Chapter 414 - 59: The Hero Does Not Save the Beauty
Li Rui’s mind thundered with noise as his expression went through a marvelous transformation, looking like an eggplant hit by frostbite—first white, then purple, and finally turning black.
Under his meticulous and nearly impregnable protection, the Divine Court’s Goddess went missing.
Instead of pleasing her, he had made a big blunder.
He, the captain of a Three Stars Mercenary Group, along with a dozen elite mercenaries, didn’t even know who had kidnapped Lord Sha Xi and the others.
Li Rui forced himself to remain calm and ordered his men to search the area.
There were no traces of a fight at the scene; since the kidnappers had abducted Sha Xi, they must have known her identity. On the continent, aside from a few superpowers and the royal families of the two great nations, few would dare to offend the Divine Court.
As long as the person was not dead, there was still a chance for redemption.
After patient searching, they discovered traces resembling those of vines at the original campsite, which likely indicated that the entire tent had been dragged away by some sort of vine.
"Captain, there is a field of Algae Grassland and Sheep’s Beard Grass ahead, and the dragging traces only lead to there," the mercenaries blundered about all night, and after several days of high tension, they were all utterly exhausted.
"Those black Algae Grasses seem harmless, and the Sheep’s Beard Grass, since it’s daytime, has no attack power. Quickly cross this grassland to search for the whereabouts of the Goddess and the others," Li Rui said with urgency and impatience.
"Ah---"
Several short screams in succession; the Sheep’s Beard Grass, which Li Rui had deemed forceless during the daytime, flared up like an attacked porcupine, shooting out nearly ten thousand White thorns at once.
In an instant, there was no time to dodge or to use a Protective Mystic Skill.
The mercenaries at the vanguard only saw a flash of white light before their bodies were covered with needle-fine White thorns like flies, crashing to the ground.
"Quick, get down on the ground," Li Rui, despite his vast experience, acted between life and death — he started up his Protective Mystic Skill while immediately prostrating himself to the ground.
The White thorns of the Sheep’s Beard Grass were exceedingly deadly but could only shoot upwards; they couldn’t reach the ground. Lying low could help avoid most of the White thorn attacks.
"Ah---"
Another terrified scream sounded, a few steps away from Li Rui, a mercenary, although he had just evaded the attack of the Sheep’s Beard Grass but had barely touched the ground.
He felt a cold sensation on his wrist.
The dark green, low-growing Black Algae Grass, commonly found around the campsite, eerily wrapped around his wrist.
The slender leaves, like tentacles, tightened inward. First came a pain at the wrist, then numbness, and in an instant, he lost control over his body.
The tall mercenary, nearly two yards high with a physique like a small tower, felt an irresistible force drag him inward. His body, taut as a bowstring, was suddenly pulled into the algae.
"Crack, crack, crack," a nausea-inducing sound as if crushed by heavy weight filled the air.
All Li Rui and his men could do was watch helplessly as the Black Algae devoured the male mercenary, leaving nothing but bones.
After devouring the mercenary, the swarm of Black Algae reproduced at an astonishing rate, charging towards where Li Rui and the others were prostrated, like a mighty army of Black Armored Soldiers.
Without a chance to resist, several more mercenaries fell prey to the Burning Poison Algae’s encirclement, none survived.
Black Forest, this was the true threat of the Black Forest’s Demon Grass.
It’s over, all over.
Li Rui let out a scream of utter desperation: "Run, run!"
The remaining mercenaries were reduced to just two or three, and Li Rui, bereft of any semblance of his Five-star Mercenary prestige, fled desperately as though out of his mind.
It was at this moment that a gleam of golden light shone, and Li Rui found himself rooted to the spot.
That golden light was like the rising sun at dawn, or the first breath of spring wind melting the winter’s ice, calming Li Rui’s heart, which had been filled with panic and unease.
"Divine Court, Divine Son," Li Rui widened his eyes, stuttering as he saw the man who had appeared abruptly before him.
Hope was rekindled in his heart that had once given in to despair.
There stood a man, gentle as moonlight yet radiating with divine luminescence.
Even though he had never met Zong Shaoqing before, Li Rui was certain with just one look that the man before him was the Divine Son of the Divine Court.
His visage was such that one dared not look directly; in that moment, it seemed as if every plant and tree within the Black Forest had halted its breath.
Compared to Lord Sha Xi, Zong Shaoqing before him was indeed the true God’s Chosen Son.
The current scene in the Black Forest could only be described as horrific.
After meeting with Zong Shaoqing and entering Green Land Black Forest, Song Mu surreptitiously raised an eyebrow.
The Divine Rui light of the Divine Son’s Protective Mystic Skill caused the Sheep’s Beard Grass and Burning Poison Algae to shrink back as if encountering a blistering flame.
As though they possessed Spiritual Sense, the Burning Poison Algae quickly retreated into the depths of the Black Forest like the tide going out.
The Sheep’s Beard Grass returned to its usual appearance, while the ground was littered with the corpses of mercenaries, long since devoured by the Burning Poison Algae without even bones remaining, their equipment scattered about in a sight that was shocking to witness.
"Impressive," Song Mu shook his head in approval. As a Judgement Envoy of the Divine Court, he too had led numerous surprise assaults. If it had been him in such a bizarre Black Forest, facing such Demon Grass, he would also have been in quite a predicament.
To toy with an experienced Three-star Mercenary in the palm of one’s hand, the most frustrating part was that the opponent hadn’t even shown his face once.
"Divine Son, it’s good that you’re here. Please rescue my brothers and the Divine Lady, she’s been captured," seeing Zong Shaoqing, Li Rui suddenly felt hopeful, and crawling on his knees, he moved forward to plead earnestly.
"I’ll go find her and clean up the mess," Zong Shaoqing said no more and his figure flickered, ready to leave.
Find her?
Song Mu watched as his Divine Son departed, suddenly realizing a problem: "Divine Son, wait a moment, the Moonlight Powder indicates that Lord Sha Xi is trapped in the forest ahead of you, you’re going in the wrong direction."
Zong Shaoqing paused for a moment, leaving behind the words: "Lord Sha Xi’s predicament is of no concern to me."
His tone implied that he had cleared the way and what should be, should be.
No sooner had the words fallen than both Li Rui and Song Mu felt a void before their eyes as Zong Shaoqing had vanished.
Upon reflection, Song Mu found something amiss about the Divine Son’s demeanor today. It even felt familiar - the ’her’ that the Divine Son mentioned repeatedly, could it be?
Could it be that unsightly woman from last time? The Divine Son’s taste was indeed unconventional.
"Who is the Divine Son going to find?" Li Rui stuttered. The Divine Son and Goddess of the Divine Court were truly not ordinary people; one was more extraordinary than the other.
"None of your damn business, keep your head down and do your job," Song Mu straightened his face and snorted, heading toward the dense forest ahead.
After taking a few steps, Song Mu seemed to recall something, pointed at Li Rui, and said: "You lead the way. I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself. Rescue the Goddess, or else once you return to Five Saints Town, not even an Immortal can save you."