novelraw Chapter 123 : Song of Sand and Mirage
Chapter 123 : Song of Sand and Mirage
"I generally don't recommend others do this."
Before Xie Chunshi could answer, Zhou Chen stepped in first, saying very seriously: "But if it's you, I can only say—"
"Energy bodies better not be found by you."
Xie Chunshi and Gu Qinxue both showed expressions of amusement.
Chen Sui looked up, her gaze toward the maze showing some irritation. The surrounding temperature was getting higher and higher, but compared to the chaotic energy within the maze, the latter was more troublesome.
"If we could find them, it's not impossible."
Xie Chunshi said.
Before entering the maze, the Commander looked up. The yellow stone wall buildings were very high, densely packed, blocking the scorching sunlight. Only when looking up could one see a layer of white light flashing by, with layers of shadows cast by the high walls around.
The gaps between the walls weren't very wide, accommodating at most two mechs passing through. The five from Zhu Jing Fu surrounded the analyst in the center, heading into the maze.
According to Zhou Chen: "Although you don't really need protection, I'm afraid you might hit too hard and shatter the energy crystals, so I'd better keep you in the middle."
The mech radar scan results showed only two coordinate points, and within the maze, the paths intertwined, with no way of knowing where each fork would lead.
The ground of the sand city maze was cast in shadow by the high walls, with the temperature much lower than the outer yellow sand. There was also a large amount of energy gathering, attracting many energy bodies to surface.
Zhou Chen and Xie Chunshi cleared the way in front, with the Commander discerning directions. As for Zhou Chen, he was responsible for dealing with energy bodies along the way, and using his Lucky King aura to guide a relatively more correct path when at forks.
For Zhou Chen, the former provided more satisfaction.
Seeing another fork ahead, Chen Sui poked the mech in front, saying habitually: "Lucky King, please."
Zhou Chen sighed: "Ah, what would this school team do without me?"
Zhou Chen raised his finger, perfunctorily saying 'this way is definitely right.' The black-gold mech prepared to walk toward the position he indicated.
In the maze, the rumbling sound of the mechs' temperature regulation devices and the rustling sound of light breezes stirring up gravel became the only noises in the quiet environment.
However, just as Zhou Chen pointed out the corresponding position, a sonic wave beyond human hearing range seemed to spread.
"Hiss—"
Chen Sui's ears moved slightly. She couldn't hear the tone of the sound, but sensing the vibration in the air, she instinctively spread out her energy, raising energy barriers around Zhu Jing Fu. In the cockpit, the analyst couldn't help but cover her ears.
The extremely piercing sound seemed to provoke the auditory nerves.
"Seems like something is calling?" Gu Qinxue's beautiful brows tightly furrowed, a feeling of nausea coming over her.
Several people controlled energy surrounding their mechs. Xie Chunshi looked back at the analyst behind him, seeing the black-gold mech covering its head—a subconscious action by Chen Sui in the cockpit, synchronized to the mech.
He looked back, seeing the energy body light flickering around the soldier and the strong attacker.
"It's an energy body, be careful," Chen Sui said in a suppressed voice. This fluctuation, though inaudible, had an increasing impact, with the frequency constantly changing, like a special melody.
Blue light shot out from Xie Chunshi, with what seemed like a deep blue wave-like energy mass emerging from behind him. The figure of the sea sprite leaped out from within.
The sea sprite opened its mouth, chanting a special song.
With its chanting, blue light rippled outward like waves, covering the invisible sonic wave's energy fluctuations in layer after layer.
Chen Sui's ears were filled with the sea sprite's song, her tense nerves relaxing slightly. Looking up, she saw Zhou Chen's mech suddenly stepping forward ahead.
"Where are you going?" She saw Zhou Chen walking in the opposite direction from the one he had indicated, and instinctively asked.
Gu Qinxue looked over with her, reminding: "Wrong way."
But Zhou Chen seemed not to hear, not answering a single word, still firmly walking in that direction.
Chen Sui sensed something unusual. Zhou Chen wouldn't be this quiet. Before the black-gold mech rushed out to the other side, she spread out her energy perception.
The confusing energy in the maze was very strong, making the energy perception's probe results full of influencing factors, the results not accurate.
But this time, Chen Sui had a strong premonition that there were energy bodies in that direction.
She grabbed the agile attacker, "One more step forward, and you'll get hit too."
