Chapter 237: Broken Blade Against a Lone Eye
Guided by the Beast Commander's psychic tendrils, over a dozen ordinary scaled beasts simultaneously lowered their bodies, pressing forward in a fan-like formation along both sides of the tunnel. Having learned from the previous waves, they no longer rashly swarmed in a cluster. Some were responsible for feinting to draw his gaze, while others slithered close to the ground, their targets aimed directly at Lin Yan's injured calf and the wounds on his waist. The spore toxins hung heavily in the air, burrowing deep into his Sea of Consciousness through every open wound. Countless thoughts of exhaustion and despair coiled around his consciousness like vines.
A faint mist of blood now veiled Lin Yan's vision, and his limbs trembled more violently than ever. The wrist of his right hand, bracing against the steel shard, was sore and numb; he could barely hold onto the freezing blade. He could hear his own ragged, chaotic panting. Every rise and fall of his chest tugged at his internal injuries, sending waves of dull pain surging upward. Yet, he did not retreat half a step. His feet were nailed to the blood-stained steel plate, his gaze sweeping over the pouncing beasts as he steadfastly guarded the center line of the tunnel.
The first two scaled beasts to reach him leaped up from the left and right, their fangs aiming straight for his forearms. Lin Yan flipped his wrist, slashing the steel shard diagonally to cleanly slice through the neck of the left beast. Dark green blood sprayed across his cheek. Using its companion's cover, the beast on the right bit down on the outside of his upper arm, instantly tearing the flesh. A wave of intense pain hit him. Lin Yan let out a muffled groan, channeling explosive strength into his left arm and smashing his elbow down hard onto the beast's skull. A crisp sound of shattering bone rang out, and the scaled beast went limp on the ground.
But this brief delay gave the remaining beasts their chance. Three scaled beasts burrowed in from below simultaneously. One clamped onto his injured calf, while the other two lunged for his waist. The agonizing pain of his wounds being torn nearly drained him of all strength. Lin Yan stomped down viciously and thrust the steel shard downward, dispatching two of them in quick succession. However, the one on his calf clamped down with a death grip, its fangs embedded into the edge of his bone, impossible to shake off.
"Get off!"
Lin Yan let out a low shout, bending over to free his left hand. Hooking his fingers into the beast's eye socket, he twisted inward with all his might. A shrill shriek exploded as the scaled beast finally released its bite, its body convulsing before collapsing lifelessly in the pool of blood. Looking down at his calf, he saw the wound had widened. Blood flowed endlessly down his pant leg, soaking the sole of his boot. Every shift in his center of gravity felt like stepping on a red-hot iron.
Before he could even catch his breath, the remaining ordinary scaled beasts closed in again. They had already figured out his rhythm of movement, constantly circling and pulling at him, denying him even a moment to breathe. Lin Yan could only grit his teeth and twist the steel shard to block, hack, and sidestep. The evasive maneuvers of his ancient martial arts grew increasingly deformed; his physical strength could no longer keep pace with his intentions. Several times, fangs missed piercing his throat by a mere inch. In just a short while, new wounds appeared on his shoulder and outer thigh. His body was covered in countless injuries, and the blood had glued his combat suit to his skin.
Finally, the last ordinary scaled beast was pierced through the skull by the steel shard and collapsed heavily.
For a moment, the tunnel fell silent. Only Lin Yan's heavy panting and the faint sizzling sound of scaled beast blood flowing through the gaps in the steel plate could be heard. Corpses lay scattered everywhere; the narrow tunnel was almost completely blocked by the remains of the beasts.
Leaning on the steel shard, Lin Yan hunched over slightly, his chest heaving in massive起伏 (heaves). He raised his eyes to look ahead of the beast tide. The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast slowly stepped forward, emerging from the shadows of the low-tier beasts.
Its remaining dark crimson vertical pupil locked firmly onto Lin Yan. Half of its head was crusted with dried blood, and the shattered eye socket continued to seep blood slowly. Throughout the long war of attrition, it had been watching from the sidelines, quietly waiting for Lin Yan to exhaust his very last ounce of strength. Now, all the cannon fodder blocking its path had been cleared. It was finally its turn to act.
