Chapter 290 The Interstellar Journey Has Finally Caught Up
Bullet comments:
[A deafening roar echoes through the sky, and the Vampire Vine makes its dazzling debut!]
[The streamer has finally made his move; his identity can't be hidden anymore, huh?]
Surprised? Unexpected?
[Haha, look at the other mercenaries, their eyes are practically popping out of their sockets! I love watching this kind of show, give us more! Streamer, go go go!]
The Red Maple mercenaries were indeed quite frightened by the sudden appearance of the vampire vines.
The burly men, who had been scattered in various corners to avoid being wiped out in one fell swoop, found that they had no room to maneuver. Even the mech pilots who had regained their freedom couldn't help but rush over to join Finn.
"Boss, he...we..."
"Vampire vine! That's a vampire vine! How is that possible? Our employer this time is actually—Holy crap!"
The mercenaries were horrified and so excited they could barely speak; their faces were flushed with excitement.
Fein was also very excited, "It's Lu Xuan!"
On their way here, they were still dreaming of running into Lu Xuan and trading some good things with him. Little did they know that they would be sitting on the same spaceship as him from the very beginning!
This person is an eighth-level clone ability user, whose strength is greater than that of ordinary eighth-level ability users.
What's a level six mutated vine? It can be crushed with a single finger!
Finn, who had initially thought he might suffer a major setback or even be wiped out, instantly felt relieved. His gaze toward Vampire Vine and Lu Xuan was so intense that he seemed to want to worship them.
The others couldn't help but shout, "Vampire vine! Yes, that's it! Tear it apart! Kill it!"
While excited, Finn didn't forget to remind the others: "Stand back a bit, otherwise the vampire vines might not even notice us little guys."
If you get caught up in it by accident, you'll have nowhere to turn for help.
As soon as they finished speaking, a section of the level-six mutated vine that had been torn off by the vampire was flung to within two meters of them, and the flying debris immediately left several scratches on their exposed skin.
The mercenaries were startled and quickly retreated, until they had retreated more than twenty meters away before stopping.
It was during this brief period of their retreat that the Level 6 mutated vines, which had been so arrogant not long ago, were completely overwhelmed by the vampire vines and rendered powerless.
The thickest main vine was entangled and pierced by the blood-sucking vine, which drained all its essence in the blink of an eye, leaving only a huge, withered vine bark that floated lightly to the ground.
The roots that were deep underground withered rapidly in places unseen by anyone, becoming nutrients for the mutated forest.
The battle ended quickly in a very short time. The vampire vine, having enjoyed a delicious meal, soon withdrew its oppressive aura, and the heavy feeling on Finn and the others also dissipated.
Lu Xuan put away the seed of the level six mutated vine that he had obtained beforehand using his wood-type ability, and jumped down from the tree in a few moves, returning to the mercenary group.
Fein and the others were initially disappointed that they hadn't seen Lu Xuan make a move, but when Lu Xuan actually arrived in front of them, his status had changed, and the mercenaries, who were usually very uninhibited, became unusually shy and awkward.
The group of people looked at each other, and no one spoke for a long time.
As the leader, Fein wanted to say something, but he opened his mouth several times, only to find himself at a loss for words.
Haha, are they embarrassed?
[This is a living, level-eight ability user, and currently the most popular interdimensional streamer in the Star Alliance. I'd be nervous too, wouldn't I?]
【I'm different. This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for such close contact. If it were me, I'd pounce on the streamer and hug her! And if possible, give her a kiss!】
[The person above could wear pants, right?]
Be careful, the streamer might cut you off.
The various mercenary groups that were already on their way and wanted to win over Lu Xuan but had not been able to find an opportunity were green with envy.
Their strength is not bad either, so why didn't Lu Xuan hire them, but instead hired Hong Feng, who is of average strength? What kind of luck did he get!
Knowing Lu Xuan's identity, this group of people still wanted to take the opportunity to make this or that deal with Lu Xuan and take advantage of him.
