Chapter 234: A Lone Blade Guarding the Pass
The tunnel was narrow, the rock layers converging on both sides. The width allowed only two third-tier scaled beasts to advance one after the other. Dense masses of ordinary scaled beasts were crammed behind them, their overlapping crimson vertical pupils flickering in the dim light. Their foul, warm breath, carrying suspended spore particles, washed over Lin Yan. The spore toxins continued to gnaw at his Sea of Consciousness. Dizziness crashed against his mind like a tide, wave after wave, as countless illusions exploded in his brain.
He saw the endless underground wasteland beyond the rift. He saw the defense lines littered with corpses after the barriers collapsed. He saw Scholar Su and the soldiers who had just fallen standing up one by one, waving at him, urging him to drop his weapons and give up resisting. Another image appeared: the ancient beings stepping out from the shadows, promising to end the pain, promising water and food. These illusions were so realistic they felt within reach. Gentle whispers seemed to ring in his ears, constantly persuading him to step aside and open the path.
His tongue had long been bitten to pieces. The salty, metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. This continuous sting was his only anchor.
Lin Yan lowered his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Scholar Su, who was leaning against the corner of the rock wall, his breath faint. Scholar Su had his eyes half-open, his vision unfocused. With great difficulty, he tilted his chin toward the storage compartment, his lips moving soundlessly, repeating the same plea: Protect the civilians.
Lin Yan gripped the weapons in both hands. In his left was a chipped short blade; in his right, a thick, sharpened steel shard. The foundation of ancient martial arts still lingered in his limbs and bones, but prolonged starvation, the exhaustion of his Sea of Consciousness, and consecutive battles had drained most of his strength. His arms trembled slightly. He knew his limits. He was not a powerhouse who could slaughter a horde of beasts with a single strike. He was merely someone who had been pushed to stand here.
Ahead, the leading third-tier scaled beast let out a low roar, its spinal spurs tensing as it took the first step forward. Having learned from its companion's earlier setback, it did not rashly charge at full speed. Instead, it pressed forward slowly, its massive claws scraping against the steel plate with a piercing screech. Psychic shockwaves pressed toward Lin Yan along with the spores, attempting to shatter his mental defenses first.
Deep within the tide of beasts in the rear, the Beast Commander controlled the rhythm, in no hurry to swarm forward. Obeying the will of the ancient beings, it habitually wore down its prey's will first, waiting for their minds to collapse before harvesting their lives. Deep in the cavern, the five alien consciousnesses watched silently. The supreme ruler's consciousness indifferently enveloped the entire tunnel, quietly awaiting the outcome.
Lin Yan did not take the initiative to attack. He planted his feet firmly apart and lowered his waist into the opening stance he had practiced to perfection with his master in his youth. Ancient martial arts were not suited for hard-blocking the thick scales of giant beasts, but they excelled at finding gaps, controlling distance, and borrowing momentum to deflect force.
The scaled beast was only three steps away. It suddenly exerted force, lowering its head as its bone spurs shot straight for his chest.
Lin Yan sidestepped, using the narrow space of the tunnel to dodge the bone spurs. Simultaneously, his right hand slashed the steel shard diagonally upward, aiming for the soft skin gap where the beast's foreleg met its torso.
Shhhk! The steel shard tore through flesh, and dark green blood flowed from the wound.
Feeling the pain, the third-tier scaled beast roared and swung its foreleg. A massive, spiked shadow swept horizontally toward him. Lin Yan hastily retreated half a step, barely dodging the blow. His back scraped heavily against the rough rock wall, the rubble tearing his combat suit and spreading a burning pain across his back.
Failing to inflict a critical wound in one strike, the scaled beast flew into a rage, continuously swiping its claws and whipping its head. The bone spurs wove a shadow of death within the narrow tunnel. Lin Yan constantly maneuvered and dodged, alternating attacks with his short blade and steel shard. Every strike targeted the few weak points on the beast's body: around the eyes, under the jaw, and the soft joints of the limbs. But his stamina continued to plummet, and his attack speed slowed. Several times, the bone spurs grazed his neck and torso; a fraction of an inch more, and they would have inflicted a devastating blow.
