CHAPTER 82: CHAPTER 82 DISTANCING_1

I can’t stay in this room any longer!

Lu Yuan quickly made a decision. He could punch a hole through this rural, self-built earthen house with a single fist, never mind something like the "laser cannon" Zhou Ling wielded. In a battle of this magnitude, the house was as brittle as paper, offering him no protection whatsoever. If he continued to hide here, an energy beam could strike at any moment, and he would be instantly eliminated.

Lu Yuan casually tore the curtain from the window in front of him. He walked to the door, extended his Spiritual Power through the thin wooden panel, and briefly assessed the situation in the corridor outside. The crows that had previously swarmed the corridor seemed to be far fewer, likely having gone to join the battle below. He could not perceive the situation on the ground floor, only able to vaguely sense occasional bursts of intense light flashing from there.

Lu Yuan quickly twisted the curtain into a makeshift rope and yanked the door open. The crows waiting outside immediately swarmed towards him. Lu Yuan swiftly whipped the curtain in his hand, haphazardly fending off the crows. Upon entering the corridor, he bolted towards the nearest stairwell without a moment’s hesitation.

As he ran, he cast a quick glance below. The area outside the house had almost entirely transformed into a battlefield. Led by Zhou Ling, a group of Yellow Bear Members had encircled a large, dark silhouette enveloped by a swarm of crows. Each of them wielded a pistol-like weapon, continuously firing at the silhouette. Lu Yuan watched as orange-yellow orbs of light erupted from the muzzles, and each time one struck the dark silhouette, it would explode in a shower of brilliant sparks.

This is straight out of a sci-fi movie! Lu Yuan felt a mixture of shock and numbness. Upon safely reaching the third floor, he couldn’t resist pausing again to observe the battlefield. This time, he focused his attention on the besieged Crow God Sect.

Although Zhou Ling and his team were attacking ferociously, it was clearly the Crow God Sect’s territory. Crows were fluttering everywhere, both in the sky and on the ground. Lu Yuan had never witnessed such a massive congregation of crows in his entire life. He could even see more crows in the surrounding night sky, converging from all directions. These crows frantically attacked Zhou Ling and the others, with a ferocity at least ten times greater than when they had dealt with Lu Yuan, apparently attempting to disrupt the attackers’ rhythm. Simultaneously, they constantly replenished the number of crows within the floating dark silhouette at the center of the battle, continuously providing cover for the figure at its core.

"AAAAHH—"

Lu Yuan suddenly heard the dark silhouette emit a piercing shriek. All the crows in the area shrieked in unison. Then, a tentacle-like stream of Black Qi violently shot out from the silhouette, instantly striking a Yellow Bear Member at the periphery. The latter didn’t even utter a sound as his entire body was flung away like a sandbag, crashing through a large section of the courtyard wall behind him. A BOOM! was accompanied by a burst of sparks.

Zhou Ling, who was leading the offensive, suddenly dropped his weapon. Several conduit-like lines of light seemed to illuminate on his body, and then he lunged towards the dark silhouette and its cluster of crows. His speed was so incredible that Lu Yuan’s naked eye couldn’t track him. He only saw Zhou Ling’s figure vanish abruptly, and in the next instant, a large, shallow crater appeared where Zhou Ling had just been standing...

...

THUMP-THUMP—THUMP-THUMP—

Lu Yuan retreated into the stairwell, his heart pounding furiously. He closed his eyes and swiftly entered his Consciousness Space.

Imaginary Enemy, activate!

「」

A deathly silent hillside, a building.

Lu Yuan stood in the cluttered courtyard. In front of him was only an eerie figure completely enveloped in Black Qi. There were no crows, nor was it floating.

Lu Yuan swallowed slowly. The next second, he gritted his teeth and resolutely charged at the figure. There was no sound of rending air. A tentacle-like stream of Black Qi shot towards Lu Yuan in an instant. Lu Yuan’s pupils contracted sharply as he subconsciously entered the Absolute Focus state, and then...

There was no "then."

HUFF... HUFF...

Lu Yuan snapped his eyes open, gasping for breath, the remnants of profound fear still etched on his face. Although only a few seconds had passed in the real world, he had gained a rough understanding of the power wielded by the Crow God Sect member currently under siege by Zhou Ling and his team below.

At least, killing me would be as easy for that being as squashing an ant.

Lu Yuan no longer paid any attention to the battle raging below. He ran directly to the second floor, then leaped from a side window, clearing the surrounding wall and landing steadily on the muddy ground outside. This time, no one grabbed at his ankles from below; only a few oblivious crows briefly obstructed him. Upon landing, Lu Yuan didn’t hesitate for a second, bolting straight down the earthen slope.

It was far too dangerous to remain there. Setting aside the risk of being caught in the crossfire, that Crow God Sect member was incredibly powerful. What if Zhou Ling and his men were defeated and wiped out? He would be the next to suffer.

...

Lu Yuan sprinted along the rural dirt path he had taken earlier. The cool night wind whistled past his cheeks, and tiny insects constantly smacked into his face. He pushed his 12 points of agility to the absolute limit.

While running, Lu Yuan suddenly recalled what the Yellow Bear people had said about several survivors still hidden in the house’s basement, including Wang Zhichao, who had, in a way, saved his father and the others once before. Those people were still in the house, and they were all ordinary individuals. What if they got caught in the battle...

The thought flashed through Lu Yuan’s mind for an instant before vanishing.

He wouldn’t hesitate to perform righteous deeds if he had the capacity. But now, with his own life potentially on the line, how could he spare any thought for others? He could only pin his hopes on Zhou Ling having already made arrangements for them.

After running for about two or three minutes, Lu Yuan finally slowed his pace and gradually came to a stop. By now, he was quite far from the battle. He estimated the distance to be around two kilometers. The house on the distant earthen slope had become faint and indistinct, and the sounds from the battle were becoming inaudible.

While steadying his breathing, Lu Yuan took out his phone. His phone showed a full signal now. He considered calling Ge Wenjun, but then thought the action would be entirely unnecessary, so he dismissed the idea. He opened his phone’s camera app and zoomed in as far as it would go, but the image remained blurry.

I’ll just watch from here.

Lu Yuan resolved to maintain this distance and observe for the time being. If he noticed any signs of trouble, he would immediately flee and then call Ge Wenjun.

BOOM! BANG!

Bursts of fire continually erupted from the battle on the earthen slope, the sounds resembling distant firecrackers. Lu Yuan tapped the record button on his screen, watching the fiery explosions. This continued for a minute or two before gradually subsiding.

Is the fight about to end?

Lu Yuan blinked. Just as he was thinking this, suddenly...

BOOM!

In an instant, the image on his phone screen was completely engulfed by an orange-red glow. Lu Yuan snapped his head up, just in time to see a small, red mushroom cloud ascend from the distant earthen slope, swiftly swallowing the entire house...