247: If we don't see eye to eye, even half a sentence is too much.

When opinions clash, every word is a waste; the complete opposition of ideologies instantly ignited the flames of war!

"Protect the professor!" Lu Jianchuan barked a low command, his figure already charging out first!

Almost simultaneously, the pair of mechanical gun barrels on the shoulders of the Prometheus youth opposite them spun violently to adjust their angle, spitting out tongues of searing fire! Da-da-da-da—!

A dense storm of physical bullets swept toward the charging Lu Jianchuan like a metal tempest, the mechanical backpack behind the youth emitting a steady sound of ammunition feeding.

Lu Jianchuan's charge trajectory instantly became erratic, his silver armor dragging swift afterimages in the dim light.

He sometimes slid sideways, sometimes changed direction rapidly, and sometimes maneuvered with small-scale movements that defied physical common sense, precisely letting strings of bullets graze past his armor to strike the stone floor behind him, splashing countless sparks and gravel.

His goal was clear: close the distance despite the hail of bullets!

Cynthia and Lu Jianchuan shared a tacit understanding; almost the moment he charged out, she also exerted sudden force, rushing toward the Prometheus youth like a cannonball, intending to form a pincer attack with Lu Jianchuan.

Her mechanical exoskeleton gauntlets hummed, ready for action, as she also needed to evade the pouring barrage of bullets.

Meanwhile, Wei Ziqing unhesitatingly chose the blindfolded, Hanfu-clad "Immortal" as his opponent. He knew well that such enemies used bizarre methods and required a preemptive strike. His plain white figure turned into a bolt of swift lightning, his bone sword pointing straight at the opponent's center!

Facing Wei Ziqing's rapid approach, there seemed to be no ripples beneath the silk covering the Hanfu Immortal's eyes; only his ears twitched extremely subtly, as if listening to the trajectory of the wind and the sword.

The moment Wei Ziqing entered the range of a few meters before him, his originally naturally hanging arms suddenly raised forward, his wide sleeves moving without any wind.

Next, a scalp-numbing scene appeared—beneath the skin of his exposed wrists and forearms, several slender, twisted, wriggling marks suddenly bulged, as if living creatures were scurrying beneath the dermal layer!

"Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!"

Accompanied by slight tearing sounds, the skin of his arms was actually pierced from the inside! Several Centipedes, dark-colored like iron, with distinct segments and about the thickness of a thumb, shot out from his arms!

Their bodies were exceptionally long, instantly extending two or three meters; their front halves danced wildly in the air, biting and snapping, while their back halves remained deeply connected beneath the flesh of the Hanfu Immortal's arms, as if they were a terrifying extension of his nerves and blood vessels!

Though these Centipedes were not thick, their movements were as swift as whips, carrying a fishy wind as they bit and coiled toward the rapidly charging Wei Ziqing from different angles!

Their numbers compensated for their lack of size, weaving into a deadly net.

Wei Ziqing's pupils constricted as he cursed inwardly, yet his forward momentum did not stop. The bone sword in his hand carved out several sharp flashes of sword light, slashing toward the oncoming swarm of Centipedes.

However, the moment the blade touched the Centipedes' bodies, the feedback felt exceptionally troublesome!

The shells or muscle structures of these Centipedes were extremely supple, full of elasticity and the ability to deflect force.

When the sharp bone sword slashed them, it felt like hitting a tough, oil-soaked leather rope; it was hard to find purchase, and most of the force was slid away or absorbed, making it impossible to sever them in one blow!

Unless he could use the sword's body to precisely catch a certain segment and then cut with full force, but under their high-speed, dense, and wild dancing attacks, how could that be easy!

"Tsk!"

Wei Ziqing was forced to change his moves; his sword light shifted from slashing to parrying and leading, his figure weaving through the gaps between the attacks of several wildly dancing giant Centipedes like a butterfly through flowers, fraught with danger.

While evading the bites and coils that were enough to shatter stone, he constantly tried to adjust his angle, attempting to break through this annoying, supple line of defense to close the distance to the Hanfu Immortal's main body.

At the same time, Shen Mingyuan and two GUPA combatants did not join the chaotic battle ahead; their duty was to guard the rear.

Shen Mingyuan's twin pistols were as steady as a rock, his shots precise; every bullet took down a Sentry Dog trying to flank them or charge toward the pillar where the professor was hiding.

The two combatants formed a crossfire, using automatic rifles to suppress the frontal assault of the Sentry Dog pack. Shell casings flew, and gunfire was continuous, firmly constructing a firepower barrier to protect the professor's trio.

The battle between Wei Ziqing and the Hanfu Immortal presented a bizarre and sinister rhythm.

The Immortal's fighting style was indeed like driving multiple living long whips.

The dozen or so slender Centipedes connected to his arms, under his exquisite control, sometimes stabbed rapidly like venomous dragons emerging from a cave, sometimes coiled like nooses to block the path, and sometimes wove into a net to envelop Wei Ziqing's dodging space.

