novelraw Chapter 68 : White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain
Chapter 68 : White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain
"Energy fluctuations are normal," she instinctively said.
Xie Chunshi nodded, "Pay attention to the environment, continue advancing."
The mechas propelled through the seawater, leaving a light blue trail behind them, with the water surging in their wake.
On the way to the West Base Station, Chen Sui was reporting materials and resources in the team channel. They had roamed through three sea domains, not only taking resources, but also collecting many materials from the White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain.
The barrage commented on this, but there was one point they couldn't deny.
[They might be extravagant with materials, but I have to say, Chen Sui really knows her stuff—not one cheap item]
[White Sunken Sand is only found in the White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain. What can you do but buy it!]
[Seriously, how long have they practiced in private? That cutting technique for cold nitrate couldn't be more standard]
[Zhou Chen, the man who complained about dying from dizziness, could barely walk steady, yet managed to mine all the White Sunken Sand]
[Zhu Jing Fu, you can't say they're poor... they don't want cheap stuff, but you can't say they're extravagant... they've scavenged all the way to the energy field...]
[Here's a joke: I checked, and currently Zhu Jing Fu has the most resources in the entire competition field, while Saint Laurent has the highest points]
[??]
[Wait, Na Luo River has been fighting for five days, eliminating so many teams, why does Saint Laurent have the highest points?]
[Go look at Saint Laurent's perspective and you'll understand. Na Luo River plays it straight, but Saint Laurent is sneaky—they kill people in secret, then put on a show, tricking more people to come]
[They act, pretending to fight after eliminations, attracting more people, then continuing to fight and act. The most bizarre thing is, they always fight near Na Luo River, secretly sniping. Na Luo River is working for Saint Laurent]
[Noya's heart is so dirty. Xie You almost wants to fight with Saint Laurent. Luckily Zhang Yingjie arrived—now there's a three-way battle at the West Base Station]
[It's fine, Saint Laurent is out of energy. They're about to leave. Noya is still acting. If Xie You attacks now, he might eliminate Saint Laurent]
[Na Luo River didn't attack, Saint Laurent left]
[Golden Tower is going there now, folks. Don't be too funny, four of the seven schools are there]
[Zhu Jing Fu, hurry over! First Ring Fourth Academy is there! I want to see Gu Qinxue fight Gu Lingke!]
[Something's not right. Why is it getting darker as Zhu Jing Fu advances? Isn't it daylight already?]
White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain, sixth day of the elimination match, 8:00 AM.
Xie Chunshi's movements suddenly stopped. He signaled to the mechas behind: "Turn off the mecha lights."
The five mechas' illumination lights dimmed one after another.
As the dazzling light disappeared, the surroundings fell into complete darkness, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
"It's strange," Chen Sui's voice came from the center, "The energy fluctuations around are very weak, but at our current depth, it's already daytime. This visibility level is impossible."
"Huh? It's already daytime?" Zhou Chen reached out to feel around.
Chen Sui's fluctuations spread out again, finally detecting the anomaly.
"Look up."
She said softly.
Her calm tone made Zhou Chen look up without any caution, using the mecha's faint light to illuminate above, followed by an explosive "holy shit."
"What is this?! No wonder there are no fish in the sea—they're all above?!"
As his light turned, everyone around could see that what covered the surrounding sea area, with an extremely large area blocking the sunlight, was actually layer upon layer of dense fish schools.
They were packed tightly together, extremely dense, like sardines pressed into a can.
Zhou Chen's light swept into the distance, unable to see the end.
"How many fish are there? Who's so good at fishing!"
Zhou Chen said somewhat enviously.
Chen Sui glanced at him, quietly expanding her energy perception: "Good news, the fish are all low-level energy bodies, causing almost no energy level fluctuation."
"Bad news, they've cultivated an energy body group ahead."
Red flashing energy fluctuations lit up in the team channel—there were at least dozens of S-level energy body fish schools around.
