The entire hatch suddenly exploded outward, a tidal force surging out like a rampaging flood, the cold air, sharp as blades, immediately striking the armored man.
From within the ruptured hatch, a crimson figure slowly rose, planting a scarlet claw onto the edge of the frame.
The armored man's expression stiffened, turning visibly unpleasant.
From a distance, Ye Chen noticed that this crimson figure was, astonishingly, a monster the size of an elephant, entirely blood-red, resembling a Qilin. It was covered in fine, scale-like armor, with wisps of scarlet energy floating up from the scales, swirling around the fierce beast, giving it an ethereal and enigmatic appearance.
Unlike a traditional Qilin, however, this beast’s eyes were crimson, brimming with savage intent, and three sharp black horns jutted proudly toward the heavens from its head.
The one feeling the impact most profoundly was the armored man, now being stared down by the malevolent creature. He felt an icy chill permeate his body; in those pair of scarlet pupils, he seemed to see his own reflection, and a surging, vast killing intent locked onto his entire form, suggesting that a single careless movement would see him torn to shreds without a trace remaining!
He had lived a life born in bloodshed and death, selected as a Blood Warrior by Samsher from the slaughterfields—a man who had drunk more blood than most men drank water—yet he had never experienced a sensation as utterly chilling as this!
“Roar!” The fierce beast glared malevolently at the armored man, letting out a low growl, then shot forward. It was as if the creature had teleported, appearing instantly before the armored man, its speed like lightning. Even Ye Chen, who had activated his Superman Mode at a distance, felt only a momentary blur before his eyes.
Every hair on the armored man’s body stood on end. In terror, he raised his arm, intending to resist, but saw a cavernous, bloody maw widening in his vision. The next moment, his sight went black, and the world darkened around him.
Crunch! Crunch!
The sound of crushing bone resonated softly, slowly, through the hushed realm, as if a diner were leisurely savoring a meal. Even the unpredictable, swirling clouds overhead seemed to hold their breath, ceasing their chaotic turning.
The vile beast chewed slowly on the armored man’s upper torso. After a while, seemingly having finished the top half, it tilted its head back and drew the lower half of the body into its mouth, chewing deliberately once more.
Whoosh!
A crimson battle saber slipped from the armored man’s hand, falling downward until it vanished into the surrounding mist.
Ye Chen and Samsher froze simultaneously, as if their bodies had been suddenly immobilized, standing rigidly in place. The expressions on their faces shifted, turning somewhat ashen.
Although the armored man’s strength was somewhat inferior to theirs, he was still an exceptionally formidable figure. Yet, here he was, being treated as mere food by this vile beast, swallowed whole without even a chance to fight back—a clear indication that the beast’s true power far surpassed that of both of them.
Samsher’s palms were slick with cold sweat, his lips pale. The veins on the back of his hand, gripping his spear, throbbed visibly. The thought that Ye Chen actually harbored such a terrifying beast made his blood run cold. If they were forced to fight together, would he even survive? [Provided by Poxiao Shenling, first published on Baidu]
Ye Chen maintained an outwardly composed expression, but inwardly, he was extremely tense. He had no idea where this ferocious beast had come from or why it had burst out of the Rune Ship. If it had appeared while he was previously in seclusion, he surely would have met his end in its belly.
Just then, the beast finished masticating and swallowing the armored man’s body. It shook its massive head, its bell-like scarlet eyes sweeping toward the two figures suspended in the sky. Its left eye reflected Samsher’s image, while its right reflected Ye Chen. It suddenly let out a low snarl and charged directly at Ye Chen.
Samsher was inwardly shocked: “This beast is definitely going to team up now! If I don’t leave, it will be too late!” Without another word, he swiftly spun around and fled. Perhaps it was the sheer terror radiating from the beast, but he failed to notice the subtle change in Ye Chen’s expression—which had turned rather pale upon seeing the beast charge—a look ill-suited for confronting an ally.
Swish!
Samsher bolted into the distance, transforming into a point of light and vanishing before his Superman Mode even concluded.
Ye Chen had no time to concern himself with Samsher. He clenched his fist, watching the red-scaled beast hurtle toward him. Without hesitation, he immediately activated Ghost God Mode and brought forth the Rune Space, preparing to dive inside to evade the attack.
At that precise moment—the red-scaled beast had barely taken a few steps when its body suddenly locked up. It convulsed twice, wobbled slightly, and then tumbled down from mid-air, collapsing as if the sky itself were flat ground beneath it.
Ye Chen, who was just about to step into the Rune Space, paused, blinking in surprise, then frowned thoughtfully. He pointed his left hand forward, unleashing 100 points of Ghost Qi to condense a sharp black spike, an attack equivalent to the full power of a first-tier Ghost God Realm expert!
As he prepared to launch the spike, the red-scaled beast suddenly radiated an eerie crimson light that enveloped its entire body. The light then rapidly shrunk, and moments later, as the glow dissipated, a small, fluffy, pure white rabbit lay prone in the air.
Ye Chen stood stunned for a moment; the Ghost Spike in his hand dissipated on its own. He moved instantly, darting forward, and snatched the little rabbit up, testing its weight. He found it was already unconscious.
“Sha-sha-sha-sha... Sha Xing!” The old man with the green rune trembled violently as he floated out of the Rune Ship, cold sweat pouring down his body, his frame shaking. “Wh-what is this vile beast? Where did it come from?”
