76: Summon Dian Wei's Heroic Spirit

The woman opened her eyes and whispered, "You've come." Shen Xiaochuan immediately noticed something different in the wind.

It wasn't the smell of blood, but the scent of a wild beast.

He looked toward the fog to the right of the mound; there were indentations on the ground and broken grass, the marks forming a line—something had clearly been crawling forward. The trail vanished after about thirty meters, but the mud had an oily sheen, a residual energy fluctuation from a lightning-element beast.

"Retreat," he ordered in a low voice.

The Personal Guard Squad was momentarily stunned.

"Everyone, fall back five hundred meters. Archers, take the high ground and ready your arrows. Do not act without my command."

"My Lord, you're alone—"

"Do as I say." His tone was calm, and with one sweep of his gaze, the Adjutant immediately fell silent.

The five of them quickly withdrew.

Shen Xiaochuan slowly rose, the copper gear at his cuff swaying slightly. He took seven steps forward and stopped twenty meters from the mound. The air in front of him began to distort, and a dark shadow emerged from the thick fog.

It was a tiger.

It stood nearly two meters tall at the shoulder, its fur charred black. A deep wound that exposed the bone marked its left front leg, the blood long since dried. Most prominent was the diamond-shaped crystal core on its forehead, which had a crack from which electric arcs constantly burst. Its gait was unsteady; with every step, small sparks exploded on the ground.

A rare-grade beast—the Canglan Tiger.

Heavily wounded but not dead, it was on the verge of going berserk.

Shen Xiaochuan remained motionless.

The Canglan Tiger stopped ten meters away, a low growl rolling in its throat. Its eyes were blood-red, and its tail suddenly lashed out, snapping a withered tree nearby. Thunder Force erupted from the break, sending mud flying.

This was not a warning.

It was a declaration of war.

"I don't want to kill you," Shen Xiaochuan said. "You can't hold this wetland. Leave, and I won't stop you."

The Canglan Tiger remained where it stood.

Shen Xiaochuan slowly raised his right hand, palm upward.

faith points began to flow.

The System appeared before his eyes.

[Activate Divine Sense Resonance?]

[Consumption: 1000 faith points/second]

[Target Heroic Spirit: Dian Wei (Power-type · Fierce General)]

[Possession Duration: 3 minutes base, +10 seconds for every additional 500 faith points]

He did not hesitate.

"Activate."

In an instant, dark golden characters emerged from beneath his skin, crawling up his arm to his neck, finally condensing into a single word on his forehead—"Might."

The ground shook.

A phantom descended from the sky, crashing heavily in front of him and sending waves of air rolling. It was a giant, nearly three meters tall, bare-chested with muscles knotted like cast iron. Chains were wrapped around his arms, and he held two Iron Halberds in his hands.

Dian Wei.

The Heroic Spirit opened his eyes, his gaze locking directly onto the Canglan Tiger.

"Protecting the master?" his voice was raspy. "I have arrived."

Shen Xiaochuan's breath hitched slightly.

The combat power values flashed rapidly in his mind:

482... 517... 563... 598!

The numbers settled.

He raised his hand and pointed at the Canglan Tiger.

"Break its front legs. Don't kill it."

Dian Wei grinned and took a step, the ground cracking. He crossed his halberds, swung them open, and charged out like a cannonball.

The Canglan Tiger roared, kicked off with its hind legs, and pounced.

The two figures collided with a boom.

Boom!

The shockwave overturned the surrounding water, sending a pillar of water into the sky. Dian Wei blocked the tiger's claws with his left hand and swept his Iron Halberd with his right, hitting the old wound on the Canglan Tiger's belly.

Pfft!

Blood sprayed.

The tiger's body tumbled, sliding seven or eight meters before barely coming to a stop. Its limbs trembled, but it still struggled to stand. It opened its mouth and roared; the crystal core on its forehead suddenly lit up, and electric arcs gathered rapidly.

Shen Xiaochuan's pupils constricted.

"It's going to use its ultimate move."

He immediately sent a thought: "Don't take it head-on! Defend first!"

Dian Wei gave a low growl and thrust his halberds into the ground. The muscles in his arms bulged, and a layer of dark golden light film appeared over his body.

