Legend of the Supreme Soldier - Chapter 371

an Yue’s arms grew heavier as his heart. Looking at the collapsing ally, his mind turned numb. Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter! His arms mechanically brandished the sword with last ounce of strength. Carcasses were on the ground, the blood could be tasted. Sometimes he wondered if he was bleeding or the blood of the fallen Fangwolves tainted his body. His clothing was torn, his arms were feeling disengaging soon.

Three hours had passed at the battleground, the intensity of the wolves’ attacks did not seem to be ebbing away however.

Han Yue was feeling their extra hours were merely an exchange of his allies.

It felt hopeless.

“My leader, take a rest. You have fought enough, leave the frontline to us for the moment.” A voice was heard as a pair of lances came from his back. He then felt being forced to the back, into the circle of the formation. The long battle had completely drained him. That was a handy change of pace. His loyal allies offered a switch in the nick of time. No gratitude was heard from him, as his words only escaped as the fainting pants. He begged for a dramatic recovery, just so he could return the favor better by getting back into action before things went wrong again.

His bleary eyes glanced at the standing men whose face were all worn out and getting insane somehow. It was a demanding fight, he knew. He also saw the few wounded men being forcibly dragged behind, as the few mentalists had ordered. Their extrasensory perception however had bestowed them the sensibility in the situation. Their senses, their mind and their heart made them the best strategist in group. The mystic arts seemed more ornamental at this situation, gorgeous but impractical in war field to most men perhaps. Nonetheless, it was the mystic arts that had become the bad luck ward of those warriors in front. The spells guarded the critical attacks for them on occasions.

The main attackers were the martial arts practitioners and alchemists. Yup, the alchemists were always the most lethal with their potions which could easily launch a heavy AoE attack – perfect for the belligerent wolf packs. Unfortunately, the trump force of the team seemed to be diminishing, as a large portion of the raw materials had been consumed for the attacks. Soon the alchemists went dethroned of their largest output to the battle as they got escorted to the very center again as a non-battle member in the team.

They could only rely on the practitioners and the mentalists now. The people who got out of the frontline was dead silent, as they gargled drinks and crunched their food supplies, striving for recovery quickest as possible.

Glad that I brought quite a number of mentalists this time. I might have lost way more allies if without these mentalists. But well, not like I managed to keep most of my allies.

Not even half of his army remained standing in the field now…

He glanced at the old lady again. She still retained her character – insensible and undisturbed – which was convincingly highly experienced of the spices of life.

Such old lady! Such decisiveness… I could never compete. Probably I would lose more men if she did not call her men to join the field. Yes, she was left with 2 guards, as the other eight formed into pairs guarding four directions. Their strength were far greater than even the leader of the surrounded team, Han Yue himself, that their stance remained like a dead nail on the wall, unshakable.

Their vitality seemed everlasting as the pace of their attacks persisted. No panic, no confusion, like 8 humanoids, overclocked, unaware of fatigue and careless mistakes. Their expression remained stern and solemn, as if nothing could shake them at all.

Thanks to the 8 guards or we would have…

That was a frightening thought Han Yue had.

When are the aids arriving?

Han Yue could hear his heart pounding in wails as he saw the retreating men in cuts and blood. But all he could do was to wait… for a flickering hope that felt unreachable.

“Have some water.” A bottle was passed to his lips. Han Yue flinched, he lifted his head to see the white clothed lady resting by his side. It was the servant of the old lady! Her fair hands were holding a container of classy design. Han Yue’s eyes shifted to the old lady who returned him a smile at the other side. He stood up and gave a bow immediately, as his hand reached the bottle, “Thank you my lady.” The lady smiled, “You’re most welcomed.”

Han Yue was going to take a sip, however one wounded ally suddenly sprung from the ground as his bloody finger pointed the sky, “My leader! Take a look at the sky! The sky! W-what is that?!”

Han Yue’s eyes traced the direction and they enlarged instantly, as his raising hand stopped. People were looking, with all their attention upon the sky.

There was a tiny spot… traveling rather rapidly… towards … here?

…

Ye Chong was trying to regain control of his glider. The turbulence was tormenting the sense of balance, especially for a newbie like him. It would be a great if he could land in one piece, but that seemed as far-fetched as a miracle when the glider seemed to be getting hopelessly out of control. The speed was increasing. The airflow was pressing his squinted eyes.

The lever of the glider was being frantically shifted all sides, but the outcome was unhelpful. If Ye Chong was a professional in this, such wind might not be a trouble as he could have utilized the ever-changing airflow to regain momentum and control of direction. But well, Ye Chong was not a professional, so was his glider. Those techniques that sounded almost acrobatic were speaking alien in his head.

He tried everything he could, yet the situation remained unchanged. He focused on the control, as he realized he should forget about direction to ensure at least a safe landing.

Phew.

Finally he felt the airflow slowing down – the biggest good news of his entire life probably since a complex and ever-changing airflow is the most lethal at high velocity. He could imagine himself directly crashing into the ground if the airflow refused to cooperate.

People would have imagined an iron orb causing a crater on the ground for Ye Chong’s accidental landing, but he was still human, and it was almost natural for a human like him to shatter upon crash.

The flight had stabilized. He was feeling at great fortune when the glider actually did not get dismembered by the potent air flow.

Finally…

He quickly took that leisure to observe the landscape.

What?

Ye Chong might be a brave man who had broken different places he once treaded his step on, but the dense pack of Fangwolves was an alarming horror. He did not recognize the species being Fangwolves, but any social animal traveling in group would be a taboo to make contact with.

He would love to glide a bit longer, but there was no uplifting air thrust to bring him to the sky again. And it was not possible to make drastic direction change at this point. His schemata ran wild as he watched the glider slowly descending.

That was when he saw the surrounded men.

He calculated the landing point. Okay, he would be 50 meters away from the group at best.

As the airflow was much more stabler at the lower altitude, the steer of the glider could be unmonitored. So Ye Chong took out those intense hallucinogens as the final preparation for landing, since he knew the fact that all sorts of these intense hallucinogens would be his best bet after his experience with smoke pearls. He had lots of these trickeries in his Vinesacks as well as the crates.

It should be fine if I use it wisely. I should be able to escape the wolf pack alive. Thought Ye Chong, with zero mention of the surrounded men in his mind.

20 meters before landing.

He was prepared to jump, as he did a countdown. 10 meters… 8 meters… 5… Ye Chong gave a gentle hop.

The wolf pack was very much ready for this falling meal. Some of them lowered their body, going to pounce, while the others were howling endlessly.

Gah! Ruff! Grrrr…

Before Ye Chong even reached the ground, the few Fangwolves had already thrashed upon him. The bloody eyes, the cold fangs flexed as their bodies when they launched themselves.

Ah!

It was a scream in the surrounded group, coming from the white clothed servant. She shut her eyes tight as she covered her mouth, fearing to behold the upcoming scene.

Ye Chong decided to write a plot twist himself. He ignored the shriek and picked with his lance, the powdered hallucinogens sprinkled.

The Fangwolves’ raid was merely child’s play to Ye Chong, who had once spent his daily life handling all kinds of intelligent monstrosity on Trash Planet back then. The mutated lifeforms were much, much more aggressive and unpredictable than the wolf pack.

He retreated his legs slightly as he dodged the jumping Fangwolf. Then he launched his legs again right onto its forehead.

Owww Owwwww Owww…

It felt like a hammer slam upon the head of the wolf, as it crashed the ground like a meteorite. It came up fast and it landed faster.

Hush… the sand tinted the air. Ye Chong regained height with the momentum he created, causing all the following attacks of those wolves missed gracefully.

Such kick… Complimented Han Yue in his mind. It could feel a little shabby as one could imagine any grown man producing such force on his kick, but this weird man was in the air, there was nothing for him to conserve the momentum to produce the attack, so he was indeed amazing.

Well Ye Chong certainly deserved the label “weird man” since his appearance was … pretty peculiar. His original clothing was technically burnt during the process of fighting the Wangs, then he got lost in the forest. Most of his equipments came from the things of the nature as he hung tons of Vinesacks over his body like ornaments, while a greenish fine pole was lifting two giant crates.

It was strange , just very strange.

When Han Yue was expecting further action to be taken by the strange man, something just happened!

uddenly, without any warning, the fangwolves began to fall in large numbers. Han Yue did not see how the strange man’s hand was moving at all when it began.

How was that possible? Han Yua and the rest of the group looked at the strange man in disbelief.

“What a strange man!” Han Yue knitted his brows and whispered to himself. To him, the strange man was probably an alchemist, since wide ranged attacks were an ability unique to alchemists. However, no alchemist could attack without leaving any traces of how it was done, much less in front of a group of combat experts. That seemed to be what mentalists could do. In terms of unexpectedness and concealed attacks, mentalists were the best of the lot. However, it was hard to imagine a mentalist killing so many fangwolves single-handedly. Could he be a combat expert? His kick earlier was quite strong, but not enough to convince people that he was a combat expert.

Just who was this man? All of them were troubled by the same question.

Ye Chong ignored the curious stares from the group. They would not be able to see his pouring movements on the glider. Beside, before he jumped down from the glider, he had opened up a few leaf bags from his waist, which contained knockout agents, thus surrounding him with a dense, colorless and scentless cloud of knockout agents. These knockout agents had some ingredients that helped them spread faster in the air, thus their effects had spread out surprisingly quickly.

Only someone who had a smoke pearl like Ye Chong could make this plan work. It was no wonder that Han Yue and company were baffled.

The sky was clear, and there was no wind at all. The knockout agent did not spread out as quickly as he had wished, covering only a 30-meter radius around Ye Chong. Within this radius, none of the fangwolves could stay conscious.

At the center of this large hoard of fangwolves was a 30-meter radius clearing, where fangwolves lay on the ground. Standing at the center was a strange looking man, carrying two boxes. The fangwolves beyond the perimeter were unsettled, but none of them stepped closer to the man.

Strange, very strange indeed! Despite Han Yua and his company’s rich travelling experience, they had never seen anything like it.

Ye Chong relaxed as he saw the knockout agents kicking into effect. While he had a few other tricks up his sleeves, it was better to use the simplest method. The Black Forest was full of treasures, but he would never enter it again without a mech. This meant that whatever resources he brought from that place would deplete as he used them. Some things, like the redsand dehydrator, were things that he did not know how to replicate yet. He did not want to use them all up until he could replicate them.

