Ning Yu, in her haste to return and protect Ye Ying, had battled through countless obstacles and slain numerous foes, pouring all her strength into the endeavor.
Finally, she burst back into the research institute.
She had already made one mistake, and she absolutely could not afford to make another!
Moreover, the institute not only housed her師娘 (shī niáng - paternal uncle's wife / master's wife), but also her master's physical body!
The moment Ning Yu stepped into the institute, she tripped over something on the floor.
Turning around, she saw a corpse lying on the ground!
"This is bad! They've already started the massacre!"
Ning Yu didn't have time to dwell on it. She quickly summoned ten holographic lights to illuminate the path ahead.
What she saw upon illumination was staggering.
The floor of the main hall was strewn with over a dozen corpses!
All of them were institute personnel, who had died not long ago; their blood was still red.
The sudden burst of light also attracted combat personnel from further away.
A few gunshots rang out, bullets whizzing past and striking sparks.
Ning Yu dodged instantly and sprinted forward at full speed.
"I have to kill them before these people find Shī niáng and Master!!"
"Exoskeleton Combat Skill! Wolf Pack!!"
Numerous, varied exoskeleton armors materialized behind Ning Yu, fanning out in all directions!
Ning Yu's own exoskeleton also transformed, becoming more robust.
Four large holographic panels appeared in the top, bottom, left, and right positions of her forward view, leaving the center clear for navigation.
Each holographic panel was connected to ten exoskeleton armor interfaces.
Ning Yu set their program to "Lethal Mode," ordering them to kill anyone not affiliated with the research personnel without hesitation.
Meanwhile, she herself rapidly searched each room, hoping to find Ye Ying and Gu Ya.
Soon,
More intense gunfire erupted from all around, spraying strings of bullets that flew wildly in the darkness.
The enemy concentrated their firepower against the exoskeleton armors.
Snow screens began appearing on Ning Yu's holographic panels.
Her opponents were professional combat personnel from military intelligence, and they were numerous.
Ning Yu was struggling to fight them, let alone the unthinking exoskeleton armors.
However, with these armors acting as a buffer, Ning Yu could buy herself some time to search for Ye Ying.
Suddenly,
More sounds of breaking windows and approaching footsteps echoed from a distance!
"It's a reinforcement team," Ning Yu said, her heart pounding.
The deceased Long Zhao had not only mobilized the on-duty combat team but also all the off-duty combat personnel!
"Oh no! Oh no, Shī niáng, where are you!"
The reinforcement team was even larger and equally professional in their methods.
Deafening gunfire erupted, accompanied by the explosions of grenades and the bombardment of heavy offensive weapons.
Within minutes, all forty exoskeleton armors lost contact,
Leaving Ning Yu alone!
In the places untouched by light, more and more synchronized footsteps approached, with rapidly increasing speed!
Ning Yu found herself gradually surrounded in the center of the vast office area.
"Summoning mechs won't work either; the ceilings here are too low, which is disadvantageous for mech movement!"
"It's fine, I'm an exoskeleton combat expert!"
"Exoskeleton Combat Skill! Armor Stacking!"
As the words left her lips, over a dozen exoskeleton armors materialized around Ning Yu.
These armors quickly transformed in mid-air and attached themselves to Ning Yu's body.
The sounds of "kacha kacha kacha" echoed.
Soon, Ning Yu transformed into a giant, strangely crab-like mech, three meters tall and eight meters long.
The mech rapidly moved its eight legs, bracing against the ceiling and floor, and crawled backward.
During its crawl, these legs could transform into soft tentacles depending on the terrain.
In fact, the entire main body could rotate 360 degrees and retract its form to adapt to narrow environments.
Soon, the first wave of combat personnel burst from the corridor's corner.
Ning Yu opened fire decisively.
The beam Gatling guns on her eight tentacles unleashed strings of white plasma-like bullets.
The bullets pierced the enemy's armor, taking down several before repelling the first wave of enemies.
"Shī niáng—!" Ning Yu roared, attempting to attract Ye Ying's attention.
Before long, those hidden combat personnel attacked again!
But this time, their numbers were greater, and they attacked Ning Yu simultaneously from all directions.
Ning Yu instantly summoned more weapon units and assembled them onto the mech.
The crab-like mech became like a monster spewing fiery bullets in all directions.
It unleashed dozens of white bullet chains.
However, the enemy were professional personnel after all. Using their comrades' gunfire as cover, they dodged the bullets and quickly spread out into the office area.
Suddenly, a rocket launcher fired from the darkness, directly hitting one of Ning Yu's legs!
"Boom!"
The explosive shockwave nearly threw Ning Yu off balance.
Immediately after, a second rocket was fired from behind!
Ning Yu quickly controlled the mech and raised her leg to block!
"Boom!" Another loud explosion directly severed a leg.
Ning Yu was instantly enraged. She controlled her other legs to rip off the severed limb and hurl it into the darkness!
As the severed leg flew, it suddenly emitted a dazzling blue light.
"Bang—!"
The severed leg exploded, and its scattered fragments took down several combat personnel.
But soon, the enemy's fiercer counterattack came.
Countless bullets shot out from the darkness, all aimed at the crab mech's body.
