Chapter 114: Qilin-Style Chariot

The ruins of the hospital were drenched in a black liquid seeping from the earth. Mysterious, ink-green vines acted like a binding agent, stitching the wreckage together.

Ye Bai’s smart-brain recorded a steadily climbing energy peak. It had started at a high-level entry-tier fluctuation, but was now approaching the peak of the entry-tier and continuing to rise.

The three of them scrambled toward the exit of the guard station, the sound of steel and masonry being pulverized and restructured by the ink-green vines echoing behind them.

They had no choice but to try to escape the station. Behind them stood a puppet controlled by a tree-body nearing the peak of the entry-tier, while the vines on the outer walls, though present, showed no significant elemental fluctuations on the smart-brain’s sensors.

"Let me test it first; don't follow yet," Cao Xiaoseng suddenly said to Ye Bai and Yao Ling during their flight.

Even without energy fluctuations, the vines on the outer wall were formidable. A vine no thicker than a human thigh, like the one they had encountered earlier bursting from the wall, had possessed mid-level entry-tier power. The bucket-thick vines currently before them likely possessed physical strength at the foundation-tier.

Cao Xiaoseng, confident in his agile movement techniques, wanted to see if he could evade the vines. If he couldn't, they would have no choice but to face the six-to-seven-meter-tall tree-puppet behind them.

Yao Ling looked at him, wanting to speak, but seeing the resolve in his eyes, she could only murmur, "Be careful."

Ye Bai understood his intent and did not stop him. Some things had to be done, and if he were the most suitable for the task, he would have made the same choice.

"Remember, only by surviving can there be a future. If it's too much, retreat."

They were already far from the hospital ruins, nearing the gate of the guard station. Behind them, whether due to the distance or because the puppet’s transformation was nearly complete, the noise had faded, leaving only the occasional crunch of reinforced A-type metal.

As they passed through the liquid crystal zone, the puppet corpses seemed to have vanished, and the surrounding walls appeared normal, though everything of value had been absorbed by the tree, leaving only cracked and mottled shells.

Ye Bai glanced back. The tree-controlled puppet seemed to be in its final stage; in the night, its seven-meter-tall shadow stood like a lighthouse within the station.

He warned Cao Xiaoseng not to push too hard or get injured, though Ye Bai had already steeled himself to fight the peak entry-tier puppet if necessary.

"Understood," Cao Xiaoseng replied softly as they neared the exit.

His dark eyes ignited with a fighting spirit. He took a deep breath, his concentration peaking, and his earth-attribute energy began to coat his fingers, extending down to his palms and stopping at his wrists. With a sudden burst of speed, he shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

His speed was nearing the high-level entry-tier. Ye Bai noted that Cao Xiaoseng was slightly faster than himself, and based on the fluctuations, he was likely reaching the mid-level entry-tier. Relieved, Ye Bai trusted that Cao had the confidence to break through the blockade.

As Cao Xiaoseng reached the hundred-meter mark—the final warning zone—the vines dancing in the air instantly lunged at him.

The massive vines whipped through the air with a deafening roar, the pressure mounting instantly. Cao Xiaoseng remained unfazed; he had anticipated this. Even when they were in the liquid crystal zone, the vines’ mere movements had created sonic booms, let alone now, when they were attacking with full intent.

Still, the pressure was nearly three times greater than what he had experienced from a sentient creature in the radiation zone.

As the vines descended upon him, Cao Xiaoseng channeled his earth-attribute energy into his hands, creating a yellow pillar of earth to deflect the blow. He shifted his weight, moving like a scrap of paper under the overwhelming pressure, allowing the vines to strike the ground while he pivoted away at the last second.

"Boom!"

The ground surged like a wave where the vines struck. Cao Xiaoseng stood steady, less than a meter away, his expression grim.

"How can this be? Why hasn't the capital sent anyone? We can't handle this level of threat."

The trio’s smart-brains were synchronized. As Cao Xiaoseng’s earth pillar shattered, the sensor data updated instantly. This was no longer entry or foundation-tier power—it was growth-tier. Yao Ling’s heart sank; she knew Cao Xiaoseng could die.

"Xiaoseng, come back! We can't leave this way, someone from the capital will save us!" she cried out.

Cao Xiaoseng paused, dodged another attack, and moved closer to the exit.

"Ling'er, let's go," Ye Bai said, having read the data. He realized that the larger the object, the more air resistance it encountered; the sonic booms were merely the sound of the vines breaking the sound barrier.

Watching Cao Xiaoseng, Ye Bai realized the vines were zone-restricted. Once a vine finished its attack in one area, it stopped, creating a temporary safe window. Cao Xiaoseng was exploiting this, moving between zones.

With the path cleared, Ye Bai and Yao Ling followed. They reached the gate with only minor scares.

"Go!" Cao Xiaoseng shouted, and they dashed out.

They had only come to investigate the Purple Sable District guard station, not to fight a growth-tier mutation. Now that the situation was clear, it was far beyond their capabilities. They had to report this to the academy.

Behind them, the ink-green vines finished absorbing the ruins. The seven-meter puppet stood tall for a moment before dissolving into countless vines that burrowed deep into the earth.

***

In Yang City, a pitch-black warship hovered in the sky.

The City Lord, who had been studying files in the government building, sensed something. His face filled with shock, then quickly shifted to a smile as he hurried outside.

He felt a measure of relief seeing the black warship, but tension remained. *Why are they here? Did a mutation exceeding standard levels occur in the region? Is it the Purple Sable District guard station?*

He had previously sent scouts to the station, and they had only reported foundation-tier beasts. That shouldn't have warranted the arrival of these people.

Most of the world had never heard of the Black Kirin and Purple Kirin warships, and those who did often dreaded their appearance. Where they went, threats beyond human control followed. They housed the strongest combatants below the rank of King. Even though most were still in their growth phase, their strength couldn't be measured by standard tiers.

The City Lord waited beneath the ship. It was driven by a fire-attribute crystal core, and its hull was crafted from the same material as Bio-Type 4 armor. With its streamlined design and the Kirin claw insignias, it was rumored to be capable of land, sea, and air combat, equipped with hidden weapons systems capable of instantly vaporizing foundation-tier beasts.

The citizens of Yang City watched in awe as the massive vessel hung silently in the sky, unbothered by the city’s Alya defense system.

Suddenly, the blue flames at the ship's rear flickered. The hearts of the people seemed to tremor in unison as three figures emerged from the vessel.