Ye Chong prepared to leave. He studied his surroundings for a moment. There was a wide river not too far away. Perhaps it would be a good idea to walk along the river.

Seeing the strange man about to leave, Han Yue and group finally reacted.

“Han Family’s Han Yue begged for your assistance!” Han Yue shouted at Ye Chong’s back. His throat was already dry from his earlier exertions, so his voice sounded cracked and hoarse.

The Han Family? Ye Chong stopped in his tracks. Huang Baiyi once told him that one of the two tribes on Dankwood planet that had starships was the Han Family.

Seeing the strange man halting, Han Yue felt relieved and spoke even more humbly, “If you can please lend your assistance, the Han Family will definitely repay you generously!” He spoke this with determination, evincing a sense of trustworthiness. He stole a quick glance at his comrades at the outer edge, fighting a losing fight, and grew even more desperate, but dared not show it in his eyes. To him, Ye Chong was one of those otherworldly respectable elites. He knew that these kind of people were often solitary, and so he treaded with care.

“Repay me generously?” Ye Chong understood that part. He turned back to Han Yue and asked, “With what?” He asked this easily. Bargaining was something that Mu/Shang had taught him repeatedly. He remembered it well, and had basically adopted it for himself. The way he saw it, he was not related to these people, and was thus not obliged to save them. If it was a bargain, however … He could accept that.

A few people around Han Jie looked at Ye Chong with anger and despise. They were furious that this strange man had seen it fit to negotiate terms, given their dire situation. Every second mattered, and any one of them could die at any time. They despised him because they had thought he was some otherworldly gentleman, but he had acted sordidly.

Han Yue thought differently. He was secretly pleased to see the man interested in his proposal. He was afraid that the man would be unmoved by these worldly pleasures. Since this was not the case, then there was hope yet. He was confident of his family’s power. There was nothing the Han Family cannot do on Dankwood planet. His priority right now was to escort the Old Mistress back to their home.

“What would you like to have?” Han Yue asked carefully.

Ye Chong cocked his head to the side and thought about it.

No matter what they thought of this strange man, they all knew that he was the key to their escaping this place alive. Everyone but the warriors still battling against the fangwolves at the perimeter was watching the strange man closely.

After a long moment, Ye Chong said, “Money. Map.” Ye Chong was zuanless, so money was a no-brainer. He also desperately needed a map, or he might lose his way and enter the Black Forest again. That would be horrible.

As for finding Rui Bing and the rest, he could only do that discreetly and not rely on the Han Family.

Han Yue exhaled deeply and answered, “Of course, we will definitely fulfill your requests. However, please get us out of this place.” He was afraid that the strange man would make some weird requests. That would spell trouble for him. To the Han Family, money was only a digit. He remembered that the Lord had once said, any problem that could be solved with money was no problem at all. The map, on the other hand, was even easier. The Han Family had one of the most complete maps of Dankwood planet. This was not exactly classified material, so it would be alright to make a copy of it for the strange man.

“Alright!” Since the man had agreed to his requests, Ye Chong was more than happy to fulfill his part. He took the two open leave pouches from his waist and held them in his hands. He then circled around the group’s perimeter, and the fangwolves around them were immediately knocked out.

All of them heaved a sigh of relief. The combatants who had fought for too long sat down heavily, gasping for breath. Ye Chong controlled the amount of knockout agents used carefully, and the group was not affected.

“So he’s an alchemist,” Han Yue thought to himself in relief. Once he knew the man’s skillset, he could better fight against him. Not that Han Yue planned to go back on his words, but it was a precaution. It was better to be careful against unfamiliar people.

“You’re very skilled!” Han Yue was not flattering Ye Chong. Instead, he was genuinely impressed. The man had easily dealt with the fangwolves around them. He was confident of leaving this place alive now. The alchemists under Han Yue were also looking at Ye Chong with deep admiration. They did not recognize the knockout agents that Ye Chong used. The man was a mystery to them. Besides, Ye Chong had used just the right amount of knockout agents, sparing them all. They were much impressed by this man’s capabilities.

“Can you see which school he’s from?” Han Yue stole a glance at the strange man as he asked softly to Bibia. Bibia was from the Suyu school, and the strongest alchemist that Han Yue had brought with him this time. On Dankwood planet, the Suyu school was not as famous as the Qian system, but it was still quite respectable, with a long history of its own. Disciples from famous schools, like Bibiya, were often very knowledgeable.

Bibiya himself was a short and skinny man. He had a pair of bright eyes, and they were now shining with confusion. He shook his head and said, “I don’t know. He must have used a few different kinds of strong knockout agents. They must be nearly as strong as the Qian system’s Illusion. His scattering methods are complicated and obscure.”

In fact, Bibia had overestimated Ye Chong. Ye Chong’s knockout agents were strong, but they were still weaker than the Qian system’s Illusion. It was only because Bibia had never seen Illusion in action that he made this wrong assumption.

Han Yue asked, “Could he be from the Qian system?” There were three alchemy schools that were famous for their knockout agents – the Qian system, Hanming school and Jiu Family. Qian system’s Illusion, Hanming school’s Ice and Jiu Family’s Blissful Drunkenness were the three most famous knockout agents. Of these three schools, only the Qian system was on Dankwood planet. That was why Han Yue suspected it.

Bibia shook his head again. “No. His knockout agents are strong and aggressive. Qian system’s knockout agents are gentler and longer lasting. These two are very different.” After a few seconds, Bibia laughed wryly. “He’s used more than a dozen scattering methods, and I don’t know any of them.”

The other alchemists showed shock, admiration and even envy at Ye Chong’s performance, just like Bibia.

Ye Chong’s eyes swept across the unconscious fangwolves around him. He secured his leaf pouches once more. If he just walked into Han Yue’s group like he was, they would all fall unconscious.

Everyone looked to Ye Chong with respect. Ye Chong’s demonstration was enough to win their admiration.

The guards that were securing the perimeter quickly dashed towards the Old Mistress and surrounded her. They watched Ye Chong carefully.

“Don’t be so ungracious,” the Old Mistress admonished her guards, before smiling gently at Ye Chong. “Young sir, please don’t be offended, they have overreacted.” At her age, she had earned the right to call Ye Chong “young sir”.

Ye Chong nodded, ignoring the guards. He did not want further trouble. He could see that these guards were strong, and he had no intention of making things complicated.

Right now, he was thinking about how to help these people escape from all the fangwolves around them. If it was just him, his knockout agents would be sufficient. With the entire group, however, they were far from enough.

He must figure out some other way.

clear, green liquid lay quietly inside an alchemy flask like a mellow lady. This was Ye Chong’s latest product. He had used a few precious ingredients to produce it, but he was quite happy with the final product. This was his first time producing this chemical. He had thought about it back in the Black Forest, but his tools and equipment were too simple for that. He had just used Bibia’s equipment. Bibia’s equipment were the most advanced available, at least on Dankwood planet.

The gentle bluish green liquid looked enticing, especially to the people who had just fought for such a long time. They were all thinking about how sweet and tasty it must taste.

Only Bibia out of all of them was staring dead straight at Ye Chong’s flask with a deadly pale expression. His eyes betrayed the horror he was feeling. Han Yue quickly noticed Bibia’s situation.

“What is it?” Han Yue asked quietly.

Bibia did not seem to hear him, as he continued to stare at the thumb-sized alchemy flask in Ye Chong’s hand. His pupils were dilated from shock, as though they were losing focus. Han Yue could even feel Bibia’s whole body trembling.

Could it be … Han Yue stopped his gaze at Ye Chong’s tiny alchemy flask.

“If I may ask, is that the Green Tempest?” Bibia’s voice was shaking as he spoke. He was not aware of it, but the people around him could hear his teeth chattering. They looked at Bibia oddly, not knowing why he was shaking.

And just like that, when Bibia finished his question, all the other alchemists paled, their faces drained of all traces of blood as they stared in horror at the adorable tiny bottle in Ye Chong’s hand. They took a few steps back away from Ye Chong, as though he was the god of calamity.

The rest of the group looked baffled at the alchemists. They did not know why the alchemists behaved so out of control, since alchemists were usually of a gentler temperament, and rarely showed such extreme behavior.

In that instant, everyone looked to Ye Chong.

“Yes, this is the Green Tempest.” Ye Chong looked at all the people around him. He did not know why they reacted so violently. The alchemists had stepped back almost in unison, their eyes filled with fear, as though he was not human, but a monster.

Han Yue could not help but asked, “What is the Green Tempest?” No one bothered to answer him.

Ye Chong was slightly familiar with the world of alchemy, but he knew very little of its history. He did not know of the horrible reputation of the Green Tempest, or he would not have chosen this as his weapon.

There was once a time, long ago, when alchemists were the symbol of evil to the common people. This was largely due to the Green Tempest. There were no records of the name of the person who invented Green Tempest, but every piece of literature described him as a man with no morals! In just three years, he had killed more than two hundred thousand people. These people had all died from the Green Tempest.

The most terrifying incident was one where an entire town had died in their sleep. In just one night, the flourishing town turned into a graveyard. Alchemists were not so well received back then, and this incident aggravated the situation. This particular alchemist was a wanted man on the entire planet, and many other alchemists joined in on the hunt. The alchemist was finally killed, but not after taking down 70 percent of his pursuers.

That was the first time the true power of alchemists was appreciated by the public. However, it was also a huge damaging blow to the world of alchemy.

The incident had happened on Dankwood planet. It was a long time ago, but all of the alchemy schools on Dankwood would have it in their records. Green Tempest was also a symbol of the peak of an alchemist’s abilities. It was no wonder that they all paled upon hearing the name of this chemical.

With the legendary substance right before them, all the alchemists were shaken to the core.

Ye Chong could not help but frowned. “Is there a problem?” He knew nothing of its history, and so could not understand the stares he was receiving.

“No problem, no problem at all!” The alchemists all shook their heads vigorously. What the hell, the inventor of Green Tempest was known as a man with a volatile temper. Who knew what this man’s temper was like? Anyone would be afraid of such a powerful alchemist!