Just as he was thinking this, one of the mercenaries came to his senses and excitedly asked Lu Xuan, "Host, can we exchange the reward for this mission for gene evolution fluid?"
With one person taking the lead, the others quickly echoed as if reminded, "That's right, we don't want star coins, can we just have the gene evolution fluid?"
Some people took the opportunity to exclaim, "Our luck is incredible! We were saying we'd be happy to run into a streamer, but it turns out the boss is the streamer."
Meeting the eager gazes of the group of mercenaries, Lu Xuan nodded indifferently and said, "I'll give you two at most, and the rest of the expenses will be settled in star coins."
Finn quickly replied, "Two vials of evolution fluid would be great; no other fees are needed."
Since the boss is Lu Xuan, it's obvious that the other party's task requirements are just a pretext; they don't lack high-level mutated plants at all.
Two years after the cataclysm, Lu Xuan fed the Vampire several level-eight crystal cores, which upgraded it. In the entire mutated forest of Sorenson, there might not be many creatures stronger than the Vampire.
They've already made a profit by getting two vials of gene evolution fluid.
Compared to Star Coins, the benefits of befriending Lu Xuan are far greater.
Lu Xuan wasn't necessarily going to throw money around; if they didn't want it, he wouldn't force them.
"Are you going to continue working with me, or should we settle the mission now?"
Everyone, including Finn, said in unison, "Of course we'll go with you!"
This is an eighth-level ability user. The opportunity to explore Sorenson with such an expert is extremely rare. They must be crazy to part ways so quickly.
However, fearing that he might find their abilities lacking and still want to be disliked, Fein added, "As long as you don't mind."
Lu Xuan: "It doesn't matter."
Given the strength of the Red Maple Mercenary Group, they certainly couldn't offer much help, but it wouldn't be fair to say they were a hindrance.
However, in case they got separated later, Lu Xuan took out the two vials of evolution fluid and threw them to Fein in advance.
That wasn't all. Knowing that they really liked eating natural food, he casually took out ten more bags of 100-pound mutated rice and flour as extra reward.
After all, the market price of the evolution fluid is only 200,000 star coins, and the spaceship's energy consumption is more than that. Giving only evolution fluid is a bit stingy.
The mercenaries, flushed with excitement at receiving the evolution fluid and mutated food, looked at Lu Xuan as if he were a god of wealth.
With billions of viewers watching in the live stream, seeing them receive evolution fluid and natural food, and later, with the protection of an eighth-level superhuman, they were all deeply vulnerable and their defenses were severely compromised.
[This is unfair! Why wasn't I hired by the streamer?! I want evolution fluid too! I've never won it in the lottery before, I'm so angry!]
[There are also thousands of kilograms of mutated rice and flour; that would be enough for me to eat for several years!]
[Look at me, streamer! I'm a level six ice-type ability user, much stronger than Commander Fein! I don't ask for much, just one bottle of evolution fluid and a hundred or so pounds of natural food will do!]
[Although I'm only level five and a rather unremarkable water-type, I don't want evolution fluid or natural food. I just want to go deep into the Sorenson Mountains under the streamer's protection and broaden my horizons!]
Jealousy has distorted my appearance; I desperately want to rob the Red Maple Mercenary Group!
[I already have a premonition that the Red Maple Mercenary Group will become the envy of the entire Mercenary Planet; if not universally hated, then close enough.]
After putting the things away, Fein felt a chill run down his spine for no apparent reason. He belatedly remembered Lu Xuan's identity and a certain possibility occurred to him. His eyelids twitched wildly as he asked, "Boss streamer, are you... streaming now?"
Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow. "You've already called me the anchor, why are you still asking?"
Finn's vision went black instantly.
The other mercenaries, who were initially excited, froze, their eyes gradually turning horrified.
Wouldn't that mean everyone would know that their boss is Lu Xuan, and that they've received a lot of benefits?
The mercenaries felt a chill run down their spines when they thought about how many stronger mercenary groups might be lurking in the live stream.
But to get them to give up the evolution fluid... that's absolutely impossible!
