40 Global Evolution
They quickly arrived at the cinema. By this time, the sun had already set, and there was no one on the road. Various insects in the grass emitted intermittent calls, rendering the pitch-black environment even more eerie and terrifying.
Abu stopped in front of the cinema, and Zhuang Yao turned on a bright spotlight, shining it towards the perceived energy fluctuations. Sure enough, he saw Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu standing ominously on the corner of the opposite street, watching them.
Zhuang Yao raised an eyebrow and said, "So, they're really here."
Cong Xia exclaimed, "Tianbi, Brother Liu, I'm fine." He wanted to get down from Abu, but he didn't know how to do it. It was no joke being six or seven meters high.
Cheng Tianbi coldly said, "Let him down."
Zhuang Yao smiled and said, "I've been observing that giant gecko for a week. This is the time it goes out for hunting. It's not inside the cinema, so Abu can't enter. The plan is for me, it, and Cong Xia to go around to the back where the generator room is located. We'll dismantle the power generator. This process will take at least forty minutes, and the giant gecko can return at any time. You guys need to stop it and the other smaller geckos."
Liu Fengyu cursed, "Damn, you didn't mention there were smaller geckos."
Zhuang Yao shook his head and said, "I didn't say there weren't any either."
"You little brat, you never tell the truth."
Zhuang Yao didn't care at all and said, "Come with me, let's buy some time."
"Just a moment," Cheng Tianbi said, "Don't you have a device that shields energy? Hide us with it so that the gecko won't be able to detect us when it returns."
"That device has a limited range of about four to five meters. It's useless."
Unable to do anything, the two of them had no choice but to follow Zhuang Yao to the back of the cinema. They had already arrived well before daybreak and had been waiting here for over two hours. They had observed the terrain thoroughly. There was a small warehouse behind the cinema specifically for storing generators, made of corrugated iron. Abu should be able to open it with a single claw.
The four people and a cat reached the front of the warehouse. Zhuang Yao pulled Cong Xia and slid down along Abu's tail. Then he had Abu block the entrance of the warehouse while he took Cong Xia inside to dismantle the power generator, leaving Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu to keep watch.
Zhuang Yao carried a very large tool kit, almost half his size, and he struggled to drag it. After setting up the four spotlights and providing adequate illumination, he was already drenched in sweat, exhausted.
He placed the prepared tools on the ground and said, "Let's get to work dismantling things."
Cong Xia looked up at the generator, which was several meters tall, and said, "It's a bit challenging to deal with something this big."
"It's not difficult. Just focus on dismantling it, don't worry about how to transport it."
Zhuang Yao spread out a few blueprints on the ground and said, "This generator is an XPR-1 model produced by Shanghai Dongsheng Electric Machinery Company in 2011. It's suitable for small to medium-sized commercial use that doesn't involve heavy industrial purposes. I had already ordered one before the earthquake, but unfortunately, it didn't arrive. I studied its blueprints beforehand, waiting for the arrival of the equipment to modify it. Can you understand the blueprints?"
Cong Xia squatted down and studied them for a moment. "I can understand them. The mechanical parts are a bit complex. Let's start with the non-load-bearing fixtures."
"Good, no need for me to explain further." Zhuang Yao picked up an electric screwdriver and began dismantling the fixtures.
Cong Xia followed suit and started dismantling as well.
The generator was relatively new and well-maintained, so apart from some wild grass growing on it, there wasn't much damage. They quickly dismantled the non-load-bearing parts and then proceeded to dismantle the main body.
The warehouse was a bit stuffy, and soon both of them were drenched in sweat. Zhuang Yao's eyes sparkled with excitement, while Cong Xia remained in a constant state of tension.
He didn't know when the giant gecko that went out hunting would return. He didn't know if Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu were safe outside. Once the giant gecko returned, would they be able to escape unharmed?
Suddenly, he felt something climbing up his leg. He lowered his head and saw a small gecko, about the size of a palm, crawling up his pants. He quickly used a wrench to knock it to the ground.
Zhuang Yao glanced at him and said, "Don't worry, the small ones won't bite."
"What about the big ones?"
"For the big ones, do you understand the structure and hunting methods of geckos?"
