novelraw Page 96
Page 96
The group slowly walked over.
In the deep pit, Chen Yuan lay there, looking rather pitiful.
The Loongson 8 suit lost its deep luster and became dull and lifeless, its surface covered with charred burn marks and fine cracks.
Multiple nanolayers were damaged, exposing the complex internal structure beneath, and in some places, unstable electrical sparks flickered.
He lay motionless amidst the rubble.
Just as Guayan and Shanda were about to step forward and dig him out, Bai Yuekui stopped them.
"If you're not dead, get up quickly. Don't lie there pretending to be dead," Boss Bai said calmly.
"Hehe, I didn't fool you. Was my acting really that bad?" Chen Yuan stood up instantly and asked.
Boss Bai turned and left, leading the Dragon Bone Village team, ignoring Chen Yuan.
Chapter 132 Dragonbone Village Banquet
at this time.
[High-purity, ownerless life-source material crystal condensation detected... Integral transformation calculation...]
[Successfully destroyed a large stellar vortex, earning 148000 points.]
[Obtained 1 Large Life Essence Crystal, redeemable for 800000 points.]
Total points earned this time: 948000.
[Current total points: 948000 + 548150 = 1496150 survival points.]
A series of system notifications rang in Chen Yuan's mind. At the same time, at the bottom of the huge pit, a soft and pure blue light slowly lit up. It was a fist-sized crystal, like the most perfect sapphire, containing unimaginably vast and gentle life energy.
Apart from Chen Yuan, it seemed that no one else saw it; they were unable to see it.
This crystal is the core reward for destroying the Star Swirl.
Although Chen Yuan felt some physical pain, he was extremely happy as he looked at the points and crystals.
"It was worth it! This time we not only broke even, we made a huge profit!"
……
As night fell, the village of Longgu appeared exceptionally majestic, illuminated by the flickering torches.
When Bai Yuekui and his group appeared at the end of the road, covered in dust, a commotion immediately broke out.
"They're back! Boss Bai and the others are back!"
The entrance slowly opened, and almost all the key members of the village who remained behind, led by Ulan Aodeng, were there to greet them.
Beside Wulan Aodeng stood three unique figures, the three ability users that Bai Yuekui had specifically asked to stay behind and protect the village.
Udin subconsciously pushed up the specially made dark goggles on the bridge of his nose. Even in the dim light, his eyes looked quite peculiar.
His awakened ability is X-ray vision, which allows him to easily see through the skeletal structure under disguise or the faint light of the spirit seed inside the Devouring Beast. However, the 50-meter distance limit and the fatal weakness of the strong light make Wu Ting always maintain a cautious attitude.
Nan, standing to the side, tilted his head slightly, his ears precisely picking up the footsteps, breathing, and even heartbeats of each member of the returning team amidst the noise, judging whether they were injured or exhausted.
His enhanced hearing was the village's "living radar," but at this moment, he also carefully avoided the area where the torches crackled the loudest, as noise above 80 decibels was nothing short of torture for Nan.
As for the second bamboo, if you don't look closely, you would almost forget that he is standing in Nunn's shadow.
He kept his aura contained, his figure seemingly blending into the surrounding shadows—this was his awakened ability…invisibility. He excelled at stealth and deadly ambushes, making him the village's hidden blade within the visible ranks.
But at this moment, as he looked at his returning comrades, a simple and honest smile appeared on his face, and the aura of concealment instantly dissipated, revealing a simplicity that was inconsistent with his abilities.
Chen Yuan darted forward from behind Bai Yuekui, a slightly roguish smile on his face, and waved to Wulan Aodeng in a carefree manner: "Hey, Lao Deng, what are you looking at? We're back."
Ulan Aodeng looked puzzled. "What Old Deng? Are you that familiar with him?"
Chen Yuan laughed heartily and said nothing more.
After returning to the village, Chen Yuan opened the system interface and spent thousands of points to exchange for some meat and beer.
Before long, a mountain of meat suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the open space at the village entrance. It consisted of more than 500 kilograms of various kinds of fresh meat, still dripping with blood, as well as several boxes of ice-cold beer in strange metal containers, emitting a slight chill.
Those who came upon hearing the noise were stunned.
"What are you all standing there for? Everyone, help start a fire and grill the meat. Tonight, we're not leaving until we're drunk!" Chen Yuan waved his hand.
After a brief silence, deafening cheers erupted.
The aroma of meat quickly replaced the smell of gunpowder, and a huge bonfire was lit, illuminating every smiling face that could finally relax for a while.
Large chunks of roasted meat sizzled on the fire; some of the meat was used to make soup, and some was used to make meat stew.
Everyone gathered together, golden beer foam overflowing from the rims of their glasses, laughter, the sounds of drinking games, and boasting mingled together, dispelling the gloom of the apocalypse.
Chen Yuan, carrying a case of beer, squeezed his way to Wu Ting's side.
Udin carefully avoided the brightest spot of the campfire, sipping the wine in his cup.
Chen Yuan was already a little drunk. He put his arm around Wu Ting's shoulder and said in a low but clearly mocking voice, "Hey, Wu Ting, I heard you have X-ray vision? That's awesome!"
He winked and lowered his voice, "Do me a favor, brother, see what color our boss Bai is wearing under his coat today..."
"puff……"
Wu Ting suddenly spat out a mouthful of wine into the fire, creating a cloud of white smoke.