The psychic fluctuations of the Beast Commander receded; it no longer directed the other low-tier beasts forward. It knew that at this point, sending more ordinary scaled beasts was meaningless. The victor of this clash would be decided by this third-tier scaled beast itself. The dense masses of scaled beasts in the rear lay dormant in silence, countless pairs of crimson eyes watching the standoff between the lone human and the beast in the center of the tunnel.
Leaning against the corner of the rock wall, Scholar Su's heart sank to the abyss. He wanted to shout a warning, but his throat could only squeeze out a trickle of bloody foam. Watching Lin Yan's swaying, precarious figure, and looking at the massive, ferociously enraged third-tier scaled beast, he had already foreseen the outcome. Yet, he saw Lin Yan still keeping his spine straight, the steel shard held steadily before him, without a hint of evasion.
Deep within the cavern, the consciousness of the ancient beings resonated quietly.
The Sharp-Sense Ancient Being stabilized the spore concentration, no longer increasing it; it wanted to make this duel somewhat fair. The Illusion Ancient Being halted the rendering of illusions, stripping away all the mind-beguiling images in his Sea of Consciousness. Right now, Lin Yan's mind was completely clear, with nothing left but the giant beast before him. The consciousness of the supreme ruler still hung above the tunnel, watching indifferently, awaiting the final result.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast moved.
It did not charge with the ferocious speed it had used before. Instead, it walked forward slowly. Its heavy claws landed on the steel plate—one step, then another. The dull thuds echoed as if striking the hearts of everyone watching. As the distance closed, the foul stench washed over it. It could clearly smell the fresh human blood on Lin Yan, and sense his increasingly fading life force.
Only three steps remained.
The third-tier scaled beast suddenly exerted force, its massive body ramming horizontally. Its bone spurs aimed straight for Lin Yan's chest, its single remaining eye locked dead on its target.
Suppressing the excruciating pain throughout his body, Lin Yan channeled every last ounce of his remaining strength into his legs. Pivoting his feet, he twisted his body sideways to avoid the frontal bone spurs. The spurs slammed heavily into the steel plate, leaving a deep, long dent. Missing its strike, the scaled beast quickly swept its head sideways. The bone spurs carried a gale of wind as they grazed his ribs, tearing open a deep, long gash.
Agony swept through his entire body. Lin Yan's vision went completely black, and he nearly collapsed. Using the momentum of the beast's head-swing, he lunged forward half a step, aiming the steel shard at its ruined eye socket and thrusting with all his might.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast had anticipated this. It tilted its head slightly, and the steel shard grazed the edge of its eye socket, shaving off only a piece of flesh. Enraged, it raised its massive, thick claw and brought it crashing down toward the top of Lin Yan's head.
Lin Yan hastily raised his arm to block.
Thud!
The immense force transmitted through his arm, his bones emitting a muffled sound of bearing an unbearable load. He was slapped backward, stumbling heavily. His back slammed hard against the rock wall, and rubble rained down onto his helmet. A mouthful of blood sprayed out uncontrollably, splattering across the steel plate before him. The steel shard nearly slipped from his grasp; summoning his absolute last reserves, he gripped it tightly, his knuckles turning white.
Cough... He clutched his chest, coughing violently as blood continuously overflowed from the corners of his mouth.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast gave him no chance to breathe. Stepping forward again, its bone spurs thrust directly at his lower abdomen.
Lin Yan dropped his body, rolling forward along the ground to dodge the strike. Simultaneously, he reversed his grip and slashed the steel shard upward, grazing the soft flesh of the beast's foreleg joint and leaving a wound. Feeling the pain, the giant beast roared, sweeping its foreleg horizontally and slamming heavily into his shoulder.
Like a kite with a broken string, Lin Yan was sent flying, rolling to a stop not far from Scholar Su. The steel shard slipped from his hand, sliding far away to rest beside a pile of corpses.
He tried to prop himself up, his arms trembling. He tried once, but failed. On his second attempt, just as he lifted his upper body, the wound on his waist tore open, and another mouthful of blood gushed out. It was as if all the strength had been drained from his body. His limbs felt as heavy as lead, his Sea of Consciousness completely blank, and even the pain in his tongue had grown hazy.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast strolled leisurely toward the fallen Lin Yan, its massive shadow slowly enveloping him. It raised its heavy claw, hovering just above his chest. All it would take was a gentle downward press, and everything would be over.
From the direction of the rear storage compartment, the faint sound of suppressed sobbing drifted over—one sob, then another. Weak, yet crystal clear.