"I know a little."
"They hunt using their tongues, just like frogs, but they are much more terrifying. Do you know how they devour their prey?"
Cong Xia swallowed nervously.
"That gecko isn't very large, around four to five meters. Due to physiological limitations, it can't swallow a person whole. So it shares the meal with its companions. Several geckos will wrap themselves around the limbs of a person, tearing them into pieces. Also, their paws have millions of tiny steel spikes. Just a touch can peel off a layer of skin, even more formidable than a black bear's tongue."
Cong Xia's voice trembled as he asked, "What's the point of scaring me like this?"
Zhuang Yao wore a cunning smile. "Because you're easily scared, it's fun."
Cong Xia frowned. "Don't forget, it's just you and me here. Aren't you afraid I'll knock you out with a hammer?"
Zhuang Yao laughed heartily. "If you had the guts, you would have had countless opportunities today." After saying that, he put on an innocent expression and winked at Cong Xia.
Cong Xia gritted his teeth, silently cursing the brat and feeling the urge to punch him. But he hesitated to actually knock Zhuang Yao out. What if he tied him up instead? No, that wouldn't work. As soon as Zhuang Yao yelled, Abu would immediately tear the roof off. In the end, with Abu around, he didn't dare do anything to Zhuang Yao.
"Don't get any funny ideas. Let's just focus on dismantling," Zhuang Yao said, kicking away a gecko from his foot, his hands still busy with the task.
Cong Xia didn't stop either. The perfect outcome would be if they could transport the generator and escape unharmed, benefiting both parties.
Nearly an hour had passed, and they had almost finished dismantling the generator when suddenly, both of them felt an unusual tremor beneath their feet.
Outside the warehouse, Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu had been staring at Abu, the 6-7 meter tall puppet-like cat, for almost an hour.
The cat truly lived up to its name, resembling a puppet. It stood motionless outside the warehouse door, using its massive body to block the entrance tightly. Its pale purple eyes stared silently at the two individuals, its tail coiled by its side, occasionally flicking it, confirming that it was indeed alive.
Liu Fengyu wasn't someone who could remain patient. Anxiously pacing back and forth, he muttered, "Why aren't they coming out yet? What if that giant gecko is coming back? Damn it, I really want to drag that brat out and give him a good beating."
Cheng Tianbi stood steadfast, observing the energy fluctuations around them. He also hoped that Cong Xia and Zhuang Yao could quickly dismantle the generator and leave this place. After all, obtaining the things that Zhuang Yao had promised would be the best outcome for them.
However, the time was indeed dragging on, far exceeding the 40 minutes that Zhuang Yao had mentioned.
Regardless of the outcome, Cheng Tianbi would never easily let go of the person who dared to abduct Cong Xia in front of him, no matter who they were.
Cheng Tianbi recalled the scene from a few hours ago, and a surge of anger still burned within him. He remembered the feeling of his heart about to explode when he saw Abu opening its mouth towards Cong Xia's head.
He didn't know if it was fear because he had never felt fear towards anyone or anything before. But in that moment, that unfamiliar sensation made him unwilling to dwell on it again.
If Abu had bitten Cong Xia's head instead of his backpack at that time...
Cheng Tianbi clenched his fist, a killing intent rising towards the cat before him.
Abu seemed to sense Cheng Tianbi's murderous aura and let out a slight meow, its tail flicking faster.
Liu Fengyu, bored, kicked a stone on the ground. "You know, this cat is quite beautiful. I had an ex-girlfriend who owned one, and she treated it like a deity. But I wonder, now that it's grown so big, can it still reproduce? Finding a mate of the same size wouldn't be easy, maybe many animals would go extinct because of it..."
Suddenly, the two humans and the cat simultaneously felt the vibrations beneath their feet. A powerful energy fluctuation slowly entered their perception. Unlike the weak and chaotic energy fluctuations before, they immediately recognized that this was a formidable opponent.
The giant gecko had returned!
They could sense the giant gecko, and the giant gecko could sense them. Both individuals swiftly prepared for battle, and Abu let out a low growl.
Zhuang Yao shouted, "Hold on, we're almost done dismantling."
Cong Xia was anxious, sweat pouring down his forehead, his hands trembling.
