Chapter 53

"Retreat to a safe place!" Zhou Yi shouted loudly to the passengers behind him, watching the grotesque body of the flesh monster about to burst out of the cabin. Zhou Yi also had a new idea.

Since the flesh monster wanted to escape, let it run. The environment outside was much better than inside the cabin, and there would be fewer concerns. Whether it was for protecting the passengers on the plane or for the limitations of his own abilities, there would be more room to maneuver.

The only thing to worry about was whether the plane could hold up. He now hoped that the pilot's skills would be up to the task, and that it could hold out for a while longer. As long as it could hold out until he eliminated the monster, the safety of the entire plane would be guaranteed.

The flesh monster had already moved its entire body outside the cabin. Seeing the countless debris fly out of the cracks it had created, Zhou Yi could only use some heavy objects to block the cabin entrance to ensure no one would be sucked out. Then, he also leaped out of the cabin. Outside was his main battlefield, and he intended to completely eliminate the monster there.

The monster firmly clung to the plane, having sensed something strange. The swarm's directive was to find a place to retreat, but the vast, open sky offered no such place.

It could only use its tentacles to anchor itself to the plane, slowly moving its body towards the rear. In its swarm mind, which lacked logical thinking, only further exploration could help it understand its situation.

As soon as Zhou Yi flew outside the plane, he noticed the flesh monster's predicament. This was not surprising; a creature without a brain, no matter how capable it appeared, could not hide its fatal weakness of lacking cognitive ability. If Yasa's mind still existed, it would never have chosen to run outside the plane, as that would mean losing the means to threaten Zhou Yi.

However, the flesh monster clearly did not think about these things. Its consciousness was formed by a swarm, and a group of single-celled organisms could not consider strategic issues.

Seeing the mass of flesh moving slowly on the plane with its tentacles, Zhou Yi flew directly towards it. A large mass of blue-green flames attached to his spear, and the sharp spear blade cleanly severed one of its tentacles. The flames, at six to seven thousand degrees Celsius, were more than enough to burn through its mental defenses. However, the high temperature also caused some damage to the plane, which could not be completely prevented even with the cold air currents.

But Zhou Yi could not afford to worry about that. The plane was already damaged, and a little more would not make things worse. The priority was to quickly eliminate the monster.

In the face of the flames that had broken through its mental defenses, the flesh monster finally felt the fear of destruction. The mental screams reverberated through the clouds, filled with the fear of every part of its body.

Under the threat of the flames, it dared not absorb the tentacle remnants that had been touched by the blue-green flames. Its massive body was pulled away by other tentacles, allowing the severed limb to burn to ashes. This was the first time the swarm's will had abandoned an unsalvageable part, indicating that it knew this kind of damage was indeed fatal.

Seeing the blue-green flames burn through the severed limb and then the plane's outer wall, Zhou Yi controlled the flames, driving them towards the flesh monster. The heat inevitably caused some damage to the plane's exterior, but Zhou Yi had no other choice. He could generate and control such high-temperature flames, but he could not control the temperature. He had to act quickly to avoid further damage to the plane.

The fleeing flesh monster clearly felt the flames approaching from behind. The temperature was impossible to ignore, especially after its body had issued a death alert. To prevent the flames from touching the main body, a tentacle swung and struck the flames.

The blue-green flames were immediately scattered, but as they were scattered, small flames ignited the tentacle that had struck them. This controlled and manipulated flame could not be easily extinguished unless the user was mentally deficient.

The flames burned fiercely on the tentacle, gradually extending towards the main body. The main body would not allow such a dangerous thing to touch it. To ensure its safety, the swarm's will made another choice.

The burning tentacle was flung upwards, and at its base, the main body severed its connection. This caused the tentacle to thrash like a fiery snake in the clouds, quickly disappearing into the layers of clouds.

Zhou Yi was not worried about the damage the high-temperature flames might cause. Once the tentacle was burned to ashes, the flames would have completed his command and would no longer be under his control. In the natural environment, such flames would quickly become ordinary flames, causing no further damage.

