Chapter 236: The Beast Tide Regroups
The chaotic roars in the tunnel lingered for a moment before gradually subsiding. The Beast Commander's psychic tendrils spread like a fine, dense net, forcibly suppressing the restless instincts of the low-tier scaled beasts and drawing the scattered horde back into formation. The third-tier scaled beast, its eye socket pierced by a bolt, retreated to the front line of the beast tide. Its massive head hung slightly low, dark green, foul-smelling blood continuously leaking from its ruined eye slit. Its remaining, intact vertical pupil locked onto Lin Yan, a gaze filled with excruciating pain, apprehension, and an inescapable predatory instinct.
It no longer dared to charge alone. The memories of its companions' friendly fire and the traps that had wounded it were still etched into its psychic link. This battered human before it was no longer prey that could be casually pounced upon and slaughtered. The Beast Commander adjusted its tactics. No longer relying on a single third-tier scaled beast to break through, it arranged for over a dozen ordinary scaled beasts to advance in batches, taking turns to drain Lin Yan's stamina and mental fortitude.
The ordinary scaled beasts were smaller, with thinner scales and far less strength than the third-tier beasts, but they made up for it with sheer numbers and agility, knowing how to maneuver and flank through the gaps on both sides. They dispersed, slowly pressing forward along the tunnel's rock walls. Their intermittent low hisses intertwined, striking Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness in tandem with the spore toxins.
Lin Yan braced himself against the steel shard to maintain his stance. The wound on his waist throbbed with every breath, and the chill from blood loss spread through his limbs, leaving his fingertips gradually numb. The illusions in his Sea of Consciousness continued to surge. He saw countless scaled beasts erupting from the underground wasteland beyond the rift, the barrier walls collapsing in a sea of fire, and familiar faces falling in pools of blood. The pain in his tongue was growing fainter; he had bitten it until it was completely numb. He could only rely on the instincts honed over years of ancient martial arts to forcibly steady his mind.
"Don't rush. They're coming in batches," Lin Yan muttered to himself, both a reminder and an anchor for his fading focus. He understood the enemy's strategy perfectly. The low-tier beasts were easy to kill, but endless. Every swing of his blade and every dodge consumed his strength. Only when he was completely spent would the one-eyed third-tier scaled beast step forward again to deliver the final blow.
The first wave of three ordinary scaled beasts pounced simultaneously from the left, center, and right. Their fangs were bared, and tiny bone spurs gleamed with a cold light in the dimness.
Lin Yan no longer fought head-on. Taking small, shuffling steps, he swung the steel shard horizontally, striking precisely at the soft flesh on the neck of the center beast.
Squelch! The scaled beast collapsed instantly, twitching twice before going still. The beasts on the left and right seized the chance to close in; one lunged for his left leg, while the other leaped to bite his forearm. Lin Yan raised his knee to shove away the lower beast, simultaneously flipping his wrist to slash the steel shard backward, tearing open the throat of the leaping beast.
The two scaled beasts fell one after the other, their blood spreading across the steel plate.
In just a few brief exchanges, Lin Yan's breathing grew ragged. A dull pain erupted in his chest; the internal injuries from the giant beast's earlier collision were beginning to flare. Before he could even catch his breath, the second wave of five ordinary scaled beasts charged in immediately.
Having learned from their companions' mistakes, they no longer attacked in unison. Instead, they coordinated: some feinted to draw his attention, while others sneaked in from behind. One beast lunged fiercely at his ankle. Lin Yan stepped down, crushing it brutally against the steel plate, but two others seized the opening to rush close, their fangs grazing his arm and tearing two shallow, bleeding gashes.
A sharp pain flared. The spore toxins invaded his Sea of Consciousness even faster through the fresh wounds, instantly intensifying the dizziness. Forcing down the sensation of his vision going black, Lin Yan swiftly swept his steel shard, taking down two more beasts. Seeing the tide turning, the remaining two quickly retreated, hiding in the shadows of the beast tide.