After all, offending a senior would have dire consequences! Just read the history books!

With that, everyone realized what was wrong. They might not know what the Green Tempest was, but it was obvious that they should not offend this man at all costs.

Ye Chong would probably ignore them all if he knew what they were thinking. To him, Green Tempest was a powerful substance, but not the most damaging alchemy product he could think of. Besides, the substance can only be used under very specific circumstances. The sky must be cloudless, the wind gentle. Its intended victims must not have any kind of protective armor. If it was in the Five Galaxies, he would never have a chance to use it. The substance could not act through the most common kind of spacesuits, much less mechs. If it was Beauty’s Secretion, then he would meet no resistance. Even Liquid of Shang was scary enough that Ye Chong was unsure if it could be overcome at all.

Here in the free space zone, however, Green Tempest was a force to reckon with.

Ye Chong was ready to unleash its power now. Behind him, everyone watched him closely, curious to see how he would use this tiny bottle of Green Tempest. They were all soaked wet, since Ye Chong said it was the only way to stay safe from the substance. All the alchemists decided then and there to pass on this knowledge to their own teachers.

Ye Chong opened the bottle with his left hand. A faint green smoke wafted out of the flask. His other hand inserted a yellow citrine stone into the flask, and quickly closed it again.

The quiet Green Tempest underwent a violent transformation. It vaporized almost instantly, filling the alchemy flask with a green coloured gas.

Ye Chong used his left hand to determine the wind direction, and nodded in satisfaction. He lifted the alchemy flask high up with his right hand, and opened it.

Pop! A soft sound was heard, followed by a thick green cloud swirling higher and higher into the air. The green cloud held its form and floated slowly forward, carried by the gentle breeze.

Soon, the cloud was far away from the group. Under the blue sky, the thick, green cloud looked out of place. All the alchemists watched it closely, unwilling to miss a single detail. Not everyone could see the legendary Green Tempest in action.

Just then, the green cloud transformed again. It began to diffuse quickly into the air. Soon, it was all over the fangwolves around them, and the green color was no longer as intense. No one would have expected the huge green cloud to come from such a tiny alchemy flask.

Suddenly, a green colored raindrop came down from the sky.

It was like a signal for transformation. The quiet green cloud suddenly turned violent and grew turbulent. Green raindrops began to fall from the sky.

The green raindrops came down like a light drizzle, covering a thin green veil over the place. It was such a beautiful sight. The maidservant in white beside the Old Mistress watched in enchantment.

The sharp and pitiful cries from the fangwolves tore down the illusion of beauty, and shocked the spectators.

The fangwolves looked terrible. Blood gushed out of their eyes like streams, as though it would continue on until the last drop of blood was expelled. The animals struggled to stand, but they were slowly losing their life force. Finally, they fell to the ground lifelessly, their eyes still bleeding like a river. Their blood drenched the grassy plain and seeped into the earth.

The fangwolves fell down one by one, unable to hide from the deadly green rain. Their painful cries never stopped, not until five minutes later, when none of them were still alive.

The air was thick with the scent of blood, and it was nauseating. There were no wounds on the fangwolves, except for their bleeding eyes and mouth. However, their robust bodies were now shrinking from the loss of blood.

The green rain lasted for only five minutes, but none of the fangwolves within its range survived.

Blerggh! Someone vomited, breaking the silence. The rest followed. The warriors who had fought against these fangwolves bravely could not stand watching the horrible sight. Even the usually composed Han Yue looked pale. The Old Mistress looked alright, but her maidservant was already vomiting like crazy.

Everyone looked at Ye Chong with indescribable horror. No one dared to stand within 10 meters of him. Even Han Yue avoided him.

However, it was the alchemists who were truly shaken. They all looked lost.

The fangwolves dispersed quickly. They were not stupid. On the contrary, they could even be smarter than humans sometimes. The green rain had dealt a devastating blow to them. The entire herd of wolves were left with only about 20 thousand of them. It was still a large herd, but no longer as impressive as before.

Hen Yue and his group left the place as quick as the fangwolves. No one wanted to stay a second longer, looking at the ground covered with animal bodies. It would drive them mad.

The entire group left silently, the tension around them thick enough to cut through with a knife.

p ahead was their destination, Emerald City. Ye Chong did not return to his solo travels yet, since Han Yue had not repaid him in full. It was not that Han Yue was stingy, but he did not have much cash on him. Of course, he had also been careless in not agreeing on a sum when they made their bargain. This was a vexing problem for Han Yue.

How much should he give the man? Han Yue was deeply troubled. He had quite an amount of cash with him, about 30 Yan-zuan. That was a substantial figure for just about anyone, but paying only 30 Yan-zuan to such a terrifying alchemist … What if he offended that man? After all, the man had used the legendary Green Tempest to save them. If he did not reward the man generously, even Han Yue would think himself stingy.

“Then ask him!” Han Yue thought to himself, but he really did not want to speak to that strange man. It was not just him. The rest of the group dared not speak to the God of Death. In fact, not even a fly could be spotted within 10 meters of Ye Chong. In the end, Han Yue braced himself and spoke to the man, and was given the reply – “Up to you.”

Ye Chong had no idea of the local currency and its value, so he came up with this reply.

“Up to you” could mean a lot of things. In the end, Han Yue suggested to Ye Chong that he pay him when they reached Emerald City. The city was under the power of the Han Family, so it would also be more advantageous for him.

Ye Chong studied the map, and found that Emerald City was the closest and only city within reasonable distance, so he agreed. He needed to resupply in the city anyway.

Han Yue had quickly handed over a map to Ye Chong. After studying the map, Ye Chong found that he was quite a distance from the Wang Village. Black Forest was much larger than he expected. He could not believe his luck.

On the other hand, how were Rui Bing and the rest doing? He could he be certain that they had encountered some problems. It had been so many days since, how were they?

“Let’s keep ourselves alive!” Ye Chong muttered to himself.

After handing over the map to Ye Chong, Han Yue did not wish to stay in his company for a second longer, and quickly took his leave. Ye Chong did not delay his exit, and saw him to the door.

“What’s that strange man doing alone in his tent everyday?” A voice outside was saying.

“Who knows? Aren’t alchemists all mysterious people?” Another voice responded.

The first voice laughed. “Hehe, careful you don’t let Bibia hear you, or you’ll be in for trouble.”

“Cheh, Bibia is fine, he’ll just let you suffer a bit. If it’s that strange man, probably no one’ll be left to claim your body after.”

“Yea yea. Don’t worry, I don’t plan on claiming your body, who knows what kind of poison will be left on you,” the other person said.

Ye Chong wanted to roll his eyes so high up. He had heard so many similar conversations these days. No one dared to go near him, and his tent was steered clear of. Ye Chong did not plan to chat with them too, so he stayed in his own tent to research everyday.

Seeing Ye Chong always staying in, the other people began to speak more freely. They did not expect Ye Chong to be able to hear every word they said. Han Yue had kept all tents close to each other for safety reasons. Ye Chong’s sharp hearing also allowed him to hear almost everything in the campsite.

These days, he was the hottest topic of discussion.

However, another conversation caught his attention. He focused on the weak, soft voice.

“That strange man’s crazy! So cruel! Heavens, to think that there’s someone so crazy out there!” It was a woman’s voice. There were only two women in the entire campsite – the Old Mistress and her maidservant. This must be the maidservant speaking.

“Haha, Ying’er, you’re wrong there. The more ruthless you are against the enemy, the better your chances are of survival,” the Old Mistress spoke warmly and lovingly.

“Mistress, he’s still too ruthless. Ying’er couldn’t sleep these days with those nightmares. So scary! He’s just like his ancestor,” Ying’er complained tenderly.

“Oh, his ancestor? Did Ying’er hear about something outside?” The Old Mistress asked, curious.

“Yes, they’ve been discussing it these days.” The maidservant Ying’er recited the origin of the Green Tempest excitedly.

Ye Chong finally realized the story behind it. He thought it strange that Lunatic Guan did not mention it one bit in her chip. If only he knew, then he would not have chosen the Green Tempest. He had a few other alternatives, but the Green Tempest was the most convenient. Besides, the weather that day was very suitable for its usage. That was why he chose that weapon.

It was not his intention to draw attention towards him. He knew very early on that it was better to lay low. It he was found out to be an outsider, that would be a very tricky situation.

“Oh, so the strange man has a very prominent teacher,” the Old Mistress said.

“Famous? How can such a bad person be considered prominent?” Ying’er muttered.

The Old Mistress smiled. “Haha, be it a good or bad reputation, aren’t they all famous?”

Ye Chong listened to them talk, and began to think. Could Lunatic Guan be a successor of the Green Tempest’s inventor? After all, Lunatic Guan had always been secretive about her school.

However, Green Tempest did not particularly standing out in her chip. Lunatic Guan had described it with her usual plain manner.

Ye Chong quickly set the problem aside. He was interested in knowledge itself, but he did not feel a particular sense of belonging to any alchemy school.

“It’s obvious that he’s not a good man. Think about it, Mistress, what kind of people want to discuss terms when it’s an emergency? If he’s a good man, he’d have helped us earlier. Any delay would have cost a life! He’s just a sordid little man, not some capable gentleman.” Ying’er was obviously looking down on Ye Chong.

“Haha, that’s not exactly true. He’s not related to us in any way. We can only be grateful that he’s willing to save us. Besides, Ying’er, didn’t you notice, he never specified an exact amount of money. Think about it, if he had demanded a huge sum back then, we could only agree with it. Besides, why would anyone so powerful as him lack money? If he wanted money, he’d have plenty of ways to get it, no need to expend so much effort like that. As for the map, it’s even more worthless. Haha, that man may not be as bad as you think,” the Old Mistress said with a smile.

“But,” Ying’er hesitated, and asked, “Isn’t he afraid that we’ll not pay up?”

“Oh, my dear, think about it for awhile. If he can save us from all the fangwolves, then surely it’s not too hard to kill us all too. Han Yue would not be as silly as you in these matters. It only makes sense to try to recruit someone to powerful. Why make an enemy with him just because of money?” The Old Mistress told her off lightly, and explained the reasonings behind their actions.

“Yeah. But he’s all cool and emotionless, not like a human at all. Sigh, Mistress, do you think he’ll really kill us if we don’t pay him?” Ying’er asked with interest.

