CHAPTER 297: CHAPTER 297 SUDDEN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

The sky filled with fireballs, truly raining down like a deluge over the charred landscape. The lava beneath their feet seemed to spew forth from the cracks in the rocks, as if connected to hell itself.

The giant Golden Winged Fire Scorpion before them was much larger than any other the four members of Wang Lan’s team had ever seen.

Its late-stage Star Sea Realm strength swept through the wasteland with overwhelming power.

Facing such a formidable existence, not even Wang Lan—a powerful Close Combat Mage disguised as a Medical Attribute user—could stand aside. Even Bai Ji, whose Earth Attribute abilities were typically reserved for terrain control, had to join the battle.

"I told you we shouldn’t have provoked this thing... You didn’t believe me, and now look, we’re all going to die here."

"Shut up!" Yu Ruoyun instantly summoned an Ironwood Barrier in front of her to block the lava attack, shouting fiercely.

"Speedy Wind, we really didn’t provoke it! It’s clearly seeking revenge for its kin. It’s the Scorpion King!"

"Wang Lan, quick, heal!"

Yue Jifeng flashed forward, chopping off one of the Scorpion King’s leg blades, but a flame beam from a smaller Golden Winged Fire Scorpion below struck his abdomen. Three penetrating wounds appeared on Yue Jifeng’s chest.

"Here it comes!"

Wang Lan abruptly unleashed a Water Severing Knife. The Gold-ranked blade swept across, severing two Golden Winged Fire Scorpions at the waist. His form danced through the air as he instantly reached Yue Jifeng’s side and connected him to the Song of Life.

The rain of fire continued to fall madly, the whole world already swallowed by red light.

"Over here—" In the distance, two squads of four hurried over.

"Damn, is this something we can even get involved in?"

"But Princess Yu Ruoyun is in there! No matter what, we have to provide support! Go—"

But as the two squads set foot on this hellish land, a rain of fire and magma fell indiscriminately from the sky. After they barely dodged a few volleys, terrifying fireballs suddenly rolled toward them like runaway chariots.

"AHHH—"

A sharp, piercing scream sounded as the fireballs rolled over them, and the two teams of seniors were annihilated in the flames.

"Damn it!" Yu Ruoyun roared in anger upon seeing the two teams behind her killed.

A multicolored Star Energy Fluctuation surged as four attributes suddenly fused.

"Blizzard—"

The sky suddenly turned silver-white. Within a massive Array that formed in the sky, icicles like countless javelins rained down from above, assaulting the Scorpion King.

But the Scorpion King’s armor was simply too thick; even the terrifying attack that merged four attributes couldn’t restrict its movements in the slightest.

"Wang Lan, I’m ready!" Yue Jifeng suddenly roared, his form flashing before the Scorpion King’s face. "Whirlwind of Flowers and Snow—"

A sword light lit up in front of Yue Jifeng; his sword transformed into a bright moon in the sky. Under the moonlight, snowflakes danced like scattered petals.

Myriad streams of Sword Qi fell like water from the Milky Way, pouring onto the Scorpion King’s head. The crisp sounds of impact were incessant, and the carapace on the Scorpion King’s head visibly began to melt.

"Flame Thunder Arrows—"

In an instant, Wang Lan used Phantom Tracer. His figure flashed atop the Scorpion King’s head. Grasping the fleeting opportunity, an arrow descended like divine retribution, piercing the Scorpion King’s forehead.

"SQUEAK—"

A piercing, urgent scream rose. The Scorpion King’s movements abruptly halted. In the sky, the heavily injured Yu Ruoyun extended a vine to entangle Yue Jifeng, pulling him back and pushing him toward Wang Lan.

"Finally... No, that’s not right!" Wang Lan suddenly exclaimed. "The Scorpion King looks strange. Why has it turned a glazed color?"

"Not good!" Yu Ruoyun’s face instantly turned pale with fright. "It’s going to self-destruct—"

With no time for hesitation, Yu Ruoyun’s Star Power surged wildly. "Life Firmament!"

Countless vines rapidly spread from Yu Ruoyun’s body, replicating quickly and weaving a massive net in front of her. In the blink of an eye, they formed a gigantic, expanding cocoon that enveloped everyone behind her.

Wang Lan instantly understood Yu Ruoyun’s intention. His Star Power surged, and vines also spread from his body. "Sentient Beings!"

Yu Ruoyun’s Life Firmament focused on defense, its tough ironwood vines capable of blocking attacks and absorbing Star Power. Wang Lan’s Sentient Beings was primarily for attack and Star Power absorption, but at this moment, he couldn’t care less about its usual function.

"Bai Ji, defend—"

In the distance, Bai Ji was still running towards them, but when she heard Wang Lan’s roar, she stopped in her tracks.

"BOOM—"

What terrifying power could a peak Star Sea Realm Scorpion King unleash by self-destructing?

Never mind the intensity of the force; the sheer area of the blast was enough to chill one to the bone.

An area two kilometers in diameter was instantly engulfed in searing red heat. The ground was scorched into crystal, and the complex terrain Bai Ji had created was utterly obliterated by the earth-shattering explosion.

Shockwaves rolled and cascaded, the aftereffects lasting for tens of seconds before subsiding. The sky turned dark, the ground was charred black, and a massive crater marked the former dwelling place of the Golden Winged Fire Scorpions.

Who could have imagined that this place, once home to a terrifying Exotic Beast tribe—a Golden Winged Fire Scorpion colony tens of thousands strong—was now nothing but scorched earth?

"Cross-level kill achieved. Reward: 100,000 experience points, 50,000 skill points—"

In his mind, the kill notification rang out, and the aching Wang Lan regained consciousness. Upon waking, he found himself seemingly buried deep underground, feeling not only terrifying pressure but also an unbearable sensation of suffocation.

