Chapter 182: Changes in the Snake Swarm
In the depths of winter, with snowflakes swirling through the air, a group of people was resting in a forest atop the thick snow blanketing the wilderness.
Among this group, some were fully armed, holding various top-tier weapons.
Another portion, however, was dressed in ragged clothing, struggling even to maintain basic warmth.
These were precisely the Wildfolk discovered in the wilderness by Zhou Ming’s External Operations Team Two.
“Captain, it’s fortunate that we pledged ourselves to my lord early. Otherwise, forget about this warming strong liquor—just facing this winter alone, we would have frozen to death sooner or later.”
Beneath a snow-covered towering tree, the captain of External Operations Team Two and three squad leaders under his command were drinking strong liquor and chatting.
One of the squad leaders looked at the Wildfolk shivering in the cold and sighed, feeling that they were fortunate to have been taken in by Zhou Ming and made subordinates.
“Yes. Although it’s nowhere near life inside the base, at least we’re living like human beings now.”
Another squad leader echoed the sentiment. He had been exiled for robbery and murder and naturally knew what life inside the base was like.
Because he had learned some things at the base’s martial hall, he performed extremely well while studying the Mad Python Martial Way and was ultimately promoted to an External Operations Squad Leader.
As an external operations squad, the resources they enjoyed were far superior to those of ordinary camp members, and the rich, potent liquor in their hands was the best proof of that.
However, just as the captain, Xiong Lie, was about to speak, he suddenly felt a faint stabbing pain between his brows.
Without any further thought, instinct drove him to evade immediately.
“Bang……”
A sniper round grazed his helmet and slammed into the thick tree behind him, leaving behind an arm-thick bullet hole in the trunk.
“Enemy attack……”
Xiong Lie reacted swiftly and immediately shouted a warning.
Yet before his words had fully fallen, piercing gunfire erupted all around them. Bullets poured down like a rain curtain, engulfing their position.
However, the external operations squad was no pushover. Every member who could enter the squad had passed rigorous assessments. Upon discovering the enemy attack, they immediately sought cover and began to return fire.
“There are Phantasmal Beasts. Use rocket launchers and heavy machine guns to hold them back.”
Seeing that the enemy had Beast Tamers deploying their Phantasmal Beasts for cover, Xiong Lie immediately urged his subordinates.
The opposing side had clearly come prepared. In addition to Phantasmal Beasts, they also possessed various heavy weapons. The clash between the two sides resembled a small-scale battle.
In just a few short minutes, nearly ten members of the external operations squad were killed or injured.
“Abandon the Wildfolk and all other resources. Everyone, break through with me and retreat.”
Seeing the heavy losses among his men, Xiong Lie made a decisive decision. If they continued to hold on, they would all die here.
The remaining members of the external operations squad immediately followed their usual training procedures, providing alternating cover as they fled toward the camp at top speed.
For some unknown reason, when the opposing side saw the external operations squad abandon the Wildfolk and the resources they had obtained and retreat, they did not choose to pursue further, as if this attack had merely been a warning.
When Xiong Lie brought the heavily damaged External Operations Team Two back to the camp, it immediately alarmed Lin Hai and Lu Tao, the two main persons in charge.
Compared to past conflicts with hunters, this incident was completely different. This time, it was a premeditated ambush and also the incident in which the external operations squad suffered the greatest losses.
Faced with such a situation, after Lin Hai and Lu Tao discussed it, they chose to notify Zhou Ming at the earliest opportunity.
“Did we touch upon someone’s interests?”
Inside the lakeside pavilion, Zhou Ming put down the phone in his hand and muttered softly as he speculated about the reason behind the ambush on the external operations squad.
“I haven’t gone out for half a year anyway. I’ll take this chance to look at the changes in the camp.”
Zhou Ming simply changed into a fresh set of clothes and then walked downstairs.
“Hiss, hiss……”
As waves of hissing echoed through the living room, a three-meter-long black snake appeared at Zhou Ming’s feet. It hurriedly climbed up along his leg, trying to coil around him. It was Inkband, which had already transformed into a high-tier Ferocious Beast.