Zhuang Yao firmly grasped his shoulder, his gaze sharp. "Don't panic. Keep going, help me secure this component with a rope."
The ground tremors grew stronger, and the vibrations soon changed direction. Cheng Tianbi speculated that the giant gecko entered and exited the cinema through the sewer pipes, and it was likely climbing out now.
Before the giant gecko emerged, more than twenty small geckos crawled out from all sides of the cinema building. Although they were called small geckos, even the smallest one was over one meter long, and the largest one was nearly three meters long. In the darkness, they resembled giant lizards, clinging to the outer walls of the building, quickly crawling towards them.
"Damn, these are called small geckos," Liu Fengyu exclaimed as he ran towards an open area, trying to not affect Cheng Tianbi and Abu with his smell.
Abu's fur stood on end as it fiercely roared at the group of geckos.
Cheng Tianbi threw his backpack to the ground and manipulated the wind, materializing an invisible long blade.
One of the small geckos, over one meter long, was the first to crawl in front of him. Cheng Tianbi controlled the airflow, creating illusions of sharp spikes in the air, stabbing towards the small gecko. The small gecko, nimble in its movements, sensed the threat from its side and dodged to the side but still got pierced by the invisible spikes.
However, the gecko's skin had evolved to be quite thick. Cheng Tianbi felt resistance when the spikes encountered it. It was a strange sensation, as if he were personally stabbing the gecko with a dagger. He could feel every ounce of force and any resistance; the wind was a part of his body!
While the small gecko struggled against the wind spikes, Cheng Tianbi had already taken several steps and stood in front of it. The invisible greatsword viciously swung towards the small gecko's head, delivering a fatal blow.
The greatsword materialized from the force of the wind was superior to any weapon in the world, with the most enchanting aspect being its ability to be tangible or intangible at will. Cheng Tianbi didn't need to expend any effort in withdrawing the blade after a strike. As long as he desired, the sword immediately scattered in the air, and in an instant, it could condense into a deadly weapon.
After this strike proved effective, Cheng Tianbi swiftly moved towards another gecko. The gecko was incredibly fast, extending its tongue to coil around his leg, dragging him towards itself.
The gecko, which was nearly two meters long, possessed astonishing strength. It made it difficult for Cheng Tianbi to maintain his footing. He raised his hand, and with a swift motion, he cleanly severed the gecko's tongue. The gecko writhed in pain, collapsing to the ground, and Cheng Tianbi approached and finished it off effortlessly.
More and more geckos surged out of the cinema, wave after wave, relentlessly attacking them.
Cheng Tianbi brandished the intangible wind blade, slaying every gecko that approached him. He had never experienced such a thrilling and exhilarating battle. He felt his entire body filled with power, as if his control over the natural force of the wind had become ingrained in his marrow. It became as simple, agile, and instinctive as moving his fingers.
The feeling of being able to do whatever he pleased was incredibly exciting!
On the other side, Liu Fengyu had unleashed the most dazzling petals. The vibrant and dense petals danced in the air. Just a slight touch of the thorns on the petals would create a hole, instantly digesting whatever it touched. Simultaneously, the intense stench overwhelmed the geckos, causing them to stagger and lose their ability to move. Those closest to the stench ended up flipping onto their backs, immediately immobilized. At the same time, Liu Fengyu made a remarkable discovery. He felt that he could now control the stench. Previously, when he released the odor, he could only control its intensity. But now, he could deliberately control the release range, and he even felt he could slightly control the direction of the release!
He had only been cultivating the fire element for a week, yet he had made tremendous progress. This unexpected development delighted him.
On another side, Abu displayed astonishing combat prowess. With a single swipe of its claw, it could tear apart a gecko's abdominal cavity. However, due to its large size, the relatively smaller geckos held an advantage in agility. They swarmed Abu, constantly using their tongues to entangle its limbs and tail, while Abu roared in fury.
Zhuang Yao anxiously shouted from inside the warehouse, "Abu, hold on!"