As the first round of attacks ended, the tunnel floor was littered with scaled beast corpses, the stench growing thicker. Lin Yan stood amidst the pile of bodies. New wounds had opened on his shoulder, arm, and waist, his combat suit practically soaked through with blood. He hunched over slightly, gasping for air, his vision intermittently veiled by a gray mist.
Leaning against the corner of the rock wall, Scholar Su had been watching silently. His breath was still faint, and he lacked the strength to even raise a hand, yet his gaze never left Lin Yan. He had seen countless warriors die defending their lines, but few could remain as calm and composed as Lin Yan, maintaining their focus despite grievous wounds and continuous psychic erosion. He knew clearly that even if Lin Yan managed to slaughter all these ordinary scaled beasts, the one-eyed third-tier beast still remained. The final barrier could not be crossed.
Deep within the cavern, the consciousness of the ancient beings resonated quietly.
The Beast Commander continuously transmitted commands, sending waves of low-tier scaled beasts to sustain the attrition. The Sharp-Sense Ancient Being maintained the spore concentration in the cabin—neither increasing nor decreasing—steadily wearing down Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness. The Illusion Ancient Being no longer crafted intense images of temptation; instead, it continuously amplified feelings of exhaustion and despair, quietly planting a single thought deep within his heart: Rest. Stopping means liberation.
The supreme ruler still hovered above, observing silently. It had witnessed human calculation, endurance, and desperate gambits, as well as the methodical attrition tactics of the scaled beasts. The scales of this battle were slowly tipping in favor of the beast tide.
The third and fourth waves of ordinary scaled beasts surged forward in relentless succession.
Lin Yan's movements grew increasingly sluggish, the force of his strikes steadily waning, his evasions shrinking in amplitude. Several times, the beasts' fangs grazed his clothing, missing his flesh by a mere fraction. Relying on the narrow tunnel to prevent being surrounded from multiple angles, he aimed for vital points with every strike, trying to kill each beast with the minimum amount of movement. But the drain on his stamina was irreversible; his limbs began to tremble uncontrollably.
Another scaled beast seized a moment when he failed to dodge in time, sinking its teeth viciously into the outside of his calf.
Excruciating pain exploded. Lin Yan let out a muffled groan, his other foot stomping down hard as he reversed the steel shard to pierce through the beast's skull. But the row of fangs had already embedded into his flesh. As he pulled the blade out, it tore away a massive chunk of meat. Warm blood flowed down his calf and pooled into his boot. Every step he took felt like treading on a bed of blades.
He staggered, dropping to one knee amidst the sea of beast blood and corpses.
Ahead, within the beast tide, the one-eyed third-tier scaled beast took a slow step forward, its low rumble echoing through the tunnel. It sensed the human's strength slipping away; the time was nearly ripe. It did not charge immediately, simply waiting for the next wave of ordinary scaled beasts to grind away his very last ounce of strength.
Bracing himself against the steel shard, Lin Yan tried to stand again. The wounds on his calf, waist, and chest flared in unison. A suffocating wave of dizziness crashed over his Sea of Consciousness, and the scenery before him began to overlap and warp. He hallucinated his master standing in the distance, shaking his head, telling him that ancient martial arts could protect the flesh, but not a mind being gnawed by spores. Then, he saw the iron door of the storage compartment again; the suppressed whimpers of children behind the door drifted through layers of slaughter, landing softly in his ears.
"I can't kneel yet."
He whispered to himself. Channeling strength into his arms, he forced his body up, inch by inch. The moment his knees left the steel plate, the wound on his calf was pulled taut, sending a violent tremor through his entire body. Cold sweat dripped from his jaw. He stood upright once more, the steel shard held horizontally before him, still blocking this crucial path to the civilians' compartment.
Behind him, the ordinary scaled beasts grew restless again. A new round of attrition attacks was about to begin.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast lowered its head slightly. Its single crimson pupil locked onto him, its spinal spurs slowly rising, ready to strike at any moment.
