Chapter 409 - 76: High-Quality Blood-Colored Crystal

BOOM!!

A deep, muffled explosion echoed out!

The mud and sand at the bottom of the Red River churned wildly as a massive vortex formed in an instant.

The burning Magic scroll unleashed a powerful force, creating a terrifying underwater storm. It was an attempt to sweep Lu Chao into the vortex and force him back.

But it was not to be.

Lu Chao brought the fingers of his left hand together, channeled his immense strength, and thrust out his palm.

BANG!!

The aquatic storm, spanning a seven or eight-meter radius, suddenly exploded. All the opposing Magic Power was brutally shattered and dispersed.

The aftershocks of the current spread out like a collapsing gale. The aquatic Mutant Beasts that had been drawn to the area were caught in the blast, their bodies exploding into bloody chunks that sank to the riverbed.

"This..."

The black-robed man’s eyes widened in shock and fury as he suffered from the backlash of his own Magic.

’A Transcendence Level expert?’

’I can’t understand when I provoked such a formidable enemy. Even my life-saving parchment scroll, which can withstand a blow from a peak Exploration Level expert, couldn’t last a single move.’

BZZZT!!

In the next instant.

Before he could retaliate, Lu Chao’s eyes flashed, a glint of Crimson Fire flickering within them for a moment.

He had planted the Life Mark of his [Hunter] ability the moment they had made contact.

Now, with a mere thought...

BOOM!!

The black-robed man’s mind shuddered as if he were facing his natural predator.

Overwhelming fear swept through him, and his body went stiff. All his Magic was forcibly interrupted. He could only watch as Lu Chao’s fingers twitched, reaching through the hole in his chest to grasp his heart.

"Sir..."

SQUELCH!!!

Lu Chao’s fingers clenched shut.

The heart burst, and splattering blood dyed the river water red.

The black-robed man’s eyes flew wide as he took his last breath and crumpled to the riverbed.

The sound of rushing water continued, the remaining currents kicking up waves and churning the mud and sand.

Lu Chao’s expression was calm. He silently withdrew his hand, watching as the black-robed man’s life force faded away.

’A heavily injured Exploration Level expert...’

His eyes flickered. He stood his ground, remaining on high alert, not relaxing for a second.

Finally.

Only when the eerie, ghastly green flame appeared again and burned the man’s corpse to ash did he finally deactivate his Life Sensing.

’He’s dead.’

Repeated experience allowed Lu Chao to confirm that the heavily injured, Exploration Level, black-robed man was truly and completely dead.

But the man had been an Exploration Level Mage, after all.

Even after Lu Chao had taken the initiative and punched a hole through his chest, he hadn’t died immediately. He’d clung to life, trying to fight back.

It might have looked easy, like he had been killed in just two moves.

But in reality.

Lu Chao knew he’d had several advantages.

First, the informational advantage from his Life Sensing had allowed him to detect the man first.

On guard, he had gone all out, activating [Titan’s Power], [Adrenaline], and even his Thunder Extreme Secret Skill. Only then had he completely pressed his advantage to grievously wound the man.

With that thought.

Lu Chao deactivated his Titan state.

His body gradually shrank back to its normal size as his Frenzy State and Thunder Extreme Secret Skill also came to an end.

The black-robed man in his vision was completely consumed by the ghastly green flames. Flesh, bone, and viscera were all incinerated, vanishing without a trace.

And yet, the surrounding river water, mud, and sand showed no signs of evaporating or melting.

It was as if the fire was burning in another dimension, one that didn’t affect any part of reality except the Evil God’s follower.

’What a bizarre technique...’

Even though this wasn’t the first time he’d seen such a sight, a chill still ran down Lu Chao’s spine.

A technique like this was difficult for even a Superpower Level expert to see through, let alone stop. It was inexplicably terrifying and unsettling.

It was an absolute gap in life-form level and individual power.

In the end.

He shook his head and didn’t dwell on it.

His gaze then shifted to a blood-red crystal that had fallen into the sand.

A powerful craving rose from the depths of his heart. He could feel the immense energy contained within it.

His intuition flared in sync with this feeling. Lu Chao examined it, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

After a moment of thought,

remembering the situation on the shore,

he quickly pocketed it, then shot off like an arrow, speeding back the way he came.

...

「A dozen or so minutes later.」

Yellow police tape cordoned off the port, blocking the passage through the high-walled floodgate.

