Section 379: The Cultivation Battle (Part 2)
"How are the preparations?" A voice sounded in the secret chamber, ethereal and ghostlike.
"Everything is ready, awaiting only your command," came an exceedingly humble reply.
The chamber fell into complete silence, as if the two who had just spoken had already departed. A full ten minutes passed before the first voice spoke again, now filled with weariness and reluctance: "I fear that after this all-out assault, all our forces on Tuomu Star will have to retreat. Decades of effort... all gone to waste." After several more minutes of silence, he waved his hand dismissively and said flatly, "Go."
"Yes!" The man before him bowed deeply and withdrew from the secret chamber.
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Green City remained as bustling as ever. The events of the past few days were far more interesting than usual. Whether it was the idolized expert Luo Shi or the mysterious Cultivator, they made perfect topics for casual conversation over tea.
But no one could have anticipated that an unprecedented Cultivation battle was about to commence at that very moment.
"Qi Wei, alongside colleagues from Tuomu Star, requests the esteemed gentleman to come down for a discussion." Qi Wei's voice was not loud, but it carried substantial force. Pei Lidu stood beside him, hands tucked into his sleeves, his expression wooden and detached.
Ye Zhong appeared at the window and looked down.
This was the first time Ye Zhong had shown himself at the window. It was summer, and the window consisted merely of several wooden grilles carved with various patterns. However, a Cultivator's appearance was the least reliable thing about them; they were a group most fond of using all sorts of potions to alter their looks. Everyone knew this wasn't the true face of the mysterious Cultivator, and no one showed the slightest underestimation because of this seemingly youthful visage.
Watching the group below with vigilance, Ye Zhong didn't recognize a single one of them. Not understanding what was happening, he decided not to bother with these people. He'd be better off spending that time on his research.
Just as he was about to speak, suddenly, a black-clad man beside the one who had spoken, Qi Wei, shot out two red streaks from his hands. Swift as lightning, they shot straight towards Ye Zhong's face!
From the very beginning, Ye Zhong had remained on high alert. His reaction was extremely fast; he threw his weight back violently at the waist, his upper body bending backwards as if his torso had snapped in half.
Pat! Pat! Two light sounds echoed as the two red streaks hit the wooden grilles of the window, instantly shattering two of them into pieces, sending splinters flying. The two red streaks, their momentum unchecked, shot into the room.
From the corner of his eye, Ye Zhong had seen these two red beams, about the thickness of a thumb, moving with lightning speed. Despite the sudden attack, Ye Zhong didn't panic in the slightest. He rolled on the floor, and the wooden spear from the carpet was already in his hand.
Qi Wei had originally intended to question the mysterious Cultivator face-to-face, never expecting Pei Lidu to strike preemptively. He turned to glance at Pei Lidu, who said calmly, "Brother Qi, no need to look at me so hastily. Since we've made a move, it's best not to leave loose ends." His words carried a veiled reminder to Qi Wei: since they had already made an enemy, hesitation at this point was unwise.
Although Qi Wei was very displeased with Pei Lidu's actions, he knew the man was right. Once one side had struck, it was likely a fight to the death.
"Brother Pei is indeed thoughtful," Qi Wei responded flatly, but his hands moved swiftly. Seeing Qi Wei take action, the other Cultivators also quickly retrieved their cultivation items.
Guang Wei stood behind the crowd as if turned to wood, his body trembling slightly. But everyone was too busy dealing with the mysterious Cultivator to notice his strange behavior.
Heavens! What had he just seen? Guang Wei couldn't help but inwardly groan. Although the mysterious figure had appeared at the window for less than three seconds, he had seen it clearly! The string of Flying Thread Silver Chains hanging around the mysterious Cultivator's neck... he had dreamed countless times of encountering them himself.
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Ye Zhong stared fixedly at the two red streaks, cold sweat instantly beading densely on his forehead.
Springthread Snakes! They were actually two Springthread Snakes! Each snake was about the thickness of a thumb, their bodies covered in dense red patterns, making them appear a dark red overall. On their foreheads was a hard, dark brown pointed horn. Their bodies were like springs, highly elastic, and their method of attack was unique.
The two Springthread Snakes slithered leisurely on the floor, occasional chi chi sounds emanating from them, but their four dark red beady eyes were fixed intently on Ye Zhong.
Ye Zhong didn't dare to be distracted in the slightest! He had never imagined that anyone could rear such terrifying creatures; even in Pipe Madman's data chips, there was no mention of any methods for raising such beings.
All his muscles were slightly tensed. The leaves covering the wooden spear had already been torn off by him, the dark black spearhead pointing directly at the two Springthread Snakes.
Pat! The two Springthread Snakes suddenly shot out simultaneously towards opposite sides.
Damn it! Ye Zhong cursed inwardly, immediately guessing the snakes' intent. Almost at the same time, he pushed off with the balls of his feet, charging straight towards one of them.
He had seen the Springthread Snakes' launching process clearly, and in his mind, the danger level of these two snakes immediately rose by a grade. The moment the Springthread Snakes launched, their abdomens pressed against the ground and then sprang up, their entire bodies like tightly compressed springs suddenly released. The speed was incredibly fast, startling even Ye Zhong, who was highly proficient in speed himself.
