852 A Freak!

Big White tried its very best to run, but it still was a little too slow. They were only a few steps away from the exit when the terrifying heatwave hit them from behind.

Boom!

Wang Zhong, Simba, and Big White instantly felt as though they had been pushed forward by a rocket and they were sent flying forward. Fortunately, the exit was right in front of them and the three of them were flung out of the cave into mid-air.

Behind them, a terrifying wave of fire rushed wildly out of the cave. At first, it seemed to be hundreds of meters in length, but alas, it didn't stop at that.

The fire was not just coming out the cave exit; fire could be seen bursting through the sturdy mountain walls and charging out of them like huge tongues sloshing about, causing the entire mountain to shake. It was like a furnace with holes with fire leaking out everywhere.

The ground was shaking; the wind was roaring, and the overflowing energy turned into powerful blasts.

Bang! Rumble…

The interior of the mountain was still undergoing dramatic changes. Finally, everything seemed to have reached their limit, and there was a huge explosion.

Instantly, the entire area turned dark, and no light was visible. The powerful energy wave not only destroyed the bottom of the mountain, but it also broke out of the mountain top, reaching upwards of a kilometer. An energy beam with a diameter of hundreds of meters could be seen soaring up into the sky from the mountain top!

The entire mountain collapsed, or rather, it exploded and erupted! It was like an erupting volcano!

Countless stones the size of millstones were sent flying together with fire sparks into the air, and it only took a few seconds for the ash to completely obscure the entire sky, covering the entire area with gray smoke and ash.

The impact was earth-shattering, and all the creatures nearby trembled in fear of this terrifying heavenly power!

…

Being the fattest and biggest, Big White absorbed the most energy when they were hit by that energy wave. As such, it clearly suffered a great deal of damage, and it immediately retreated back into Wang Zhong's Soul Sea after that.

As for Simba, he curled into a ball and hid in Wang Zhong's arms. Being tightly held by Wang Zhong, he couldn't see how far they were flung. Simba was completely shellshocked when they were hit by that wave, and he remained so for a really long time. Fortunately, with Wang Zhong shielding him, Simba was not injured at all.

He only felt that Wang Zhong's arms were getting tighter around him. They were not only hit by that energy wave. Following the explosion, blasts of air ensued, spreading out like shock waves, and they had nowhere to hide in this area of flatland. Simba could feel Wang Zhong continuing to tumble on the ground for a long time before the air waves subsided. Eventually, it only came to a halt when Wang Zhong crashed into a large rock.

"Wang Zhong? Wang Zhong?"

At this time, the rumbling sound had yet to stop. However, it was only the sound of the mountain collapsing and some aftershocks of the blast. The terrifying energy wave had finally subsided. Simba anxiously pushed against Wang Zhong's chest as he felt that Wang Zhong's hold had grown a lot weaker than before. "F*ck, don't scare me! Are you okay?"

Although he had always joked around, Simba was really worried this time. Furthermore, he couldn't move at all under the weight of Wang Zhong. He could only use the flesh-twisting technique that he had trained Big White with on Wang Zhong's chest. "Wake up! Wake up! Hey, hey, Lao Wang, don't die!"

Cough!

It had to be admitted that Simba's flesh-twisting technique was rather useful. Wang Zhong didn't feel that he had suffered any fatal injuries. He was merely stunned by the shock waves and had nearly passed out. After being pinched by Simba, he began to wake up slowly.

"Ptui! Touch wood!"

Wang Zhong mustered up his strength to flip over and let go of Simba. Panting heavily, he spread out his arms and legs and laid flat on the ground. "Relax, you aren't getting rid of me that easily!"

Currently, the mountain in front of them was still collapsing, and about half of the mountain was already destroyed. The cave and holes at the foot of the mountain were already buried in countless rocks and ash until they were no longer visible.

Wang Zhong began to estimate how far he was from the cave exit and was rather taken aback. He was actually two to three miles away from it. The impact of this terrifying explosion was really unfathomable.