Squad after squad of the City Guard Army and patrol teams arrived, and members of the Jinggang Chamber of Commerce appeared as well.

RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

The sound of continuous gunfire came from outside the high-walled floodgate.

The nearby watchtowers were firing at full capacity. The firing ports and cannon barrels within the fortress walls were also constantly in use, and the muffled explosions of torpedoes and artillery shells occasionally erupted, sending up huge splashes of water.

"Where’s Leader Lu?"

"Leader Lu isn’t back yet."

Gao Hu, Chen Xiao, and the others were fraught with worry, constantly negotiating with the City Guard Army as they searched for any sign of him on both sides of the riverbank.

By now, the Mutant Beasts within the city circle’s waters had been successively killed off. Only a few that had dived extremely deep had rushed into the waterways, their current whereabouts unknown.

Small speedboats carrying City Guard Army personnel gave chase. With the pressure on them greatly reduced, they quickly grew concerned for Lu Chao’s safety and began searching everywhere.

Seeing this,

the several Superpower Level experts who had rushed over from the City Lord’s Mansion wore varied expressions.

Wei Cangming, dressed in a black suit, stood by the river and ordered his subordinates to help with the search, his face rather grim.

Du Lie, a bald, muscular man built like an iron tower, stood calmly to the side. A subtle glint flashed in his eyes as he said, "Supervisor Wei, why waste the energy?"

"That Lu fellow isn’t an idiot. If he couldn’t handle those Mutant Beasts, he would have known to escape to the shore."

Wei Cangming frowned at the callous words, and the other people from the City Lord’s Mansion who had come with them also shook their heads in disapproval.

They were naturally aware of the animosity between him and Lu Chao. They even knew he had grown very close to the Jinggang Chamber of Commerce over the years and had been courted extensively by the Tan family.

Just as he was about to retort,

SPLASH!

the river churned, and a large wave erupted.

Brown Qi Flame billowed like mist.

A figure in a black combat suit shot up like an arrow, bursting out from the river’s surface in front of the port.

"Leader Lu!!"

Gao Hu and the others spotted the movement immediately. Overjoyed, they ran over, calling out to him.

Lu Chao strode across the river’s surface toward them. The river water on his body gradually evaporated from his Qi Flame, swirling around him like mist.

"Is everyone all right?"

He stepped onto the port and asked Gao Hu and the others.

"Yes, not a single team member was injured."

Gao Hu hurriedly reported, his eyes filled with awe and admiration.

He knew, of course, that this was all thanks to Lu Chao’s immediate warning and his decision to block the Beast Tide head-on.

"That’s good."

Lu Chao nodded. In just a few breaths, the river water on him had completely evaporated, and his clothes and hair were dry once more.

He glanced around.

Aside from some damage to a few docked cargo ships, not many people were injured. Speedboats from the City Guard Army and patrol teams zipped across the river, continuing to hunt for any signs of Mutant Beasts.

The situation was undoubtedly better than initially expected and was now under control. He glanced in the direction where the black-robed man had died, about two kilometers away. The blood in the water there had already dispersed.

"Leader Lu."

Then, before he could ask for more details, he heard a slight sound from his side.

He turned his head to look.

Wei Cangming, wearing a loose-fitting suit, was walking over with several people from the City Lord’s Mansion, his expression grim.

Wei Cangming first looked him up and down, and upon confirming he was uninjured, he breathed a sigh of relief. A smile appeared on his face as he said gratefully, "Thank goodness you’re all right. Otherwise, we really wouldn’t know how to explain this to the City Lord and the committee."

"Thank you for what you did today!"

His tone was sincere, his eyes filled with admiration.

As a fellow Superpower Level expert, he knew he didn’t have the courage to rashly dive into the water to fight hundreds of Mutant Beasts.

After all, the aquatic environment was complex, making it difficult to find leverage, and one had to hold their breath for extended periods.

Unless one cultivated a special Martial Arts discipline, both their Qi Flame and their overall strength would be restricted and difficult to fully utilize, making injuries highly likely.

"You’re too kind, Supervisor Wei."

Lu Chao shook his head. Since the two were already familiar with each other, his tone was relaxed as he gestured that there was no need for formalities.

In the subsequent small talk, he learned that Wei Cangming was part of one of the rescue teams and that today’s incident had thoroughly alarmed the City Lord’s Mansion.

He then glanced to Wei Cangming’s side.