S-level isn't scary.
Piles of S-level are a bit scary.
Even Zhou Chen unconsciously swallowed: "Honestly, can we still escape now?"
Chen Sui continued: "Pray for another Sky Pillar, maybe there's hope."
Zhou Chen seemed to consider whether sitting in the Sky Pillar or fighting energy body groups was more uncomfortable.
Then he set up his cannon with a righteous air: "No need for the Sky Pillar to intervene. I can—urgh—I can fight! I can take on ten!"
Just mentioning the Sky Pillar triggered a physiological reaction.
However, in the next second after his bold claim, the surrounding seawater suddenly became turbulent, surging violently, with waves from all directions rushing toward Zhu Jing Fu's position.
In the darkness, a red light suddenly appeared in the distance, and a red-eyed whale charged out.
Chen Sui quickly set up her cannon. The ice cannon charged quickly, and as the whale opened its giant mouth, rushing toward Zhu Jing Fu, she fired ice bombs into its mouth.
Zhou Chen's high-pressure cannon followed closely, the shell carrying the whale's massive body away. The ice bomb instantly spread from its mouth, freezing the surrounding seawater and the upper half of the whale.
The whale retreated a few meters, its red eyes blinked, and it suddenly bit down.
Crack.
The ice encasement shattered, huge whale teeth shaving off the broken ice. Seawater rushed into its deep, cavernous mouth, washing away the chewed ice fragments.
It emitted a low roar, and in the distance, several pairs of red eyes faintly approached Zhu Jing Fu's position.
The fish school above began to surge rhythmically, circling around Zhu Jing Fu.
"Well done," Chen Sui looked at the red eyes appearing from front, back, left, and right, correcting her earlier thought: "So these fish aren't food."
"We are the food."
Zhou Chen drew his four-sided mace, the sound of weapons rubbing together making everyone look over.
Seeing the lightning on the four-sided mace, Chen Sui pressed his hand: "Stay calm, don't discharge electricity."
Zhou Chen found it hard to stay calm: "F*ck, it's drooling at us!"
The giant whale that had just been bombarded had a fluid flowing from the corner of its mouth, dissolving into the seawater, appearing to be drool.
But Chen Sui knew: "It's the confusion effect of pure blood."
Xie Chunshi glanced at the top, using the faint light from their weapons to observe that the fish school above still covered deeply. But large-scale battles in the deep sea were limited—the power of artillery would be partially dissipated by the high-pressure seawater, and the energy attributes of Zhou Chen and Gu Qinxue were both restrained by the surrounding water-attribute energy.
"Let's go ashore."
Xie Chunshi quickly made a decision.
The instant his words fell, a layer of solid ice spread from Zhu Jing Fu's encirclement.
The roaming fish schools' movements stiffened.
A frost flower abruptly appeared in the seawater ahead.
"Mist."
Chen Sui heard Xie Chunshi call softly.
This was the Team Leader's energy body.
She curiously glanced at Xie Chunshi; only a layer of blue light could be seen around him, without the virtual shadow of a spiritual body appearing.
His degree of resonance with his spiritual body was sufficient to utilize a large amount of energy without summoning it.
The moment the frost flower condensed, an ice-blue barrier instantly froze the seawater. The fish school was frozen solid, like a sapphire floating in the sea.
"Surface."
As soon as Xie Chunshi's command was issued.
The five members of Zhu Jing Fu pushed their propulsion devices to maximum. As the solid ice was pushed by energy toward the encircling giant whales, columns of air jets shot through the seawater, the mecha figures quickly resisting the high pressure of the seawater, advancing upward.
Near the sea surface, the energy around Xie Chunshi spread outward.
Chen Sui sensed a strong fluctuation, estimated to be SSS-level based on the level. She looked at Xie Chunshi in surprise.