After the aftermath had dissipated, the ground suddenly bulged, and a snow-white hand reached out from the dirt. Bai Ji, covered in blood, staggered out of the pit. When she saw what lay before her, she forgot the pain, her eyes widening in utter despair.

Such a powerful explosion, and Wang Lan and the other two had been at its epicenter...

She herself had been so far away and still suffered such a fierce impact despite her Earth Attribute defenses. Yu Ruoyun, Yue Jifeng... Could they still be alive?

Suddenly, the ground in the distance started to bulge, and a figure emerged from the dirt.

After Wang Lan crawled out, he immediately turned and began to dig into the hole. Before long, he had unearthed Yu Ruoyun and Yue Jifeng, both battered beyond recognition.

The Scorpion King’s final self-destruction was something they hadn’t foreseen. Exotic Beasts, having low intelligence, typically followed their instinct to pursue benefits and avoid harm; very few would resort to self-destruction.

So, having underestimated their opponent for a moment, they paid a terrible price.

Wang Lan’s injuries were actually no lighter than theirs. However, the moment he was injured, his Self Healing skill passively activated. As long as he didn’t die on the spot, he could escape life-threatening danger in a very short time thanks to this skill.

By the time he emerged from the ground, Wang Lan’s injuries were already seventy to eighty percent healed.

"Wang Lan, are you alright? You’re still alive?" Bai Ji exclaimed excitedly. Surviving the disaster together had once again deepened the bond between the team members. At that moment, if Wang Lan had asked for a hug, Bai Ji probably would have agreed without a second thought.

"Quick, give me a Soul Bead! My Star Power is exhausted."

Bai Ji hurriedly took a medium-grade Soul Bead from her bosom and handed it to Wang Lan. He instantly absorbed it, and a white light flickered around him, connecting to Yu Ruoyun and Yue Jifeng. Accompanied by the healing from the Song of Life, their injuries quickly began to mend.

Bai Ji knelt anxiously by Wang Lan’s side, watching the two being treated. Initially, she had only focused on Wang Lan being alive, but now, seeing Yu Ruoyun’s and Yue Jifeng’s injuries, she couldn’t help but gasp.

Without treatment from a Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior, they would have been doomed. Their bodies were a mangled mess of flesh, with burns covering over ninety percent of their skin. Yue Jifeng was in especially bad shape; one arm and one leg were completely gone, resembling charred sticks.

Wang Lan channeled his Star Power with all his might, and their life forces finally began to revive and strengthen. Only then did Wang Lan let out a slight sigh of relief, the anxiety in his heart finally easing.

"Give me another Soul Bead."

Without hesitation, Bai Ji took out another Soul Bead. Just as Wang Lan reached for it, his expression suddenly changed, and he flung Bai Ji away with a palm strike.

A look of shock crossed Bai Ji’s face, her disbelief evident as she gazed at Wang Lan. She couldn’t understand why he would suddenly attack her for no reason.

The instant Bai Ji’s body flew backward, a Golden Winged Fire Scorpion burst out from a fissure in the ruined cliff and lunged at her.

At the same time, a streak of golden light shot from afar, striking the Golden Winged Fire Scorpion.

BOOM— The Golden Winged Fire Scorpion was instantly engulfed in golden flames.

Snapping back to reality, Bai Ji pressed her palms to the ground. "Golden Buddha Hand!"

Two massive Buddha Hand Seals emerged from the ground and clasped together in mid-air, engulfing the Golden Winged Fire Scorpion. The Golden Buddha Hand Seals twisted and compressed, a violent friction generating terrifyingly high temperatures. Molten rock trickled down the seams of the seals.

"Who’s there!" Wang Lan and Bai Ji turned their heads in unison to look into the distance. From a faraway corner, three figures slowly walked out.

"Wang Lan, Bai Ji, don’t be alarmed," one of the figures said. "We heard the commotion and came to see. We just spotted a Golden Winged Fire Scorpion lurking nearby and I acted quickly. Please don’t misunderstand."

"Detect a Golden Winged Fire Scorpion from that far away? Who are you kidding? Besides, who are you? Why haven’t I seen you before?" Bai Ji demanded, her voice laced with suspicion.

"I’m a Perception Gifted, that’s how I detected it. Also, there are twelve Star Energy Fluctuations beneath you; there might be twelve more Golden Winged Fire Scorpions in ambush. Oh, and it’s not surprising you haven’t seen us. There are so many senior students, who could know everyone? Besides, we’re not really the type to attend classes; we skip a lot."

The three continued talking as they approached.

"Well, thank you then," Wang Lan said with a smile.

"It’s only right to help classmates..."

"SWISH—"

Suddenly, Wang Lan raised his hand and fired an arrow. His polite words had made the three let down their guard. Who would have expected the smiling Wang Lan to attack without warning?

The person in front was utterly unprepared and was impaled through the chest by Wang Lan’s arrow. The other two hastily dragged their injured comrade back in retreat, their forms instantly recoiling as they watched Wang Lan nervously.

"What... what are you doing? We kindly came to help, and you repay kindness with hatred!"

"Hmph, kind? His attack was fired deliberately. If I hadn’t pushed Bai Ji away beforehand, his shot would have killed Bai Ji, not the Golden Winged Fire Scorpion."

"At first, I thought you were just students looking to scavenge. But Bai Ji doesn’t even recognize you. Besides, if you were really senior students from the academy, you wouldn’t be so tactless as to approach this closely. Your way of speaking, your mannerisms—they’re not from Modu City’s Star Martial Academy."

"And another thing, if you’re going to pretend to be students, at least try to look younger. You’re clearly men in your thirties. Do you take me for a fool?"

The last remark was particularly deadly.