Chapter 263: Are All the People of Natlan This Wild?
With Zhongli's practically absolute Jade Shield as their foundation, the two girls fought with even greater abandon. Even when they occasionally misjudged an attack and took a direct hit from the Abyss monster, they were only knocked back a few steps. The shield's amber light would flicker for a moment before stabilizing, leaving them completely unharmed.
This turned the perilous encounter into an excellent opportunity for live combat training.
Hu Tao continuously worked to more skillfully weave the secret spear arts of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor with her Pyro Vision, searching for a more effective way to damage such a colossal beast.
Varesa, through repeated clashes, honed her control over her Electro abilities and burst techniques, attempting to shatter her own limits.
For a time, the battlefield fell into a peculiar stalemate.
The Abyss Earthshaker possessed terrifying strength and astonishing defense. Yet, faced with two opponents protected by an unbreakable shield, both of whom were frustratingly agile and demonstrating increasingly sharp teamwork, most of its attacks were rendered futile. It could only roar in frustration, unable to land a truly damaging blow on either of them.
Conversely, while Hu Tao and Varesa could dance around the beast and even seize the initiative, their individual attack power seemed insufficient. They couldn't quite break through the monster's thick carapace, hardened by Abyssal energy, to deliver a fatal strike.
The battle devolved into a war of attrition. It was a question of who would find a fatal weakness first, or whose stamina and energy would be the first to give out.
Just as this deadlock stretched on, with neither side able to tip the scales—
Zzzzt—BOOM!
A dazzling bolt of purple lightning, like a flash tearing through the sky, shot into the battlefield from the valley entrance with blinding speed, far exceeding even Varesa's fastest charge.
A lithe figure was enveloped within that crackling energy. The Electro power surging around her was more refined, more violent, carrying the sharp edge of techniques honed through countless trials.
The newcomer was Iansan.
She had originally been providing support to the Flowing Spring Tribe, but since the five teams from the chat group had joined the fray in Natlan, the situation had changed dramatically. These reinforcements from another world seemed to possess some "all-seeing eye" that perceived the entire battlefield, allowing them to appear precisely where help was most needed—at large merchant caravans, civilian shelters, or collapsing defensive lines—clearing out Abyss monsters with terrifying efficiency and resolving crises one after another.
This had greatly alleviated the pressure on Natlan's various tribes.
It was during this time that she received an urgent report through the wind network from the God of Fire, Marweka, regarding the appearance of a fused World Gate and powerful entities in the Woluo region.
Although the report mentioned that reinforcements brought by the Traveler were already on-site, Iansan's heart had seized with anxiety. The thought that her student, Varesa, might be facing such a powerful enemy alone was unbearable.
She immediately handed over her defensive duties for the Flowing Spring Tribe and pushed her Electro abilities to their absolute limit, transforming into a bolt of lightning streaking towards the Woluo region.
The moment she stepped into the valley, she saw her student and an unfamiliar girl with a flaming spear locked in a fierce battle with an Abyss monster that emanated a terrifying aura.
Seeing the monster's formidable power, Iansan didn't hesitate for a second, pushing her speed beyond its peak.
Her figure blurred into an afterimage within the lightning, instantly crossing a hundred meters to appear directly at the Abyss Earthshaker's flank. With the immense momentum from her extreme speed, her right leg, like a steel whip imbued with ten thousand volts of lightning, lashed out in a vicious arc. It was one of her signature techniques: Thunderous Flying Flail.
BANG!
The lightning-fast kick landed squarely on the side of the Abyss Earthshaker's arm, which it had hastily raised to block.
The terrifying power and explosive Electro energy contained in that single strike far surpassed any of Varesa's previous attacks.
The Abyss Earthshaker's massive body was sent staggering backward by the immense force. Its feet plowed two half-meter-deep furrows in the ground as it was violently driven back for over ten meters. It finally slammed its back hard against the solid rock wall behind it with a deafening boom, dislodging a shower of gravel before it could finally halt its retreat.
Where the kick had landed on its arm, the carapace had shattered, and dark purple energy seeped out like threads of blood.
This devastating blow instantly broke the battlefield's balance.
Seeing the familiar lightning and the beloved figure within it, Varesa was overcome with joy. The "composure" she had worked so hard to maintain during the battle instantly flew out the window. Her voice reverted to its usual, more dependent tone as she shouted happily, "Teacher Iansan! This is great! You're finally here!"
Iansan's arrival was like dropping a heavy weight onto a perfectly balanced scale.
Her sharp gaze swept across the entire scene, and she made a clear judgment of the situation in an instant. Varesa's breathing was ragged, her stamina clearly depleted. Although the unfamiliar girl with the flaming spear was still in good condition, she would have a difficult time achieving a decisive result quickly against this thick-skinned monster.
"Varesa!" Iansan's voice was clear and calm, yet carried an obvious command. "Disengage and resupply immediately! Don't push yourself. Maintaining effective combat power is the priority!"
Hearing her teacher's familiar order, Varesa responded on pure reflex. "Yes, Teacher!"
The determined, warrior-like expression she had tried to maintain on her face vanished without a trace. Without hesitation, she threw a feinted punch to force the Abyss monster back half a step, then a flash of lightning sparked beneath her feet, and she quickly retreated to a relatively safe distance.
The moment she stopped, she pulled out oil-paper-wrapped, high-energy dried meat and flatbread, characteristic of Natlan, from her small bag. Her cheeks bulged as she began to ravenously devour them, doing her best to quickly recover her nearly depleted stamina.
As Varesa retreated, the ancient-looking spear in Iansan's hand was already glowing with lightning.
She didn't immediately engage the Abyss Earthshaker in close combat. Instead, she moved agilely around the edge of the battlefield. Her spear would either thrust or strike, precisely hitting several millstone-sized rocks scattered on the ground.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Her attacks, imbued with skillful bursts of Electro energy, sent the heavy boulders flying like projectiles from a catapult. They whistled through the air, one after another, straight towards the Abyss Earthshaker, which had been about to pursue Varesa.
Although the boulders couldn't cause substantial damage, they effectively disrupted its rhythm, forcing it to divert its attention and punch the incoming "obstacles" to pieces. This bought valuable time for Varesa to rest.
Taking advantage of this interval, Iansan continued to harass the monster while speaking quickly to Hu Tao. "I am Iansan, Varesa's teacher. Thank you for your support to Varesa and to Natlan!"
Her thanks were concise and sincere, and her gaze, upon meeting Hu Tao's, carried the unspoken acknowledgment between warriors.
Hu Tao looked at Iansan's petite figure, which was almost the same size as Qiqi and Yaoyao. She then compared it to the Abyss Earthshaker, which stood over four meters tall and was covered in heavy muscle.
The stark contrast made her blink. She secretly gasped in amazement. 'My goodness... Varesa's teacher is so... tiny! But her strength and speed are just ridiculous! Can she really hold off that big guy all by herself?'
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