206: Chapter 206 Five Main Islands

Lu Cheng looked at the gradually rising seawater beneath his feet, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Too late?"

"What will be too late?"

Jinguji Ayane did not answer immediately.

She walked to the edge of the bridge and looked down at the sea below.

The waters of the Wanhai Archipelago were very quiet.

But... there was clearly still wind in the distance, and when Yamata no Orochi and Otakemaru had appeared earlier, the entire sea had looked as if it had been overturned.

Now, the water's surface had flattened out again.

It was just that the water level was rising bit by bit.

Jinguji Ayane said softly:

"This lake water... will continue to rise within a certain timeframe."

"In the end, it will submerge the entire world."

Jiang Xuance was stunned for a moment.

"The entire world?"

"Do you mean this Wanhai Archipelago?"

Jinguji Ayane nodded.

"Yes."

"All the islands will be submerged."

Heavenly King Lin frowned.

"Then can't we just withdraw when the time comes?"

Jinguji Ayane glanced at him.

"If it were just a competition, of course you could."

"But if we plan to go to the Pseudo-Takamagahara, we can't wait until then."

Xu Xinglan spoke up:

"Is this a special mechanism of the Simulated Ruins?"

Jinguji Ayane shook her head.

"No."

But she did not explain further.

The water level was rising because she had come...

To be precise, it was because she and the key she brought had already caused the things at the bottom of the Wanhai Archipelago to begin awakening.

Jinguji Ayane looked at the distant islands still shrouded in mist, her voice returning to a calm tone.

"We need to liberate the other three islands."

"Only when all five islands are liberated can that Pontoon Bridge be activated."

"And finally lead to the Pseudo-Takamagahara."

Lu Cheng looked at her.

"What is the situation with the five islands?"

Jinguji Ayane was silent for a moment before speaking:

"The five islands suppress the remnant souls of five monsters."

"The Starting Island you were on suppressed Yamata no Orochi."

"On my side, it was Otakemaru."

"The remaining three... are..."

She raised her hand and pointed into the depths of the mist.

"Tamamo-no-Mae."

"Shuten-doji."

"Sutoku Otengu."

Hearing these names, Lu Cheng's eyes flickered slightly.

These were highly renowned great demons native to Sakura Island.

But the question was...

Lu Cheng looked at the sea beneath his feet.

This was a public ruins within the borders of the Dragon Country.

Why would these things be sealed here?

Xu Xinglan had clearly thought of this as well.

"These are all great demons from the native legends of Sakura Island."

"Why would they appear within the borders of the Dragon Country?"

Jinguji Ayane shook her head.

"I don't know."

"The Elder only told me that the Wanhai Archipelago has a very deep relationship with the Ancient Pantheon of Sakura Island."

"But there is no complete record of why this place ended up within the borders of the Dragon Country."

Tang Zhiwei smiled slightly.

"Is there no record, or is it just that you are unwilling to say?"

Jinguji Ayane looked at her and said seriously:

"There is no complete record."

"I wouldn't lie to you about something like this."

Tang Zhiwei stared at her for two seconds, then pressed no further.

Lu Cheng looked down at the seawater by the edge of the bridge.

Just then, a wave splashed up.

A few drops of seawater splashed onto the back of his hand.

It was freezing, a very distinct coldness.

Lu Cheng's brow furrowed.

With his current physical strength, ordinary seawater should have been hard-pressed to make him feel 'cold'.

Lu Cheng spoke up:

"There is something wrong with this water."

Jinguji Ayane immediately nodded.

"Do not submerge yourself in it for a long time."

"Brief contact won't have much of an effect, but if you soak in it for too long, your Source Power will slow down... and over time... you might die here..."

Jiang Xuance glanced under the bridge and immediately shrank back toward the middle of the bridge.

Jinguji Ayane said:

"The higher the water level, the stronger the effect..."

Heavenly King Lin shouldered his axe and looked at the newly extended bridge ahead.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"Let's go."

The bridge ahead had indeed appeared.

It extended from the edge of the Starting Island, intersected with the bridge on Jinguji Ayane's side, and then continued to pave its way into the depths of another misty area.

Just as they were about to step onto the bridge, a loud boom suddenly echoed from the distance.

Boom!

The next island shook violently.

A corner of the mist was forcibly blown open.

Then, a massive fist appeared out of thin air in mid-air.

The fist was composed of a large number of metal fragments and interwoven tree branches. The metallic surface gleamed with a silver-gray luster, while the branches seemed still alive, constantly twitching and twisting together.

The fist smashed down from the sky.

The entire island sank heavily.

Seawater exploded in all directions.

Heavenly King Lin's eyes widened.

"A fight has already started over there?"

The group advanced rapidly along the bridge.

There was a faint fragrance in the air.

It was very sweet, but smelling it for too long made one's mind wander slightly.

Tang Zhiwei immediately spoke up:

"Hold your breath."

"This fragrance can affect your mind."

Xu Xinglan deployed her Source Array, casting a layer of faint light around everyone.

"It's already being filtered."

