Chapter 227 - 145: The Parasites’ Final Counterattack: A Sudden Fusion of the Bloodthirsty Vines?

Chapter 227: Chapter 145: The Parasites’ Final Counterattack: A Sudden Fusion of the Bloodthirsty Vines?

’What is it trying to do?’

’Sacrifice the pawns to save the king?’

’Is it trying to make everyone think that the first batch of revealed Bloodthirsty Vines were all the Parasites? Or is it planning to use these hidden ones to deliver a final blow at a critical moment?’

But regardless of the reason, driven by a powerful sense of crisis, every deeply-infected Parasite in the square—aside from the initial ones being suppressed—completely revealed themselves at that moment...

Faced with this sudden turn of events, everyone was stunned—from the thousands of ordinary students to team members like Zhang Meng and Zhong Fang.

Chen Chong, however, wasn’t surprised in the slightest. Instead, a sarcastic smile touched his lips.

"I thought you’d stay hidden forever. It seems you couldn’t hold back after all. But no matter what you do, all of you will die here today!"

He already knew the locations of all these hidden Parasites like the back of his hand.

After a long period of screening and investigation, the Parasites among the thousands in the square had nowhere left to hide.

Even if they hadn’t revealed themselves, these hidden threats would not have escaped death after the visible enemies were dealt with.

But then, an even more jaw-dropping scene unfolded...

The newly revealed Parasites neither pounced on the students around them as before, nor did they attack Xu Jun, Wang Biao, or the others.

Instead, they all rushed in the same direction, as if to merge into a single force.

And that was exactly what was happening!

The thirty newly appeared Parasites, the twenty remaining ones on the field, and even some of the Bloodthirsty Vines that had been severed but whose Vine Cores had not yet been completely destroyed... all seemed to have simultaneously received a command from the Bloodthirsty Vine King. They had no other thought but to move toward each other.

Over fifty Parasites converged at incredible speed. Their human bodies, impaled by the interweaving vines, hung in mid-air like leather shells, swaying with the movements of the multi-tentacled Bloodthirsty Vines.

Countless vines dug into the ground. Some used them to climb quickly, others to propel themselves forward in a sprint, weaving through the crowd in an extremely bizarre manner.

This scene once again made everyone’s faces drain of color in terror.

’Is this really a plant?’

’What kind of plant is this fast? It can even run with its tendrils!’

’It’s basically an animal in a plant’s skin, right?’

’No, it’s a monster...’

After the vines converged, a bizarre and disgusting scene began to play out.

They began to writhe and wrap around each other frantically. The Parasites’ bodies were tightly enveloped within, twisted and kneaded like old rags.

The thorns on the vines pressed against each other, piercing other vines and causing a viscous green fluid to ooze out.

An uninformed observer might have thought they belonged to different factions and were killing each other.

The surrounding crowd was completely stupefied...

"What’s going on? What are they doing?"

"It looks like they’re fighting among themselves. Did the vines have a falling out?"

"Did you forget what that guy said before? These are all split bodies of the Bloodthirsty Vine King, controlled by a single consciousness. Why would they kill each other?"

"So they’re self-destructing?"

"I think it’s more like they’re devouring each other, absorbing energy to merge into an even more powerful monster!"

"No way... If so many Parasites merge together, what kind of horrifying existence would that create?"

The thousands of students in the Central Square had long since retreated to a safe distance, their eyes wide with shock as they watched the vines squeeze and tangle together.

They had never even seen a bizarre creature like the Bloodthirsty Vine before, let alone such a horrifying scene of fusion.

Fortunately, the Bloodthirsty Vines were focused on merging and were no longer attacking the surrounding students, which gave them a moment to breathe.

Everyone knew it was best to stay as far away from this thing as possible. If they got too close, they might not even know how they died.

"Brother Chong, what are they doing?"

Xu Jun asked, approaching Chen Chong with his Snakebone Giant Axe in hand, his voice laced with confusion.

Chen Chong was also staring at the transforming Bloodthirsty Vines.

The fusion of the fifty-plus Parasites was beginning to take shape. A giant, fleshy ball of vines had formed in the center of the square, with countless vines interwoven within it.

The outer shells of the Parasites were constantly being crushed, mixing with the green fluid to form a pulp of flesh and bone fragments that dripped down the vines, emitting a foul, bloody stench...

On the other side, Qi Zhen, Wang Biao, Ning Yu, as well as the Tiger Striped Dog and the Blade-Limbed Assassin Insect, were also watching cautiously, not making any rash moves.

