Chapter 60

Below the neck shell is the neck of the Scarlet-scaled Tortoise, the critical area that triggers its sneeze.

The physiological structure of such extraordinary creatures is similar to that of ordinary land tortoises, with a massive lung. However, due to the constraints of the shell, the lung cannot expand or contract freely. Air is instead supplied to the lungs through the movement of the head and neck.

The breathing of the Scarlet-scaled Tortoise is closer to a combustion process, requiring a large amount of air and oxygen to sustain it.

If the Fiery Rock Xuanwu’s physiological structure retains characteristics from its time as a Scarlet-scaled Tortoise, then just below the neck shell is the second destination for their escape plan.

After hearing Ellen’s description, Mu Huiyue contacted Xu Chenglu via telepathy.

The neck shell was farther than expected, exceeding the 400-meter limit of the telepathy range.

To ensure everyone’s safety, Mu Huiyue acted as a relay, allowing Ellen to guide Xu Chenglu to the neck shell, confirming that the next part of the plan could be carried out.

At times like this, it would have been great if she could communicate with Ellen via telepathy…

Mu Huiyue sighed, regretting that dark-type extraordinary creatures find it difficult to learn mental-type skills. As someone with a dark-elemental enhancement talent, she couldn’t enhance telepathy the way Lin Fei could.

However, the effects of Beastmastery talents and attributes vary greatly. No one else could sneak into the shadow space with their pets like Mu Huiyue could.

After waiting for two more regular check-in times, Ellen returned to her shadow.

Xu Chenglu had already confirmed the position of the neck, and the accompanying Scarlet-scaled Tortoise even pointed out the specific area. Ellen had just tested a bone spike ambush, which quickly caused vibrations in the ground.

During the wait, Mu Huiyue indeed felt minor seismic tremors, but fortunately, the fiery red crystals did not shatter or spill molten liquid.

Both key targets had been located. The remaining task was to execute the escape plan.

Mu Huiyue looked at the shadowy figure of the Fang Tooth Soldier.

The success of this plan depended on Ellen’s actions.

After she and Xu Chenglu returned to the volcano crater and reunited with the others, Ellen would head alone to the neck armor location to complete the feat of making the Furious Rock Tortoise sneeze.

The distances to both locations exceeded the 400-meter range of telepathy, but they were still within the range that Mu Huiyue could reach with her Beastmaster space.

So she would have enough time to recall Ellen into the Beastmaster space just before he was about to exit.

That being said, during his solo mission, she wouldn’t be able to communicate with Ellen and would have to rely on careful timing and a pre-made plan.

If any unforeseen incidents occurred during the mission, the pressure of whether it could be successfully executed would fall entirely on Ellen.

The Fang Tooth Soldier seemed to sense her concern and made a gentle clicking sound.

“Click, click, click.”

(Don’t worry, Huiyue. The Scarlet-scaled Tortoise’s Beastmaster has confirmed that this area is very likely to cause the Furious Rock Tortoise to sneeze.)

Mu Huiyue looked into the eerie blue flame in his eye sockets.

The skeletal warrior’s long, bone fingers gently patted the Beastmaster’s head, just like how she used to pat the little skeletons.

“Click, click?”

(After all, the same strategy, I successfully executed it when I was a little skeleton, didn’t I?)

“Mm…” Mu Huiyue lowered her gaze, then nodded firmly. “Then I leave it to you, Ellen.”

“Woof!”

Baiya let out a low bark. Since it could be temporarily recalled by the Beastmaster, it could also execute the plan with Ellen!

“Click.”

Ellen sank into the shadows, descending to a height where it was easier to talk to the little dog, and shook his head at Baiya.

“Click, click, click.”

(Huiyue can’t be without any pets around her, like I said before, when I’m not around, the task of protecting the Beastmaster falls to you, Baiya.)

Ellen rarely referred to Baiya by name so seriously, instead of calling it “little dog.”

Baiya paused slightly, then its eyes hardened with determination.

“Woof!” (I will protect Huiyue, no matter what!)

No matter how the two pets interacted privately, they could fully trust each other when it came to their responsibility toward Mu Huiyue.

“Ellen, take this.”

Mu Huiyue handed the now useless compass to the skeletal soldier.

Although the directional needle was no longer functional, the internal mechanical clock was still running smoothly.

“Thirty minutes from now, we’ll launch a full-scale attack on that area and provoke the Angry Rock Xuanwu to sneeze!”

“Click.”

The skeletal soldier took the compass and disappeared into the shadows.

Mu Huiyue felt Ellen’s presence already distant and glanced at the little cloud dog beside her.

“We also need to hurry, Baiya.”

“Woof!”

The duo quickly ran back toward their previous route.

The return trip went smoothly with the communication via telepathy, and before long, Mu Huiyue arrived at what was determined to be the lung area.

Wen Li, Chen Jiashu, and Lin Fei were already waiting there. Shortly after she arrived, Xu Chenglu hurried over.

“Has Ellen reached the neck armor yet?” Mu Huiyue asked.

“We’ve arrived. I confirmed the attack location with it before returning,” Xu Chenglu replied, catching his breath.

Mu Huiyue glanced at her phone, which had no signal, and noted that there were still 15 minutes left until the scheduled time.

“Then let’s begin.” She looked at the other four.

The temperature here was very high, the feeling already exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, and the air exhaled with each breath felt like it carried sparks.

