Chapter 291 Invitation to an Interstellar Journey
"Should we go help?" Sera, dressed in a red fitted outfit, casually tossed her equally fiery red wavy hair and asked the others, turning her head to look at them.
The burly Assal, standing beside him, crossed his arms and scoffed, "Are you kidding me? What level is Lu Xuan? What level are you? Are you sure you're not going to make things worse?"
Sera's eyes flashed, and she glared at him fiercely. "What, is it shameful for me to be level seven? You're not even level seven yet. You reached level seven half a year later than me. Isn't that even more shameful?"
Assar's face darkened. "So what if I'm later than you? I'll still beat you. If you don't believe me, let's have a match right now."
Sera sneered, "Fine, let's fight then! Are you afraid of me?!"
"There will be plenty of opportunities to fight later." Several other spectators nearby interrupted them impatiently, saying, "Focus on watching the fight."
"Both Lu Xuan and the mutated Zhang are level eight. It doesn't matter whether we help them or not. But battles between level eight are rare. If we miss this opportunity, we may not have another chance."
The cold-faced young man said, "Have you forgotten the loss you suffered when you faced this octopus last time?"
Sera and Assal hesitated for a moment, glared at each other, and then turned their attention back to the fierce battle raging ahead.
Sera asked for help, but she knew they had no chance to even get a chance to participate.
Putting aside the fact that their level was lower than Lu Xuan's, Lu Xuan and the Bloodsucking Vine couldn't possibly lose in a two-on-one fight.
Instead of wasting time talking nonsense, it's better to watch the game carefully and learn from it.
...
Lu Xuan, who was entangled by the level eight octopus and unable to break free, noticed the appearance of strangers and saw them rescue the Red Maple Mercenary Group.
Although he didn't know the other party's purpose, he was relieved that Finn and the others were safe, so he temporarily put his mind at ease and focused on the battle at hand.
The last time he came, the level 8 octopus was one level higher than him, and the pressure it brought was no less than that of the zombie king he had encountered in the apocalypse.
But this time the situation is different.
Both being at level eight, Lu Xuan's aura was in no way inferior to that of the level eight octopus. The two were evenly matched, and their invisible yet heavy pressure collided, causing even the surrounding air to seem to distort.
The mutated creatures in the nearby forest were terrified and fled frantically, their screams and howls filled the air.
Giant tentacles and vines lashed wildly through the forest, tearing at each other. Every now and then, mutated trees were snapped or even uprooted and flung into the air. The terrifying scene made people dare not approach it at all.
Even Lu Xuan, in order to avoid being restricted in his movements, unfolded the huge black feather wings he had just acquired and flew into the air to cooperate with the vampire vines.
Each time the arm swung down, countless bolts of lightning struck the octopus's tentacles, interspersed with hundreds of invisible spatial blades and wind blades, each aimed at the enormous suction cups on the tentacles.
Each wave of attacks would sever countless suction cups, which, with a diameter of over one meter, would fall to the ground with a series of loud 'bang' sounds.
However, the regenerative ability of the Level 8 octopus is extremely strong. It can grow new suckers almost immediately after being cut open, as if it is endless.
Lu Xuan, however, did not take it to heart and maintained a steady attack speed, slicing off as many octopuses as they regenerated, and even slicing off more and faster.
If a hundred spatial wind blades aren't enough, then multiply them tenfold or twentyfold.
The single attack turned into a multi-target attack. Wind tornadoes and spatial storms swept in, constantly severing the suction cups and even shredding the entire tentacle into pieces!
Infinite regeneration?
There is no limit to any ability in this world.
Any damage will result in consumption, but the endurance of level 8 mutated creatures is much stronger than that of low-level mutated creatures, so the effect is not very noticeable in the short term.
Compared to its regenerative abilities, the real problem with the level eight octopus is its ability to mimic.
The tentacles, which can be hundreds of meters long, roll and intertwine with each other. Although there are only eight, they can create the illusion of hundreds.
While the tentacles occupy a large portion of the field of vision, one or two tentacles will always take the opportunity to blend into the surrounding environment and launch attacks from blind spots when Lu Xuan is not paying attention.
Even more remarkably, the severed suckers or half of an arm can mimic other creatures that the level eight octopus has seen in other forests, and acquire some of their characteristics, including but not limited to speed, bite force, tearing force, or even superpowers.
With multiple combinations, the level eight octopus can use just as many abilities as Lu Xuan of the Replication type.
Water dragons, seas of fire, rolling ground, countless golden arrows and ice spikes raining down from the sky—the ever-changing attack patterns not only made the pupils of countless viewers in the live stream shrink and unconsciously hold their breath, but even the members of the Twilight Star Pirates were filled with admiration.