Behind him, the second third-tier scaled beast let out an impatient low hum, wanting to squeeze forward and attack together. However, lacking space in the tunnel, it was blocked by the giant beast in front. It could only anxiously scrape the ground with its claws, waiting for an opening. Swarms of ordinary scaled beasts roared restlessly in the gaps. The layered sound waves continuously assaulted Lin Yan's eardrums and Sea of Consciousness.
The spore toxins continued to take effect.
The scenery before Lin Yan's eyes began to distort intermittently. For a moment, he hallucinated that the scaled beast in front of him had vanished. Standing opposite him was his master, shaking his head, urging him not to throw his life away in vain. The illusion was so vivid that his hand gripping the blade hesitated for a fraction of a second.
In that half-second of lapse in focus, the third-tier scaled beast ahead seized the opportunity and lunged forward, its bone spurs thrusting directly at his lower abdomen.
"Ugh!"
Lin Yan snapped back to reality, desperately twisting his body. The bone spurs failed to pierce his abdominal cavity but viciously slashed his waist. A deep, long wound instantly tore open, and scalding blood soaked through his clothes. The excruciating pain instantly eclipsed the illusions. He let out a muffled groan, using the force of the collision to roll backward and create distance. Every movement of his waist and abdomen pulled at the wound, causing his entire body's muscles to spasm in agony.
Blood dripped onto the steel plate, mingling with the previous dark green bloodstains of the scaled beast.
His stamina was nearly depleted. His Sea of Consciousness felt as though it were being continuously pierced by countless fine needles, and a heavy exhaustion spread through his limbs. He knew he couldn't hold out much longer. The two third-tier scaled beasts attacked in rotation, and behind them was an endless horde of ordinary scaled beasts. If he fell, the tunnel would be clear, and the civilians and wounded in the compartment would have absolutely no ability to resist.
Leaning in the corner, Scholar Su watched him get injured and let out a weak cry from his throat, wanting to stand up and support him. But the slightest movement caused more blood foam to surge from his chest wound. Helplessly, he slumped back heavily against the rock wall, his eyes filled with anxiety.
The leading third-tier scaled beast steadily advanced again. The pain of its wounds did not diminish its ferocity; instead, it made its attacks more frenzied. Having learned its lesson, it no longer insisted on charging. Instead, it continuously used its claw strikes to seal off Lin Yan's dodging space, compressing his area of movement. Lin Yan gritted his teeth and endured, accurately thrusting his short blade into the limb wound he had just slashed with the steel shard. The blade sank deep.
The beast roared in agony and thrashed its body wildly. Its massive form rammed back and forth in the narrow tunnel, causing the rock walls to tremble and rubble to rain down. Lin Yan didn't have time to withdraw his blade and could only let go of the short blade, leaving him with only the steel shard in his right hand. Losing a weapon made his defense even more strained.
Just then, the second third-tier scaled beast, which had been waiting in the rear, finally found an opening. It poked half its head out from beside the first giant beast, its dark crimson gaze locking onto Lin Yan as it lowered its body, preparing to ambush. One in front, one on the side, the two third-tier scaled beasts formed a pincer attack. Lin Yan was trapped in the middle, his space to dodge almost completely stripped away.
He panted urgently, blood flowing endlessly from his waist wound. His vision blackened in waves from blood loss and spore erosion. He quickly glanced at the rock walls on both sides; there was nowhere to hide. Behind him was Scholar Su, and further back was the storage compartment. There was no retreat.
Deep in the cavern, the consciousness of the Spiderweb Ancient Being stirred slightly. It did not continue to increase the release of spores; it was observing. It wanted to see how long this human could hold out under the pincer attack of two giant beasts. The supreme ruler remained silent, issuing no orders to accelerate the attack, allowing this isolated slaughter to continue.
