Yuan Yuan, Jun Ci: Thank you, we don't want to.
The few of them joined forces and finished off all the sea monsters in a few minutes.
"There are too many of them. If we don't gather them together, it will be difficult for us. We might have just killed two, and the others would smell it and escape."
Ding Ding spread her hands, indicating that seduction was unavoidable.
"Why do I feel like you're very skilled at this?"
"Hmph, I can't be bothered to explain. Go find Duan Chen. He's probably finishing up over there too."
Duan Chen was indeed finished, but he had a strange sense of unease.
Was this a bit too smooth?
The existence of sea monsters meant that the Apostles had noticed this place and knew about Tian Qi's betrayal, but neither Gu Sang nor Apostle 05 was unfamiliar with Duan Chen.
They would never think that a few simple sea monsters could kill Duan Chen.
That could only mean they had other means.
Was this a diversion?
"Eye of God!"
"No need."
Jia Yun Lian's voice interrupted.
"What do you know?" Duan Chen's eyes flickered, and he glanced at Du Qing Yi, who understood.
"Over there."
Jia Yun Lian ignored whatever Du Qing Yi had done and just looked towards the entrance of the village, her brows furrowed.
"Not good!"
Du Qing Yi exclaimed in shock.
"What..."
"Captain!"
Duan Chen looked ahead, and when he clearly saw the monsters chasing Jun Ci and the others, his pupils contracted.
It was a swarm of locusts.
There were about dozens of them, not a large number, but each locust was as tall as a person. They resembled warhorses, with scorpion-like tails. Most terrifyingly, these locusts possessed human faces and long hair. The leader locust wore a crown and golden armor, looking imposing.
"Is it... Abaddon?"
Duan Chen captured this ambiguous name through the ancient texts.
"That's right, Abaddon. These locusts are its enforcers. They all belong to the evil god," Jia Yun Lian sighed, her expression complex.
"Never let their tails sting you, or you'll wish you were dead."
Duan Chen gritted his teeth, knowing it wouldn't be that simple.
"If we can't kill these locusts quickly, 05 and 03 will make their move."
"Oh? Aren't you one of them?"
"I am who I am, not anyone's subordinate, nor anyone's pawn. I help whoever I want."
Jia Yun Lian suddenly became proud, glaring at Duan Chen.
As you wish...
"Captain!"
Yuan Yuan cried out and quickly pulled Jun Ci to stand behind Duan Chen.
"Thousand Illusions Pandora - [Gun] Form!"
Duan Chen unhesitatingly pulled out Thousand Illusions Pandora and pulled the trigger, aiming at a locust.
"Bang!"
The locust shrieked, and its face actually showed an expression of pain.
"Myriad Thorns!"
Blood thorns erupted from the ground, and the locusts suddenly stopped. Ding Ding and the other two quickly ran behind Duan Chen, panting.
"What the hell are those things?"
Ding Ding gasped for air, her arm resting on Duan Chen's shoulder.
Duan Chen frowned and explained.
"My thorns won't hold them for long. You'd better come up with a solution quickly. Don't forget, there are innocent residents here."
Jia Yun Lian's psionic energy was rapidly depleting, and she had to remind him.
Blocked by Myriad Thorns, the locusts no longer focused on Duan Chen and his group but turned around and lunged at an old man emerging from a small alley.
Wasn't that the old woman who had given them candy earlier?
"Damn it!"
Duan Chen cursed, his Thousand Illusions Pandora transforming into its blade form. He unhesitatingly stepped in front of the old man.
"Oh dear, young man, what are you doing, blocking my way again?"
The old man took a step back, his cane hitting Duan Chen's waist.
"No... please, step back a bit."
Duan Chen smiled bitterly, gesturing for the old man to retreat.
On the other side, a locust had gotten close. Duan Chen, unable to attend to the old woman, clashed his Thousand Illusions Pandora with the locust's hard appendage.
"Clang!"
Duan Chen's hand went numb from the impact.
"I'll help you!"
Tu Fei Yuan leaped, landing above Duan Chen's head. He had never known what Tu Fei Yuan's ability was.
"Roar—!"
A cat let out a beastly roar!
The locusts were stunned by the majestic roar and froze, not daring to move for a long time. Duan Chen seized the opportunity, about to shoot, but found that the old woman had somehow walked in front of him and was slowly walking forward.
"Elder!"
Having missed the opportunity, the locusts swarmed forward.
"Again!"
"Meow meow meow meow!"
Only once!
"Tsk!"
Duan Chen took a step, but he couldn't reach the old woman's shoulder, and he became anxious.
"Duan Chen! Retreat!"
It was Du Qing Yi.
"Retreat?" He was stunned.
Du Qing Yi nodded affirmatively, "Quickly retreat! If you don't, it'll be too late!"
Duan Chen had no choice but to step back.
The locusts swung their appendages, about to strike the old man.
"Slap!"
To everyone's astonishment, the old woman merely extended her cane and effortlessly blocked the attack. Then, Duan Chen saw the locust begin to tremble all over, as if electrocuted.
The old woman coughed lightly.
"Weird creature, do not impede my path!"
This voice was inexplicably majestic!
"Zizzz!"
Crackling!
A piercing electric sound echoed. White smoke began to emanate from the locust, and a foul smell of burnt flesh spread through the alley.
"Holy cow..." Jun Ci and Yuan Yuan were dumbfounded.
"What the hell..."
Tu Fei Yuan suddenly felt redundant.
"She's a psionic!" Duan Chen exclaimed in shock.
After spending so many days with the old woman, he hadn't discovered this?!
No wonder Du Qing Yi said it would be too late if he didn't retreat.
"Natural element ability, electricity!"
Duan Chen stated with certainty.
"Let's not just stand here, let's go help!" Jia Yun Lian commanded sternly.
"Got it!"
Ding Ding drew her scale blade and engaged a locust in combat.
Everyone else moved.
"Ah, we finally made it!"
"Brother Duan, are you guys alright? The village chief sent me to help you!"
Ling Yong, his mouth covered in blood, ran from a distance, panting.
"You?"
Duan Chen had a faint premonition of something bad.
The next second, this premonition was realized.
An invisible wave of air appeared beneath Ling Yong's feet, lifting him off the ground.
"Holy crap!"
Other than these words, Jun Ci didn't know how to express his current feelings.
Since when did psionics become so common?
Everywhere you look?!
"Air Slash!"
Ling Yong raised his right arm and cleaved through the air towards a locust. A powerful wave of air, coupled with high temperatures, struck the locust's body, leaving a deep, bone-revealing gash.
The locust let out a piercing screech.
"Qi Gong?"
This ability was similar to Gao Tian Kai's, but with some differences. Gao Tian Kai's ability didn't have this much power.