68: Chapter 68 Seeking Good Fortune...and Avoiding Misfortune...

After the twenty-person squad left the temporary base, they hardly stopped along the way.

Ahead lay the outskirts of the Abandoned City. The streets on the outskirts were already in a terrible state of disrepair; overturned buses on the side of the road were torn in half, covered in rust and unknown algae.

"There's movement behind the wall on the left!" someone hissed lowly.

The next second, a cat-shaped Pollution Beast covered in pustules lunged out from behind a wrecked car. Its movements were terrifyingly fast, and its claws trailed black, viscous slime.

Lin Tianjian darted forward, his long sword unsheathed.

Swoosh! A cold, bright flash of sword light sliced directly through the Pollution Beast's forelimbs, and immediately following, a second sword strike slashed down diagonally, pinning it completely to the ground.

Yet, after hitting the ground, the thing was still twitching, its mouth emitting a hoarse, low growl, and the flesh on its back pulsing rhythmically, making one's scalp tingle.

"Finish it! Quick!" Chen Wu roared.

Bang! Huo Ronger flicked her long spear, the tip driving fiercely into the Pollution Beast's head with a gust of wind, and black-red tainted blood instantly exploded outward.

The team continued to push forward.

The situation here was much worse than imagined.

These stragglers that had escaped from the Abandoned City actually included Tier 2 existences... and every Tier 1 was stronger than ordinary fierce beasts...

"This is just too bizarre..." Ma Dachun smashed a dog-beast over with his staff, his arm aching from the shock, and he bared his teeth as he retreated half a step.

"Did these things really escape from inside?!"

"The degree of pollution is deeper." Su Wan sliced off half the head of another Pollution Beast with her sword, her voice cold. "They stayed inside longer, and their bodies have been eroded more thoroughly."

Lu Cheng shattered the sternum of a wolf-shaped Pollution Beast with a punch, kicked the corpse aside, and looked ahead.

The Abandoned City was not far away.

The edge of the city was shrouded in a faint, blue-purple mist, and the spaces between the buildings were pitch black. Occasionally, one could hear rumbles and beast roars coming from deep within.

The closer they got, the more obvious the feedback from Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Bad Luck became, causing a tightening sensation in his mind...

Right now, they could still eliminate most of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Pollution Beasts by working together, but what lay ahead was not a place where students like them should enter.

Lu Cheng licked his back molars and said in a low voice, "Everyone be careful. Those who are exhausted, rotate with your teammates in time."

Someone in the team panted in response.

Having cleared the way this far, everyone had sustained some injuries.

Yet the monsters seemed bottomless, constantly emerging. Lu Cheng looked around and immediately said,

"I, Lin Tianjian, and Su Wan will deal with the Tier 2 fierce beasts. You all watch out for the Tier 1 fierce beasts around us; don't let them charge into the team!"

"Understood!"

"Received!"

"Back row, watch the flanks!"

No sooner had the words fallen than Lu Cheng was the first to rush out.

With Wandering Step activated, he instantly darted across the ground, his speed so fast it left a trail of afterimages as he headed straight for the lizard-beast.

The thing had just opened its mouth, black energy still rolling in its throat, when Lu Cheng's fist already struck its lower jaw.

Bang! The sound of bone cracking exploded.

The lizard-beast's entire head was knocked upward, and its massive body retreated several steps, shattering half a roadside railing.

On the other side, Lin Tianjian also moved.

His long sword unsheathed with a flash of cold light. His figure changed directions continuously in the night, his Gale Seven-Turn Step drawing a lightning-fast diagonal line as he instantly cut into the side of the wolf-shaped fierce beast.

Swoosh!

The first sword strike pried open the forelimb joint.

The second sword strike pierced directly into the eye socket.

The third sword strike, Tidal Break Triple Slash, pressed down fiercely, pinning the wolf-beast directly into the gravel ground.

Su Wan flicked her long sword, and the Nine Cold Heavenly Breath Art began to circulate, causing the surrounding temperature to drop significantly.

The cold energy spread along the blade. A Tier 2 Pollution Beast that lunged forward had just gotten close when she struck its shoulder and neck with her sword, and a large patch of white frost instantly formed on the wound.

The monster's movements stalled.

Su Wan used Treading Snow beneath her feet, turned her body, and her second sword strike had already sliced across its throat.

Ten minutes later.

The last Tier 2 Pollution Beast had its spine shattered by a punch from Lu Cheng and finally collapsed to the ground.

