Chapter 95: Chapter 95: Underhanded Moves (Additional Chapter for Alliance Hierarch EPICAC)

Zheng Guyuan and Zheng Yan both looked in the direction Lin Shen pointed, but they didn’t see anything. In fact, it was the direction from which they had come, and they hadn’t seen anything when they arrived either.

Of course, they couldn’t see anything, because there was nothing there to begin with—at least not when they looked that way. By then, everything had already vanished.

When Lin Shen had sized up that area just moments before, there had been something there. He had seen a Black-Capped Mushroom Beast stealthily standing behind a large tree, revealing only half of its gloomy face and pointing its claw in a certain direction.

The next second, the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast had disappeared without a trace, not even a sound.

At that time, Zheng Guyuan and Zheng Yan were both staring at Lin Shen and couldn’t see anything behind them. However, for the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast to make no sound that even Zheng Guyuan, an Ascender, could hear, its abilities were indeed not average for a Crystal-based Creature.

Lin Shen knew the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast was not benign. It feared Zheng Guyuan and dared not strike itself, so it wanted Lin Shen to lure Zheng Guyuan to a certain place.

That place must have been a trap set by the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast, and if Lin Shen went there, he might end up in a worse situation than Zheng Guyuan.

However, Lin Shen had no other choice at this point. If he went, there might still be a slim chance of survival; if he didn’t, it would truly be a certain death.

“Lin Shen, don’t think you can get off just by randomly pointing in a direction. Lead the way in front. If we don’t find it, I’ll flay your skin and leave you wishing for death without being able to achieve it,” Zheng Yan didn’t bother to hide his disgust and hatred for Lin Shen.

“Does he call the shots, or do you? If he does, it’s all the same to me; just kill me now,” Lin Shen ignored Zheng Yan, turning to speak to Zheng Guyuan.

Zheng Guyuan locked eyes with Lin Shen and, seeing that Lin Shen was unshaken as if resolved to death, said indifferently, “You transact with me, naturally, I call the shots.”

“Fine, you’re a big shot, your word is as good as nine tripods, I believe you,” Lin Shen said, then started to gather his possessions.

“Don’t move,” Zheng Yan stopped him and took Lin Shen’s belongings himself.

“Damn, here I thought you were some tough guy. Turns out you’re just a deadbeat,” Zheng Yan rifled through Lin Shen’s belongings. Apart from the Angel Revolver and his Red Jade Lion pet, which were of some value, the rest was junk.

As for pets like the Iron-horned Horse, Zheng Yan just threw them on the ground, not even bothering to pick them up.

The backpack and the Fatty inside were also tossed on the ground by Zheng Yan, who even kicked it, cursing, “Birds of a feather flock together; only trash would keep such trashy pets.”

Lin Shen kept silent, crouching down to pick up the Pet Capsules that Zheng Yan had thrown on the ground and deemed unworthy.

Crack!

Zheng Yan stomped down, crushing the Pet Capsule that Lin Shen was about to pick up into pieces.

Wei Wufu, holding a trident, was about to rush forward, but Lin Shen, who was crouching down, looked up and stopped Wei Wufu, saying calmly, “Under someone’s roof, one must bow their head. Old Wei, endure it for now; let’s focus on staying alive.”

“A wise man submits to circumstances. You really know when to yield and when to stand firm. I’m starting to admire you a little,” Zheng Yan said mockingly.

Watching Lin Shen pick up garbage from the ground, Zheng Yan felt an immense pleasure.

“You want to live? That’s impossible. Just endure it. In the end, your life will still be mine,” Zheng Yan seemed to already see the regret, unwillingness, despair, and frustration in Lin Shen’s expressions when he would be tormenting him to death.

Watching Lin Shen endure humiliation in exchange for a slim chance of survival, only to have that hope extinguished by his own foot, could satisfy Zheng Yan and quench the hatred in his heart.

No matter what Zheng Yan thought, after Lin Shen collected his things, he led the way, heading back in the direction they had come from.

Although Zheng Guyuan and Zheng Yan still harbored suspicions, they found it reasonable since the belongings weren’t on Lin Shen. Naturally, the only possibility was that they had been hidden along the escape route.