Zhou Yi's attention was not on the flames he had created but on the flesh monster's actions. The monster's decision to cut off its own limb to save itself made Zhou Yi realize the determination of a creature facing a desperate situation. He was somewhat concerned about the damage the monster might cause before being eliminated.

However, the current situation did not give him much time to worry. The plane began to shake frequently, and its altitude was rapidly decreasing. Although it was still maintaining a relatively stable posture, Zhou Yi did not know how long it could last. He had no time to worry about it.

The flames continued to form, following the movements of his spear. Two crescent-shaped fire blades flew towards the fleeing flesh monster. The monster, sensing the threat from behind, became more proactive. It threw two flat pieces of its body to block the fire blades.

Although Zhou Yi could control the fire blades to avoid these discarded pieces, he still let the fire blades burn them. The monster's displayed vitality, devouring ability, and growth capacity had already given Zhou Yi a clear understanding. This thing had to be completely destroyed, leaving no trace behind.

The two burning pieces disappeared into the clouds, and Zhou Yi continued to swing his spear, sending more fire blades after the flesh monster. Each destruction of a part of the monster reduced its strength, and soon it would face a desperate situation. Once the swarm's will was reduced to a certain extent, it might not even be able to neutralize Zhou Yi's mental power.

The massive body gradually shrank as the flesh monster, in its swarm consciousness, had already abandoned many of its own tissues. Although it did not have a clear mind to recognize the reduction of its strength, it could sense the weakening of the swarm consciousness. It could not continue like this. If it did, the main body, which relied on the swarm consciousness to function, might lose its drive. The swarm could not afford to weaken any further.

With this realization, the flesh monster suddenly increased its speed. It almost transformed its entire body into tentacles. These thick tentacles pulled and propelled it on the plane, moving as if it were flying.

It was clearly searching for something, a place to hide.

If you often observe small insects or other invertebrates, you will notice a peculiar habit of these creatures with weak minds. They like to hide in enclosed, hidden, and dark corners. In a similar way, the flesh monster, composed of a small swarm consciousness, was not much different from these small creatures. It would make similar choices.

The flesh monster had no external sensory organs, and even the parts inherited from Yasa had been destroyed in the battle with Zhou Yi. It now sensed the outside world entirely through mental waves and its body tissues. In all its perceptions, there was only one target that met its needs.

In the vast, endless clouds, perched on a large plane, with a threat that could cause significant damage and even be fatal behind it, the flesh monster, having decided to seek refuge, rushed towards what it considered a safe place. The direction it rushed towards was the plane's engine.

Zhou Yi did not expect the flesh monster to make such a choice. In fact, no one would think that a plane's engine could be a safe hiding place. The high-speed rotating turbines and strong air currents would be enough to deter any creature with a normal mind.

However, the flesh monster was not a creature with a normal mind. It was a collection of instinctual will, and its way of thinking was not something a normal person could fathom.

In a moment of hesitation, the flesh monster had already plunged its entire body into the engine. The rapidly spinning turbines shredded every piece of flesh and other tissues, and the strong air currents spread these pieces throughout the engine. The engine suffered irreparable damage, and the internal structure was deformed, causing electrical faults and minor explosions in severe areas.

The combination of small faults eventually led to a major accident. Thick black smoke and flames emerged from the engine. This was not the worst news; the worst news was that the flesh monster had not died. It had changed its form and stubbornly survived inside the engine, spreading like a carpet.

The plane had already lost control. With one engine out of commission and the plane already severely damaged, even the most skilled pilot could not maintain a stable flight with one side of the plane's power out of control.

The plane began to roll in the clouds, and the irregular movements subjected the plane's body to immense pressure from inertia. Many parts of the plane showed signs of damage, and the cries of the passengers inside could be heard.

No one could remain calm when being tossed around like a ball at an altitude of over 10,000 feet.

Zhou Yi had no choice. He rushed down, pushing the plane from the bottom to lift it up. He could not let the plane continue to shake and spin; he had to stabilize it.

He had to take action.