The sound was like a fine needle, piercing into Lin Yan's consciousness that was on the verge of fading into silence.
He could not fall yet.
Lin Yan suddenly turned his head, his gaze locking onto the dropped steel shard not far away. Clenching his teeth, he dragged his battered body, inching toward the shard. With every inch he moved, his wounds tore open, leaving a long trail of blood across the steel plate.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast lowered its head, watching his futile struggle, emitting a low, almost mocking purr from its throat. It did not bring its claw down immediately; it was savoring the prey's final struggle.
The instant the scaled beast relaxed its guard and lowered its head slightly to inspect him, Lin Yan suddenly unleashed his remaining strength. His right hand snatched the steel shard as he flipped onto his back, both arms pushing upward with all their might, the razor-sharp edge shooting straight toward the beast's remaining, intact vertical pupil!
Squelch!
The steel shard plunged deep into the eyeball.
An agonizingly shrill beast roar shook the entire tunnel, causing成片 (sheets of) rubble to fall from the rock walls. The third-tier scaled beast thrashed its head wildly, its massive body rolling violently. Its giant claws flailed blindly, gouging deep trenches into the steel plate. No longer able to see its target, the excruciating pain consumed all its rationality. It rammed back and forth in the narrow tunnel, continuously crashing into the rock walls.
The moment he struck, Lin Yan immediately let go, rolling sideways with all his might to dodge its out-of-control thrashing. He lay collapsed on the ground, gasping for air, his vision unfocused. He had no strength left to deliver a finishing blow.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast raged and rammed for a long time, its strength gradually waning. Its massive body swayed a few times before crashing heavily to the center of the tunnel. Its limbs twitched several times, and then it lay completely still.
Finally, the tunnel was quiet.
Lin Yan lay on his back amidst the sea of blood and filth, staring up at the dim rock walls above, his chest rising and falling faintly. He was covered in countless wounds, and his blood loss had reached its absolute limit. His consciousness felt light and weightless, ready to sink into darkness at any moment.
The beast tide in the rear fell into dead silence.
The psychic tendrils of the Beast Commander shook violently. Three third-tier scaled beasts had all perished—a crushing defeat it had never anticipated. Countless low-tier scaled beasts fidgeted restlessly in the shadows, but having received no new orders to attack, they were trapped in a dilemma, neither advancing nor retreating.
Deep within the cavern, the consciousness of the supreme ruler remained in prolonged silence. It stared at this human who had nearly stepped across the threshold of death. After a long while, a faint psychic fluctuation rippled outward, transmitting a message to the Beast Commander.
Retreat.
Receiving the order, the Beast Commander issued a reluctant psychic command. The dense masses of ordinary scaled beasts slowly backed away, retreating step by step along the tunnel, exiting the shelter pod and vanishing into the underground shadows beyond the gate. The sounds of battle faded into the distance. In the tunnel, only the heavy stench of blood and the faint breathing of the survivors remained.
Scholar Su turned his head, looking at the sea of scaled beast corpses, and then at Lin Yan, who lay dying in the pool of blood. Tears mixed with bloody foam and slid down from the corners of his eyes.
This desperate defense... they had held it.
End of Chapter.
A faint mist of blood now veiled Lin Yan's vision, and his limbs trembled more violently than ever. The wrist of his right hand, bracing against the steel shard, was sore and numb; he could barely hold onto the freezing blade. He could hear his own ragged, chaotic panting. Every rise and fall of his chest tugged at his internal injuries, sending waves of dull pain surging upward. Yet, he did not retreat half a step. His feet were nailed to the blood-stained steel plate, his gaze sweeping over the pouncing beasts as he steadfastly guarded the center line of the tunnel.
The first two scaled beasts to reach him leaped up from the left and right, their fangs aiming straight for his forearms. Lin Yan flipped his wrist, slashing the steel shard diagonally to cleanly slice through the neck of the left beast. Dark green blood sprayed across his cheek. Using its companion's cover, the beast on the right bit down on the outside of his upper arm, instantly tearing the flesh. A wave of intense pain hit him. Lin Yan let out a muffled groan, channeling explosive strength into his left arm and smashing his elbow down hard onto the beast's skull. A crisp sound of shattering bone rang out, and the scaled beast went limp on the ground.