As the blue light floating from his fingertips drifted out like fluorescence, the chaotic fish school on the sea surface was instantly frozen. The originally magnificent sea surface was suddenly covered with a layer of ice blue, forming a stark contrast with the rolling seawater around.
A crack was opened in the ice layer by blue energy.
Several mechas followed the passage, leaping out of the sea surface, flipping over and landing on the floating ice layer.
Xie Chunshi pulled up Puluo, a wave of his hand sealing the sea surface.
The ice layer was struck by the fish school, causing the Zhu Jing Fu school team standing on it to sway.
The sea surface presented a dark expanse, with shadowy giant shark figures swimming visible below.
Just as they landed, Chen Sui shook the seawater off her mecha, looking up at the boundless sea surface: "We're still three nautical miles from the base station. This route we're taking, there should be teams passing by heading to the base station or preparing to leave."
Xie Chunshi nodded, watching the waves beneath being stirred by the fish school.
A giant whale suddenly leaped from the seabed, crashing onto the sea surface with a loud bang. The five mechas grabbed left and right, sliding sideways as the ice surface tilted.
The rocking floating sensation made everyone somewhat irritable.
"If they want to jump out so badly, let them jump."
Chen Sui's gaze focused on the fish school below, her voice somewhat cold and harsh, "Let's play whack-a-mole on the sea."
As she spoke, she raised her ice bomb.
Xie Chunshi understood, signaling everyone to prepare, "Alright."
Just as the fish school below leaped up again, preparing to crash, Xie Chunshi controlled energy to dissolve a circle of ice layer. A giant whale's body quickly leaped out of the sea surface, its huge mouth open wide, pouncing toward the mecha.
Before it could land on the ice surface, a fire whip lashed from the side, thorns piercing into its flesh.
The giant whale was forcibly stopped.
Before it could roll over, a cannon faced it directly, the high-pressure shell exploding on its body, exposing large areas of internal organs and fish bones.
Chen Sui's ice bomb was poised to fire, but she suddenly paused.
Gu Qinxue, not getting the rhythm, turned back to call her: "Suisui?"
Chen Sui quickly switched her cannon for a spear. The long spear swept out a red shadow, white light with red streamers, thrusting forward and downward at an angle. The long spear pierced the huge whale, entering through the fish belly, passing through fishbones and fins, pinning it dead to the ice surface.
The giant whale's red eyes widened, ice spikes flying out around. Chen Sui merely raised her hand, and flames suddenly blazed, engulfing the mecha. A fierce flame followed the long spear, directly burning up the fish's body.
Boom!!
The flames exploded with powerful burning, melting the surrounding ice spikes. Even the bottom ice layer showed signs of melting, stabilized by Xie Chunshi's renewed energy stimulation.
The burning giant whale's flesh made a sizzling sound. As the raging fire rose, layers of oil flowed on the ice surface amidst the dancing flames.
Chen Sui suddenly withdrew her spear, quickly slicing along the giant whale's fin. Blood splattered on her mecha.
Her hand held the bloody fin, with fierce flames rising behind her. The giant whale's body completely turned into a pile of embers, leaving only a large skeleton burned to ashen white, and a blue crystal in the ashes.
Chen Sui tossed the fin onto the ice surface, "Blue fin, high-grade mecha material," she said, then picked up the energy crystal from the ashes, tossed it to Zhou Chen, and picked up the fish bones herself, "To-Water Fish Bone."
She didn't need to introduce them; everyone present might not have seen the raw material version, but they had definitely used or heard of these names.
To-Water Fish Bone, in mecha materials, could be compared to Year-Cold Bone.
Year-Cold Bone was a high-grade material for mecha frames, while To-Water Fish Bone was a high-grade material for energy-focusing weapons.
The barrage, seeing her rinse the blood off the blue fin with seawater, immediately boiled over.
