Chapter 82: The Poison Source Rift and the Continuous Illusion Array
The three-day preparation period vanished in the blink of an eye.
In the early morning, the heavy gates of Panshi City slowly opened, and two light armored vehicles carrying the special reconnaissance squad drove out of the bastion. Lin Yan, Jiang Tao, Old Chen, and the other four squad members wore combat uniforms, equipped with Sea of Consciousness detectors, rock stratum sampling equipment, short blades, and long spears.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was quiet, with no one chatting. Everyone repeatedly studied the topographical map of the No. 3 Rift Cluster and the monitoring waveform reports.
"The No. 3 Rift Cluster consists of five interconnected underground karst cave passages, with the toxin signals concentrated deep within the main cave of No. 3," the instructor said, tapping the holographic projection with his fingertip. "The monitoring station can only capture the surface psychic fluctuations; the internal signals are blocked by the rock strata, making it impossible to determine how many scaled beasts are ambushing inside or whether there are secondary priests. Remember, our primary objective is to destroy the toxin release node. Once we encounter a large-scale ambush, prioritize retreat and do not fight to the death."
Lin Yan leaned against the side wall of the carriage, his eyes closed in concentration. His third-tier Sea of Consciousness slowly spread a thin layer of perception field. Instead of probing outward, it was used to guard his own mind. After several life-and-death battles, he understood that the Ancient Progenitor's illusions were best at invading the mind when one's spirit was relaxed. The ancient martial arts mind-guarding method circulated slowly within his body, his mind as calm as an ancient well.
Jiang Tao sat beside him and said in a low voice, "This time it is a continuous trap. The toxin is merely bait."
"Mm." Lin Yan nodded slightly. "It calculated accurately that we must come to remove the poison source and pre-set nested psychic nodes."
The armored vehicle rolled over the scorched earth of the wasteland and stopped two hours later at a weathered rock slope two kilometers from the rift cluster. Everyone disembarked, shut off the vehicle engines, and advanced on foot.
The gray wasteland was deathly silent, and a faint, elusive sweet and fishy scent drifted in the air—the exact smell of psychic toxins mixed with underground rotting soil. On the screen of the Sea of Consciousness detector, the waveform curve climbed bit by bit.
"The toxin concentration is getting higher and higher," a squad member reported in a low voice. "The closer we get to the rift, the more susceptible we are to subtle psychic interference. Everyone, maintain the lowest level of Sea of Consciousness vigilance; do not relax deeply."
The squad maintained a two-person alert formation, slowly approaching the entrance of the rift.
The entrance to the No. 3 Rift was hidden beneath a massive cliff. The opening was wide and extended inward, shrouded in pitch blackness. Faint dark blue light隐隐透出 from the depths of the cave.
"Careful, that is the fluorescent light of a psychic node." The instructor raised his hand to signal the team to stop. "Lin Yan, scout ahead."
Lin Yan stepped forward slowly, transforming his third-tier Sea of Consciousness into countless fine psychic threads, carefully probing into the cave. The moment the psychic threads stepped into the cave entrance, they immediately collided with an invisible psychic barrier. The barrier seemed thin on the surface, but underneath, it was layered, one ring interlocking with the next.
"It is not a simple triangular node." Lin Yan frowned slightly and retracted his psychic threads. "It is multi-layered and nested, a continuous illusion array. If one node is triggered, the rest activate synchronously, and the illusions will stack layer upon layer. Once we go deeper, it will be very difficult to distinguish reality from illusion."
"As expected, it's a trap." Jiang Tao gripped his long spear tightly. "Should we report this immediately and request support?"
The instructor pondered briefly and shook his head. "There is no time. The toxin is still continuously seeping outward; if we delay, more cultivators in the city will be harmed. We will enter to investigate first, find the core node of the toxin, and attempt to destroy it. Once the pressure exceeds our limit of endurance, we will retreat immediately and send a distress signal to the base."
No one hesitated any longer; they entered the rift karst cave one by one.
The inside of the cave was cold and damp, with water droplets carrying a fishy stench constantly dripping from the rock walls. The ground was muddy and slippery. The passage wound forward, and faint blue veins could be seen flowing slowly everywhere on the rock walls on both sides.
At first, the illusions were very weak.
In the peripheral vision of the squad members, they would occasionally catch glimpses of human figures emerging from the rock walls, only to vanish when they turned to look. Faint calls from relatives echoed in their ears, but upon listening carefully, there was only the sound of dripping water.
"Stabilize your minds! Do not be deceived by your senses!" the instructor reminded them in a deep voice.
The squad advanced steadily forward, and the toxin readings on the Sea of Consciousness detector continued to soar. After traveling about a hundred meters, the passage ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a massive karst cave. In the center of the cave stood four interconnected psychic nodes. Four fluorescent veins, like vines, spread in all directions along the rock walls; this was the source of the toxin's diffusion.
