novelTele Chapter 137 Water Arrow
Chapter 137 Water Arrow
Chapter 137 Water Arrow
Since entering the Iron Bone Realm, Xu Mo has been able to clearly feel the continuous changes taking place within his body.
The blood and qi within one's body, like a stream that originally flowed only in a narrow channel, suddenly merged into a wider and deeper riverbed. Not only did the water flow itself become powerful and vigorous, but it also absorbed the tributaries and rainwater along the way every moment, constantly growing stronger.
This is not a deliberate guidance during the practice of "gathering qi" or active exercise, but rather an almost instinctive "internal circulation" that occurs at all times.
Qi and blood circulate spontaneously within the iron-hard bones, the steel-strong fascia, and the widened and strengthened meridians. Each cycle is like an invisible hammer, tempering and solidifying the body in the most minute details. Strength, speed, reflexes, and...
Even the sensitivity of the five senses accumulates and improves little by little in this continuous "self-evolution".
This reminded Xu Mo of when he first broke through to the Bull Skin Realm. It was similar then; his body seemed to have broken free from a heavy constraint and entered a completely new and potentially limitless stage. His strength increased rapidly for quite some time after the breakthrough.
Xu Mo's sudden surge in strength led him to misjudge his own power. For a time, he believed his strength had remained at the level of someone who had just broken through to the Bull Skin Realm, so much so that he didn't expect to be so strong when he later rescued the Sharp Sword Squad.
The growth of this Iron Bone Realm cultivator now seems to be more profound and has greater potential.
Xu Mo felt that every heartbeat of his was injecting new energy into his increasingly powerful body.
"If we were to categorize it carefully—" After cultivating, Xu Mo felt the surging blood and energy within his body and pondered, "I should be considered to be in the early stage of the Iron Bone Realm now, and in the rapid growth phase of the early stage."
The second uncle who taught him the "Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training" only mentioned the major realms of "cow skin," "iron bones," and "golden body," without mentioning the subtle differences and stages within each realm.
Xu Mo had always used this rough classification method before, but now it seems that in order to better grasp his own state and future cultivation direction, it is necessary to establish a more detailed standard in his mind.
Based on his own experience, Xu Mo initially divided each major realm into three stages:
Initial stage: After breaking through, the body undergoes a qualitative change, entering a "bonus period" of rapid growth in strength. Abilities in all aspects are significantly improved, and the user is in the stage of adaptation and exploration of the use of power in the new realm.
Mid-term: The period of rapid growth ends, and the rate of strength improvement slows significantly, entering a relatively calm but more stable accumulation period. The main tasks in this stage are to consolidate the foundation, refine energy, master existing power, and prepare for the next qualitative leap.
Great Success: After long-term accumulation, energy is abundant, and the body reaches the limit of the current realm, vaguely able to touch the barrier of the next realm. At this time, it is necessary to find an opportunity or accumulate enough "foundation" to try to break through the bottleneck.
"I just don't know how long this early stage of the Iron Bone Realm can last." Xu Mo looked at the elongated shadow cast on the courtyard wall, feeling both anticipation and a hint of worry.
Growth is naturally better the faster it is, but Xu Mo also knows that rapid growth in the early stages cannot last forever.
He both hoped that this rapid advancement phase could last longer, allowing him to accumulate more substantial power; and he also vaguely sensed that the waters of the Iron Bone Realm were probably much deeper than those of the Bullhide Realm, and that reaching "Great Success" or even glimpsing the next "Golden Body" Realm would be no easy task.
The next day, Xu Mo composed himself and checked his equipment.
She was still dressed in the same sharp gear: AWM, AK-47, machete, and TT33. When Xu Mo met Zhang Yun at the rendezvous point, she keenly noticed that Zhang Yun's gaze held a hint of inexplicable trust that was present compared to the day before.
After yesterday's sneak attack by the fish by the river, the thin layer of ice between the two, which was purely a "temporary partnership," has melted away, replaced by a more solid tacit understanding and recognition built up in the face of danger.
"Still in F-6 today." Zhang Yun handed the route map to Xu Mo, his tone calm, but his eyes lingered for a moment on the machete at Xu Mo's waist.
"Hmm." Xu Mo took the map and glanced at it; the route was the same as yesterday. The two tacitly avoided mentioning yesterday's adventures or discussing why they were still assigned to area F-6; everything was as usual.
As they set off, Xu Mo was still in front, and Zhang Yun was behind.
