Chapter 00088: New Season, New Version
# New Season, New Version
Chapter 88
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 88: New Season, New Version
In the brief silence, gunfire erupted like thunderclaps.
Bullets whizzed past.
The moment the lever-action rifle was raised, Lou Feng instinctively dismissed it, thinking little of it.
But in the next instant, a chill swept over him, and sensing that something was amiss, he reflexively shrank back to dodge.
Once the deafening sound spread out, he noticed the deep gouges etched into the ethereal shield before him.
A cold sweat trickled down, and a streak of silver light grazed his temple, slicing through his unkempt hair, followed by a slow trickle of blood that felt both thick and icy, inducing a wave of dizziness.
Alchemy bullets! And within the bullets, mercury...
The moment he recognized the material, a fearful realization struck him out of the blue. — Fluid alchemy?!
Yet mercury was also a common alchemical material, still widely used even in modern alchemy.
One single bullet could not fully reveal the truth.
But his heart began to race uncontrollably.
Clenching the shattered bullet, his eyes turned crimson as he could no longer suppress his anger. “Silan, kill them!”
“Understood—”
The returning knights, who had long awaited this moment, no longer hesitated.
Their spirit steeds neighed fiercely as they charged towards the agile rider with unrestrained ferocity!
Like a moving iron wall!
Though only a dozen knights, they closed off every escape route with their coordinated advance, leaving no chance for the enemy to flee.
In the small tricycle racing forward, An quietly tugged at Ji Jue’s sleeve and finally spoke up, “They struck first, Brother Ji Jue.”
“Mm.” Ji Jue nodded, “It’s clear now that there’s no path to peace.”
“If they’re the enemy, then there’s no other way,” the boy blinked, hesitatingly asking the final question: “Can we kill them?”
For a brief moment, Ji Jue fell silent, recalling Wenwen’s advice before his departure.
Little An was a well-mannered child, obedient and quiet.
He lacked common sense; in truth, growing up in a place like the An Family, he had never developed the notions of morality, good and evil, or compassion… just like the people of Cliff City who had never seen winter.
He understood this well.
That was why he relied on others for guidance, assistance, and thought.
Thus, he should not be burdened with complex matters, nor expected to have the weak thinking of an average person.
He would protect you, throwing himself into danger, but don’t expect him to see others as equals.
Do not let him fight, unless absolutely necessary.
But now, there was no room for patience or retreat.
He said, “Do as you wish.”
Click!
In that instant, it felt as if invisible shackles had been undone.
A gentle smile appeared on that youthful face, as soft and bright as a child basking in sunshine at an amusement park.
Because blood fell onto his face.
Ji Jue barely noticed how he vanished from behind; in the blink of an eye, the boy faded away like mist.
Moments later, he had crossed dozens of meters, appearing right before the spirit war steed.
The dark star sliced through the air, gripped between his fingers.
Without effort, he waved it!
Then, the passing war horse and knight collided with an invisible blade, bursting apart and scattering forward due to inertia, leaving a fleeting splash of bright red in the air!
Soon, a piercing scream erupted.
With a slight movement of his fingers, a shard of iron was released from his sleeve, transforming into a streak of white light that surged forward.
But in that instance, Silan suddenly accelerated, rushing from the back of the line to the front, blocking the projectile.
He was cloaked in heavy red armor, raising his shield that was scarred with cuts.
The shield clashed violently against the white light of sword energy, unleashing a deafening roar.
The iron shard ricocheted away, but the next moment, a scream erupted beside him.
The reflected iron piece surged forth with renewed vigor, speeding up and correcting its path, piercing through another knight's chest and creating a deep wound!
Blood flowed in torrents, instantly dealing a heavy blow! — Throwing Vessel Ritual: Brave Arrow!
Silan remained unperturbed, not even bothering to shift his gaze as he tossed a spear from the saddle.
Thunder erupted as the spear howled, penetrating the ground and lodging into where Anran had initially stood.
But the boy had once again vanished, appearing ghost-like at the edge of Silan's vision—behind him! The dark star swept across, effortlessly slicing through the helmet, and just as quickly, clashed with a reversed blade, sending sparks flying!
Combat erupted, yet neither side wavered, maintaining their composure.
One had long been hardened by battle, indifferent to life and death.
The other, having never truly grasped the concept of mortality throughout his life.
The killing machine of the Great Horde collided with the hunter of the White Deer Path, clashing, switching moves, then breaking away.
A fine crack appeared on Silan's faceplate, running through his eye socket, thick crimson seeping from the fissure as if his brain had nearly been pierced in that blow.
Meanwhile, Little An flicked his hand, allowing a droplet of blood to fall from his fingertip.
His arm, bearing a grave wound, opened up only to quickly seal again under the tightening of muscles, covering the exposed bones with flesh.
Only the half-sleeve brightened, dyed in blood.
He flicked his finger once more.
Dozens, even hundreds, of iron shards burst forth from his sleeve, swirling like stars in the sky, converging, morphing into a turbulent flow that charged towards the knights of the homecoming.