The next instant.

The Canglan Tiger spat from its mouth.

A Lightning Pillar two meters in diameter shot through the air, hitting Dian Wei with a thunderous boom. The light film vibrated violently and became covered in cracks, yet it did not break. The impact pushed him back five steps, his feet plowing deep furrows into the ground.

The Lightning Pillar lasted for three seconds.

When it ended, Dian Wei's knees were slightly bent and blood leaked from the corner of his mouth, but he remained standing.

"Pretty tough," he wiped away the blood and looked up with a cold laugh.

This strike had exhausted the Canglan Tiger's remaining strength. Its body swayed, unable to stand steadily, yet it still did not fall. Using its last bit of will, it gripped the ground; the crystal core on its forehead lit up again, brighter than before. The air became electrified, and small droplets of water rose from the surface, suspended in mid-air.

"You want more?" Dian Wei sneered. "Seeking death."

Shen Xiaochuan, however, frowned deeply.

"No, this isn't an attack."

He could see it.

This tiger wasn't gathering energy.

It was risking its life.

It was going to completely detonate its remaining Thunder Force to create a massive thunderstorm and perish together with its enemy. This was the final counterattack of a dying beast.

"Get ready to hold it off," he gritted his teeth.

faith points were being consumed frantically.

The consumption per second spiked from 1 to 3; the recovery speed couldn't keep up at all. He could only rely on Dian Wei to survive the first wave.

A Thundercloud gathered above the tiger's head.

Thirty meters in diameter, with electric snakes dancing and sizzling.

The air in the entire wetland became heavy and oppressive.

Dian Wei held his halberds across his chest, the runes all over his body glowing to their limit as he roared incessantly, "Come on! Let's see how ruthless you can be!"

Shen Xiaochuan spread his feet to steady himself, his fists clenched, waiting for the thunderstorm to subside slightly before he made his move.

He knew there was only one chance.

If he couldn't hold out, he would die here, and the layout for Skydome City would completely collapse.

If he did, he could take the Level 4 Field and open up the situation in the southeast.

Success or failure depended on this one moment.

The Thundercloud pressed lower and lower.

Suddenly.

The Canglan Tiger looked at him.

There was no hatred in its eyes, nor madness.

Only a kind of resolve that was almost human.

Then it threw its head back and howled.

It wasn't a battle cry.

It was a farewell.

Immediately after, the Thundercloud exploded.

The accumulated water within a hundred meters soared into the air, turning into countless electrified droplets that poured down like a torrential rain. The ground cracked, steam rose, and vision became a blur.

Dian Wei roared, his arms braced as he forcefully withstood the impact.

Shen Xiaochuan was pushed back two steps by the airwave, his foot slipping into the mud. He tried to pull his foot out, only to find his left foot was entangled by something.

He looked down.

It was a chain.

A section of the iron chain that had fallen off Dian Wei had somehow wrapped around his ankle.

He struggled with force.

He failed to break free.

The lightning rain continued to pour.

He looked up.

Dian Wei's light film had cracked over a large area, and blood was constantly dripping from his mouth, yet he still stood firmly in front.

He looked at the Canglan Tiger again.

It stood at the center of the thunderstorm, its body disintegrating, fur peeling off, and muscles withering, yet it remained standing, its four claws sunk deep into the mud, refusing to fall even in death.

It used its own life as a fuse to maintain the thunderstorm.

Shen Xiaochuan's teeth were clenched tight.

He couldn't die.

He still had unfinished business.

The new policies of Skydome City were not yet complete, the people of the Dawn Group were still waiting for resources, and Aphrodite still called him brother.

He reached for his waist.

The sky-rending blade vibrated in its sheath.

If he just drew it, he could rush forward during a gap in the thunderstorm, slit the tiger's throat, and end it all.

But he looked into those eyes.

Those eyes that were about to go out, yet still refused to close.

He paused for a moment.

Then, he released the hilt.

"Dian Wei!" he shouted sharply. "Hold on! I'm making my move!"

He pressed his palms together, gathering all his faith points at his chest.

Preparing to unleash one last Lightning Slash.

At that very moment.

On the distant mound, that woman moved.