A small safe zone was finally cleared in the surroundings.

"Rest for three minutes, adjust in place!"

Lu Cheng exhaled and raised his hand to wipe the blood and grime from his face.

Hearing this, everyone immediately seized the time to pant, drink potions, and adjust their breathing.

Ma Dachun plopped down onto a half-broken concrete pillar, panting like a bellows.

"Damn it... do those soldiers face this kind of thing every day?"

Chen Wu also frowned, looking toward the depths of the Abandoned City.

"If the outskirts are like this, what must it be like inside?"

No one answered.

Lu Cheng stood by the street, holding his blade, his gaze sweeping toward the churning blue-purple mist in the distance. He took a recovery potion out of his system inventory.

With a team present, Lone Hero could not be triggered, and the recovery ability of his vitality was greatly reduced...

But before everyone could get more time to rest, a heavy sound of footsteps suddenly came from behind the ruins in the distance.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump...

The sound was muffled, and each step felt like it was hammering against one's heart.

Lu Cheng's pupils constricted, and he looked up sharply.

"Everyone, get up!"

Just as everyone stood up, several massive black shadows slowly emerged from the gray mist filling the street intersection ahead.

One, two, three!

Their sizes were far larger than those Tier 2 fierce beasts from before; their shoulder heights were nearly two meters. Their skin and flesh were largely rolled back, bone spurs jutted out along their spines, and thick black blood constantly dripped from their mouths. The aura on them was terrifyingly heavy.

Tier 3 Pollution Beast.

Fierce beasts of this level were already comparable to human Meridian Opening Realm martial artists.

They were far beyond what these students could handle.

The surroundings suddenly went quiet.

The students who were panting just a moment ago now had their bodies tensed, their faces pale.

Some subconsciously retreated half a step.

Some had hands trembling as they gripped their weapons.

Huo Ronger gritted her teeth and said, "How could a Tier 3 get to the outskirts?"

Lin Tianjian stared at the monsters, his voice deep:

"If the inside allowed this kind of thing to escape, it means the situation is already very dire."

No sooner had he finished speaking.

The Tier 3 Pollution Beast in the front let out a low growl, its four limbs pressed low, ready to pounce and kill at any moment.

Lin Tianjian looked at the surrounding students and spoke directly:

"Lu Cheng, you take the others and retreat. I will block them here!"

These words were spoken quickly and decisively.

The faces of those around changed.

"How can you block them alone?!"

"Lin Tianjian, don't be crazy!"

"This is a Tier 3!"

Lin Tianjian ignored them, only gripping his sword tighter. His vitality rose bit by bit, his eyes terrifyingly sharp.

He knew he couldn't hold them off for long.

But someone had to stand up.

He was the only student who had reached the Source Gathering Realm; if he used the Lin family's secret technique, he should be able to hold back these fierce beasts for a moment...

As long as he could buy a little time, the people behind would have a chance to retreat.

Lu Cheng glanced at him without wasting words.

The next second.

He focused his mind.

The Dragon Scale Holy Armor, which he had not been wearing, finally fully deployed at this moment!

Hum...

A layer of golden-white holy radiance suddenly lit up from his body surface. The light spread along his shoulders, back, chest, and arms. Fine dragon scales appeared, interlocked, and covered him one by one, emitting a crisp and low sound of metal closing.

Click! Click! Click!

In the blink of an eye, a suit of armor, majestic to the point of being almost exaggerated, had encased Lu Cheng's entire body.

The armor was entirely golden-white; the dragon scales were layered, with faint holy light flowing along the edges. Every scale was vaguely engraved with fine holy runes.

The shoulder armor rose high with a sharp curve. On the chest, a dragon head emblem had formed, and the eye sockets glowed with a pale golden radiance.

The lines of the arm and leg armor were sharp, yet the joints did not appear heavy at all; instead, they exuded a powerful and smooth sense of oppression.

Golden-white flowing light shone out through the gaps between the scales, illuminating the surrounding broken walls, wrecked cars, and tainted blood with a dazzling luster.

The moment the dragon might spread, even those few Tier 3 Pollution Beasts visibly paused.

The entire scene was stunned.

Ma Dachun's mouth hung wide open.

"Holy... crap..."

Chen Wu's eyelids twitched wildly: "What kind of equipment is this?!"

Even Qian Shuying was stunned, a flicker of shock flashing in her eyes.