The Old Mistress was silent for a moment before replying her with certainty, “He will, definitely. Ying’er, there are a few kinds of people that you should never seek trouble with in this world, and that man is one of them. Remember that!” The Old Mistress said this solemnly, without her earlier warmth.

“Ying’er will remember!” Ying’er answered obediently.

There was no useful information from their later conversation, so Ye Chong gave up on listening. He was in no habit of wasting time. All his time was spent on improving himself. Perhaps it would take a long time to gain a slight improvement, and he would probably not achieve anything given the short time he had now. However, he knew that strength was something that was gradually accumulated over time.

He would never waste time.

Before he could relax himself, his ears caught an almost imperceptible sound. In the darkness of his tent, Ye Chong’s eyes lit up abruptly.

It seemed that someone was approaching. Ye Chong could not be certain. Soon, however, he could already make out the sounds of footsteps. The footsteps were light and hurried.

An ambush! Ye Chong was surprised, but quickly calmed down.

He did some quick calculations, but could not arrive at an accurate figure. There were no less than a hundred of them, and they were all skilled. If Ye Chong had not been concentrating on hearing that conversation earlier, he would not have noticed them. It was luck that allowed Ye Chong to notice them so soon.

The ambushers moved quickly. Ye Chong even heard a few suppressed moans. Some people were already dealt with.

They were ruthless! Ye Chong noted to himself. Now, he had to focus on protecting himself. Attacks with clear objectives were often done ruthlessly. Besides, Ye Chong had no plans of handing himself over easily.

Ye Chong did not stand up. He quietly opened the leaf pouches on his waist. The strong, scentless knockout agents quickly filled up his tent. Right now, it was better to stay inside than rush out.

For now, he could only wait for them to take the bait. Ye Chong did not move in the dark. He sat quietly and patiently like a nocturnal predator, waiting for its prey.

uddenly, a figure rushed into his tent.

Even in the dark, Ye Chong could see everything clearly. The person who came in wore a mask and fitting black clothing. Only his eyes were visible. His sharp eyes and quick movements all betrayed his superior abilities.

It was too bad that no matter how strong a person was, it was still hard to avoid an ambush like this. Ye Chong’s tent was filled with a very dense cloud of knockout agents. Ye Chong would not have stayed in the tent if he did not have his smoke pearl.

There were sharp cries coming from outside. It seemed that the ambushers were noticed. Ye Chong could even hear Han Yue’s angry yell.

However, he was still focused on his immediate surroundings. It was not yet time to worry about Han Yue and the rest of the group.

The tent was dark inside. The ambusher entered the tent and immediately went unconscious, falling to the ground.

Ye Chong felt reassured, seeing the knockout agents taking effect. He stepped forward and caught the man in black clothing before he reached the ground, then pushed him quietly to a corner.

He knew how competent Han Yue’s group was. These ambushers must have planned their operation ahead of time. This meant that they were familiar with Han Yue’s group too. Since they decided to attack anyway, they must be stronger than Han Yue’s group.

Fortunately, he still had many alchemy products with him. Here in the darkness, Ye Chong’s ability as a fully stocked alchemist was not to be underestimated. Additionally, he was a combat expert, familiar with the attack strategies of other combat experts.

Ye Chong offered no mercy. He put force into his hands, and the unconscious man stopped breathing immediately.

“109 … 109 …” The person outside did not enter right after, but whispered the code name of the now dead man. However, no matter how they called, the tent remained silent.

The men in black exchanged looks, knowing that 109 was probably incapacitated.

The leader made a signalling gesture, and the five of them threw out the weapons in their hands towards the tent.

Rip! The tough fabric of the tent was torn as the five weapons shot into the tent simultaneously.

Ye Chong heard the sound of rushing wind the moment they threw their weapons and was slightly surprised. As expected, these people were not easy to deal with. That they would act so carefully even in an ambush in the dark spoke volumes of their rich experience in actual combat. This was the kind of opponent that Ye Chong wanted to avoid the most. These people always knew the best strategy against any situation, and they had very low chances of making mistakes. If it was a group of similar people, his current situation would be very dangerous.

Ye Chong bent down forcefully, lying low to the ground. The five weapons flew past right above his head. One lance was only centimeters from his head. Ye Chong felt a chill down his spine. He was only human after all. If that lance had hit him, he would be dead by now.

“Careful, it’s an alchemist inside,” the leader warned his subordinates. He was highly alert. The knockout agents began to escape through the five holes in the tent made with their weapons. While the agents were colorless and scentless, he was also very experienced. With just an inhale, he felt a slight dizziness and quickly stepped back, surprised by the strength of the knockout agents.

The rest of the team stepped back as well, looking at the tent warily.

As these five people were met with resistance, the same went for the rest of the ambushers. Han Yue had brought with him elites who could react fast and coordinate perfectly with each other. The situation quickly turned into a stalemate.

Han Yue was surprised and furious. As the strongest tribe on Dankwood planet, the Han Family had long since received challenges like this. However, he quickly calmed down. They were not too far from Emerald city now. If they could hold on for a bit longer, reinforcements would arrive soon.

The opponent attacked aggressively, seemingly with a clear objective.

Could it be …

Han Yue’s heart skipped a beat as he turned to look towards the Old Mistress. As expected, they were receiving the bulk of the enemy’s forces. The ten bodyguards of the Old Mistress were skilled, holding off the enemy for now. However, he could see that they were slowly losing ground.

As it was, he was too deep in his own fight to lend assistance. The ambushers had chosen an effective attack strategy. His own forces were now scattered about, unable to converge.

Han Yue was anxious, but there was nothing he could do.

Just then, a loud and clear voice boomed, “Which member of the Han Family is here?”

Han Yue was surprised, but also delighted. He used his sword to force his enemy back and shouted back, “Brother Luo, please come help!”

A loud whistle was heard over the battle, and a human figure made its way towards Han Yue in an incredible speed. It was hard to recognize a person in the dark, so the figured appeared to move like a ghost. He was attacked along the way, but this person that Han Yue called Brother Luo was highly skilled. He was not hurt, but instead injured three others.

“Haha, I didn’t expect to see you here, Brother Han,” the man said with a smile. He killed two people before finishing his sentence. Han Yue felt the pressure on him ease up, and his sword moved faster, seeking the throats of his enemies.

“Brother Luo, please take care of that old woman,” Han Yue pleaded.

The man understood their urgent situation and did not delay in agreeing, “Alright.” He quickly made his way to the Old Mistress. This greatly reduced enemy forces around the Old Mistress . He attacked with determination, killing with his every move.

Han Yue understood that if he could gather his forces together now, they would be able to win.

Ye Chong heard the loud whistle clearly, but he did not have time to investigate. Perhaps it was his luck, but three of the five ambushers outside his tent were ranked in the top ten of this group of enemies. They had expected to finish dealing with him quickly, but had encountered a strong alchemist instead.

They decided then to kill this alchemist. In this chaotic battle in the dark, having a strong alchemist on the other side would have terrible consequences. Besides, that untraceable knockout agent just now had made them wary.

Alchemists were usually physically weak, and would delay the speed of the entire assault team. Since an ambush depended on speed to work, they did not bring any alchemist with them. This was another reason for them to end this alchemist’s life quickly.

How did alchemists attack?

These five ambushers were able to fully appreciate the alchemist’s creativity that night!

A few glowing blue flashes shot out of the tent, fast like an arrow towards the five ambushers.

One of them was prepared to block it with his weapon, but the leader yelled, “Don’t!” That member was surprised, but he was also a seasoned fighter. He forced his body to bend awkwardly, narrowly avoiding the blue light.

Splat! That blue light hit a corpse behind him.

He could now make out the blue light to be a blue colored flame. What happened next sent a chill down their spines. The thumbnail-sized blue flame was like a blue flower unfurling its petals in the night, spreading across the corpse.

The skin, the flesh, and even the bones turned to ash under the blue fire. They were horrified to see it happen so quickly that their faces were drained of blood.

It looked like he was destined to never be a long range attacker! Ye Chong sighed to himself. If it was the Sang Tribe members, their unique throwing moves would finish those five ambushers easily. Ye Chong had improvised on the blue flames, adding a few flammable ingredients to make it burn stronger. He was the first to use the Bluefire chemical like this. It required very strong fingers to execute. No other alchemist would have the strength to do it.

Ye Chong’s alchemy performance was not over yet.

As the redsand dehydrator, the infamous of the Smoke school, made its appearance, the five ambushers paled even further.

They dared not to step closer to the tent anymore, but even more than that, they could not leave the alchemist alive.

Unlike other alchemists, Ye Chong could control his strength with high precision. Besides, his familiarity with combat allowed him to have more flexibility in his choice of attack.

He was now trying out some combat moves to use his alchemy substances.

Blue, pink, brown, white …

Ye Chong’s tent was a colorful exhibition of smokes. The smoke grew thicker and surrounded the entire tent. The smoke was so thick that it did not move despite the wind.

The five ambushers dared not step into the smoke. Who knew if it was poisonous! The alchemy substances that they had encountered so far had left a deep impression in them. However, they could not leave. In the end, they could only watch the thick smoke from afar.

What they fail to see was a violent transformation taking place in the centre of the thick smoke.

e Chong’s hands moved quickly. He had never moved his hands so quickly for alchemy purposes. The alchemy flask in front of him was already loaded with many raw ingredients. Ye Chong was also adding all sorts of chemicals into the flask at an astonishing speed. The volume of chemicals he added was only a little each time, but he was doing it very quickly.

His hands were a blur in the air.

He had a wonderful idea, and now he wanted to see how it would fare in practice.

The liquid in the alchemy flask roiled violently like boiling water. Ye Chong did not stop, however, as he continued to add small amounts of different chemicals into the alchemy flask.

Ye Chong’s expression was solemn, his mouth firmly closed. He had the smoke pearl in his mouth for precaution. He had buried the two boxes underground, and the hesitation of the five ambushers had allowed him to do this.

When the last chemical was added into the alchemy flask, a surprising change happened!

Boom!

It was a low sound of explosion. His tent was burst open by the strong air pressure inside.