In the cockpit, Zhou Chen's eyes were unfocused, his expression dazed, his hands limp on the seat back. The mech's spiritual synchronization repeatedly jumped between abnormal and normal.
After being pulled by Chen Sui, Zhou Chen's figure paused only briefly.
"I'll go check."
After saying this, she looked at the Commander.
Xie Chunshi nodded, at the same time releasing energy from his palm, entangling Zhou Chen's mech, pulling the agile attacker back.
Chen Sui flashed out, drawing her cannon in mid-air. Instead of crashing into the distant stone wall corner, she stayed close to the fork's position, directly firing a cannon shot in that direction.
The Fierce Fire Cannon, carrying scorching high temperature, crashed over with a boom.
Yellow sand was thrown up by the cannon fire, the earth wall shaking, directly bursting open with a crack.
As the flames spread, a black shadow emerged from beneath the yellow sand ground.
Attracted by the Fierce Fire Cannon's energy, it directly rushed toward the mech in mid-air.
As the black shadow pounced, Chen Sui saw its form clearly.
—SS+ level energy body, Phantom White Scorpion.
The energy body's scorpion tail stabbed straight at Chen Sui, carrying a series of fierce wind blades, instantly gathering around Chen Sui's mech, all sweeping toward the central mech.
Chen Sui's mech fell downward, and with this falling motion, she directly turned in mid-air, leaping backward, flipping from bottom to top.
The wind blades in mid-air collided, the scorpion's tail missing, with energy directly sweeping out several meters.
However, the mech had already left its energy range. By the time the energy fluctuations dissipated, the black-gold mech directly rose from below. The mech's arm drew out the long spear. Before the white scorpion could react, a silver-white light flashed.
"Pierce—"
The long spear directly inserted into the white scorpion's shell.
Chen Sui didn't pause. When piercing through the white scorpion's body, it suddenly tensed its entire body, opening its mouth to emit a roar.
The call wasn't captured by human ears, but Chen Sui could feel the vibration coming from in front, as if a needle had stabbed her mind.
Below in the sand, a white scorpion that had just shown its long tail suddenly withdrew it with a swish.
"Trying to escape?"
Chen Sui coldly glanced down.
She reported a position point on the team channel. Gu Qinxue, who was controlling Zhou Chen with the Commander, reacted, instinctively raising her cannon.
However, Zhou Chen, who was walking toward the other side, had not yet focused his eyes but instinctively raised his cannon.
"Boom!"
"Bang!"
Two cannon shots fired simultaneously.
Gu Qinxue looked at the still smoking cannon muzzle in Zhou Chen's hand, her frost-like eyes flashing with a hint of doubt: "You're not pretending, are you?"
She said somewhat suspiciously.
Being confused yet still able to fire at the reported point, it must be said, the muscle response trained by Chen Sui was really strong.
However, next, the black-gold mech's propulsion opened, and Zhou Chen continued to rush toward Chen Sui's position.
Gu Qinxue was startled by his action, directly leaping into the air and forcefully kicking the mech's chest.
"Thud—"
A solid mech collision sound.
Zhou Chen's mech exterior was covered with a layer of lightning, completely not expecting her sudden attack. With no defense, he was directly kicked away by Gu Qinxue, crashing into the earth wall with a thud.
An extremely high earth wall shook twice after being heavily hit by the mech.
This shaking, compared to Zhou Chen being kicked away, drew far less attention.
Puluo, hearing the position report, instinctively raised his cannon. Seeing that both outputs had already fired, he was about to lower his cannon when he saw the strong attacker kick the agile attacker flying.
"What what?"
Puluo looked at Gu Qinxue helplessly.
The strong attacker rubbed her brow, "Sorry, force of habit."
[Huh?]
[Haha, I just saw someone say Gu Qinxue didn't do it on purpose, now the person herself says it's a habit]
[I'm from Zhu Jing Fu's Summoning System, it's very normal. Everyone who has taken classes in our Summoning System knows that when Zhou Chen and Gu Qinxue fight, he basically never lands, always being kicked around by Gu Qinxue]
[I said watching Zhu Jing Fu's livestream would show good stuff, now even internal conflicts are visible]
[Hahaha, Zhu Jing Fu's soldier looks so helpless]
When Zhou Chen was kicked away, the sound made Chen Sui, who was battling the Phantom White Scorpion, look back.
But in her field of vision, compared to that high wall, the black-gold mech looked somewhat small.
