158: Zhou Zihui

The well-trained GUPA team members quickly secured the scene and established a perimeter.

Several team members cautiously aimed their guns at the giant serpent 'Dahuang' not far away, while Zhao Dayou desperately spread his arms, trembling yet resolutely blocking between the serpent and the gun barrels, shouting incoherently: "Don't, don't shoot! It... it might be my 'Dahuang'! It hasn't hurt anyone! Doctor Zhou can testify!"

Dr. Zhou also struggled to stand up. Despite his pale face, he maintained a professional tone as he explained to the team leader: "I am Zhou Yu, the veterinarian of this center! This... creature has a very high probability of being a mutation from a Golden Python we were sheltering at our center!"

"It showed some restraint when facing threats just now, and it had a recognition response to this Mr. Zhao! I request a temporary halt to the attack and non-lethal containment!"

The team members slightly lowered their gun barrels but remained vigilant, quickly reporting the situation.

Meanwhile, against the backdrop of damaged buildings and lingering smoke and dust, intense energy explosions and sonic shrieks echoed continuously. On the edge of a relatively intact rooftop about a hundred meters away from this chaotic battlefield, two figures stood quietly.

One of them wore GUPA Advanced combat gear, with shoulder insignia indicating his captain status. His eyes were sharp as an eagle's as he observed the struggle between Shen Mingyuan and the Giant Bat Evolution through high-magnification tactical goggles.

Beside him stood a youth in a specialized containment monitoring suit—Zhou Zihui. Compared to a few months ago, his frame was still slender, but the look of near-collapse confusion and pain between his brows had been replaced by a calm, shackle-like solemnity.

"Target confirmed. 'shadow' is under intense sonic wave attack, with mobility and perception severely suppressed. The hostile evolution is affiliated with the 'New Federation,' bat-shaped, suspected to specialize in sonic wave manipulation."

The captain's voice was steady as he issued the order, "Zhou Zihui, this is your first practical assessment."

"Mission: Intervene in the battle, assist 'shadow' in escaping or suppress the hostile target, and evaluate your combat capability and controllability in your current state. I will monitor from the rear and provide support if necessary."

Zhou Zihui nodded silently, his voice low and clear: "Received."

He said nothing more, his gaze fixed on the distant black figure staggering under the sonic vibrations and the giant bat attacking freely in the air.

He quickly retrieved a small metal tube from a sealed clasp at his waist, unscrewed the cap, and inside was a viscous potion emitting a soft green fluorescence. He tilted his head back and drank it in one gulp.

As the potion went down his throat, it wasn't a burning sensation but a strange mix of coolness and heaviness that quickly spread throughout his body. He could feel the active, residual factors belonging to his 'brother' and his own restless evo particles inside him, as if wrapped in a gentle yet sturdy 'buffer layer.' The agitation subsided, becoming unusually 'obedient.'

At the same time, a surge of stable biological energy flowed from his stomach to his limbs, dispelling the long-standing sense of weakness.

Immediately after, he leaned forward slightly, exerting force from his waist. A thick, long object that had been tightly coiled around his waist, cleverly concealed by the specialized monitoring suit, loosened and unfurled like a waking serpent!

It was a tail over three meters long, covered in dark bluish-gray fine scales!

The base of the tail was thick, tapering towards the end, ultimately forming a sharp, conical structure covered in harder bone, resembling a spear tip.

The tail was incredibly flexible, swaying gently in the air, its scales rubbing together with a faint rustling sound, exuding a dangerous beauty that combined power and agility.

This wasn't a temporary mutation but an inherent part of his body, merely hidden in this special way under normal circumstances.

"Go," the captain said softly.

Zhou Zihui's eyes focused. He pushed off hard from the rooftop edge with both feet, his body shooting out like an arrow from a bowstring. Instead of leaping directly into the air dozens of meters high, he quickly climbed and jumped along the building's outer wall, broken pipes, and window ledges, approaching the core of the battlefield with astonishing agility and speed.

The long tail swayed naturally behind him, maintaining balance, ready to transform into a lethal weapon at any moment.

Shen Mingyuan's condition in the battle was indeed terrible.

The Bat Evolution gave him no chance to create distance for sniping. The continuous close-range sonic vibrations felt like countless tiny needles stabbing his brain and auditory System. The suppression module inside his helmet was already overheating.