A powerful wave of air rippled outwards from him, quick as lightning, and the smoke surrounding his tent was all blown away. This sudden change caught everyone off guard. The strong wind from the explosion swept past everyone in the entire campsite.

Where the wind had blown past, the intense fighting stopped, and people dropped silently to the ground like flies.

The only one standing in the campsite was Ye Chong. He looked pitiful, covered in all kinds of colors. His clothing was almost completely gone but for his pants, still where they should be.

Ye Chong looked at the people lying on the ground in the campsite, satisfied with the result. He was surprised to find that his short, creative moment earlier had led to this fine result. He had expected to only finish off the five ambushers, but this was far beyond his expectations.

In fact, what Ye Chong had created was essentially an explosion. Of course, it was a mild explosion. Creating a large volume of gas in a very short time was, to an alchemist, a piece of cake. The small explosion had created an airstream that spread outwards, covering the entire campsite.

This airstream was not dangerous, and would only feel like strong gust of wind to most people. However, Ye Chong did some preparation work beforehand, surrounding his tent with more than 30 kinds of knockout agents. The knockout agents were so dense around his tent that it was suffocating.

The airstream had spread this dense mixture of knockout agents all over the campsite.

Since their encounter with the fangwolves, Han Yue’s camp had lost many people, so their campsite was not too large in its entirety. The airstream was thus able to cover the entire campsite.

Ye Chong’s knockout agents were all strong ones. Without necessary precautions, everyone in the camp, enemy or ally, had fallen.

Ye Chong realized then that an alchemist was more suited to ambushing. However, he quickly dismissed this idea. Those knockout agents were made of rare and valuable ingredients. If he had not stocked himself from the Black Forest, he would not have been able to win this battle. Besides, it was difficult to control the power of the explosion earlier. If was only because of his strong body that he could survive it unscathed. If it were any other alchemist, being at the center of an explosion would wound, if not kill him.

This strategy was too expensive and dangerous.

This was more so in the Five Galaxies. In the Five Galaxies, battles mostly happened in outer space. Mechs were the favored means of battle. These knockout agents would be useless.

After all these experiences, Ye Chong appreciated the advantages and power of mechs even more deeply. Be it the Five Galaxies or He Yue Galaxy, mech pilots still reigned supreme. He Yue Galaxy may have a place for combat experts, but combat only served as a base for mech pilots to strengthen their bodies.

“Why am I thinking about all this?” Ye Chong laughed at himself mockingly. No power was absolute. The best strategy was always one based on circumstances.

The violent battle was over, and it was quiet. Ye Chong quickly checked Han Yue, lying on the ground, looking peaceful. It was said that knockout agents were first invented to promote better sleep, but was later developed as a weapon of defense for alchemists.

“Looks like I should prepare a lot of these knockout agents,” Ye Chong thought to himself as he looked at the people on the ground around him, smiling wryly.

The first to be awakened was Han Yue. Ye Chong felt that he was the best person to deal with the aftermath.

Han Yue opened his eyes, dazed for a few seconds, but he quickly gathered himself. Ye Chong was quietly impressed by his mental strength.

When Han Yue saw the people lying around him, however, he was flabbergasted. He stammered as he asked, “What … What happened?”

Now that was a loaded question. Ye Chong did not know how to explain it, so he kept quiet.

“You … You did this, sir?” Han Yue opened his eyes wide, looking at Ye Chong with disbelief, speaking respectfully all of a sudden.

“Yes,” Ye Chong nodded in answer, not denying his actions. However, he did not wish to elaborate further. It would be foolish to explain his techniques to someone else. He switched topics, “How should they be dealt with?” Ye Chong pointed towards the enemies lying on the ground.

If it was up to him, he would choose the simplest way, which was to give each of them a stab in the head with his spear. The poison on the spearhead ensured that he would not have to stab twice.

However, he understood his situation, and did not want to stand out. After all, he was still wary of his status as an outsider. It would be better for Han Yue to make the decision.

“Can … Can you wake up my comrades, sir?” Han Yue stumbled over his words. For some reason, although he was always be very careful with this strange man, it was different from what he was feeling now. Every time he saw the cold face of this enigmatic alchemist, he could feel an icy chill inside. He was grateful that he was not enemies with the alchemist, or he would be dead by now.

The thought of having his life at the mercy of that strange man sent another chilling wave over his heart.

Ye Chong did not know what Han Yue was thinking. The way he saw it, he had only executed a slightly creative solution to their predicament. To Han Yue, however, he was already a character with legendary powers. To suppress hundreds of elite fighters quietly was not only unprecedented, but also brilliant. Alchemists were always thought to hold supportive roles. No one would have guessed that an alchemist could be this strong.

Han Yue still did not know what exactly happened. This further increased the mystery around Ye Chong, and made Han Yue even more nervous.

Humans are always afraid of the unknown.

Ye Chong handed over the awakening antidote to Han Yue, and let him be. Best to leave the professional part to the professionals. He should try to be inconspicuous. However, he was not aware that everything he did so far was anything but inconspicuous.

Soon, Han Yue awakened all his comrades. The ambushers were not so lucky. Most of them were killed in their sleep, while the few who looked like leaders were brought for interrogation.

Ye Chong watched as lives were ended before his eyes. His expression did not change. He had seen death too many times, and had fought against it often himself. This was nothing he had not seen before.

Han Yue was watching Ye Chong throughout the affair. He saw the cool expression underneath his colorful appearance, felt his chest tightened, and moved Ye Chong a few more levels up his danger scale.

“Get anything from them?” Han Yue read the reports from his subordinates. They had suffered heavy casualties from the attack, with only 70 of them still alive, about half of them with injuries. Nonetheless, as the leader, Han Yue stayed composed.

“None,” Han Yue’s second replied. He had survived the attack as well.

“They’re child abductors,” the Old Mistress announced softly. She walked towards him slowly, supported by her maidservant.

“Child abductors!” Han Yue was surprised with the information. He knew that someone like the Old Mistress would never speak carelessly. She must have her own reasons to be so certain. The Old Mistress would never lie to him about this matter, but why would the child abductors attack them?

The thought occurred to him for a moment, but he quickly suppressed his curiosity and did not pursue further. It was not for him to pry. “Mistress, I apologize for causing you distress!” He bowed to the Old Mistress, and thanked a man standing beside him, “It was an emergency situation just now, and I did not have the chance to thank you for your help, Brother Luo. Please forgive me!” He smiled widely, apparently on good terms with the other man.

“Ah, don’t even bother,” the man addressed as Brother Luo replied in mock anger. The man was almost as tall as Ye Chong, and not particularly muscular. It was hard to associate him with the man who had moved fast as lightning earlier. He looked like a refined man, not too tall, but with a certain powerful charisma.

Ye Chong’s face betrayed nothing, but he felt that this Brother Luo looked familiar, even though he was certain that they had never met.

If it was any other normal person, they would have dismissed it as a mistake. Ye Chong did not. He studied the man carefully, but could not find any clues. The feeling of familiarity was still there, however, and this made Ye Chong even more wary of him.

Just who was this man?

This gentleman is?” The old mistress asked with a smile. That was also something Ye Chong wanted to know,

Han Yue realized that he had not introduced his friend, and quickly explained, “This is a good friend of mine, Luo Shi, a famous expert on Dankwood planet.” He turned to Luo Shi and said, “The Old Mistress is an honored guest of the Han Family.” His introduction for the old mistress was vague, but Luo Shi was also smart enough not to question. He bowed to the old mistress smoothly, giving off a friendly vibe.

“Ah!” Ying’er, who stood beside the old mistress, gasped, and immediately felt embarrassed. She quickly covered her mouth with her hands, but could not help asking, “Are you the Luo Shi who participated in the last Congregation?”

Luo Shi smiled and acknowledged humbly, “I didn’t think my lady would remember a nobody like me.”

Ying’er blushed again and said, “You’re too modest, Mr Luo. If someone like you is not famous, then there won’t be too many famous people out there.” This was no exaggeration. Every participant of the Congregation were true experts. Many young experts were uncovered in each Congregation, and these young experts would usually become famous due to their participation. To many, joining the Congregation was the route to fame.

“Mr Luo must be really impressive, to participate in the Congregation at such a young age,” the old mistress commended.

Luo Shi said humbly, “Old Mistress, you’re too kind.”

Ye Chong studied the man called Luo Shi coldly. The fact that his face looked familiar bothered him.

“And this is?” Luo Shi looked to Ye Chong with seemingly unperturbed eyes, but Ye Chong could sense that he was wary of him.

“Er …” Han Yue was troubled, not knowing how to introduce the mysterious alchemist. The alchemist had quite literally fell out of the sky, and until now, he still could not figure out what that bird-like mechanical device was.

Han Yue realized suddenly that he knew nothing about the alchemist, not his name and age, nor where he came from and where he was going to. He knew nothing at all about this man.

“This is …” Han Yue was about to make something up when suddenly, he heard a shout, “Careful!” In front of him, Luo Shi vanished in a blur.

A terrifying cry came from behind him!

Han Yue quickly turned around, and saw an ambusher with a lance pierced through his body. The lance was thrown with enough force to go straight through the ambusher’s body, pinning him to the ground.

Luo Shi stood before Han Yue with a calm expression. Han Yue finally realized what had happened, and looked to Luo Shi with gratitude.

Ye Chong saw exactly what had happened. The ambusher had thrown a lance towards them, probably aiming for the old mistress. However, the knockout agent must still be in effect, and the lance strayed from its target towards Han Yue.

Luo Shi moved quickly, appearing behind Han Yua and caught the lance easily. His powerful and explosive motion surprised Ye Chong. Luo Shi then threw the lance, which struck the heart of the ambusher.

This series of events unfolded in a flash.

When Luo Shi moved, Ye Chong’s eyes widened! However, he quickly resumed his calm composure, and his abrupt change in expression was not noticed by anyone around him.

However, what he saw was like dropping a bombshell for Ye Chong!

Luo Shi was strong, as he could tell that from the man’s reaction just now. His movements were powerful, and he could control his strength with precision. The bodyguards of the old mistress all felt wary against Luo Shi.

However, Ye Chong was not thinking about that. Luo Shi was strong, but that was not enough to surprise Ye Chong that much. He had noticed something else.

Luo Shi was from the Ye Family!

