Chapter 148: Nightfall Slaughter
Late at night, the surroundings were silent, with no starlight or moonlight in sight, and the time had already reached the early hours before dawn.
Zhou Ming obtained what he wanted and chose to leave the Ant Dwelling Ridge Black Market at the first possible moment.
However, his earlier act of trading directly with the black market had already been noticed by someone with ulterior motives.
Being able to trade directly with the black market was absolutely not for ordinary items.
Just as Zhou Ming left the black market, someone immediately followed him and successfully intercepted him.
Although Zhou Ming now had Silver Scale as his mount, it ultimately did not excel in speed.
“Bang……”
There was no verbal exchange at all. The muzzle flash bursting from the gun barrel was the most direct form of communication.
Seeing this, the other party immediately used their beasts as cover, the firearms in their hands continuously spitting out bullets.
At the instant the fight broke out, Zhou Ming struck first and successfully ambushed and killed one person. However, the opposing side was also extremely professional.
The weapons they used were terrifyingly powerful. Armor-piercing rounds, heavy sniper rifles, and heavy machine guns directly inflicted considerable injuries on Silver Scale.
Seeing this, Zhou Ming immediately rode Silver Scale to evade, while using the Thunder Type-2 Revolver on the beasts that had already closed in.
In close combat, he had never been afraid.
“Boom……”
With a thunderous explosion, the fastest-charging Swift Hunting Leopard was directly shot in the head.
The Swift Hunting Leopard excelled in speed and agility. If it had been prepared, Zhou Ming might not have been able to hit it.
But the Beast Tamer riding the Swift Hunting Leopard was too impatient and completely unguarded. Instead, his own beast charged too far ahead.
“Be careful, the Thunder Type-2 Revolver.”
Once Zhou Ming used the Thunder Type-2 Revolver, those surrounding him immediately rode their beasts back, relying solely on firearms for long-range suppression.
However, with Zhou Ming’s perception of danger, along with a physique comparable to a Ferocious Beast, it was extremely difficult for them to hit him.
When necessary, he would even let Silver Scale help him tank the attacks head-on.
As for the opponent’s sniper, facing Zhou Ming’s high-speed movement made accurate aiming nearly impossible. Under Zhou Ming’s control, Silver Scale also did its utmost to avoid the enemy’s line of sight.
As long as vital areas were not hit, with the vitality of a Ferocious Beast, it was still not enough to pose a fatal threat to Silver Scale.
Moreover, although Zhou Ming’s Blood Hunter Type-1 Handgun was inferior in power to heavy weapons, it was more than sufficient to threaten humans with weak vitality.
Relying on the Radar Sensory Domain, combined with his Spiritual Power and gun sense, the Blood Hunter Type-1 Handgun in his hand hit whatever he aimed at.
“Damn it, where did this tough bastard come from.”
The leader, hiding behind his own beast, saw that his squad was unable to take down Zhou Ming and cursed in a low voice.
After only a brief exchange, he already felt Zhou Ming’s terror.
Keen danger perception, a terrifyingly powerful physique, flawless marksmanship, and a beast that not only possessed astonishing defense but also the innate agility of a serpent.
Being able to use the Thunder Type-2 Revolver—although they did not know how many times it could be fired—was enough that they did not dare approach recklessly.
As for Zhou Ming, because he could not be sure whether there were others lurking in the dark, he also did not dare to easily deploy the Snake Swarm, Inkband, or Vermilion Jade.
After all, once certain things were exposed, even if he advanced to a Professional Beast Tamer, it would be difficult to escape capture by major forces.
“Mengzi, summon your Iron Rock Turtle.”
After brief consideration, the leader did not want to prolong the fight and risk unforeseen accidents, and immediately issued an order to the burly man beside him.
“Boss, you should’ve let me make a move earlier.”
“Cut the crap.”
“Yes.”
Mengzi chuckled, then summoned his Iron Rock Turtle.
The Iron Rock Turtle was two meters long and about one and a half meters tall, covered in heavy armor, with its limbs and head encased in exoskeletal plating.
The defensive power of this Ferocious Beast could rank among the top ten of low-tier Ferocious Beasts.
Its only drawback was its extremely slow speed and lack of strong offensive capabilities, usually relying on ramming attacks with the spikes on its shell.
After summoning the Iron Rock Turtle, Mengzi placed the vehicle-mounted heavy machine gun onto its back, wedging the gun mount into the gaps of the turtle shell.
“Trash, let me show you what real firepower is.”
As the Iron Rock Turtle slowly approached Zhou Ming, Mengzi, lying prone on its back, decisively pulled the trigger.
He did not need to raise his head to aim. He only needed overwhelming firepower to suppress the enemy.
For a moment, it was as if the roar of a Ferocious Beast echoed through the wilderness.
With his Dark-gold Serpent Pupils, Zhou Ming immediately saw the appearance of the Iron Rock Turtle and also spotted the Hive-Type I vehicle-mounted heavy machine gun on its back.
Before the other side even opened fire, he instantly recalled Silver Scale into his Beast Space.
As for himself, he could only take cover behind a massive boulder.
Seeing Zhou Ming seemingly unable to fight back, the others immediately let out savage laughter, carrying their guns as they emerged from hiding, charging toward Zhou Ming together with their beasts.
However, they also knew that their beasts’ defensive power could not compare to the Iron Rock Turtle, so they deliberately slowed down and hid behind it.
Yet just as the Iron Rock Turtle was about to close in on Zhou Ming, the blood and qi within his body surged like a tidal wave, and translucent snake scales hidden beneath his skin surfaced.
The moment he sensed the enemy changing magazines, Zhou Ming was like a giant python bursting from its lair, leaving his hiding place with lightning speed.
In his right hand, he was already gripping the Thunder Type-3 Revolver.
“Boom……”
Like muffled thunder erupting from dark clouds, a bullet carrying destructive force was fired.
Before anyone could react, the Iron Rock Turtle—capable of withstanding the Thunder Type-2 Revolver—had its thick shell shattered into pieces.
Blood filled with a fishy stench splattered everywhere, and even Mengzi, lying prone on the turtle’s back, had his internal organs shattered by the tremendous force and died on the spot.
“Three… three… Type-3, the Thunder Type-3 Revolver.”
Zhou Ming’s single shot completely crushed the enemy’s morale.
Whether Beast Tamers or beasts, fear sprouted in their hearts, causing them to momentarily forget that Zhou Ming stood right before them.
However, Zhou Ming, who felt sharp pain erupting from his right arm, would not give them time to react.
His left hand directly raised the Thunder Type-2 Revolver and began firing.
The large-bodied beasts at close range instantly became the best targets.
The five freshly loaded bullets eliminated five beasts in the shortest possible time, directly stripping the five ambushers of their combat capability.
After firing, Zhou Ming immediately rolled low to the ground to take cover, preparing to face the enemy’s counterattack.
Yet the remaining few, already scared out of their wits, no longer dared to continue fighting Zhou Ming and immediately mounted their beasts and fled.
At the same time, others hidden under the cover of night also decisively abandoned any thoughts of seizing the treasure.
Within Zhou Ming’s Radar Sensory Domain, the several squads that had just appeared quickly left the detection range.
Seeing this, Zhou Ming did not linger any longer, as accidents were impossible to predict.
He summoned the injured Silver Scale and plunged straight into the wilderness.
For this class advancement, he originally had no intention of returning to Qinghui Base.
Now, he only needed to find a safe place and wait for the injury on his arm to recover before beginning his class advancement to a Professional Beast Tamer.
The goal he had struggled toward for years was now right before Zhou Ming’s eyes.