Deep within the cavern, the consciousness of the supreme ruler rippled slightly. It had watched this struggle long enough. It signaled the Beast Commander: the attrition phase could end.
After this wave of ordinary scaled beasts finished their charge, the third-tier scaled beast would deliver its final, fatal blow.
Inside the tunnel, the foul wind rose once more, and the shadow of death pressed forward again.
End of Chapter.
It no longer dared to charge alone. The memories of its companions' friendly fire and the traps that had wounded it were still etched into its psychic link. This battered human before it was no longer prey that could be casually pounced upon and slaughtered. The Beast Commander adjusted its tactics. No longer relying on a single third-tier scaled beast to break through, it arranged for over a dozen ordinary scaled beasts to advance in batches, taking turns to drain Lin Yan's stamina and mental fortitude.
The ordinary scaled beasts were smaller, with thinner scales and far less strength than the third-tier beasts, but they made up for it with sheer numbers and agility, knowing how to maneuver and flank through the gaps on both sides. They dispersed, slowly pressing forward along the tunnel's rock walls. Their intermittent low hisses intertwined, striking Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness in tandem with the spore toxins.
Lin Yan braced himself against the steel shard to maintain his stance. The wound on his waist throbbed with every breath, and the chill from blood loss spread through his limbs, leaving his fingertips gradually numb. The illusions in his Sea of Consciousness continued to surge. He saw countless scaled beasts erupting from the underground wasteland beyond the rift, the barrier walls collapsing in a sea of fire, and familiar faces falling in pools of blood. The pain in his tongue was growing fainter; he had bitten it until it was completely numb. He could only rely on the instincts honed over years of ancient martial arts to forcibly steady his mind.
"Don't rush. They're coming in batches," Lin Yan muttered to himself, both a reminder and an anchor for his fading focus. He understood the enemy's strategy perfectly. The low-tier beasts were easy to kill, but endless. Every swing of his blade and every dodge consumed his strength. Only when he was completely spent would the one-eyed third-tier scaled beast step forward again to deliver the final blow.
The first wave of three ordinary scaled beasts pounced simultaneously from the left, center, and right. Their fangs were bared, and tiny bone spurs gleamed with a cold light in the dimness.
Lin Yan no longer fought head-on. Taking small, shuffling steps, he swung the steel shard horizontally, striking precisely at the soft flesh on the neck of the center beast.
Squelch! The scaled beast collapsed instantly, twitching twice before going still. The beasts on the left and right seized the chance to close in; one lunged for his left leg, while the other leaped to bite his forearm. Lin Yan raised his knee to shove away the lower beast, simultaneously flipping his wrist to slash the steel shard backward, tearing open the throat of the leaping beast.
The two scaled beasts fell one after the other, their blood spreading across the steel plate.
In just a few brief exchanges, Lin Yan's breathing grew ragged. A dull pain erupted in his chest; the internal injuries from the giant beast's earlier collision were beginning to flare. Before he could even catch his breath, the second wave of five ordinary scaled beasts charged in immediately.
Having learned from their companions' mistakes, they no longer attacked in unison. Instead, they coordinated: some feinted to draw his attention, while others sneaked in from behind. One beast lunged fiercely at his ankle. Lin Yan stepped down, crushing it brutally against the steel plate, but two others seized the opening to rush close, their fangs grazing his arm and tearing two shallow, bleeding gashes.
A sharp pain flared. The spore toxins invaded his Sea of Consciousness even faster through the fresh wounds, instantly intensifying the dizziness. Forcing down the sensation of his vision going black, Lin Yan swiftly swept his steel shard, taking down two more beasts. Seeing the tide turning, the remaining two quickly retreated, hiding in the shadows of the beast tide.
As the first round of attacks ended, the tunnel floor was littered with scaled beast corpses, the stench growing thicker. Lin Yan stood amidst the pile of bodies. New wounds had opened on his shoulder, arm, and waist, his combat suit practically soaked through with blood. He hunched over slightly, gasping for air, his vision intermittently veiled by a gray mist.
