystal Eater's scales.
The long whip curved, encircling the Crystal Eater's enormous body.
"Huff!!"
The Crystal Eater emitted a low growl.
"Whoosh—"
Gu Qinxue pulled the long whip, directly drawing the high-level lead Crystal Eater to her front.
Xie Chunshi's gaze moved, his core crystal rotating in the spiritual domain, sweeping away the ice-attributed energy entangling it, directly rippling out a circle of blue light.
A blue water column rose from his hand, and as Gu Qinxue drew the Crystal Eater closer, the water column shot forward.
"Boom!"
The water column instantly condensed into a layer of solid ice, freezing the entire Crystal Eater within, turning the whole energy body into an ice sculpture.
The Thorny Fire Whip was still inside the ice sculpture. Seeing this, Gu Qinxue quickly pulled on it.
The thorns compressed against each other, and fierce fire rose from within the solid ice, suddenly burning intensely.
A huge explosion sounded.
The Thorny Fire Whip burst open, with the solid ice layer acting as an energy buffer, not affecting the surrounding mine tunnel, not even causing violent shaking.
The area of the Crystal Eater entangled by the Thorny Fire Whip exploded, chunks of flesh torn open, blood flowing freely, white bones and internal organs visibly exposed.
"Huff huff!!"
The Crystal Eater's mutilated beast head began to emit broken, intermittent roars.
Gu Qinxue's fierce flame whip detached from its body, carrying immense energy as it flashed past the Crystal Eater's face, directly causing it to lunge toward their position with a body full of unhealed wounds.
Meanwhile, Chen Sui leaped forward using the momentum, and although she hit the top of the mine tunnel, her rhythm didn't change at all. The long spear twirled in front of her, the four-edged spear blade rotating violently. The long spear swept out continuously, rapidly thrusting in front of her, leaving only an afterimage as the energy-fluctuating spear quickly flashed, whirling to intercept all the countless ice spikes instantly condensed by the Crystal Eater.
"Wood-Born Flower."
Chen Sui's hoarse voice lowered.
A green light flashed, but the phantom of Wood-Born Flower didn't appear. She simply raised her long spear, thrusting it into the space before her, directly carving out a green energy wall.
Ice spikes, accompanied by the Crystal Eater's roars, pierced toward her.
The barrier formed by the long spear stood in front of Chen Sui, the four-edged spear blade at its head rotating, the central wooden components beginning to burst with layers of green light.
With a flash of green light, in the green energy wall, where the ice spikes struck, countless fine vines instantly grew, like dodder, entwining around the ice spikes layer by layer.
The vines grew rapidly, and before the Crystal Eaters noticed, they had covered the entire mine tunnel in front of them, even beginning to climb onto the Crystal Eaters themselves.
Frost appeared on the Crystal Eaters' bodies, freezing both the frost and the climbing green vines.
At this moment, in the control room, seeing this scene, Song Xingzhang on the side showed some concern on his face, his brow slightly furrowed.
Jian Run glanced at him: "Master Song, I heard Chen Sui underwent a lot of special training during the preparation period. How do you find her performance so far?"
Song Xingzhang calmly withdrew his gaze, his jaw tight, nodding slightly: "Average."
"According to Little Sui's methods, although she's mindful of the surrounding frozen soil layer, making the battle somewhat constrained, these few Crystal Eaters aren't a challenge for her."
After all, they were just SS-level energy bodies.
During Chen Sui's training process, Song Xingzhang had set up battle endurance training where she had even engaged in prolonged battles with groups of SS-level energy bodies.
Chen Sui's energy resistance and battle endurance had both leaped forward.
Seeing him speak thus, Jian Run also looked toward the Zhu Jing Fu perspective.
Sure enough, although the spreading vines were frozen by the Crystal Eaters' ice-attributed energy, they simultaneously limited the Crystal Eaters' own movements, causing their limbs to stick to the mine tunnel.
By the time Chen Sui's long spear cut through the ice wall that had been pierced, the three Crystal Eaters had been completely bound together by vines, simultaneously frozen to the ground by their own energy.
There was no escape!
Sensing the fierce energy attack, the Crystal Eaters emitted a sharp screech.
That sound wave rippled through the mine tunnel, spreading outward in circles, echoes reverberating back and forth.