Ye Chen frowned deeply, fixing the old man with a sharp gaze. “What happened here?”
The green-rune elder stammered, “After you left, it suddenly went berserk. Its body swelled up, its fur stood on end like steel needles, and then it transformed into the form you just saw…” He trailed off, glancing at the little white rabbit cradled in Ye Chen’s arms, his eyes betraying undisguised terror.
Ye Chen paused, then slowly knitted his brow. He looked down at the small rabbit in his hand, pondering for a moment. With a sweep of his palm, he absorbed the adjacent ancient Babylonian magic ship into the Fire Civilization Space, then stepped inside the Rune Ship.
Samsher had left in such a hurry that he hadn't even retrieved the Babylonian ship. Most likely, he had assumed that if the Rune Ship could be smashed open by the beast, the sturdier Babylonian vessel wouldn't stand a chance either.
Once inside the ship, he deactivated his Superman Mode and instructed the green-rune elder, “Track that person from before.”
The green-rune elder eyed the white rabbit in Ye Chen’s hand with apprehension, then nodded without a word and hurried toward the control room.
Ye Chen gently stroked the little rabbit, recalling the scene of its appearance, and his brow furrowed.
“Could it be that this little white rabbit is that prehistoric vile beast?”
“But the prehistoric vile beast clearly died, its skeleton was…”
Ye Chen vaguely sensed that this little rabbit was not as simple as it appeared. After a long silence, he sighed softly, dismissed the thought, placed the little rabbit into the Fire Civilization Space, and walked to the ship’s edge. “Did you track him?” he asked the green-rune elder.
The elder quickly replied, “There is a city ahead, with a large population. Unless he has hidden inside some palace designed to resist detection, I can locate him.”
Ye Chen nodded slightly.
A moment later.
“I found him!” The green-rune elder stared at the detection screen with delight. “He has hidden in the basement of that city.”
Ye Chen frowned, contemplating for a moment. “Provoke him out.”
“Consider it done!” The green-rune elder, remembering Samsher’s arrogance from before, sneered inwardly. He piloted the Rune Ship directly above the sprawling base city. Through the loudspeakers, he bellowed, “Hey, whatever ‘Alliance Master’ you are, your grandpa is here! Get out and kowtow, and I might spare your life!”
The booming voice spread across the entire base city. At that moment, everyone in the city, from the street vendors to the clerks recording notes in their halls, heard it clearly and were instantly astonished.
In this city, the Heavenly God Alliance Master was a god-like existence; even looking up at him was a luxury. And now this person dared to openly issue such a challenge?
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several figures shot up from the city below. One shouted, “Who are you—” But before he could finish, a laser beam shot out from the Rune Ship, as fast as lightning.
Boom!
The laser, like a consuming fire, pierced the man’s body directly, blasting him into nothingness.
The green-rune elder looked utterly contemptuous. “Make your master come out! Is that Samsher trying to be a shrinking turtle? Let me tell you, our boss is here! Do you know who he is? That’s right—Ye Chen, the founder of Brightness Base City!” As he spoke, he winked at Ye Chen with extreme sycophancy.
Ye Chen glanced at him sideways, remaining silent.
The green-rune elder paid him no mind and continued his performance. “I’m telling you, our Brightness Base City has come to collect! Hurry and make Samsher come out to face death! We don’t have time to wait. If he comes out to commit suicide as an apology, that would be best…”
The crowd below was left gaping, utterly bewildered by the pronouncement.
“Brightness Base City?”
“Ye Chen?”
“Didn’t the Alliance Master lead armies to attack Brightness Base City before?”
“Alas, word was he defeated them, and now the enemy has tracked them down.”
Everyone began to murmur, filled with various forms of doubt.
In the depths of the base city, within an elliptical metal chamber.
This chamber was oval-shaped and designed to launch into space in critical moments. It was an aircraft left over from a prehistoric civilization, meaning its material was naturally incredibly tough.
Samsher paced nervously back and forth in the living quarters.
Knock, knock!
An American youth rushed in from outside, urgently reporting, “Alliance Master, someone outside is shouting challenges. They claim to be the founder of Brightness Base City and are demanding you come out.”
“Just as I thought!” Samsher’s face darkened. “That man is despicable; he keeps a vile beast captive! Our Vice-Master was killed by that beast. My Superman Mode has ended now; how can I go out?”
The American youth was anxious. “But, the other giants of the Federation are expressing discontent with your actions, saying you shouldn't have provoked such a formidable enemy, and now that you have, you won't resolve it…”
The Heavenly God Alliance was, after all, a coalition of base cities from several countries—a circle where the top giants from every nation gathered—known as the Federation.
Samsher burst into a fit of bitter laughter. “Expressing discontent with me? Hmph. Those good-for-nothings were all scrambling to offer strategies when we planned to attack Brightness Base City. Now they dare to talk back? Do they think I can’t deal with them too?”
The American youth stood silently to the side, head bowed.
Samsher’s expression turned icy. He waved his hand dismissively. “Tell those cowards that if they want to go, they can go themselves. If they keep whining behind my back again, watch out for their own lives!”
The American youth gave a wry smile, hesitated as if to say more, but ultimately turned and left.