area51novel Chapter 74: The Soft-Boned Rabbit Cleaner
Chapter 74: The Soft-Boned Rabbit Cleaner
As the team made steady progress, Yu Chen's mind was also working at lightning speed. He quickly made a clear assessment of the current situation.
"Our primary goal is to last for one hour and complete the basic assessment. During this first hour, I will not intervene unless faced with an insurmountable threat."
Yu Chen's voice reached each teammate's ears steadily.
"Wu Lin, I'm handing over command to you for the next hour. You'll be responsible for tactical arrangements and resource allocation. After one hour, I'll take over, and we'll launch a proactive attack to hunt down spiritual energy. Everyone, please be careful."
"Understood!" Tang Wulin's eyes narrowed as he solemnly accepted the temporary command responsibility. He quickly ordered, "Yang Zi, maintain aerial vigilance. Everyone else, activate your martial spirits and advance slowly while maintaining formation!"
Three stronger and thicker blue silver grass vines than ever before quietly spread out from beneath his feet, like nimble tentacles, wrapping around the waists of Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi respectively.
This serves as both a connection and a safeguard, providing timely support or stabilization in times of crisis. As for Yu Chen and Gu Yue, their strength far surpasses that of the others, so Tang Wulin knows there's no need for him to go to such lengths.
Zhang Yangzi raised his hand, and his spirit, the little black eagle, took flight to provide him with a ten-meter field of vision.
Without any wishful thinking, they all released their martial spirits as soon as they entered the Spirit Ascension Platform.
Inside the Spirit Pagoda observation room.
Watching the well-trained performance of the six members of Class Zero on the screen, especially their efficient formation changes and clear division of labor, the staff couldn't help but praise Wu Changkong beside them:
"These kids are really good. They coordinate perfectly and know exactly what to do. The dance instructor has done a great job training them."
Wu Changkong remained calm, merely nodding slightly: "Let's see how they perform afterwards."
He was usually very reserved, but as he gazed at the figures of his six disciples on the screen, a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashed deep in his dark green eyes.
Looking at them, he seemed to see the ancient school motto, passed down for 20,000 years, appear before his eyes once more:
Shrek Academy only accepts monsters, not ordinary people.
Although not every era can perfectly implement this motto, it has long been ingrained in the bones of every generation of Shrek students, becoming their lifelong pride and creed.
"How far can these children go in the future?" Wu Changkong's thoughts stirred slightly, and his gaze became even more focused on the screen.
……
Inside the Ascension Platform.
"Although I can now play defensively and easily get through an hour, it still feels a bit...unsatisfactory (dialect)."
Xie Xie, who was walking on the flank, casually used the Light Dragon Dagger to finish off the last of the decades-old Soft Bone Rabbits that were trying to escape, and felt somewhat disheartened.
In the past period, for the sake of safety, they mainly hunted these kinds of soul beasts that reproduce quickly, are numerous, and are not aggressive.
"Yangzi, Jinxi, it's your turn to absorb this batch of spiritual energy."
Xie Xie gave a shout and then consciously stepped aside to stand guard. Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi didn't waste any words either, and immediately sat down cross-legged and began to guide the soft white spiritual energy into their bodies.
After an hour of repeated practice, they had become very familiar with this process.
Hunting spirit beasts like the Soft Bone Rabbit was indeed extremely cost-effective in the early stages of the riot.
They often appear in groups, rarely as powerful individuals, posing low risk and allowing for a stable accumulation of spiritual energy.
During their trip, they also encountered a group of rabbits led by a century-old rabbit and several individuals that were decades old, which was considered a good harvest.
"Brother Chen, we've basically cleared out most of the soft-boned rabbits in this area, except for the small ones that are worthless."
Tang Wulin held the Thousand-Refined Silver Hammer in his left hand, while his right hand hung naturally at his sides, ready to unleash the Golden Dragon Claw at any moment.
The continuous hunting of low-level soul beasts made even the usually composed man feel a bit monotonous in terms of tactics.
"Should we consider expanding the scope of our activities a bit and finding some more challenging goals?"
"It's up to you to decide. You're the commander for this hour."
Yu Chen held Gu Yue's hand, looking quite relaxed, his gaze sweeping over the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, as if they were truly on a picnic.
Suddenly, his ears twitched slightly, and a knowing glint flashed in his eyes.
"Hmm? Something's coming. Looks like you guys can stretch your muscles a bit."
"Oh! Something's up!" Tang Wulin's spirits lifted, but before he could finish speaking, the bushes in front of him were suddenly and violently torn apart!
"roar--!"
A violent growl echoed through the forest, accompanied by a strong, pungent stench, as a massive, gray-black figure crashed out!
It was a giant ape over three meters tall with bulging muscles, unusually long arms that reached past its knees, and shiny, messy gray-black fur. Its eyes, however, gleamed with a bloodthirsty crimson light.