The first scaled beast lunged from the front, its bone spurs aiming straight for his head; the second squeezed from the side, its giant claw striking toward the wound on his waist.
Lin Yan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging illusions in his Sea of Consciousness, and mobilized every technique of deflecting force and evasive movement from his ancient martial arts. He ducked slightly toward the frontal bone spurs while simultaneously turning his body, slashing the steel shard horizontally with full force toward the eye membrane of the side scaled beast.
The side scaled beast instinctively tilted its head to dodge. This attack failed to inflict a critical wound, but it disrupted the rhythm of its pounce. Seizing this gap, Lin Yan squeezed through the extremely narrow space between the two giant beasts, circling to the back of the first third-tier scaled beast. The scales on the beast's back were thick and hard, but the junction at the base of the spinal spurs was another weak point.
Lin Yan raised the steel shard high, using every ounce of his remaining strength to stab viciously downward into the gap at the base of the spinal spurs.
Howl—!
A shrill, piercing beast roar made the tunnel hum. In its extreme agony, the giant beast rolled wildly, its massive body ramming horizontally in the narrow tunnel, causing the rock walls and steel plates to boom continuously. Lin Yan had no time to evacuate. He was struck hard by its rolling body and sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground not far from Scholar Su. The steel shard slipped from his hand. A dull pain erupted in his chest, and a mouthful of blood sprayed onto the ground.
He struggled to get up, his limbs weak. The wounds on his waist and chest throbbed in unison.
The third-tier scaled beast, wounded on its back, slowly turned around. Its spine was drenched in blood, its ferocity undiminished. It walked toward the fallen Lin Yan step by step. The other third-tier scaled beast also bypassed its companion, flanking from the other side. Two massive shadows slowly enveloped him.
The roars of the ordinary scaled beasts in the rear grew increasingly excited, surging forward like a tide, waiting only for this last defender to fall.
Lin Yan braced himself against the ground, his arms trembling. Once, twice, he struggled desperately to prop himself up. He raised his eyes to look at the closed iron door of the storage compartment at the end of the tunnel. Behind that door were the last remaining civilians, children, and wounded of the shelter pod.
He could not fall yet.
End of Chapter.
He saw the endless underground wasteland beyond the rift. He saw the defense lines littered with corpses after the barriers collapsed. He saw Scholar Su and the soldiers who had just fallen standing up one by one, waving at him, urging him to drop his weapons and give up resisting. Another image appeared: the ancient beings stepping out from the shadows, promising to end the pain, promising water and food. These illusions were so realistic they felt within reach. Gentle whispers seemed to ring in his ears, constantly persuading him to step aside and open the path.
His tongue had long been bitten to pieces. The salty, metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. This continuous sting was his only anchor.
Lin Yan lowered his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Scholar Su, who was leaning against the corner of the rock wall, his breath faint. Scholar Su had his eyes half-open, his vision unfocused. With great difficulty, he tilted his chin toward the storage compartment, his lips moving soundlessly, repeating the same plea: Protect the civilians.
Lin Yan gripped the weapons in both hands. In his left was a chipped short blade; in his right, a thick, sharpened steel shard. The foundation of ancient martial arts still lingered in his limbs and bones, but prolonged starvation, the exhaustion of his Sea of Consciousness, and consecutive battles had drained most of his strength. His arms trembled slightly. He knew his limits. He was not a powerhouse who could slaughter a horde of beasts with a single strike. He was merely someone who had been pushed to stand here.
Ahead, the leading third-tier scaled beast let out a low roar, its spinal spurs tensing as it took the first step forward. Having learned from its companion's earlier setback, it did not rashly charge at full speed. Instead, it pressed forward slowly, its massive claws scraping against the steel plate with a piercing screech. Psychic shockwaves pressed toward Lin Yan along with the spores, attempting to shatter his mental defenses first.