It was not hard to imagine what a shock this would be for Ye Chong. Ye Chong saw every detail of Luo Shi’s movement just now, and they were typical of the Ye Family’s techniques. Of the Three Aristocratic Families, Xue Lai Clan specialized in machinery, while Xi Feng Tribe in the secret arts. For the Ye Family, their forte was combat, and Ye Chong was most familiar with their ways.

Ye Chong may have learned only the basics from Black Cove, but Black Cove’s style, which was also the Ye Family’s style, had deeply influenced him. As he learned more about combat, he developed a better understanding of the Ye Family’s combat style. He could recognize it anywhere. Tried as Luo Shi had to disguise himself, he could not escape Ye Chong’s eyes!

The man’s name must be Ye Luo, or Ye something, and not Luo Shi.

No wonder he looked familiar. The Ye Family might be related to him in some way, but that was not at the top of his mind at the moment. As he studied Luo Shi closer, Ye Chong found that the man was similar to him in many respects.

Luo Shi’s physique was similar to him in many ways. His body was lean and slender, and people find it hard to imagine the sheer amount of power residing in that body. Ye Chong recalled his time on the trash planet, where his muscles would not grow larger like normal people no matter how rigorous his training was. He remembered that Mu was puzzled by this as well, and had in the end attributed it to his unique physical condition.

The fact was, his body was also different in many other ways.

For example, the silver liquid’s negative side effects on his body faded over time. The silver liquid, Black Cove, and the Ye Family … Ye Chong thought about all of them and their relation to each other. Many of his earlier confusions arose in his mind.

Could this really be due to the unique physical conditions of members of the Ye Family? He remembered that all the strong characters from the Ye Family had never looked particularly muscular, while other combat experts would usually look huge and imposing.

The Ye Family was in the free space zone!

He quickly realized the implications behind this fact. His heart beat furiously despite his forced calmness. If the Ye Family was here, they must also know how to return to the He Yue Galaxy!

Xi Feng Tribe and Ye Family, two of the Three Aristocratic Families were here now in the free space zone. What about the Xue Lai Clan?

In the Clan Leader’s office of the Xue Lai Clan, a beautiful middle aged woman was absorbed in the display on her holographic screen. She wore no makeup, but her skin was fair. Her long, narrow eyes were filled with inexpressible emotions. She bit her lips together, deep in thought. This beautiful woman was the current Clan Leader of the Xue Lai Clan.

It was interesting to note that, of the Three Aristocratic Families, two were led by women, and only the Ye Family had a man as their leader.

However, people would not underestimate them just because they were of the fairer sex. The Xue Lai Clan and the Xi Feng Tribe had more female members than male, and the Ye Family was in the exact opposite situation. The Ye Family had more male than female newborns in their family, and this had always been a vexing matter for the reigning Patriarch.

The Clan Leader was also troubled by something now. Too many problems had arisen lately. Suddenly, the peace in the He Yue Galaxy and the Five Galaxies was challenged.

The Shi Family had been active, spreading their power quickly. Intel from various sources suggested that they had a very powerful ally, However, no matter how deep they dug, they could not uncover any information on this mysterious ally. This raised the alarm for the traditional powers that were the Three Aristocratic Families.

Another issue was that in many of the latest models of mechs and weapons, traces of Xue Lai Clan’s technology could be found. This caused a disturbance within the clan, with suggestions of possible traitors. However, the origin of these mechs and weapons could not be uncovered, and this troubled her greatly. Matter like these that could disrupt the harmony of the clan worried her the most.

The Five Galaxies was also problematic. Fortunately, the Xue Lai Clan was not the only one having issues. This was a problem that the Three Aristocratic Families would have to face together, and with the Freedom Alliance.

Some unknown force was trying to devour the Five Galaxies, and the beginnings of this force could be traced back to that primary planet back then. From her intel, the starships from all the Four Families had never returned. They had deployed many more starships there, but all of them were never heard from again. That place was like a black hole, swallowing anything that came its way.

The most terrifying thing, however, was that the force was spreading. This created a pressure on the Three Aristocratic Families and the Freedom Alliance. However, no one could do anything about it. Xi Feng Tribe’s forces in the Five Galaxies were now in an unprecedented state of alarm.

Perhaps she should send out some experts to investigate the matter. The Five Galaxies were indispensible for the Three Aristocratic Families. The He Yue Galaxy was rich in resources, but they were still limited in supply. The Five Galaxies was larger than the He Yue Galaxy, and had more unexplored territory. In some way, the Five Galaxies was the future of the Three Aristocratic Families, where each Family would fight to expand their grounds of influence, and the strategic focus of the Families’ futures.

Now, however, she had another problem at hand.

The foolish boy had found his way to the free space zone!

She could not understand how that could have happened. There were only three extremely hidden routes from the He Yue Galaxy to the free space zone, and each of them was under the control of one of the Three Aristocratic Families.

Unlike the Xi Feng Tribe and the Ye Family, the Xue Lai Clan had always preferred machinery. The free space zone was not that important to the Clan. Hence, while the Xue Lai Clan also had forces in the free space zone, they had the weakest influence in the free space zone among the Three Aristocratic Families. Now that the foolish boy had found his way to the free space zone, she was very worried for his safety.

He was her son. She knew his significance to the Xue Lai Clan! She could not afford to see him harmed, no matter what.

After some pondering, she made her decision. The woman activated her comms and summoned, “Siva!”

rom the very beginning to the very end, Ye Chong had not spoken a word. People of course were helpless at this, while presuming him to be a natural lone wolf. As much as people had learned about kinds like Ye Chong, the more of a expert the person was, the weirder the person would get somehow. Luo Shi was that rare jewel who had a compassionate and modest personality.

Ye Chong had grown more mysterious in the eyes of the people. The group had become supremely respectful towards this peculiar man, that even Ying’er, the white clothed servant girl was getting avoidant upon any form of contact with Ye Chong. Well, she was more interested in Luo Shi who appeared to be friendlier than most of the adepts she had seen before. They grew on each other as they exchanged more talks over the time.

Nevertheless, Ye Chong’s distant nature was part of his strategy, including the use of pseudonym which he got so familiar with. He knew the more he revealed, the less valued he would be, so he zipped his mouth to trap that mystery. The encounter with the Ye family was literally unexpected though, and he could become extremely cautious on the family. In conclusion, being distant, aloof and silent would be the best policy.

And he succeeded, very much succeeded, that he simply did not see it working this well.

He had demonstrated his strength twice ever since the encounter with Han Yue, which the two instances were more than enough to establish his status of a supreme alchemist among the people. His landing was as if a godsend, bizarrely potent, as he created a miracle upon arrival with the magical rain showering the place, which reminded people of that one frightening alchemist in the darker page of the history. Ye Chong was then quickly assumed as the successor of that destructive master of alchemy, which inevitably the fact conquered every witness there, including Luo Shi. Ye Chong’s status had already become unshakable and Luo Shi could not deny that even with his capabilities competent enough to join the Congregation. In the proximity of Ye Chong he was just helpless.

Somehow people would just shun themselves away from Ye Chong as he exerted that frigidity. And only Luo Shi had mustered sufficient courage to speak to Ye Chong twice, although nothing much had changed while giving Ye Chong enough reason to be more cautious of this person, especially when he captured that flickering strangeness in Luo Shi’s eyes.

Did he see something in me? Thought Ye Chong, that was his main concern. Luo Shi was clearly a great person and Ye Chong believed that he purposively kept the majority of his strength in dark, since… the Aristocrats fancied such debut.

However, Ye Chong had a natural talent of being cold. He was just cold, colder than the iceberg without even trying. And this time he gave a lot of efforts in being colder, that Luo Shi would be quickly pushed away by the awkward atmosphere after trying too hard to please Ye Chong.

Throughout the whole time Ye Chong had spent days in his own tent alone, while only on occasions of a hasty travel he would get out of his tent, during which there would be nobody within 5 meters of his proximity.

After a few trips they got very much close to the next raiding point, the Emerald City. Unlike the barrenness of the other places, Emerald City was lively, happening, as one would see a person in their harsh trainings from time to time. Emerald City was the only oasis in the area. If they wanted any supplies of consumables, it would be here or nothing.

The guardsmen of the Han family became more relaxed the moment they had entered the city, since Emerald City was their domain and their work was pretty much done once they had escorted everyone in.

The owner of the city was not as relieved as the guardsmen however, as he was on the final term of service, the final year to be exact, after which he could return to his own tribe and enjoy the days after his 60s. It had been a heart-pounding life ever since he was assigned here at the age of 30. Certainly he would not want anything to go wrong at the eleventh hour.

He was well-informed of Han Yue’s order since quite some time ago, and so well-prepared he was. The Emerald City was located at the boundary of the grass field, and precisely the only resting spot within the vicinity of 500 kilometers, thus the dense and busy population, in which the harsh-training practitioners being the majority. Well, as much as Rui Bing was able to handle the punishing training, one’s strength would be justifiable the moment one was able to participate in such training. To ensure the security within the area, the defense of the city had always been exceptional. For their visit this time, the owner of the city actually relocated a portion of security from the other domain of Han family nearby.

The plot twist was… there just so happened to be a surge of the population of alchemists to the city starting few days ago, which had alarmed the owner. It was a rather sensitive period for their surprise visit, but what would their participation signify to the party?

His call was heard as the scout returned hurriedly with information. Apparently the alchemists arrived at the city for a mysterious alchemist, one who recreated that very great Green Tempest after the fall of the predecessor. They were informed that such great man, the descendant of the historical figure, would be coming to Emerald City.

“WHAT!”

The owner almost dropped his teacup upon hearing the report.

You ask what a Green Tempest is? It is so notorious that it should be an unwritten common sense known by everybody who had spent enough years living on Dankwood! And obviously the owner knew the history.

But why would such a jinx be coming to my city? Of all time?

Cursed the owner. The horrendous name of Green Tempest spelled apocalypse to him, that he would be on high alert and contacted the other towns nearby to send more forces to his city. Unfortunately, he had to wait, as the long distance forbade, they would only be arriving few days later.

Please… please make it before things go wrong.

Preached the owner of the city.

“What!”