That's incredible!
Especially the octopus's ability to mimic other mutated beasts; the last time they faced this octopus, it didn't even use this move.
Clearly, their strength was insufficient to force the opponent to use their full power.
It's fortunate that the other party didn't intervene, otherwise they might not have been able to escape so easily last time.
Sera, Asar, and the others couldn't help but curse him as a pervert in their hearts.
After criticizing them, I couldn't help but feel a pang of envy, wondering why they didn't have such good fortune.
Everyone else only has one superpower, but this person and this chapter are all like they've been given a cheat code.
Viewers in the live stream were dazzled by the constantly changing attacks.
Many people's eyes simply can't keep up with the onslaught, so they have to record the screen first and then go back and slow it down to watch it again later.
But conventional supernatural attacks are just the beginning.
After confirming that the level eight octopus was tough enough, Lu Xuan quickly added more attack methods, especially the new abilities he had acquired in the past few days.
First, double the gravity to limit the octopus's attack speed, and then, while the giant octopus is slowed down by the pressure, flap its wings to fling out a large amount of corrosive feather powder.
Large patches of festering sores immediately appeared on the enormous tentacles, emitting a foul stench.
Realizing the danger, the level eight octopus acted decisively, tearing off its corroded tentacles and growing new ones.
Unfortunately, Lu Xuan's attacks didn't stop there.
Gravity continues to double, while the sonic shockwave attack of the bats further slows down the octopus's movements, and then the illusion-type ability is activated to create a mirage.
More than a dozen mutated tigers and leopards the size of small mountains pounced on the level eight octopus from all directions, while countless meteorites engulfed in a sea of fire fell like rain from the sky.
The shocking scene startled the level eight octopus, whose attack was originally intended to land on the vampire vine, causing it to veer off course and strike an unrelated mutated tree nearby.
Seizing the opportunity, the vampire vine plunged several of its tips deep into the octopus's tentacles, frantically absorbing the octopus's blood and flesh energy essence.
The octopus trembled in pain, but due to the attack of a large number of mutated beasts, it was unable to mount an effective counterattack and could only continue to slam into random places.
The Night Pirates, though standing further away, were still affected; the giant beasts and the rain of fiery meteors sent chills down their spines.
Several people were suddenly triggered to fight after seeing the scene change, and subconsciously launched an attack or dodged.
The leader of the Nightfall Guild, who had been watching the battle intently, raised an eyebrow slightly, parted his thin lips, and uttered a word, "Break."
The scene before the others vanished as if a mirror had shattered, and Lu Xuan, the Vampire Vine, and the Level 8 Octopus reappeared in front of them.
Shen Tu Xin, an ordinary-looking young man in black, exclaimed in surprise, "Was that a new ability that Lu Xuan gained after entering the forest?"
The gentle man beside him said, "Most likely, it's an ability related to illusions."
Sera sighed, "He's gained new abilities so quickly. The ability to make the octopus's tentacles rot is something he didn't have before. Just how many new abilities has he acquired?"
"Judging from the attack methods shown so far, there are at least two types. At most, it's just a matter of how many beast transformation abilities are needed to acquire them."
Sera quickly calculated how many kinds of beast blood Lu Xuan had absorbed last time, and how many more he was still missing. After figuring it out, she couldn't help but take another breath.
"It's true that comparing yourself to others is just infuriating."
The others were not without envy, but when they thought about the purpose of their visit, a hint of eagerness crept into their eyes.
The level eight octopus wasn't stupid. Not long after being affected by the illusion, its body, which was hidden somewhere, sprayed out a large amount of ink, like black rain falling from the sky. This blackened a large area of forest and formed a strange black mist that interfered with everyone's vision, including Lu Xuan's.
The mirage lost its target, and its effect was greatly reduced.
To avoid accidentally damaging the blood-sucking vines, Lu Xuan had no choice but to withdraw his power.
The level eight octopus, however, had no such concerns and launched indiscriminate attacks on its surroundings.
Whether it's people, vines, or mutated trees or anything else, it's always about killing!
Lu Xuan dodged quickly in the air, but he still inevitably got hit once or twice.
Fortunately, he had just absorbed the blood of a level seven mutated turtle, and his super strong defense allowed him to withstand the attack without serious injury.
Lu Xuan even used his rebound ability to return the enormous impact force.
Enraged, the level-eight octopus became even more ferocious, and its attacks became even more violent.
The two sides fought fiercely for almost an hour.
