Volume Two: Life and Death in the Northern Realm - Chapter 135: Strange Things in the Mountains

While Yan Yi Ming Hua was rampaging deep inside the cave, the battle between the two alien spirits outside had also entered a fierce stage.

Tekeli...

Jiliyi...

Raging lightning filled the sky, and chilling undead roamed the earth, shattering boulders into dust. The black mist and the thunderbirds remained locked in a standoff in mid-air. What they coveted— the Yan Yi Ming Hua —had likely already been found by those humans. Normally, they would have already unleashed their full power, charging into the cave and blasting the humans to smithereens. However, with a formidable enemy at hand, both sides were restrained, and for the moment, neither had the energy to deal with those troublesome humans.

The black mist had shrunk considerably compared to its initial size, and its density had also decreased significantly. The Thunderbird's half-fallen tail feathers and one wing had disappeared. Both birds had been severely exhausted after the fierce battle.

It won't last long.

Both the Black Mist and the Thunderbird realized that the next round would be the true end.

Tekeli!!!!!!!!!!!!

The black mist roared, and with its roar, a thousand-foot-high white mist surged from the nearby Fog Hidden Valley, condensing around the black mist and enveloping it like a thick layer of armor. The Thunderbird was not to be outdone; it howled, and countless thunderbolts immediately surged from the dark clouds above its head, rushing down like a waterfall and pouring into the Thunderbird's body!

The frenzied infusion lasted for a full minute. By the time it ended, the black mist had expanded to a size of no less than a thousand times, towering between heaven and earth like a giant black wall. The thunderbird's vanished wings grew back, all the endless lightning power it had absorbed flowing into its wings. The lightning-studded wings expanded to a thousand feet in size, blotting out the sky!

However, this power is only temporary.

Both sides were severely depleted. Although they forcibly absorbed the power stored in the environment, it did not mean they had recovered. They were like two toddlers trying to use a machine gun, barely managing to hold on. This terrifying form could not be maintained for long and would collapse immediately once they reached their limit.

This is the only way to win.

The colossal black wall and the lightning wings approached at breakneck speed and collided with a deafening roar in the sky!

Mad Mountains, somewhere separated from Fog Hidden Valley by only one mountain --

"So frustrating... Why can't I find a second plus point..."

"Don't rush, Amy. You can't force these things. Besides, there's still Nacht City and Engai Forest to come."

Even if you say that...

Sigh... Givinia sighed heavily, fiddling with her dazzling red hair, when just then--

Wow!

"Look! What's that?"

Suddenly, Tani Hana Mei pointed to the sky, where a plume of black mist shot up from the other side of the mountain, forming a massive, towering wall of shadow! Just seconds later, blinding lightning illuminated the sky, and two enormous lightning wings that reached the heavens instantly materialized!

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on here! Are they some powerful elemental ability users having a showdown? Or is there some super strong monster involved?"

"I don't know, because there's a mountain blocking the view."

The towering stone mountain blocked their view; they could only see the wall of mist and the Thunder Wings, but they couldn't see what had unleashed such a powerful attack.

"Wait, it looks like they're about to... collide?"

The four of them silently watched the sky; the fog wall and Thunder Wings seemed to approach in slow motion, and then—

"Amy! Speed up!"

"Huh? Ah! Yes!"

A pink Light Path appeared beneath the wheels, Freya immediately accelerated—at the same time, a terrifying crash resounded through the sky, a cacophony of thunder and ghostly wails, as if the entire world was wailing! The violent shockwave spread rapidly, cracking the ground inch by inch, turning even the weakest rocks into flying sand! Even across a mountain, the aftershocks of this impact were enough to send them and the race car flying!

Freya sped along, narrowly avoiding being overturned. Countless stones hit the back of the vehicle, but fortunately, Freya's surface was protected by a thick layer of rubber, and the body only suffered minor abrasions.

After speeding for nearly a kilometer, Emilia finally stopped the car and wiped away her sweat.

"Seriously, that was terrifying... That place must have been the legendary Fog Hidden Valley, right? It's said to be haunted." Tani Hana Mei frowned.

"If that unlucky convoy hadn't been passing through there, they would probably be nothing but bones by now."

"That's none of our business. Anyway, idiot Ally will definitely be fine." Emilia pouted.

What do you mean?

"That girl has been terrified of ghost stories since she was little. She'll never go near any place with ghost rumors... Seriously, she's such a grown-up and still afraid of ghosts... Hmm? Messiah, what are you laughing at?"

"Mmm-mmm-mmm~~ I was just thinking, Amy, you really do care about Miss Ally."

"What?! You... you... don't talk nonsense! I don't care whether that idiot lives or dies! Hmph!"

