Raid on the Lair

Zhou Zheng picked up the other two Storage Treasures and examined them, discovering that they also contained remnants of that exotic beast's body.

Combined, the remnants from the three Storage Treasures could almost make up one complete thigh.

"That adds up to nearly a tenth of that Special Lifeform Corpse!" Zhou Zheng said with a smile. "This mission is already one-third complete!"

"What does the captain plan to do about the remaining two-thirds?" Mo Zitong asked.

"Since all three Native Transcendents had three pieces of the corpse, we can use them as a breakthrough. Since the three of them managed to obtain so much of the Special Lifeform's corpse, following them should yield further gains!" Zhou Zheng said directly.

"Did the captain send Herk to the Native Transcendents because you had already thought this far ahead?" Mo Zitong asked in surprise.

"More or less."

Zhou Zheng did not elaborate. The direct reason he had sent Herk to infiltrate the Native Transcendents was indeed because, in this small Transcendent World, the Native Transcendents were considered the primary force.

If Herk could blend in among them, whatever he did would be immensely useful to the entire team.

As for the secondary reason, it involved a bit of personal enmity.

"Captain, can you lend me that Special Lifeform Corpse for research?" Feng Zhuhong suddenly asked.

"I'll give it to you later."

Zhou Zheng did not refuse. He understood a Transcendent Mage's desire to study all things, much less the corpse of a Special Lifeform that was clearly extraordinary at a glance.

However, now was not the time.

"You should be able to sense Herk's location, right?" Zhou Zheng asked. He immediately added, "Catch up to him!"

"Alright!"

Feng Zhuhong nodded.

The Alchemy Flying Boat was not particularly fast, but it was sufficiently concealed. After roughly half a day, Zhou Zheng and the others arrived outside a range of mountains where streams murmured and peaks loomed faintly in the distance.

"Captain, I can sense that you're nearby!"

Herk sent Zhou Zheng and the others a message through the mark of the Temporal Temple.

"What's happening on your end?" Zhou Zheng asked.

"The three Native Transcendents brought me here. They're complaining to a Saint Level Native Transcendent!" Herk said. "This Saint Level Native Transcendent should be the Shockwave you mentioned, Captain—the one who has mastered Fourth-grade True Meaning."

"Oh?"

Zhou Zheng was slightly startled.

"Captain, I also learned from those three Native Transcendents that most of that Special Lifeform Corpse has probably fallen into Shockwave's hands, along with those of his subordinates!" Herk added.

"How many subordinates does he have?" Zhou Zheng asked.

"About a dozen Native Transcendents. Most are at the Flying Heaven level, and two are Saint Level." As Herk spoke, his voice suddenly cut off for a moment.

"Captain, Shockwave seems to be coming after you for revenge!" Herk said. "He has set off with all the Flying Heaven level Transcendents, and I'm among them!"

As Herk spoke, Zhou Zheng sensed him rapidly approaching. Feng Zhuhong had clearly noticed it as well, and she swiftly maneuvered the Alchemy Flying Boat away to the side.

Before long, more than a dozen figures flew out from the mountain range in a mighty procession. Without pausing in the slightest, they shot straight into the distance.

"Captain, what was that just now?" Feng Zhuhong asked.

"They're going to get revenge on us!" Zhou Zheng explained.

In truth, he was rather surprised as well.

He did not know whether these Native Transcendents were simply too naive or whether Herk's acting was too convincing, but Herk had somehow become one of their own and had given him so much intelligence in one stroke.

"They're getting revenge on us?" Feng Zhuhong was slightly astonished.

Zhou Zheng briefly relayed Herk's words, and only then did Feng Zhuhong understand.

"Since these Native Transcendents have gone to seek revenge on us, perfect—we'll raid his lair!" Zhou Zheng made his decision at once. At the same time, he reminded them, "There should still be two Saint Level Transcendents here. You two, be careful!"

"Yes!"

At those words, Feng Zhuhong and Mo Zitong both nodded with solemn expressions.

All three were still Flying Celestial level transcendent. However, Zhou Zheng had mastered the Second-grade Proto True Meaning. An ordinary Saint Level Transcendent who had not mastered a powerful True Meaning would be crushed by him, even at the peak of Saint Level.

But Feng Zhuhong and Mo Zitong were different. Feng Zhuhong had only broken through to become a Transcendental not long ago and had no resources to improve herself. She was currently almost at the very bottom among Transcendentals, and she had little ability to resist a Saint Level Transcendent on her own.

Mo Zitong was much stronger. She seemed to have mastered the Illusion Proto True Meaning, and she could handle an ordinary Saint Level Transcendent.

Although Third-grade True Meaning was vastly inferior to Second-grade True Meaning, it was still extremely powerful and sufficient for Mo Zitong to fight above her level.

However, Mo Zitong had not yet mastered true Third-grade True Meaning. If she encountered a stronger Saint Level Transcendent, she would still be at a disadvantage.

Thus, neither of them dared to be careless.

Zhou Zheng and the other two did not act immediately. Only after more than an hour, when they sensed that Herk was already extremely far away, did they prepare to strike.

Before acting, however, Zhou Zheng first went to find Wu Jiuxin, who was still recovering aboard the Alchemy Flying Boat, and explained the situation to him.

"The three of you are going to deal with isolated Native Transcendents?" Upon hearing the news, Wu Jiuxin immediately offered to help.

Zhou Zheng's group had saved him earlier, and he had been worrying about how to repay them. Hadn't the opportunity just arrived?

Zhou Zheng did not refuse. An extra person meant extra strength, and there was no reason to turn him down.

Even a lion used its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Zhou Zheng had Feng Zhuhong set up a combat array outside, then had Mo Zitong send out two Illusion Clones to lure the two Saint Level Transcendents still remaining in Shockwave's lair.

The four hid within Feng Zhuhong's array. After about fifteen minutes, Mo Zitong's expression suddenly tightened as she said, "They're here!"

Very soon, Mo Zitong's two Illusion Clones fled into the area in a bedraggled state, with two figures pursuing them one after the other.

One of the figures was wreathed in lava, while the other stood as imposing as a small mountain. Both were incomparably fast. If Mo Zitong's Illusion Clones had not essentially been illusions that could disperse and reform at any moment, they would likely have been caught and destroyed in an instant.

"Attack!"

Zhou Zheng did not hesitate and gave the order directly.

Boom!

Feng Zhuhong immediately activated the array. In the next moment, countless forces as deep as the night descended in suppression.

The two Saint Level Transcendents immediately slowed.

However, they were Saint Level Transcendents after all. Feng Zhuhong's array affected them, but not to any significant degree.

At that moment, Zhou Zheng also slightly raised his hand.

In an instant, the flow of time within a vast stretch of space in the distance abruptly slowed.

The two extremely fast Transcendents slowed completely, becoming even slower than ordinary Flying Celestial level transcendent.

"What is this?"

Wu Jiuxin, who had been about to attack, was suddenly stunned.