[Blue fin, help! This kind of material needs to be harvested early, otherwise it will be absorbed along with the energy body]
[Blue fin is one of the mecha shell materials, right? It's said to have strong aura-shielding ability! Combined with high agility effect, it's like an assassin walking through an energy field]
[Don't know why, but once assassination assassin is mentioned, I think of Zhou Chen assassinating someone named Gu]
[To-Water Fish Bone ahhh!!]
[What a fine To-Water Fish Bone, no wonder Chen Sui didn't fire her cannon. If this fish bone breaks, its effect would be greatly reduced. Such a complete skeleton, how much would it sell for?!!]
Chen Sui answered this question.
"This single skeleton could sell for five hundred thousand."
This number was truly ear-deafening.
Gu Qinxue slowly retracted her thorny fire whip, looking at the deep black clusters in the seabed, poised to surround and attack them.
Zhou Chen raised an eyebrow, rubbing his hands: "Good fish, afraid we couldn't find them, so they delivered themselves."
He had none of his earlier irritation and impatience. Now his eyes looked at the fish school as if seeing walking star currency cards.
Chen Sui nodded seriously, counting the number of fish schools: "Selling this group would bring in more than all we found with hard work in the past two days."
Her words were faithfully transmitted to the main control room by the live broadcast equipment.
Ji Qing carefully looked at Mo Qiu'an beside him.
The woman laughed from extreme anger, seeing Zhu Jing Fu setting their sights on the fish school. She helplessly spread her hands on the table: "These people... won't spare any valuable thing in the White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain!"
If in the previous days Mo Qiu'an could still watch Zhu Jing Fu searching for resources with amusement, and even praise their technique for draining pure blood on the island, now this head of the Energy Field Management Department couldn't remain calm at all.
To-Water Fish Bone and Blue Fin were the most precious resources in the White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain!
Watching Zhu Jing Fu begin to use energy to lure fish schools out of the sea surface, then one person controlling with a whip, one person bombarding with artillery, one person cutting fins and extracting crystals with a spear, and the foot soldier on the side skillfully storing the undamaged To-Water Fish Bone, Mo Qiu'an felt her blood pressure rising.
"Are we just going to let them strip the White Sand Sky Pillar bare?"
She anxiously released the numbers of newborn fish schools in the White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain.
Each energy field had its own newborn and elimination targets to maintain stable energy field levels, as well as to exchange resources from within the energy field for the annual funding invested in the energy field by the management department.
Now, with the most valuable resources in the White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain being looted empty, Mo Qiu'an had a severe headache. This meant the White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain would be in a state of loss for a prolonged period.
Ji Qing sensed her agitation.
Zhu Jing Fu was like an assembly line: the Commander opened passageways, the strong attacker limited movement, the agile attacker pinned down the energy body, the analyst extracted crystals and materials, and the foot soldier collected.
This coordination was even higher than when they slew the water-dwelling frogs and surrounded other teams on the island.
He couldn't help but think that Zhu Jing Fu had finally become twisted under the council's long-term resource suppression, now not missing any opportunity to fleece.
Mo Qiu'an looked at the energy fluctuation distribution before and after from the management department for the White Sand Sky Pillar Sea Domain, as well as the usable resource distribution. Seeing her assistant report that usable resources had decreased by 32%, she felt her vision blacken.
The mischief-makers in the barrage, seeing this, apart from laughing, were instigating Mo Qiu'an to find Zhu Jing Fu's school team teacher Yan Mingyu for a real fight.
Ji Qing coughed lightly: "Director Mo, it's alright, this is just one energy field in the White Sand Sea Domain. In the next few competitions, the format won't let them have leisure time; they won't have time to do these things."
Ji Qing didn't realize that he seemed to be assuming Zhu Jing Fu would enter the subsequent formal league, speaking of "competitions" rather than "a competition."
Mo Qiu'an caught his meaning. Seeing Zhu Jing Fu methodically allocating tasks, her expression also softened.
"Hope it's as Master Ji says," she exhaled, watching Zhu Jing Fu stuff their spatial buttons full, feeling somewhat heart-attacked.