But this brief delay gave the remaining beasts their chance. Three scaled beasts burrowed in from below simultaneously. One clamped onto his injured calf, while the other two lunged for his waist. The agonizing pain of his wounds being torn nearly drained him of all strength. Lin Yan stomped down viciously and thrust the steel shard downward, dispatching two of them in quick succession. However, the one on his calf clamped down with a death grip, its fangs embedded into the edge of his bone, impossible to shake off.
"Get off!"
Lin Yan let out a low shout, bending over to free his left hand. Hooking his fingers into the beast's eye socket, he twisted inward with all his might. A shrill shriek exploded as the scaled beast finally released its bite, its body convulsing before collapsing lifelessly in the pool of blood. Looking down at his calf, he saw the wound had widened. Blood flowed endlessly down his pant leg, soaking the sole of his boot. Every shift in his center of gravity felt like stepping on a red-hot iron.
Before he could even catch his breath, the remaining ordinary scaled beasts closed in again. They had already figured out his rhythm of movement, constantly circling and pulling at him, denying him even a moment to breathe. Lin Yan could only grit his teeth and twist the steel shard to block, hack, and sidestep. The evasive maneuvers of his ancient martial arts grew increasingly deformed; his physical strength could no longer keep pace with his intentions. Several times, fangs missed piercing his throat by a mere inch. In just a short while, new wounds appeared on his shoulder and outer thigh. His body was covered in countless injuries, and the blood had glued his combat suit to his skin.
Finally, the last ordinary scaled beast was pierced through the skull by the steel shard and collapsed heavily.
For a moment, the tunnel fell silent. Only Lin Yan's heavy panting and the faint sizzling sound of scaled beast blood flowing through the gaps in the steel plate could be heard. Corpses lay scattered everywhere; the narrow tunnel was almost completely blocked by the remains of the beasts.
Leaning on the steel shard, Lin Yan hunched over slightly, his chest heaving in massive起伏 (heaves). He raised his eyes to look ahead of the beast tide. The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast slowly stepped forward, emerging from the shadows of the low-tier beasts.
Its remaining dark crimson vertical pupil locked firmly onto Lin Yan. Half of its head was crusted with dried blood, and the shattered eye socket continued to seep blood slowly. Throughout the long war of attrition, it had been watching from the sidelines, quietly waiting for Lin Yan to exhaust his very last ounce of strength. Now, all the cannon fodder blocking its path had been cleared. It was finally its turn to act.
The psychic fluctuations of the Beast Commander receded; it no longer directed the other low-tier beasts forward. It knew that at this point, sending more ordinary scaled beasts was meaningless. The victor of this clash would be decided by this third-tier scaled beast itself. The dense masses of scaled beasts in the rear lay dormant in silence, countless pairs of crimson eyes watching the standoff between the lone human and the beast in the center of the tunnel.
Leaning against the corner of the rock wall, Scholar Su's heart sank to the abyss. He wanted to shout a warning, but his throat could only squeeze out a trickle of bloody foam. Watching Lin Yan's swaying, precarious figure, and looking at the massive, ferociously enraged third-tier scaled beast, he had already foreseen the outcome. Yet, he saw Lin Yan still keeping his spine straight, the steel shard held steadily before him, without a hint of evasion.
Deep within the cavern, the consciousness of the ancient beings resonated quietly.
The Sharp-Sense Ancient Being stabilized the spore concentration, no longer increasing it; it wanted to make this duel somewhat fair. The Illusion Ancient Being halted the rendering of illusions, stripping away all the mind-beguiling images in his Sea of Consciousness. Right now, Lin Yan's mind was completely clear, with nothing left but the giant beast before him. The consciousness of the supreme ruler still hung above the tunnel, watching indifferently, awaiting the final result.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast moved.
It did not charge with the ferocious speed it had used before. Instead, it walked forward slowly. Its heavy claws landed on the steel plate—one step, then another. The dull thuds echoed as if striking the hearts of everyone watching. As the distance closed, the foul stench washed over it. It could clearly smell the fresh human blood on Lin Yan, and sense his increasingly fading life force.
Only three steps remained.
The third-tier scaled beast suddenly exerted force, its massive body ramming horizontally. Its bone spurs aimed straight for Lin Yan's chest, its single remaining eye locked dead on its target.