The mercenaries all had stern expressions and fierce looks.
Once they have everything, it's theirs!
It's already difficult to divide the dozens of people in the group into two groups. If you want them to give way, you'll have to step over their corpses first!
Of course, some quick-thinking individuals thought that at worst, they could just lay low outside after finishing this task.
Since Lu Xuan was able to produce two vials of evolution fluid, he would definitely be willing to produce more in the future.
Once others have acquired much better things, who will remember their mere C-rank mercenary group?
Lu Xuan did not ignore the fans in the live broadcast room.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Now that I've come to the Star Alliance, I won't be leaving anytime soon. I need enough funds to settle down in the Star Alliance. I'll find an opportunity to release a batch of the good stuff I've accumulated later, so don't worry about not having the chance."
Those with money can buy it, and those without money will have a chance when he enters the next lottery.
The fans in the live stream were finally calmed down and stopped focusing on the Red Maple Mercenary Group. Instead, they began to look forward to the more exciting second exploration of Lu Xuan's Sorenson.
...
"Hey streamer, boss, we've spotted a group of level 5 mutated chimpanzees ahead! They're very powerful."
"What's there to be afraid of? Even if they're strong, can they still outmaneuver the vampire vines? There are more than twenty of them. It's just the right time to let the vampire vines have another feast."
...
"Host, there's a level 6 mutated black bear fighting a giant thorn cactus up ahead."
"I remember that the flesh and blood of mutated black bears can be used to extract a lot of nutrients needed to make nutritional supplements, and their fur has good defensive properties, so they can be sold for a good price."
"A discovery has been made in the southeast direction."
"They've also found something in the north!"
With Lu Xuan in charge, the mercenaries, including Fein, no longer had any reservations. They were not afraid of facing the level 5 and 6 mutated plants and animals that they had never dared to imagine before, and actively provided Lu Xuan with information so that he could decide which ones to deal with first.
Those whose flesh and blood are not of high value are let to be absorbed by the vampire vines, while those of higher value are killed but not eaten.
Finn and his crew were not useful in combat; their main tasks were scouting, cleaning up the battlefield, processing the prey, and collecting the spoils.
The lion's share naturally went to Lu Xuan, while they got to keep the rest.
Even so, the mercenaries were all beaming with joy, not complaining at all about the small amount of loot.
Nonsense, these are all advanced mutated creatures, and any one of them could cause them a lot of casualties.
Without Lu Xuan, they couldn't even get a bowl of soup.
But now, even a tiny bit of something that Lu Xuan manages to squeeze through his fingers can easily fetch hundreds of thousands of star coins. He can collect at least twenty or thirty batches of the same value every day, making a killing.
Since most of the mutated creatures that have appeared so far are level five or six, and the Vampire Vine can handle them with just one vine, Lu Xuan has hardly made any moves.
Occasionally, out of boredom, he would casually freeze any high-level mutated beasts or plants that appeared, then snap his fingers to pulverize them. It was quick and efficient, but the scene lacked grandeur and excitement, making it somewhat uninteresting to watch.
Many viewers in the live stream were urging Lu Xuan to go even faster and go even deeper.
Level 6 creatures are no match for him, and killing them is pointless. It's more fun to find mutated creatures of level 7 or higher.
Lu Xuan, however, was in no hurry and continued walking in at his own pace.
On the morning of the fourth day.
Lu Xuan suddenly sensed an unusual aura, made a hand gesture to Fein and the others, and suddenly changed the direction of their advance.
【What happened? Why did you suddenly change direction?】
[The streamer seems to have noticed something?]
The scouts led by Red Maple haven't returned yet.
[A mere level four enhanced senses can't compare to the streamer's keen perception; if the streamer wants to, he doesn't need anyone to scout the way for him.]
So what exactly did the streamer discover?
Fein and the other mercenaries were also curious and quickly followed him to the southwest.
After walking for about two kilometers, everyone felt a sense of oppression.
This feeling was even more terrifying than when they encountered level six mutated creatures before.