He tried to maneuver with speed but was blocked by the opponent's faster flight ability and anticipation. In desperation, he punched a half-collapsed brick wall beside him, trying to create cover or a passage.

"Boom!" The armor-clad fist struck the wall, leaving only spiderweb-like cracks and a small dent on the surface. Brick fragments fell rustling, and the wall shook but wasn't pierced. "Insufficient strength... this armor's enhancement isn't focused here!" Shen Mingyuan realized clearly.

This 'shadow' armor, custom-made for him, excelled in stealth, perception, and precise mid-to-long-range strikes, not for frontal clashes or overpowering strength. Engaging the enemy in a contest of strength was playing to his weaknesses.

With no other choice, he risked it again, aiming the 'twin stars' sniper rifle at the wall. After a brief charge, he fired! Bang! The wall was blasted open by the energy beam. He rolled in awkwardly, but the following sonic blast nearly grazed his back, shaking him until his Qi and blood churned. He knelt on one knee, breathing rapidly, the charging interrupted again.

The bat let out a triumphant shriek, swooping down to deliver the final blow to this troublesome opponent!

At that moment—

"Whoosh—!"

A sharp whistling sound shot in rapidly! The Bat Evolution's superior hearing immediately caught this sneak attack from the side and rear! It twisted its body sharply, flapping its wing membranes frantically, barely dodging the sharp tip of the scaled tail aimed straight at its heart!

Zhou Zihui's figure flashed from behind a broken wall, landing steadily on the open ground between Shen Mingyuan and the bat. The astonishing long tail slowly retracted, undulating slightly like a living thing beside him, its tip pointed at the airborne enemy.

Shen Mingyuan fought back dizziness and looked up, seeing an unfamiliar youth's back and that distinctive tail. "This is...?"

The bat hovered in the air, its cold vertical pupils locking onto the new enemy, a threatening growl rumbling in its throat. It recognized the 'evolution' aura emanating from this youth, somewhat similar to that of the burrowing giant serpent, yet also different—more... restrained and stable?

Zhou Zihui didn't look back, his voice clearly reaching Shen Mingyuan's ears: "'shadow,' prioritize recovery. It's my turn."

He wasn't boasting, just stating it calmly. The poised long tail and the faintly rising energy fluctuations around him, constrained by the potion yet still formidable, showed he wasn't bluffing.

Shen Mingyuan looked at this not-broad but exceptionally firm back and the bat temporarily distracted in the air, finally getting a precious moment to catch his breath. He gritted his teeth, trying hard to calm his churning Qi and blood and buzzing hearing, seizing the time to adjust his state.

Zhou Zihui's entry instantly changed the battlefield's dynamics.

The scaled, slender tail seemed to possess an independent life of agility and ferocity. Facing the bat's swooping claw attack, the tail whipped upward like a steel whip, with a sharp whistling sound, accurately striking the bat's claw wrist. A teeth-grating impact sound forced it to retract its claws and retreat hastily.

The bat quickly gained altitude, trying to create distance, its throat bulging as it prepared to gather another sonic blast. But Zhou Zihui was faster. The tail's tip shot out like a scorpion's sting, aiming straight for the bat's folded wing membrane!

The bat was forced to interrupt its charging, flapping its wings frantically to barely dodge. A flash of annoyance appeared in its cold vertical pupils—this ground-based enemy had a much wider attack range than it seemed and was extremely fast.

It changed tactics, using its flight advantage to circle Zhou Zihui at high speed, occasionally spitting small-scale but disruptive sonic waves from tricky angles.

Zhou Zihui moved like a dancer using his tail as a sword, quickly shifting within a limited area. The long tail transformed into bluish-gray afterimages, sometimes thrusting like a spear to repel low-altitude swoops;

sometimes sweeping like a heavy whip, scooping up broken bricks and stones from the ground and hurling them into the air to disrupt its flight path;

other times coiling like a nimble snake, swiftly swirling around him to form a defensive barrier, weakening the direct impact of the sonic waves. The battle reached a stalemate for a moment.

The bat's intelligence was clearly not low. It soon realized that as long as it maintained sufficient height and distance, the opponent's tail, no matter how long, couldn't reach it. It could slowly wear him down with sonic waves.

