novelraw Chapter 132 : Song of Sand and Mirage
Chapter 132 : Song of Sand and Mirage
"I hate the sand city maze," Zhou Chen blasted open the last wall in front of him, facing the flying yellow sand, spitting a few times before fiercely saying.
Chen Sui tossed out a snow bat from behind, her mecha charging forward, the long spear directly piercing the snow bat into the sandy soil with such force that it completely buried the entire energy body, then her mecha stepped on the sand surface and pulled out the spear.
A gray-white energy crystal was carried by the long spear, separated from the energy body's flesh.
The moment after exiting the sand city maze, Chen Sui's gaze crossed the layers of yellow sand and wind-eroded cliffs ahead. The main base station was established at a high point, on a stone mountain much higher than the sand dunes.
It was a special kind of mineral that could resist energy erosion and ground subsidence, enough to support the stable operation of the base station.
Looking up, one could see the silver-white building in the wilderness, with the outermost entrance winding to the center. The further into the interior, the higher the buildings, until they converged in the central control room tower.
"Main base station!" Zhou Chen looked excitedly, immediately taking out his cannon to start charging, while muttering: "Are there many people over there? I haven't gone over yet, but I already smell the scent of gunpowder!"
Chen Sui glanced at him: "Is the gunpowder scent you mentioned perhaps mixed with a bit of blood and moisture?"
Zhou Chen: "Huh?"
"I was just saying, it sounds more impressive this way," he smiled modestly.
Chen Sui showed a speechless expression: "Why is it going to rain red again?"
She looked up at the sky. Above the yellow sand of the vast desert, the rising sun rippled circles of halos, the high temperature making the air somewhat blurry with heat.
"The fire attribute energy is not very stable," Xie Chunshi speculated.
Chen Sui shook her head, her gaze toward the main base station carrying some tension and gravity: "All the other four academy school teams, except for us, should be there."
Zhou Chen's hand trembled involuntarily, but his face remained calm: "Is-is that so? Then I shouldn't be beaten too badly, right? Little Sui, Frost Hawk's defense has been improved, right!"
Chen Sui sighed, looking at him somewhat lovingly: "It has improved. If you run fast enough, no one will be able to hit you."
Zhou Chen's mecha's outer coating not only had heat resistance added but also enhanced Blue Fin concealment. In the case of blurred vision due to high temperature, it was very effective for concealment, and also one of the few opportunities to shuttle between other teams and directly rush into the base station.
Zhou Chen was somewhat reassured. The black gold mecha stepped out of the dust maze and walked into the yellow sand belt.
"There's quicksand too," Zhou Chen pulled up his mecha's foot that had been swallowed by the sandy soil, looking up at what was ahead.
The surface of the yellow sand was completely exposed, all the way to the rugged stone roads, the wind-eroded mountain rocks covering the mountain surface, and the silver base station peeking at the mountain top.
"Strong energy fluctuation, be careful, the surrounding energy level is not quite right," Chen Sui reminded in a low voice.
In the sand mirage, she was accustomed to using energy fusion perception. Logically, earth and wind attributes would occupy the high position in the sand mirage. According to the current energy changes, intense fire attributes were also normal.
But Chen Sui sensed wood and lightning attribute energies in the surrounding energy signals.
She mentioned her feeling in the team channel, and Zhou Chen's steps immediately became cautious. "They won't ambush us so early, right? Is there anyone around?"
Chen Sui shook her head: "Spirit body signals are gathering outside the main base station."
"There's a layer of energy shielding around. I can't accurately locate the point of energy anomaly."
This high-intensity energy shielding could only be accomplished by an analyst with a mental threshold closest to hers.
He Lanqi.
Without exception, the four schools should now have formed a relatively solid alliance.
Chen Sui and Xie Chunshi exchanged a glance, both thinking of this point.
Gu Qinxue revealed a smile without much emotion: "They're joining forces to fight us, but after all, there's only one absorption device."
"It doesn't matter, we have five here," Chen Sui's voice replied without a ripple, making the statement somewhat humorous.
Gu Qinxue also imagined the scene of the other academies fighting for the absorption device, only to find that everyone from Zhu Jing Fu had device fluctuations, their faces would be quite colorful.
However, before Zhu Jing Fu could think for a moment, Zhou Chen's footsteps suddenly paused ahead.
"Damn."
He uttered softly.
Then he immediately lowered his head, his mecha thrusting upward.
However, when he realized he had touched an energy cluster, this reaction was a step too late.