Viewers in the live stream couldn't notice anything through the screen, but the members of the Twilight Star Pirates who were on-site clearly felt that after Lu Xuan continuously drained the Level 8 Octopus's energy, its aura was at least half weaker than when it first appeared, and the regeneration speed of its tentacles was also a few seconds slower than before.
In comparison, Lu Xuan, with the help of the Bloodsucking Vine, consumed less energy than the Level 8 Octopus. Furthermore, he replenished his energy with the high-level crystal cores he had accumulated. As a result, the Level 8 Octopus was visibly at a disadvantage.
At this point, it's quite obvious who the winner is.
After familiarizing himself with the new abilities several times, Lu Xuan had his fill of fun. The already overwhelming attacks from the level eight octopus were further amplified by the enhanced abilities.
The number of vampire vines that had become accustomed to it doubled again.
The level eight octopus seemed to realize something was wrong. After struggling for about ten minutes, it was still furious, but its survival instinct eventually prevailed. It quickly unleashed another rain of ink and, using its mimicry ability, risked having most of its tentacles cut off or torn off by both the vampire vine and Lu Xuan. With lightning speed, it ran away!
Billions of viewers in the live stream who thought they would witness the fall of an eighth-level mutated beast were stunned.
A powerful level eight mutated beast, a creature that could roam freely throughout the entire Sorensen region, actually escaped!
Lu Xuan was somewhat surprised, but after discovering that the level eight octopus had escaped, he did not chase after it to kill it.
The other party had their abilities stolen by him and then helped him become familiar with the new abilities; even if they didn't get credit, they still deserved some credit for their hard work.
Since he voluntarily withdrew, Lu Xuan couldn't go too far.
Although the entire level 8 octopus was not captured, at least more than twenty octopus tentacles and hundreds of suckers, some intact and some broken, were still left on the spot, and a considerable amount of blood could still be collected.
Although the value of these items is still unknown, they are all spoils of war he fought hard for.
Lu Xuan controlled the vampire vine and quickly stored all of these things into his spatial storage.
Without the octopus's 'remains', all that remains on the ground is a vast expanse of forest ruins that was once vibrant and lush with vegetation, but is now unrecognizable.
The air was filled with various smells, including burnt, rotten, and bloody odors, which were certainly not pleasant.
Lu Xuan casually waved his hand, creating a gust of wind that dispersed the scents in another direction, while he flapped his black wings and landed on the ground.
Once the viewers in the live stream realized the battle was over, they started frantically trying to get noticed.
[Is it over?]
[The streamer is amazing! He actually chased away an eight-level octopus!]
[Ahhh! That was amazing! I held my breath so hard during the fight that I almost suffocated.]
[Congratulations to the streamer for defeating the level 8 beast! The new ability is so useful, it was so satisfying to watch! I feel my blood boiling!]
[Ugh! How could that giant octopus have gotten away? It's an eighth-level mutated beast!]
[You said it yourself, it's an eighth-level octopus. It's not that easy to kill. Besides, if a mutated creature that has grown to such a high level isn't killed, it knows it can't win and will definitely run away.]
[It's good that it ran away. Although the streamer can challenge opponents of higher levels, humans often suffer when facing mutated beasts of the same level. If the giant octopus were really pushed to the limit, it might have fought to the death. Now that the streamer has won and hasn't been injured, it's already perfect.]
The audience discussed Lu Xuan's victory enthusiastically for a while before someone suddenly remembered the long-forgotten Red Maple Mercenary Group.
[By the way, what about Commander Fane and the others? Could they have been wiped out in the crossfire?]
[How did you watch the live stream? They were rescued right at the start of the battle.]
[Yes! I noticed that too. I almost forgot. It seemed like a group of unidentified people appeared out of nowhere. I was worried they might be there to take advantage of the situation, but after the streamer started fighting the level 8 octopus, I forgot all about them.]
Where are they now? Did they run away too?
As Lu Xuan turned to face the direction where Mu Ye was, the people in the live broadcast room saw the group of people standing on a giant mutated tree in the distance that had not been affected.
After noticing Lu Xuan's gaze, the people of Muye, led by their leader, landed on the ground in unison.
Seeing this, Lu Xuan folded his wings, wrapped the shrunken blood-sucking vine around his left arm, and walked towards them unhurriedly.
...
Lu Xuan subtly sized up the person in front of him.
There were twelve people in total, eight of whom were at level seven, and four of whom were at level six and close to level seven.
There are gentle, handsome, cold, and muscular people of all kinds. Although not all of them are particularly outstanding in appearance, their aura as advanced superhumans is impossible to ignore.
The only woman was particularly attractive, with a hot and striking appearance.
However, the most eye-catching among them was the young man in the lead.