Meanwhile, Gu Qinxue was controlling the lead high-level Crystal Eater. Xie Chunshi, hearing this screech, hurriedly looked toward Chen Sui's position, his expression suddenly changing. He drew his long blade, sternly warning Gu Qinxue: "Finish quickly; we need to leave immediately."
Though Gu Qinxue didn't understand what he had discovered, she immediately nodded in agreement.
Puluo drew his staff, beginning to strike continuously as Gu Qinxue held the energy body, his staff rapidly delivering powerful blows.
Xie Chunshi moved toward Chen Sui's direction.
He saw her vines encircling three Crystal Eaters, her long spear directly piercing through the ice wall, stabbing into the central Crystal Eater's body.
The sound of flesh being pierced rang out.
Followed by a heavy thud on the ground.
The three Crystal Eaters were lifted by her spear, directly smashed against the ceiling of the cave, but Chen Sui didn't release her force, instead sweeping across, shaving off rocks from the upper cave roof. The three Crystal Eaters crashed to the ground with a bang.
Xie Chunshi's long blade swept a layer of light in front of him.
The Crystal Eater controlled the surrounding low temperature, condensing a series of ice blades, directly sweeping them outward.
"Mist."
As Xie Chunshi's long blade chopped down, accompanied by the collision of the energy-reducing blade's ring, a mermaid's ethereal cry emitted from the air.
The sound was melodious and pleasant, causing everyone's spirits to jolt.
The ferocity between Chen Sui's brows dissipated as she looked toward him, only to see a blue light exploding from the black gold mech's blade.
She gripped her long spear tightly, synchronized with Xie Chunshi, directly piercing into the mine tunnel floor.
"Hurry, the Crystal Eater's cry will awaken its kind."
Xie Chunshi warned.
Chen Sui's head snapped up, looking toward the direction of the mine tunnel they had left.
Her energy perception returned, and her gaze immediately focused, her movements no longer restrained.
The Crystal Eaters crashed to the ground, beginning to struggle violently.
One, pierced by the long spear, was forcefully driven into the ground, while the other two had already risen from the ground, charging toward the energy source position.
"Clang—"
Xie Chunshi's long blade blocked the Crystal Eater's open fangs.
A light flashed from the long blade, directly flinging the Crystal Eater away.
Chen Sui pulled the long spear from the Crystal Eater's body, the spear's tail pressing against another Crystal Eater charging at her.
Seeing the central Crystal Eater struggling to its feet from the ground, still continuously making low growls.
When it stood up, Chen Sui raised her long spear, the spear tail towards the other Crystal Eater, the spear head pointing at it. The long spear was positioned between the two Crystal Eaters, rapidly thrusting with extreme force.
Swoosh swoosh sounds constantly resounded, tearing through the air, producing a series of sharp, urgent noises.
The spear head's thrusts were like roaring thunder, the spear tail's dull bell-like strikes interwoven, accompanied by the Crystal Eaters' bodies being slammed into the surrounding stone walls.
The camera could no longer capture Chen Sui's spear movements—the speed was simply too fast. In the blink of an eye, two Crystal Eaters had been heavily struck toward the two side walls, their chests full of puncture wounds from the long spear.
The red long spear froze in the camera's frame for just a second, then was gripped by a silver mech hand, thrusting forward.
A crisp collision sound.
A green light directly penetrated the Crystal Eater's body. Countless vine tentacles extended from behind Chen Sui, scattering all the ice blades around them. The green light shot like an arrow, instantly tearing open the Crystal Eater's body, directly exploding into countless plant branches within it.
Whoosh—!!
The long spear ejected the energy crystal from the other side of the Crystal Eater, then quickly withdrew from the flesh like a gale sweeping away leaves, creating a wave of air vibrations in the space, gripped by the mech hand at the center, twirling in a circle, the spear head changing direction, blood splattering in all directions.
The black gold mech was covered in blood droplets, the arm holding the spear stained red with blood, like a death god from hell, turning its head to thrust the spear toward another Crystal Eater.
The sound of flesh being torn open rang out.
The Crystal Eater was pierced through by the long spear, the piercing force directly carrying its body, pinning it to the stone wall behind.
Chen Sui paused her spear movement, then stepped forward, gripping the long spear in its body.
"Swoosh—"
The mech pulled out the spear.