Cong Xia saw Zhuang Yao's nervous expression for the first time. Zhuang Yao was constantly directing him in dismantling and even instructed him on the order, the amount of force to exert, and the angle from which to start. It was as if Zhuang Yao had a precise production process in his mind, knowing exactly how much resources to invest in each production step to achieve certain outcomes. Now, Cong Xia was that machine, working at maximum efficiency under Zhuang Yao's guidance.
As they finished dismantling all the components and were in the process of binding them together, they once again felt violent tremors. The entire warehouse started swaying, as if it could collapse at any moment!
The large gecko was finally here, and it was not just four or five meters long. Perhaps it had evolved in these past two days, as it now measured at least seven meters in length. The cement walls trembled under its weight.
The large gecko descended from the outer wall of the cinema, directly above the generator warehouse. If it continued in that direction, it would easily crush the small warehouse.
The geckos from all directions grew more excited with its appearance. Countless geckos, big and small, poured out of the cinema. This place had truly become a gecko nest, and their reproductive power was astonishing.
Liu Fengyu shouted, "There are too many, I can't hold on much longer. Tell them to leave quickly!"
Cheng Tianbi was drenched in sweat and his arms were so sore he could hardly lift them. In just five minutes, he had killed at least sixty to seventy geckos. His legs, arms, and waist were all in pain from the geckos' tongues. The energy expenditure was incredibly high, and if they continued like this, they would be finished sooner or later.
Cheng Tianbi shouted, "Cong Xia, come out quickly!"
Cong Xia hesitated for a moment, glancing at Zhuang Yao, who was still binding the components. He instantly felt uncertain.
Could their efforts go to waste?
Cheng Tianbi shouted again, "Cong Xia, the cat is no longer at the door. Hurry and leave!"
Their lives were at stake. Cong Xia gritted his teeth and lifted Zhuang Yao from the ground. "Let's go, we'll come back another day to collect it!"
Zhuang Yao struggled in Cong Xia's arms and yelled, "Do you think it's easy to come here? I deceived you. The gecko doesn't go out every day. It's the first time in two weeks. I baited it into the sewer. If we don't take it now, when will we have another chance?"
Cong Xia became annoyed. "Does your mouth ever speak the truth?" Ignoring Zhuang Yao's struggles, he carried him and ran out. They were immediately faced with a gecko over two meters long, its tongue sticking out toward them.
Cheng Tianbi leaped like a god, landing directly on the gecko. With one strike, he pierced its head, leaving it with a gaping wound. His face turned pale. "Hurry, let's go."
Cong Xia looked in the direction of Liu Fengyu and saw that he was already running towards them.
With Cong Xia firmly holding Zhuang Yao, they dragged him outside. Cong Xia's body blocked their view, and they couldn't see Abu. They could only call out, "Abu! Abu!"
Abu let out two weak cries, lacking strength in its voice.
Zhuang Yao grew anxious. "What's wrong with Abu?"
Cong Xia turned around and saw Abu engaged in a fight with the largest gecko. One could leap and jump around rooftops, while the other could walk on any surface, defying gravity. They fought from the wall to the ground and back up to the wall.
Abu might have stood a chance in a one-on-one fight against the gecko, but there were too many offspring of the large gecko. Hundreds of geckos continuously rushed towards Abu's direction, protecting their king. The geckos no longer attacked Cheng Tianbi and the others, who were being protected.
Zhuang Yao struggled free from Cong Xia's grasp and, upon seeing Abu's situation, his face turned pale. "Abu, stop fighting and come back!"
Abu had already sustained several injuries from the gecko's steel-like hairs, staining its pristine fur with fresh blood. Although Abu wanted to retreat, gecko tongues kept entangling its limbs. It would bite off one tongue, but countless others took their place. Gradually, Abu became entangled by more and more gecko tongues, unable to move. The large gecko shot out its thick, long tongue, tightly coiling around Abu's neck!
Zhuang Yao's eyes turned red, and with a teary voice, he shouted, "Abu!"
Cong Xia looked at the beautiful cat with a sense of sadness, realizing that its fate was grim.
Zhuang Yao grabbed Cong Xia's collar and said, "Save it! Save Abu!"
Cheng Tianbi grabbed Zhuang Yao by the collar and threw him to the ground, then pulled Cong Xia up. "We need to go."