Instantly, pale sword energy blended with the crimson, and the sound of steel grinding on steel filled the air, while countless dispersing sword energies recombined from his dark star, forming an intense, almost blood-dripping red blade.
Long and ethereal, it freely transitioned between reality and illusion, weaving through the expansive hall, even lifting Little An’s weightless body as he soared into the void, as though he had unfurled invisible wings, breaking free from the bonds of earth and gravity.
Revealing a brand new form! — Matrix: Sword Sound!
A cold snort rang out from the sound of iron hooves, and silver mist suddenly materialized.
Vague silhouettes emerged from the air, the doppelgangers crafted from ethereal substances unleashed their unique transformations.
Countless tiny particles of ethereal mist became indistinguishable to the naked eye, but instantly shrouded the sky, easily creating wounds on the boy’s body.
But at that moment, Silan’s expression changed dramatically.
“Don’t!”
The leader of the returning knights turned, shouting and roaring, directing his warning at Lou Feng.
It was then Lou Feng noticed the faint, rustling sounds, akin to insects scuttling across the floor, as well as glimmers of metal that seemed dreamlike!
That was mercury!
A large amount of mercury flowed across the ground, writhing and shifting, its many pieces seemed alive, growing insect-like limbs that crawled adeptly through gaps, walls, and ceilings, or squirming with bulging ‘bellies.’
At this moment, it had already surrounded Lou Feng.
Then, a sharp sound rang out.
It was like something had been pulled apart.
Those crude and grotesque mercury constructs all opened their mouths, releasing a familiar sight—
The pins from grenades?!
In that instant, Lou Feng's face turned pale.
He turned back with a roar, “Ji—”
Ji Jue smiled, tightening his grip.
Boom!!!!
Sixteen violent explosions erupted in close proximity, consuming him completely.
With no hesitation, he emptied all his grenades in one go, countless shrapnel flying out with blistering heat and blinding light accompanied by the deafening roar.
Waves of shock reverberated, colliding in one place, twisting the very sound of the blast.
The silver mist above instantly contracted, blocking Lou Feng’s path, only to rapidly evaporate under the unexpected terrifying force, visible to the naked eye.
Right before Lou Feng, the ethereal doppelganger flickered violently, the blurred face struggling to rise.
Then, a hand casually pressed against that blank visage.
Suddenly, it closed.
Crack!
A muffled roar echoed, yet everything quickly returned to silence.
Before Lou Feng’s eyes, the ethereal doppelganger of the Lou clan elder disintegrated effortlessly in Ji Jue’s grip, dissipating into viscous ether, scattering without a trace.
Before he could react, the pitch-black gun muzzle rose, aiming at the dazed Lou Feng, pulling the trigger without hesitation.
After directly enduring the explosion of sixteen defensive grenades, the dragon scale armor enveloping Lou Feng let out a wailing cry.
After the impact of the mercury projectile, he was sent flying backwards.
He didn’t even have time to be shocked or scream.
Boom!
“Sorry, the new version update has nerfed ethereal shaping!”
Ji Jue closed in step by step, steadily squeezing the trigger at Lou Feng without any pause, swinging like a leather whip, forcing Lou Feng into a frantic scramble.
“In the new season, we've made many cool changes, and added more heroes for minorities; you’ll definitely love them!”
And in his hands, intricate matrix totems flickered with ethereal light.
This was the singular reason that entirely turned the tide of battle, rendering Lou Feng powerless—Matrix: Non-Offensive!
The difference between a chosen one with a matrix and one without was evident when one looked back at the way the former newbie, Ji Jue, was suppressed by Lou Feng.
The enhancements brought about by the matrix were a complete transformation for the chosen!
Now, it was Lou Shao’s turn to taste defeat!
Though he seemed to have been tasting it for a while, why not have him savor it a little longer!
Non-Offensive.
Its effect was exactly as described—lacking any active offensive capability, and even the subsequent blessings that came with advancement held no direct lethality.
Matrices themselves have their limits; no matter how advanced, they cannot possess everything.
You cannot expect a matrix to provide enhancements to the soul and willpower while simultaneously exercising control over the surroundings, or embodying the swift, penetrating, and explosive nature of the White Deer, along with the stealth and trickery of the Mirror, the defense and hardness of the Wasteland, and the control and manipulation skills akin to those of the Embers...
Such a thing has never existed.
Even if one were to find a contemporary grandmaster to forcibly create it, no human soul could bear such a burden.
It would only exist as a beautiful yet foolish exhibit on display.
Perhaps this was only the most convenient lethal weapon; as long as someone was foolish enough to attempt to use it on themselves.
And Non-Offensive represented, without doubt, the core of that specialized matrix that discarded all else.
In the past, the Celestials adopted a utilitarian mindset, eliminating all other possibilities in favor of this one option.
They sacrificed all aggressiveness and defensive strength in exchange for an unprecedented degree of precision and utmost benevolence!
Simply put, the primary purpose of designing this matrix was not about resisting the tyrannical and brutal imperial regime but maximizing convenience for its user to...
At any time, without hesitation, grab the bucket and run!
Ah, I worked overtime until four or five last night.
I’d appreciate a monthly ticket~
(End of chapter)