Level 7!
Fein and the others felt a sudden chill run down their spines. Their long-standing survival instincts made them want to run immediately, but they relaxed again when they remembered Lu Xuan. Then they began to wonder what kind of creature Lu Xuan had discovered.
After walking through the increasingly difficult forest for several hundred meters, the group found themselves unable to go any further.
As far as the eye could see, there were raging hurricanes. Wherever the hurricanes passed, countless towering, mutated trees were shattered into hundreds and thousands of pieces and swept into the sky.
Many of the mutated beasts caught in the blast let out a shrill scream one second, and then their legs turned into pieces of mangled flesh, spraying blood everywhere.
Even though they were thousands of meters away from the storm zone ahead, Finn and the others could still feel the huge waves crashing against them. Sharp branches that were blown by the wind would occasionally graz their faces and the backs of their hands, leaving bloodstains of varying depths.
The mech pilots, who were much larger than the mech pilots, were even worse off. Their mechs were covered in bloodstains left by shredded pieces of mutated beast blood, making them look extremely disheveled.
Even so, no one dared to move or peek out from their hiding place.
[Hiss! This is a level seven mutated beast! It's already displaying such powerful combat strength before we've even seen its true form. Terrifying.]
[Is this a level seven mutated beast? I wonder what species it is, a mutated wolf? A mutated tiger? I remember that tiger-type mutated beasts often awaken wind-type abilities.]
The eye of the storm must be a meat grinder; I can't even imagine how horribly you'd die if you accidentally got caught in it.
[How can I not imagine what would happen to those mutated beasts that were torn to pieces?]
[It inexplicably reminded me of a streamer using superpowers to grind meat.]
Lu Xuan spread his hummingbird wings and hovered high in the sky, looking at the storm ahead with slightly narrowed eyes.
"No, this isn't a wind-based ability."
He himself can use wind-type abilities. He has seen many wind-type ability users in the apocalypse and in Yunlu Village, so he knows very well what wind-type abilities are like.
The surge of supernatural energy in the storm before us is distinctly different from that of wind-based energy.
So here's the question.
If it's not wind-based, what kind of superpower could bring about this kind of destructive force?
—Space system!
It's not the kind of storage-type spatial ability like that of Wu Tong, the former captain of Luochuan who later became a junior general, but rather an attack-type spatial ability!
Lu Xuan curled his lips into a smile, a look of pleasure appearing in his eyes.
Sorensen's first gain from his second trip has arrived.
-
The storm lasted for a full half hour before it subsided.
The dense forest was leveled, opening up a vast expanse of space, and the stench of blood was so strong it made one want to vomit.
Fortunately, both Lu Xuan and the mercenaries like Fein were used to these things.
The oppressive aura of the level-seven mutated beast and the overwhelming stench of blood kept the surviving mutated beasts away for a short time, preventing them from approaching.
Fein and the others only dared to follow behind after seeing Lu Xuan make a move, hoping to broaden their horizons.
However, when they arrived at the scene, they found that there was not a single creature that resembled a level seven mutated beast in the vast area filled with debris.
To be more precise, looking around, they didn't see a single living person except for themselves; everything was barren, with the only conspicuous spot being a small hill near the center.
The mercenaries looked around suspiciously and asked, "Did they run away ahead of time?"
Fein's lips twitched. "How could that be?"
Lu Xuan intentionally concealed his aura, and would not reveal his pressure when the Bloodsucking Vine was not present.
The owner of this place doesn't know why an eighth-level superhuman has come and why he would run away from his own territory for no reason.
Moreover, the oppressive aura hadn't dissipated; it was clear that X was still there, they just hadn't found it yet.
Finn glanced around and couldn't help but wonder.
Could they be so lucky to have encountered a dual-elemental level 7 mutated beast that possesses both wind and stealth abilities?
Not only were the mercenaries puzzled, but the live stream was also filled with question marks.
[What's going on? Where's the mutated beast? I didn't see anything. Am I blind?]
