Chapter 213: Before the Barrier

Ji Chen looked at the energy Barrier rising from the ground before him, his brows locked tight; this thing was just like an invisible wall in a game's starter village, standing in the way and giving him a headache.

He could even feel the kind of uncomfortable energy wave radiating from the Barrier, stinging his skin until it felt a bit numb.

"This is definitely not anything good," he thought to himself, then turned his head to look at Ceng Yue beside him.

"How about we test the waters first?" he suggested, his tone carrying a hint of eagerness.

Ceng Yue nodded slightly, a cold light flashing in her eyes; clearly, she also felt a bit of interest in this Barrier.

The two had perfect tacit understanding, raising their hands almost simultaneously to mobilize the Supernatural Ability within their bodies.

Ji Chen struck first; one could see a mass of scorching Lightning condensing in his palm, emitting a crackling, explosive sound, and a burnt smell permeated the air.

He thrust the Lightning toward the Barrier, wanting to test its strength.

However, the moment the Lightning touched the Barrier, it was like a clay ox entering the sea; not only did it have no effect, but it was instead rebounded by a powerful force, shaking Ji Chen's hand until it went numb.

Ceng Yue's attack followed closely behind; she manipulated the surrounding air, attempting to squeeze and deform the Barrier, but the result was the same as Ji Chen's—the attacks were all rebounded.

Both of them wore expressions of shock and confusion; the strength of this Barrier far exceeded their imagination.

The surrounding space also trembled slightly due to the rebound of energy, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

"This thing is really something!" Ji Chen clicked his tongue, but the fighting spirit in his heart was completely ignited.

"I don't believe it!" He gritted his teeth, deciding to stop testing and go head-on.

He took a deep breath, mobilized all his Supernatural Ability, and a powerful aura erupted from his body, as if a sleeping beast had finally awakened.

His legs exerted force suddenly, and he charged toward the Barrier at full speed, wanting to rely on his own powerful strength to forcibly break through this obstacle.

However, he still underestimated the power of the Barrier.

"Boom!" With a loud noise, Ji Chen's body slammed heavily into the Barrier, as if hitting an indestructible iron wall.

The powerful recoil force instantly sent him flying, his body crashing heavily onto the ground with a dull thud.

He felt as if his internal organs had shifted; his throat tasted sweet, a mouthful of blood nearly sprayed out, and his face turned incomparably pale.

The surrounding air seemed to have frozen, and the atmosphere was so oppressive it made one unable to breathe.

Ji Chen struggled to stand up, but his body felt as if it had fallen apart, unable to muster a shred of strength; his heart was filled with unwillingness and frustration.

This Barrier was like a natural chasm blocking his path, making him feel as if his previous efforts were just like playing house, completely useless.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ceng Yue walked quickly to Ji Chen's side, her tone carrying a rare hint of concern.

Ji Chen did not answer, only slowly raising his head, his eyes filled with unwillingness as he looked at the energy Barrier before him, his voice low and firm: "It..."

Ji Chen slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze becoming increasingly firm as he pointed to an imperceptible bright spot on the Barrier and said: "It... has a place that is a bit off."

Ceng Yue looked in the direction he pointed; it was a faint light spot almost indistinguishable to the naked eye, like an inconspicuous star in the vast starry sky; if not for Ji Chen's reminder, she wouldn't have even noticed it.

"This... is an Energy Node?" She frowned slightly, her tone carrying a hint of doubt; according to common sense, an Energy Node should be used to reinforce a Barrier, so how could it become a breakthrough point?

"That's right!" Ji Chen grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, looking just like a player who had discovered a hidden level in a game, "This thing is probably a subversion of expectations!"

Ceng Yue felt that Ji Chen's train of thought was a bit peculiar, but she chose to trust her intuition.

This guy Ji Chen, although he usually looked like a loafer, could always do some unexpected things at critical moments.

"What do you want to do?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Of course... mess it up!"

"You're crazy!" Ceng Yue exclaimed, wanting to stop him, but Ji Chen's movements were too fast, giving her no time to react.

