Chapter 159

Chapter 27: Speculation

“Rotting wood? Why not decaying wood?”

Yuan Xiaoling’s question went unanswered, as the “people” before her, when unearthed from the ground, only resembled humans in appearance. Everything else was far from human.

Thin and bony with gaunt faces, their keratinized eye sockets held light brown pupils that looked like those of the dead.

“To be fair,” Yuan Xiaoling commented, “you guys look more like ghosts than the spirits in Tianhai.”

The Water Dragon ability was still active; with a flick of her small hand, the massive dragon head smashed back into the ground.

BOOM—!

Yuan Xiaoling had no time to check the results, as the Rotting Wood monsters that weren’t hit quickly surrounded her, rushing in from all sides.

She turned around hastily to see Fang Hui had already exited the car and hidden inside an abandoned building down the alley.

Not worrying about space, Bai Ling was over there anyway, so it was fine.

Creak! Creak!

The first Rotting Wood monster had already crawled up close. Its speed was astonishing, many tentacles digging into the ground, moving like a giant spider.

Then came a slap sound, and a water-made giant frog slapped it away.

Yuan Xiaoling frowned slightly.

The casting speed of the Tide Agreement was obviously faster than the enemy’s attack speed. However, the usual foolproof skill of transforming into a hundred birds didn’t work here. Instead of knocking them flying, it merely pushed them back a few steps.

Even though it was done by summoned creatures, Yuan Xiaoling could feel a dull impact sensation, as if hitting dried timber.

“Good job, buddy, how do you train your endurance?” she teased.

There was no response. The creature was hanging upside down on its tentacles, hard to believe it was alive or even had self-awareness.

Receiving no answer, Yuan Xiaoling looked toward Xin Lan far away, hoping for some advice, like the weaknesses of these Rotting Wood creatures.

“Ho ho ho, now you’re scared, huh? It’s too late to regret now, but if you beg nicely…”

Xin Lan was trying to persuade her to surrender but suddenly seemed to remember something, her face changing instantly. “No, there’s no way out. You must die here today!”

Yuan Xiaoling listened for a while, hearing nothing but harsh words. She sighed in disappointment.

Tsk, what a waste. Looks like she isn’t that dumb to spill info during battle.

Actually, Yuan Xiaoling misunderstood Xin Lan. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell, but she herself didn’t know.

This team was fully controlled by Yun Liang. Others were strangers, without any communication. Since arriving at the base, they’d been secretly called “monsters.”

But none of that mattered now. In Xin Lan’s eyes, as long as Yuan Xiaoling died, everyone else would be sunshine and rainbows.

“Charge!”

Numerous Rotting Wood monsters surrounded and charged towards the Blonde-haired Maiden in the center. Xin Lan seized an impressive timing, making it seem like the others followed her command.

But at this point, no one cared about her actions anymore.

“Crap!”

Yuan Xiaoling hadn’t expected to be surrounded while distracted. Standing on the street with only a McLaren behind her, the wide-open road gave no hindrance to the sea of enemies, allowing them full advantage.

Fortunately, with the Tide Agreement’s enhancement, it took her just a few seconds to summon everything and the Water Dragon.

The streamlined Water Dragon landed, coiled around Yuan Xiaoling, its high-pressure water streams at the edges blocking the monsters’ attacks, and its tail occasionally sweeping several away.

Occasionally, a monster that slipped through was stopped by smaller summons.

However, Yuan Xiaoling’s heart grew heavier with each passing moment.

Only the Water Dragon could knock them flying. Other summons could only temporarily block them before getting entangled. Judging from this, their strength was at least Third-tier late-stage, possibly mixed with a few Fourth-tiers.

Creak!

A monster rushed from the left, stopped by a water-made turkey. Yuan Xiaoling noticed it was bald compared to its “leafy” counterparts, with only a few broken tentacles.

Could this… have gotten up and continued fighting after being hit by the Water Dragon?

