sovbooks Chapter 542 - 530: This is an Order!
Chapter 542 - 530: This is an Order!
Hearing this death-defying declaration, Lai Zhuge was momentarily stunned, but then he nodded. He did not address the members of the Guardian Institute, as they belonged to a different organization. Reaching out, he patted Master Li’s shoulder and took out his phone. "Let’s hope we can hold out until Master Qin arrives!"
Gazing toward Jinling, Lai Zhuge pressed Qin Fan’s number with a solemn expression. However, a recorded message played from the phone: "The number you have dialed is unavailable."
Is this the will of heaven?
The phone slipped from his trembling hand. Lai Zhuge did not pick it up to dial a second time. Instead, he stared bitterly at the pitch-black night sky and muttered to himself before clenching his jaw tightly. Facing the Jiao Dragon that reared up from the river’s surface, he let out a furious roar, "Fight!"
With that, he flung the Evil Spirit Zen Staff forward and leaped from the ground, landing steadily upon it.
BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!
However, the Zen Stick simply hovered in place, trembling violently. It did not fly toward the river; this vibration was an expression of its fear.
Sensing the Zen Stick’s apprehension, Lai Zhuge lowered his head and spoke in a low voice, "Buddy, the others have families. They can’t afford to retreat. But I’m all alone, with nothing to worry about. Will you fight with me?"
As his words fell, the Zen Stick’s trembling suddenly ceased. Then, it shot forward, unyielding.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man called Master Li looked toward the Guardian Institute members. "Master Li, stand back and observe for now!" one of them said quickly, his eyes stern. "It’s not convenient to have you with us."
Immediately after, the Guardian Institute members soared into the air as one, charging toward the Jiao Dragon with a readiness to face death. At the same time, Hua Xiaotian, who had been smashed to the bottom of the river, finally surged up from the depths. After enduring the frigid assault of the river water, he erupted from the surface like a clash of ice and fire.
TSK! TSK! TSK!
The towering Jiao Dragon let out a series of unsettling clicks, its gaze falling upon Lai Zhuge’s approaching group and Hua Xiaotian bursting from the water. Its eyes, full of scorn for all living things, swept disdainfully across the humans. Its draconic body gave a sudden shake, causing its blood-red scales to ripple.
However, just as it was about to wipe out these suicidal ants in a single move, Qin Fan, who was hidden in the shadows, knew he could wait no longer. He immediately dispelled his Concealing Breath Spell.
The moment the spell vanished, the Jiao Dragon shuddered violently. The disdain and contempt in its eyes disappeared, replaced by boundless hatred and fury!
ROAR!
With its cry to the sky, the river trembled and the very air pulsed. Lai Zhuge and his companions found their advance completely halted, unable to move forward another inch, as if they had struck an invisible barrier. When they looked toward the Jiao Dragon in astonishment, they saw its hideous face, covered in lumpy, grotesque flesh, twist into a vicious snarl. This was pure ferocity. This was pure rage.
Startled by the Jiao Dragon’s abrupt change, everyone, including Hua Xiaotian, froze in that instant.
Ferocity... rage... Was that directed at us?
Before they could think any further, the Jiao Dragon’s towering body suddenly spun around and shot toward an empty space on the opposite side.
Just then, a nonchalant laugh echoed through the enveloping darkness. "You can’t beat it. Fall back!"
At the sound of that voice, the hair on the arms of Hua Xiaotian and Lai Zhuge stood on end.
Qin Fan? Is that Qin Fan’s voice? How could he be here?
Both Hua Xiaotian and Lai Zhuge were certain they would never mistake that voice. Although Qin Fan had not been in their lives for long, he had already become the most unforgettable person they had ever met.
Mistake it? Impossible!
"Master Qin! Is that you?" Even though he was certain it was Qin Fan, Lai Zhuge could not stop his voice from trembling as he shouted. His eyes lit up. Qin Fan’s appearance was a beacon of hope!
"It’s me. Retreat now," a calm voice transmitted from the darkness. Qin Fan leaped out, his feet landing lightly on the surface of the river as he faced Lai Zhuge, Hua Xiaotian, and the others from a distance.
Seeing that slender back standing on the water, they could not make out his face, but Lai Zhuge and Hua Xiaotian felt their hearts settle.
It’s Qin Fan! It’s really Qin Fan!
"Master Hua, since Master Qin has spoken, we should retreat first!" Lai Zhuge said urgently, his eyes fixed on the figure on the water.
Hua Xiaotian was taken aback for a moment, then he paused. Finally, he clenched his teeth and shook his head, recalling the words of Demi Immortal Qilian. Indeed, his master’s words had been crude, but they held a fundamental truth. Qin Fan could not protect him forever. There were some things he had to face himself.
His hesitant gaze grew firm. "Lai Shenxiang, you and the men from the Guardian Institute go back first!"
"Master Hua!" At this, the other members of the Guardian Institute and Lai Zhuge exclaimed in unison.
"My mind is made up. Do not try to persuade me! As the Director of the Huaxia Guardian Institute, this is my duty! No more talk. Quickly take Lai Shenxiang and retreat. That’s an order! An order!"
As he roared the word "order," Hua Xiaotian’s expression became incredibly stern.
Faced with such determination, the Guardian Institute members did not dare to disobey. Clenching his jaw, the lead member turned to Lai Zhuge and said, "Lai Shenxiang, Master Hua has given the command. We will retreat first!"
"Alright!" Not one to miss the bigger picture, Lai Zhuge responded at once. Before Qin Fan appeared, he had been ready to fight to the death. But with Qin Fan here, if they lingered, they would become a burden in moments, only making a bad situation worse. Lai Zhuge was well aware of this.
But before they could fall back, the Jiao Dragon—seemingly sensing their intention to retreat—suddenly flipped its massive body as it rushed toward Qin Fan, consumed by rage and savagery.
BOOM!
An earth-shattering roar erupted. The surface of the Qiantang River, which had just begun to calm, was instantly thrown into turmoil. Colossal waves churned up by the Jiao Dragon’s movement swept toward Lai Zhuge and the others, forming a towering siege from all directions.
"Retreat! Now!" Hua Xiaotian shouted in alarm. Abandoning his plan to support Qin Fan, he shot through the towering waves, flying to the center of Lai Zhuge’s group. His Gang Jin erupted from his body without reservation, meeting the onslaught of waves from all sides!
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
The waves, even more ferocious than before, were barely neutralized by his Gang Jin just as they were about to crash down on Lai Zhuge and his men.
Feeling the terrifying power unleashed by a single flip of the Jiao Dragon’s body, Lai Zhuge and the others wasted no more time on words. The moment the waves were dispelled, they turned and retreated with all speed.
Seeing its attack nullified once again, the Jiao Dragon’s rage billowed to monstrous heights.
How could these mere human ants provoke it and then escape with their lives? Damn it! What a humiliation!
Although it could not speak, an awakened Mutant Beast possesses intelligence and emotions that can rival, or even surpass, those of a human.