In normal circumstances, destroying an Energy Node was tantamount to suicide; Ji Chen was simply playing with fire!

Ji Chen ignored Ceng Yue's exclamation; he took a deep breath and slammed his right fist toward the faint Energy Node.

"Boom!" With a muffled sound, as if shattering glass, the Energy Node instantly shattered.

Immediately following, an unexpected scene occurred.

The originally indestructible energy Barrier actually began to tremble violently, and then, tiny cracks spread rapidly like a spider web, covering the entire Barrier.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!" The crisp shattering sounds continued one after another, as if playing a musical movement of death.

"Damn, it actually fucking works!" Ji Chen whistled excitedly, his eyes full of surprise; this plot twist was even more outrageous than a novel!

Ceng Yue also widened her eyes, clearly shocked by the scene before her; she watched the gradually disintegrating Barrier, a stormy sea rising in her heart—this subversion of expectations was too exciting!

With the final crisp shattering sound, the energy Barrier that had stood before them finally disintegrated completely, turning into specks of starlight and dissipating into the air.

The oppressive atmosphere around them also vanished, and the air felt much fresher.

However, just as they thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, Ji Chen's expression suddenly changed, and he turned his head sharply to look at the place where the Barrier had originally been.

"Careful!" He only had time to say these two words before he stopped abruptly.

However, a group of Energy Beasts suddenly surged out from behind the Barrier, rushing toward Ji Chen and Ceng Yue with bared fangs and brandished claws.

These beasts were numerous and powerful; their sharp roars and deafening footsteps echoed in the air, like messengers from hell, making one's hair stand on end.

Ji Chen and Ceng Yue were forced into a combat state; their eyes instantly became sharp, and their nerves were taut, as if they had already foreseen the arrival of a fierce battle.

"Ceng Yue, get ready!" Ji Chen growled, his hands quickly condensing Lightning; the current danced at his fingertips, and the crackling sound was incessant.

Ceng Yue also immediately mobilized the surrounding air, forming a powerful shield to protect the two from the beasts' attacks.

They cooperated with each other; Ji Chen's Lightning attack went straight for the hearts of the beasts, while Ceng Yue used Air Manipulation to separate the largest portion of the beasts, reducing the pressure.

"Puff!" A bolt of Lightning accurately hit a beast; sparks flew, the beast let out a miserable howl, its body instantly twitching uncontrollably from the electricity, and finally it fell to the ground, turning into ashes.

Ceng Yue followed closely behind, manipulating the air to form a huge whirlwind, sweeping another group of beasts into it; the whirlwind tore them into pieces, and a burnt smell permeated the air.

Ji Chen and Ceng Yue cooperated like seamless gears, every step showing perfect tacit understanding.

Ji Chen's Lightning attacks became more and more violent; every time he hit a beast, he would feel a tiny bit of energy being absorbed and converted into his own power.

This made him fight more bravely as the battle went on, a firm light flickering in his eyes.

And Ceng Yue's support was like adding wings to a tiger; her Air Manipulation not only helped Ji Chen reduce the burden of his attacks but also continuously weakened the combat power of the beasts.

"Retreat!" A beast let out a final roar, its voice filled with despair.

They began to retreat gradually, unable to catch their breath under the fierce offensive of Ji Chen and Ceng Yue.

A trace of a smile appeared on Ji Chen's face, and a glimmer of relief flashed in Ceng Yue's eyes.

They had finally gained the upper hand; the exotic beasts were routed and fled in all directions.

Just as they thought the battle was about to end, a mysterious light appeared in the distance; that light was like a black hole, radiating a powerful gravitational pull.

Ji Chen and Ceng Yue exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.

They knew that a greater secret was hidden behind this light.

"Let's go!" Ji Chen let out a low shout, took Ceng Yue's hand, and stepped toward the mysterious light without hesitation.

Their figures gradually disappeared into the light, leaving behind a group of Ability Users who had arrived to provide support; they stood frozen in place, their eyes filled with shock and admiration.