She had tolerated the S-level energy field. In Zhu Jing Fu's subsequent high-level energy field competitions, they really shouldn't do these things anymore—her blood pressure couldn't withstand such stimulation.
Meanwhile, on the sea surface, under Xie Chunshi's energy control, the Zhu Jing Fu team, treating S-level energy bodies like whack-a-mole targets, was methodically processing the giant whale that had just surfaced.
Chen Sui skillfully burned with fire, Puluo lifted the fish bones from the embers in one go, and stuffed them into the spatial button.
After finishing, everyone patted their hands. Zhou Chen charged his artillery and looked at Xie Chunshi: "Where's the next one?"
Xie Chunshi pressed his palm, blue light slowly dissipating. Chen Sui had just finished processing the blue fin, still crouching at the edge of the ice layer, her vision fixed on the seabed.
"Wait a moment," Xie Chunshi looked toward the others, eyes vigilant. Zhou Chen switched his artillery for weapons, his expression tightening: "What's wrong?"
As his words fell, the ice layer suddenly shook violently.
This shaking was different from the disorderly impacts of giant whales; it was more like... a prelude to the ice layer shattering.
Chen Sui slowly stood up. The ice layer cracked open with a deep-colored mark. Her movements were gentle, trying to maintain balance on the swaying ice surface.
Her gaze crossed the seawater, seemingly seeing a flash of light within the black shadows.
At this moment, underwater, the Saint Laurent team, having just entered a fish school, was being surrounded and attacked by energy bodies.
The huge clam shell virtual image behind the strong attacker closed, raising a giant wave vortex from the seabed. The seawater surged, breaking through the surrounding giant whales, finally converging under the ice layer to form a sharp water drill, violently crashing up against the ice layer.
Two energies collided.
The analyst among the crowd, surrounded by two giant-winged butterflies, seeing the ice layer crack, suddenly looked up, seemingly seeing a green figure on the water's surface.
Two analysts, separated by water and ice layer, marvelously made eye contact.
Saint Laurent's analyst Xue Yaoyao, looking at the standing green mecha, both analysts on the ice layer and under the sea gazing at each other's teams.
Two voices sounded on the ice layer and at the seabed.
"There's a spiritual body fluctuation."
As these words fell, the ice surface cracked in response.
Xie Chunshi, carrying Zhou Chen who was at the center of the crack, moved to stand on the fractured floating ice. Chen Sui stood on an intact ice block. The four members of Zhu Jing Fu spread out, and the center of the ice layer completely shattered. A huge water drill head protruded from the seabed, water still rotating, like a Sky Pillar rising.
But it only left the water surface by less than a meter before spraying water flowers around and plunging back into the sea.
Several mechas shot out from the breached sea surface. As they landed on the ice, an energetic, jubilant male voice sounded.
"Hi, big brothers and sisters! What a coincidence!"
The golden-red mecha flashed dazzling light in the daylight, the black Saint Laurent island's rugged patterns extending on the mecha shell.
The broken ice surface was suddenly crowded with mechas. The frozen fish school floated on the sea surface, showing pale white corpses, being washed by seawater, merging with the energy.
This voice made Chen Sui instinctively think of that adorable, boyish-faced Team Leader from Saint Laurent.
Noya.
Spiritual body Fluorescence, lightning attribute, SSS level.
Zhou Chen, stabilized by Xie Chunshi, hearing this, immediately retorted: "Who's your brother?"
Gu Qinxue on the other side folded her arms, tilting her head slightly, her cold voice calmly saying: "Who's your sister?"
Noya looked around, realizing he had encountered Zhu Jing Fu, inwardly cursing his bad luck, but his face bore a bright smile: "Don't be like that, it's just a little social distancing technique. Long time no see, little brother Zhou Chen, little sister Qinxue!"
