Chapter 148: Opening Affinity

Time passed quickly.

【The Fourth Trial Begins!】

The female soldiers stood ready.

Zhao Chi narrowed his eyes, looking into the fog.

He had to identify the enemies at the first instant and tell them how to fight as quickly as possible.

Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz~

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Hmm?

Why was there a muffled buzzing, mixed with some crisp sounds?

The fog dispersed.

Not far ahead, forty humanoid whirlwinds were lined up in a row.

Nearly a person's height, the whole thing a pale grey-white.

Like white clouds and dark clouds mixed together, constantly stirred by the spinning wind, shaped like a gourd-shaped gust.

On either side of the whirlwind's main body were two even smaller whirlwinds, like two arms.

As the wind spun, bolts of electricity flashed through, accompanied by sharp cracking explosions.

The women stared, dumbfounded.

Gu Qing asked in surprise, "My lord, what are these things? How do we fight them?"

Zhao Chi frowned. "These are lightning elements. How can there be lightning elements in the fourth trial? And forty of them?"

Tang Ruan couldn't help asking, "My lord, my face feels really itchy. Do they use magic?"

Not only Tang Ruan, the other women also felt their bodies itch a little.

At the same time, their hair became fluffy.

It seemed a large amount of static electricity had built up around them, constantly pulling at their hair.

Soon, their black hair stood up strand by strand.

All these women looked as if they'd gotten a perm with an explosive style.

Zhao Chi said loudly:

"Spread out, don't bunch up, and don't let these lightning elements gather together either.

"Everyone keep moving, lure them apart. They aren't that fast, don't worry.

"When you get close to them, they'll use lightning-element spiritual techniques.

"Judging by their size, these lightning elements are weak. One or two electric shocks won't be fatal, but take medicine promptly after getting hurt."

"Every time they use spiritual technique, it drains their spiritual power, making them weaker and weaker. Once they're weak enough, they'll dissipate.

"Before a lightning-element spiritual technique happens, dark clouds and a static field will appear overhead. You can dodge it completely."

Gu Qing asked, "Can we throw wooden spears at them?"

"No. You have to bait them into using lightning, drain their energy. It's hard to wear them down much from a distance. Our current strength isn't much, the options we can pick aren't many, we can only fight like this."

Gu Qing repeated Zhao Chi's orders: "Understood? Don't bunch up, lure them apart, bait out their skills, take medicine if you get hurt!"

"Understood!"

The women answered loudly, spreading out in all directions at the same time.

The forty lightning elements floated, quickly locking onto their own targets.

They split into several groups, drifting off in different directions.

Wherever they passed, green grass flew up and mud and sand scattered.

Some lightning elements went after a single female soldier alone, while others bunched up in groups of over a dozen to chase one female soldier.

Zhao Chi was afraid these female soldiers wouldn't understand well, so he decided to go give a demonstration himself.

He charged toward a lightning element.

Gu Qing said anxiously, "My lord, don't go, just let us draw their attention."

Zhao Chi waved his hand as he ran. "It's fine, watch closely."

The distance to the lightning element grew shorter and shorter.

That lightning element gave up chasing the female soldier and turned to pursue Zhao Chi instead.

But Zhao Chi kept closing in.

Soon, that lightning element stopped, both arms reaching up over its head.

The whirlwind on its body spun faster, lightning crackling sharply.

Zhao Chi felt the area around him become extremely quiet.

A tinnitus-like sound rang out.

Over a dozen meters above his head, a thin mist appeared.

The thin mist quickly thickened, growing darker and darker, until it became a deep black-grey.

Zhao Chi shouted, "Watch clearly, right now!"

The next instant, Zhao Chi darted away, and lightning struck down.

Crash!

White lightning flashed brilliantly.

The ground where Zhao Chi had originally stood was blasted into a small crater.

The green grass on it had been snapped, a wisp of white smoke rising from it.

That lightning element that had released the skill was originally a person's height, but now was a head shorter and a circle thinner.

Zhao Chi shouted: "Did you see clearly? It's just like this!"

The female soldiers responded one after another:

"We saw clearly, my lord."

"My lord, I understand, hurry back!"

"We'll just wear them down!"

"So it's walk and stop, walk and stop—got it."

Soon, thunder rumbled everywhere.

The female soldiers dodged and fled in all directions.

But a few were still struck by lightning—their hair, originally puffed into an afro shape by the static, now became a real exploded afro.

"Wah!"

"Ouch, so numb!"

"No good, no good, my legs are going numb!"

"Quick, take the medicine!"

"Alright, recovered, let's continue!"

The female soldiers hopped and skipped, more fright than harm.

Gu Qing watched for a moment, then charged straight toward a cluster of thirteen Thunder Yuan gathered together.

Judging by her appearance, she wasn't trying to scatter those thunder elements, but to lure them into discharging together.

Zhao Chi saw through her intention.

He shouted anxiously: "Gu Qing, come back here! If they discharge together the power will increase—lure them one by one!"

Gu Qing said: "It's fine, my lord. I've been observing for a long time, I'm confident I can dodge! This way we can cut the clearance time significantly!"