Yuan Xiaoling was shocked. She had never encountered enemies with such regenerative abilities and combat endurance, momentarily stunned.

Just a few seconds later, snapping out of it, she saw a Rotting Wood monster right in front of her—taking advantage of the Water Dragon’s tail swing interval, slipping past other guards, and reaching the girl in an instant. A withered branch swung down heavily—

Ssshh!

“Ah!” Xin Lan squeezed her palm far away. “Almost succeeded!”

She was too far to see clearly, only noticing one “brother” successfully reached the Blonde-haired Maiden and made an attack motion. The next second, the brother split apart after being cut open.

That hateful Yuan Xiaoling, shameless person, hiding another life-saving trick!

Xin Lan cursed under her breath while Yuan Xiaoling was still shaken.

The Blonde-haired Maiden certainly had no life-saving tricks. Besides the water-element exclusive Tide Agreement, all her skills were written in the game manual.

That “splitting slash” earlier came from the White-haired Maiden hiding somewhere. Fifth-tier mental power easily broke through defenses.

Behind the buildings, Bai Ling stood in the shadows through the balcony gap, lightly frowning.

Mental power hitting the creature felt like using a shiny chainsaw on decade-old wooden furniture. It could cut through, but the feeling was strange.

On the other side, far away, Xin Lan was still complaining.

“Such a pity, almost got her off her horse.”

“Really?” Yun Liang’s voice came through the earpiece.

Indeed, before departure, Xin Lan tried it out, saying since Yun Liang wasn’t on-site, someone needed to report real-time battle conditions. Look at these tree-branch brothers, not good with words, so why not let her wear the earpiece?

Surprisingly, Yun Liang thought for a moment and agreed.

“Yes, battlefield situations change rapidly, especially in this kind of encirclement melee. Yuan Xiaoling was almost taken down, our strategy of capturing the king succeeded.” Xin Lan analyzed seriously, “But it doesn’t matter. As long as we continue with this tactic, Yuan Xiaoling will eventually collapse.”

Spoken with perfect logic and evidence, as if she were commanding the battle.

There was no response in the earpiece. Xin Lan excitedly looked at the battlefield, seeing the Blonde-haired Maiden both fighting and retreating, stuck between advancing and retreating… huh?

The Rotting Wood monsters retracted their branches and quickly retreated.

Xin Lan’s mouth dropped open. What…

“Operation ended, retreat.”

Yun Liang’s voice came through the earpiece, and the monsters on the battlefield seemed to hear it too. The previously tight encirclement receded like a tide.

The defensive pressure dropped sharply. Yuan Xiaoling recalled her summons, looking around in confusion.

Why did they all run away?

Far away, Xin Lan watched her unscathed, gritting her teeth in frustration. Right, Yun Liang ordered the Rotting Wood monsters to retreat but didn’t include her. She could still attack if she wanted.

This thought barely arose before excitement set in. Xin Lan suddenly noticed the enormous Water Dragon beside Yuan Xiaoling.

Oh yeah, this cow is at Fourth-tier peak.

So very soon, Xin Lan became the first to complete the retreat, the advantage of a wind-element spiritual energy manipulator undeniable.

As the battlefield smoke cleared, confirming the enemies truly left, Yuan Xiaoling also dismissed her summons. The once-crowded road widened again.

But the battlefield was in disarray. Hollow spots dotted the ground everywhere, along with various scratches. These were left by the Rotting Wood monsters while moving and attacking. Additionally, there were piles of wrecked car frames, looking like former McLarens…

“Yuan Xiaoling, are you alright?”

Fang Hui emerged from behind the building. She was alert, finding a safe place to hide before the fight started. If she hadn’t, she’d probably be in the same state as the McLaren now.

“I’m fine, just a bunch of grunts,” Yuan Xiaoling waved her little hand absentmindedly. “Did you see that sneaky guy earlier? I used mental power…”

“When did you learn mental power?”

