Nine Star Burden

Chapter 90: Statue of the Lava Goddess

In just a few seconds, a pile of dirt and mud piled up in front of him quickly.

The flowing mud looked so miraculous in Jiang Xiao’s eyes, like a huge pile of feces.

Afterward, the flowing stopped and the soil became frozen, thick, and hard again.

Jiang Xiao saw a long arm extending from the soil and swaying continuously. However, there was no purpose for the movement and it seemed more like a drowning person flailing their arms rapidly.

Jiang Xiao didn’t understand the situation that was going on in the mud because he had never experienced it before.

However, the thought of it alone was terrifying enough.

Second Last is restrained. Is she covered in mud from head to toe?

Are her nostrils, mouth, and body all clogged up by mud too?

How is she supposed to breathe, then?

She…

At the next moment, Jiang Xiao saw the extended arm changing in color and the black military uniform got destroyed completely, revealing a red arm.

Red?

On the burning arm, the flame quietly extinguished, but her white and tender arm became dark and cracked, with hot lava flowing through the cracks.

It was extremely eye-catching.

Next, her arm suddenly exploded and a loud thud could be heard coming from the frozen mud.

Cracks formed on the solidified soil. Bang!

After a few explosions, the frozen soil finally shattered and Jiang Xiao saw someone striding backward while covered in soil.

However, the woman who was charred from head to toe remained still and her clothes could no longer be seen. Instead, her skin had become dry and cracked.

Hot lava was still flowing from her large body through the cracks and her eyes had also turned red.

Her eyes seemed to have become lava as she glowered at the enemy opposite her. The 13th star slot of the beast’s Star Map was emitting a golden glow.

Eye-catching and outstanding!

Gold Quality Star Technique!?!

At this moment, Second Last seemed to have transformed into a body of lava and there was no longer any focus in her boiling eyes. Jiang Xiao could only tell where she was “looking” by the direction of her head.

A loud thud filled the air.

The Lava Goddess fell onto the ground, seemingly having suffered huge damage. She could no longer keep up with it and so hung her head low.

The lava continued to pour down her face and flow all over the ground with some sounds of buzzing.

The mercenary sneered as the soil continued to scatter all over the ground. He then raised his left hand and quickly wriggled the soil beneath her feet. The mud then crawled up her ankles like hands.

Second Last, who was kneeling on the ground, tried to climb up, but could not manage to do so. Her lava limbs were also shackled to the hands in the mud.

Jiang Xiao watched Second Last struggle hard but to no avail, for she could only roar angrily and raise her head while keeping her intense gaze fixed at the mercenary who was continuously approaching.

“* &% ¥ # …” The mercenary uttered a sentence in Russian, which seemed to be a sarcastic comment meant for mocking Second Last. A muddy hand emerged from the ground again and was quickly wrapped around Second Last’s neck. Second Last was then continuously pulled upwards.

The muddy hand was not simply wrapped around her neck. The flowing mud was also wrapped around her skull and even flowed into her nostrils and mouth, leaving her with no chance to breathe.

At the same time, the mercenary had arrived in front of Second Last with eyes full of mockery. He shrugged his right hand and watched as the Lava Goddess struggle while kneeling before him.

The mercenary then punched her right in her head with a fist full of dark energy. The ninth star slot then lit up all of a sudden.

It was gold!

It was a Gold Quality Star Technique!

What do I do now?

If Second Last died, Jiang Xiao would undoubtedly be the next!

However, how was Jiang Xiao supposed to defeat such a massive figure?

Jiang Xiao’s face grew sullen and he frantically waved his hand, after which a ray of Blessing landed on the mercenary’s body.

The mercenary’s face stiffened and his body froze.

At the same time, he approached quickly with heavy footsteps.

The confused mercenary turned around, only to see the brave Jiang Xiao who seemed to be ready to go all out and fight him to the very end!

“Hehe.” The mercenary’s fist struck Jiang Xiao in the head while emitting a thick, black glow.

Bang!

Jiang Xiao’s body… shattered.

“Huh?” The mercenary was stunned. He did manage to punch Jiang Xiao, but he felt like he had hit a bubble that burst immediately, instead of Jiang Xiao’s body.