Leaning against the corner of the rock wall, Scholar Su had been watching silently. His breath was still faint, and he lacked the strength to even raise a hand, yet his gaze never left Lin Yan. He had seen countless warriors die defending their lines, but few could remain as calm and composed as Lin Yan, maintaining their focus despite grievous wounds and continuous psychic erosion. He knew clearly that even if Lin Yan managed to slaughter all these ordinary scaled beasts, the one-eyed third-tier beast still remained. The final barrier could not be crossed.
Deep within the cavern, the consciousness of the ancient beings resonated quietly.
The Beast Commander continuously transmitted commands, sending waves of low-tier scaled beasts to sustain the attrition. The Sharp-Sense Ancient Being maintained the spore concentration in the cabin—neither increasing nor decreasing—steadily wearing down Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness. The Illusion Ancient Being no longer crafted intense images of temptation; instead, it continuously amplified feelings of exhaustion and despair, quietly planting a single thought deep within his heart: Rest. Stopping means liberation.
The supreme ruler still hovered above, observing silently. It had witnessed human calculation, endurance, and desperate gambits, as well as the methodical attrition tactics of the scaled beasts. The scales of this battle were slowly tipping in favor of the beast tide.
The third and fourth waves of ordinary scaled beasts surged forward in relentless succession.
Lin Yan's movements grew increasingly sluggish, the force of his strikes steadily waning, his evasions shrinking in amplitude. Several times, the beasts' fangs grazed his clothing, missing his flesh by a mere fraction. Relying on the narrow tunnel to prevent being surrounded from multiple angles, he aimed for vital points with every strike, trying to kill each beast with the minimum amount of movement. But the drain on his stamina was irreversible; his limbs began to tremble uncontrollably.
Another scaled beast seized a moment when he failed to dodge in time, sinking its teeth viciously into the outside of his calf.
Excruciating pain exploded. Lin Yan let out a muffled groan, his other foot stomping down hard as he reversed the steel shard to pierce through the beast's skull. But the row of fangs had already embedded into his flesh. As he pulled the blade out, it tore away a massive chunk of meat. Warm blood flowed down his calf and pooled into his boot. Every step he took felt like treading on a bed of blades.
He staggered, dropping to one knee amidst the sea of beast blood and corpses.
Ahead, within the beast tide, the one-eyed third-tier scaled beast took a slow step forward, its low rumble echoing through the tunnel. It sensed the human's strength slipping away; the time was nearly ripe. It did not charge immediately, simply waiting for the next wave of ordinary scaled beasts to grind away his very last ounce of strength.
Bracing himself against the steel shard, Lin Yan tried to stand again. The wounds on his calf, waist, and chest flared in unison. A suffocating wave of dizziness crashed over his Sea of Consciousness, and the scenery before him began to overlap and warp. He hallucinated his master standing in the distance, shaking his head, telling him that ancient martial arts could protect the flesh, but not a mind being gnawed by spores. Then, he saw the iron door of the storage compartment again; the suppressed whimpers of children behind the door drifted through layers of slaughter, landing softly in his ears.
"I can't kneel yet."
He whispered to himself. Channeling strength into his arms, he forced his body up, inch by inch. The moment his knees left the steel plate, the wound on his calf was pulled taut, sending a violent tremor through his entire body. Cold sweat dripped from his jaw. He stood upright once more, the steel shard held horizontally before him, still blocking this crucial path to the civilians' compartment.
Behind him, the ordinary scaled beasts grew restless again. A new round of attrition attacks was about to begin.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast lowered its head slightly. Its single crimson pupil locked onto him, its spinal spurs slowly rising, ready to strike at any moment.
Deep within the cavern, the consciousness of the supreme ruler rippled slightly. It had watched this struggle long enough. It signaled the Beast Commander: the attrition phase could end.
After this wave of ordinary scaled beasts finished their charge, the third-tier scaled beast would deliver its final, fatal blow.
Inside the tunnel, the foul wind rose once more, and the shadow of death pressed forward again.
End of Chapter.