Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Such Power

Xu Qingsui saw Chu Tian, too. Because of his old-fashioned way of thinking, she still didn’t look at him kindly.

"Thanks for just now!" Chu Tian opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and finally managed to get out those four simple words.

Everyone had been waiting to see how Chu Tian would act. Seeing him offer just a quick, simple "thank you," they were utterly disappointed.

Xu Qingsui couldn’t help but roll her eyes. ’His mindset is just too stubborn.’

Still, she offered a polite, noncommittal reply.

Then she turned to Shen Yan. "They sensed our presence, and that’s why they attacked."

"However, what just happened confirms we made the right choice. If we keep going this way, we’ll find their lair."

"But now they’re aware of us, too. There’s bound to be a bigger stir. Once we find them, they’ll be on guard, so we have to be extra careful from here on out."

Shen Yan nodded. "Understood. But we’ll have to keep counting on you. As long as you can do what you did before, we can still avoid a lot of the risk."

Xu Qingsui nodded. "I’ll do my best, but if they swarm us, I might not be much help. It will be up to everyone else then."

Shen Yan acknowledged this, and after giving everyone another warning, he led the team forward.

Perhaps because of the last encounter, the Mutants seemed hesitant and didn’t attack again for a while.

They used this time to finally reach the end of the fork in the path.

Ahead was a large cave. Looking in from the entrance, it was pitch-black, and nothing could be seen.

While still a good distance away, Xu Qingsui called for the team to halt. The situation inside the cave was unknown; anything could be in there. To be safe, they needed to scout it out before deciding on their next move.

After briefly explaining her thoughts, Xu Qingsui deferred to Shen Yan for the final decision.

After all, she wasn’t familiar with the other team members and didn’t know who was best suited for reconnaissance.

Shen Yan called Chu Tian over, and after he explained the situation, Chu Tian’s eyes suddenly lit up.

He had been dwelling on the earlier incident the entire way. Being saved by Xu Qingsui had been a blow to his pride.

But in this situation, he had no chance to redeem himself, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

But now, an opportunity had presented itself. He had to do something to get his pride back.

His mind made up, Chu Tian immediately said to Shen Yan, "Boss, the situation here is complex. That’s very likely the Mutants’ lair in there, so let me handle the scouting mission!"

"Everyone wait here for my signal. If there really are Mutants inside, I’ll clear them out before calling you in."

As he spoke, his gaze kept drifting over to Xu Qingsui.

He puffed out his chest, as if to show Xu Qingsui that in a real crisis, you still need a man.

Xu Qingsui knew exactly what he was implying. Utterly disdainful of his childish posturing, she immediately turned her head away.

Shen Yan, of course, also knew what he was thinking. But now wasn’t the time for emotional decisions, and he was about to talk him down.

But Chu Tian, as if terrified of losing this chance to prove himself, didn’t even give Shen Yan an opportunity to speak. He ignored the dangers of the cave and charged straight in.

Seeing him go, Shen Yan could only shake his head in resignation.

"Just a moment ago, he was the one going on about discipline and not acting like a lone wolf, and now he’s the first to break the rules."

Xu Qingsui’s voice sounded beside him. Shen Yan looked at her and said helplessly, "Honestly, aside from his chauvinism, he’s not a bad guy. He just lost his head this time. I’ll reprimand him after this is all over."

Xu Qingsui had been watching this unfold with an amused expression, but after Shen Yan spoke, her face suddenly turned cold.

"Let’s worry about that after he makes it back! Something’s happened inside!"

In that instant, Xu Qingsui had suddenly felt a powerful surge of spiritual power from within the cave.

It was a mix of two presences—one from the Mutants, and the other from Chu Tian.

She knew instantly that Chu Tian had run into the Mutants. The situation was dire; he was already in a state of high tension.

Even though she couldn’t stand Chu Tian, she wasn’t about to stand by and watch a teammate get into trouble.

So, as soon as the words left her mouth, she instinctively charged toward the cave entrance.

Her hand was already resting on her waist.

Shen Yan instantly realized something was wrong. He drew his weapon and bolted past Xu Qingsui.

Seeing their captain in trouble, the other members quickly followed suit.

They passed through the pitch-black entrance, and suddenly, their vision was filled with light.

The first thing they saw upon entering was a writhing mass of vibrant colors.

It was disorienting for a moment, but they quickly realized they were looking at countless Mutants.

Chu Tian was already surrounded by a sea of them.

With every strike, he felled several Mutants, but more would immediately swarm forward to take their place.

His forehead was slick with cold sweat, his face pale with panic.

Fortunately for him, the sudden arrival of the others gave the Mutants new targets.

As more people poured in, many of the Mutants turned their attention to the newcomers, instantly taking the pressure off Chu Tian.

The newcomers froze for only a second at the sight before them, then drew their weapons and began to mow down the Mutants.

Shen Yan’s first instinct was to go help Xu Qingsui, but just as he was about to move, he changed his mind.

’When the trouble started, Xu Qingsui was the first one to rush in. For her to do that, she must have a way to protect herself.’

’Remembering how he’d seen her skillfully manipulate three different elements, Shen Yan held back completely.’

’Perhaps this was another chance to see her fight. And under these circumstances, he would have the perfect excuse to ask her how she could control three elements.’

Seeing this as a golden opportunity, Shen Yan even took a few silent steps back.

Meanwhile, Xu Qingsui, her eyes fixed on the surging Mutants, didn’t notice what Shen Yan was doing.

She knew it was time for her to act. But instead of manipulating the elements, she drew her weapon—Crimson Chain—from her waist.

She had already observed that aside from their speed and corrosive saliva, these Mutants weren’t anything special.

With Crimson Chain in hand, she was perfectly capable of dealing with them, as long as she didn’t give them an opening.

She immediately swung Crimson Chain, slicing the Mutant in front of her in two.

He hadn’t gotten to see Xu Qingsui use her elemental powers, but when he saw the weapon in her hand, Shen Yan’s eyes widened all the same.

He could, of course, recognize the origin of her weapon, and a flood of new questions instantly filled his mind.

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