The teacup nearly escaped his grip. Another plot twist to his thumping heart – the apocalyptic alchemist was one of the members in Han Yue’s group! To top that, one other member was known as Luo Shi, also a known figure, being one of the 10 participants in the last Congregation on Dankwood, the idol of every youngsters.

Such handful case. Ugh…

The lord was puzzled, the situation was far more complicated than he thought.

He could not be at ease to any of them, be it the alchemist, or Luo Shi the Great. He hoped that both of them would remain low-profiled at least, or it would be more puzzling.

Sadly, everything happened to be quite the contrary. The moment Luo Shi sat on the mattress in his accommodation, news flew throughout the city like the morning breeze. The mysterious alchemist’s cover was blown as well.

Something began brewing in Emerald City…

The city could hardly be at calm when two figures had arrived, one was the resourceful alchemist who inherited the legendary Green Tempest, while the other was the idol, the top 10 of Dankwood.

The alchemist arrived with the news of conquering few hundreds of fighters effortlessly using his craft, which fell like a bomb in the city. People were ridiculed by it at first, since it really sounded fictional, till it was proven by the one great Luo Shi, then all the other alchemists around lost their heads.

The accommodation of Ye Chong and Luo Shi had been surrounded by people who begged for a moment of spotting the legends.

Ye Chong did not expect the fandom to be this maniac, well at least the outside of his residence was not as jammed as Luo Shi’s. There was better peace at his place. Those people who swarmed upon Luo Shi’s residence were mostly the passionate youngsters, which the guys were kicking alive and the girls were jumping in screams.

The “fandom” at Ye Chong’s place consisted of the alchemists, who came in peace as they left the place after giving a glance.

Ye Chong was of course uninterested in the people as he locked himself in his room, doing research day by day. The maidservant would provide meals, mostly in fear however, that Ye Chong would see her trying to control her breath while her hands shook the tray would nearly fall on occasions when he lifted his head.

Okay, into what had the rumors made out there? Ye Chong laughed bitterly.

Well, Luo Shi seemed more experienced at handling his spreading tales, as he would head out and exchange fists with the passionate youngsters out there, during which piercing hurrahs would be slamming Ye Chong’s thinking mind at his place.

And thanks to these, the owner of the city had been sleeping “well”.

He was displeased by the fiasco certainly, but there was nothing he could do. The only relief was how the days passed peacefully. He had already received the order from the head of Han family. The escort task had been reassigned to others, and the head had sent a team of 800 experts coming to the city. So the one task he had to do would be guarding the old lady before the team arrived.

And that was when he lost faith again.

The most feared plot twist had happened again.

It was during the day, contrary to what he had predicted, that someone outside the alchemist’s residence suddenly collapsed as he began spilling blood from his purplish expression.

About 50 witnesses were there.

The alchemists were enraged as they knew what the scene would signify. Dankwood was a small planet, any established branch of alchemy would have fair connection with its counterparts and it would be a betrayal taken in the form of framing when an innocent was drugged.

The victim had lost his consciousness. The alchemists had tried everything they knew. Nothing had worked however.

They were feeling uneasy of the incident. Their eyes were filled with a frightened confusion as they looked at each other.

How… how did it even happen?

ertainly the mysterious alchemist did not come in peace, as he had stirred a storm in Emerald City, people were discussing him in the most frightful expression tinted with the strangest curiosity. And the sudden fall of the random alchemist in front of his house had become part of the heat that day, people were passing messages about how he just dropped, seemingly dead and nothing appeared to be able to resuscitate the fallen.

And Ye Chong was not aware of this, obviously. He had been spending every second of his soul on researches and he would only take the incident as merely a side story at most.

Regarding the incident, people had different versions of the story, mostly were sugarcoated with drama and iced with more things that went against the reality.

The reality was, the young alchemist challenged Ye Chong that day. Nobody knew it, the young alchemist took action in the dark, he picked one hallucinogen that was both colorless and odorless, as just a tiny attempt to test the mysterious alchemist.

And that was when he realized, the rumor was indeed true, while also knowing that he had underestimated Ye Chong’s capability.

Ye Chong was not harmed by the attack, not even the slightest bit, although he detected the raid immediately, as he identified the culprit among the crowd. Without hesitation, Ye Chong returned a heavier blow, not sparing the young man a second to react.

He too used a colorless and odorless reagent but one with a way stronger spreadability, that it would travel far enough to sneak into the young man’s respiratory system and take over his soul before he knew it. The reagent would destroy his blood circulatory system, while being not directly fatal, since… well Ye Chong was well-aware of his outsider identity, imagine the chaos he would cause if the mysterious alchemist, the possible descendant of the great in the history turned out to be an outsider.

The unexpected however was the fact that he had underestimated this very reagent, namely the “Bloody Agony”, not really the effect of it but how dramatic it would “kill” the victim, the symptoms were overwhelming to the witnesses that it brought fear as much as towards death. According to Luantic Guan’s record, Bloody Agony was apparently a reagent used by the ancient tribe to perform punishment on the infidel, and Lunatic Guan just somehow managed to get its formulae, to be improvised into the current horror with greater spreadability in air and strength.

It was a taboo to “test” the others in the world of alchemist, since the competition had always been more dangerous than any other field of expertise. Things could simply happen without any forewarning, like how the young reckless man had fallen. Testing the other alchemists would be a thing to do cautiously, likelier silently, unlike the street fights between the practitioners which were common.

That was the rule of thumb written in the microchip of Lunatic Guan. Well, Lunatic Guan had been fairly convincingly on her contents. Logically speaking, nobody of the more experienced would initiate an attack without being attacked at first. The experienced would only take action when they felt their entities threatened, that would be when the foe was utterly finished.

That included Ye Chong, who grew up fighting, competing and warring. If it was not the fact that he wanted to stay low being an outsider, the counterattack would not as such.

The young alchemist remained unconscious, unable to clarify motive of his behavior. Because of that, things started to worsen, a battle in alchemy was brewing. He probably never thought of how his little gesture would have caused such havoc.

…

“What should we do?” asked Qi Wen grimly as he looked at the surrounding.

The room was filled with all the top alchemists on Dankwood. Every representative figures of alchemy of all kinds you could imagine, of all branches the studies had led, had hurried their way to Emerald City the very second they got informed about the arrival of the descendant of one who wielded the Green tempest.

Qi Wei was the leader of the Qian System, which was the strongest, also the most established archaic system in histories of alchemy on Dankwood. One could still see them on top of ranking even when put under comparison with the other planets in the space zone, and because of that, Qian System had been the chief representative of all alchemy branches on Dankwood.

Qi Wei glanced upon the experts of all different alchemy branches, as sentiments filled his mind, wondering when they had their last reunion. Was it 10 years ago? Or 20 years? He could not remember. Probably the assembly would never happen if it was not mysterious alchemist.

It was a silent assembly however, as nobody was willing to get the ball rolling. To be honest, the creator of Green Tempest had such renowned status that he looked like a total psychopath who had – for the next few decades – tainted the good name of all alchemists, but also he became the greatest contributor to the alchemy studies as he was the pioneer who had performed thorough researches on reagent of massive destruction and provided an utter new aspect of academy. He not only represented the inspiration of all alchemists, but also was the prime of alchemy on Dankwood.

Such character would be a handful one to be judged, even by Ye Chong.

The assembly room was dead silent, the atmosphere was almost suffocating, as nobody was able to do anything about the fall of the young alchemist, including Qi Wei. Well, it did not mean these alchemists were utterly incapable, the Qian System was known for their hallucinogenic productions but they knew nothing about the other branches. Disregarding that, there was one thing every one of them was sure – the action taken by the mysterious alchemist this time was hardly tip of the iceberg.

“Uh…” The first who attempted to break the dead silent was a middle-aged man in black clothing, with an emaciated face and sinking eyes, although brilliance glowed in his stare sometimes. He appeared to be one with a forgiving heart and a certain standing among the alchemists on Dankwood. He was the leader of the Incense branch, namely Fei Lidu.

Contrary to its aromatic name, the researches of Incense branch focused on the offensive aspects while the apprentices favored provocation as they wielded their ever-changing attack styles and there were a few amazing products from their forebears. So the other alchemists would treat their provocation with caution, and … well… the fallen young alchemist, as restless as he was, turned out to be part of the apprenticeship too.

“The owner of Green Tempest did possess a deadly weapon in hand. And if the descendant of his did wield such weapon once again, I truly wonder what could possibly happen… Would it be another record to the incident last time?” asked Fei Lidu slowly.

That was a frightening reminder to the people. The incident last time remained rooted in the mind of all alchemists, even though had faded away from the memories of folks.

Alchemists today struck a positive image on people. They were highly regarded and supported, certainly they would not want to lose the privilege by the same incident again.

That was also why they hurried their way there.

The sudden fall of the Incense branch apprentice was somehow a sign of the upcoming tempest.

The room might be silent, the people might have no word, but their expression was tensed, as angered by the sudden change. Meanwhile Guang Wei gave a cold stare upon them, criticizing that low apprentice of the Incense branch. Nothing good ever came out of the Incense branch, no doubt. Thought he as he reminisced the times he was insulted by the apprentices. Nevertheless, the Incense branch was not a group which the fallen Smoke branch could simply mess with. So he could only stay quiet. The Smoke branch had sunken way back, with most skills buried by time and he, being the part of the branch, knew nothing much than a few smoky tricks and no way he could triumph over the Incense branch at the moment.

And he was well-informed of how the Smoke branch would never have the rights of expression in an important meeting like this. It would be a cold stare-to-stare if he ever voiced a different opinion. Nothing would happen other than enraging the Incense branch. Knowing the nature of Fei Lidu being the vengeful kind, he would rather stay quiet and watch the show.

You can never be spectator of such finale as you wish! Thought he.

Qi Wei would not want to disrupt the current status of alchemy on Dankwood, while being undesirable of messing with Incense branch, so he tacitly consented to the raised issue.

Other branches soon showed the same agreement, as Qi Wei’s silent treatment had affected all neutral alchemists.

Annihilating an alchemist who would likelier cause more harm than good – whether if it was right or wrong based on all sorts of consideration, would never get an absolute judgement by the people. So they showed zero attitude towards the situation, they would let the ball just roll as it wished.

As long as they would fight in crowd, even the most potent alchemist like this uninvited visitor would fall. The greatest threat he could impose would be none other than the Green Tempest.

