Chapter 167: The Return Through the Wasteland Fog
Having lost the Elder's command, the illusion web nodes in the karst area were like a spider's web with severed threads. The pale purple mist receded rapidly, leaving only the perpetual, gray, murky fog that had lingered since the disaster.
Without the omnipresent psychic probing, the oppressive feeling of the corrosive breath in the air eased considerably. Yet, the crisis was far from completely over. The psychic fluctuations of the Elder's death spread along the rock strata's veins. The secondary priests in Rift No. 79 had undoubtedly received the signal and were now mobilizing the surrounding patrolling scaled beasts to seal off all outward exits of the entire karst region.
Chen Ye carried the poisoned, unconscious team member on his back. The team member with the knife scar supported another assault team member whose consciousness was still hazy. The remaining team member, who had only minor injuries, guarded the flank. Lin Yan walked at the very front of the squad, leading the way.
He no longer actively released his Sea of Consciousness for perception.
The backlash from the previous overdraw was still ongoing. The fissure in his Sea of Consciousness was like a wound that constantly bled; as long as he catalyzed even a wisp of psychic power, tearing pain would spread through his entire body along his consciousness. The last remaining stabilization agent was safely tucked into his inner lining pocket. Occasionally, when his fingertips brushed against the cold tube, a string in his heart would pull taut—this was his final chip for survival.
The gray rocks beneath their feet were jagged and sharp, cutting through the soles of their combat boots and grinding their feet painfully. The squad's pace was very slow. The injured team member's breathing grew weaker and weaker, and his poisoned skin had shifted from a grayish-cyan to a dark, dull color. The toxin was continuously eroding his blood vessels. Without the anti-corrosion serum from inside the bastion, every minute they delayed diminished their chances of survival.
"Our current position is roughly thirty-plus kilometers into the karst belt, southwest of the bastion," Chen Ye said in a low voice, calculating as they hurried along. "Going back in a straight line would require crossing a vast expanse of wasteland controlled by the priests. They've definitely set up a sentry line of scaled beasts over there by now."
Lin Yan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the layered, chaotic stone ravines in the distance. His voice was weak: "We'll follow the fractured valley along the edge of the karst area. The rock strata in the valley are thick and can block the rock strata's resonance signals. The valley mouth connects to an abandoned highway from the early years, which leads directly to the buffer outpost on the outer perimeter of the West Bastion. That is our backup route. The cost is that we have to cross a barren beach where scaled beasts forage."
The group turned into the narrow, elongated fractured valley.
It was deep and secluded inside the valley, with towering rock walls on both sides. The daylight was sliced by the gray fog into tiny, fragmented spots of light. It was eerily quiet, save for the heavy panting of the group, the sound of gravel rolling under their feet, and occasionally, the low, muffled roars of scaled beasts from the distant wasteland, drifting over through the thick rock layer.
The remnants left behind by the disaster were everywhere along the path: rusted car frames, overturned engineering machinery, and human skeletons half-buried in the soil and rocks. Twenty-five years of invasion and tug-of-war had long soaked this land in blood.
As they walked, Lin Yan suddenly raised his hand, signaling the entire squad to stop and press tightly against the shadows of the rock wall.
At the exit ahead of the valley, several massive dark shadows were patrolling back and forth along the edge of the barren beach.
There were three second-tier scaled beasts in total, maintaining a fixed distance from one another. The spines on their backs trembled gently as they received the search commands remotely issued by the priest. They were the scout squad sealing off the valley mouth, perfectly blocking their planned evacuation route.
"We're blocked," the team member with the knife scar whispered, slowly raising his rifle. "Can we quietly climb over the rock crevices on the side?"
"The rock walls on the side are too thin and offer no cover. Once we climb over, our psychic fluctuations will be directly exposed to the illusion web nodes on the wasteland," Lin Yan said, slowly shaking his head. Enduring the continuous, dull pain in his Sea of Consciousness, he carefully observed the patrol rhythm of the three scaled beasts. "They take turns patrolling. Every seventy seconds, they synchronize a turn, facing away from the valley mouth for ten seconds. Only this ten-second gap is available. Fighting head-on is too risky; the sound of gunfire and the oscillation waves will attract more pursuers."
