Chapter 354: Aiming at the Ground

Su Jingming's finger pressed on the trigger guard, and through the scope he locked onto the moving figures.

His voice was kept low as he quickly reported into the earpiece:

"Saint, they're moving toward the Tianmian City border, very fast... that tentacled monster is wrapping the Ying Guang Lu kid with its tentacle, running like a kite."

Honestly, just seeing Fang Zhiyan holding Ying Duo makes it hard to believe the two are on the same side.

Or perhaps Ying Duo just likes it that way?

"... What about their direction of movement?"

"Their path passes right over Lei Zhao's position."

The Saint's voice remained cool, "Got it, keep monitoring."

"Affirmative."

Su Jingming closed the comm and, through the scope, tracked the group's silhouettes.

In the Tianmian City border zone, Jiangdu looked helplessly at the scene before him.

After the Supervision Bureau agents confirmed Lei Zhao had no intention to act, Jiangdu was escorted by them to the rear of the battlefield.

From afar he could see Professor Luo De'an still confronting Lei Zhao, his usually gentle face now full of anxiety and vigilance, his gaze occasionally sweeping into the darkness.

The Supervision Bureau personnel were already pushing him out, trying to get him to the nearest Church outpost, at least that place was relatively safe.

Suddenly, he caught sight of a streak of Ying Guang Lu light flashing through the night.

Jiangdu's pupils contracted sharply.

He saw it.

A familiar hue was coiled by a silvery‑white tentacle, soaring from mid‑air toward him, the Ying Guang Lu hair flailing wildly in the night wind like a conspicuous banner.

Ying Duo!

Jiangdu opened his mouth wide but could not utter a sound, because he immediately saw the tentacle's owner.

It was a white‑haired, red‑eyed man, and another of his tentacles had a person curled on it, almost airborne, yet still recognizable as Luo Jinyou.

Behind them, two figures followed, one on each side.

Those people... also Co‑Absorption cultists?

Did they come to support Hong Ling and the others?

Lei Zhao still stood in place, his expression unchanged, merely squinting slightly.

Fang Zhiyan stopped a few dozen meters away, gently released a tentacle and set Ying Duo down on the ground.

Ying Duo's feet touched the ground, he brushed off nonexistent dust, and his golden eyes scanned everyone present.

He seemed to think nothing was wrong with the scene at all.

Fang Zhiyan casually fixed Ying Duo's hair, then readjusted his hat and turned his gaze toward Professor Luo De'an.

"Professor Luo De'an, I've long admired your reputation," he said, his tone unusually courteous.

Luo De'an's complexion turned very grim as his stare fixed on the blood‑splattered figure on Fang Zhiyan's tentacle.

Although his face was unrecognizable, the Mutation Feature on Luo Jinyou was more severe than Luo De'an had imagined.

"You...," Luo De'an's voice trembled, "what did you do to him?"

"I performed some necessary procedures; the Mutation is now under control."

Fang Zhiyan shrugged, "Either way, staying in the Supervision Bureau is a dead end for him; why not hand him over to us to try?"

"Give him to you?" Luo De'an admitted he was indeed interested in Dome technology, but if that person belonged to Fang Zhiyan, he would never let Luo Jinyou fall into his hands.

The surrounding ruins trembled instantly, countless shards of stone and earth rose from the ground, hurling toward Fang Zhiyan like shells.

Fang Zhiyan did not move.

He merely tilted his head slightly, glanced at Lei Zhao, and whispered a sentence.

The voice was faint; Ying Duo couldn't even catch what he said.

But the next second, Lei Zhao moved.

He stepped forward, stood before Fang Zhiyan, and raised his hand in a swing.

The incoming stone and earth shards exploded mid‑air, turning into a cloud of dust, none landing on Fang Zhiyan.

Luo De'an was stunned.

He looked at Lei Zhao in disbelief, his voice hoarse, "Lei Zhao... you?!"

Lei Zhao did not turn or explain; he simply stood there, back to Luo De'an, facing Fang Zhiyan.

Fang Zhiyan looked somewhat helpless, yet oddly provoked.

"Professor, you know your adopted son's condition better than I do; the Church won't allow a half‑Aberrant Species with a Mutation Value over eighty to live. They'll put him on the operating table, and even if the surgery succeeds, the child's chances of survival are slim."

Luo De'an's body trembled slightly.

"But if he follows me, at least he still has a sliver of hope."

Professor Luo De'an clearly had no intention of giving up; he stepped forward, both hands pressing onto the ground.

"Boom—!"

Countless stones and earth surged from all directions, forming sharp earthen spears that shot toward Fang Zhiyan.

The tentacle behind Fang Zhiyan twitched instantly, blocking all those earthen spears.

Shards splintered, dust billowed, yet he remained perfectly still.

He gave Lei Zhao a glance, signaling him to hold back, then turned to leave.

But before taking a step, he suddenly remembered something and looked back.

Hong Ling stood at the edge of the crowd, her emerald eyes fixed on him, body slightly crouched like a beast ready to pounce.

Fang Zhiyan smiled.

"Almost forgot about you."

A silvery‑white tentacle shot out like lightning, instantly wrapping around Hong Ling's waist.

Hong Ling: "?!".

She hadn't had time to struggle, and her whole body was lifted by the tentacle, swaying in midair.

"Let go of me!" Hong Ling shouted angrily, punching and kicking at the tentacle, trying to break free, but the tentacle didn't budge.

Fang Zhiyan didn't even try to reason with her, only remarked that Lei Zhao really had spoiled this little fellow, his wildness hard to tame.

"Let's go."

————————————————

The sound of Lightning Chains could still be heard suddenly behind them, at the far edge of Tianmian City, where Ying Duo and Fang Zhiyan had previously met.

A massive energy barrier glowed with a faint blue light in the night, isolating the endless external darkness and Mutation.

Fang Zhiyan stopped, looked up at the barrier.

"Here then," he said.

As soon as his words fell, at the very moment Fang Zhiyan's tentacle released, Hong Ling sprang away like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She stopped three meters away, eyes fixed on Fang Zhiyan, hands slightly spread, faint energy light swirling at her fingertips.

But no one looked at her.

Bai Mu Yun leaned against the broken wall beside her, face pale, while Lu Mu wore a look of enjoying the spectacle.

Ying Duo moved to the very edge, and by looking down could see the Slum on the ground; only a few spots still glowed, while the area beneath their feet was pitch black.

"Just aim at the ground, then?" Ying Duo asked again.

After receiving a confirming reply, he opened his backpack, reluctantly selecting an item, and the night wind blew from behind, making his fluorescent green hair sway slightly.

【System Prompt: Unlimited Equipment Item Experience Card (21min) x1 activated, countdown: 20:59】