Ding!
The moment the Knight Lance plunged into the ground.
Lu Xing knew his experiment had succeeded.
[Space-Time Rend]
The power of this skill had once again shattered Lu Xing's estimations—an ability that combined anti-control, active invincibility, and spatial storage all in one.
It was undoubtedly Lu Xing's most practical trump card.
He had used up more than half of his Honkai energy to test the capabilities of [Space-Time Rend].
Under conditions with dual variables of space and time.
Lu Xing successfully retrieved the concrete block he had thrown into the spatial rift. Similarly, he also successfully retrieved the Knight Lance in a subsequent attempt.
In other words.
The spatial crevice he connected to using [Space-Time Rend] would not change due to shifts in space-time. It was, in essence, his own exclusive "Elysian Realm," its volume unknown but far from reaching its limit.
Voom.
Lu Xing once again tossed the Knight Lance into the rift.
The experiment wasn't very rigorous, and there were still many unanswered questions, but none of this negated the fact that Lu Xing had acquired a personal storage space.
"Next..."
Lu Xing needed to go out and "forage."
In order to test the effects of [Space-Time Rend], the Honkai energy concentration within Lu Xing's body had dropped to a very low level.
If he couldn't replenish it quickly, he could easily find himself in danger.
Rumble.
The humidity in the air grew increasingly higher.
The oppressive dark clouds seemed to bring an early night to the city. Golden bolts of lightning boiled and churned within the sea of clouds, like thunder dragons about to descend upon the world at any moment.
"A thundershower."
This was the first rain Lu Xing had encountered since his transmigration.
He quite liked the rain, whether it was the pitter-patter against the eaves and grey walls, or the fine threads drifting onto his collar and sleeves.
Refreshing, an aid to sleep, and incidentally, a trigger for memories of days past.
Autumn rain, with its mournful sighs, was especially favored—any literary youth or individual still suffering from an uncured case of chuunibyou would probably feel this way.
Of course.
Those without this "ailment" but fated to experience such sentiments were also not few in number.
But the current Lu Xing.
Was different from the him of before.
Rainwater would wash away the traces it caressed, be it mud or blood; rainwater would also use its pattering gentleness to conceal the clamor of the world, treating conflicts and explosions all as one.
Therefore—
As this thunderstorm had just begun to draw its curtain.
Lu Xing felt.
This should be the symphony that best accompanied the impending banquet.
————
Schlick!
"First one."
His wing transformed into a beheading lightsaber.
The surging Honkai energy, refracted through the rain-streaked curtain of light, looked exceptionally beautiful.
The Space-Time Ripper, a fellow Ranger-class, was cleaved in two by Lu Xing before it could even utter a sound, which was then muffled by the thunder and rain.
Plop!
"Second one."
A mysterious purple flashed and vanished.
A brilliant halo of light exploded amidst the ruined buildings.
The Rotor-class, which had retracted its body and hung upside down from the ceiling like a bat, fell apart piece by piece, like Boiled Chinese Cabbage in Clear Broth meticulously prepared by a master chef, or like a blossoming flower shedding its petals.
Boom!
"Third... can't count anymore."
A sharp knight lance snapped in two and was sent flying far away.
The crimson cherry blossom flames, unextinguished by the rain, were scattered by an even more torrential surge of Honkai energy.
Both wings simultaneously blocked [Stabs] from the left and right, his tilted body evading a strike from directly ahead aimed at his vitals.
At the same time.
His sharp tail stinger had already pierced through layers of protection, directly stabbing into the Honkai Core.
Ding!
After dealing with most of the lone (groups of less than 3) Honkai Beasts he could sense, Lu Xing finally began to target the Paladin-class squad led by the "Heavy Cavalry Leader."
His Honkai energy wasn't fully replenished yet.
But a reserve of around 80% was enough for him to fight a battle of annihilation—to be precise, a blitzkrieg annihilation.
Lu Xing's plan was remarkably simple.
That is... there was no plan at all.
He would condense all his power and launch an all-out surprise attack directly at the "Heavy Cavalry Leader"—using [Dash] for super-acceleration, [Spinning Slash] for penetration, and [Power Strike] to add destructive force, then slam heavily into the opponent.
Regardless of losses, regardless of injuries.
Succeed or fail, retreat immediately.
————
This "concise" tactic did not disappoint Lu Xing.
Having a plan was naturally a good thing.
But the more one planned, the more detailed the considerations, the more difficult the troubles encountered when flaws appeared.
Taking advantage of the fact that the battle between Honkai and human forces had just ended and their strength had not yet recovered, he launched a sneak attack under the cover of the rain.
This was the best tactic—the right time, geographical advantage, and popular support were all on his side.
Lu Xing got his wish.
At the cost of less than 70% damage to his frame, Lu Xing successfully withstood the "Heavy Cavalry Leader's" dying counterattack.
He thrust his tail stinger into the frontal armor breached by [Dash], completely destroying the opponent's Honkai Core.
With the experience provided by this opponent.
And the thirty-odd various Honkai Beasts he had just eliminated, Lu Xing raised his level once more, successfully reaching Lv.27.
The Honkai energy dispersed upon the "Heavy Cavalry Leader's" death was quite substantial.
Absorbing it all would not only replenish Lu Xing's earlier losses but even allow him to advance further.
However.
Absorbing Honkai energy wouldn't take too much time, but it wasn't an instantaneous affair either.
Being too greedy would only lead him into a dangerous situation—although the four Paladin-class beasts were no match for him, they could certainly entangle Lu Xing for a short while.
If the Knight Captain arrived at this moment...
"Go!"
Without a shred of hesitation.
Using [Spinning Slash] again to bat away the Paladin-class lances, Lu Xing directly ignored the dense Honkai energy before him and vanished in an instant, at a speed no slower than his arrival.
The direction he chose this time.
Was not the desert outside the city, but the human-occupied territory he had come from.
Lu Xing could not only sense Honkai energy, but he was also extremely sensitive to the aura of humans, or more accurately, "civilization."
The rain had washed away all traces.
Special equipment shielded the humans' presence—whether Honkai energy weapons or creations of civilization, all were concealed beneath a faint "sky curtain."
Lu Xing was clearly not the only one with such plans.
Although the human side had also suffered heavy losses in the previous engagement.
They seemed to understand the principle of "striking the enemy when they're down" even better, having already snuck over as the rain began to fall.
Normally.
Honkai Beasts wouldn't rely on sight to perceive their surroundings.
But Lu Xing was different. Although he didn't know the structure of his "External Information Perception Summary System," it indeed possessed a "visualization" capability.
His "foraging" operation was extremely cautious.
This allowed Lu Xing, while hunting the Rotor-class upstairs, to have already discovered traces of human activity.
Therefore—
It was time to let the Paladin-class beasts trailing behind him launch a counter-surprise attack on the humans!