Chen Ye gently set the injured team member down behind a rock to rest. He rolled his sore shoulder: "The injured can't hold up for a longer detour. Let's gamble on those ten seconds. Everyone, keep your bodies low and rush across the barren beach while they turn around. Hold your breath, do not produce intense emotional fluctuations, and do not make a sound."
Everyone nodded silently, preparing themselves.
Time ticked away agonizingly slowly, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the three giant beasts at the valley mouth.
Finally, the three scaled beasts synchronized their massive bodies, turning their backs to the fractured valley and walking slowly toward the depths of the barren beach to continue their patrol.
"Go!"
Lin Yan commanded in a low shout. The group lowered their bodies and dashed out of the valley mouth, hugging the ground.
The barren beach was covered with tiny, black stones that rustled underfoot. Every step tightened everyone's hearts. The gray fog flowed beside them. At their closest point, they were less than fifteen meters from the scaled beasts; the foul stench was distinctly clear.
Lin Yan's heart was in his throat. He desperately suppressed the urge to activate his Sea of Consciousness, relying only on his naked eyes to track the scaled beasts' movements. If they turned back, this battered, ammunition-starved squad would have absolutely no strength left to fight again.
Just as most of the group had crossed the barren beach and were about to reach the embankment of the abandoned highway, the outermost scaled beast suddenly stopped. Its head tilted slightly backward.
It had smelled the faint scent of blood in the air.
It was the blood seeping from the injured team member's wound, slowly drifting in the windless, murky fog.
"Damn it!" The team member with the knife scar already had his finger on the trigger.
The scaled beast slowly turned its head, its dark gold vertical pupils precisely locking onto the direction of their escape. A warning growl rose in its throat. Hearing this, the other two scaled beasts turned around simultaneously and charged fiercely toward the group.
"Split up and regroup at the culvert at the front of the highway!" Chen Ye roared, shoving a nearby team member. Carrying the injured man on his back, he sprinted with all his might toward the culvert.
The barren beach instantly descended into chaos.
The two assault team members scattered toward the piles of chaotic rocks on either side, firing to draw the scaled beasts' attention. The shock rounds slammed into the ground, kicking up a sky-high cloud of black stone dust, temporarily slowing the giant beasts' advance.
Lin Yan brought up the rear of the squad. His Sea of Consciousness was still in continuous, agonizing pain, and his head spun in waves as he ran. He knew clearly that he couldn't run fast. Taking the initiative to stay behind and cover the retreat, he clutched his last remaining shock grenade, not throwing it lightly.
One scaled beast shook off the others, zeroing in on the scent of blood and Lin Yan's aura, and pounced straight at him.
A massive dark shadow loomed over him, the foul wind smashing against his face. Using his ancient martial arts footwork, Lin Yan darted sideways to dodge the fangs. At the same time, he raised his hand and hurled the shock grenade directly at the scaled beast's face.
Boom!
Fire erupted, and rocks splashed everywhere. The scaled beast took the impact, its head shaking as it suffered a minor injury, but it did not lose its mobility. Enraged, it pounced again.
Lin Yan dodged hastily, his arm grazed by the scaled beast's sharp claws. The flesh was instantly torn open in a deep, long gash, and hot blood flowed down his forearm. The叠加 (stacked) pain of the physical wound and the internal injury to his Sea of Consciousness made his vision go black. He stumbled and collapsed beside the embankment.
The scaled beast lowered its head, its fangs aimed directly at his neck.
"Lin Yan!" Chen Ye, who had already reached the edge of the culvert, saw this and roared, intending to turn back to support him.
Right at this critical juncture, a short, sharp whistle echoed from above the wasteland.
It was the warning whistle of a human combat-ready outpost!