Seeing it was Gu Qinxue who had kicked him away, Chen Sui immediately turned back, seeing the Desert White Scorpion in the yellow sand being blasted open by two cannon shots, directly creating a shallow pit. The Phantom White Scorpion about to retreat had a section of its scorpion tail exposed above the sand.
Chen Sui withdrew her long spear from the energy body in front of her, her hand gripping its long tail. Wind blades rushed at her from around, the exterior of the mech being cut by wind blade energy.
[Damage level 37%]
Chen Sui ignored this, enduring the surrounding wind blades, directly whipping the white scorpion toward the high wall.
"Bang—"
"Bang—"
The white scorpion knocked against the wall repeatedly, its entrails being pounded out by this violent pounding. Blood flowed down the wall, but the mech's movement didn't stop. As Chen Sui threw the white scorpion against the wall, her figure also flashed swiftly toward the white scorpion that had exposed its tail.
"Vine Birth!"
Seeing the scorpion tail about to completely disappear, Chen Sui shouted in a low voice.
Beneath the yellow sand, Wood-Born Flower's vines grew rapidly, breaking through the yellow sand surface, directly wrapping around the end of the white scorpion's long tail.
Chen Sui held the white scorpion that had been whipped till dizzy in one hand. The opponent's energy drive hit the mech, either being dodged by the swift mech or, even when it hit, not causing any slowdown in her movements.
The white scorpion was already like a dead worm, being carried forward by the black-gold mech.
Chen Sui's other hand rose, and Wood-Born Flower's vines dragged the white scorpion from beneath the yellow sand.
As the white scorpion emerged, Wood-Born Flower's vines spread around.
Another Phantom White Scorpion was thrown into mid-air by the vines.
The Phantom White Scorpion's body was small, not as large as conventional energy bodies, only the size of a mech's arm. Its tail was extremely long, with a sharp spike at the tip. When it opened its mouth, it emitted strange sonic waves.
These sonic waves were full of confusing energy, which was why Phantom White Scorpions, like Snow Bats and Sand Lizards, could create sand city mazes.
But this sonic wave, heard in Chen Sui's mind, was extremely disturbing, making her dizzy and lightheaded.
Chen Sui didn't like this feeling.
Seeing the white scorpion call out again, Chen Sui's mech directly kicked it.
The white scorpion's call was cut off halfway, its figure flying backward.
However, before it could fall to the ground, the black-gold mech directly intercepted it midway.
What surprised the bullet comments was that Chen Sui didn't draw any weapon, neither the long spear nor the cannon moved. Instead, she shook the white scorpion in her hand that seemed already dead.
The mech flashed behind the white scorpion, her wrist swinging, the white scorpion like a club, directly whipping toward its own kind.
The white scorpion falling in mid-air was surrounded by circles of energy, with gales sweeping across the ground. However, what attacked it was not that abnormal energy source, but its own companion.
Chen Sui clearly felt the white scorpion's energy control pause for a moment.
"You know each other?"
Chen Sui asked curiously.
Then she violently swung the white scorpion club, whipping the other white scorpion outward.
"No wonder you're both noisy," she evaluated sincerely.
At the same time, her figure darted out, intercepting the white scorpion on the other side, whipping it outward again.
The bullet comments watched as she used one white scorpion as a paddle and the other as a ball, directly playing in mid-air.
The other white scorpion was also quickly beaten half dead.
[Folks, am I seeing things?]
[SS+ energy body, is that it? Is that it?]
[My Emperor Sui didn't even use her spirit body]
[Teacher said not to imitate because Chen Sui's mental domain is special, with strong resistance to energy, not easily affected by attacks]
[Goodness, what exactly did Master Song teach? This sister already rushing into a sea of fire was abnormal enough, now even energy resistance has been trained]
[Wait, isn't it normal for an analyst to train some energy resistance (looking up)? It's just that Chen Sui has shown such strong offensive capabilities before that everyone has constantly overlooked that she really is an analyst!]
[Okay, okay, okay, so if analysts train energy resistance, they can fight energy bodies like this?]
[If you want to play like this, first you need Emperor Sui's speed to precisely dodge surrounding energy attacks, second you need Emperor Sui's resistance to tank SS+ energy body energy attacks, finally, you need to be Emperor Sui herself. Haven't you noticed that after the white scorpion has been fighting for so long, the mech wear is only 37%? This is damage control, amazing]
[Wait, isn't the white scorpion the energy body that died with the least dignity? Literally played to death]
[Hello, is no one speaking up for my Purple-Winged Golden Butterfly?]