At the end of the bridge was a torn forest of flowers.

The trees were tall with dense foliage, and large patches of petals lay on the ground.

But right now, the entire Flower Forest had been mostly destroyed.

Huge, deep craters were everywhere.

Severed metal limbs were stuck in the dirt.

Several of the Eagle Country Team's Mechanical Auxiliary Devices lay on the ground, electrical sparks flickering.

As soon as Lu Cheng and the others stepped onto the island, they saw the tragic state of the Eagle Country Team.

Half-crippled.

They were truly half-crippled.

Several Eagle Country Team members were all severely injured.

The armor on one person's chest was dented, with fine needles condensed from white Fox Fire pierced into their body.

Another was kneeling on the ground, eyes out of focus, clearly trapped in a mental illusion.

Eve leaned against a piece of rubble, her face pale, her fingers still rapidly tapping on her terminal.

"Mental Protection Module collapsed."

"Third Tactical Model failed."

"Target behavior pattern cannot be fully predicted."

"Recommend evacuation."

As she spoke, her voice trembled slightly.

At the very front was Adam.

The black combat suit on his body was severely damaged, and the Metal Nerves along his spine glowed with a piercing red light.

His right arm had clearly been broken and then forcibly reattached.

Half of his face was covered in silver-gray Biometal, and his gray pupils stared deathly ahead.

And in his hand, he held an Ancient Longbow.

The longbow did not look like a product of Eagle Country technology.

The bow's body was composed of black wood and metal, its surface carved with ancient patterns, and its bowstring resembled an extremely fine silver thread.

At this moment, Adam was drawing the bow to its limit.

There was no arrow on the bowstring.

Yet in mid-air, that massive fist composed of metal and branches condensed once more following his movements.

Lu Cheng swept his gaze over.

"A special item?"

Xu Xinglan nodded.

"It should be this island's Mechanic Weapon."

"Though they are using it very reluctantly."

Before her voice could fade.

A figure slowly stepped out from the depths of the Flower Forest.

It was a woman.

Platinum-blonde hair fell to her waist, her facial features were exquisite, and her lip color was very pale.

She wore a gorgeous yet tattered ancient dress, its hem dragging across the petals, and nine fox tails slowly unfurled behind her.

Each fox tail was extremely long, their tips burning with pale gold Fox Fire.

Her eyes were very beautiful.

But there was no human warmth in those eyes.

Behind her, a massive phantom of a nine-tailed fox slowly emerged.

The fox phantom crouched behind her, its nine tails blotting out half the sky.

The terminal vibrated frantically.

"[Hidden Target: Tamamo-no-Mae]"

"[Rank Evaluation: Commander Peak]"

Tamamo-no-Mae raised her eyes to look at Adam.

She merely smiled gently.

In the next second, all the surrounding petals floated up.

On every single petal, a spark of Fox Fire lit up.

Adam's gaze darkened.

"Fire."

He released the bowstring.

Boom!

The giant fist of metal and branches in the sky smashed down violently.

The fist crashed into the sea of flowers.

A vast expanse of petals was shredded, and the ground collapsed on the spot.

Tamamo-no-Mae's figure was also struck head-on by the fist.

Just as a glimmer of hope appeared in the eyes of the Eagle Country Team members.

In the next second.

A soft chuckle echoed from the sea of flowers.

Tamamo-no-Mae's figure re-emerged on the other side.

She was indeed injured.

The dress at her left shoulder was torn, and her pale gold Fox Fire had dimmed significantly.

But she did not fall.

Her nine tails swept up simultaneously.

Nine long streams of Fox Fire shot toward Adam from different directions.

The Metal Nerves on Adam's back instantly lit up to their limit as he forcibly dodged to the side.

But he was already too slow now.

Prolonged combat and mental interference had completely shattered the Eagle Country Team's rhythm.

Eve grit her teeth.

"Adam, evacuate."

Adam did not answer.

He raised his bow once more.

The metal and branches began to condense in mid-air again.

But this time, the condensation speed was visibly slower.

Tamamo-no-Mae's Fox Fire had already arrived before him.

Right at this moment.

A gold-and-white figure rushed into the battlefield from the side.

Lu Cheng shattered the foremost Fox Fire with a single punch.

Immediately after, the Holy Dragon Armament covered his arm, and his dragon scales blocked the second stream of Fox Fire.

Snow Spirit leaped from his shoulder, her two tails crossing.

Her Starflame Fox Fire met Tamamo-no-Mae's Fox Fire head-on.

The two types of Fox Fire collided in mid-air, exploding into vast plumes of crimson-gold and pale-gold flames.

For the first time, Tamamo-no-Mae turned her head to look at Lu Cheng.

Her gaze lingered on Snow Spirit for a brief moment.

In that instant, Snow Spirit's body tensed slightly.

"Daddy."

"She's looking at me."

Lu Cheng said softly:

"Don't be scared, you are cuter than her."

Snow Spirit blinked her eyes.

Then, her tail suddenly perked up.

Tang Zhiwei: "..."