Several searchlights carrying intense beams pierced through the thick gray fog, sweeping directly across the barren beach. At the end of the distant highway, several war zone patrol vehicles equipped with oscillation turrets were speeding toward them.
It was the patrol team from the buffer outpost on the outer perimeter of the West Bastion.
The scout scaled beasts deployed by the priest on the outer perimeter instinctively feared human heavy firepower support. Hearing the roaring engines and seeing the intense lights, they instantly abandoned their pursuit of Lin Yan. After a moment's hesitation, they turned and fled into the fog deep within the wasteland, quickly vanishing into the gray haze.
The patrol vehicles quickly pulled up alongside the embankment. Several soldiers wearing war zone standard-issue gear and holding oscillation firearms jumped out, their gun muzzles aimed at the wasteland in警戒 (alert). The leading non-commissioned officer quickly ran over. His gaze swept over the battered group, and his expression tightened: "Which reconnaissance squad are you? Your communication signal went dark long ago. The bastion assumed you had already fallen!"
"Special Reconnaissance Squad, target: Rift No. 79 Mother Nest." Chen Ye breathed a massive sigh of relief, his voice laced with exhaustion. He pulled out the recording chip hidden in his inner waterproof pouch, along with the curse-mark fragments taken from the Ancient Progeny Elder. "We got the intelligence. The mother nest's layout, the secondary priests' positions, the coordinates of the breeding and incubation area—it's all on the chip. We suffered one casualty, and one team member is poisoned. We urgently need anti-corrosion serum and first aid."
Seeing the chip in the waterproof pouch, the NCO's expression instantly turned grave. He immediately waved his hand to make arrangements: "Get in the vehicle quickly! Return to the outpost immediately and contact the bastion medical team for remote serum dispatch!"
Supporting each other, the group boarded the patrol vehicles one after another. Lin Yan was helped into the cabin by a soldier. Leaning against the cold side wall of the vehicle, he let out a long breath. Once his紧绷 (tense) mind relaxed, the tearing pain in his Sea of Consciousness surged and magnified. He couldn't help but groan muffledly, cold sweat rolling down his forehead.
Noticing his pale face and his still-bleeding arm, the NCO quickly handed him a hemostatic bandage: "You're badly injured. Is your Sea of Consciousness damaged? Our outpost has basic Sea of Consciousness stabilization agents that can only temporarily suppress it. For a thorough recovery, you must return to the healing chambers inside the bastion."
Lin Yan nodded gently, saying nothing more.
He knew that for this mission, surviving and bringing back the intelligence was already a stroke of luck. The origin damage overdrawn during the battle with the Ancient Progeny Elder could not be erased by simple agents. This Sea of Consciousness fissure had just gained a new, hidden injury.
The patrol vehicle's engine roared, speeding along the dilapidated, abandoned highway toward the West Bastion.
Outside the window, the wasteland shrouded in gray fog retreated rapidly. In the distance, deep beneath the earth, the low, muffled sounds of the alien race writhing under the rock strata could still be faintly heard. The threat of the beast tide had never disappeared, and the tug-of-war on the Western Front was far from over.
The intelligence carried on the chip would be delivered to the war zone command center to readjust the defense line deployment, buying a brief respite for the countless defenders who had been stubbornly holding the West Bastion. As for him, a Sea of Consciousness cultivator who had only just stepped into the third tier, he still had to continue walking this unpredictable path of life and death, bearing his continuous internal injuries.
The distance to the ninth-tier realm was still separated by countless bloody battles and countless moments of struggling on the brink of collapse.
Inside the cabin, the injured team member was receiving emergency treatment from the medical soldiers, the IV drip slowly administering the antidote. Chen Ye sat beside Lin Yan, looking at his pale profile, and spoke in a low voice: "Rest up properly for a while after we get back. They won't send us out on the next mission so urgently."
Lin Yan looked out the window at the gray, hazy sky and earth, and softly replied, "Mm."
But deep down, he knew clearly that the ancient lizard progeny underground would not give humanity much time to rest.