"It's the Hundred-Year-Old Iron-Armed Ape! Xie Xie, Yang Zi, Jin Xi, prepare to meet the enemy!"
After being crammed into teaching by Wu Changkong and undergoing numerous battles on the Spirit Ascension Platform, Tang Wulin was no longer the boy who knew very little about soul beasts. He recognized the enemy at a glance, and his tone carried the sharpness of someone facing a suitable opponent.
The moment the order was given, Tang Wulin had already taken action.
He hurled his heavy silver hammer with a whoosh, smashing it straight into the Iron Arm Ape's chest. At the same time, his first spirit ring lit up, and several blue silver grass vines, like lurking venomous snakes, silently sprang up from the ground and tightly wrapped around the Iron Arm Ape's thick feet!
Almost simultaneously, Xie Xie's figure disappeared from the flank like a ghost. With the blessing of Gu Yue's wind element, he circled around to the giant ape's back in the blink of an eye.
With a light touch of the ground, his body soared into the air, tracing a tricky arc in mid-air. The Light Dragon Dagger in his palm gleamed coldly, and his first soul skill, "Light Dragon Blade," was ready to be unleashed, aiming straight for the back of his head!
From the front, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi had already completed the possession of their martial spirits.
Zhang Yangzi's hands transformed into sharp eagle claws, accompanied by a sharp sound as they tore through the air; Wang Jinxi's right arm swelled up and was covered with pale white bone armor, transforming into a ferocious bone dragon claw. The two attacked fiercely from the left and right, accompanied by a muffled sound of wind breaking!
Although there is still room for improvement in the teamwork of the four, they have already developed a certain level of skill thanks to Tang Wulin's clear instructions and repeated practice.
The attacks came from different angles and had different attributes, instantly overwhelming the century-old iron-armed ape known for its strength.
"puff!"
Xie Xie's Light Dragon Blade was the first to succeed, accurately piercing the relatively vulnerable occipital cortex of the Iron Arm Ape. Although it was not fatal, the intense pain and dizziness made it freeze.
"roar!"
The Iron-Armed Ape roared in pain and struggled desperately, but its feet were firmly restrained by the Blue Silver Grass, and it was struck by a heavy hammer on its chest, while claws from both sides landed solidly on its ribs and shoulders.
In just three rounds, the century-old soul beast revealed a fatal flaw under the exquisite combined attack. Xie Xie seized the opportunity, his Light Dragon Blade blazing brightly, and slashed fiercely!
"Well……"
The Iron-Armed Ape's crimson pupils suddenly dilated, its ferocious light quickly dissipated, and its massive body swayed twice.
"thump!"
The heavy body, standing three meters tall, crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
A bright yellow ball of spiritual energy floated out from its body, splitting into four equal parts in the air before entering the bodies of Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi.
"Quickly clean up any traces and prepare to move!"
Tang Wulin did not bask in the joy of victory and immediately issued orders.
The smell of blood and the commotion you just witnessed could be signals that attract other predators, so staying put is definitely not a wise move.
Yu Chen, standing to the side, nodded inwardly. Tang Wulin had grown up, being able to kill a hundred-year-old soul beast in a few seconds and make the right decisions after the battle.
......
Time passed peacefully, and the first hour went by smoothly amidst the methodical hunting and relocation.
The effects of the riots are beginning to show – the activity of the soul beasts has increased significantly, the frequency of encounters has increased, and their aggression has become stronger.
However, thanks to Tang Wulin's cautious command and the team's effective cooperation, they remained on the periphery of the forest and did not venture into dangerous areas.
In the past hour, the Zero Squad encountered about fifty soul beasts of various sizes, most of which were ten-year soul beasts, which were easily dealt with.
The dozen or so hundred-year-old soul beasts they encountered were mostly common species like the Iron-Armed Ape and the Wind Baboon, and they escaped unscathed thanks to the team's cooperation.
The only major test was encountering a cave spider with a cultivation level of about 1,100 years.
This thousand-year-old soul beast, skilled in stealth and ambush, intended to prey on this "weak" team, but unexpectedly ran into a brick wall.
It had just emerged from the ground, attempting to spew spider webs, when Gu Yue sensed the elemental fluctuations in advance and interrupted its spellcasting with a precise ice spike. Then, Yu Chen cleaved its vital points with a naginata strike imbued with compressed monarch flames, instantly killing it and contributing the first precious millennium spiritual power.
"Time's up."
As the clock hands swept past the first hour mark, Yu Chen's calm voice rang out.
"Basic assessment task completed. Now, put away your caution and prepare for the real challenge."
His gaze swept over his teammates, a sharp glint in his eyes:
"From now on, I'll take command. Our objective has changed—we'll proactively infiltrate deeper to find high-level soul beasts and maximize the plunder of their spiritual energy. Adjust the formation; with Gu Yue and me as the vanguard, advance at full speed!"
……