"Hmph~ Amy, you damn tsundere~"

"Waaaaaah, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, don't say it--"

"Careful!"

Suddenly, Tani Hana Hibiki, who hadn't said a word, stood up, kicked open the car door, and jumped out!

"Roar!"

A golden-red lion leaped out of the forest, roaring as it pounced on them, its ferocious jaws revealing gleaming white teeth.

High-level monster - Golden Armored Lion!

However, facing the gigantic Tani Hana Hibiki no fear. She simply extended her right hand, and a black rift appeared in the air in front of her, just large enough for an arm to insert. Without hesitation, she plunged her right hand deep into the rift, and when she pulled it out, she held a bladed weapon!

Judging from its shape, the weapon should be a katana, but it was entirely black, without any metallic sheen, making it quite eerie. Hibiki danced in the air, the Black Katana drawing a circle of black ripples, cleaving the armored Golden Armored Lion in two from head to tail!

"Pretty!"

The three people in the carriage clapped in praise, and Hibiki nodded in acknowledgment, releasing the Black Katana. Less than three seconds after the katana left her hand, it vanished like smoke, and the black crack in the void had also disappeared.

This is Tani Hana Hibiki's superpower—to retrieve bladed melee weapons directly from the void. These weapons are sharp enough to easily cut through metal and stone, but they cannot remain in her hand for long after being released. It can be described as a purely combat-oriented superpower.

"Okay, all done--"

Rustling sound --

Before the words were even finished, several more demonic beasts emerged from the surrounding bushes. Golden Armored Lion, grey wolves, Earth Dragon, Fire Lizard... each one was infamous for its ferocity!

"... Now we've got some work to do."

With a wave of his hands, two longswords were drawn from thin air, and Xiang assumed a fighting stance.

"What the hell! Have all these monsters gone mad?" Lewis cursed angrily.

"Stop talking nonsense and drive!" Alba's expression was also quite unpleasant.

"These beasts should usually stay in their own territory, why did they all rush out like madmen? Is it because of the strange things that happened in Fog Hidden Valley earlier?"

Looking out the back window, dust billowed about ten meters behind the Earthwalker, as dozens of strangely shaped monsters roared and chased after them. The eyes of these monsters gleamed with madness; some of them were not naturally suited to running, yet even though their strength was long gone, they still relied on their wild instincts to sustain themselves.

Several of the monsters inside were behaving quite abnormally. They were in a daze and not only did they not actively chase after the race car, but they also kept attacking their own kind, using their bodies to hold off the crazed monsters.

This is Luo Huan's special ability—controlling demonic beasts.

"What's wrong Luo Huan? Don't you always brag about being able to control dozens of demonic beasts at the same time? This is less than ten!"

"How would I know! I've tried my best, but these beasts... it's like there's something blocking me! It's so hard to control them!"

"Sister! What was that tremor just now?"

"I don't know either..."

Inside the cave, Ailin nestled close to Ally. Just moments ago, the two sisters were sweetly checking the car; how could things have suddenly turned out like this...?

"The battle against the alien spirits is over."

""Alas!?""

A sudden sound rang out beside them, startling the two sisters. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was a projection of Givinia's Consciousness Projection.

"It's over? What was the result—"

"The Spirit Element Spirit lost, but the Lightning Spirit also won a pyrrhic victory. Now is the perfect time to escape!"

"Oh, I see—wait, wait, where did you all go? It takes this long to change a sanitary napkin?"

"I'll explain later, first look up at the top of your head!"

"The top of our heads...?" The two sisters looked up in confusion.

At the top of the cave, hundreds of stalactites swayed incessantly, as if they were about to fall at any moment.

"The final clash between the two strange spirits was so intense that it loosened the stalactites—which is fortunate; any later and the cave might have collapsed!"

"Collapse!? Then why aren't you—"

"We're back! Come lend a hand!"

Can you lend a hand?

A strange rattling sound came from behind her. Ally turned around in confusion and saw a very bizarre scene.

It was a pink, egg-shaped object, large enough to fit a person inside. It seemed to be composed of pure crystals and was quite beautiful. Behind the egg was Givinia herself, covered in sweat and panting heavily. Judging from her out-of-breath appearance, she must have "rolled" the egg all the way back.

"... Givinia, what's this?"

"A Ye."

"... ha?"

"This is A Ye, don't doubt it."

"But... but--"

"That's A Ye's predicament. Actually, she has a peculiar constitution where she forms a crystal cocoon every time she has her period, which is why she needs me to accompany her."

"You're saying this is... a cocoon? It's clearly an egg!"

"Your complaints are still so strange... Anyway, come help me get A Ye into the car! Be careful, from now until A Ye recovers, we're without any combatants!"

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Guess who Tani Hana Hibiki's special ability is a reference to?