[I didn't see it either, all I saw was a screen full of blood clots, ugh, that was terrifying.]
[Could it be that this mutated beast is actually very small and is hiding in some corner or under a tree trunk?]
[It's also possible that the other party was very perceptive and realized the streamer was not someone to be trifled with, so they ran away beforehand.]
Lu Xuan chuckled lightly, and said meaningfully, "They didn't run away. They're right there. It's so obvious, how could you not notice?"
【？？？】
Where is it obvious? If I had to say what stands out here, it would only be that small hill.
Uh... really?
[I think I've thought of that too, but... wow! Really?!]
[Isn't she a wind-type ability user? Could there be a mistake? Is she actually an earth-type user?]
Fein and the other mercenaries weren't stupid either. After looking around and finding nothing amiss, their gazes involuntarily settled on the hill in front of them.
Perhaps their presence was too strong, because the hill moved after a short while.
Finn and the others: "!!!"
Holy crap! It moved!
It really is this 'hill'!?
What kind of mutant beast is this?
Just as they were filled with horror and disbelief, something raised its head from the other end of the 'hill'.
It turned out to be a snail magnified hundreds of times or even more!
"How could it be a mutated snail?!" Finn exclaimed in shock, his eyes wide.
Snails are generally perceived as slow-moving mollusks, and even if they mutate and become aggressive, their slow movement still makes them virtually harmless.
The Red Maple Mercenary Group had encountered some mutated snails when they explored Sorenson before.
However, most of those mutated snails are only level two or three, and the largest they can count is about the size of a human head. They can survive by attaching themselves to the leaves of mutated plants of similarly low level.
Not only are they of low value, but I've never seen one that has awakened superpowers.
Who would have thought that they would encounter an extremely rare, level-seven, super-large mutated snail with wind-type abilities today?
Lu Xuan was also somewhat surprised.
He initially guessed it might be a mutated turtle based on some legends and stories in the real world, but he never expected it to be a snail.
However, when he heard that the mercenaries still mistakenly thought that the other party had wind-type abilities, he still spoke up to correct them.
"It's not a wind-based ability; it should be an offensive spatial ability."
Finn and the others: "!?!"
The viewers in the live stream, who were already amazed by the variety of the level 7 mutated beast, became even more excited.
[Is it really an attack targeting space-based systems? Then the streamer posted it again!?]
[This streamer's luck is incredible; he's only been here a few days and he's already found a suitable mutated beast.]
[The streamer is already very strong, and now he's gained an even more powerful attack ability. Won't he be even harder to kill from now on?]
【What nonsense are you spouting? You actually want to kill the streamer? You've got some nerve.】
This mutant snail is huge! It's the biggest snail I've ever seen.
[Its body is so soft and squishy, it's kind of cute. Is the streamer going to kill it for blood?]
Lu Xuan said, "It depends on the situation."
To gain the ability of beast transformation, all you need is a little blood. Whether to kill it or not depends on the nature of this mutated snail.
Mutant beasts are generally quite aggressive. If they want to take blood, they will definitely attack the other party. If they are attacked and resist, they will have no choice but to continue to attack.
However... the reality was vastly different from what Lu Xuan had anticipated.
After the mutated snail poked its head out, it glanced back at them. At first, it didn't notice the 'smaller' Lu Xuan, but was instead attracted to the mercenary group's mechs.
Lu Xuan flew over at an extremely fast speed, and before the mutated snail could react, he made a cut on the snail's chest, which was roughly the size of a human's chest and also the fleshiest part of its body. In the blink of an eye, he collected a small jar of pale blue blood.
Finn was astonished.
Isn't it that simple and straightforward?
They didn't even give us a heads-up.
The mutated snail might go berserk.
Startled by Lu Xuan, Finn instinctively tried to call for the others to retreat to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
At the same time, after the mutated snail belatedly felt the pain, its soft white body trembled violently. Then, the pressure on its body suddenly intensified, and a sharp aura was about to spread in all directions.
Lu Xuan simultaneously released an eighth-level pressure.