Chen Chong’s brows were tightly furrowed. Although he hadn’t figured out the Bloodthirsty Vine’s exact intentions, he was certain it was nothing good.

"Whatever it’s trying to do, we destroy it first!"

Chen Chong was the first to leap into action, his Snake Scale Short Knife held in a reverse grip.

At his command, the group charged forward as one.

Xu Jun broke into a sprint, swinging his Snakebone Giant Axe with such force that it whistled through the air, bringing it down on the fleshy ball with immense power.

Ning Yu’s frenzied state had not yet worn off, and her body was still at its peak. The Tang Blade in her hand flashed with a cold light as her figure blurred into an afterimage.

Wang Biao nocked five arrows at once. The muscles in his arms bulged like stone as he drew the bowstring to its limit. The five arrows tore through the air, aimed straight for the core of the fleshy ball.

A golden light erupted from Qi Zhen’s body as he charged forward brazenly, relying on sheer physical strength.

The Blade-Limbed Assassin Insect and the Tiger Striped Dog followed closely behind Chen Chong, pouncing toward the fusing mass...

So many Transcendants were attacking in concert, and among them were even some with A-Level strength.

Let alone these Bloodthirsty Vine offshoots trying to fuse and evolve, even if the Bloodthirsty Vine King itself were here, taking such an attack head-on would likely leave it severely wounded.

However, the Bloodthirsty Vine’s intelligence far exceeded everyone’s expectations. It had clearly anticipated this, knowing its fusion process would surely be interrupted, and had actually prepared countermeasures in advance...

CRACKLE CRACKLE—

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A violent tremor suddenly erupted. A web of cracks spread rapidly across the ground with the mass at its center.

The entire square shook violently as if hit by an earthquake, and several thick vines burst forth from deep underground.

Before beginning its fusion, it had already extended its vines underground to lay a trap.

Chen Chong’s group was caught completely off guard. Aside from Wang Biao, who was on a high platform, everyone else was charging across the ground.

The ground beneath them suddenly gave way. They instantly lost their balance and were forced to an abrupt halt.

Though it was only a delay of three or four seconds, it gave the Bloodthirsty Vine the opening it needed.

The subterranean vines abruptly retracted, then shot out along the cracks toward the gathered crowds.

Taking advantage of the moment when no one could react, the vines moved with extreme speed, extending over two hundred meters in an instant.

Just as everyone thought the vines were about to attack and kill, they instead instantly ensnared more than twenty students who were closest and couldn’t dodge in time.

The captured students were scared out of their wits, never imagining the Bloodthirsty Vine would target them.

In an instant, the shadow of death loomed over everyone’s heart.

For the less brave, yellowish urine was already trickling down their pant legs...

However, the Bloodthirsty Vine didn’t pierce their skin to absorb energy as it had before. Instead, it did something else.

It knew that killing them on the spot would only enrage Chen Chong’s group and invite an even fiercer attack.

To buy time for its fusion, it had to use another method...

It lifted the students high into the air and then tossed them in all directions like pieces of trash.

Instantly, the students, arcing through the air, let out horrified screams.

Its intention was self-evident.

It was forcing Chen Chong’s group to make a choice.

Either watch their companions fall to their deaths and continue attacking it.

Or abandon the attack to save the students.

It was making a bet.

It was betting that Chen Chong and the others cared about these humans and wouldn’t just stand by and watch their companions die.

"Damn it! This thing’s intelligence is too damn high! It’s fucking playing dirty?"

Xu Jun cursed angrily, his steps faltering for a moment.

Everyone understood the Bloodthirsty Vine’s intention.

Faced with a creature that repeatedly shattered their expectations of its intelligence, their faces changed as they felt both shock and fury.

They subconsciously began to wonder whether they should continue the attack or turn back to save the students...

But Chen Chong didn’t pause for even a second. On the contrary, the killing intent in his eyes grew even stronger.

"So you know how to exploit human weakness? You’ve learned to use strategy..."

"It seems your intelligence has grown quite a bit these past few days by absorbing human memories. In that case, I have even more reason not to let you live."

He paid no mind to the students who had been thrown, continuing his dauntless charge toward the fusing Bloodthirsty Vine mass.

From the very beginning, Chen Chong had only one goal: to eradicate the Bloodthirsty Vine from the school!

Eliminating such a threat was bound to come at a cost.

He was willing to pay it, even if it meant casualties.

The Bloodthirsty Vine had clearly underestimated Chen Chong’s ruthlessness.

And his determination to kill it...

...