Upon entering the F-6 area, the endless expanse of scorched black fields once again came into view. Unlike yesterday, the two of them, without prior agreement, shifted their route at least six or seven meters away from the riverbank. The strange fish that had leaped and attacked the water yesterday had served as a warning to both of them; the seemingly calm river was now a dangerous no-go zone.
The open fields offered excellent visibility.
From afar, Xu Mo and Zhang Yun spotted their two "neighbors" on the opposite bank of the river. They had clearly learned from yesterday's experience, patrolling further inland than they had the day before, and staying much farther from the riverbank than Xu Mo and his group.
The two sides waved to each other from a distance across the wide river and the scorched earth, as if to say hello, but they were not in the mood for a close chat like they had the day before.
An unspoken wariness hung in the air. Xu Mo's stunning swordsmanship and the strange fish leaping out of the river yesterday made both sides realize that this river had become a dangerous area where a clear line needed to be drawn.
The patrol was conducted in silence and vigilance, with complete stillness except for the wind blowing through the scorched earth and the faint noise of construction sites in the distance.
This excessive silence, ironically, made one's heart inexplicably tighten. Xu Mo's senses were heightened to the extreme, not only focusing on the ground and the distance, but also keeping a close eye on any unusual fluctuations in the silver river.
Time passed slowly, the sun gradually rose higher, and the heat wave in the air began to rise.
Just as Xu Mo and his team were about to finish their morning patrol and were preparing to turn to the next observation point, about thirty meters away in the middle of the river, the turbid water suddenly parted silently to both sides, and a huge, dark shadow slowly rose to the surface.
First to emerge from the water was an unbelievably broad back covered in thick, dark green scales, the edges of which were edged with dark brown keratin that shimmered oilily in the sunlight. Then, a massive head appeared.
It was a fish, but it was much larger than yesterday's attacker. It was estimated to be close to or even over a meter long, and its body was extremely thick, like an enlarged battery.
Its head is flat and shovel-shaped, and its mouth is unusually large, now slightly open, revealing jagged, yellowish-brown, cone-shaped teeth.
The fish floated quietly on the surface of the water, its huge dead eyes slowly turning, precisely locking onto Xu Mo and Zhang Yun on the shore.
Seeing the fish staring at him without any emotion, Xu Mo frowned slightly, then waved his hand and slowly backed away with Zhang Yun.
The big fish just stared at Xu Mo and Zhang Yun as they slowly retreated, making no other movements except for moving its eyes. It stared at them like that for a good five or six seconds.
The water rippled slightly around the big fish, and suddenly its huge mouth opened and closed violently, not as a biting motion, but as if it were a pump compressing a high-pressure water gun.
"call out--!"
A condensed, extremely fast water arrow shot out from its mouth, heading straight for Zhang Yun on the shore. The water arrow cut through the air with a sharp whistling sound, refracting a brief but dangerous rainbow in the sunlight.
Although Zhang Yun was highly focused, the attack method was far too bizarre and sudden! Fortunately, the distance was far enough, and the water arrow needed time to travel. Almost instinctively, relying on her excellent military skills, she lunged to the side and backward the instant she heard the whooshing sound!
"puff!"
The water jet grazed the edge of Zhang Yun's tactical vest, striking the scorched earth two or three meters behind her. Without splashing water, the solidified water jet, like a real arrow, slammed into the hard, scorched earth, creating a hole the size of a bowl.
The pit is several inches deep. The soil around the pit shows radial cracks caused by the impact of high-speed water flow, and the edges are moist.
Xu Mo's eyes narrowed. If Zhang Yun were hit directly by this water arrow, even with the tactical vest to cushion the impact, he would definitely suffer broken bones and tendons.
Without the slightest hesitation, the moment the big fish opened its mouth again to gather its strength, Xu Mo raised his AK-47 and aimed.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Three-round bursts were fired in quick succession, the sound of gunfire particularly loud in the open field.
The first bullet struck precisely near one of the large fish's grayish-white eyeballs. The hard scales and bones blocked most of the kinetic energy, but the bullet still penetrated, exploding into a cloud of murky liquid and flesh.
The second and third bullets struck the area where the fish's head and torso connect almost simultaneously, exploding into two small bursts of blood.
"Gurgle—"
A muffled sound came from underwater, filled with pain and rage.
The enormous fish body suddenly sank downwards, and then its massive form completely disappeared beneath the surface of the water, leaving only the gradually calming ripples and that glaring crimson color.
Xu Mo's gun was still pointed at the water, his eyes sharp. He knew that those shots, given the power of the AK-47, at that distance and angle, were probably not fatal; at most, they would have caused serious injury.