Black vines directly burst from the energy cluster, pulling Zhou Chen's mecha fiercely down into the yellow sand.
"What is this thing?!"
Zhou Chen showed a panicked expression. This wasn't the first time he had been pulled in the sand mirage, but each time made his heart skip several beats unwillingly.
Chen Sui's eyes focused, her palm carrying green light, waving around him. Little Flower directly landed on her shoulder, the slender green leaves in her hair growing forward, directly encircling Zhou Chen's hands that were still exposed, and even encircling his neck.
"Hey hey," Zhou Chen's throat of destiny was gripped, his voice carrying some hoarseness, his face also reddening from the pressure: "Flo-Flower, go-go easier!"
"Mmm—" Little Flower held back with effort, deep red appearing on the surface of her emerald trunk. Very humanely, she exerted force, directly sliding off Chen Sui's shoulder, floating in mid-air, floating higher and higher, the vines taut, green energy directly enveloping Zhou Chen along the vines.
"No!"
"Touch brother Zhou!"
Little Flower angrily spewed out a childish warning.
As she left and floated, Chen Sui's mecha charged forward.
Gu Qinxue glanced at Zhou Chen. When the black vines extended, Zhou Chen was directly pulled down, his legs completely submerged in the sand. Now being pulled out partially by Little Flower, his knees were gradually moving toward the ground.
"Hurry up," Gu Qinxue lowered her eyes. As her mecha propelled out, she looked at Zhou Chen, her tone urging: "There are energy attacks ahead."
Hearing this, Zhou Chen stopped teasing Little Flower. Lightning flashed on his mecha's face, directly striking down to the black vines around his ankles along the wood attribute energy gathered by Little Flower.
The violent lightning attribute energy directly shattered and crushed all the vines.
"Little Flower, give brother a pull!"
Little Flower spun a few circles floating in mid-air, the flower on her head bending forward slightly, as if she was exerting effort.
With a flash of green light, as the vines contracted, they directly pulled Zhou Chen out from the ground like pulling a radish.
The black gold mecha landed with a thud.
Zhou Chen didn't linger for long because an explosion of lightning struck ahead.
Chen Sui's mecha leapt out from the lightning net that had exploded from the energy cluster. This disturbance seemed to be a signal, and all the energy light clusters around were triggered.
Fierce fire followed the energy fluctuation, rushing toward the black gold mecha.
"Speed up," Xie Chunshi recognized this method, very similar to Zhu Jing Fu's siege of energy clusters on the White Sand Island, only used by the other four schools, with stronger compressed energy. To rush directly to the base station from this path, they would have to break through this patch of energy clusters.
Zhou Chen understood he had to force his way through. His playful expression disappeared, and as his mecha leapt up, he reached out and tugged at the grass leaves on Little Flower's flower head.
Little Flower: "!"
Xie Chunshi glared at him. Passing by Little Flower, his fingertip infused a few drops of water. Little Flower's angry expression from having her grass leaves pulled immediately changed to a smiling, obedient face.
Xie Chunshi found it somewhat amusing, his eyes carrying a warm light, but as soon as he charged into the energy cluster ahead, he quickly resumed a cold expression.
Chen Sui's long spear swept away the lightning net in front of her. The lightning circled along the spear toward her palm. Chen Sui directly thrust the long spear into the ground, pressing down with green energy, pressing all the scattered lightning nets in the air under the sandy soil.
"Noya's lightning attribute energy cluster."
Xie Chunshi approached and heard her voice. Icy water droplets fell below, directly freezing all the lightning nets, then bursting, transforming the lightning energy into points of light merging into the air.
Gu Qinxue's long whip swept away a fierce fire. From within the flames, a crimson peacock flew out, like a phoenix reborn.
"Xie Yi's fire attribute energy cluster," the whip carrying swift fierce fire, the snow-white figure leaping behind Gu Qinxue, extinguishing the flames as she said coldly.
Zhu Jing Fu cleared the first batch of energy cluster attacks, temporarily stopping on an open space in the center of the yellow sand. Chen Sui looked up, and on the flat yellow sand surface, a black vine tentatively extended, but quickly retracted a moment later.
"Xin Ming's Ghost Flower."
Chen Sui suddenly smiled: "They're really willing to waste so much energy to block us a bit."
If it was like this before reaching the main base station, wouldn't they surround and attack Zhu Jing Fu at the main base station?
