Chapter 135: Chapter 135: A Gaze Deep as the Abyss (3 more for 14,000, subscription request)
Atop the eastern wall of the Explorer’s Wall, Qiao Xing, holding a church-standard two-handed greatsword in one hand, bore the air of an unparalleled master.
Moving according to Qiao Xing’s wishes, the reservists of the Four Knights Corps took positions at the farthest ends of the tall wall, only to watch and not to engage.
He faced three Lord-level Exotic Species: the Mountain Giant, the Thunder Lizard, and the Centaur Chieftain.
Though the four mighty walls are robust and massive, they are ultimately inanimate. Should the Exotic Species be left to damage them, it wouldn’t be long before the walls were thoroughly toppled.
Thus, humanity needs to protect these great barriers. Among them, the defense of the Explorer’s Fourth Wall is the strictest, as it serves as humanity’s first line of defense.
Just moments ago, the Mountain Giant, towering like a mountain, had already slammed into the Explorer’s Wall once.
The formidable impact caused the entire structure to shudder.
The Mountain Giant, a humanoid composed of massive rock fragments fused together, was categorized as a deformed kind despite its humanoid shape.
Its body, infused with Dark Energy, looked smooth and rounded yet brimming with power.
As it readied for a second charge, Qiao Xing arrived. With a single sword strike, he repelled the Mountain Giant, leaving a 40-meter-long gash on the behemoth’s body.
The Wall Guardians cast their gaze toward Qiao Xing. Someone of his stature, regardless of his usual reserve, could not escape recognition.
"The East Ring Archbishop of the Church, Qiao Xing."
"Just watch. After all, we can’t handle a Lord-level."
While the Wall Guardians included many capable fighters, most of them resided in the Inner Ring, and the heavy duties guarding the Fourth Ring could not fall to higher-tier professionals.
Thus, the regular duties of the Wall Guardians mostly served as a warning.
Qiao Xing ignored the murmurs of the Wall Guardians. Being someone who naturally preferred to keep a distance from others, he certainly would not engage in much conversation at this time.
Moreover, he had just sensed a strong surge of Dark Energy coming from the direction of East Ring University, which caused him some concern.
Did something happen with Lu Luo? If Han Shiyu is there, it should be fine. I must resolve this situation quickly.
Qiao Xing was clearly distracted, yet in front of this preoccupied man, the three Lord-level Exotic Species dared not advance any further.
Though not as intelligent as humans, their instincts for danger far exceeded those of mankind.
Qiao Xing did not make a move. He was waiting for someone. Showing off in front of a group of floored Wall Guardians was meaningless; it was more satisfying to shock the Hunters.
Only when Hunter Team 2-12 from the East Ring had completely arrived did Qiao Xing show some motion.
To such a Hunter team, dealing with three Lords was more than sufficient.
"The Archbishop is here too!"
Some of the Hunter team captains naturally recognized Qiao Xing. Though from different factions with not the best relations, they certainly needed to exchange greetings here.
However, these captains underestimated Qiao Xing’s haughty character and peculiar temperament.
They could never imagine that Qiao Xing awaited the Hunters’ arrival for no other reason than to demonstrate his own martial prowess.
"You really took your time!"
Qiao Xing slowly floated into the air, his clerical robe drifting leisurely.
With his sword gripped in one hand, Holy Radiance coalesced. As he swung the great blade, a gigantic crescent-shaped Holy Radiance Slash Strike tore through the sky.
"Holy Radiance, Moon Slash!"
The crescent-shaped Sword Qi, carrying a force of destruction, flew toward the Mountain Giant.
CLANG!
The nearly 200-meter-tall Mountain Giant was bisected at the waist by a single slash. Its enormous upper body crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom.
The lower half, which had stood upon the ground, swayed for a moment before collapsing as well.
The power of Holy Light continued to wreak havoc at the sliced edge, and before long, the Mountain Giant succumbed to the eroding Holy Radiance, disintegrating into a heap of rubble.
The Sword Qi’s destructive aftermath was still awe-inspiring. It obliterated the Exiles’ Forest that stood behind where the Mountain Giant once towered. In an instant, what was once a lush wood became a barren plain dotted with stumps.