The mutated snail's body suddenly froze, and the next second, its massive, mountain-like body suddenly vanished before everyone's eyes!
The accident happened so suddenly and without warning that even Lu Xuan was caught off guard.
"Where's the snail?!" someone exclaimed.
Lu Xuan couldn't help but frown.
He sensed carefully for a while, then realized, "I can't find their presence anymore, they've run away."
Upon realizing that the mutated snail possessed spatial attributes, Lu Xuan's brows quickly relaxed.
It seems that this mutated snail is not only powerful in attack, but also incredibly fast at escaping.
Isn't he a little too timid?
They didn't even fight; they just sensed that his level was higher and ran away without hesitation.
If the mutated snail fights back, he might just kill the big guy too.
Since the other party is so flexible and adaptable, Lu Xuan doesn't want to kill them all, nor is it necessary.
Hearing from Lu Xuan that there was no longer any trace of mutated snails nearby, Fein and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
Viewers in the live stream who were waiting to see Lu Xuan battle the mutated snail were greatly disappointed.
[Why did you run away after finally encountering a level 7 mutated beast? What a coward!]
[Exactly! His spatial abilities are clearly very powerful; challenging opponents of higher levels shouldn't be a problem for him.]
[Ah, I really want that ability too. Fight if you can win, run if you can't—how awesome would that be?]
[Alright, they've already run away. Streamer, quickly absorb the snail's blood and let's see what happens this time.]
[Only the snail's shell is the most obvious part. Does the streamer have to grow a shell after absorbing snail blood?]
[Pfft, just imagining that scene is kind of funny.]
Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything more.
He was both curious and worried about the changes in his appearance after gaining the snail's abilities.
But as the people in the live stream said, spatial abilities are very powerful, powerful enough for him to selectively ignore some trivial problems.
Without hesitation, Lu Xuan absorbed the blood of the mutated snail on the spot.
Absorbing level 7 blood with level 8 strength doesn't cause any special sensations, nor does it hurt as much as when I obtained level 8 octopus blood.
Feeling an increase in energy within his body, Lu Xuan casually waved his hand in the direction they had come from. Several spatial blades, resembling wind blades, flew out from his palm and easily severed two mutated trees with trunks at least five meters in diameter in a few swift movements.
The spatial blade then continued to slice through the tree trunks, cutting through more trees with a whooshing sound. The massive tree trunks rumbled and fell to the sides of the forest, causing a violent earthquake.
Before the group appeared a 'road' that was believed to have been cleared and stretched for hundreds of meters.
"Hiss—!" Several gasps came from the surrounding area, clearly indicating that Finn and the others were stunned by the power of the spatial blade.
No, to be precise, it was Lu Xuan's own strength that was too great, so the space blade attack in his hands exerted a more terrifying power than the mutated snail, its original host.
After a brief pause, the live stream chat exploded with comments.
Many people excitedly cheered for Lu Xuan while asking him to demonstrate the changes in his body.
Lu Xuan, who felt a slight itch on his forehead and back, said: "This is really unnecessary."
I imagined myself growing snail tentacles and a snail shell, but the image was too beautiful, so I decided against it.
Lu Xuan said nonchalantly, "Alright, it's time to continue searching for the next suitable mutated beast."
Fein and the others naturally had no objections.
The viewers in the live stream noticed that Lu Xuan was talking about something else, and they all booed him.
Lu Xuan: Shh, all you want. Anyway, a snail's appearance will never be revealed in this lifetime.
...
After a good start, Lu Xuan soon encountered several other suitable species.
Among them was the mutated turtle that Lu Xuan had previously guessed wrong. It was also level seven, but larger than the mutated snail. Its defense was so strong that even Lu Xuan's level eight attack couldn't break through it.
There is also a level 7 white-striped lynx with very long fur, possessing the rare illusion-type ability to create mirages.
They appeared quietly while Lu Xuan and the Red Maple Mercenary Group were taking a lunch break, almost causing the Red Maple members to treat each other as enemies and fight each other to the death.
