Chapter 278: Hit First, Talk Later

"Chi Jinan! How's the situation on your side?"

Min Tianyou's slightly panting voice came through; he and Shen Zexi finally arrived at the scene.

Min Tianyou glanced at Chi Jinan's obviously ill‑looking complexion, then looked at the surrounding gang members who seemed "all normal" and the unharmed Ying Duo, and silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Shen Zexi also relaxed a bit; he believed Cai Mao's bar couldn't be a Co‑Absorption base, but if Chi Jinan claimed there were a bunch of cultists here, he truly feared everyone here would be taken.

Chi Jinan only sneered; after all, Ying Duo was still in his hand, and he could strike at any moment.

But he didn't intend to waste more time here; the bar's location wasn't suitable for building any secret base, and even if it were a Co‑Absorption base, there'd be nothing useful.

"Where's the person you contacted?"

Chi Jinan turned to Min Tianyou and asked; since the Heresy Tribunal and Supervision Bureau had decided to conduct the hunt on the ground, they weren't unprepared.

Min Tianyou glanced at the communicator: "Although the time and place changed at the last minute, fortunately he's nearby and can join us right away."

Chi Jinan nodded, stopped looking at the multicolored‑haired group, and suddenly fixed his gaze on Ying Duo.

"Tell him to come directly to the rendezvous."

His words fell, and the last trace of reason in his eyes was overtaken by brutality.

Chi Jinan thought that being able to endure until now was already a favor to her; since there was still time, he might as well stretch his limbs.

He didn't even say a word; a faint iron‑rusty, sweet, pungent scent quietly spread through the air, though it wasn't obvious in this setting.

This ground sortie was specifically aimed at Co‑Absorption, and Chi Jinan had prepared for battle early, retrieving a pre‑stocked blood bag from his storage ring.

The blood burst out instantly, crystallizing around Chi Jinan into dozens of rhombus‑shaped Blood Crystals that flickered with eerie red light.

As soon as the Blood Crystals formed, they shot toward Ying Duo from various angles, moving so fast that only crimson after‑images lingered on the screen.

【System Prompt: Entering forced combat mode!】

【Warning: Level gap extreme! Combat risk: Very high!】

Yang Yixie's mouse reacted the instant Chi Jinan's Blood Bar turned completely red; almost as muscle memory, his left hand immediately pressed the movement key on the keyboard.

On the screen, Ying Duo's figure, just before the Blood Crystals hit him, suddenly retreated to the side‑rear; several crystals skimmed his cuffs and cheek, the gust they generated sheared off a few Ying‑green strands of hair, which lodged deep into the brick wall behind the bar.

The wall that survived last night's "Heavenly Disaster" was easily pierced like tofu; one can imagine that if this strike landed on Ying Duo, he wouldn't die but would be severely maimed.

"Your reaction's pretty quick."

Chi Jinan's eyes flickered with hidden excitement; his left hand also rose, fingers clenched.

The Blood Crystals that had pierced the wall suddenly shattered, reverting to viscous blood plasma, then instantly re‑solidified, attempting to block Ying Duo's retreat path.

Ying Duo's form hadn't steadied yet when Yang Yixie saw deadly red glints already flashing at his feet and sides.

He didn't panic; instead of retreating, he surged forward!

Ying Duo kicked forcefully, narrowly slipping through the gaps between two slanted Blood Crystal spikes, while his right hand formed a phantom grip, and a short‑barreled shotgun materialized in his hand.

Since it was melee, he definitely had to use the shotgun.

"Boom!"

Energy‑charged bullets burst forth with flash, striking the ground Blood Crystals and bricks, exploding into clouds of smoke and splattering crimson shards, temporarily obscuring Chi Jinan's view.

At the same time, Ying Duo flicked his left hand, and four ready‑standing small robots materialized around him, moving swiftly, pairing up to cling to nearby walls and pillars.

The gear's energy barrel quickly charged, locked onto Chi Jinan's vague silhouette through the smoke, and the energy‑filled bullet fired instantly.

"You plan to fight me with these toys?" Chi Jinan snorted coldly, not even moving his feet.

The blood hovering around him instantly coalesced into a curved Blood Crystal shield, effortlessly blocking all bullets; the level gap was evident, and Ying Duo's attacks could barely harm him.

Before the smoke cleared, Chi Jinan had already lost patience.

His figure flickered, smashing through the smoke and scattered energy bolts ahead, instantly closing the gap with Ying Duo.

His right hand formed a claw, lunging straight for Ying Duo's heart!

Too fast.

Chi Jinan's speed far exceeded Ying Duo's agility; his strike skimmed just under Ying Duo's ribs—though it missed vital organs, it carved a deep wound on Ying Duo's left side.

【Health: 87%→71%】

That was still the result of Ying Duo barely dodging the attack; using a sidestep, his right‑hand shotgun vanished, and he drew a heavy sniper rifle.

The rifle had been specially modified by Yang Yixie in his spare time, especially reinforced for penetration; after all, his level was too low, and a long‑range shot suited him better than close combat.

"Bang!"

The bullet struck the reinforced Blood Crystal, erupting a cloud of blood mist; the massive impact briefly stalled Chi Jinan's forward thrust. Though it didn't directly breach the defense, the force exceeded his expectations.

Chi Jinan laughed instead of raging, "You don't actually think this little effort is enough, do you?"

He gave Ying Duo no chance to create distance; with a phantom grab of his left hand, the blood gushing from Ying Duo's rib wound rose uncontrollably, coalescing above Chi Jinan's palm into a slender, sharp blood needle.

"Your blood works quite smoothly!" As Chi Jinan finished speaking, the blood needle turned into an almost invisible red line, shooting straight at Ying Duo's brow.

Nowhere to hide!

At the critical moment, Ying Duo thrust the heavy sniper rifle upward, using its broad barrel to block in front of him.

"Ding—whoosh!"

The blood needle lodged straight into the sniper rifle's alloy barrel, and the puncture spread a dark‑red rust streak at a visible speed; in Yang Yixie's eyes, the weapon's durability gauge spiked instantly.

Ying Duo seized the chance to distance himself, discarding the half‑useless sniper rifle without hesitation.

Several small robots fired frantically to interfere, but hitting Chi Jinan's Blood Crystal shield yielded little effect.

From the start the battle was utterly one‑sided; the level gap widened their base stats dramatically, and after this brief clash Ying Duo already bore several new wounds, his health steadily declining.

【Health: 61%→53%→47%.......】