Lin Tianjian was even more stunned for half a second, then his eyes narrowed.

Lu Cheng flexed his wrist; the Dragon Scale Holy Armor plates rubbed gently, emitting a low, crisp sound.

He looked up at those Tier 3 Pollution Beasts, his voice muffled by the armor, carrying a deep resonance.

"This is no time for you to play the hero."

As he finished speaking, he stepped down.

Boom!

The ground exploded with a circle of cracks!

He transformed into a golden-white afterimage and instantly rushed out!

The first Tier 3 Pollution Beast had just raised its claw when Lu Cheng was already up close to it, his right fist, wreathed in holy radiance, smashing down fiercely!

Bang!!!

This punch slammed into the fierce beast's skull, and the exploding shockwave sent surrounding gravel flying away.

The Tier 3 fierce beast's entire head jerked to the side, its massive body knocked sideways several meters, collapsing half a wall.

But a Tier 3 was a Tier 3 after all.

The thing was not dead yet; it let out a furious roar in its throat and flipped over, preparing to pounce again.

Lu Cheng didn't give it a chance. The holy radiance on the Dragon Scale Holy Armor suddenly grew brighter, and his fist was instantly wrapped in a layer of scorching dragon flames.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Collapsing Fist - Three Styles: Origin!

A heavy punch pierced directly through its skull!

Black-red tainted blood had just sprayed out when it was scorched by the holy flames, sizzling, and a large amount of the pollution aura was purified on the spot.

"He killed one?!" someone in the back shouted out in disbelief.

The other three Tier 3 Pollution Beasts rioted simultaneously, all lunging toward Lu Cheng together.

Lu Cheng pushed Wandering Step to the limit, his figure changing directions at high speed between the three pounces, his movements so fast they were dazzling.

A fierce beast's sharp claw swiped down, and Lu Cheng raised his arm to take it head-on.

Clang!

A piercing sound of impact exploded. The holy runes on the surface of the Dragon Scale Holy Armor flashed, and the impact force was dissipated layer by layer. Lu Cheng only swayed slightly, then backhanded an elbow into the fierce beast's lower jaw.

Crack!

The sound of bone cracking was terrifyingly clear. Another one bit from the side, and Lu Cheng grabbed its upper jaw, his strength erupting fiercely, forcibly yanking that bloody maw upward, and a knee strike slammed heavily into its abdomen!

Boom!

The massive beast body was lifted off the ground. In just over ten seconds, three Tier 3 Pollution Beasts were all annihilated!

The entire street went quiet.

All the students stood in place, their eyes glazed.

Lin Tianjian looked at Lu Cheng's Dragon Scale Holy Armor, remained silent for a few seconds, and finally sheathed his sword.

Lu Cheng turned around, the holy radiance on his armor not yet fully dissipated, his tone the same as before.

"I promised Instructor Qin."

"How many people come, that many people return."

As these words fell, the hearts of everyone around were severely shaken.

Su Wan stood not far away, her gaze landing on the Dragon Scale Holy Armor on Lu Cheng, a flash of hard-to-conceal strange emotion in her eyes.

This set of equipment... is at least S-rank or higher.

It might even be higher.

In her past life, she had seen many powerful armaments, and her discernment was far stronger than anyone else present, so she could see more clearly. It seems that Lu Cheng himself also has extraordinary fortuitous encounters.

Su Wan took a light breath and suppressed that bit of shock in her heart. She must hurry to activate her bloodline, otherwise, she would suffer again next month...

Just at this moment.

Beep—bzzt—beep-beep—

The communicator at Lu Cheng's waist suddenly sounded a extremely strange signal.

The sound was intermittent, carrying a harsh static noise.

Everyone subconsciously looked over.

"What's the situation?"

Lu Cheng frowned and immediately raised his hand to press the communicator. The signal bars on the screen were jumping crazily, and the positioning module also began to flash abnormally.

He quickly switched to the positioning interface, tracing the abnormal signal back to its source. A few seconds later, a red dot on the map slowly locked on.

The location was... inside the Abandoned City. Moreover, it was even deeper inside.

Lu Cheng stared at that flashing red dot, his heart sinking violently.

At the same time.

The Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Bad Luck in his mind suddenly transmitted two completely opposite feedbacks simultaneously. Good fortune and bad luck were coming from the direction of the Abandoned City at the same time.

Lu Cheng raised his head and looked toward the depths of the city shrouded in blue-purple pollution mist, his eyes narrowing bit by bit.