—Silver Quality Star Technique, Decoy

It was a Star Technique that Jiang Xiao dared not use, and also the same one that he had tried his best to hide. However, he could no longer hide it at this critical juncture.

Every second he could stall was significant enough.

Second Last was undoubtedly his last hope.

Once Second Last died, a weakling like Jiang Xiao who was only in the Stardust Stage would have no strength to resist and retaliate against the mercenary. In fact, he would have no chance of surviving at all, let alone run.

The mercenary snorted and looked away, but saw two identical Jiang Xiaos flying out.

“Beijiang Star Technique Decoy?” The mercenary suddenly spoke with a heavy Russian accent. “One of the two is definitely real.”

The mercenary raised his hand gently and the muddy hand that was strangling Second Last’s neck suddenly moved up again while Second Last’s lava body seemed to be returning to its human form.

“Are you sure you’re going to put your real body out too?” the mercenary gibed with a derisive smirk. Staring at the two versions of Jiang Xiao approaching, he raised his hand again.

The nearer it was, the more dangerous it would be.

Jiang Xiao acutely observed that there seemed to be a limited range of exhibitions for the muddy hand. However, he had no choice but to dash towards him.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The two versions of Jiang Xiao extended their right hands at about the same time, and a beam of light once again shrouded the mercenary while they fought for their last chance.

This can’t go on.

The longer it dragged on, the more likely Jiang Xiao would die.

When the mercenary snapped back to reality, he saw Jiang Xiao’s fist that was covered in intense Green Glow, as well as…

The mercenary turned around and ignored Jiang Xiao in front of him. Instead, he kicked the one behind him.

Behind him was one of Jiang Xiao, who had raised his fist and was punching the muddy hand that was strangling Second Last’s neck.

Bang!

It shattered immediately!

The bubble-like shadow burst again.

The mercenary’s face stiffened and he thought, Did I just get pranked!?!

The mercenary stomped his feet angrily and the surrounding soil began to blow up again. Countless mud snakes emerged and a ray of light descended on the mercenary again.

I want to make a name for myself for healing!

It turned out that Jiang Xiao himself had just attacked the mercenary from the front, but he did not touch the one that had his back facing him because he knew that he was too weak to defeat the brown bear.

Taking advantage of the fact that the mercenary was confused, Jiang Xiao immediately flew past him and stepped on the mud snake that also solidified in the air. Jiang Xiao’s body then turned into a sharp arrow and shuttled horizontally.

His target was not the skull but the dominant hand of Second Last.

Bang!

Jiang Xiao’s Green Glow-filled fist was slammed into Second Last’s right arm forcefully. Although Jiang Xiao darted horizontally, he threw an uppercut.

—Silver Quality Star Technique, Green Glow

Even Second Last could not touch the muddy hand, let alone Jiang Xiao.

However, there was a reason Green Glow was known as a formidable beginner technique of Beijiang.

It was because Green Glow had a strong repelling effect!

Second Last’s restrained right hand was suddenly smashed by the strike, and the mud had already been “uprooted” and was no longer connected to the ground.

At the next moment, Second Last’s right hand was smashed into her own head, shattering the solidified mud that was wrapped around her face. Her lava body then seemed to be revived.

As her fourteenth Gold star slot lit up in her Star Map, she spat out a large mouthful of lava.

Uh… the lava seemed to be wrapped in unmelted soil.

How gross…

The mercenary tried to dodge, but the lava still dripped onto his leg.

The mercenary yelled. The mud binding Second Last’s limbs had also lost vitality and were no longer flexible because they were no longer controlled by the mercenary.

Second Last tried to get up and she shattered the mud on her limbs effortlessly before leaping forward forcefully.

“Tell them that I died on the battlefield.”

Second Last’s hoarse voice was filled with an unprecedented dominance as she sprung up and pounced onto the mercenary, pinning him beneath her like a tiger pouncing on its prey.

At the next moment, Second Last hugged the mercenary’s body tightly as lava flowed through the cracks of her skin, making her look extremely outstanding!

The sixteenth golden star slot in her Star Map lit up again.

A rumbling sound filled the air…

The massive Star Power emerged together with a blazing flare.

It completely lit up the dim, snowy night.