Tier 4 Exotic Beasts, A Fright in the Mountains and Woods

After dozens of hours of cleansing, the Sudali Plain, spanning thousands of kilometers, was finally completely cleared.

The eight starships hovering at high altitude descended one after another to land in the heart of the plain.

They spaced themselves about a hundred kilometers apart, using the energy converters carried aboard to construct small protective shields that simulated a human-survivable environment within this area.

Warriors moving within this range no longer needed to wear Alloy Mecha.

The Dawn docked at the southernmost edge of the plain.

After several days of rest and resupply aboard the ships, the eight legions of Tianlan Star began taking turns advancing southward for exploration.

Since the 116th Legion had been nearly wiped out, the few remaining soldiers were incorporated into the 115th Legion.

The remaining hundred or so men from the 121st Legion of Tongzhou Military Region were also merged into the 122nd Legion of the same region.

At this moment, Gao Zhan was leading the Chasing Wind Squad and members of the Skyfire Club, piloting their mechas southward.

Their mission was to gradually probe the areas beyond the Sudali Plain, search for traces of exotic beasts, and survey any possible Star Source mineral veins.

When the group stepped out of the protective shield and continued south for several hundred li, they finally left the bounds of the Sudali Plain.

Ahead lay a stretch of rolling mountain ranges, from a distance looking like several giant pythons crawling across the earth.

Unlike the barren plain, these mountains were covered with towering trees dozens of meters high, and the terrain was far more complex, making the Chasing Wind Squad's survey mission even more arduous.

"Everyone, maintain formation. Don't fall behind."

Over thirty mechas sped swiftly through the dense forest.

Every thirty li, they would insert the portable survey instruments into the ground for geological analysis.

After pushing more than two hundred li into the mountains, Lu Feng suddenly stopped and reported over the squad channel: "Captain Gao, there's an exotic beast ahead."

Everyone immediately went on alert.

Gao Zhan asked, "How many?"

"Just one. Should be a Tier 3 Exotic Beast."

Hearing this assessment, the group relaxed.

A single Tier 3 Exotic Beast was no threat at all.

"Keep moving."

After advancing another few kilometers, Lu Feng warned again: "It's here. It's nearby."

"Where?" Fang Qing maneuvered her mecha to scan the surroundings but found nothing.

Lu Feng's gaze flicked upward to a giant tree: "Look up."

Following his direction, everyone saw a python nearly ten meters long with three heads coiled among the branches.

Under Lu Feng's gaze, the python seemed unusually docile, steadily channeling energy into him.

Boom—!

A beam of energy cannon fire suddenly shot out, blasting the python into fragments and snapping the thick branch along with it.

"You... why did you kill it?" Lu Feng stared in shock at Fang Qing, who had fired.

"What, keep it alive? If you want snake meat, you can pick up some pieces off the ground." Fang Qing looked unconcerned.

"I could have tamed it..."

Lu Feng wanted to say—he was in the middle of absorbing energy. Couldn't she have waited until he was done?

Gao Zhan spoke up: "Lu Feng, I understand your ability, but our main task right now is surveying, not taming beasts. Keep moving."

Lu Feng fell silent.

He just wanted to absorb some energy. Why was it so hard?

If he left the squad to act alone now, it would be much easier to boost his strength, but Gao Zhan would never agree.

The squad continued another few dozen kilometers. When they reached the next survey point, Lu Feng once again used his ability to sense the traces of exotic beasts nearby.

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Soon, he detected a nest of giant pythons about two kilometers from the team, numbering seven or eight.

Taking advantage of the team's pause for geological testing, he quietly slipped to the edge of the formation, turned his mecha, and prepared to head off alone in that direction.

But he had only taken a few steps when Hong Kun called out over the squad channel: "Lu Feng! Where are you going?"

That shout made everyone turn around.

"I..." Lu Feng gave an awkward smile, "I found a few more exotic beasts over there. I was just going to check them out."

"More beasts?"

Gao Zhan's expression tightened, and he immediately instructed Fang Qing: "Take a few more people and go with him."

"Alright."

Fang Qing nodded and promptly led seven or eight members of the Chasing Wind Squad and the five from the Skyfire Club to set out with Lu Feng.

After traveling about a kilometer, Lu Feng suddenly stopped: "They... they seem to have noticed us. They're coming this way!"

He could clearly sense the exotic beasts charging toward them at tremendous speed.

Fang Qing immediately ordered, "Everyone, prepare for battle!"

All of them instantly raised their mecha cannons, assuming combat stances.

The next second, thermal imaging signals lit up on every mecha screen—nine giant pythons were rapidly approaching from deep within the dense forest.

The sound of leaves rustling violently came from ahead, and Fang Qing gave the order without hesitation: "Fire!"

Dozens of scorching beams shot out in unison, instantly cutting through a stretch of towering ancient trees at their midsections.

As the smoke and dust cleared, everyone saw the full picture of the beast pack: among the nine giant pythons, five had two heads, and three had three heads.

The largest one, with a body diameter exceeding one meter, bore four ferocious heads.

"Not good, it's a Leader-level Exotic Beast!"

Fang Qing's pupils sharply contracted when she saw the four-headed python.

This creature, known as the Multi-headed Python, was a unique exotic beast native to Planet Caro 9.

Every time it advanced a realm, it grew an additional head.

Two heads meant second-tier, three heads meant third-tier.

And this four-headed python before them was clearly a fourth-tier Leader-level Exotic Beast.

Under the concentrated fire of over a dozen mechas, the second- and third-tier Multi-headed Pythons were instantly blasted into blood mist, with chunks of flesh flying everywhere.

But that fourth-tier giant python took several thermal beams head-on and emerged completely unscathed.

It reared up and let out an enraged hiss, as if venting its fury at the invaders and the humans who had slaughtered its kin.

Then, its tens-of-meters-long tail lashed up and slammed down viciously toward the Chasing Wind Squad.

"Scatter!" Fang Qing barked urgently through the channel.

Everyone immediately maneuvered their mechas to dodge to both sides.

Boom—!

The giant tail crashed down heavily, shaking the entire forest.

The powerful blast of air sent Lu Feng and the others, still in their mechas, flying backward.

Lu Feng and his team quickly stabilized their mechas and scrambled to retreat.

"Mom's! I'll kill you!"

Fang Qing cursed in fury. To everyone's stunned amazement, she actually ejected from her mecha, her tall figure exposed directly to the forest environment.

She agilely leaped forward, her long arms gripping the serpent's tail tightly. With the full force of an Innate Realm Warrior, she swung it violently, slamming the giant python hard into the ground.

Witnessing this, Lu Feng's eyes widened.

What shocked him wasn't the terrifying strength Fang Qing displayed, but the fact that she could leave her mecha and move freely in this environment, which was inhospitable to humans!

Wasn't it said... that only Grandmaster Realm Strongers could do that?