Chapter 115: The Mutated White Serpent of West Lake, Who Loves Armor Warriors

"Open fire!"

At the command, over a dozen assault rifles spat flames simultaneously, bullets tearing through the air and riddling the lake’s surface with dense trajectories, all striking the white serpent’s scales.

"Ding-ding-ding—"

A series of desperate metallic clangs rang out; the bullets bounced off the scales the instant they made contact, leaving only faint scratches on the snow-white armor.

The detection devices on their bodies blared shrill alarms, the flickering values on their screens turning every face pale.

【Spiritual Energy Level: 2.5 (Continuously Rising)】

The mutated white serpent looked down upon the humans below, its tongue flicking out, instantly filling the air with a damp, fishy stench.

It slowly lifted its tail.

"Splash!"

The calm lake surface erupted into a ten-meter-high wall of water, slamming ashore with crushing force; the Tian Shu Bureau agents were flung like kites with cut strings, crashing hard against distant tree trunks and railings.

"Sss—"

The mutated white serpent flicked its tongue, its cold, vertical pupils slowly scanning the buildings along the shore; people hiding inside the café could even see their own reflections mirrored in those icy serpent eyes.

"Fuck, how the hell did a white serpent end up in West Lake? Who the fuck released it here?"

"You wanna act out the Legend of the White Snake with me? Where’s Xu Xian? Get Xu Xian here to take this ancestor away!"

"What use is Xu Xian? We need Fa Hai! Where’s Fa Hai? Get Fa Hai here to subdue it!"

"Fa Hai isn’t even from Hangcheng."

"."

A chorus of complaints rose from the buildings; they weren’t unafraid—they were just using this to ease their tension, for they had no other option.

Flee?

Staying inside these buildings at least gives you a chance to live; if you run out now and draw the mutated white serpent’s attention, you’ll almost certainly die.

Tian Shu Bureau has been contacted; all they can do now is pray this monster doesn’t attack the buildings.

The mutated white serpent’s pupils suddenly contracted, its tongue quivering as it locked onto one spot: behind an overturned table, a young mother clutched two six-year-old children tightly.

Only two or three minutes had passed since the mutated white serpent appeared; how could everyone possibly have reached the buildings in such a short time?

Not to mention some had slammed their shop doors shut the moment they saw the mutated creature, refusing entry to others; those who hadn’t made it inside could only find relatively hidden spots to hide.

There were others hiding under tables like them—but only this group had drawn the mutated white serpent’s attention.

"Splash."

The mutated white serpent’s thirty-meter-long body slithered through the water, churning waves that slapped the shore; suddenly, a water column as thick as a barrel rose from the lake, sweeping across like a giant’s arm, hurling the coffee table ten meters away, splintering wood flying everywhere.

"Ah!"

The young mother’s terrified scream pierced the air; she instinctively shielded her two children beneath her, but it was meaningless.

"Don’t… please don’t…"

The mother whispered her trembling plea, her weakening arms still stubbornly holding the children, until the boy in her arms suddenly struggled free.

"A Zhao!"

Amid the mother’s cry, the little boy ran to stand before them, his slender frame blocking the way to his mother and sister, arms outstretched, staring firmly at the mutated white serpent.

"Don’t… don’t hurt Mom and my sister!"

The boy’s voice trembled noticeably, yet was unnervingly clear.

He had made a promise with his father: when he wasn’t around, he had to protect his mother and sister.

It was a promise between men, between them.

So he had to keep it.

Then, as if remembering something, he pulled an object from his pocket—it was a gift his father had given him last birthday.

He gripped it tightly, feeling as if his father stood beside him, his fear slowly fading.

The mutated white serpent slowly advanced, its tongue flicking; a hint of human-like indifference flickered in its eyes—it had no interest in this human, or in nearly any human here.

It wanted only the little girl.

Though it didn’t know why the girl attracted it so intensely, it had a premonition: if it devoured her, it could ascend to a higher realm.

A flicker of greed passed through the serpent’s vertical pupils; since devouring one meant devouring, and devouring two meant devouring, why not just swallow all three humans at once?

Besides, this boy was somewhat appealing too—just not as deeply as the girl.

"Sss—!"

With a piercing hiss, the mutated white serpent shot forward like lightning, jaws wide open, fangs glinting coldly; its lunge was too fast for any ordinary person to react.

"No!!!"

People hiding in the buildings screamed in despair; some instinctively closed their eyes, others clamped their children’s eyes shut; the mother strained every ounce of strength to pull the boy back under her, yet could only watch helplessly as the shadow loomed over them.

Just as the stench of death rushed toward them, the moment death was within reach—

"Boom!"

A strange vibration suddenly echoed through the air.

Time seemed to freeze.

The mutated white serpent’s grotesque head hung frozen midair, less than a meter from the three, its crimson tongue still extended, yet unable to move an inch.

"Tap… tap… tap—"

The crisp sound of footsteps was jarringly loud in the silent lakeside.

Ye Xuan had somehow appeared before the mother and children, his black trench coat swaying slightly, his right hand casually in his pocket, the Fire Light Stone already stored in his space ring.

The boy stared blankly at the sudden figure before him, his small body still trembling; Ye Xuan looked down at him, a flicker of admiration in his eyes.

If the man in Bibo City who received the Unlicensed Knight template and the Steel Fighter Insect Yi’s recognition was the first person to earn Ye Xuan’s admiration, then this little boy was the second.

A six-year-old child, stepping forward bravely to stand between his mother and sister in such a crisis.

Even most adults would struggle to do the same.

The next moment, Ye Xuan’s gaze was drawn to the boy’s clenched hand; the child’s palm was small, and though most of the object was hidden, Ye Xuan could still see the exposed part.

It was an action figure of a silver-white Armor Warrior.

"Xue Ao."

Ye Xuan smiled faintly, gently ruffling the boy’s hair; the boy snapped back to reality, lifting his small face to look at this stranger who had appeared.

"Do you like Armor Warriors?"

The boy blinked, then his eyes lit up as he nodded vigorously: "Yes!"

"Which one do you like most?"

"I—I like Yan Long Xia the most!"

The boy exclaimed excitedly, then added quickly.

"But my dad likes Xue Ao Xia the most—he said he hopes I’ll grow up to be as brave as Xi Zhao and protect my sister…"

Ye Xuan’s smile deepened.

"I see."

He straightened up, his gaze shifting to the frozen mutated white serpent; his left hand brushed lightly across his space ring. The boy’s eyes widened instantly—it was a red summoner he knew all too well!

(End of Chapter)