Although under the influence of the high concentration of Dark Energy these trees would soon regrow, this scene would still leave a lasting impression.
The arriving Hunters’ pupils constricted. To slay a Lord-level opponent with a single slash was beyond even what their captains could achieve.
It was not just beyond their capabilities; it was far beyond.
The team captains were mostly Fifth Tier, their strength often comparable to that of the captains from units like Team 2-12. Indeed, a Fifth Tier expert possessed the strength to kill Fifth Tier Exotic Species, and a few captains even had records of killing multiple Lord-level Exotic Species.
However, the gap between killing Lord-level Exotic Species and the visual shock and impact of Qiao Xing’s one-strike elimination was just too vast.
Qiao Xing could be confirmed to be Sixth Tier, but the gap between Fifth and Sixth Tier should not be so significant.
This sword strike not only killed the Mountain Giant but also left an indelible mark deep in the hearts of these Hunters.
"Qiao Xing is too strong!"
Looking at Qiao Xing’s retreating figure, these people couldn’t even muster the desire to challenge him. Could a Church Transcendent really be this powerful?
It shouldn’t be like this, though. Even though regular members of the Church are strong, they shouldn’t be this outrageous.
It wasn’t just them who were shocked—the Wall Guardians and the reserve members of the Four Knights Corps felt the same way.
Especially the reserves of the Four Knights Corps, who, after witnessing Qiao Xing’s formidable power, would probably practice even harder.
What they didn’t know was that after delivering this strike, Qiao Xing’s fingers were also slightly trembling.
Because he was unsure of the Mountain Giant’s physical resilience and needed to ensure a one-strike kill—not to mention achieve the perfect show-off stance—Qiao Xing had infused his swing with extra Holy Radiance.
After this sword strike, his fingers felt a bit numb.
Sigh, the Church’s techniques are still too clumsy. If I had used ’Overwhelming Rain’ here, I might have achieved a triple kill. What a waste of two Fifth Tier Exotic Species corpses; selling them could have paid for renovating the house.
While Qiao Xing was feeling regretful, the Thunder Lizard and the Centaur Chieftain, seeing the dire situation, had already fled.
This confrontation where Lord-level Exotic Species pressed against the wall had started quickly and ended just as quickly. It seemed destined to conclude with a disastrous defeat for the three Lord-level Exotic Species.
Just as the remaining two Fifth Tier Lords began to retreat, at the end of Area C13, a black mist gradually enveloped the entire region.
Qiao Xing immediately sensed something was wrong, and his relaxed state suddenly tensed.
This sensation! It’s Eighth Order—a calamity!
What appeared at the edge of everyone’s field of vision was a horse, which by appearance alone seemed purely an animal species.
This horse was completely black. Its body seemed vague and shifting in size, not quite distinct, as if existing between illusion and reality.
Where its mane should have been, there was nothing but purple flames, and under its four hooves, an eternal purple inferno raged.
Black mist shrouded the horse’s body. The first glance into its eyes felt as though it was about to ensnare everyone’s souls.
Blood vessels burst in the whites of Qiao Xing’s eyes as he immediately shouted to the others, "Everyone, close your eyes! Do not open them without my command!"
This was Qiao Xing’s order to the Hunters. Although they were not from the same department, out of respect for a powerful figure, the Hunters promptly closed their eyes.
Now, only Qiao Xing remained on the wall to confront the black horse.
One minute passed. Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on Qiao Xing’s forehead, and his sword-hand also began to tremble constantly, but his figure never retreated a step.
Thus, the two faced each other, somewhat resembling a tacit agreement, yet also like a confrontation where neither would give in.
Until, next to the black horse, a woman in red garments wearing a mask appeared.
With this woman as a reference point, Qiao Xing confirmed that the black horse was just a hair smaller than the Mountain Giant.
The woman in red leaned towards the horse’s ear, apparently whispering something.
After the woman in red finished speaking, the black horse actually nodded at Qiao Xing, as if in commendation.
Then, it turned and walked away towards the depths of Area C13 outside the wall.
After the black horse had left, the woman in red glanced at Qiao Xing meaningfully, then followed the horse, merging into the black mist outside the wall.
