Chapter 1026: The Vermilion Bird of Ice Prison

Baihu and Zhuque were moving together, which Billy the Kid found somewhat troublesome.

However, when he later saw the two splitting up, the corners of his mouth immediately curved upward.

But which prey should he hunt first?

He stroked his chin, thinking carefully.

Soon enough, he had an answer: "Lady first!"

Canero wore a relaxed smile, but when he moved, he gave off a feeling as clean and sharp as a razor.

Like Vito Baldia, Yasin Canero was also an elite from special forces, having previously served in the Columbus Ocean Delta Force.

He was already thoroughly familiar with these stealth sniper tactics.

However, to achieve the optimal effect of his ability, he needed to get close enough.

His ability required activation through his two revolvers.

While these weapons possessed formidable power, they also had a fatal flaw—insufficient range.

Even as a superhuman with supernatural ability enhancements, his effective range did not exceed 2,000 meters.

Therefore, he couldn't achieve ultra-long-range attacks like Zhang Yi or Baldia.

But where something is lost, something is gained.

What he traded for losing range was terrifying, nearly unstoppable killing power at close to medium distances!

So, he needed to approach Zhuque first, then take her life with a single shot!

He wasn't anxious at all.

He had to wait until Zhuque and Baihu were sufficiently far apart, so he could enjoy a proper one-on-one duel.

Facing two opponents would be slightly troublesome for him.

Moreover, for someone who adored Western cowboy-style duels, it wasn't that one-on-two wasn't possible, but rather that one-on-one offered better value.

While advancing cautiously, Zhuque used her superhuman instincts to sense the presence of the Divine Source nearby.

However, a faint, elusive aura suddenly began to linger in her heart.

Canero was the most elite soldier, but so was Zhuque.

After being targeted, Zhuque's instincts as a warrior gave her a premonition.

Frowning, she stopped in a valley, spreading her ten fingers wide as her slender, graceful hands naturally hung by her sides.

Zhuque had extremely sharp senses; she already felt that someone else was nearby.

But she still couldn't determine the other party's location.

Just this alone made her realize she had definitely encountered an expert!

Her crystal-clear fingers slowly turned outward, then a layer of blue flames abruptly ignited from her fingertips, instantly covering her entire body in the blink of an eye.

The blazing blue flames were magnificent, gorgeous, sacred, and evoked a sense of awe.

Those flames resembled a blue divine bird!

Zhuque raised her hands, her ten fingers slender, graceful, and pale, elegantly moving as if playing the piano.

Ten surges of raging blue flames suddenly burst from her fingertips, directly shooting out in all directions!

"Whoosh—"

In an instant, with Zhuque at the center, all toxic miasma within a kilometer radius was completely devoured by these flames.

The ground originally covered in gray-green ice and snow was instantly dyed with a crystal-like, stunning ice-blue hue.

Zhuque stood within this magnificent ice-blue expanse, like a goddess.

She coldly spoke: "Come out!"

She said this because she hadn't yet pinpointed the hidden person's location.

She knew that person wouldn't easily reveal themselves.

But she had to say it to provoke the other party into making some moves, allowing her to more clearly determine their position.

However, the person appearing here today was [Billy the Kid].

A gunslinger who deeply admired the Western cowboy spirit and had a rather romantic style.

So he actually appeared right in front of Zhuque.

"Hi there, young and beautiful lady. We meet again!"

Canero's voice abruptly sounded.

Zhuque's pupils sharply contracted because the voice came from behind her.

And she hadn't detected it at all!

She spun around violently, blue flames surging wildly over her body as a massive Zhuque over ten meters tall manifested around her, taking on a fierce yet beautiful form.

It let out a sharp cry toward the man who had suddenly appeared before her!

"Screech!"

When she clearly saw the man before her, Zhuque's entire body tensed up involuntarily.

The East Sea Region and the Ocean Fleet were archrivals in the East Sea.

Members of Hell's Lock often dealt with the Four Spirits.

And Yasin Canero was one of the most troublesome existences in their eyes!

Of course, this was partly because Cadillus was simply beyond their level to handle.

But Zhuque knew very well how difficult the guy before her was to deal with.

If not for his laid-back nature, the superhumans from the East Sea Region who had died by his hand would have long formed mountains of bones!

"[Billy the Kid]!"

Zhuque coldly uttered the other's codename.

Simultaneously, she had already used her smart system to notify the distant Baihu for support via the mechanical puppet on her shoulder.

The current distance between them was thirty kilometers.

At Baihu's top speed, it would take at least two minutes to arrive at full speed!

This lengthy time was absolutely a huge test for Zhuque.

Though she felt a brief surge of excitement inside, she quickly adjusted her emotions.

As a professional soldier, she possessed extremely strong psychological resilience.

Similarly, she also had top-tier combat ability!

The smart system had already provided her with battlefield intelligence analysis.

"Target confirmed. Number two position of [Hell's Lock], [Billy the Kid]."

"Environmental conditions loaded."

"Combat simulation in progress."

"Based on simulation results, [Zhuque] has a 3% probability of winning, 12% probability of escaping, and 85% probability of defeat."

After hearing the intelligence from the smart system, Zhuque couldn't help but take a deep breath.

"Only 3%? Damn it! If only I could have found the Divine Source earlier."

Compared to Zhuque's caution, Canero appeared much more relaxed.

He wore a gentlemanly smile, his right hand resting naturally on the golden revolver at his waist.

However, from his posture, Zhuque knew the person before her was also ready to strike at any moment.

"Miss Zhuque, what luck to meet you here. Did you come alone?"

"What a pity, there's no time for me to chat with you now. Otherwise, I'd truly love to share a cup of afternoon tea with you after sunset."

"But now," the smile on his lips deepened, "let's talk about surrender! What do you say?"

Zhuque said coldly: "If you want to surrender, I'll consider it! But before that, withstand my flames first!"

She spread her hands toward Billy the Kid, and two massive flames instantly surged forth, transforming into a giant Zhuque dozens of meters tall that pounced toward Canero!

Author's Note