Chapter 313: Faster

A Xing stood steadily, gray hair fluttering in the gale.

A Xing suddenly seemed to recall something; golden eyes looked at her empty left hand, then she turned her head toward the direction of the rapidly receding nest behind her, a faint hint of confusion on her face, and then she reached out toward the outside of the carriage.

The gesture caught Saber's attention.

Saber was momentarily stunned, then a terrifying conjecture rose in her mind, making her emerald eyes widen instantly!

(Wait... where's that... that Salted Fish?!)

(Could it be... it wasn't brought out?!)

Thinking of that possibility, Saber felt not regret but a post‑catastrophe relief!

That dreadful thing... finally... finally got buried underground!

She forced a smile down, cleared her throat lightly, and tried to comfort A Xing in a knightly manner: "Miss A Xing, there's no need to be sad. Your oddity... cough, has made a huge contribution to the victory; its sacrifice... was worthwhile."

When she spoke of sacrifice and worth, her conscience ached a little, but she yearned even more for fresh air.

A Xing turned her head, looked at Saber, the doubt in her golden eyes deepening; she tilted her head, seeming not to understand what Saber was saying.

Then, under Saber's gradually rigid stare, A Xing lightly waved toward the direction of the collapsed cave behind.

It was a casual gesture, as if greeting someone she knew.

The next second—

Saber's complexion changed.

Because she smelled something.

A deeply ingrained, years‑old stench, impossible to mask even mixed with dust and gunpowder in the passage, rushed toward them from behind!

"No… impossible…" Saber's voice began to tremble.

Rider also inhaled, her face turning green: "This… this smell… could it be…?"

In Saber's desperate gaze, a dark green‑gray indistinct object appeared at the smoky corner of the passage behind, like a tired bird returning to its nest, yet like a missile pulled by invisible strings; it broke through the dust and, at an absurd speed, whooshed forward with a "whoosh"!

Its shape, its hue, that terrifying aura that could warp the air…

It was the Immortal Salted Fish itself!

"Rider!!! Hurry! Faster!!!"

Saber could no longer keep the Knight King's composure, her face turning pale, and she shouted at Rider in a near‑hoarse voice!

She seemed to see that thing land on the carriage, then "boom"—releasing a terrifying future of concentrated stench!

"Waaah! The King is already at full speed!"

Rider's scalp also prickled as she frantically drove the Divine Ox, pushing the war‑chariot's speed another notch, nearly whipping up a storm in the passage!

However, the Immortal Salted Fish's Automatic Navigation Feature clearly had higher priority.

Under everyone's horrified stare, it traced a graceful arc, easily catching up to the speeding war‑chariot, and then…

Clack.

Precisely, it landed back into the hand A Xing had extended.

A Xing caught the Salted Fish, gently brushed away its non‑existent dust with her sleeve, and naturally sheathed it back at her waist.

The instant the Salted Fish returned to its place—

Bzz~~~~

Seemingly finally back in a comfortable setting, the Salted Fish sighed contentedly, releasing a stench not as fierce as in battle but, within the high‑speed war‑chariot, undeniably rich and full—like a shaken, opened can of expired herring exploding, instantly filling every inch of the Divine Car Wheel's space!

"Ugh—!!!"

"Cough cough cough! Ugh—!"

"Heaven… help… help me…"

Outside the Miatong Residence.

Black Tower still stood before the hovering purple Light Screen.

She watched the three signal sources representing A Xing, Saber, and Rider on the screen shift from violent fluctuations to rapid motion, her expression unchanged throughout, then instinctively lifted a hand to adjust the brim of her iconic Witch Hat.

"Great! They succeeded! That huge monster was eliminated!"

Ailisi Feier watched the massive energy reaction representing the Mother Insect vanish completely on the screen, her red eyes filled with relieved joy, and she lightly patted her chest.

Weber beside her also exhaled, plopped onto the ground, wiping cold sweat: "Finally… it's over… that commotion below was terrifying…"

Black Tower's gaze never left the screen; her fingers flicked along the edge of the Light Screen, pulling up the battle replay.

Her violet eyes scanned the data stream swiftly, her brows furrowing tighter.

"Finished?"

She suddenly spoke, her voice bearing a rare gravity, "No, I'm afraid it's only just begun."

"Eh?" Ailisi Feier and Weber were both startled.

"That thing,"

Black Tower tapped the vanished Mother Insect energy residue on the screen with her fingertip, "It's not a Mother Insect at all."

"Not a Mother Insect?!"

Weber's eyes widened, stammering, "But it's so huge! It even commands that many insects! Saber's Noble Phantasm…"

"Size and command ability don't mean it's the source core."

Black Tower cut him off, speaking quickly and clearly, with undeniable certainty, "Based on energy‑structure analysis, and the way its internal core disintegrated when mortally struck… it resembles a temporary high‑level larva."

She swiped a finger, bringing up the Spiritual Vein Distribution Map of Dongmu City and the previously detected Breeding Pollution Diffusion Model, overlaying the two layers.

"The real Mother Insect."

Her gaze locked onto a continuously flashing signal on the model, "…it seems capable of movement and has been deliberately evading detection. What we just destroyed was likely only its shell sent out to draw fire."

Ailisi Feier's face turned ashen: "Then… where is the real Mother Insect? What does it intend?"

"We don't know. But it's certainly not good."

Black Tower spoke in a low voice, fingers swiftly operating on the Light Screen, activating a higher‑precision City‑wide Scan: "Need to reposition……"

Before her words faded, an abrupt change occurred!

The center of Jiantong Residence's ruins exploded violently!

Shattered wood, stone, and earth shot up into the sky!

A vehicle silhouette wrapped in purple lightning leapt from underground like a shell from a barrel, shooting straight into the night sky!

It was Rider's Divine Car Wheel!

However, following the chariot's rush out, besides the pervasive smoke and dust, there were several suspicious specks tracing parabolas in midair, and a stench so strong that even from far away it made sensitive noses' stomachs twitch instantly!

"Ugh——!"

Weber was closest, bearing the brunt; even a mere waft made him retch, stumbling back repeatedly.

Ailisi Feier also covered her mouth and nose, her face showing discomfort.

What's more shocking is that, after the chariot surged into the sky and seemed to complete some kind of launching motion, a gray figure was directly thrown off the vehicle!

That figure twisted nimbly in midair, landed steadily, and it was A Xing.

She seemed to still be gripping something tightly in her hand.

The chariot, however, did not linger; as if fleeing for its life, it turned at greater speed and sped off in the direction opposite Black Tower and company, faintly audible were violent coughs and retches from aboard……

After landing, A Xing patted off the dust, looked up toward Black Tower and company, as if intending to approach.

Black Tower's expression changed instantly.

It wasn't aimed at A Xing, but at the thing in A Xing's hand, and as A Xing drew near, the horrifying odor quickly became clear!

With almost no hesitation, Black Tower flickered, appearing several meters away, the movement so swift that Ailisi Feier and Weber couldn't even see it.

"Black Tower Lady?!" Ailisi Feier exclaimed.

"Go!"