Explosive Flame Cross

Watching the lights come on again in the Attack Shaft, Zeng Shan said softly, "The ground reinforcements have set out."

"However, even using the backup shaft track, it'll take 35 seconds to reach the surface from the Undercity."

"I wonder if the mechs above can hold out until the reinforcements arrive."

Luo Yan slightly narrowed his eyes and looked toward the screen.

At that moment.

On the carriage screen, three mechs led by 'Blazing Flame' were attacking Taotie aggressively.

They intended to kill Taotie before the second giant beast fully manifested in the real world.

However, Taotie was extremely cunning.

The giant beast with a sheep's face and a human body pulled away, using all four limbs to keep its body low as it darted around beneath the cover of the forest trees.

It was incredibly fast. Basically, the bullets from the three mechs could only chase after it, blasting the trees along its path to pieces while struggling to hit Taotie.

'Blazing Flame' immediately signaled and changed tactics.

The three mechs split apart.

Two Mystic Machines moved in from the sides. As they closed in on Taotie, they fired Capture Nets one after another.

The Capture Nets were made of cables carrying high-voltage currents. When they ensnared a giant beast, the high-voltage electricity would deliver a powerful shock to its nerves.

This could paralyze it temporarily.

One Capture Net after another covered Taotie, but it always managed to evade them in advance.

However.

The Capture Nets fired by the two Mystic Machines were not launched at random. With the landing angles calculated by computer assistance, even when they failed to catch Taotie, they forced it to move closer toward 'Blazing Flame'.

By then, 'Blazing Flame' had already stowed its rifle and reached behind itself.

The armor on its back unfolded, and mechanical arms extended from within, bringing out two long blades.

'Blazing Flame' seized the two long blades and swung them across each other. The friction between their edges sparked points of fire.

Boom.

Roaring flames erupted from the blades at the guards, coiling around the edges and quickly turning them red-hot.

Inside the carriage.

Zeng Shan cried out excitedly, "It's the 'Fire God Blades'! These Dual Sabers are 'heavy weapon'-class. The flames they emit have an adhesive property and can continuously inflict damage on giant beasts."

"The blades are forged from special materials that can withstand high temperatures. Instead of melting when heated by the flames, they become even sharper. Cutting through metal like mud is nothing to them!"

At that moment.

On the screen.

Taotie had already been driven by the Capture Nets to a spot not far from 'Blazing Flame'.

The ancient mech in Warrior Style unleashed the full power of all its engines and suddenly took a step forward.

The earth cracked beneath the mech's foot. The ground heaved, and the trees toppled.

'Blazing Flame' closed in on Taotie in an instant. Its Dual Sabers swept like the wind, drawing flames as it hacked repeatedly at Taotie.

Taotie raised both hands to shield its head and blocked four or five strikes. Then it suddenly opened its mouth and inhaled. The flames on 'Blazing Flame's' Dual Sabers immediately twisted and veered off course.

They transformed into two streams of fire and were sucked into Taotie's mouth.

In an instant, the flames on the 'Fire God Blades' went out, leaving only wisps of blue smoke.

Taotie's mouth had not even closed before it returned the flames it had just swallowed, spewing a scorching stream of fire that washed over 'Blazing Flame's' head.

'Blazing Flame' immediately retreated, widening the distance to prevent its head armor from being burned through and the flames from entering the control room.

Taking advantage of this opening, Taotie turned and charged toward one of the Mystic Machines.

That Mystic Machine immediately raised its rifle and opened fire.

Bang bang bang bang!

Amid the violent gunfire, Taotie raced forward, slithering along the ground in a serpentine path before finally pouncing at the mech's knee and biting down.

It intended to destroy the mech's knee joint and render it immobile.

But just as its enormous jaws closed, a boom erupted from within its mouth. Taotie's head seemed to have been struck by something and jerked outward. A mouthful of blood and two broken fangs shot from its jaws.

Looking again at the Mystic Machine, the armor on its knee had opened. From within, a weapon resembling a pile driver was retracting.

This weapon had been designed to counter giant beasts biting at mech knee joints. It could slam into a giant beast's mouth at high speed and with immense force. Its true name had long since been forgotten.

People were more accustomed to calling it the 'Battering Ram'.

After being knocked away by the 'Battering Ram', Taotie had not yet recovered when 'Blazing Flame' caught up from behind.

The 'Fire God Blades' began spewing flames once more, their glowing red edges radiating tremendous heat.

Taotie had just turned halfway around.

'Blazing Flame' was already crossing its Dual Sabers and slashing down.

One blade swept horizontally across Taotie's waist. The high-temperature edge easily cut through its hide, flesh, and bones!

The other blade slashed vertically from its head, traveling down along the body's central axis before bursting out through Taotie's groin!

One horizontal and one vertical.

Together, they formed a cross.

This was Liang Jian's Combat Skill.

'Explosive Flame Cross'!

When 'Blazing Flame' slid a hundred meters before coming to a stop.

Behind it, an orange-yellow cross blossomed across Taotie's body. Then the body exploded.

Inside the carriage.

Seeing this, the passengers cheered.

But at that moment.

Luo Yan saw that the high-ranked giant beast had fully manifested in reality and dropped to the ground like a meteor.

It kicked up a pillar of smoke. Countless trees flew into the air and crashed back down across the ground.

At this moment.

Five seconds remained before the reinforcements arrived.

Whoosh!

The wind began to blow.

As soon as it rose, it became a howling gale that sent sand and stones flying.

Countless trees were uprooted by the wind and hurled in every direction.

Amid the gale, a huge figure shot into the sky.

On the carriage screen, the camera rapidly tilted upward toward the heavens.

A Giant Bird was flying in midair. This Flying Beast generally resembled an owl, but its face was like a human's.

That face looked just like that of a middle-aged man, complete with deep nasolabial folds.

It had four eyes, and even ears!

Its body was covered in black feathers, but the ends of those feathers gradually faded into vermilion.

Each of its two wings also bore a pair of stark black-and-white eyes. The eyes swept left and right, creating an extremely eerie sight.

As soon as the strange bird appeared, the moisture in the air rapidly vanished. It then beat its wings and swept forward before diving down.

As it flew past, pale-red powder drifted from the ends of its feathers.

The powder came from the vermilion portions at the feathers' tips.

The instant the powder scattered, it suddenly ignited.

Thus, wherever the strange bird flew, it dragged layer upon layer of fire in its wake.

The surging flames swept through the forest and rolled toward the three mechs.

'Blazing Flame' immediately drove its Dual Sabers into the ground and crouched down, reducing the area exposed to the attack.

Then it raised and brought together both arms. The armor on its arms repeatedly opened and expanded, rapidly assembling into an orange-red shield.

The other two Mystic Machines also removed the shields from their backs and erected them in front of the mechs.

The waves of fire surged forward and crashed over the three mechs.

From the carriage screen, the three mechs looked as though they were standing in a vast orange-red flood.

They could be swept away at any moment.

The onslaught of the fire left the three mechs struggling merely to protect themselves.

And at that moment.

The reinforcements finally arrived.

Three deployment pods rose from the ground. The pressure locks on their doors were turning, venting the gas inside.

But just then, the strange bird slammed toward the first deployment pod on the left!