Zhang Yun got up from the ground, brushed the scorched earth off her body, her face was a little pale, but her eyes were still relatively calm. She glanced at the crater created by the water jet, still feeling lingering fear.
"Are you alright?" Xu Mo asked, his gaze still fixed on the river.
"It's nothing, just a close call." Zhang Yun caught his breath and immediately picked up the walkie-talkie. "F-6 emergency report! Midway along the patrol route, near the river, we encountered a mutated aquatic creature that launched an attack. The creature is about one meter long and has the ability to spray high-pressure water jets from a distance. It has been shot and wounded by our forces and has retreated into the water. Its current status is unknown! Repeat, we encountered a new type of mutated aquatic creature with long-range attack capabilities!"
There was a two-second silence on the walkie-talkie before a reply came through, the voice more urgent than usual: "F-6 received, situation recorded. Please evacuate to a safe distance immediately, continue to observe but do not approach the river. Further follow-up will be provided; please be careful!"
"receive."
After ending the call, Zhang Yun and Xu Mo exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes. Long-range attacks—this was completely beyond the scope of ordinary mutated creatures. Yesterday it was a leaping attack; today it was a water-spraying attack. The attack methods were evolving, and the danger was increasing exponentially.
On the opposite bank of the river, the two "neighbors" had clearly witnessed the thrilling scene. They were too far away to hear the details, but they could see the entire process: the large fish surfacing, the water jets spraying, Xu Mo firing his gun, and the fish sinking. At that moment, the two were waving vigorously in their direction, then pointing at the river, waving again frantically, and finally retreating more than ten meters away.
Their meaning was clear: I saw it, it's terrifying, stay away!
Xu Mo waved to the opposite bank, indicating that everything was alright on his side. Then, without lingering, he and Zhang Yun moved quickly away from the riverbank towards the next observation point.
Throughout the journey, the two remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the direction of the river and also on the surrounding wilderness.
The ensuing patrol was conducted in a tense atmosphere. Fortunately, the large fish did not reappear, and there were no other unusual occurrences in the river. However, an even heavier weight was placed on the hearts of both men.
During the shift change, the duty officer's expression was more serious than the day before. He inquired in detail about the attack, the power of the water jets, the appearance of the large fish, and reiterated the importance of staying away from the river.
On the way back to the city, Zhang Yun remained silent for a long time. It wasn't until they were about to part ways that she spoke, her voice tinged with exhaustion and lingering fear: "Xu Mo, today—if you hadn't fired your gun in time and attracted its attention, or if it hadn't then sprayed another water arrow, I probably wouldn't have been able to dodge it."
"Quick reaction, and a brilliant dodge." Xu Mo was telling the truth; Zhang Yun's battlefield reaction was indeed fast. "No one expected this kind of attack. Moreover, from now on, all bodies of water will be considered dangerous no-go zones."
"Hmm." Zhang Yun nodded emphatically, looking at Xu Mo, "Do you think there's any connection between these fish and that G-2 thing? It feels like there are more and more ominous things coming out of the way."
Xu Mo paused slightly, gazing at the majestic outline of Jiangcheng's city walls in the distance, and slowly said, "Perhaps it's not that there have been more, but rather that they've always existed; we just couldn't access them before, and now they're only beginning to 'become active.'"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yun's body trembled slightly, as if he had thought of something. His expression turned even more unpleasant, and he remained silent.
Back in the courtyard, Xu Mo closed the door and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. Having encountered new threats for two consecutive days, although none posed a real threat to him, the sense of impending crisis grew increasingly clear.
Upon entering the courtyard, Xu Mo didn't immediately begin cultivating. Instead, he carefully recalled every detail of the large fish surfacing and spraying water jets. That precise aim, that way of condensing and releasing energy—it didn't seem like instinct, but rather more like an evolved hunting skill?
What does this mean? Do the mutated fish now possess the ability to unleash skills? Or does it mean that all mutated creatures have become capable of using skills? If so, what kind of world is this?
Xu Mo shook his head, temporarily suppressing his chaotic thoughts. Whatever the situation, improving his strength was the fundamental way to deal with everything.
Sitting cross-legged, Xu Mo focused his mind and calmed his spirit. Within his body, the blood and qi of the Iron Bone Realm surged forth with unprecedented vitality and speed, like a deep pool thrown into a boulder. He could feel a subtle, tingling yet burning sensation of "growth" emanating from his limbs and bones. His bones seemed denser, his fascia more elastic, and the channels through which blood and qi flowed seemed to have widened slightly.