[I can see it now, Emperor Sui really 1) hates noise, 2) hates complexity. When these two come along, she gets very irritated, and that's when she equips the anger value buff, becoming Emperor Sui]
[Alright, both white scorpions are dealt with. For this sand city maze energy body, I can tell the outcome at a glance: either run early or die early]
Chen Sui was indeed hit the nail on the head by this bullet comment. The white scorpions' noise irritated her, but this anger dissipated completely in the process of whipping them. Chen Sui looked at the high walls around, directly throwing the two white scorpions in her hands toward the high wall in front.
"Ah Xue, help me out."
Chen Sui looked back.
That kick seemed to have activated Gu Qinxue's switch. She no longer tried to pull Zhou Chen gently, seeing him about to walk forward again, directly kicking him over.
The high wall behind had been hit by Zhou Chen's mech several times and was already somewhat tottering.
Chen Sui glanced at it, seeing Zhou Chen getting up from under the high wall. Gu Qinxue nodded, setting up her cannon toward her position. Chen Sui reminded on the team channel: "Puluo, use your shield umbrella to block for Zhou Chen."
Puluo was confused for a moment, not yet understanding the meaning of these words, but instinctively opened his shield umbrella, turning it in his palm, looking somewhat bewilderedly at the Commander.
"Little Sui wants me to shield Zhou Chen?"
Xie Chunshi, watching Chen Sui's actions, looked back.
"The wall is about to collapse."
He pointed at the high wall behind Zhou Chen, who had just gotten up from the ground.
Puluo looked toward Zhou Chen's position, his gaze moving to the high wall.
Behind, Chen Sui threw the white scorpions at the maze wall, aiming her Fierce Fire Cannon, directly firing at the two white scorpions' position.
Gu Qinxue burst out with energy fire around her, driven by the energy-gathering cannon, directly trailing fierce fire.
"Boom—"
The two cannons collided.
A thunderous explosion burst in mid-air, followed by a rumbling sound from around.
A vibration spread, transmitted through the air waves.
Puluo watched as Zhou Chen had just gotten up, with the wall behind him already cracked by his impacts. The top began to sway, then directly fell toward Zhou Chen's mech.
"Whoosh—"
Puluo's shield umbrella flew from his hand, his long staff knocking the black-gold mech down, the umbrella face spinning half a circle behind Zhou Chen, finally landing on the mech.
"Thud!"
The mech fell, and the wall above collapsed, directly crashing down on the black-gold mech.
"Oww—"
Even with the shield umbrella's protection, Zhou Chen inevitably got hit by the falling blocks, his chest directly hammered by the falling boulder.
Just then, on the other side, the Fierce Fire Cannon spread a fiery light, directly knocking down the maze wall. The flames swept like a bulldozer, the exploding vibration crashing down all the separated walls.
Under the fire attribute energy-carrying cannons, the white scorpions' bodies were directly smashed, leaving only two energy crystals mixed in the ruins.
As the white scorpion energy crystals detached, Zhou Chen's eyes focused, just in time for a boulder to hit his chest, causing him to emit a howl.
"Someone... ambushed me!"
As the maze's high walls collapsed, dust flew everywhere. Puluo and Xie Chunshi waved away the murky air in front. The soldier coughed several times, hearing Zhou Chen's voice on the team channel.
"Wait, why does my whole body hurt?"
Zhou Chen asked in confusion.
Puluo said with an innocent face: "I didn't do anything."
Chen Sui picked up the two energy crystals from the ruins, quickly flashing to rejoin her teammates, only to see Zhou Chen holding the shield umbrella, crawling out of the debris, covered in dust.
[To be honest, Little Zhou, this is what you've been dreaming of, holding a shield umbrella to show off. Are you satisfied with the effect now?]
[Zhu Jing Fu mechs are black-gold colored, right? Zhou Chen has turned gray]
[It's all dust hahaha]
[First time I've seen a shield umbrella held with such a sense of homelessness and destitution]
[How is this not distinctive, Little Zhou?]
Zhou Chen's mech was covered with a layer of gray soil, the entire mech looking dirty, even Puluo's shield umbrella having lost some of its luster.
Seeing him emerge, Puluo quickly went to meet him.