"Found it! The toxin is continuously released outward by these four nodes," a squad member whispered. "A four-node network is more complex than the triangular nodes we encountered before."
Just as everyone was preparing to divide tasks, intending to restrain the nodes and sever the links.
Weng——
The four nodes simultaneously erupted with dazzling blue light.
The first layer of illusions instantly spread out.
Before everyone's eyes, the wasteland bastion collapsed with a bang. Countless scaled beasts swarmed into the city, and wails and flames filled their field of vision. Many squad members' minds trembled violently, and their Sea of Consciousness barriers shook drastically.
"This is only the first layer of illusions! Do not get lost!" Lin Yan shouted loudly. His third-tier Sea of Consciousness fully expanded, releasing a layer of soft psychic web to share the psychic pressure borne by his teammates. "Focus your attention on the nodes themselves; do not look at the illusions!"
Before his words had even faded, the second layer of illusions followed closely behind.
This time, what everyone saw was the deepest regret in their hearts that they could not let go. Some saw their fallen comrades standing before them, urging them to put down their weapons; others saw their family members trapped in a sea of fire, reaching out for help. The illusions were so realistic that even the smells and temperatures were lifelike.
One squad member lost control of his mind. Letting out a roar, he raised his spear and charged toward the empty rock wall.
"Stop him quickly!" Old Chen immediately stepped forward, placing his hand on the man's shoulder while simultaneously circulating his inner power and letting out a loud shout. The massive sound impact struck the man's mind, forcibly waking him from the illusion. The squad member was drenched in a cold sweat, panting heavily, his eyes full of lingering fear.
Deep within the karst cave, two tall figures slowly walked out. Two secondary Lizardmen priests, standing on the left and right, continuously channeled psychic power into the four nodes.
"Humans, walking into a trap of your own accord." The two priests transmitted icy thoughts simultaneously. "Having stepped into this karst cave, no one can leave alive."
Accompanied by the psychic urging of the priests, the third layer of illusions began to rise. With three layers of illusions stacked, the pressure multiplied exponentially. The roars of countless scaled beasts echoed throughout the cave. From the dark caves on both sides of the passage, a large number of high-tier scaled beasts slowly walked out, completely surrounding the squad.
The Ancient Progenitor's distant, heavy thoughts penetrated the layers of rock strata and descended into this karst cave.
"Lin Yan, I let you escape by chance last time. Today, with this continuous illusion array, let's see how you will break this situation."
End of Chapter.
In the early morning, the heavy gates of Panshi City slowly opened, and two light armored vehicles carrying the special reconnaissance squad drove out of the bastion. Lin Yan, Jiang Tao, Old Chen, and the other four squad members wore combat uniforms, equipped with Sea of Consciousness detectors, rock stratum sampling equipment, short blades, and long spears.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was quiet, with no one chatting. Everyone repeatedly studied the topographical map of the No. 3 Rift Cluster and the monitoring waveform reports.
"The No. 3 Rift Cluster consists of five interconnected underground karst cave passages, with the toxin signals concentrated deep within the main cave of No. 3," the instructor said, tapping the holographic projection with his fingertip. "The monitoring station can only capture the surface psychic fluctuations; the internal signals are blocked by the rock strata, making it impossible to determine how many scaled beasts are ambushing inside or whether there are secondary priests. Remember, our primary objective is to destroy the toxin release node. Once we encounter a large-scale ambush, prioritize retreat and do not fight to the death."
Lin Yan leaned against the side wall of the carriage, his eyes closed in concentration. His third-tier Sea of Consciousness slowly spread a thin layer of perception field. Instead of probing outward, it was used to guard his own mind. After several life-and-death battles, he understood that the Ancient Progenitor's illusions were best at invading the mind when one's spirit was relaxed. The ancient martial arts mind-guarding method circulated slowly within his body, his mind as calm as an ancient well.
Jiang Tao sat beside him and said in a low voice, "This time it is a continuous trap. The toxin is merely bait."
"Mm." Lin Yan nodded slightly. "It calculated accurately that we must come to remove the poison source and pre-set nested psychic nodes."
The armored vehicle rolled over the scorched earth of the wasteland and stopped two hours later at a weathered rock slope two kilometers from the rift cluster. Everyone disembarked, shut off the vehicle engines, and advanced on foot.
The gray wasteland was deathly silent, and a faint, elusive sweet and fishy scent drifted in the air—the exact smell of psychic toxins mixed with underground rotting soil. On the screen of the Sea of Consciousness detector, the waveform curve climbed bit by bit.
"The toxin concentration is getting higher and higher," a squad member reported in a low voice. "The closer we get to the rift, the more susceptible we are to subtle psychic interference. Everyone, maintain the lowest level of Sea of Consciousness vigilance; do not relax deeply."