[Hahaha (embarrassed) how to say, it's all Zhang Yingjie's idea, has nothing to do with us Xitisi]
[Good grief, no wonder these people met at the base station and immediately started showing off spirit body nurturing agents, how much energy did they spend]
[Zhang Yingjie said, first deplete Zhu Jing Fu on the road]
"We need to hurry," Chen Sui heard a rush of urgent footsteps gathering and charging from the distance, with powerful energy fluctuations approaching, "energy bodies from the maze have come out, now tracking the scent."
The reason Zhu Jing Fu didn't bypass this sand city maze was to use its confusing energy to reduce the absorption device's attraction to energy bodies. It should be known that before entering the maze, they had a group of energy bodies chasing behind them, too many to fight.
Hearing this news, Zhou Chen directly put away his cannon, both hands filled with lightning orbs: "Wolves in front, tigers behind, Little Zhou will clear the path for everyone first."
Chen Sui pointed her finger, Wood-Born Flower's vines encircling everyone: "Be careful of underground traps."
Her consideration was reasonable. As soon as Zhou Chen rushed into the energy cluster area ahead, the ground beneath instantly collapsed. A huge deep pit spanned in front, the sandy soil like foam, breaking open with a step, converging downward, directly revealing a large hole.
At the moment Zhou Chen's mecha began to fall, Chen Sui leapt into the air, Zhu Jing Fu members propelling upward, pulls from both sides rapidly lifting his mecha, not falling with gravity.
Zhou Chen was shocked, looking down at the deep pit.
A layer of black vines immediately surrounded the surface, with an extremely high layer of fire rising from below, lightning bursting forth, piercing through the flames, electric sparks flying.
"This is too brutal!"
Zhou Chen exclaimed in surprise.
This set of chain energy attacks would directly push his mecha damage to 50. These people really are—
"Ahhh, I'm going to beat them up," Zhou Chen yelled angrily.
Chen Sui tapped her spear end on his mecha, "Look, you'll have a chance soon."
She gestured for Zhou Chen to look ahead.
The mecha directly used energy propulsion, skimming over the yellow sand surface. In the distance, seeing the black gold mecha flying through the air, several teams hidden behind the wind-eroded cliffs directly said in the joint channel: "Zhu Jing Fu is really generous, burning energy for propulsion."
Chi Buyu thought of this and felt somewhat painful. Where did Zhu Jing Fu get their energy from? It was given by their Xitisi. He covered his chest affectedly and said: "I'll blast Zhou Chen down."
Chi Buyu held his cannon, eager to act.
Xie You glanced at him, quickly identifying which one was Zhou Chen. The one being suspended by several people below, without exception, must be him.
"Wait a bit before firing," he blocked him.
It was too far now; the cannon energy would disperse. A bit closer would be more painful.
Xie You thought to himself.
Chi Buyu was just talking big, but his cannon remained aimed at Zhu Jing Fu's trajectory.
Zhang Yingjie lifted his sensor glasses, pulling out a smile: "Trigger the energy."
Zhu Jing Fu was already approaching. Below them was the last energy cluster area.
As soon as Zhang Yingjie finished speaking, they all triggered the energy clusters buried in the yellow sand, covered by energy shielding.
At the same time, Chen Sui sensed an unusual fluctuation, waves of energy signals from various attributes spreading out. She had no time to warn, directly controlling her spirit body.
"Little Flower, net!"
Wood-Born Flower had been circling around her. Hearing the command, she moved in synchronization with Chen Sui's thoughts. The moment Chen Sui's words fell, she directly converged a tree net below, vines rising from the ground, filling the air.
"Boom—"
"Bang—"
Clusters of energy burst from below, rushing upward, fierce fire directly burning through the tree net, scorching the mecha surface.
Fierce wind howled from below, sharp wind blades sweeping toward the mecha.
Zhou Chen quickly dodged the surrounding wind blades and ice spikes, cursing: "Damn, too damn much!"
"So many traps!"
Zhu Jing Fu's mechas quickly passed through the energy cluster area ahead, directly charging toward the stone road, rapidly moving, already approaching the wind-eroded cliff area above.
"Spirit body fluctuations around, be careful of ambushes."
Chen Sui's voice quickly sounded, and at the same time, the returned energy perception made her instinctively look back: "Energy bodies are here."
Behind the wind-eroded cliff, the analysts from several schools all frowned simultaneously: "So many energy bodies."
With these words, the expressions of everyone present became solemn.
"Open fire, control Zhu Jing Fu first."