40 Global Evolution
They quickly arrived at the cinema. By this time, the sun had already set, and there was no one on the road. Various insects in the grass emitted intermittent calls, rendering the pitch-black environment even more eerie and terrifying.
Abu stopped in front of the cinema, and Zhuang Yao turned on a bright spotlight, shining it towards the perceived energy fluctuations. Sure enough, he saw Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu standing ominously on the corner of the opposite street, watching them.
Zhuang Yao raised an eyebrow and said, "So, they're really here."
Cong Xia exclaimed, "Tianbi, Brother Liu, I'm fine." He wanted to get down from Abu, but he didn't know how to do it. It was no joke being six or seven meters high.
Cheng Tianbi coldly said, "Let him down."
Zhuang Yao smiled and said, "I've been observing that giant gecko for a week. This is the time it goes out for hunting. It's not inside the cinema, so Abu can't enter. The plan is for me, it, and Cong Xia to go around to the back where the generator room is located. We'll dismantle the power generator. This process will take at least forty minutes, and the giant gecko can return at any time. You guys need to stop it and the other smaller geckos."
Liu Fengyu cursed, "Damn, you didn't mention there were smaller geckos."
Zhuang Yao shook his head and said, "I didn't say there weren't any either."
"You little brat, you never tell the truth."
Zhuang Yao didn't care at all and said, "Come with me, let's buy some time."
"Just a moment," Cheng Tianbi said, "Don't you have a device that shields energy? Hide us with it so that the gecko won't be able to detect us when it returns."
"That device has a limited range of about four to five meters. It's useless."
Unable to do anything, the two of them had no choice but to follow Zhuang Yao to the back of the cinema. They had already arrived well before daybreak and had been waiting here for over two hours. They had observed the terrain thoroughly. There was a small warehouse behind the cinema specifically for storing generators, made of corrugated iron. Abu should be able to open it with a single claw.
The four people and a cat reached the front of the warehouse. Zhuang Yao pulled Cong Xia and slid down along Abu's tail. Then he had Abu block the entrance of the warehouse while he took Cong Xia inside to dismantle the power generator, leaving Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu to keep watch.
Zhuang Yao carried a very large tool kit, almost half his size, and he struggled to drag it. After setting up the four spotlights and providing adequate illumination, he was already drenched in sweat, exhausted.
He placed the prepared tools on the ground and said, "Let's get to work dismantling things."
Cong Xia looked up at the generator, which was several meters tall, and said, "It's a bit challenging to deal with something this big."
"It's not difficult. Just focus on dismantling it, don't worry about how to transport it."
Zhuang Yao spread out a few blueprints on the ground and said, "This generator is an XPR-1 model produced by Shanghai Dongsheng Electric Machinery Company in 2011. It's suitable for small to medium-sized commercial use that doesn't involve heavy industrial purposes. I had already ordered one before the earthquake, but unfortunately, it didn't arrive. I studied its blueprints beforehand, waiting for the arrival of the equipment to modify it. Can you understand the blueprints?"
Cong Xia squatted down and studied them for a moment. "I can understand them. The mechanical parts are a bit complex. Let's start with the non-load-bearing fixtures."
"Good, no need for me to explain further." Zhuang Yao picked up an electric screwdriver and began dismantling the fixtures.
Cong Xia followed suit and started dismantling as well.
The generator was relatively new and well-maintained, so apart from some wild grass growing on it, there wasn't much damage. They quickly dismantled the non-load-bearing parts and then proceeded to dismantle the main body.
The warehouse was a bit stuffy, and soon both of them were drenched in sweat. Zhuang Yao's eyes sparkled with excitement, while Cong Xia remained in a constant state of tension.
He didn't know when the giant gecko that went out hunting would return. He didn't know if Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu were safe outside. Once the giant gecko returned, would they be able to escape unharmed?
Suddenly, he felt something climbing up his leg. He lowered his head and saw a small gecko, about the size of a palm, crawling up his pants. He quickly used a wrench to knock it to the ground.
Zhuang Yao glanced at him and said, "Don't worry, the small ones won't bite."
"What about the big ones?"
"For the big ones, do you understand the structure and hunting methods of geckos?"
"I know a little."