The young man was tall and slender, and his fitted black combat uniform with silver trim accentuated his broad shoulders, narrow back, and long legs.
His smooth, long black hair was tied into a long, low ponytail, hanging casually down his front, exuding a lazy yet unruly charm. Paired with his handsome features and a hint of devilish allure in his deep blue eyes, he was like a walking embodiment of hormones, radiating charm at all times.
While it cannot be ruled out that the other party was wearing a biological mask, one's temperament cannot be faked with a mask.
This person is a natural radiant being.
While Lu Xuan was sizing up the young man, the other man was also looking at him.
The two seemed to be engaged in an unspoken contest, neither of them speaking first.
Finally, Sera couldn't help but break the strange silence first. With her arms crossed, she said to Lu Xuan, "Anchor Lu, you've made us look for you so hard. You're the first person we've missed twice in a row."
Lu Xuan then looked away from Sera and asked, "What do you mean?"
Another blond youth who seemed more lively said, "We were here when you came to Sorenson last time, right after you were surrounded by space pirates. Unfortunately, we arrived too late and you teleported away before we even had a chance to say hello."
Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow, recalling hearing someone call his name before leaving during the seven-day trip. Could it be these people?
Lu Xuan said calmly, "That's quite a coincidence."
Sera complained, seemingly genuinely, "You left so easily, but we're the ones who suffer."
The giant octopus came to seek revenge on the vampire vine, but since the vine had left, and they were unlucky enough to be there, they suddenly became the targets of the vampire's wrath.
Lu Xuan naturally guessed what would happen next, but he didn't seem to care.
Anyone who dares to come to Sorenson should be prepared for any unexpected events; he has no intention of apologizing for dragging them down.
More than feeling guilty that he might have tricked them, he was curious about which time the other party mentioned it a second time.
Since the seven-day trip was already over and we've already teleported away, it must be this one?
Was it on the day Mercenary Star deliberately started live streaming the arena?
Sera said, "Of course not. It was on the spaceship you were on on your way to Mercenary Planet."
Lu Xuan's heart stirred slightly.
The viewers in the live stream, who were also speculating, couldn't help but exclaim "Huh?" upon hearing this.
Were these people also on that ship? Were they passengers from other cabins?
[How is this possible! The fact that these people made it this far proves they are very strong. If they were also passengers on the ship, why didn't they intervene and deal with the Black Pole Mercenary Group?]
Ah! I think I know!
【Oh my god! I think I might be... no way!】
The long-haired youth at the head of the group finally spoke up: "Let me introduce myself. My name is Luca, and I am the leader of the Twilight Star Pirates."
His voice was magnetic but not hoarse; instead, it was clean and clear, and it was inexplicably alluring because of the unruly tone he spoke.
Lu Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly. Sure enough.
Viewers in the live stream: !!!
【Aaaaaah, the Twilight Pirates!】
[I guessed right, it really is Twilight! I actually met members of the Twilight Pirates! What a lucky day!]
"What's there to get so excited about? They're space pirates, a bunch of bastards who deserve to be in jail."
[It's understandable that the other space pirate crews went to jail, but Twilight... well, maybe it's because they're more principled and have saved some people's lives, I really can't bring myself to dislike them. Now that I've discovered their leader is such a handsome guy, I like them even more!]
Although the idea that "beauty is justice" is controversial, it's really hard for me to stick to my principles when faced with a face like that! Why is the screen dirty? Let me lick it!
The average viewer's attention was drawn to the faces of Mu Ye and the leader, Lu Jia, but the mercenaries and other space pirates who had already recognized Mu Ye felt only annoyed or frustrated.
Damn it, how did they manage to find Lu Xuan!
The people of Twilight are quite powerful. As long as they are willing to pay the price, they have no trouble getting a lot of good stuff in return.
The people from Twilight have replaced everything; will the others still have soup to drink?
Lu Xuan was also surprised by their identities, but he wasn't as excited as the audience.
Space pirates are space pirates, there's nothing to get excited about.
He simply asked, "This can't be just a coincidence, can it?"
It would take the others chasing him at least three or four days to get deep into the forest, let alone find him precisely.
The Night Pirates appeared too quickly.
Luca curled his lips slightly. "That's not true. Others are too stupid to guess where you want to go, but I'm different."
The 'others' in the live stream: ? ? ? Why are they even putting each other down!
Luca said, "After leaving the spaceship you were on, I came to Sorenson with my men."
No matter where Lu Xuan goes in between, Sorenson will definitely come back before his beast transformation ability is fully perfected.
Instead of foolishly chasing after them and exhausting yourself, it's better to wait patiently for them to come to you.