Its entire body was covered in pitch-black scales, and a pair of crimson venom fangs stood out conspicuously, exuding a dangerous aura.
After Inkband transformed into a high-tier Ferocious Beast, not only were its venom and stealth abilities strengthened, but it had also mastered some shadow-related abilities.
For example, its body could merge into darkness and shadows, its venom possessed transcendent corrosive properties, and its scales could attach elemental energy particles to enhance defense.
Compared to before, its strength could be said to have undergone earth-shaking changes.
“Do you even know how heavy you are now?”
Seeing Inkband trying to burrow into his arms like before, a trace of helpless bitterness appeared on Zhou Ming’s otherwise cold expression as he immediately stopped Inkband’s behavior.
“Hiss, hiss……”
In response to its master’s actions, Inkband let out a puzzled sound, as if asking why it was no longer allowed.
Zhou Ming ignored the dissatisfied emotions Inkband transmitted through the Spiritual Thread. The shadow beneath his feet began to writhe, and Inkband was immediately swallowed and stored within the Beast Taming Space.
Pushing open the door of the small pavilion, Silver Scale and the rest of the snake swarm also gathered close.
Aside from Inkband, the two Ironthread Snakes that had followed Zhou Ming the earliest—Vermilion Jade and Silver Scale—had now also successfully transformed into high-tier Ferocious Beasts.
Silver Scale’s body length had already exceeded fifteen meters, with its thickest point reaching over half a meter wide. Its silver scales now displayed golden patterns.
After transforming into a high-tier Ferocious Beast, Silver Scale’s defensive and constricting abilities had advanced by leaps and bounds, and it had also mastered metal and earth elemental energy particles.
Not only could these greatly reinforce its defensive capabilities and physical strength, but it could also slam the ground with its tail to unleash attacks similar to earth-spike spells against targets.
These earth spikes, unleashed through innate talent, reached heights of three meters and contained both metal and earth elemental energy particles, easily piercing ordinary armored vehicles.
As for Vermilion Jade, after transforming into a high-tier Ferocious Beast, its body length increased from the original three meters to five meters, and it mastered wind elemental energy particles.
The bone blade on its tail, enhanced by wind elemental energy particles, was like a high-frequency vibrating blade, possessing extremely terrifying cutting power.
Especially with the augmentation of wind elemental energy particles, Vermilion Jade’s movement speed and attack speed became exceptionally frightening.
The only drawback after the three of them transformed into high-tier Ferocious Beasts was that their required food intake had increased by more than tenfold.
Fortunately, Zhou Ming had established a camp, so food was not something he needed to worry about.
As for Golden Horn, Colorful Scales, and Iron Block, their strength had also improved, already reaching the limits of low-tier Ferocious Beasts, only a single step away from transforming into high-tier Ferocious Beasts.
Unfortunately, most of the resources Zhou Ming had obtained from the Duanmu Family had already been consumed, making it difficult for them to undergo any substantial changes in the short term.
Even so, Iron Block’s body size had already reached ten meters, and its defensive ability was stronger than Silver Scale’s had been in the past.
Golden Horn’s body length had also exceeded three meters. In particular, the mutated bone spike on its head had become increasingly hard and even carried paralytic venom properties.
Colorful Scales had grown to five meters in length, with both the range and corrosiveness of its venom spray greatly enhanced.
With the strength of these six second-mutation Ironthread Snakes increasing, although Zhou Ming had not yet advanced to intermediate professional rank, he already possessed strength comparable to that level.
As for the other ordinary Ironthread Snakes, their body lengths were gradually approaching two meters, and the paralytic effects of their venom had improved somewhat.
However, because no second mutation had occurred, their strength was still roughly on par with Ironfang Hounds and Jungle Wolves.
Aside from constructing a Radar Sensory Domain, only by fusing into a Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python could they truly发挥 their usefulness.
Nevertheless, when cultivating the ordinary Ironthread Snake swarm, Zhou Ming deliberately extracted Inkband’s snake blood to guide them toward improving their ability to conceal their presence.
As the Ironthread Snake swarm gathered, it was as if an invisible black hole formed around Zhou Ming, drawing the densely packed swarm back into the Beast Taming Space.
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