A Seventh Tier Great Lord-level Humanoid Species, the woman in red! And an Eighth Order Monarch-level animal species, the black horse!
After the pair departed, Qiao Xing finally exhaled a sigh of relief and said to the Hunters who had kept their eyes closed, "You can open your eyes now."
The Hunter captains opened their eyes. Their first instinct was to look towards the distant black mist. Then they saw Qiao Xing kneeling on one knee and quickly came over to support him.
"Lord Qiao Xing? What happened? What was that just now?"
"Likely a new calamity, confirmed Eighth Order. It possesses a very powerful psychic impact. Preliminarily identified as a horse-like animal species; other abilities unknown. UGH!"
Qiao Xing held his head. Blood oozed from the corners of his eyes, and his nose and ears were also bleeding.
The gaze he shared with the black horse had caused him immense physical strain; the strength of the psychic shock was simply unimaginable.
Eighth Order strength, huh! Truly formidable.
"Lord Qiao Xing, let me take you to the Church," some Hunters kindly offered.
Qiao Xing clutched his head as he stood up. In his current condition, locking eyes with an Eighth Order calamity capable of psychic shock was still too overwhelming.
"No, I still have some matters to attend to. I probably need to make a trip to East Ring University. You all go ahead; just have the reserves from the Four Knights Corps escort me."
Seeing Qiao Xing insist, the Hunters did not try too hard to persuade him, only silently watching as he left.
The reserves from the Four Knights Corps, however, followed behind Qiao Xing with bewildered expressions on their faces.
Although brief, the events of today were enough to shock anyone.
A calamity! It had been nearly one hundred years since the last Eighth Order giant was slain, and no new calamity had approached the walls this closely since then.
Will a new black tide come?
...
In the space of the Doomsday Disc, Lu Luo was getting ready to leave.
There wasn’t much to miss here, but who knew when he would be able to enter this place again.
The number of entries and rotations for the Disc had both dropped to zero. It seemed he would need to accumulate them for quite some time.
Wu En was already dead, but Lu Luo did not dwell on the old man’s fate. Everyone chooses their own path, and there’s no point in blaming others.
He stood up, dusted himself off, and walked to the center of the Disc, reaching out to touch it.
WHOOSH! Space twisted, and Lu Luo was ejected from the Disc World.
When he returned to reality, Lu Luo found himself in a semi-transparent state, which was gradually fading.
He was still in the area of Dormitory No. 5. There were many people around. Judging by their attire, they were definitely Hunters, though it was unclear which squad they belonged to.
Lu Luo guessed this was likely his return from the Disc World to reality. He hurriedly found a relatively safe spot before he began to materialize fully.
So many Hunters out here, and they aren’t from Squad 13. I need a reason to be squatting around, right?
So, Lu Luo walked out, adjusting his trousers.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"I’m a student here. Really needed to pee, just taking care of that."
The Hunter looked at him with a strange expression.
"This is the girls’ dormitory, and it’s under martial law. You’re taking a leak here?"
Huh? This... How careless!
Suddenly, Lu Luo was astonished by how stupid he sounded. Seriously, who in their right mind would come here to pee?
"Can’t explain yourself, huh? You’re very suspicious! Now, I suspect you’re involved in this incident with the Lord-level Exotic Species. Come with me."
Left with no choice, Lu Luo could only take out his Circle Studio work badge, which had shattered in the recent battle.
However, the official seal, name, and photo were still visible.
"Circle Studio? Are you Captain Ludie’s man?"
"Not really his man per se. We’re poker buddies. We at Circle Studio were in charge at the start of this incident. The academic affairs office and some guards should know about this."
"Circle Studio, huh? I know you guys. Alright then! Come with me. This is a big incident, and you need to report to the captain."
"Sure."
Following the man, Lu Luo arrived at the autopsy tent Han Shiyu had been in earlier. He hadn’t expected the captain the Hunter mentioned would be Luo Sen, whom he had met once before.
"Ha, Captain Luo Sen, do you remember me? From the 404 exhibition hall? That’s me, Lu Luo, the one who bled for the Alliance!"
Lu Luo’s grandiose speech made the other Hunters exchange incredulous looks.
They had never encountered such shameless audacity before.
"So it’s you."