Ning Yu quickly retracted her seven legs to protect the main body while simultaneously firing bullets outward.
She was trapped in the center of the office hall, and the enemy's fierce firepower prevented Ning Yu from advancing.
At this moment,
In a laboratory at a corner of the research institute,
The intense battle caused everything in the laboratory to tremble.
Under the slightly swaying shadowless lamp,
Ai Li and Wei, dressed in surgical gowns, stood on either side of the operating table, performing surgery on Ye Ying with calm and order.
This was not a professional medical room, and there was no anesthesia.
They could only perform treatment on Ye Ying without any pain relief.
Ye Ying's mouth was tightly clamped around a towel, her head tilted, and her eyes fixedly staring at a corner of the room.
In the corner, Gu Ya sat slumped in a chair with his head bowed.
Large beads of sweat formed on Ye Ying's forehead and dripped into her eyes,
But Ye Ying continued to stare.
At a time like this, only looking at her beloved could somewhat alleviate the excruciating pain.
"The situation is worse than we imagined!"
Ai Li stated calmly, "The shrapnel is too fragmented; it all needs to be removed."
Zhan Huo·Wei said, "Indeed, and the toxicity has already spread. If we delay further, both her arms will be unsalvageable!"
Ai Li stopped the surgery, closed her eyes, and sighed, "Xiao Wei, let's change our approach. Abandon your 'Pure Body' modification technique."
"How can we do that!" Zhan Huo·Wei exclaimed in panic. "What I mean is, I only know the 'Pure Body' modification technique! Uh..."
"...Aunt Ai Li, are you saying you have a better method?"
Ai Li opened her eyes, her gaze hesitant. "Yes, but the success rate is not high. However, if we don't take this risk, and the toxin spreads throughout her body, Ye Ying will die!"
Ye Ying, already weakened by pain, looked at Gu Ya and said weakly, panting, "Do it!"
Ai Li and Wei looked at Ye Ying simultaneously,
A sense of reverence blossoming in their hearts.
They hadn't expected that this young woman, without anesthesia, could endure until now without losing consciousness.
Furthermore, she had readily agreed to the risky procedure.
What incredible fortitude and courage!
"Let's do it. For Gu Ya, I'm willing to do anything!"
Ai Li nodded and looked at Wei, saying, "Come assist me!"
"I am going to perform a 'Mechanical Blood Upgrade' on Ye Ying."
Zhan Huo·Wei's expression became even more serious and focused. She quickly moved to Ai Li's side and held Ye Ying's left arm.
Ai Li raised her hands, removed her surgical rubber gloves, revealing her fair, bare hands.
The next moment, her hands rapidly transformed into mechanical ones!
"Hold on!"
Ai Li cried out in a low voice, and her ten fingers quickly pierced Ye Ying's left arm!
"Ah—!"
Ye Ying's piercing scream echoed throughout the laboratory.
Despite the immense pain, Ye Ying remained still and did not move erratically!
Ai Li injected her own blood factors into Ye Ying's arm and quickly reminded her, "Intercept the blood flow! At the shoulder, quickly!"
Wei moved around Ai Li, tightly wrapping a tourniquet three times around Ye Ying's left shoulder. She then picked up a syringe and injected it into the shoulder.
As the hemostatic agent was slowly injected into Ye Ying's body via the syringe,
Ye Ying's entire left arm suddenly began to swell.
Ai Li steadily withdrew her ten fingers, quickly moved to the other side, and with Zhan Huo·Wei's assistance, began the injection into the right arm.
Soon, Ye Ying's right arm also began to swell.
Ai Li wearily lowered her hands, and her mechanical hands transformed back into flesh.
Looking at the suffering Ye Ying, Ai Li said seriously, "Now, success or failure depends on her!"
"How long will it take at the fastest?" Zhan Huo·Wei asked urgently.
Ai Li replied, "Under normal circumstances, it takes anywhere from half an hour to three hours. After successful conversion, she will need training to master it quickly."
Time ticked by, second by second.
The sounds of combat outside the laboratory gradually subsided, and the intense explosions ceased.
Zhan Huo·Wei paced ceaselessly by the operating table, contemplating how they should get out next.
Suddenly, Hui Ye·Ai Li's pupils dilated drastically!
She looked at Ye Ying, then at the time, and exclaimed, "Ten minutes? How... how is this possible!!"
Zhan Huo·Wei immediately looked at Ye Ying.
Ye Ying was now calm, and her arms had returned to their original shape!
"Ai... Aunt Ai Li, I told you, she is a once-in-a-century talent..." Zhan Huo·Wei's mouth twitched in astonishment!
Under the astonished gaze of the two female scientists,
Ye Ying slowly sat up, her head slightly bowed, and flexibly moved her arms.
Suddenly, she raised her right arm and clenched her fist forcefully!
"Click!"
In just half a second, her entire right arm transformed into a mechanical arm!
Tensing her right arm, a sharp blade sprang out from within the forearm!
Upon relaxing, the arm blade retracted instantly, and the limb quickly reverted to its flesh form.
"Hmm, not bad," Ye Ying said with a satisfied smile.
She jumped off the operating table, walked to the corner, picked up Gu Ya, and turned to face the two female scientists.
Calmly, she said, "I'll lead you out."