When the time comes, just keep an eye on the people who have been coming and going in Sorenson recently, observe the unfamiliar faces among them, and then deduce where Lu Xuan might be hanging out based on his personality. It will be much easier to lock in the candidates.
Lu Xuan, after hearing Lu Jia's explanation: "..."
So, these people were following them from the very beginning?
This surprised him somewhat.
Because he genuinely didn't notice anything unusual.
While it was partly due to his lack of vigilance because he didn't believe there were any people or creatures that could threaten him, the exceptional stealth skills of these individuals were undeniable.
But isn't it a bit too obsessive to deliberately wait for him when you don't even know when he'll arrive in Sorensen?
The viewers in the live stream were both amazed by the other person's thinking and somewhat speechless.
Isn't this a bit too obsessive?
Some viewers: Wow, I kind of want to ship them.
Noticing Lu Xuan's strange expression, Lu Jia pretended to realize something and laughed, "Speaking of which, I almost forgot to introduce my other name. Perhaps you are more familiar with this name."
Lu Xuan: "?"
Luca: "I also have a commonly used name, or ID, called Garuda."
This time, Lu Xuan was genuinely surprised.
The viewers in the live stream were absolutely stunned.
They know this ID well!
Garuda, isn't that the top spender on the live stream's gift ranking?
hiss!
The top-ranked player is actually the leader of the Twilight Star Pirates!?
Big news!
Some people were quick enough to spread the news to Xingbo immediately to grab the first-hand attention, while many others were shocked and incredulous.
No, what we're saying is, you space pirate made money through robbery, instead of enjoying it yourself, you used it to give gifts to streamers?
This kind of thing might not be surprising if it happened to an ordinary person, but it's a space pirate!
If Luca had been giving gifts to a beautiful female streamer, it wouldn't have seemed so outrageous!
Some people also recalled that when Lu Xuan encountered Lei Shan and his group during the extreme heat of the early stages of the cataclysm, he wasn't ruthless enough. When some viewers were puzzled, a top-ranked fan explained for Lu Xuan, saying things like, "Being too cold-blooded in front of children will affect their entire lives."
Do you even remember you're a space pirate? You've completely ruined your persona!
While most viewers were still shocked by Lu Jia and the others' identities, Lu Xuan noticed that some viewers mentioned that the leader of the Twilight Star Pirates also had a special type of ability, but the specific type remained a mystery.
Perhaps Lu Xuan could take this opportunity to ask them and help them unravel the secret.
"Since I'm the top fan in your live stream, would you mind giving me some time to talk about some personal topics?" Luca suddenly said.
Lu Xuan and the viewers in the live stream understood what he meant, and the viewers immediately became unhappy.
[What does this mean? Did they guess the streamer was going live and are trying to avoid us?]
[Is the streamer planning to shut down the stream? No way! I haven't had enough of Commander Luca yet!]
What private topics are off-limits to us, their esteemed fans?
Is it that you want to secretly trade valuable items without anyone knowing, or...?
I have a guess, but I'm not sure if it's correct.
Lu Xuan also had some guesses in his mind.
Although this was the first time he and Luca had met, Luca had supported him for a long time, so he should be given that much face.
Lu Xuan said to the viewers in the live stream, "That's all for today's live stream. I'll start again later depending on the situation."
Without waiting for anyone to stop, he ended the broadcast immediately.
His gaze then fell on Luca. "What would you like to talk about?"
Seeing this, Luca knew that he must have already ended the live stream, so he didn't keep him in suspense.
"I'd like to invite you to join my team."
Lu Xuan's expression was knowing.
They really want him to join them.
but……
"What gave you the misconception that I would want to become a space pirate?"
The Night Pirates certainly have a better reputation than other pirate groups, but he plans to settle in the Star Alliance, at least for a period of time.
My recent travels are simply because I want to finish up the things I didn't have time to do last time, and it doesn't mean I want to live this nomadic life forever.
Luca showed no disappointment at being rejected. Instead, he chuckled and corrected him, "You misunderstood. I'm not asking you to join Twilight, but rather inviting you to join the Morning Star Mercenary Group."
Lu Xuan paused for a moment to process the background of the Morning Star Mercenary Group, and then paused when he remembered the group's level.
The Red Maple Mercenary Group members, including Finn, who had been overlooked but were indeed present the whole time, stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
What star is morning?
What did you say, the Star Mercenary Group?!
-----------------------
Author's Note: Reader "Yan" has donated +1 nutrient solution.
Reader "Jenny Masto" watered with nutrient solution +2
Reader "CatFatBling" watered with nutrient solution +52025-09-02 05:50:38
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