The pierced spot on the Crystal Eater was blown into a bloody hole by the spear wind.
The mech's hand reached into this bloody, messy hole.
It pulled out a blue crystal connected to the Crystal Eater's blood and bones.
The mech was drenched in blood, bending down to pick up another energy crystal from the ground, then looking toward Xie Chunshi's position.
The energy-reducing blade pierced the Crystal Eater, blue energy spreading along the blade, directly freezing the Crystal Eater from the inside out.
The long blade twisted, his wrist exerting force with a shake.
The Crystal Eater's body shattered like thin ice.
It still maintained a posture with fangs wide open, front claws swinging down, abdomen pierced by the long blade. Under the Crystal Eater's body, the energy-reducing blade had entered from its abdomen, avoiding the surrounding scales. As the blade twisted, the Crystal Eater's body turned to solid ice, exploding outward.
Only an energy crystal rolled down the blade's surface with the vibration of the energy-reducing blade.
Chen Sui bent down to pick up the energy crystal, and at the moment she lowered her head, she looked up toward the distance.
Gu Qinxue and Puluo, having finished off the high-level Crystal Eater, heard the approaching heavy footsteps from afar and immediately became alert.
"Mech propulsion, up first."
Xie Chunshi's eyes turned cold, the mermaid spirit body faintly visible, circling behind him, its long tail sending out ripples of blue waves.
Gu Qinxue looked at Chen Sui: "Little Sui."
She reached out to Chen Sui. The analyst looked at the Team Leader who had stepped forward, prepared to block the energy bodies. Xie Chunshi's energy flickered, and Chen Sui sensed a hint of disorder's precursor from him.
She frowned: "You go first, hurry up."
Gu Qinxue's brow twitched, her gaze turning to the Commander. Xie Chunshi nodded with his back to the group. His palm swept across the energy-reducing blade, the long blade slashing at the air ahead, layers of blue blade waves rippling outward.
"Wood-Born Flower."
Green light arose from behind Chen Sui.
At this moment, in the pitch-black cave ahead, pairs of blue eyes lit up.
"Roar!!"
The Crystal Eater's huge body was enough to block the entire cave, and behind it, countless blue eyes looked toward the mechs, exposing drooling expressions when encountering energy wave fluctuations.
"Good grief, they're all awake."
Chen Sui swung her long spear, the sound of breaking through the air splitting the silent atmosphere.
Wood-Born Flower produced several vine pairs, weaving a tree net behind the blue energy.
The massive energy body at the forefront carried a rich energy aura, the pressure of an SSS-level energy body spreading rapidly. It raised its head, emitting a roar of anger.
That sound wave drove countless frost spikes, piercing toward the ice wall ahead.
Two energies collided—
"Boom!"
A powerful energy storm blew open, raising dust from the ground, cutting through the stone walls, producing a series of ear-piercing friction sounds.
"Gun ready," Xie Chunshi looked back, seeing it was a mech holding a spear, emotions surging in his eyes.
His calm voice reminded over the team channel, "Zhou Chen, pay attention to support."
"Understood, prepared."
Zhou Chen had just pulled up Gu Qinxue and Puluo from below. The two immediately went to activate the lifting device, while Zhou Chen's hands formed balls of lightning.
Chen Sui's gaze gradually darkened, locking onto the energy bodies before her: "Gun prepared."
"It's actually a bit of a pity, so many high-level energy bodies," she said softly, her voice hoarse, killing intent seeping through.
Chen Sui readied her control cannon. It could buy them enough time, sufficient for mech propulsion to escape.
Xie Chunshi, hearing this, released energy while feeling pain like his spiritual domain was being torn apart. The energy erosion of the Red Moon Snow Plain had an extreme effect on his water attribute. Additionally, Xie Chunshi's core crystal condition wasn't ideal, and he was currently enduring intense pain.
But his face showed no sign of it; he could even normally comfort Chen Sui when hearing her somewhat regretful murmur: "It's alright. When the Aurora state comes, we'll deal with them slowly."
Chen Sui hooked a smile, "Indeed, we'll have another chance. After all this, in the end, this cave will have to collapse too."
Her words had barely fallen when the energy defense of the two people in front was broken through by layers of ice spikes. Surging energy, like a tidal wave, rushed rapidly toward the mechs.