Deep within the tide of beasts in the rear, the Beast Commander controlled the rhythm, in no hurry to swarm forward. Obeying the will of the ancient beings, it habitually wore down its prey's will first, waiting for their minds to collapse before harvesting their lives. Deep in the cavern, the five alien consciousnesses watched silently. The supreme ruler's consciousness indifferently enveloped the entire tunnel, quietly awaiting the outcome.
Lin Yan did not take the initiative to attack. He planted his feet firmly apart and lowered his waist into the opening stance he had practiced to perfection with his master in his youth. Ancient martial arts were not suited for hard-blocking the thick scales of giant beasts, but they excelled at finding gaps, controlling distance, and borrowing momentum to deflect force.
The scaled beast was only three steps away. It suddenly exerted force, lowering its head as its bone spurs shot straight for his chest.
Lin Yan sidestepped, using the narrow space of the tunnel to dodge the bone spurs. Simultaneously, his right hand slashed the steel shard diagonally upward, aiming for the soft skin gap where the beast's foreleg met its torso.
Shhhk! The steel shard tore through flesh, and dark green blood flowed from the wound.
Feeling the pain, the third-tier scaled beast roared and swung its foreleg. A massive, spiked shadow swept horizontally toward him. Lin Yan hastily retreated half a step, barely dodging the blow. His back scraped heavily against the rough rock wall, the rubble tearing his combat suit and spreading a burning pain across his back.
Failing to inflict a critical wound in one strike, the scaled beast flew into a rage, continuously swiping its claws and whipping its head. The bone spurs wove a shadow of death within the narrow tunnel. Lin Yan constantly maneuvered and dodged, alternating attacks with his short blade and steel shard. Every strike targeted the few weak points on the beast's body: around the eyes, under the jaw, and the soft joints of the limbs. But his stamina continued to plummet, and his attack speed slowed. Several times, the bone spurs grazed his neck and torso; a fraction of an inch more, and they would have inflicted a devastating blow.
Behind him, the second third-tier scaled beast let out an impatient low hum, wanting to squeeze forward and attack together. However, lacking space in the tunnel, it was blocked by the giant beast in front. It could only anxiously scrape the ground with its claws, waiting for an opening. Swarms of ordinary scaled beasts roared restlessly in the gaps. The layered sound waves continuously assaulted Lin Yan's eardrums and Sea of Consciousness.
The spore toxins continued to take effect.
The scenery before Lin Yan's eyes began to distort intermittently. For a moment, he hallucinated that the scaled beast in front of him had vanished. Standing opposite him was his master, shaking his head, urging him not to throw his life away in vain. The illusion was so vivid that his hand gripping the blade hesitated for a fraction of a second.
In that half-second of lapse in focus, the third-tier scaled beast ahead seized the opportunity and lunged forward, its bone spurs thrusting directly at his lower abdomen.
"Ugh!"
Lin Yan snapped back to reality, desperately twisting his body. The bone spurs failed to pierce his abdominal cavity but viciously slashed his waist. A deep, long wound instantly tore open, and scalding blood soaked through his clothes. The excruciating pain instantly eclipsed the illusions. He let out a muffled groan, using the force of the collision to roll backward and create distance. Every movement of his waist and abdomen pulled at the wound, causing his entire body's muscles to spasm in agony.
Blood dripped onto the steel plate, mingling with the previous dark green bloodstains of the scaled beast.
His stamina was nearly depleted. His Sea of Consciousness felt as though it were being continuously pierced by countless fine needles, and a heavy exhaustion spread through his limbs. He knew he couldn't hold out much longer. The two third-tier scaled beasts attacked in rotation, and behind them was an endless horde of ordinary scaled beasts. If he fell, the tunnel would be clear, and the civilians and wounded in the compartment would have absolutely no ability to resist.
Leaning in the corner, Scholar Su watched him get injured and let out a weak cry from his throat, wanting to stand up and support him. But the slightest movement caused more blood foam to surge from his chest wound. Helplessly, he slumped back heavily against the rock wall, his eyes filled with anxiety.