The brief peace of the return journey was merely a fleeting gap between two storms.
End of Chapter.
Without the omnipresent psychic probing, the oppressive feeling of the corrosive breath in the air eased considerably. Yet, the crisis was far from completely over. The psychic fluctuations of the Elder's death spread along the rock strata's veins. The secondary priests in Rift No. 79 had undoubtedly received the signal and were now mobilizing the surrounding patrolling scaled beasts to seal off all outward exits of the entire karst region.
Chen Ye carried the poisoned, unconscious team member on his back. The team member with the knife scar supported another assault team member whose consciousness was still hazy. The remaining team member, who had only minor injuries, guarded the flank. Lin Yan walked at the very front of the squad, leading the way.
He no longer actively released his Sea of Consciousness for perception.
The backlash from the previous overdraw was still ongoing. The fissure in his Sea of Consciousness was like a wound that constantly bled; as long as he catalyzed even a wisp of psychic power, tearing pain would spread through his entire body along his consciousness. The last remaining stabilization agent was safely tucked into his inner lining pocket. Occasionally, when his fingertips brushed against the cold tube, a string in his heart would pull taut—this was his final chip for survival.
The gray rocks beneath their feet were jagged and sharp, cutting through the soles of their combat boots and grinding their feet painfully. The squad's pace was very slow. The injured team member's breathing grew weaker and weaker, and his poisoned skin had shifted from a grayish-cyan to a dark, dull color. The toxin was continuously eroding his blood vessels. Without the anti-corrosion serum from inside the bastion, every minute they delayed diminished their chances of survival.
"Our current position is roughly thirty-plus kilometers into the karst belt, southwest of the bastion," Chen Ye said in a low voice, calculating as they hurried along. "Going back in a straight line would require crossing a vast expanse of wasteland controlled by the priests. They've definitely set up a sentry line of scaled beasts over there by now."
Lin Yan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the layered, chaotic stone ravines in the distance. His voice was weak: "We'll follow the fractured valley along the edge of the karst area. The rock strata in the valley are thick and can block the rock strata's resonance signals. The valley mouth connects to an abandoned highway from the early years, which leads directly to the buffer outpost on the outer perimeter of the West Bastion. That is our backup route. The cost is that we have to cross a barren beach where scaled beasts forage."
The group turned into the narrow, elongated fractured valley.
It was deep and secluded inside the valley, with towering rock walls on both sides. The daylight was sliced by the gray fog into tiny, fragmented spots of light. It was eerily quiet, save for the heavy panting of the group, the sound of gravel rolling under their feet, and occasionally, the low, muffled roars of scaled beasts from the distant wasteland, drifting over through the thick rock layer.
The remnants left behind by the disaster were everywhere along the path: rusted car frames, overturned engineering machinery, and human skeletons half-buried in the soil and rocks. Twenty-five years of invasion and tug-of-war had long soaked this land in blood.
As they walked, Lin Yan suddenly raised his hand, signaling the entire squad to stop and press tightly against the shadows of the rock wall.
At the exit ahead of the valley, several massive dark shadows were patrolling back and forth along the edge of the barren beach.
There were three second-tier scaled beasts in total, maintaining a fixed distance from one another. The spines on their backs trembled gently as they received the search commands remotely issued by the priest. They were the scout squad sealing off the valley mouth, perfectly blocking their planned evacuation route.
"We're blocked," the team member with the knife scar whispered, slowly raising his rifle. "Can we quietly climb over the rock crevices on the side?"
"The rock walls on the side are too thin and offer no cover. Once we climb over, our psychic fluctuations will be directly exposed to the illusion web nodes on the wasteland," Lin Yan said, slowly shaking his head. Enduring the continuous, dull pain in his Sea of Consciousness, he carefully observed the patrol rhythm of the three scaled beasts. "They take turns patrolling. Every seventy seconds, they synchronize a turn, facing away from the valley mouth for ten seconds. Only this ten-second gap is available. Fighting head-on is too risky; the sound of gunfire and the oscillation waves will attract more pursuers."