Bai Ling’s voice came from behind. Turning around, Yuan Xiaoling saw her walking out from the abandoned building, followed by an old lady holding a nail hammer.

Yuan Xiaoling blushed slightly: “I meant, yours is mine. We’re so close, why bother distinguishing… so stingy.”

The last three words were said very quietly.

Fang Hui looked at the old lady, knowing this was the relative they were supposed to find. Though unfamiliar, it didn’t matter. Just take her back to meet Ding Shumei.

Bai Ling thought the same, telling Yuan Xiaoling: “Let’s go back first.”

Then they saw the pile of scrap metal by the roadside.

“…”

“Wait a moment, let me make a call,” Yuan Xiaoling pulled out her mobile phone. “I’ll call someone to pick us up.”

Things went smoothly afterward. The Garrison Unit received the message and quickly sent a small convoy to bring the beautiful supervisor back to the base.

The sudden battle had ended. Yuan Xiaoling didn’t call anyone else, but after getting out of the car, she pulled Bai Ling aside and said:

“The weird things I faced today seem to have problems.”

Wood element, strange spiritual power, bizarre shapes and behaviors, and fluctuating strengths.

Strong in physical resilience, endurance, and regeneration. Weak in lacking individuality, uniform combat style.

Are these guys really spiritual energy manipulators? Or even human?

“Hmm, I saw.”

Bai Ling gestured toward the old lady she brought back: “I’ll take her first. We’ll talk more tonight.”

She took Fang Hui and the old lady upstairs to meet Ding Shumei. Regardless, the second Wu Bian needed to be secured, which was the main goal of today’s operation.

Yuan Xiaoling sat on a sofa in the hall, and someone immediately served fruits and snacks.

“No need, let me be alone for a while,” she instructed.

“As you wish, Miss Yuan.”

The subordinates withdrew, but the fruit plate already served wasn’t taken away. Yuan Xiaoling looked at the grape stem in the fruit plate and remembered the monsters covered in branches on the battlefield.

No, rather than people covered in branches, it was more like short trees with humans growing underneath.

She thought about it, took out her mobile phone, and called her family back in Chunhai City.

“Hello? Xiao Ning?”

“That’s right, Uncle, it’s me. I’ve encountered something strange here.”

Dad isn’t a spiritual energy manipulator and doesn’t get involved in these family matters, clueless about spiritual power, so Yuan Xiaoling sought her uncle, describing the enemy’s appearance and characteristics.

“… That’s the situation. Ask Grandfather for me, he surely knows,” Yuan Xiaoling said.

Uncle Yuan instinctively sensed it was important and readily agreed. After hanging up, he rushed to the vine in the courtyard and relayed the information to Grandfather.

A few minutes later, Uncle Yuan’s expression changed.

“Xiao Ning, Grandfather wants to confirm—are you sure? They really fought with you? Not random attacks, but a proper battle?”

The phone rang, and Yuan Xiaoling heard him say this.

“Yes, absolutely true,” the Blonde-haired Maiden blinked her eyes. “There were tactics, formations, surrounding… perfect execution, they moved together when told to charge and retreated together when told.”

She heard a sharp intake of breath from the other end.

“Grandfather says, based on your description, they are likely the ones who came to Chunhai City years ago to seize the wood-element Foundation Stone and were corrupted by the elemental power during the chaos period, turning into those half-human, half-ghost forms.”

Chaos period means the Foundation Stone awakened but hadn’t been fused by Grandfather yet.

“But theoretically, they should be like wood spirits,” Uncle Yuan paused, then continued, “without consciousness, acting purely on instinct.”

Yuan Xiaoling sat up instantly, every detail of the battlefield vivid in her mind. She even remembered Xin Lan pretending to be powerful.

Although the Rotting Wood monsters didn’t listen to her, they at least didn’t attack her.

“So, the Yun Family has a way to control them… control things like them.”