The leading third-tier scaled beast steadily advanced again. The pain of its wounds did not diminish its ferocity; instead, it made its attacks more frenzied. Having learned its lesson, it no longer insisted on charging. Instead, it continuously used its claw strikes to seal off Lin Yan's dodging space, compressing his area of movement. Lin Yan gritted his teeth and endured, accurately thrusting his short blade into the limb wound he had just slashed with the steel shard. The blade sank deep.
The beast roared in agony and thrashed its body wildly. Its massive form rammed back and forth in the narrow tunnel, causing the rock walls to tremble and rubble to rain down. Lin Yan didn't have time to withdraw his blade and could only let go of the short blade, leaving him with only the steel shard in his right hand. Losing a weapon made his defense even more strained.
Just then, the second third-tier scaled beast, which had been waiting in the rear, finally found an opening. It poked half its head out from beside the first giant beast, its dark crimson gaze locking onto Lin Yan as it lowered its body, preparing to ambush. One in front, one on the side, the two third-tier scaled beasts formed a pincer attack. Lin Yan was trapped in the middle, his space to dodge almost completely stripped away.
He panted urgently, blood flowing endlessly from his waist wound. His vision blackened in waves from blood loss and spore erosion. He quickly glanced at the rock walls on both sides; there was nowhere to hide. Behind him was Scholar Su, and further back was the storage compartment. There was no retreat.
Deep in the cavern, the consciousness of the Spiderweb Ancient Being stirred slightly. It did not continue to increase the release of spores; it was observing. It wanted to see how long this human could hold out under the pincer attack of two giant beasts. The supreme ruler remained silent, issuing no orders to accelerate the attack, allowing this isolated slaughter to continue.
The first scaled beast lunged from the front, its bone spurs aiming straight for his head; the second squeezed from the side, its giant claw striking toward the wound on his waist.
Lin Yan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging illusions in his Sea of Consciousness, and mobilized every technique of deflecting force and evasive movement from his ancient martial arts. He ducked slightly toward the frontal bone spurs while simultaneously turning his body, slashing the steel shard horizontally with full force toward the eye membrane of the side scaled beast.
The side scaled beast instinctively tilted its head to dodge. This attack failed to inflict a critical wound, but it disrupted the rhythm of its pounce. Seizing this gap, Lin Yan squeezed through the extremely narrow space between the two giant beasts, circling to the back of the first third-tier scaled beast. The scales on the beast's back were thick and hard, but the junction at the base of the spinal spurs was another weak point.
Lin Yan raised the steel shard high, using every ounce of his remaining strength to stab viciously downward into the gap at the base of the spinal spurs.
Howl—!
A shrill, piercing beast roar made the tunnel hum. In its extreme agony, the giant beast rolled wildly, its massive body ramming horizontally in the narrow tunnel, causing the rock walls and steel plates to boom continuously. Lin Yan had no time to evacuate. He was struck hard by its rolling body and sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground not far from Scholar Su. The steel shard slipped from his hand. A dull pain erupted in his chest, and a mouthful of blood sprayed onto the ground.
He struggled to get up, his limbs weak. The wounds on his waist and chest throbbed in unison.
The third-tier scaled beast, wounded on its back, slowly turned around. Its spine was drenched in blood, its ferocity undiminished. It walked toward the fallen Lin Yan step by step. The other third-tier scaled beast also bypassed its companion, flanking from the other side. Two massive shadows slowly enveloped him.
The roars of the ordinary scaled beasts in the rear grew increasingly excited, surging forward like a tide, waiting only for this last defender to fall.
Lin Yan braced himself against the ground, his arms trembling. Once, twice, he struggled desperately to prop himself up. He raised his eyes to look at the closed iron door of the storage compartment at the end of the tunnel. Behind that door were the last remaining civilians, children, and wounded of the shelter pod.
He could not fall yet.
End of Chapter.