"They hunt using their tongues, just like frogs, but they are much more terrifying. Do you know how they devour their prey?"
Cong Xia swallowed nervously.
"That gecko isn't very large, around four to five meters. Due to physiological limitations, it can't swallow a person whole. So it shares the meal with its companions. Several geckos will wrap themselves around the limbs of a person, tearing them into pieces. Also, their paws have millions of tiny steel spikes. Just a touch can peel off a layer of skin, even more formidable than a black bear's tongue."
Cong Xia's voice trembled as he asked, "What's the point of scaring me like this?"
Zhuang Yao wore a cunning smile. "Because you're easily scared, it's fun."
Cong Xia frowned. "Don't forget, it's just you and me here. Aren't you afraid I'll knock you out with a hammer?"
Zhuang Yao laughed heartily. "If you had the guts, you would have had countless opportunities today." After saying that, he put on an innocent expression and winked at Cong Xia.
Cong Xia gritted his teeth, silently cursing the brat and feeling the urge to punch him. But he hesitated to actually knock Zhuang Yao out. What if he tied him up instead? No, that wouldn't work. As soon as Zhuang Yao yelled, Abu would immediately tear the roof off. In the end, with Abu around, he didn't dare do anything to Zhuang Yao.
"Don't get any funny ideas. Let's just focus on dismantling," Zhuang Yao said, kicking away a gecko from his foot, his hands still busy with the task.
Cong Xia didn't stop either. The perfect outcome would be if they could transport the generator and escape unharmed, benefiting both parties.
Nearly an hour had passed, and they had almost finished dismantling the generator when suddenly, both of them felt an unusual tremor beneath their feet.
Outside the warehouse, Cheng Tianbi and Liu Fengyu had been staring at Abu, the 6-7 meter tall puppet-like cat, for almost an hour.
The cat truly lived up to its name, resembling a puppet. It stood motionless outside the warehouse door, using its massive body to block the entrance tightly. Its pale purple eyes stared silently at the two individuals, its tail coiled by its side, occasionally flicking it, confirming that it was indeed alive.
Liu Fengyu wasn't someone who could remain patient. Anxiously pacing back and forth, he muttered, "Why aren't they coming out yet? What if that giant gecko is coming back? Damn it, I really want to drag that brat out and give him a good beating."
Cheng Tianbi stood steadfast, observing the energy fluctuations around them. He also hoped that Cong Xia and Zhuang Yao could quickly dismantle the generator and leave this place. After all, obtaining the things that Zhuang Yao had promised would be the best outcome for them.
However, the time was indeed dragging on, far exceeding the 40 minutes that Zhuang Yao had mentioned.
Regardless of the outcome, Cheng Tianbi would never easily let go of the person who dared to abduct Cong Xia in front of him, no matter who they were.
Cheng Tianbi recalled the scene from a few hours ago, and a surge of anger still burned within him. He remembered the feeling of his heart about to explode when he saw Abu opening its mouth towards Cong Xia's head.
He didn't know if it was fear because he had never felt fear towards anyone or anything before. But in that moment, that unfamiliar sensation made him unwilling to dwell on it again.
If Abu had bitten Cong Xia's head instead of his backpack at that time...
Cheng Tianbi clenched his fist, a killing intent rising towards the cat before him.
Abu seemed to sense Cheng Tianbi's murderous aura and let out a slight meow, its tail flicking faster.
Liu Fengyu, bored, kicked a stone on the ground. "You know, this cat is quite beautiful. I had an ex-girlfriend who owned one, and she treated it like a deity. But I wonder, now that it's grown so big, can it still reproduce? Finding a mate of the same size wouldn't be easy, maybe many animals would go extinct because of it..."
Suddenly, the two humans and the cat simultaneously felt the vibrations beneath their feet. A powerful energy fluctuation slowly entered their perception. Unlike the weak and chaotic energy fluctuations before, they immediately recognized that this was a formidable opponent.
The giant gecko had returned!
They could sense the giant gecko, and the giant gecko could sense them. Both individuals swiftly prepared for battle, and Abu let out a low growl.
Zhuang Yao shouted, "Hold on, we're almost done dismantling."