If Lin Shen had headed deeper into the Blue Tree Sea or in another direction, Zheng Guyuan wouldn’t have hesitated at all and would have immediately cut off one of Lin Shen’s arms first.

Lin Shen walked back the way he had come, but he had no idea what the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast was up to.

He didn’t know if the trap it had set would be effective against an Ascender; if it wasn’t, Lin Shen was doomed.

If it did work, and even an Ascender couldn’t withstand it, would he and Wei Wufu be able to bear it? The outcome probably wouldn’t be good either.

Lin Shen wanted to let Wei Wufu go first, guessing that Zheng Guyuan wouldn’t stop him for fear of the Wei Family of Tiancheng, but Lin Shen knew that Wei Wufu was not the kind of person who would leave first. If Lin Shen forcefully sent him away, it would only raise the suspicions of Zheng Guyuan and his group.

It was a difficult situation, and Lin Shen could only take it one step at a time.

“How much farther is it? Stop dragging your feet. Every minute you delay, I’ll let you live one more day when it comes time to flay you,” Zheng Yan urged Lin Shen to hurry.

“Give me the Red Jade Lion to ride, and naturally, I can go faster,” Lin Shen said calmly.

Just as Zheng Yan was about to say something, he suddenly felt the ground shake, and the surrounding trees began to violently sway.

The ground within a diameter of more than ten meters where they stood suddenly rose up, and a huge Purple Crystal Mushroom Beast emerged from below.

Zheng Guyuan grabbed Zheng Yan, and in an instant, they flew up into mid-air, while Lin Shen and Wei Wufu were not so lucky. As the colossal Purple Crystal Mushroom burst out, both were tossed about and fell down.

As a mountain-like Purple Crystal Mushroom Beast erupted from the ground and opened its mouth to swallow Zheng Guyuan and Zheng Yan in mid-air, a glimmer of hope rose in Lin Shen’s heart.

Such a massive Crystal-based Creature must have incredible strength. Perhaps it could match an Ascender, at least for a while, which could mean a chance for them to escape.

Boom!

Lin Shen’s hope was shattered with a loud bang as Zheng Guyuan’s Jade Sword flashed by, piercing through the head of the Purple Crystal Mushroom Beast.

Watching the head and cap of the Purple Crystal Mushroom Beast explode together, Lin Shen’s mood plummeted.

An Ascender’s power was outrageously strong, far beyond anything a Base Variant Creature could contend with. The designs of the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast were utterly useless.

It wasn’t just one Purple Crystal Mushroom Beast—even if there were ten or a hundred more, Zheng Guyuan could easily kill them all with a single sweep of his sword.

In the face of absolute power, all scheming and deception seemed like a joke.

“Is this all there is to the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast’s design?” Lin Shen watched as the Purple Crystal Mushroom Beast fell with a thunderous crash, kicking up a cloud of dust and shattered metal branches, his heart filled with doubt.

Given the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast’s vicious and cunning nature, Lin Shen would expect it to produce several Purple Crystal Mushroom Beasts. The fact that only one appeared, as if deliberately served up on a platter, made him suspicious.

“Could there be another move?” Lin Shen’s thoughts raced.

It was only after Zheng Guyuan was sure that the Purple Crystal Mushroom Beast was dead that he descended with Zheng Yan.

Unaware of the existence of a treacherous and cunning creature like the Black-Capped Mushroom Beast, he simply thought it was an ambush by a Crystal-based Creature and wasn’t concerned.

Zheng Yan was even a bit excited. The Purple Crystal Mushroom Beast was clearly a mutant, and if it happened to be carrying a Mutant Egg, that would be a huge windfall.

As Lin Shen watched Zheng Yan approach the corpse of the Purple Crystal Mushroom Beast to see if there were any Base Mutation Eggs within the shattered cap, a thought suddenly struck him.

“Could it be poison… no… not poison… it must be something more advanced… otherwise, it wouldn’t fool Zheng Guyuan…” Lin Shen seemed to have guessed something.

But before he could act, he suddenly felt as if the scenery in front of him became dreamlike, as if reality had turned into something out of a comic book, with little sprites whirling before his eyes.