Chen Ye gently set the injured team member down behind a rock to rest. He rolled his sore shoulder: "The injured can't hold up for a longer detour. Let's gamble on those ten seconds. Everyone, keep your bodies low and rush across the barren beach while they turn around. Hold your breath, do not produce intense emotional fluctuations, and do not make a sound."
Everyone nodded silently, preparing themselves.
Time ticked away agonizingly slowly, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the three giant beasts at the valley mouth.
Finally, the three scaled beasts synchronized their massive bodies, turning their backs to the fractured valley and walking slowly toward the depths of the barren beach to continue their patrol.
"Go!"
Lin Yan commanded in a low shout. The group lowered their bodies and dashed out of the valley mouth, hugging the ground.
The barren beach was covered with tiny, black stones that rustled underfoot. Every step tightened everyone's hearts. The gray fog flowed beside them. At their closest point, they were less than fifteen meters from the scaled beasts; the foul stench was distinctly clear.
Lin Yan's heart was in his throat. He desperately suppressed the urge to activate his Sea of Consciousness, relying only on his naked eyes to track the scaled beasts' movements. If they turned back, this battered, ammunition-starved squad would have absolutely no strength left to fight again.
Just as most of the group had crossed the barren beach and were about to reach the embankment of the abandoned highway, the outermost scaled beast suddenly stopped. Its head tilted slightly backward.
It had smelled the faint scent of blood in the air.
It was the blood seeping from the injured team member's wound, slowly drifting in the windless, murky fog.
"Damn it!" The team member with the knife scar already had his finger on the trigger.
The scaled beast slowly turned its head, its dark gold vertical pupils precisely locking onto the direction of their escape. A warning growl rose in its throat. Hearing this, the other two scaled beasts turned around simultaneously and charged fiercely toward the group.
"Split up and regroup at the culvert at the front of the highway!" Chen Ye roared, shoving a nearby team member. Carrying the injured man on his back, he sprinted with all his might toward the culvert.
The barren beach instantly descended into chaos.
The two assault team members scattered toward the piles of chaotic rocks on either side, firing to draw the scaled beasts' attention. The shock rounds slammed into the ground, kicking up a sky-high cloud of black stone dust, temporarily slowing the giant beasts' advance.
Lin Yan brought up the rear of the squad. His Sea of Consciousness was still in continuous, agonizing pain, and his head spun in waves as he ran. He knew clearly that he couldn't run fast. Taking the initiative to stay behind and cover the retreat, he clutched his last remaining shock grenade, not throwing it lightly.
One scaled beast shook off the others, zeroing in on the scent of blood and Lin Yan's aura, and pounced straight at him.
A massive dark shadow loomed over him, the foul wind smashing against his face. Using his ancient martial arts footwork, Lin Yan darted sideways to dodge the fangs. At the same time, he raised his hand and hurled the shock grenade directly at the scaled beast's face.
Boom!
Fire erupted, and rocks splashed everywhere. The scaled beast took the impact, its head shaking as it suffered a minor injury, but it did not lose its mobility. Enraged, it pounced again.
Lin Yan dodged hastily, his arm grazed by the scaled beast's sharp claws. The flesh was instantly torn open in a deep, long gash, and hot blood flowed down his forearm. The叠加 (stacked) pain of the physical wound and the internal injury to his Sea of Consciousness made his vision go black. He stumbled and collapsed beside the embankment.
The scaled beast lowered its head, its fangs aimed directly at his neck.
"Lin Yan!" Chen Ye, who had already reached the edge of the culvert, saw this and roared, intending to turn back to support him.
Right at this critical juncture, a short, sharp whistle echoed from above the wasteland.
It was the warning whistle of a human combat-ready outpost!
Several searchlights carrying intense beams pierced through the thick gray fog, sweeping directly across the barren beach. At the end of the distant highway, several war zone patrol vehicles equipped with oscillation turrets were speeding toward them.