Cong Xia was anxious, sweat pouring down his forehead, his hands trembling.
Zhuang Yao firmly grasped his shoulder, his gaze sharp. "Don't panic. Keep going, help me secure this component with a rope."
The ground tremors grew stronger, and the vibrations soon changed direction. Cheng Tianbi speculated that the giant gecko entered and exited the cinema through the sewer pipes, and it was likely climbing out now.
Before the giant gecko emerged, more than twenty small geckos crawled out from all sides of the cinema building. Although they were called small geckos, even the smallest one was over one meter long, and the largest one was nearly three meters long. In the darkness, they resembled giant lizards, clinging to the outer walls of the building, quickly crawling towards them.
"Damn, these are called small geckos," Liu Fengyu exclaimed as he ran towards an open area, trying to not affect Cheng Tianbi and Abu with his smell.
Abu's fur stood on end as it fiercely roared at the group of geckos.
Cheng Tianbi threw his backpack to the ground and manipulated the wind, materializing an invisible long blade.
One of the small geckos, over one meter long, was the first to crawl in front of him. Cheng Tianbi controlled the airflow, creating illusions of sharp spikes in the air, stabbing towards the small gecko. The small gecko, nimble in its movements, sensed the threat from its side and dodged to the side but still got pierced by the invisible spikes.
However, the gecko's skin had evolved to be quite thick. Cheng Tianbi felt resistance when the spikes encountered it. It was a strange sensation, as if he were personally stabbing the gecko with a dagger. He could feel every ounce of force and any resistance; the wind was a part of his body!
While the small gecko struggled against the wind spikes, Cheng Tianbi had already taken several steps and stood in front of it. The invisible greatsword viciously swung towards the small gecko's head, delivering a fatal blow.
The greatsword materialized from the force of the wind was superior to any weapon in the world, with the most enchanting aspect being its ability to be tangible or intangible at will. Cheng Tianbi didn't need to expend any effort in withdrawing the blade after a strike. As long as he desired, the sword immediately scattered in the air, and in an instant, it could condense into a deadly weapon.
After this strike proved effective, Cheng Tianbi swiftly moved towards another gecko. The gecko was incredibly fast, extending its tongue to coil around his leg, dragging him towards itself.
The gecko, which was nearly two meters long, possessed astonishing strength. It made it difficult for Cheng Tianbi to maintain his footing. He raised his hand, and with a swift motion, he cleanly severed the gecko's tongue. The gecko writhed in pain, collapsing to the ground, and Cheng Tianbi approached and finished it off effortlessly.
More and more geckos surged out of the cinema, wave after wave, relentlessly attacking them.
Cheng Tianbi brandished the intangible wind blade, slaying every gecko that approached him. He had never experienced such a thrilling and exhilarating battle. He felt his entire body filled with power, as if his control over the natural force of the wind had become ingrained in his marrow. It became as simple, agile, and instinctive as moving his fingers.
The feeling of being able to do whatever he pleased was incredibly exciting!
On the other side, Liu Fengyu had unleashed the most dazzling petals. The vibrant and dense petals danced in the air. Just a slight touch of the thorns on the petals would create a hole, instantly digesting whatever it touched. Simultaneously, the intense stench overwhelmed the geckos, causing them to stagger and lose their ability to move. Those closest to the stench ended up flipping onto their backs, immediately immobilized. At the same time, Liu Fengyu made a remarkable discovery. He felt that he could now control the stench. Previously, when he released the odor, he could only control its intensity. But now, he could deliberately control the release range, and he even felt he could slightly control the direction of the release!
He had only been cultivating the fire element for a week, yet he had made tremendous progress. This unexpected development delighted him.
On another side, Abu displayed astonishing combat prowess. With a single swipe of its claw, it could tear apart a gecko's abdominal cavity. However, due to its large size, the relatively smaller geckos held an advantage in agility. They swarmed Abu, constantly using their tongues to entangle its limbs and tail, while Abu roared in fury.
Zhuang Yao anxiously shouted from inside the warehouse, "Abu, hold on!"