In the end, Lu Xuan used his hypnotic ability to counter the opponent and finally obtained the lynx blood.
Illusion-based supernatural abilities naturally became a new skill for Lu Xuan.
Along the way, we encountered some level 6 mutated beasts with decent abilities, but their levels were still too low. We continued to collect their blood, but we didn't absorb it.
Viewers in the live stream couldn't help but remark that Lu Xuan was practically developing a collecting obsession.
-
While Lu Xuan was reaping considerable gains, many mercenaries, space pirates, and other civilian organizations or commercial groups that were of interest to him arrived at Sorenson Natural Star.
These people are always watching Lu Xuan's live stream, so they know his every move very well.
Unfortunately, the mutated forest was too large and the magnetic field was too special, so most instruments could not be used here. Even if they knew that Lu Xuan was acting together with the Red Maple Mercenary Group, and even if they knew that Lu Xuan was deep in the forest, it was not an easy task to find him after they lost signal when they entered Sorenson X.
Mercenary groups or organizations with strong capabilities and certain special methods went directly to the mutated forest without hesitation.
Other factions, however, had already come up with better ideas.
They were lying in wait for the Red Maple Mercenary Group's spaceship, waiting for them to come to them!
When the Red Maple Mercenary Group's remaining mercenaries were surrounded by dozens of spaceships and even warships of different sizes, they were terrified and couldn't help but wonder what heinous crime their mercenary group had committed to deserve such an attack from so many forces.
When they learned that their employer was none other than Lu Xuan, the dimensional streamer who had caused a sensation throughout Mercenary Star and even the Star Alliance, they were completely dumbfounded.
Fortunately, these people didn't do anything to them; at most, they made sarcastic remarks and said some sour things.
When the mercenaries left behind learned that their leader had obtained two vials of evolution fluid and a lot of natural food, and had also collected many high-level mutated creatures as spoils of war with Lu Xuan, they knew that these people were just jealous of them, but they didn't care. Instead, they were even more eager for their leader and Lu Xuan to come out soon.
-
The eighth day since entering the forest.
Lu Xuan obtained the blood of the seventh mutated beast.
This time it came from a level seven black-feathered golden eagle, which possesses a corrosive ability. It can secrete highly corrosive feather powder, which it sweeps onto its predator when it flaps its wings, instantly corroding the predator into a lump of rotten flesh.
The ability may not sound particularly noble or righteous, but its destructive power is so great that no one dares to underestimate it.
In particular, there were a very small number of people in the live stream who, despite knowing Lu Xuan's strength, were still eager to take advantage of his numerous valuable items and large sums of points (star coins), harboring ill intentions.
Seeing that they had gained several powerful abilities in less than ten days, these people were completely disheartened.
This guy is getting more and more monstrous, he's not giving them any way out, how are we supposed to rob them now!
Lu Xuan had no idea that even after he had demonstrated his strength multiple times, there would still be fools trying to rob him.
He was just thinking that he only had one ability left, so he couldn't settle for anything less.
Putting aside the type, the level should at least be at least level eight to have any prestige, right?
However, the area where level 8 beasts are active is the true central area.
The last time it was the Vampire Vine that secretly arranged it for him. He hadn't been there himself and didn't know how dangerous it was. He couldn't guarantee that he could bring the Red Maple Mercenary Group with him and make them all escape unscathed.
Perhaps it's time to part ways.
"Commander Fein, you—"
Halfway through their conversation, a thick octopus tentacle suddenly shot out from the side of the Red Maple Mercenary Group without warning, and before anyone could react, it ripped away three mechs that were standing together.
"Ah!" The mercenaries couldn't help but scream in fright.
Feeling an overwhelming sense of crisis, Finn's expression changed drastically, and he shouted in a panic, "Run—!"
As soon as he finished speaking, more octopus tentacles appeared from all directions, but this time their main target was—Lu Xuan!