Green Tempest might be notorious of the destructive it caused, but it was already a technique of the very past, that they strongly believed the evolution of their branches had already surpassed this piece of undying antique, especially when they had discovered the counter for it.

Ye Chong was researching. He had hidden the crates underground, so those precious materials remained intact.

The recent encounters had given him a better understanding of alchemy, while also initiating intense interests in him. He requested a massive amount of alchemy apparatuses from the Emerald City owner who certainly would nod his head hard upon meeting. The owner had sent him the best apparatus in the city, hoping that those toys would keep the boy quiet at least, since that was the owner’s sole wish – having peace and quiet.

Thanks to the apparatus, Ye Chong’s research progressed smoothly. He had been producing all kinds of reagents unlisted in his recipe, that his table was tinted by bottles and bottles of them, like glowing stars of different colors.

The encyclopedia Lunatic Guan provided was very rich in data and Ye Chong had just hit a small portion of it. While exclaiming the greatness of alchemy, Ye Chong had fully indulged himself in the fun of research.

He had planned an escape plan before, but he was at one critical point of his research, that he must delay his escape plan. He was almost there, almost… almost…

Regarding his reward, well Han Yue had sent him on the first day they arrived at the city.

Ironically, probably Ye Chong would never expect how the little delay he made was able to drag him into the most intense battle of flasks and beakers ever.

How’s the preparation?” A voice rang within the voidness of the sealed room.

“Everything had been prepared, only at your order now, master.” Sincerely the other voice replied.

Sharp whispers were heard then diminished.

The voices faded as the room regained its dead silence.

…

“I fear…” The voice echoed once again 10 minutes later, “that all our forces would be retreating after the raid this time…” Lethargic and unwilling the voice sounded, “and all our efforts for the past decades would go to waste…” It then took another few minutes of silence for the person to make up his mind.

…

“Go… just go.”

“Yes sir!” The sincere person bowed and hurried out of the sealed room.

…

Emerald City remained much livelier as ever, since things had been happening for the past few days and they were pretty intriguing, be it the martial arts superstar Luo Shi or that mysterious alchemist, those were the topics after dinner.

But little the folks knew that, a battle in alchemy was brewing soon.

Very soon.

“Qi Wei, the master of Qian System, represents the folks of Dankwood, invites you for a meeting.*” Qi Wei’s voice was not restlessly loud, rather it sounded pumped, as he stood next to Fei Lidu, whose expression remained stiff with hands in his sleeves.

Ye Chong walked towards the window upon hearing the call.

It was bright summer day as Ye Chong stood by the window back then, behind the frames of fences made out of polished, sculptured wood. One should be aware that the appearance of alchemists would always be deceiving as they were the group of people who adored disguises using their tricks. Nobody knew the actual look of the mysterious alchemist as the potion had probably given him an unrecognizable mask, and no one of the city looked down upon this alchemist because of his youth.

“The heck…” Ye Chong had no idea what was going on at the porch, but he immediately withdrew his alarmed eyes after that, as he convinced himself to better spend the time on some researches rather than having a staring contest with strangers by the window.

“H-” Two red lines zapped towards Ye Chong the moment he lifted his lips. The one man in black launched an attack near Qi Wei.

Ye Chong reacted promptly as his waists pulled him all the way down to the ground, forming an arc to dodge the attack.

Crack. Crack!

The two beams struck the fence and vanished in the darkness of the room. Dust began dancing in the air as the frames were crushed.

Ye Chong witnessed the broadness of the fired beams and almost tasted them. His action grew rapid as he tumbled to the carpet and picked up his wooden lance.

Qi Wei’s eyes were large, he only planned to have a talk with the mysterious alchemist, he just wanted to know the truth but Fei Lidu eventually initiated an attack. He looked at Fei Lidu, who looked rather relaxed, “Qi my brother, don’t look surprise. We should strive for the end, rather than the mean. We had made our move, so it would be better to look for victory and not mercy.” He probably meant if they planned to do something on the alchemist, it would be better to achieve an ultimate outcome, and it would be very unwise to hesitate.

Qi Wei was unpleased by Fei Lidu’s inappropriate behavior, but he had to admit that Fei Lidu was right. It would be a dead-or-alive battle once they clicked the START button.

“You’re wise indeed, brother,” replied Qi Wei briefly, as he took out bottles from his rucksack.

The other alchemists stood quietly, with bottles in their grip. Guang Wei was at the back, for some reason his body was shaking.

What did I just see? Guan Wei could not believe his eyes, as they somehow perceived an accessory on the neck of the mysterious alchemist. The sight only lasted for 3 seconds but he was pretty sure he did see a Silver Strand Pendant, the accessory he dreamed day and night, resting round the neck of the alchemist.

Ye Chong watched the moving red beams, as his forehead was wetted by cold sweats.

Whipper Snake? Dang, they actually sent two Whipper snakes? The beams were about thickness of his thumbs and had a dark brownish horn at the head. and dark red stripes over the bodies. They were called Whipper due to their elasticity and bounciness, they would roam the place at an unpredictable direction and an unforeseeable pace.

The two snakes were slithering on the ground, making aggressive hisses as their crimson eyes focused upon Ye Chong.

Ye Chong dared not to lift his eyes, never once he would imagine any human would raise such horrible beast. For real, like how? Even Lunatic Guan’s encyclopedia did not have a record on ways to tame these madness.

His body was tense, the camouflage on his lance had been torn, he swung the lance and faced the dark head at his foes.

Snap! Klink! The Whipper Snakes suddenly zapped to both sides.

Darn it. Cursed Ye Chong, he did predict the moves and he launched himself on one of the snakes.

He had observed how the snake moved just now, and those movements convincingly defined danger at a whole new level. They were Whippers for their springy nature, they would bounce with their abdomen as they squeezed themselves like springs at the tightest. The momentum was so insane that even Ye Chong the speed master almost tripped himself in surprise.

The snakes were very intelligent too. They did not attack Ye Chong with pure brute aggression, rather they utilized their bouncy body as they threw themselves to walls at both side, landed with their abdomen and launched themselves again – a reflective shot!

Snap! The momentum intensified!

Both snakes headed towards Ye Chong.

Never would Ye Chong expected the snakes wing cable of such drastic direction change, it was a horror to see these Whipper Snakes accelerating themselves using the conservation of momentum and fired themselves like an arrow as they straightened their body and faced their horns at Ye Chong after redirection.

Ye Chong had no time to take any action than guarding himself with his lance.

Snap! The red beam struck body of Ye Chong’s lance. His hands were making a shudder that he almost dropped his lance, as the red beam went itself to the back.

The snake actually made a reflection even on my spear? Ye Chong was shocked but there was no more time for shocker. He intended to destroy one of them before they reunited at one point and launched a combined attack. But the snakes turned out to be more unpredictable than he thought… He looked almost doomed in this battle.

He remembered seeing information on Whipper Snake back in the 5 major galaxies. It was a visit to one information center somewhere in the Virtual World. He read the entries out of mere curiosity and was certainly terrified by it but he never foresaw the day that he would meet such monstrosity alone…

A tip to the ground as Ye Chong made an arch with his shaking eyes seeing a red beam traveling by his waist.

The scene grew beyond comprehension as two beams of light zapping around the house, accelerating at a horrendous rate, to a point that a network of red web seemed to have formed in the room. The ends of the web were fading but soon they were covered by newer lines. There was a silhouette jumping around at too an insane rate… what in the Dankwood happened?

The Whippers kept throwing themselves at the walls so they would conserve momentums again and again. They were dexterous as they aimed the back of our protagonist. The velocity was increasing and it was harder for Ye Chong to even identify where the snakes actually were.

The afterimages became longer and longer, as their body turned blurrier each time.

In a never-before-experienced dangerous situation, the strength of Ye Chong’s focus was also never-before-experienced.

It almost felt like he had been sent back to the past, back to the time when he still spent his days piloting Tissot, blocking those strange white glowing orbs as he did his NR training in the Virtual World. Well, he did not have a mech now unlike before, as he wielded only a piece of wood, and the foes he had to face were not the harmless virtual orbs but two wickedly vicious snakes that wanted his life.

There was still… a vast difference between a dummy training and an actual fight.

The afterimages lost the stack as the contour grew clearer.

Ye Chong had been cornered, he could no longer make further movement within the diminishing seconds. Whipper Snakes had accelerated to a point that his eyes could distinguish no more.

He would love to make another pointless attempt of repositioning himself within the dancing beams, but his mind reminded him to maximize his vitality to demonstrate movements the most concise possible. His respiration, his blood circulation, pace of his entire body had reached an astonishing rate.

He was wetted by his sweats, while being unaware of it. Within that brief second as that one drop of sweat fell, he got to perform over 70 times of self-guard technique. He was unaware if that was the maximum for humanity to reach, but he was well-aware that it was already his very best.

Yet…

Pant… pant…

Every guard was a gamble. The momentum created by the snakes was impulsive. Ye Chong could feel his arms aching as every crash on the lance felt like as heavy as a hammer slam.

Ye Chong was relying his intuition in this fight, like always.

“Need not to worry, my brother,” said Fei Lidu, with an unexpected smile, though sadistic. “The Whipper Snake would be one horrendous foe even a martial arts practitioner would be doomed to defeat, and the snakes are fighting an alchemist this time.” Pointed he, at Ye Chong’s accommodation.

One keyword of Lidu’s line caused Qi Wei to stagger. Whipper Snake. “Did he actually send two Whipper Snakes?” Cries of shocker were heard among the underlings, “Oh my Dankwood, those beams were Whipper?” No one had expected the two red lights were the repulsive reptile.

Fei Lidu was silent, with his hands crossed behind, looking proud in his eyes.

Qi Wei gave a stare at his ally, his expression was indescribable as he quietly kept the reagents back into his rucksack.

The alchemist was practically a done-for once the Whipper Snakes were sent. And thanks to this kill, words would be spread, about how the Incense branch had eradicated the evil and saved the day. Thought Qi Wei, as his underlings also put their bottles back into their inventories, though they seemed confused.

If Fei Lidu could handle the alchemist himself, what was the hassle of sending everybody to the scene?

And that was when Guang Wei looked at the happening, with a drained face of his.