These two Springthread Snakes were exceptionally clever. They didn't charge directly at Ye Zhong but instead headed for the walls on either side of him. Just as they were about to hit the walls, they suddenly raised the front part of their bodies, the part contacting the wall being their soft abdomens.
Pat! Another light sound echoed as the snake's abdomen suddenly exerted force, its speed drastically increasing!
The two Springthread Snakes closed in on Ye Zhong from two different directions.
Ye Zhong never expected the Springthread Snakes to change direction so abruptly. The accelerated snakes moved with terrifying speed. As they flew through the air, their bodies stretched out, the pointed horns on their foreheads like arrowheads.
Caught off guard, Ye Zhong had no choice but to helplessly cross the wooden spear in front of his chest.
Pat! The red light accurately struck the shaft of the wooden spear in Ye Zhong's hand. Ye Zhong's hand trembled, the spear almost flying from his grasp. The red light shot backwards at an even faster speed.
It had used his own spear for leverage! Ye Zhong's shock intensified, but there was no time for contemplation now. His original plan had been to take out one snake before they could encircle him. He hadn't anticipated the Springthread Snakes' bizarre attack methods. His tactical intent foiled, he quickly found himself in peril.
Ye Zhong had first encountered information about Springthread Snakes back in the Five Major Star Domains, in a data room on the virtual net. At the time, he had merely been curious. He never imagined he would one day face such ferocious creatures himself.
Pushing off sharply with his toes, Ye Zhong twisted his body, a red streak narrowly grazing past his waist.
If anyone had witnessed this scene, they would have been utterly astonished. Two red streaks darted chaotically around the room, their speed increasing rapidly. Gradually, a net of red light began to form within the room. The trailing ends of the red light net constantly dissipated, but it multiplied at an even faster rate. Within this net of red light, a blurred gray shadow flitted about, equally elusive and hard to discern.
The two Springthread Snakes continuously used the walls and corners for leverage to accelerate. Moreover, they were extremely cunning, preferring to attack Ye Zhong from behind. As their speed gradually increased, it became increasingly difficult for Ye Zhong to track their movements.
The red afterimages in his eyes grew longer and longer, the once clear snake bodies beginning to blur.
Faced with unprecedented danger, Ye Zhong's concentration reached an extreme peak.
Suddenly, it was as if he had returned to the past, to that time in the virtual net when he piloted the Sky Shuttle, practicing blocking the overwhelming swarm of white light orbs in the consciousness training center. Only back then, he was inside a mecha, and now he held only a wooden spear. Then, he faced virtual light orbs that couldn't actually harm him, but now he faced two Springthread Snakes that could take his life at any moment.
The difference between real combat and practice was vast.
His elusive, phantom-like figure gradually became more substantial.
Ye Zhong was forced into a corner. He no longer had much time to maneuver. The speed of the Springthread Snakes was almost exceeding the critical value his eyes could track.
He didn't have a single spare moment for even the most minor ineffective movement. Whether it was his hands or any other part of his body, Ye Zhong moved along the shortest and most efficient paths. There were no superfluous actions whatsoever. He exerted himself to the utmost; both his blood flow rate and breathing reached astonishing levels.
He was drenched in sweat, but he seemed completely unaware of it. In the time it took for a drop of sweat to fall from his forehead to the ground, he needed to execute nearly seventy blocks. He didn't know if this number represented the human limit, but he knew it was his own limit.
Yet even so, each block was perilously close. The impact force brought by the high speed was unparalleled. Ye Zhong's arms were already sore and numb; each collision between the Springthread Snakes and the wooden spear felt like a heavy hammer blow.
Gritting his teeth tightly, Ye Zhong was almost blocking purely on instinct.
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"Brother Qi, no need to worry." Pei Lidu, who had been on high alert moments before, now appeared relaxed and leisurely. He smiled slightly, though his smile held a trace of ferocity. "Even a Martial Arts Master would find it difficult to escape alive from the speed of the Springthread Snakes. No matter how powerful the one inside is, he's merely a Cultivator." He pointed at Ye Zhong's residence, his expression calm.
Qi Wei's face changed. In fact, not only Qi Wei, but everyone who heard this paled visibly. Someone even exclaimed in shock, "Springthread Snakes?... Heavens... So it's Springthread Snakes!" They had all seen the two red streaks of light, but none had imagined they were actually Springthread Snakes.
Pei Lidu didn't respond, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, an indescribable arrogance in his demeanor.
Throwing a complicated glance at Pei Lidu, Qi Wei said nothing, merely putting away the cultivation items he had taken out. With ferocious creatures like the Springthread Snakes, the Cultivator inside was surely doomed. However, after this battle, the prestige of the Night Fragrance School was bound to soar, Qi Wei thought to himself. Many others shared this thought, and they all put away their cultivation items. But many were secretly speculating: since Pei Lidu could handle it alone, why drag everyone here? Could there be some hidden agenda?
Behind the crowd, Guang Wei's face instantly turned deathly pale.