The Immortal's own footwork also carried the flavor of ancient martial arts; his figure was ethereal, swaying left and right with the Centipedes' attacks, always maintaining a dangerous distance most conducive to the Centipedes' effectiveness.

Wei Ziqing pushed the mobility of his Hero Shadow to its limit, weaving through the dense shadows of the whips.

He tried using his bone sword to block and entangle those Centipedes, intending to pull them closer, but the Centipedes themselves were living creatures with extremely fast reactions, and their supple bodies were difficult to simply lock down.

He also tried to seize opportunities for heavy slashes, but that damned suppleness always caused the fatal blows to slide away, only leaving shallow marks on the Centipedes' carapaces.

After several thrilling close-quarters turns, Wei Ziqing caught a moment when the Centipede swarm lagged slightly. He spun his waist violently, and the plain white "skirt" behind him whistled open with the spinning motion!

"Whoosh—!"

A large amount of fine biological fluorescent powder was deliberately flung into the space around his body, like a thin ring of mist.

Several of the fastest-pursuing Centipedes couldn't stop in time and instantly rushed into this powder mist ring; the fine powder immediately adhered to their dark segments and wriggling appendages.

"Puff! Sizzle—!"

The powder reacted violently with the air; while intense light suddenly appeared, the points of attachment generated localized high temperatures!

The searing pain caused these Centipedes to twitch violently, emitting a sharp, piercing screech that sounded like metal scraping mixed with insect cries!

From their injured mouthparts, they even sprayed a few drops of corrosive dark green acid, which splashed onto the stone floor, sending up wisps of white smoke.

Wei Ziqing had anticipated this; while flinging the powder, he had already crouched and slid toward the front-side, not only avoiding the acid but also closing a small distance.

Exerting force with his feet, he kicked up a fist-sized piece of gravel from the ground, caught it with his left hand, and spun to hurl it violently at the Immortal's face to distract his vision, while the bone sword in his right hand stabbed rapidly at the opponent's midsection like a viper's tongue, following close behind the gravel!

The gaze beneath the silk covering the Immortal's eyes could not be seen, but facing this well-coordinated interference and thrust, he did not seem flustered.

The several injured, screeching Centipedes instinctively wanted to retract into his arms, but he forcibly controlled them, still waving them to block, though their movements were slightly stiff and deformed due to pain. The bone sword struck a Centipede's body with a "ding" and was slid away again.

Seeing Wei Ziqing pressing closer step by step with this "self-harming" powder tactic, and the distance entering a dangerous range, the Immortal finally stopped relying solely on the Centipedes.

His arms shook, and all the Centipedes, including the injured ones, rapidly retracted into the openings in his arms like startled venomous snakes, leaving only slightly bleeding marks on the skin.

Immediately after, his figure shifted ghost-like to the side; instead of retreating, he actively approached a low-level Sentry Dog prowling at the edge of the battlefield. His left hand formed a finger-blade, a hint of unnatural greenish-black appearing at the fingertips, easily slicing open his own right palm; then, this palm, flowing with strangely colored blood, suddenly thrust into the Sentry Dog's chest cavity!

The Sentry Dog didn't even have time to let out a howl before its body began to twitch violently.

Without hesitation, the Immortal withdrew his palm and seized the Sentry Dog's neck, hurling it like a sandbag toward Wei Ziqing, who was about to seize the momentum for a strong attack!

Wei Ziqing saw a dark shadow accompanied by the sound of wind pouncing toward him; he couldn't see it clearly, but instinctively felt danger. His forward momentum stopped abruptly as he shifted sideways, sending the bone sword in his hand precisely forward!

"Puchi!"

The bone sword pierced through the flying Sentry Dog's body. The huge impact caused Wei Ziqing's arm to sink; he used the momentum to twist his waist and hips, violently slamming the Sentry Dog corpse impaled on his sword onto the ground beside him!

"Bang!"

The Sentry Dog slammed heavily onto the stone floor. However, the expected scene of it being a bloody mess and no longer moving did not occur.

That Sentry Dog, whose heart should have been pierced and should have died instantly, actually bounced up violently after landing! Not much blood flowed from the wound in its chest; instead, the muscle tissue was wriggling and proliferating frantically!

Its size expanded by nearly half in the blink of an eye, the skin on its shoulders and back tore open, and two thick, deformed newborn arms covered in bristles suddenly burst out!

Its head also became more hideous, its canine features mixed with an unspeakable frenzy, as it roared and pounced again at Wei Ziqing, who was close at hand, with speed and power far exceeding an ordinary Sentry Dog!

Alarm bells rang in Wei Ziqing's heart as he narrowly dodged this pounce by leaning back, feeling the fishy wind brought by the swing of those newborn arms.

"What?!"