It was the patrol team from the buffer outpost on the outer perimeter of the West Bastion.
The scout scaled beasts deployed by the priest on the outer perimeter instinctively feared human heavy firepower support. Hearing the roaring engines and seeing the intense lights, they instantly abandoned their pursuit of Lin Yan. After a moment's hesitation, they turned and fled into the fog deep within the wasteland, quickly vanishing into the gray haze.
The patrol vehicles quickly pulled up alongside the embankment. Several soldiers wearing war zone standard-issue gear and holding oscillation firearms jumped out, their gun muzzles aimed at the wasteland in警戒 (alert). The leading non-commissioned officer quickly ran over. His gaze swept over the battered group, and his expression tightened: "Which reconnaissance squad are you? Your communication signal went dark long ago. The bastion assumed you had already fallen!"
"Special Reconnaissance Squad, target: Rift No. 79 Mother Nest." Chen Ye breathed a massive sigh of relief, his voice laced with exhaustion. He pulled out the recording chip hidden in his inner waterproof pouch, along with the curse-mark fragments taken from the Ancient Progeny Elder. "We got the intelligence. The mother nest's layout, the secondary priests' positions, the coordinates of the breeding and incubation area—it's all on the chip. We suffered one casualty, and one team member is poisoned. We urgently need anti-corrosion serum and first aid."
Seeing the chip in the waterproof pouch, the NCO's expression instantly turned grave. He immediately waved his hand to make arrangements: "Get in the vehicle quickly! Return to the outpost immediately and contact the bastion medical team for remote serum dispatch!"
Supporting each other, the group boarded the patrol vehicles one after another. Lin Yan was helped into the cabin by a soldier. Leaning against the cold side wall of the vehicle, he let out a long breath. Once his紧绷 (tense) mind relaxed, the tearing pain in his Sea of Consciousness surged and magnified. He couldn't help but groan muffledly, cold sweat rolling down his forehead.
Noticing his pale face and his still-bleeding arm, the NCO quickly handed him a hemostatic bandage: "You're badly injured. Is your Sea of Consciousness damaged? Our outpost has basic Sea of Consciousness stabilization agents that can only temporarily suppress it. For a thorough recovery, you must return to the healing chambers inside the bastion."
Lin Yan nodded gently, saying nothing more.
He knew that for this mission, surviving and bringing back the intelligence was already a stroke of luck. The origin damage overdrawn during the battle with the Ancient Progeny Elder could not be erased by simple agents. This Sea of Consciousness fissure had just gained a new, hidden injury.
The patrol vehicle's engine roared, speeding along the dilapidated, abandoned highway toward the West Bastion.
Outside the window, the wasteland shrouded in gray fog retreated rapidly. In the distance, deep beneath the earth, the low, muffled sounds of the alien race writhing under the rock strata could still be faintly heard. The threat of the beast tide had never disappeared, and the tug-of-war on the Western Front was far from over.
The intelligence carried on the chip would be delivered to the war zone command center to readjust the defense line deployment, buying a brief respite for the countless defenders who had been stubbornly holding the West Bastion. As for him, a Sea of Consciousness cultivator who had only just stepped into the third tier, he still had to continue walking this unpredictable path of life and death, bearing his continuous internal injuries.
The distance to the ninth-tier realm was still separated by countless bloody battles and countless moments of struggling on the brink of collapse.
Inside the cabin, the injured team member was receiving emergency treatment from the medical soldiers, the IV drip slowly administering the antidote. Chen Ye sat beside Lin Yan, looking at his pale profile, and spoke in a low voice: "Rest up properly for a while after we get back. They won't send us out on the next mission so urgently."
Lin Yan looked out the window at the gray, hazy sky and earth, and softly replied, "Mm."
But deep down, he knew clearly that the ancient lizard progeny underground would not give humanity much time to rest.
The brief peace of the return journey was merely a fleeting gap between two storms.
End of Chapter.