When Lu Xuan saw the octopus tentacles, he immediately released the blood-sucking vines. Unexpectedly, the octopus tentacles seemed to be enraged and began to swing even more violently.
The enemy was too strong, and Lu Xuan could no longer care about the Red Maple Mercenary Group. He led the Vampire Vine and engaged in a fierce battle with the familiar giant octopus.
The viewers in the live stream were all taken aback by this sudden incident.
[Holy crap! Could this octopus be the same level 8 octopus from last time?!]
[Aren't level 8 mutated beasts supposed to be in the central area? The streamer shouldn't have even reached that point yet, so how did they end up here?]
[Could it be that they sensed the streamer's and the vampire's presence and came to seek revenge!?]
Wow! Level 8 versus Level 8, a real battle! This is going to be interesting!
[The Red Maple Mercenary Group was just unlucky. In a battlefield between level eight, even being caught in the tail end of a typhoon was enough to cause them serious trouble.]
Unfortunately, Finn and others were indeed affected.
It wasn't that they weren't quick-witted enough to think of running away, but rather that the pressure from the level eight octopus was too terrifying. Besides not being able to react at first, their actions were also clearly suppressed later on, and their movement speed was much slower.
When Lu Xuan unleashed his own pressure to counter the level eight octopus, the combined force of their collision pushed them to the brink of unconsciousness.
Staying awake is already difficult enough, let alone running? You simply can't run.
This resulted in several of Finn's men being seriously injured shortly after Lu Xuan and the giant octopus began fighting. The mechs that were first thrown away were completely deformed, and the mechs almost couldn't escape their cockpits.
Among the mercenaries who couldn't pilot their mechs, the vice-captain was particularly unlucky; he was grazed by an octopus tentacle that indiscriminately swept around, and half of his body was instantly gone.
Finn's face turned ashen, and his heart sank.
He knew that Lu Xuan possessed healing abilities, but at this moment, the other party was clearly unable to spare the time, and his deputy commander's aura was getting weaker and weaker, and he simply couldn't hold on until he returned to the spaceship from the depths of the forest.
Just then, that damned octopus tentacle reappeared in their line of sight, about to attack them again, but his body remained stiff and unable to move.
Just when Finn thought he was doomed, someone suddenly grabbed his collar from behind and pulled him and the other brothers around him away, retreating dozens of meters away in the blink of an eye.
The deputy commander, who was already barely breathing, was also thrown into a medical pod that appeared out of nowhere.
Finn looked up in shock and found that there were more than a dozen unfamiliar faces behind him.
He asked, his face full of astonishment, "Who...who are you?"
Any one of these people exudes a far stronger aura than him.
Level 6, or everyone Level 7?
Where did all these powerful superhumans come from?
One of the burly men glanced at him and casually said, "Twilight."
Fane murmured, "Twilight..."
After realizing what those two words meant, his eyes widened in shock. "The Twilight Pirates!?"
My heart, which had just been rescued and hadn't even had time to relax, immediately jumped into my throat.
He knew, of course, that the Twilight Pirates were different from other pirate groups; they were principled and their targets were rather unusual.
But Lu Xuan's identity is even more special!
Who knows what these people are up to by suddenly appearing at this time?
What if they're thinking of letting the two fight like the snipe and the clam fight so that the fisherman can profit...?
Finn's expression grew increasingly grim.
But the thought that he only had a level 5 strength made him feel dejected.
Even if they really wanted to take advantage of the situation, what could he do? He couldn't even save his own life.
The leader of the Twilight Guild never paid attention to the thoughts of Fein and the Red Maple Mercenary Group from the beginning. His eyes were always fixed on Lu Xuan, who was fighting fiercely with the level eight octopus, and he did not look away for a moment.
Even with the bio-mask on, his striking face broke into a pleasant smile.
"I finally caught up with him."
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Author's note: The next chapter will be updated the day after tomorrow.
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Reader "White Robe" added 60 units of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Jenny Masto" watered with nutrient solution +1
Reader "Liang" irrigated with nutrient solution +10 on 2025-08-30 00:01:49
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