The Fire God Clears the Way

Over a hundred people lined up on the narrow mountain path, with the young monks from the temple scattered throughout the formation.

No one was making a fuss. They all knew that now was not the time for delays. Yuanming had made it very clear to them in less than a minute. He wouldn't leave anyone behind, so he asked everyone to help each other for their own sake.

So those who still had some strength simply picked up the children who were slow and carried them.

Durandal and her group walked silently at the front with Yuanming, who was carrying the still-unconscious Xuanhui.

No one spoke. Yuanming didn't ask what had happened to his master and the other old monks.

Perhaps... he already had the answer.

With such mutual support, it only took about five minutes for them to reach the nearest rafting station. As Rita had expected, the rubber rafts, life jackets, and so on were all there.

They only needed to use the inflation device here to replenish the air in the rafts that had been stored for three months before they could be used.

"We'll go first. We'll scout the first half of the route for you. After the interception point, you'll have to rely on yourselves for the rest of the way," Rita said, then put a small life jacket on Li Sushang.

Her and Durandal's armor was standard issue. Otto was still designing their custom armor, so they couldn't wear life jackets over their current armor. Rita could swim and dive, and Durandal could kick herself to the surface of the water if she thrashed around.

Yuanming put down Xuanhui and bowed deeply to the three of them.

"May the benefactors be safe. I will chant sutras and pray for the three benefactors for the rest of my life." Yuanming's words were very sincere. The last time a monk had said this was when the monks of the temple had brought back meat for the first time.

Those abbot old monks had also said this to everyone.

["This humble monk will definitely chant sutras and pray for everyone for the rest of his life, in order to obtain the Buddha's forgiveness."]

The first re-inflated raft was already in the water. Durandal nodded to Yuanming and the crowd squeezed outside the rafting station, then gently jumped into the raft. She used the [Yu Long] to push off the shore, letting the raft enter the current.

The current in the rafting section was much more intense than in the calm section. The current pushed the raft, and it quickly rushed downstream, disappearing from everyone's sight in a short while.

Before coming here, Durandal had never expected that her two boat rides would have such a huge difference in her state of mind.

From the leisurely and relaxed afternoon to the heavy evening, Durandal looked up at the setting sun and took a deep breath.

"I will definitely not regret it..."

During these short few minutes, no one on the raft said a word. Rita was adjusting the various equipment on her body.

That was an Emperor-class Honkai Beast. According to the information released by the MOTH, it was a superior Honkai Beast completely different from ordinary Honkai Beasts, a super disaster that could have its own independent number.

She had never even seen a Honkai Emperor before, yet now she had to face such a threat directly. This was a predicament that Rita, as a hired assassin in the past, would never have gotten into.

Her inner principle had always been to prioritize her own safety. The professional ethics that everyone recognized were based on her top-notch skills and high standards. She would only act when victory was already in her grasp.

But thinking about it now, Rita felt that she must have been muddle-headed a few minutes ago. She had actually followed Durandal's lead and come up with such a plan...

Thinking of this, Rita looked up and saw Durandal standing majestically at the bow of the rocking raft, and she smiled helplessly.

Oh well... who made Lady Durandal my captain? Of course, I have to spoil her with my captain's ideas...

Li Sushang curled herself into a small ball, hugging her sword tightly and muttering something under her breath.

It wasn't that she was scared, but she was really nervous.

Her first battle since her debut was against an Emperor-class. Wasn't that nerve-wracking?

Li Sushang vaguely remembered how powerful the "Emperor" in Honkai was... that burning temperature, that sky-covering fire tornado, that life-isolating fire wall...

And this time, she was the one who had to stand in front of it.

Li Sushang, who was constantly repeating the Taixuan Sword Qi mantra, was a little afraid... afraid that she would be too stupid to draw her sword in time...

"We're here." When they reached a corner in the river, Rita suddenly stood up and said to the other two. Durandal nodded and shot out the grappling hook device on her armor, pulling the boat to the shore.

The few of them quickly disembarked and then headed towards the target location in a triangular formation.

By the time they got here, they could already feel a faint chill. Li Sushang shivered, and her nose started running again.

"Miss Sushang, stay at the back of the formation, ready to support me at any time. I will assist Lady Durandal in the frontal battle," Rita quickly arranged. At this time, there was no need for elaborate tactics, just arranging everyone's positions.

"I'll take the main attack," Durandal said, raising her hand and shaking the [Yu Long] vigorously, shaking off a layer of white frost.

The temperature at this distance was probably already below zero, and they still hadn't seen Parvati.

The surrounding temperature was still getting colder. Rita felt her body was already getting a little stiff and had to put one hand on her waist in advance.

Finally, in an area where the frost and fog had almost become solid, they saw the huge monster of black, blue, and white.

"She looks like a pig..." Durandal subconsciously said, but the next moment, her expression became extremely serious.

"Action!"

Before the words had even finished, Durandal's figure shot forward, and the wind she created rolled up the surrounding frost and fog, forming a clear cavity of vision.

At the same time, Rita threw out the few small things she had been holding in her hand, using the ejection device on her wrist guards to launch them in front of Durandal.

BOOM—!

A crimson fireball exploded in front of Durandal. The flames burned fiercely in the air. A small part of them quickly scattered to the ground, flickered in the frost and fog for a moment, and then quietly went out.

Incendiary bombs!

So where did the vast majority of the incendiary bombs go?

The vast majority of the flames were burning on Durandal's armor. These flames flickered in the frost and fog, and with the wind blowing past Durandal, they didn't even last for a second before they were extinguished.

But this perfectly timed second of burning gave Durandal warmth, melting the thin layer of frost on her body!

Those few consecutive incendiary bombs had cleared a path for Durandal that was completely unaffected!

Parvati's forward steps paused. Its pig head lifted, and it looked at the charging Durandal with a moment of confusion.