As for the energy body group, as long as the absorption device was there, energy bodies wouldn't give up.
Zhang Yingjie had planned early: "We can trigger the last energy cluster, don't let the energy body group come over."
Zhu Jing Fu wanted to make the battlefield chaotic, but they couldn't let them have their way, otherwise the other academies would be completely led by them.
Chen Sui could find opportunities to break through in such chaos; conversely, the simpler the battlefield environment, the more obvious her intentions.
Just as Zhu Jing Fu landed from mid-air, they heard a series of energy fluctuations bursting from the yellow sand ground behind.
The analyst tilted her head, her figure steady as she said: "The Commander guessed right. It seems they indeed fear the energy body group coming over more than we do."
"Someone is aiming at me," Chen Sui had just finished speaking when this flat, rippleless tone uttered these words. Zhou Chen nearly dropped his cannon, his peripheral vision sweeping over her, looking at the calm figure of the black gold mecha holding the spear, thinking, is this why Chen Sui can create memorable scenes every time?
You can remain so calm even with someone aiming at you?
"Now."
Xie You's figure landed.
The cannons of several academies surrounding the entrance wind-eroded cliff area charged and fired simultaneously.
The fire broke free from the cannon mouths, large energy fluctuations approaching, fierce fire carrying scorching high temperature, rushing directly toward the black gold mecha.
"Scatter."
Xie Chunshi's voice sounded, and Zhu Jing Fu members immediately scattered. Chen Sui quickly located the cannon source, directly charging toward one direction.
"Scatter them, don't let them gather together," Chen Sui added in the team channel, "remember to subtly leak some absorption device aura during the fight."
Her voice was a bit cool.
The black gold mecha swerved, the cannon fire rushing directly at Xie Chunshi in the center.
Behind the wind-eroded cliff, Xie You's gaze flickered, followed by seriousness and wariness.
Xie Chunshi pressed his palm to the ground, "Mist."
Following his soft call, layers of frost spread from around him, instantly pulling the high temperature to extremely low. Ice directly gathered in mid-air, and the moment the cannon touched the ice wall, it instantly froze around it.
Energy brewed and gathered in the ice wall.
"Boom!!"
Several cannon shots directly blasted through the ice wall, ice fragments splashing, driving the surrounding sand dust, instantly making the vision unclear.
Na Luo River hadn't yet reacted when a black gold figure charged out from the gray mass of ice fragments, pulling a long knife from behind, holding it vertically and chopping down!
"Bang!!"
The stone wall of the wind-eroded cliff was cut through the center by the energy-reducing knife.
The stone wall fell toward the surroundings.
"Clang!"
Xie You held his heavy sword horizontally in front, directly blocking Xie Chunshi's long knife.
"Now!"
Xie You coldly reminded, his gaze looking behind.
The Na Luo River members moved simultaneously. Xiao Er's crescent blade left his hand, swinging a circle in front before being gripped by his mecha. Seeing Xie Chunshi confronting the Commander, he stepped forward, stabbing down at the opponent's mecha.
"Attacking from behind isn't good," Xie Chunshi's tone was gentle as he sidestepped the cold white blade light of the crescent blade. The energy-reducing knife drew across the heavy sword's blade.
A spark of friction emerged. The mecha spun, stepping on Xie You's heavy sword, the mecha retreating backward.
Simos had dual cannons set on both shoulders, calculating Xie Chunshi's retreat trajectory, directly firing a shot at his landing point.
"Boom!!"
The dual cannons exploded in mid-air, and Xie Chunshi's mecha fell into a burst of smoke and fire.
"I was wondering why he watched me set up my cannon without dodging at all."
Na Luo River's strong attacker continued charging his cannon, his eyes looking in another direction.
Chen Sui's long spear split open the stone cliff in front of Saint Laurent. The golden mecha retreated, cannon fire passing by her side. Chen Sui dodged one blast, with the heart to directly intercept Simos's cannon.
"Go block Chen Sui."
Xie You reminded.
Simos immediately rushed forward.
Puluo was still in place, his shield umbrella circling around, just about to approach the base station entrance.
On the other side, He Shuangmu and Jiang Zhongyu approached his position.
The output from the four schools all rushed toward the position of Zhu Jing Fu's analyst, but the interception of others was weaker than Chen Sui's. The five schools were directly segmented outside the base station.
[Zhu Jing Fu's five people were standing so far apart from the beginning]
[Wow, each fighting their own battle]
[I mean, I won't say anything about the others, but what's going on with Chen Sui's side?]