A woman in a black, form-fitting combat suit, who looked to be around thirty, was carrying an alloy broadsword on her back. His intuition told him she was at the Exploration Level.

"And this is..."

"Dong Xiao, Supervisor Dong."

Wei Cangming explained quietly, taking the initiative to introduce them.

Lu Chao was slightly taken aback. He recalled some files he had read at the Superpower Bureau about the experts from the City Lord’s Mansion.

She was an Exploration Level metahuman, and also the powerful individual who had escorted Miss Su from Ring City.

"So, you must be the Brother Lu that Miss Su and Old Wei are always talking about."

Dong Xiao said softly. Her features were bright and charming, and she had a crisp, cool demeanor. A flash of admiration passed through her phoenix eyes.

She had heard about how he had saved Miss Su’s life.

Previously, she hadn’t paid it much mind, thinking he was just a minor patrol captain.

Especially when she had picked up Miss Su from Ring City, she had seen Lu Chao’s so-called "return gift" and had been unimpressed, finding it a bit crude and uninteresting.

But now...

’At least a veteran Limit-Breaking Level expert, at his age and with such a rapid breakthrough speed...’

"Brother Lu, you are truly a man of remarkable talent."

"For today’s incident, we have you to thank for the warning that stopped the Beast Tide from escalating."

Dong Xiao cupped her fist slightly and said in a brisk, straightforward manner, "We will report this matter truthfully to Miss Su and the City Lord and request a commendation for you."

Her tone was respectful, a stark contrast to the attitude of the Tan family.

Lu Chao smiled at her words and waved his hand. "Supervisor Dong, you’re too kind. It’s the Superpower Bureau’s duty to assist everyone in fighting against the Beast Tides."

"Besides, without the cooperation of the on-duty City Guard Army, we couldn’t have prevented the situation from escalating either."

He spoke modestly, not taking all the credit for himself, and took the opportunity to give credit to the other City Guard Army commanders.

Dong Xiao nodded slightly upon hearing this, her gaze filled with even more appreciation.

The accompanying City Guard Army members exchanged quiet glances and also nodded to themselves, planning to inform their respective commanders later and remember this favor.

After all, with his explanation, today’s incident was no longer a case of them neglecting their duties, but rather a sudden event that they did their best to contain.

For a time, the atmosphere was harmonious as they chatted for a bit.

During their conversation, an ill-timed, cold snort came from a distance. Lu Chao looked up.

"It was just a small-scale Beast Tide. Look how scared you all are."

"Good-for-nothings, every last one of you!"

Du Lie, the bald, muscular man, was interacting with the Jinggang Chamber of Commerce’s security team, his voice carrying over with thinly veiled insults.

Lu Chao narrowed his eyes. He had noticed the man long ago but had no intention of engaging with him.

The conflict between them undoubtedly stemmed from the Tan family. They had also clashed on the spot while escorting the inspection team in the Hive District.

"The defensive fortifications for this river channel and floodgate are maintained annually by the Jinggang Group. Now that there’s a problem, they’ll have a hard time shirking responsibility."

As if guessing Lu Chao’s mood, Wei Cangming thought for a moment before lowering his voice. "Besides, Supervisor Du is in charge of this very area."

"I heard some of the radar systems in the high-walled fortress also malfunctioned. He’s probably going to have a rough time dealing with the aftermath of this."

’Oh?’

Lu Chao was a little surprised to hear this.

’The previous Beast Tide was clearly the black-robed man’s doing.’

’The radar interference must have been caused by some kind of Magic as well. He didn’t want anyone to notice anything unusual, planning to secretly lure some Mutant Beasts for a blood sacrifice and then slip away after he’d healed.’

’It was just a fluke that I have Life Sensing and stumbled upon him. Otherwise, no other Superpower Level expert would have ever noticed.’

’However...’

After thinking it over, Lu Chao didn’t bother to explain.

If this meant trouble for the Tan family and Du Lie, he was more than happy to let it happen.

Furthermore.

Seeing Wei Cangming and Dong Xiao here,

a glint flashed in his eyes as he vaguely sensed that something had changed.

’People close to Miss Su have started taking over the City Guard Army’s affairs?’

’Could it be...?’

He cut the thought short.

He finally glanced up at the sky over the Red Maple City Circle.

Though clouds drifted by from time to time, it remained, from beginning to end, a clear and brilliant blue.