His face turned deathly pale instantly, and he frantically straightened his glasses, which had almost shattered, as if the words Chen Yuan had spoken were more terrifying than the roar of the Devouring Beast.
"Brother Chen... Brother Chen, what nonsense are you talking about? I... I wouldn't dare... Boss Bai would kill me, don't talk nonsense."
Wu Ting's voice trembled as he looked at Chen Yuan, almost pleading, wishing he could disappear immediately, but unfortunately, this was the ability of the two of bamboo.
"Tsk, what's there to be afraid of? Only heaven, earth, you, and I know..."
Chen Yuan, intoxicated, persisted and tried to continue urging others on.
Just then, a chilling, almost tangible killing intent suddenly emanated from behind Chen Yuan, instantly overpowering the warmth of the campfire.
Upon noticing the newcomer, Wu Ting's pupils contracted sharply. He stared intently behind Chen Yuan, as if he had seen something even more terrifying than the living vines. He froze on the spot, frantically trying to signal with his eyes.
Chen Yuan belatedly felt a chill creep up from his tailbone to the top of his head, and he sobered up considerably.
He chuckled dryly and turned his head away little by little.
Bai Yuekui had quietly appeared behind him at some point, her beautiful face covered with frost, her cold eyes devoid of warmth, yet a dangerous smile played at the corners of her lips.
The moonlight and firelight cast a cold edge on her, making her look like a killing god descended from the moon palace.
"You want to know?"
Her voice was calm and even as she continued, "Just ask me."
Chen Yuan hadn't even uttered the word "I".
The next second, Bai Yuekui's figure blurred, leaving afterimages. Everyone only saw a flash before their eyes, and Bai Yuekui's slender right leg, accompanied by a sharp sound of air being torn apart, drew a beautiful arc, and the instep of his foot accurately imprinted on Chen Yuan's face.
"Oh!"
A muffled thud, the force perfectly controlled, not enough to cause serious injury, but definitely enough to hurt for a while.
Before Chen Yuan could even utter a sound after deactivating the mecha's head mode, he was sent flying backwards like a kite with a broken string, spinning three or four meters before crashing to the ground with a thud.
The scene was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.
Only the crackling sound of the burning fire was exceptionally clear.
Bai Yuekui slowly retracted his long leg, as if he had done something insignificant, and his cold gaze swept across the entire room.
"Ah...come on, let's drink, let's drink."
"Yes, yes, everyone, let's eat meat!"
Everyone who came into her line of sight, including Wuding, Naen, Ertong, and even Wulan Aodeng, immediately sat up straight, either burying their heads in their meat or gazing at the starry sky, their movements incredibly natural and fluid, as if nothing had just happened.
Suddenly, someone couldn't help but burst out laughing, and as if it were contagious, a huge uproar of laughter erupted instantly, breaking the momentary silence.
The atmosphere at the banquet became lively again, even more so than before.
Wu Ting let out a long sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and glanced at Chen Yuan furtively, deciding to stay away from this guy.
That night, the aroma of wine and meat from Longgu Village wafted far and wide.
As the campfire gradually died down, the drunken people slumped into sleep, smiles still on their faces.
Chapter 133 Rock and Cloud
As night fell on the second day, the lights of Longgu Village gradually came on, casting a warm glow on the rugged stone buildings.
Carrying two jars of aged wine he had obtained from the system shop, Chen Yuan walked familiarly to the west end of the village to a stone house that looked the most sturdy, with a row of wooden dummy practice dummies standing at the entrance.
He took a deep breath, raised his hand and banged on the door, his voice booming: "Old Deng, Old Deng, open the door, it's me, Xiao Chen, I've come to your house for a free meal."
The wooden door creaked open, revealing Wulan Aodeng's weathered and unsmiling face.
He wore a sleeveless coarse cloth vest, revealing his strong, dark arms crisscrossed with scars. His gaze swept over Chen Yuan and the wine in his hand like a hawk. His brows furrowed slightly, as if he was still not quite used to the way he was addressed, but he still stepped aside in the end.
"Come in, kid. Maiduo just stewed some meat."
The room was simply and roughly furnished, with rough stone walls and various long guns and short clubs polished to a shine on the weapon rack. There were also some training equipment piled up in the corner, and a mixture of leather, steel and herbs permeated the air.
Sweat beaded on Ulan Maiduo's forehead as she busied herself around the fire pit, where a large pot of meat broth was bubbling and emitting a fragrant aroma.
Upon seeing Chen Yuan, her eyes lit up and she smiled broadly: "Brother Chen is here! Perfect timing! We have fresh pork ribs today. Thanks to Brother Chen for improving our lives, come and try my cooking!"
"Hey, Maiduo is still the best."
Chen Yuan grinned and moved closer, sitting down without any ceremony. He then slammed the wine jar on the table and said, "Add two more dishes; I brought some good stuff."
The atmosphere at the dinner table was quite harmonious.
Chen Yuan cracked jokes and talked about his experiences outside, making Lao Deng laugh so hard he glared at him, but he couldn't help but drink a couple more cups of the good wine he had brought.
Maido stood by, smiling as she added meat and soup to their bowls.
After a few rounds of drinks, Chen Yuan wiped his mouth with a tissue, his expression becoming more serious. He looked at Wulan Aodeng and said, "Old Deng, let's get down to business."
Ulan Aodeng put down his wine glass, looked at him calmly, and gestured for him to continue.
Upon hearing this, Ulan Maiduo also looked over curiously.