The temperature in the active volcano area above the lungs was even higher. Even a Beastmaster with a physique far superior to that of an ordinary human couldn’t stay there for long.

According to Wen Li’s description, the interior of the active volcano was almost entirely filled with flowing magma, and one could encounter explosive flames at any moment. Only the bottom of the magma barely revealed parts of volcanic rock.

The [Elemental Shield] of the Chaos Thundercloud could last about ten minutes, which would be the key factor in whether the group could successfully escape.

Chen Jiashu summoned his pet, the Chaos Thundercloud, while the others returned their pets to their Beastmaster spaces to conserve space for the shield.

Mu Huiyue looked at the sensor on her wristband’s encyclopedia.

[Name]: Chaos Thundercloud
[Attributes]: Wind, Thunder

[Species Level]: Low-tier Monarch

[Growth Rank]: Growth Stage 2

[Species Introduction]: A transcendent creature composed of pure elemental energy, an evolved form of the raincloud, with the elemental core located at the eye of the storm in the thundercloud’s center, possessing immunity to most elemental skills.

In some ways, elemental transcendent creatures are similar to undead transcendent creatures that possess corpses, both prioritizing their energy core, with other parts immune to attacks of their respective resistances.

The Chaos Thundercloud relies on its elemental immunity to create the [Elemental Shield], which serves as the trump card to resist the high-temperature flames within the active volcano.

Chen Jiashu instructed the Chaos Thundercloud to create an [Elemental Shield] capable of accommodating five people for escape.

This shield nearly depleted all of the Chaos Thundercloud’s energy. Wen Li further reinforced it with the [Burning Blood] talent, ultimately forming a thick, pure energy layer that emitted a soft glow.

The moment she was enveloped by the elemental energy layer, feeling the high temperature being blocked by the shield, Mu Huiyue let out a soft breath.

The bold plan she had come up with on a whim was about to enter its most critical phase.

Initially, she had thought that with the beastmaster’s physique and each person’s defensive measures, it wouldn’t be impossible to tough out the volcanic eruption.

But she had underestimated the energy within the body of the Angry Lava Tortoise.

Without the Chaos Thundercloud’s elemental shield, even if they successfully escaped, the group would still suffer significant injuries.

The current situation was undoubtedly much better than anticipated. Now, it all depended on Ellen.

…

The compass was about to reach the agreed-upon time.

The Fang Tooth Soldier emerged from the shadows, standing on the deep crimson high platform.

Before him was the slowly writhing giant—this was the neck of the Angry Lava Tortoise, which was gradually retracting backward in small motions.

As long as enough stimulation was provided, this colossal creature would reflexively sneeze, just like the Red-craft Tortoise.

The key was enough stimulation.

The beastmaster’s grip on the Red-craft Tortoise’s neck was enough to trigger a sneeze. But for the ultimate form of the Angry Lava Tortoise, with its size and energy, how much force would be required? Ellen couldn’t say for sure.

However, this was the perfect opportunity. Since evolving into the Fang Tooth Soldier, he had never truly tested the limits of his full strength, to see what kind of results he could achieve.

Above the shadows, black mist surged, nearly engulfing the pale white skeleton standing within it.

The bluish flame in Ellen’s eyes flickered.

The shadows on the ground seemed to come alive, intertwining one after another, forming a massive bone in his hand—much thicker and taller than ever before, towering to half his height.

First, there was the state skill Calcification, which increases the power of skills.

The surrounding black mist surged upward, forming a turbulent vortex around the skeleton’s hand that gripped the bone. The mist stirred the shadows within the space, and for a moment, all light was swallowed by the shadows.

The massive bone, along with the arm holding it, became coated in a layer of sharp metallic color, gleaming with a darkened glow amidst the black mist.

Next, there was the addition of the Netherfire attached to the bone blade.

The Fang Tooth Soldier snapped his fingers with his empty hand, and the ghostly blue Netherfire exploded, with the flowing blue flames spiraling around the dark bone blade, lighting up a new source of light in the shadowed space.

The next step was the necessary measure to ensure the target would be hit.

The earlier soul tremor had no effect on the fiery molten liquid because it was not an entity with independent consciousness.

However, if the concept of an individual was expanded to the entire space, the Angry Lava Tortoise certainly had a thinking core as an extraordinary creature.

Considering this premise, the soul tremor might still have an effect on the Angry Lava Tortoise.

The pale white skeleton opened its jaw bone, and invisible energy waves suddenly expanded from him, rippling outward.

Intimidation!

The surging black mist was torn apart by the waves of intimidation, directly targeting the slowly moving giant creature ahead. It was the Angry Lava Tortoise’s neck, and further up, its head— the control center for its entire body and mind!

A silent soul shriek erupted alongside the intimidation, striking the deep red giant with force.

Soul Tremor!

The massive creature, which had been slowly retracting, seemed to be frozen by an unknown force and paused in that moment.

The black mist around the Fang Tooth Soldier surged, like a tidal wave of shadows about to engulf everything.

The ghostly blue Netherfire enveloped the sharp bone blade, forming a spear-like conical flame, its tip pointed forward. A powerful energy field twisted into a massive vortex in the sea of black mist.

The compass, which had been stored in the shadow, ticked to the agreed time with Mu Huiyue.

Ellen aimed at the paused giant and put all his strength into delivering the strike.

Bone Spike Assault!