Chapter 72: Using Oneself as the Lock

The shieldbearer’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets as he threw himself recklessly forward, intent on blocking the blow for the Director. But his speed was far too slow compared to the double-headed sword. At that critical moment, the memory of Griffin Wester within Chen Gu helped him stay calm and collected. With a light twist, he activated ’Heaven-Defying Dragon Fire,’ unleashing a series of cannon shots. After several rapid shots, one finally tracked the double-headed sword’s trajectory and struck it squarely. Blown off course and spinning at high velocity, the double-headed sword snapped, severing the Director’s thigh. The Director shuddered in pain but wasn’t directly hit, saving his life. The shieldbearer let out a sigh of relief and sincerely said to Chen Gu, "Thank you!" Chen Gu had no time to respond. The thwarted retaliation had enraged the ghost woman Mutant, who, bellowing furiously, charged towards Chen Gu. Chen Gu fought while retreating, continuously bombarding his opponent with the firepower of ’Heaven-Defying Dragon Fire’ to slow her advance. The ghost woman Mutant kept spewing a highly corrosive black liquid from her mouth. Chen Gu dodged it deftly every time. The others around him, however, were not so lucky; one after another, they melted into puddles of black water. The shieldbearer quickly pulled the Director aside, leaving him in the temporary care of the Starwind Legion Commander. Chen Gu was being pressured into a retreat by the ghost woman Mutant, feeling a pang of regret. The Director’s profession should be Quantum Wizard, a very powerful role indeed. The skill he used earlier to remotely control and delay the Mutant’s actions must have been ’Entanglement Control.’ The sudden appearance of the double-headed sword in the Mutant’s chest was likely due to ’Quantum Teleportation.’ Unfortunately, to Griffin Wester, the Director’s combat style was outdated and inflexible. Moreover, he was only at the Second Energy Level. He was no match for the Mutant, which was a strong contender even among those at the Delta Level. The energy for ’Heaven-Defying Dragon Fire’ was rapidly depleting. Chen Gu clenched ’Wrath of the Azure Sky’ in his hands and couldn’t help but glance at the shieldbearer beside him. "We only have one way to defeat this monster!" Chen Gu shouted. Before entering this level, Chen Gu had used Griffin Wester’s memories to assess the entire battle situation, and the outcome had been unexpected. But now, it had come to the point where they had no other choice. Chen Gu slowly revealed his plan, only to be met with an immediate and decisive response from the shieldbearer, "No problem!" Without waiting for Chen Gu’s reply, the shieldbearer roared as he lifted his shield and charged at the ghost woman Mutant. To the ghost woman Mutant, this shieldbearer seemed to be the least threatening adversary, so she had been largely ignoring him. But now, like a humanoid tank, the shieldbearer thunderously charged in. The ghost woman Mutant didn’t have time to react before she was hit hard with the shield. Then, the shieldbearer roared again. His body suddenly expanded to three meters in height, and his strength massively increased. He managed to force the ghost woman Mutant back repeatedly until she was crushed against a wall. "Quick!" the shieldbearer bellowed. Chen Gu dropped ’Heaven-Defying Dragon Fire.’ Bearing his blade like a fierce tiger descending a mountain, he charged into the fray. But because the shieldbearer’s body had drastically enlarged, his shield could no longer provide complete protection. The ghost woman Mutant screeched. Her arms suddenly elongated, reaching around from behind the shield to stab fiercely at the shieldbearer’s body! PUK! PUK! PUK! One gruesome wound after another appeared on the shieldbearer’s body. Yet, he gritted his teeth and kept the ghost woman Mutant firmly pinned. The ghost woman Mutant shrieked, her bulky body swaying, shaking the shieldbearer, who almost couldn’t hold on. Blood sprayed from his wounds. He forced his stocky legs down hard, digging two deep footprints into the floor to steady himself. The ghost woman Mutant’s body swayed and shook again, but by that time, Chen Gu had arrived. ’Wrath of the Azure Sky’ slashed down in one blow! With that strike, Chen Gu switched to Griffin Wester’s memories. He activated the ’High-Energy Combat Art’ of a Star Battle Instructor, complementing the super materials within ’Wrath of the Azure Sky.’ He cut through the Mutant’s fearsome outer skin, sliced open the black fat beneath, and cleaved the ghost woman from her bloated belly! SHRIEK— The ghost woman’s severed body on the ground let out a terrible shriek. Chen Gu, without even looking, swung his blade backhand, smashing the ghost woman’s head to smithereens! The shieldbearer could hold on no longer and collapsed backward. The corpulent Mutant’s main body stood motionless. Moments later, with a sickening SQUELCH, it dissolved into a pile of rotten flesh and fat that oozed all over the ground. "Phew—" Chen Gu let out a long breath and hurriedly checked on the shieldbearer’s condition. From the start, Chen Gu had realized what victory in this battle would require. The shieldbearer would have to sacrifice himself. He was the Hell Titan, the only one with the strength to use his shield to pin down the ghost woman Mutant, creating an opportunity for a decisive blow. But by doing so, the Hell Titan would inevitably be exposed to the ghost woman Mutant’s attacks, facing an extremely high chance of death. The Hell Titan’s body rapidly shrank, returning to a normal human size. The wounds the ghost woman Mutant had left on his body now looked even more terrifying; each one had nearly pierced through him. Chen Gu picked him up, speechless. Yet the Hell Titan managed a bloody grin. "Worth it... totally worth it!" A weak call came from the Director. "Hurry... to the generator..." Chen Gu’s heart chilled. Generator? Is that the Mutant’s target? The Director, supported by the Starwind Legion Commander, made his way over. "If the Mutant consumes the super-life remains inside the generator," he said, "it will become exceptionally strong. Perhaps even a Third Energy Level practitioner wouldn’t stand a chance!" The Starwind Legion Commander added from the side, "That other Mutant is already quite fearsome, even stronger than this ghost woman Mutant. If it gets the super-life remains... at least on this planet, I can’t think of any creature more powerful!" Chen Gu glanced at the group of wounded soldiers. The Hell Titan had already roared, "What are you hesitating for? We won’t die, go now!" Chen Gu nodded. Grabbing ’Wrath of the Azure Sky,’ he dashed towards the lower levels at high speed. A combination of a Mutant and a super-life... Just thinking about it makes one’s scalp tingle! Is there still time to stop it now? Chen Gu subconsciously understood that it was probably too late. But at that moment, Chen Gu never again considered breaking a window and escaping on his own. The Hell Titan’s actions had erased any thoughts he had of fleeing alone. Chen Gu charged forward, his mind racing as he contemplated the crisis. These Mutants must have been preparing for a long time, but why strike now? Did we come to Zhaojieze City just in time, or were the Mutants waiting for us? If it was only for the super-life remains in the generator, why not act in secret and steal them? Such a spectacle has alerted the entire Yinglong Star. Even if they obtain those remains and succeed in evolving, they’ll still face a massive military siege. Afterward, even more powerful practitioners from the Bureau of Mystic Security will arrive as reinforcements. With a hint of doubt in his heart, Chen Gu had already rushed to the seventeenth basement level of the building.