It began consciously climbing higher again while turning its head, its keen ears and sonar perception fully activated. Amid the intense fighting, it desperately searched for the other threat that had disappeared into the ruins—'shadow's' position.

It knew that the black Armored Man, though temporarily injured, still posed a threat with long-range attacks.

Just then, a sudden change occurred!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A series of rapid, consecutive energy gunshots rang out from behind a half-collapsed wall to the side and rear!

Several dark red energy beams weren't aimed at the bat itself but precisely covered the space in front and to the sides of its attempted climbing path, forming a blazing interception barrage!

It was Shen Mingyuan!

He had somehow reassembled the 'twin stars' sniper rifle back into its dual-pistol form. Leaning against the broken wall, sweat beaded on his temple from persistent headaches and tinnitus, and his gun-holding arm even trembled slightly.

The intense sonic interference severely disrupted his balance and aiming precision. He couldn't guarantee not to accidentally hit Zhou Zihui in the complex combat situation.

But, blocking airspace didn't require absolute precision, just sufficient density and anticipation!

His goal was crystal clear: suppression! He absolutely couldn't let the bat easily gain a safe aerial vantage point!

The bat was forced to abruptly change speed and direction, awkwardly evading this sudden hail of fire.

It hissed angrily, trying to blast the direction of the gunfire with sonic waves, but Zhou Zihui's tail immediately clung like a persistent shadow, forcing it to split its attention.

Whenever it tried to forcibly gain altitude, that annoying dark red barrage would light up again, blocking its path. Shen Mingyuan was like an experienced hunter, using continuous fire to drive the prey, restricting it within the 'hunting zone' reachable by Zhou Zihui's long tail.

This feeling of being caught between two fronts, with its movement space constantly compressed, made the bat increasingly irritable, and its attack rhythm began to falter.

In a risky attempt to push Zhou Zihui back with sonic waves and then endure a couple of stray bullets to forcibly gain altitude, its movements showed an extremely brief pause and opening.

"Now!" A glint flashed in Zhou Zihui's dark golden eyes. The tail, which had been focused on agile harassment, suddenly unleashed its full power!

The long tail no longer sought to stab or whip. Instead, like the most cunning vine, it shot along the ground, taking advantage of the moment the bat landed its claws to adjust its posture. It wrapped around lightning-fast, firmly locking onto one of its ankles!

The cold scales instantly tightened, transmitting immense binding and pulling force!

"Hiss-screech—!!" The bat, shocked and furious, flapped its wings desperately to break free while lowering its head to peck with its sharp beak.

But would Zhou Zihui give it the chance?

His muscles bulged all over, his waist and legs erupting with astonishing strength. Using the tail as a connection, like a hammer throw athlete, he swung the massive bat up and slammed it hard onto the solid concrete ground beside him!

Boom!!! Dust billowed into the air. The bat was dazed from the impact, its wing membranes torn, its shrieks tinged with pain.

Almost at the same moment, a black shadow darted out from behind cover! It was Shen Mingyuan!

Fighting back dizziness and discomfort, he pushed the armor's speed to the limit. After a few leaps, he jumped into the air. At the instant the bat struggled to flip over, its defenses weakest, his dual pistols continuously spat fire!

"Bang bang bang bang!" Several energy beams blasted almost point-blank into the bat's exposed vital chest and abdomen and the other intact wing root joint! The intense pain and energy impact completely collapse its last resistance.

Below, Zhou Zihui's tail, after completing the throw, didn't let go. Instead, like a venomous dragon emerging from its cave, it thrust forward Go with the flow— "Thud!"

The sharp tail cone, carrying the force of gravity and all of Zhou Zihui's strength, pierced accurately and coldly through the bat's vulnerable neck from the side, emerging on the other side!

The Bat Evolution's shriek abruptly ceased. Its massive body convulsed violently a few times before going completely limp. Dark green blood slowly flowed down the scaled tail.

The battle, with their textbook-like tactical coordination, was declared over.

Zhou Zihui slowly withdrew the blood-stained long tail, its scales trembling slightly as they shook off blood droplets. Shen Mingyuan also landed from the air, staggering a step before steadying himself, breathing rapidly. His dark red goggles looked at Zhou Zihui and gave a slight nod.

(Thanks for the explosive update fireworks from this novel)