The squad maintained a two-person alert formation, slowly approaching the entrance of the rift.
The entrance to the No. 3 Rift was hidden beneath a massive cliff. The opening was wide and extended inward, shrouded in pitch blackness. Faint dark blue light隐隐透出 from the depths of the cave.
"Careful, that is the fluorescent light of a psychic node." The instructor raised his hand to signal the team to stop. "Lin Yan, scout ahead."
Lin Yan stepped forward slowly, transforming his third-tier Sea of Consciousness into countless fine psychic threads, carefully probing into the cave. The moment the psychic threads stepped into the cave entrance, they immediately collided with an invisible psychic barrier. The barrier seemed thin on the surface, but underneath, it was layered, one ring interlocking with the next.
"It is not a simple triangular node." Lin Yan frowned slightly and retracted his psychic threads. "It is multi-layered and nested, a continuous illusion array. If one node is triggered, the rest activate synchronously, and the illusions will stack layer upon layer. Once we go deeper, it will be very difficult to distinguish reality from illusion."
"As expected, it's a trap." Jiang Tao gripped his long spear tightly. "Should we report this immediately and request support?"
The instructor pondered briefly and shook his head. "There is no time. The toxin is still continuously seeping outward; if we delay, more cultivators in the city will be harmed. We will enter to investigate first, find the core node of the toxin, and attempt to destroy it. Once the pressure exceeds our limit of endurance, we will retreat immediately and send a distress signal to the base."
No one hesitated any longer; they entered the rift karst cave one by one.
The inside of the cave was cold and damp, with water droplets carrying a fishy stench constantly dripping from the rock walls. The ground was muddy and slippery. The passage wound forward, and faint blue veins could be seen flowing slowly everywhere on the rock walls on both sides.
At first, the illusions were very weak.
In the peripheral vision of the squad members, they would occasionally catch glimpses of human figures emerging from the rock walls, only to vanish when they turned to look. Faint calls from relatives echoed in their ears, but upon listening carefully, there was only the sound of dripping water.
"Stabilize your minds! Do not be deceived by your senses!" the instructor reminded them in a deep voice.
The squad advanced steadily forward, and the toxin readings on the Sea of Consciousness detector continued to soar. After traveling about a hundred meters, the passage ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a massive karst cave. In the center of the cave stood four interconnected psychic nodes. Four fluorescent veins, like vines, spread in all directions along the rock walls; this was the source of the toxin's diffusion.
"Found it! The toxin is continuously released outward by these four nodes," a squad member whispered. "A four-node network is more complex than the triangular nodes we encountered before."
Just as everyone was preparing to divide tasks, intending to restrain the nodes and sever the links.
Weng——
The four nodes simultaneously erupted with dazzling blue light.
The first layer of illusions instantly spread out.
Before everyone's eyes, the wasteland bastion collapsed with a bang. Countless scaled beasts swarmed into the city, and wails and flames filled their field of vision. Many squad members' minds trembled violently, and their Sea of Consciousness barriers shook drastically.
"This is only the first layer of illusions! Do not get lost!" Lin Yan shouted loudly. His third-tier Sea of Consciousness fully expanded, releasing a layer of soft psychic web to share the psychic pressure borne by his teammates. "Focus your attention on the nodes themselves; do not look at the illusions!"
Before his words had even faded, the second layer of illusions followed closely behind.
This time, what everyone saw was the deepest regret in their hearts that they could not let go. Some saw their fallen comrades standing before them, urging them to put down their weapons; others saw their family members trapped in a sea of fire, reaching out for help. The illusions were so realistic that even the smells and temperatures were lifelike.
One squad member lost control of his mind. Letting out a roar, he raised his spear and charged toward the empty rock wall.
"Stop him quickly!" Old Chen immediately stepped forward, placing his hand on the man's shoulder while simultaneously circulating his inner power and letting out a loud shout. The massive sound impact struck the man's mind, forcibly waking him from the illusion. The squad member was drenched in a cold sweat, panting heavily, his eyes full of lingering fear.
Deep within the karst cave, two tall figures slowly walked out. Two secondary Lizardmen priests, standing on the left and right, continuously channeled psychic power into the four nodes.
"Humans, walking into a trap of your own accord." The two priests transmitted icy thoughts simultaneously. "Having stepped into this karst cave, no one can leave alive."
Accompanied by the psychic urging of the priests, the third layer of illusions began to rise. With three layers of illusions stacked, the pressure multiplied exponentially. The roars of countless scaled beasts echoed throughout the cave. From the dark caves on both sides of the passage, a large number of high-tier scaled beasts slowly walked out, completely surrounding the squad.
The Ancient Progenitor's distant, heavy thoughts penetrated the layers of rock strata and descended into this karst cave.
"Lin Yan, I let you escape by chance last time. Today, with this continuous illusion array, let's see how you will break this situation."
End of Chapter.