Cong Xia saw Zhuang Yao's nervous expression for the first time. Zhuang Yao was constantly directing him in dismantling and even instructed him on the order, the amount of force to exert, and the angle from which to start. It was as if Zhuang Yao had a precise production process in his mind, knowing exactly how much resources to invest in each production step to achieve certain outcomes. Now, Cong Xia was that machine, working at maximum efficiency under Zhuang Yao's guidance.
As they finished dismantling all the components and were in the process of binding them together, they once again felt violent tremors. The entire warehouse started swaying, as if it could collapse at any moment!
The large gecko was finally here, and it was not just four or five meters long. Perhaps it had evolved in these past two days, as it now measured at least seven meters in length. The cement walls trembled under its weight.
The large gecko descended from the outer wall of the cinema, directly above the generator warehouse. If it continued in that direction, it would easily crush the small warehouse.
The geckos from all directions grew more excited with its appearance. Countless geckos, big and small, poured out of the cinema. This place had truly become a gecko nest, and their reproductive power was astonishing.
Liu Fengyu shouted, "There are too many, I can't hold on much longer. Tell them to leave quickly!"
Cheng Tianbi was drenched in sweat and his arms were so sore he could hardly lift them. In just five minutes, he had killed at least sixty to seventy geckos. His legs, arms, and waist were all in pain from the geckos' tongues. The energy expenditure was incredibly high, and if they continued like this, they would be finished sooner or later.
Cheng Tianbi shouted, "Cong Xia, come out quickly!"
Cong Xia hesitated for a moment, glancing at Zhuang Yao, who was still binding the components. He instantly felt uncertain.
Could their efforts go to waste?
Cheng Tianbi shouted again, "Cong Xia, the cat is no longer at the door. Hurry and leave!"
Their lives were at stake. Cong Xia gritted his teeth and lifted Zhuang Yao from the ground. "Let's go, we'll come back another day to collect it!"
Zhuang Yao struggled in Cong Xia's arms and yelled, "Do you think it's easy to come here? I deceived you. The gecko doesn't go out every day. It's the first time in two weeks. I baited it into the sewer. If we don't take it now, when will we have another chance?"
Cong Xia became annoyed. "Does your mouth ever speak the truth?" Ignoring Zhuang Yao's struggles, he carried him and ran out. They were immediately faced with a gecko over two meters long, its tongue sticking out toward them.
Cheng Tianbi leaped like a god, landing directly on the gecko. With one strike, he pierced its head, leaving it with a gaping wound. His face turned pale. "Hurry, let's go."
Cong Xia looked in the direction of Liu Fengyu and saw that he was already running towards them.
With Cong Xia firmly holding Zhuang Yao, they dragged him outside. Cong Xia's body blocked their view, and they couldn't see Abu. They could only call out, "Abu! Abu!"
Abu let out two weak cries, lacking strength in its voice.
Zhuang Yao grew anxious. "What's wrong with Abu?"
Cong Xia turned around and saw Abu engaged in a fight with the largest gecko. One could leap and jump around rooftops, while the other could walk on any surface, defying gravity. They fought from the wall to the ground and back up to the wall.
Abu might have stood a chance in a one-on-one fight against the gecko, but there were too many offspring of the large gecko. Hundreds of geckos continuously rushed towards Abu's direction, protecting their king. The geckos no longer attacked Cheng Tianbi and the others, who were being protected.
Zhuang Yao struggled free from Cong Xia's grasp and, upon seeing Abu's situation, his face turned pale. "Abu, stop fighting and come back!"
Abu had already sustained several injuries from the gecko's steel-like hairs, staining its pristine fur with fresh blood. Although Abu wanted to retreat, gecko tongues kept entangling its limbs. It would bite off one tongue, but countless others took their place. Gradually, Abu became entangled by more and more gecko tongues, unable to move. The large gecko shot out its thick, long tongue, tightly coiling around Abu's neck!
Zhuang Yao's eyes turned red, and with a teary voice, he shouted, "Abu!"
Cong Xia looked at the beautiful cat with a sense of sadness, realizing that its fate was grim.
Zhuang Yao grabbed Cong Xia's collar and said, "Save it! Save Abu!"
Cheng Tianbi grabbed Zhuang Yao by the collar and threw him to the ground, then pulled Cong Xia up. "We need to go."