The collapsing mountain, the thick smoke, and the dust engulfing the skies made it seem like the end of the world. Wang Zhong actually felt puzzled. All the previous mine missions only involved small mines that lacked strong defense forces and were near the human command center. As such, the more powerful exploration teams would receive orders to wipe out the enemy and directly take over the mining area. The energy crystals from the mines that were taken over by the Holy City Army had already been studied and researched by the alchemists of the Holy City. If they were to say that they did not know about the terrifying explosive power of the raw energy ores, Wang Zhong wouldn't believe it, but when they accepted this mission, the command center did not inform them about this.

Was this an oversight by the command center? Or was this because the Holy Land's alchemists did not analyze or do enough research on these raw ores?

Either of them was possible. After all, the completion of the previous missions in the mining areas was only two or three days earlier than the day the Wanderlust Team set out for their mission, and it might be possible that their research was not updated in time. Also, this was the first time they assigned a mission which involved directly blowing up an entire mine. In fact, Wang Zhong was rather thankful that the energy ores contained powerful energy; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to blow up that terrifying Sword Saint with only Kenso's Stink Bomb.

He then began to check out his own injuries. Everything in his body was normal, and the throbbing of his Soul Sea had stopped. After all, it was Wang Zhong's Soul Sea. This was probably the first time in his life that his Soul Sea had been emptied out completely. His fatigue was mainly due to physical exhaustion and his back injuries. When he was blasted into the air by that energy wave, his back was hit directly by the energy blasts. His back was now a bloody mess, and not to mention his clothes, they were burned to ashes long ago. Fortunately, all his injuries were only external, and he had yet to suffer any internal ones. Although he couldn't hold a candle to those Tyrants who specialized in refining their bodies, with his Great 5 Elements Constitution, his body was already rather strong to begin with. Additionally, at the last moment, he managed to squeeze out all his remaining power to activate his Power Circuit, and he successfully switched to the Dominating Constitution. It then withstood most of the impact from the blast.

"That guy must have been blown to bits." Simba grew excited as he looked at the collapsed mountain in front of them. Now, he and Wang Zhong were safe, and this was all thanks to the great Simba!

Simba's nose was already in the air as he put his hands on his waist. "These few days have really been exhausting for me! Wang Zhong, when can you hold your own? You always need me to save your ass. Although I don't mind helping you, what will you do if I fall asleep someday?!"

"Help me treat my wounds if you have the strength, and stop talking nonsense!" If Wang Zhong had the strength, he would have pinched Simba's nose. He was the one doing all the hard work for the past few days, and all Simba had done was merely use his mouth!

Although they were joking, both Wang Zhong and Simba knew that this was not the time to chat. After all, they were still on enemy ground. Even though their enemy's camp had been destroyed along with the collapse of this mountain, who knew if there were any other Mizobudapi troops nearby? It was important to get down to business and regain his energy.

He took out the first-aid kit from his space crystal and threw it to Simba. At the same time, he downed a small bottle of blue liquid. This thing was a basic provision for the military. It could quickly replenish one's physical strength and Soul Power. It was given as rations to Holy City soldiers who were about to embark on their missions. It was said to be some kind of 'fish soup' created by gourmets. It was sealed with a crystal tube to preserve freshness, and it was surprisingly still warm when Wang Zhong poured it into his mouth.

As that warm liquid entered his stomach, it immediately began to nourish his Soul Sea and dried-up meridians. However, it could only kick-start the healing process. Wang Zhong did not dare to delay or waste any time. He immediately went into meditation mode to guide the energy from the liquid to every corner of his body.

With that, his sore and swollen limbs began to feel warm, and his dried-up Soul Sea seemed to be restored to vitality, allowing Soul Power to begin flowing through his limbs and bones. At first, it was just little drops of power, but they soon merged into a trickle, and they slowly merged into a sea…

At the same time, Simba applied ointment to Wang Zhong's bloody wounds. After experiencing such a thrilling escape and having escaped by only relying on his wisdom and foresight, Simba was actually filled with excitement. He wanted to show off, but the three Soul Guards and Big White were not around, and Wang Zhong was not to be disturbed as he was in a meditation state.

Damn it. There was no one around to listen to him share his glorious battle triumphs!

Simba did not stop complaining as he applied the ointment to Wang Zhong.

Minutes passed and the mountain finally stopped roaring and collapsing. It took more than an hour for Wang Zhong to come out of his meditation state. When he did, he exhaled heavily.