[Simos, He Lanxiu, Lu Hang Jiu, Xin Ming, isn't this too too too—]
[Four outputs fighting one analyst, I'm stunned]
[Your Sui is no longer a conventional analyst]
[Hahaha if it weren't for Chi Buyu wanting to settle scores with Zhou Chen, your side would be four strong attackers fighting one analyst]
[What's going on with Zhou Chen's side hahaha]
[Noya, Chi Buyu, Lu Ting, this side is the lightning specialty zone (not really)]
[Goodness, Xie Chunshi and Gu Qinxue are also surrounded]
[Zhu Jing Fu originally planned for each person to draw one academy, but now it seems they're a bit scattered]
[It's okay, each academy has only a few smart people, each one has drawn one]
[Xie Chunshi drew two]
[I reckon Xie You and Zhang Yingjie are going to find Chen Sui]
[Yes, in the Na Luo River channel and Ink Hills channel, they both think the device is in Chen Sui's hands]
"First block Chen Sui, then resolve Xie Chunshi, give the analyst a chance to get the device."
Xie You's reminder sounded.
At that time, Simos was just facing Chen Sui's control cannon.
Those dual cannons were somewhat suspicious. Simos sensed the temperature of the cannon fire and directly dodged.
"Chen Sui has been covering her chest the whole time. Commander, I think it should be with her," Xin Ming, watching Chen Sui's movements as she dodged surrounding stray bullets, thought that although the movement wasn't obvious, she still seemed to be primarily protecting the cockpit position.
Zhang Yingjie's eyes sank, "Understood, I'm coming over right away."
Xin Ming nodded, pressing her palm down: "Ghost Flower."
She was the first to summon her spirit body. Vines traversed from the ground, capturing Chen Sui's mecha, immediately pursuing upward.
A deep black large-headed flower drilled out from the ground. The pistil bloomed, revealing deep black stigmas with golden yellow pollen above. The petals trembled, opening and closing around.
The vines on Ghost Flower's branches carried swift wind sounds, directly encircling Chen Sui's mecha.
"Wood-Born Flower."
Chen Sui's path was blocked by Ghost Flower.
She spun to avoid the curling vines, her foot stepping on a thick black vine. As the vine curled toward her, the Wood-Born Flower giant tree figure stood majestically behind her, its vines below directly entangling with Ghost Flower.
"I've started on my end," Chen Sui spoke in the Zhu Jing Fu team channel, "I estimate they all think the device is with me."
Her previous few fake movements had been somewhat difficult to perform.
Chen Sui usually fought without regard for anything, but this time she had to pretend to protect the cockpit position.
"Who's next?"
Zhou Chen was eager to act.
Gu Qinxue responded: "Me, not you."
Zhou Chen didn't need to act; his performance wasn't about pretending the device was on him.
Chen Sui watched Wood-Born Flower's vines block Ghost Flower. The black gas from Ghost Flower spread along, directly turning the jade green branches into a mixture of green and black.
As the black gas permeated, Chen Sui felt Wood-Born Flower's energy being affected. This dark attribute energy made her mental domain somewhat unstable. Chen Sui shook her head: "Xin Ming should spend less time with Zhang Yingjie, the dark attribute is almost ingrained."
She said softly.
However, behind Xin Ming, Ghost Flower's figure was gradually replaced by another huge black shadow.
"Dark attribute summoning body," Chen Sui's gaze focused. It was an exquisite doll with hollow eyes and a wooden sculptured body moving stiffly. Those white eyes looked toward Chen Sui's position.
"Elizabeth, impact."
Xin Ming's voice was gentle.
But the attack of the dark puppet summoning body was not so gentle. The dark attribute wave rushed directly toward Chen Sui's position. Black mist spread, confusing aura pervading. Chen Sui's vision was filled with black, light dimmed, her perception momentarily dulled.
Wood-Born Flower's vines shuttled and twined around her hand.
"If it were earlier, this method could indeed have stopped me," Chen Sui said softly. The long spear swayed in the black mist, a cold light flashed. As her perception and vision were blurred, Simos and He Lanxiu's cannons rushed out from both sides.
"Boom!!"
A huge explosion erupted from the black mist, fire breaking through the black haze.
Gazes from all around looked toward the central position.
"If this can't hit Chen Sui, then I really have no way."
Simos, having fired a fully charged shot, tugged at his mecha's pull ring.
Na Luo River's strong attacker pulled at the corner of his mouth and smiled.