Of course, Luo Sen knew Lu Luo. He had high hopes for his growth, just like Ludie.
They both thought that someone like Lu Luo was naturally suited to be a Hunter.
It was just that Ludie was more ambitious in his designs for Lu Luo; his care was more comprehensive, his investment greater, and his attention more dedicated.
In such a short time, Lu Luo had surprisingly transformed from a novice into a Second Tier Transcendent.
The speed of his progress might not have been unprecedented or unrivaled.
But in the Fourth Ring, this speed was definitely top-tier, even faster than Ludie had been.
Luo Sen paid no attention to Lu Luo’s odd explanations, nor did he question the current relationship between him and Ludie.
Since the man already belonged to Ludie, Luo Sen couldn’t be bothered to press the issue. Right now, he simply wanted to know the full story.
"Tell me, what exactly happened this time? And what about that old Wu En? Where is he?"
"Priest Wu En has returned to the Holy Light."
"He’s dead? I heard you were taken into a dream? You actually managed to defeat him there? That should have been his home turf."
Luo Sen was unaware that Lu Luo had dragged Wu En into an Alternate Space, owing to the consistent story put forward by Han Shiyu and Qi Xinzhu.
Lu Luo was said to have been captured by Wu En and taken into a dream to fight. This, though strange sounding, suited the narrative well.
"Well, he was severely injured during the fight with Professor Han Shiyu. Professor Han is a Fifth Tier Believer of Light with formidable combat power. Wu En was already close to his limits when he fled. Given his advanced age, he couldn’t withstand such an intense battle and thus met his end."
"How did he turn into an Exotic Species, and what’s the deal with the female students he parasitized? What was the process?"
Approaching this topic, Lu Luo decided to tell a lie, although the lie he would tell could have many, many holes. Nevertheless, that was no longer important.
"This matter is a long story, and I only found out about it from Priest Wu En before his death. The root of this problem started when Priest Wu En went to the Inner Ring for a pilgrimage and experienced a Holy Judgment Mutation..."
"You mean, a mutation in the Church’s Holy Judgment?"
Luo Sen’s expression turned stern; he was clearly aware of such a phenomenon.
"Exactly. Priest Wu En experienced a Holy Judgment Mutation and became a Fifth Tier Nightmare Servant. Even though he had turned into an Exotic Species, his heart remained human. So, he returned to the Fourth Ring and continued performing a priest’s duties. Yet, an Exotic Species is still an Exotic Species. Even with some of his sanity retained from the mutation, he gradually began to fall from grace and eventually transformed into what we saw."
At first glance, Lu Luo’s words seemed flawless, but upon closer scrutiny, they were full of holes.
Exotic Species might kill and consume people. However, Luo Sen found it hard to believe they would make a group of female students pregnant without any other objective.
"What about the female students parasitized by the Nightmare Seed? What is their purpose? Will they undergo any mutation?"
"I’m not entirely sure about that. But if you remove the parasites from their bodies, there should be no problem. And you are Hunters; you have the force and manpower to isolate these women for some time. When the time comes, you can then decide how to deal with them, right?"
"Long-term isolation? The common approach we Hunters take with such cases is to kill them."
"I’m aware of that. So I’ve done what I could to give them a tiny chance to survive. Even if death is inevitable, at least let them not die at your hands, Captain Luo Sen."
Lu Luo still wanted to save these girls, not for himself, but to do one last thing for old Wu En.
These girls, despite being troublesome, hadn’t really done anything wrong. They merely wished to survive. Wu En was undeniably the one at fault.
And though Wu En had died, his past contributions were tangible and real.
If I can help redeem some of old Wu En’s sins, Lu Luo mused, maybe I’ll get my groceries half-price tomorrow!
Lu Luo’s words failed to move the indifferent Luo Sen, but Luo Sen believed these female students didn’t deserve to die at the Hunters’ hands.
"Their fate will be decided after an interrogation by Church personnel."
"Thank you, Captain Luo Sen. I have another question."
"Spit it out."
"What about Professor Han Shiyu? She was seriously injured in this incident, and I would like to visit her."
Luo Sen glanced at Lu Luo and then nodded.
"Go ahead. She’s in the school infirmary."