Thanks to the vast foundation of his Soul Sea and the energy potion having kick-started his recovery, his dried-up Soul Sea had now recovered by around eighty percent. Fast recovery was a major feature of his Soul Sea. In addition, his physical fatigue and over-exertion had also been alleviated with the help of the energy potion as well as his Great 5 Elements Constitution. Although his physique was not able to play a significant role in this battle, its resilience and recovery speed was still top-notch.

Wang Zhong sat up from the ground and tried moving his hands and feet. Now, he felt like he had regained his energy.

It was only now that he felt a little relieved, and his tense nerves grew relaxed. Simba, who was next to him, immediately jumped on him and began to babble non-stop. He was extremely proud that he got them out of the previous situation, but he'd had to hold it in for more than an hour. It was truly torturous for Simba.

"Lao Wang. Shall we go back and pick up some ores from the mine? There must be some left. I heard that they're extremely valuable. After you get rich from this, help me buy a gift for my goddess!"

"Shoo. God knows what has become of the mine. Are you going to search that dump for ores?"

"F*ck, what's wrong with that. It's money! And we can look for that guy's body. He's a Sword Saint! Yes, yes, do you know how valuable his body is? Let's forget about the ores. Find his corpse!" As Simba pondered over his genius plan, his eyes sparkled in excitement, and he couldn't stop drooling.

"Save it. It's better to leave this dreadful place right away." Wang Zhong was not blinded by victory. Besides, the Sword Saint was at the heart of the explosion. He was probably blasted to ashes by this terrifying and earth-shattering explosion. "God knows if there is—"

Rumble…

Before Wang Zhong could finish his words, the sound of stones tumbling down from the ruins of the mountain could be heard.

What was that?

Wang Zhong immediately grew alert, but before he could see what was happening…

Boom!

A roar erupted from the mountain ruins, and it was followed by a series of loud noises!

There was a strong golden light bursting from the cracks between the rubble. Immediately after, a huge pile of stones was blasted off by a powerful force, and a flash of gold light flickered!

It was that familiar color and that familiar aura of power.

Puuu~~

Simba's enthusiasm instantly disappeared, and he was so frightened that he farted.

"F*ck, he's like a ghost! How is he even alive?!" Wang Zhong was definitely stunned. How strong could that Sword Saint's defense be?

"Lao Wang, you jinxed it! Run! Don't wait for him to catch up!" Simba finally regained his senses and began to shout at the top of his lungs before the golden light could fall to the ground.

However, Wang Zhong did not move an inch.

He had his own judgment; he felt that a mere Sword Saint wouldn't be able to truly escape the mountain unscathed. Judging by the Sword Qi that just broke through the wall at this time, he knew that the Sword Qi had grown much weaker compared to two days ago.

This might be an opportunity!

Even if he was wrong about it, running would be useless anyway. He wasn't in the mine anymore, so this guy could easily catch up with him anytime. If the opponent really had enough strength, then running would only delay his time of death.

Wang Zhong took a deep breath and stared intently at the front. Within a split second, he was already extremely focused. The strange thing was, instead of being anxious and depressed — which he had been in the previous two days — he was actually… a little excited? He felt a kind of strange excitement, which was mixed with a little fear. As such, his heartbeat accelerated.

Boom!

The golden light landed, hitting the ground like a cannonball. The already shattered ground instantly cracked further, and the rubble surrounding the light also flew up. At the same time, a golden figure slowly stood up from the ground.

The figure appeared to have suffered great injuries: his left arm was missing, and there was a broken bone jutting out of his shoulder. It was apparent that he had sacrificed this arm to survive. However, there were more to his injuries. His right foot was also gone: the top part of his feet was blasted off, leaving him only his heel, and he could barely stand up straight. The tentacles on his head had also been blasted off; only leek-like broken tentacles were left. Light could be seen flashing at the parts where the tentacles were broken off, and there was energy flowing out of them. His entire head appeared extremely messy.

Gone was the elegance on Heinrich's face. The anger and shame he felt were beyond words.

Sword Saint? That was just a title. There were many of them in his world, but he was one of a kind! As the heir of the Sword Faction, he was the leader of the younger generation in his world. It only took him 30 years to set foot in the field of a Sword Saint, and such talent was extremely rare throughout Mizobudapi history.