Chapter 290 - 148: The True Number One

"No problem."

With a signal from Captain Liu of the Ghost Assault Team, someone quickly brought over a Holy Blade Skill.

They were even more generous, providing him with a top-tier Holy Blade Skill Lv7.

The moment Su Chen took it, the skill immediately merged with his Holy Sword. The entire blade began to glow with Holy Radiance, and intricate, vine-like Holy Patterns silently spread across its surface.

The next instant.

With a flick of his wrist, the Holy Sword let out a long, humming cry, and a beam of Divine Sword Radiance over six meters long erupted from it.

The beam of light was as pure as the morning dawn, and as it rippled, countless fragmented prayers seemed to flow within it.

What was even more astonishing was that the Spiritual Intent within was no longer just the lingering will of a cold, inanimate object. Perhaps due to the successive kills, it had begun to resonate frequently with Su Chen’s own will.

All things in nature, from mountains to rivers, can possess a Spiritual Soul. The various elemental spirits born into the world are the best proof of this.

Su Chen quietly observed its transformation.

「At the same time.」

The Dark Element Soul Core he had successfully snatched was being absorbed by his Shadow Jumping Skill, allowing it to ascend to Lv8 and, in turn, indirectly boost the growth of the Aurora Shadow Technique.

「Meanwhile.」

With a few tugs, the chains that had previously extended from the Void had already dragged the bound Desert Beast Master back into the city.

SQUELCH!

SQUELCH!

This Wyatt was experiencing a brutal form of torture, with nearby figures relentlessly running him through with sharp golden daggers.

Others repeatedly drew pistols and quickly emptied their magazines at his head.

For more than ten seconds, even after his sacrificial doll had been incinerated, this Desert Beast Master—famed for his survivability—still clung to life.

"I am... immortal..."

He coughed up blood, still spouting defiant words.

Even while completely bound and continuously subjected to High-level Chain Sealing Runes, Wyatt could still rely on his Core Authority, ’Symbiosis,’ to distribute the damage, and ’Super-speed Regeneration’ to heal rapidly.

The Third Authority he had unlocked last night was also not to be underestimated. It unconditionally reduced all damage taken by both him and his Life-Linked Summoned Pets by 50%.

His own body was infused with twin beast souls. In addition to the Shadow Leopard, there was also a Lv8 Mountain Tyrant Bear with a vast and powerful Life Force.

Furthermore, the Summoned Pets he used to divert and mitigate damage were also carefully selected.

One was a Bone-Eroding Swamp Beast. As a semi-liquid behemoth of ooze, it was practically immune to physical, water, and earth damage, so the bulk of such attacks were transferred to it.

Another was a Centennial Treant, which was also suitable for absorbing damage thanks to its massive pool of Life Force, its innate Extraordinary Healing, and its resistance to status effects.

The rest of his summons were all Lv7, such as ’Stone Gargoyles’ and ’Rock-Horned Rhinos’—every single one of them was basically just a huge pool of health.

He didn’t typically use them for coordinated attacks; instead, they were all kept far in the rear to help absorb transferred damage.

The Desert Beast Master, a Five-Star hidden class, might have lacked offensive methods, but its survivability and margin for error were second to none.

Of course, sometimes a living person is much more useful than a dead one.

"’What perfect bait,’ Captain Liu said with a smile, glancing over."

Their slight retreat was a feint, drawing in a crowd of enemies rushing to the rescue.

It was an obvious trap, but the enemy was determined to spring it.

One group was from Wyatt’s ’Beast Blood Alliance.’ The elite members under his command were unwilling to let their boss die and were coming to his aid at any cost.

The other group, of course, consisted of top experts from Oran City. Wyatt being captured and killed wasn’t good news for them, either.

For one, the contribution points for killing him were extremely high.

To say nothing of the fact that his full set of Lv7 and higher All-Elements Runes would fall into their rivals’ hands.

RUMBLE!

A series of terrifying Earthquake Waves erupted from deep underground, making the earth heave and churn violently, as if a great beast were rolling over in its sleep.

Although the periphery of the vital area around the Rune Core had long been hardened layer by layer with the Rock Vein Reinforcement Skill, weakening the shockwaves by more than half, the remaining force still sent rubble flying and fissures spreading across the ground.

The dust that shot into the sky was only the beginning.

"Wind, rise!"

A person who had transformed into a harpy unleashed a hurricane-like spell. The violent air currents were like giant hands, churning the dust-filled sky and instantly whipping it into swirling pillars of sand.

The next instant.

WHOOM!

Dust Storm Skill!

The churning sand was suddenly detonated by an external force. A massive explosion swept through the area, the shockwave blasting out to forcibly separate the combatants on the ground.

’That was a pretty slick move.’

Su Chen soared high into the air, while Yan Ruoruo, aided by her Moonlight Concealing Clothing, slipped into the seams of reality.

But such a flashy move came at a price. The harpy who had dared to push forward and attack was instantly and precisely eliminated by a sniper from a distant high point, dying on the spot.

Taking advantage of the chaos, more than twenty figures used their own unique skills to burst onto the scene.

The bait had indeed hooked a lot of big fish.

SWOOSH!

SWOOSH!

A volley of Magic Missiles and Damage Bullets shot toward the living target in the air. However, the Water Mirror Screen that suddenly appeared around Su Chen deflected every attack, sending them sweeping back into the swirling dust. Several grunts and pained cries immediately followed.

His gaze flickered, piercing through the churning dust to instantly lock onto a target.

Atop the ruins of a wall stood a black-robed figure, only a pale face visible beneath their hood. The Rune Short Staff in their hand was gathering power, ready to be unleashed.

The instant their gazes met, a sinister, ominous presence spread out. It ignored the shimmering barrier of water around him and tried to force its way directly into Su Chen’s Sea of Consciousness.

However...

Ultimately, the Telekinesis Rune was simply too versatile. Its built-in Psychic Barrier triggered passively, and an invisible force field deep within his Sea of Consciousness silently blocked the mental assault.