Coaxing a fox even at a time like this?

Lu Cheng did not give Tamamo-no-Mae the chance to continue cast illusions.

Through Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Bad Luck, he locked onto Tamamo-no-Mae's position.

Although the Eagle Country Team had been beaten miserably, they had indeed worn her down to a state of severe injury.

Lu Cheng stepping in at this time was somewhat akin to stealing their kill.

But...

Since he was already here.

Tamamo-no-Mae unfurled her nine tails, and nine figures appeared around her simultaneously.

Every single one was identical.

Each one carried genuine fluctuations of Fox Fire.

Xu Xinglan immediately deployed her Source Array.

"The third on the left is fake."

"The second on the right is uncertain."

Jinguji Ayane also raised her Sacred Katana.

"The one slightly to the back in the middle has a Soul Thread."

A silver light flashed in the depths of Lu Cheng's eyes.

"No need to guess."

He took a step forward.

And rushed straight toward the most inconspicuous figure.

Tamamo-no-Mae's expression shifted slightly.

Her nine tails shielded her front simultaneously.

Lu Cheng raised his hand.

Holy Dragon Armament.

Flame Demon Transformation.

Fire Luminary Meridian.

And smashed down a fist.

Boom!

The Fox Fire Barrier in front of Tamamo-no-Mae was shattered head-on.

Her body flew backward, snapping a large number of flowering trees.

Snow Spirit followed closely behind, her Double-Tail Star Shield blocking the retaliating Fox Fire, before blasting a Frost Flame Fox Explosion into Tamamo-no-Mae's waist.

Jinguji Ayane's figure flashed as her Sacred Katana severed one of Tamamo-no-Mae's phantom fox tails.

Heavenly King Lin cleaved open the sea of flowers with a single axe swing.

Gu Changqing's sword light pierced through the gaps in the Fox Fire.

Ye Beihan froze the ground, preventing Tamamo-no-Mae from escaping using her Clones again.

Tang Zhiwei pricked her silver needles into the weak points of the Fox Fire, briefly sealing her recovery.

Standing in the distance, Adam's gray pupils dilated slightly upon seeing Lu Cheng take action.

He did not speak.

He merely drew his longbow once more.

In mid-air, the fist of metal and branches condensed again.

This time, he was not suppressing Tamamo-no-Mae alone.

Instead, he was coordinating with Lu Cheng's attack.

The fist descended from the heavens.

Lu Cheng threw a punch head-on.

A pincer attack from front and back.

Tamamo-no-Mae let out a sharp fox-shriek.

The phantom of her nine tails shattered completely.

The core in her chest was exposed.

Lu Cheng did not hesitate.

And delivered the final blow.

Bang!

Tamamo-no-Mae's body crumbled amidst gold-and-white Source Power and Fox Fire.

The fragrance in the Flower Forest quickly dissipated.

The terminal prompt sounded.

"[Killed Hidden Target: Tamamo-no-Mae]"

"[Killer: Dragon Country, Points Obtained: 10,000]"

"[Island Hidden Quest Completed]"

"[Wanhai Archipelago Main Storyline Clue Unlocked]"

Black-gold fragments and remnants of Fox Fire flew into the air.

A moment later, they condensed into the third Bridge Nail.

The Bridge Nail flew toward the Central Ruined Bridge.

Clang!

The third broken section was pinned down.

The entire Wanhai Archipelago shook once more.

After Tamamo-no-Mae dissipated, Adam slowly lowered the Ancient Longbow.

His body swayed slightly.

Eve immediately supported him.

Adam raised his head to look at Lu Cheng.

After a moment of silence, he spoke:

"Thank you for stepping in."

His Chinese was somewhat stiff, but his meaning was clear.

Lu Cheng glanced at him.

"Just a casual effort."

Strictly speaking, Tamamo-no-Mae had indeed been heavily injured by the Eagle Country Team.

He was basically picking up an easy kill.

However, just now, if he hadn't stepped in, Adam might not have had time to press the evacuation button.

Even if he didn't die, severe injuries would have been unavoidable.

Adam was clearly aware of this as well.

He did not fuss over the ownership of the points, nor did he question Lu Cheng for stealing the kill.

The members of the Eagle Country Team exchanged glances.

Eve took a deep breath, retrieved a silver Data Core, and saved all the exploration data from the terminal into it.

Adam also raised his hand and pressed it to his chest.

A blue light lit up inside his combat suit.

The data was synchronously saved to his Internal Module.

After doing all this, he looked at Lu Cheng.

"This is as far as we go."

Eve added with a pale face:

"To continue exploring, we do not have enough combat power."

"Forcing ourselves to stay would only make us a burden."

Lu Cheng nodded.

"Very rational."

Adam looked toward the distant Central Ruined Bridge.

A trace of unwillingness flashed in his gray eyes.

But he still pressed the evacuation command.

"Good luck to you."

In the next second, the light of evacuation lit up on the members of the Eagle Country Team simultaneously.

Beams of white light rose.

A few seconds later, the entire Eagle Country Team vanished from the island...