Zhou Chen, seeing his teammate approach, looked over somewhat aggrievedly: "Puluo, someone amb..." ushed me—
Before he could finish, Puluo grabbed the shield umbrella, stroking the umbrella face a few times with heartache: "It's not pretty when it's dirty."
Puluo originally wanted to say it had no style, but thinking about it, he still needed to maintain his honest and kind-hearted image. He couldn't be all about style, so he made a last-minute change.
However, regardless of what he said, when Zhou Chen saw him take the umbrella and turn back, the arm he had extended for support directly dropped in the air, immediately clutching his chest in pain: "Do you only care about your umbrella?"
"Is no one speaking for me?"
Gu Qinxue glanced at him. Perhaps out of guilt, the girl walked forward a few steps, extending an arm toward Zhou Chen.
This action immediately straightened Zhou Chen's spine, his face full of delight. His hand tentatively moved toward Gu Qinxue, the black-gold mech still covered in dust, shaking off soil with every movement.
Chen Sui raised the end of her eyebrow. Gu Qinxue was actually somewhat particular. Living with her, Chen Sui could sense her friend had a slight, not obvious, cleanliness obsession.
"Taking it or not?"
Zhou Chen certainly knew Gu Qinxue's little quirk and was therefore somewhat incredulous at this gesture. After probing several times, the girl became somewhat impatient, coldly reprimanding him.
Zhou Chen hurriedly held onto her arm, his tone strangely sticky: "Ah Xue is so good."
"Pfft."
Chen Sui really couldn't hold back, accidentally laughing out loud.
Hearing this sound, Xie Chunshi looked back at her, seeing Chen Sui raise her hand slightly, as if to cover her mouth, her eyes also curving.
"Shh."
The Commander said softly.
"Let him be happy for a while."
After being kicked several times, let the child have some compensation.
Chen Sui nodded, not exposing anything, just putting her head close to Xie Chunshi's, whispering: "When Zhou Chen sees the replay after we get out, his expression will definitely be beautiful."
Xie Chunshi smiled, nodding in agreement.
When Zhou Chen came closer and heard Puluo mention that he had been controlled by the confusing energy, directly walking toward the energy body group, his first reaction was disbelief.
"Impossible, none of you were affected? Just me who was confused?"
Zhou Chen looked at the others.
Chen Sui shrugged, "Lucky King, you need to reflect."
Zhou Chen felt somewhat broken, looking carefully at Puluo and sincerely asking: "Puluo, you weren't either?"
"You were like a roly-poly doll before, weren't you?"
Puluo, reminded of a painful memory, immediately blushed deeply. The usually honest and kind-hearted soldier began to poke back at sensitive spots.
"That was just an accident. Don't forget, in White Sand Sky Pillar Sea, you were also dizzy from the sky pillar."
Zhou Chen: "That was because there was a problem with my core crystal. I'm all better now!"
Puluo: "Then why were you affected again?"
Zhou Chen was speechless.
Puluo pressed his advantage: "This proves you're not a firm person."
Zhou Chen was made somewhat doubtful by this statement: "Huh? Really? It's not that bad, is it? I'm not that unsteady, am I?"
Puluo affirmed: "That's exactly it."
"Alright, Puluo," Chen Sui intervened, afraid that if this continued, Zhou Chen would really be misled. "Did you turn your temperature regulation up high again?"
The latter sentence was directed at Zhou Chen.
He was somewhat guilty, silently turning his temperature regulation down a bit.
"None of you use this level?"
Chen Sui said impatiently: "Isn't this a cool spot? The temperature has already dropped a lot. You didn't adjust it down at all? No wonder the energy bodies would find you."
"No need to adjust now," Chen Sui didn't even need to look to know that Zhou Chen was secretly turning down his temperature regulation. "The maze will heat up soon."
Zhou Chen didn't understand her meaning: "Huh?"
Actually, the temperature was already rising where the five from Zhu Jing Fu were standing. The high walls around had been blasted down by the cannons, with sunlight shining directly down. The sand was baked by high temperatures, with hot air spreading.
"Although this is a maze, fortunately, these walls are easy to blast."
As Chen Sui spoke, her cannon had already begun gathering energy.
Xie Chunshi, seeing this, understood her meaning: "Not a bad method."
"Right? Anyway, the base station is just ahead. We can replenish energy when we get there," Chen Sui planned well.
She really couldn't navigate this maze, but it didn't matter. In this world, there originally was no path. With enough cannon blasts, a path could be created.