108: New uses for lightning

Ai Yue hadn't expected that she'd just been thinking about the Ancient Centipedes while in her space, only to find them showing up at her doorstep as soon as she came out. There were just a bit too many of them, though.

"Rui Rui, let's go. We need to find Mom and Dad first."

"Mhm!" Ye Rui nodded quickly and followed Ai Yue outside.

Before they could even step out of the Safety Tower's main gate, they saw an Ancient Centipede smash through the entrance, its massive head forcing its way inside.

Ai Yue took the lead, delivering a kick straight to its forehead. The entire centipede went flying back with a whoosh.

As Ai Yue and Ye Rui emerged from the doorway, two more Ancient Centipedes broke through the defensive line, baring their fangs and claws as they lunged at them.

The two of them dodged quickly. With a flick of her hand, Ye Rui sent out a bolt of electricity that left both centipedes paralyzed on the spot. Ai Yue took the opportunity to step forward and extract their transparent stones, causing them to collapse heavily to the ground.

"Rui Rui, you need to learn to control your lightning. Don't just strike them randomly; you have to hit their weak spots! You need more precise control, and now is the perfect time to practice," Ai Yue pointed out the flaw in Ye Rui's attacks, offering a reminder.

Ye Rui noticed it too. Although her lightning covered a wide area, it wasn't lethal; it only served to delay them. Once the effect wore off, the Ancient Centipedes would be back in action.

Ye Rui focused her mind, staring at the black, shiny carapace plates that a centipede occasionally exposed. With a flick of her finger, a tiny, concentrated thread of Electrical Discharge shot out from her fingertip.

Instantly, the Ancient Centipede she had been targeting stiffened. Its upright body crashed heavily onto another centipede crawling nearby.

Blue, arc-like sparks flickered all over the centipede that had been struck. A series of crackling sounds followed, and a burnt smell filled the air.

Ye Rui looked at the scene she had created in disbelief, muttering to herself, "Is the compressed Electrical Discharge I made really this powerful?"

Then she started giggling. "Sister, did you see that? I'm so amazing!"

Ai Yue had been keeping an eye on her movements while fighting. Seeing this, her expression softened slightly. She knew that Ye Rui's lightning couldn't possibly be ordinary.

"That's right, you're the best!"

Hearing Ai Yue's praise made Ye Rui feel even better. With newfound confidence, she threw herself back into the task of electrocuting centipedes.

Gradually, she began to figure out the pattern. If her compressed electrical arcs hit other hard parts of the Ancient Centipede, the effect wasn't great—it only immobilized them without being fatal.

Only when she hit its weak spot would the arc enter its body and kill it instantly.

Furthermore, some change would occur within the dead Ancient Centipede's body, turning it into something like a "bomb"—anyone who touched it would be electrocuted.

It was truly a devastating weapon for a group fight.

Once Ye Rui understood this ability, she was overjoyed.

Under the bombardment of Ye Rui's new ability, the area around their Safety Tower was quickly cleared.

The two of them carved out and took all the transparent stones from the Ancient Centipedes they had killed, but they didn't touch the ones killed by others.

Ai Yue and Ye Rui cleared centipedes as they went, rushing toward where their parents worked.

Half an hour later, the two of them arrived at the Trading Center where Li Shilan worked.

To their surprise, the situation here was even more dire. As far as the eye could see, the place was swarming with those mutated Ancient Centipedes.

Only through the gaps that occasionally opened between the Ancient Centipedes could they see the people inside fighting desperately.

Most of the Ability Users in the base had gathered here, fighting for their lives.

Ai Guosheng, Gu Xiheng, Mo Li, Cheng Siyu, and the others were all there, keeping Li Shilan protected in the center.

Because Li Shilan was there, despite the intensity of the battle, there hadn't been any casualties yet.

Whenever an Ability Warrior was injured, a wave of green light from Li Shilan would wash over them, Healing their wounds and restoring their exhausted Superpowers.

Seeing that her parents were alright, Ai Yue finally felt relieved.

"Sister, watch me!" Ye Rui, still riding the high of discovering the powerful application of her Superpower, enthusiastically took over the task of clearing the path.

"Alright, I'll back you up," Ai Yue said as she punched a lunging centipede away.

Ye Rui flicked her small hand, and a blue electrical arc vanished into a black, shiny carapace plate. Ai Yue rushed forward, pulled a Baseball Bat out of her space, and sent the centipede flying into the swarm with a single swing.

Instantly, a large patch of them was electrocuted to death. Working together like this, the two of them were soon about to reach Li Shilan's group.

Watching Ai Yue and Ye Rui tear through the centipede swarm, a ripple of irritation rose in Cheng Siyu's heart as she stood guard beside Li Shilan.

Just then, a large wave of Ancient Centipedes swarmed toward Ai Yue and Ye Rui. Seeing this, others quickly used their Superpowers to help clear a path for them.

At that moment, something stirred in Cheng Siyu's heart. A cruel glint flashed in her eyes as she stared at Ai Yue, and she unconsciously unleashed a barrage of Ice Blade in her direction.

Everyone watched as the sky full of Ice Blade flew toward the centipedes blocking Ai Yue and Ye Rui's path.

The others simply thought Cheng Siyu was clearing the centipedes to save the two of them. Only Ai Yue was startled, realizing that the Ice Blade were actually aimed at her.

Ai Yue was currently pinned down by the Ancient Centipedes and couldn't dodge completely in time. Despite her best efforts to move, seven or eight Ice Blade still struck her body.

Even more Ice Blade landed on the Ancient Centipedes in front of her.

Ai Yue instinctively clutched the areas where she'd been hit, but to her surprise, there was no pain. She didn't have the time to wonder why; her anger had been completely ignited by Cheng Siyu's actions.

Having seen the whole thing, Ye Rui couldn't help but shout in anger, "Cheng Siyu, did you do that on purpose? Why did you attack us?!"

Cheng Siyu snapped out of it and remained silent, looking at her hands with some embarrassment. She hadn't expected herself to actually act; she had only been thinking about it and hadn't meant to move her hands.

Seeing that Cheng Siyu didn't speak, other Ability Warriors who supported her spoke up: "Little Girl, don't be so ungrateful. Miss Siyu was trying to save you. Why would she attack you on purpose?"

"Exactly! It was just a misunderstanding!"

"Yeah, Miss Siyu was just so desperate to save you that she didn't have time to be precise. She accidentally caught Ai Yue in the crossfire."

"That's right, exactly."

"...You guys..." Ye Rui hadn't expected this reaction. She was so anxious and frustrated that she didn't know what to say.

After hearing their words, Cheng Siyu instantly felt that she really had just been trying to save them and had lost her aim in her haste. It wasn't because of any dark, ulterior motives.

Having rationalized it, Cheng Siyu immediately regained her cold, indifferent, and aloof demeanor, looking at Ye Rui as if she were a difficult child.

Seeing her act like that made Ye Rui even angrier.

"Sister, her face is truly disgusting!" Ye Rui was so furious at Cheng Siyu's attitude that she felt like steam was about to come out of her head.