Before he could finish speaking, a giant whale suddenly surged from beneath his feet, violently crashing into the ice surface.
Noya was gritting his teeth while trying to get close to Zhu Jing Fu. Seeing this, he hurriedly waved his hand, sending a purple fluorescence floating from his palm toward the giant whale.
The light, like fireflies, floated around the giant whale. Chen Sui saw Noya clench his fist, and the fluorescence instantly connected. Where the light touched, electric light suddenly flashed.
The giant whale struggled violently. The fluorescence fell on its body, instantly burning through the flesh beneath, then like silk threads, deeply penetrating the flesh, completely dividing the giant whale into countless pieces. Blood spread in the water, and the giant whale's energy crystal was wrapped in a ball of electric light.
Noya raised his palm, and the electric light landed in his hand. He casually tossed an energy crystal into his spatial button.
This killing happened so quickly that Chen Sui didn't have time to ask him to preserve the fish bones. In the end, the complete fish bones, along with the giant whale's body, were divided into countless fragments and fell into the water.
"You..."
She started regretfully, just uttering one word before suddenly looking at Zhou Chen and asking in the team channel: "Why doesn't his lightning electrocute teammates?"
Zhou Chen immediately retorted: "Noya's spiritual body is Fluorescence, capable of controlling energy intensity and range. I'm of the big, bold, unrestrained school. We don't do these showy things."
Noya coldly retracted his energy, then instantly put on a sweet smile: "Commander Xie, since we've met by chance, why don't we go to the base station together!"
"The fighting at the base station is so fierce now, you could easily get hurt, and that would be bad. Since we've met, I'll lead you brothers and sisters on a shortcut!"
He spoke with such enthusiasm that if Chen Sui hadn't sensed his earlier savagery, she might have thought he was such an adorable, sunny boy. But now, looking at Noya, her mind only conjured an image of a sesame-filled glutinous rice ball.
You fine-featured little guy, you're definitely plotting something nasty.
Xie Chunshi knew this bargain wasn't so easy to strike. He glanced at the seabed, at the black shadows of the fish school that had scattered and regathered, directly turning the tables: "Commander Noya, why don't Saint Laurent go all the way and help us deal with these energy bodies?"
Noya choked, looking seriously at Xie Chunshi.
Damn, he'd met his match.
This person was even more shameless than him.
He just wanted to trick Zhu Jing Fu for some benefits, but Zhu Jing Fu wanted him to work for free.
"That's not good, is it?" Noya tried to decline politely. "Who would the energy crystals belong to..."
He couldn't care less about S-level energy crystals!
Xie Chunshi acted generously, as if he were taking a loss. First he sighed, then seeming extremely conflicted, thought for a moment before saying: "Since we've met, the energy crystals can belong to Saint Laurent."
The materials would be theirs, that's all.
Materials are rare and more valuable.
Noya was completely speechless, looking somewhat suspiciously at the Zhu Jing Fu school team scattered across the ice surface, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Really? Wouldn't you be at a disadvantage?"
Behind him, the already somewhat impatient analyst clicked her tongue, "I can't stand you guys being so wishy-washy. Why can't you just say what you want?"
The giant-winged double butterflies around her, one red and one blue, had bright patterns on their wings. As they fluttered, phosphorescent powder fell, refracted by sunlight into seven colors, like scattered sparks.
Xue Yaoyao glanced at the green mecha that was counting energy bodies with her head down. Her curiosity about Chen Sui far exceeded that for anyone else in Zhu Jing Fu.
"All the energy crystals belong to us, and you provide the energy for fighting the energy bodies."
Xue Yaoyao took a breath. Noya couldn't stop her, repeatedly calling: "Ancestor! Let me negotiate a bit more!"
Xue Yaoyao pushed away his restraining hand with one move, saying impatiently: "What's there to negotiate? Just say what you want."
Not wanting the energy crystals, yet wanting to fight the energy bodies.
They definitely had other plans.