Luo Xingzhou’s consciousness, or rather his spiritual power, controlled Jiutang. His control was exceptionally strong, as the tendrils would consistently target the weaknesses on the bugs’ bodies, achieving a one-hit kill. The energy within the bugs flowed continuously toward Jiutang, quickly turning them into desiccated carcasses hanging from the vines.
Jiutang produced a total of forty-nine tendrils. In just a few minutes, five or six bugs were strung up on each tendril. Not only did he eliminate his share of bugs, but he also had the strength to assist Fang Yang in killing more. As a result, after a few minutes of effort from the six of them, the number of bugs surrounding them rapidly decreased.
Luo Xingzhou shouted, “We retreat! You go first; I’ll cover for Fang Yang.”
“Got it!”
Chen Kanging and Milo realized that, despite Fang Yang being a B-level ability user, his speed and efficiency in killing bugs were not on par with Luo Xingzhou’s due to the differences in their abilities. Luo Xingzhou’s Jiutang was particularly suitable for area attacks, and with Jiutang protecting him, it was difficult for the bugs to get close.
As soon as Luo Xingzhou gave the order, the four of them turned and ran forward without hesitation, with Luo Xingzhou and Fang Yang following closely behind. The scattered bugs that tried to catch up were quickly dealt with by the soil spikes and Jiutang. Their teamwork earned the six of them a brief moment to catch their breath.
In just a few minutes, the audience in the livestream went from being on the edge of their seats to shouting “666666.” The six of them looked incredibly cool, especially Fang Yang and Luo Xingzhou, who made it all the more thrilling to watch.
[Oh my gosh, has Luo Xingzhou really never killed bugs before? Did you all notice that he usually kills them with one strike? Not a single bug that fell into his hands could escape. Although Fang Yang has a higher ability level, some of his soil spikes are ineffective against the bugs’ hard shells, so his efficiency in killing bugs is much lower than Luo Xingzhou’s. Of course, he’s still doing great.]
[I hope they can survive. Losing anyone here on Hong-ai Star would be a huge loss for the Empire, especially Luo Xingzhou. His ability is the most effective against the bugs.]
[There’s no time right now. After this is over, we can watch the replay. I also think Luo Xingzhou’s efficiency in killing bugs is too high, as he doesn’t have any ineffective attacks. So, I believe he has not only awakened his ability but also possesses very strong mental power, allowing him to control so many tendrils at once.]
[Luo Xingzhou 666666! And by the way, curse that scumbag from the Wu family again!]
Everyone aware of the Zerg threat was glued to the livestream. The show’s director, seeing Luo Xingzhou and his group killing off another wave of bugs and making their escape, realized that he was drenched in sweat. The higher-ups wouldn’t be able to cover this up any longer; if these people didn’t make it out alive, even the top boss would face the wrath of the public.
It was a huge relief. Who could have expected Luo Xingzhou to be such a dark horse? Thankfully, he had joined this broadcast.
Second Young Master Huo, seeing that his little sister hadn’t lost a single part of herself, also breathed a sigh of relief. The more time they bought, the higher the chances of a successful rescue. Now, with Luo Xingzhou around, he was confident that the rescue team could bring them back safely.
When he thought about it, his sister practically owed Luo Xingzhou two lives by now. This was a huge debt of gratitude.
Seeing Luo Xingzhou successfully navigate through the first crisis, Feng Zhan miraculously managed to suppress the turmoil in his mind. The butler finally approached Feng Zhan and managed to get him to take the medicine, which had been left behind by the now-missing Master Luo, the pharmacist.
On the other side, Niel and Ding Changhuan weren’t faring as well as Luo Xingzhou’s group. Faced with a barrage of bugs falling from the sky, Ding Changhuan couldn’t push Niel out as a shield this time—there were simply too many bugs. His water-based ability, which he typically used for washing his face or performing, was completely useless against the bugs. At most, he could give them a bath, as he screamed and hid behind Niel.
Niel could handle a single star beast or even a few, but he wasn’t good at dealing with large groups. When there were too many bugs, even his fists couldn’t keep up. Ding Changhuan kept getting in his way, constantly interrupting his attacks. Bugs found openings to bite him, making Niel scream in anger. He was so frustrated he wanted to toss Ding Changhuan into the swarm of bugs.
But despite Niel’s arrogance, he hadn’t lost all his conscience. As much as he wanted to throw Ding Changhuan to the bugs, he didn’t. Instead, he fought and retreated, alternating between killing and running. Since he was fighting in his beast form, his speed slowed down, but his thick hide and fur protected him, so his injuries weren’t as severe as Ding Changhuan’s.
Luo Xingzhou’s group was once again chased by a swarm of bugs. They maintained their previous formation to fend them off. Suddenly, Luo Xingzhou felt a premonition and looked up at the sky. He saw several black dots growing larger in his vision and immediately perked up, shouting, “Mechas are coming to rescue us! Hang on, everyone!”
“Really? That’s great!” Huo Zhijun and Lina were almost in tears of joy. They had the least pressure to bear, but the endless swarm of bugs coming at them from a distance was overwhelming.
Luo Xingzhou once again had Jiutang string up several bugs. By now, Jiutang was practically covered in bug corpses, looking both eerie and comical.
The viewers in the livestream heard Luo Xingzhou’s shout about the rescue team and finally let out a collective sigh of relief. Now, they were in the mood to joke.
[Luo Xingzhou’s bug corpses could be put on display—they’re all perfectly preserved.]
[Isn’t there a rich collector out there who loves bug specimens? Look, these are the most pristine specimens. Luo Xingzhou could take these bug corpses and make a fortune.]
Not just the viewers, but even the mech warriors descending from the sky were unsure how to react when they saw the scene below. Fortunately, they had been watching the livestream and knew what those strings of bug corpses were, preventing any accidental friendly fire.
The mechs descended like saviors, and amidst the cheers from the livestream viewers, they swiftly eliminated the nearby bugs. Each of the six people was guided into the second half of the mechs’ cabins. As a swarm of bugs quickly approached again, the mechs shot into the sky at full speed, heading out of the planet’s atmosphere.
Looking down at Hong-ai Star from above, Luo Xingzhou spotted the lake where they had first sensed danger. When he saw the massive creature above the lake, he gasped in shock, “What is that thing?”
The creature had already left the water, and its departure caused the lake’s water level to plummet. Now, less than half of the lake remained—there was no trace of the beautiful lake and stunning scenery they had seen at dusk. The sight now would make anyone’s legs go weak.
What was even more unbelievable was that all the greenery around the lake had completely vanished.
The mech pilot, knowing that Luo Xingzhou was the biggest dark horse in this mission and that the bugs were no longer a threat, had the time to explain Luo Xingzhou’s question: “We’ve mostly confirmed it’s an S-level Zerg—a giant jellyfish ship. It’s unclear how long it’s been dormant on Hong-ai Star, but once it awakens, it won’t take long for the entire planet to become a barren wasteland.”
“S-level?!” Luo Xingzhou inhaled sharply. He finally understood what the intense crisis they first sensed had been. Right now, he could barely handle B-level bugs—S-level? That would be like serving himself up on a silver platter.