Suppressing the excruciating pain throughout his body, Lin Yan channeled every last ounce of his remaining strength into his legs. Pivoting his feet, he twisted his body sideways to avoid the frontal bone spurs. The spurs slammed heavily into the steel plate, leaving a deep, long dent. Missing its strike, the scaled beast quickly swept its head sideways. The bone spurs carried a gale of wind as they grazed his ribs, tearing open a deep, long gash.
Agony swept through his entire body. Lin Yan's vision went completely black, and he nearly collapsed. Using the momentum of the beast's head-swing, he lunged forward half a step, aiming the steel shard at its ruined eye socket and thrusting with all his might.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast had anticipated this. It tilted its head slightly, and the steel shard grazed the edge of its eye socket, shaving off only a piece of flesh. Enraged, it raised its massive, thick claw and brought it crashing down toward the top of Lin Yan's head.
Lin Yan hastily raised his arm to block.
Thud!
The immense force transmitted through his arm, his bones emitting a muffled sound of bearing an unbearable load. He was slapped backward, stumbling heavily. His back slammed hard against the rock wall, and rubble rained down onto his helmet. A mouthful of blood sprayed out uncontrollably, splattering across the steel plate before him. The steel shard nearly slipped from his grasp; summoning his absolute last reserves, he gripped it tightly, his knuckles turning white.
Cough... He clutched his chest, coughing violently as blood continuously overflowed from the corners of his mouth.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast gave him no chance to breathe. Stepping forward again, its bone spurs thrust directly at his lower abdomen.
Lin Yan dropped his body, rolling forward along the ground to dodge the strike. Simultaneously, he reversed his grip and slashed the steel shard upward, grazing the soft flesh of the beast's foreleg joint and leaving a wound. Feeling the pain, the giant beast roared, sweeping its foreleg horizontally and slamming heavily into his shoulder.
Like a kite with a broken string, Lin Yan was sent flying, rolling to a stop not far from Scholar Su. The steel shard slipped from his hand, sliding far away to rest beside a pile of corpses.
He tried to prop himself up, his arms trembling. He tried once, but failed. On his second attempt, just as he lifted his upper body, the wound on his waist tore open, and another mouthful of blood gushed out. It was as if all the strength had been drained from his body. His limbs felt as heavy as lead, his Sea of Consciousness completely blank, and even the pain in his tongue had grown hazy.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast strolled leisurely toward the fallen Lin Yan, its massive shadow slowly enveloping him. It raised its heavy claw, hovering just above his chest. All it would take was a gentle downward press, and everything would be over.
From the direction of the rear storage compartment, the faint sound of suppressed sobbing drifted over—one sob, then another. Weak, yet crystal clear.
The sound was like a fine needle, piercing into Lin Yan's consciousness that was on the verge of fading into silence.
He could not fall yet.
Lin Yan suddenly turned his head, his gaze locking onto the dropped steel shard not far away. Clenching his teeth, he dragged his battered body, inching toward the shard. With every inch he moved, his wounds tore open, leaving a long trail of blood across the steel plate.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast lowered its head, watching his futile struggle, emitting a low, almost mocking purr from its throat. It did not bring its claw down immediately; it was savoring the prey's final struggle.
The instant the scaled beast relaxed its guard and lowered its head slightly to inspect him, Lin Yan suddenly unleashed his remaining strength. His right hand snatched the steel shard as he flipped onto his back, both arms pushing upward with all their might, the razor-sharp edge shooting straight toward the beast's remaining, intact vertical pupil!
Squelch!
The steel shard plunged deep into the eyeball.
An agonizingly shrill beast roar shook the entire tunnel, causing成片 (sheets of) rubble to fall from the rock walls. The third-tier scaled beast thrashed its head wildly, its massive body rolling violently. Its giant claws flailed blindly, gouging deep trenches into the steel plate. No longer able to see its target, the excruciating pain consumed all its rationality. It rammed back and forth in the narrow tunnel, continuously crashing into the rock walls.
The moment he struck, Lin Yan immediately let go, rolling sideways with all his might to dodge its out-of-control thrashing. He lay collapsed on the ground, gasping for air, his vision unfocused. He had no strength left to deliver a finishing blow.
The one-eyed third-tier scaled beast raged and rammed for a long time, its strength gradually waning. Its massive body swayed a few times before crashing heavily to the center of the tunnel. Its limbs twitched several times, and then it lay completely still.
Finally, the tunnel was quiet.
Lin Yan lay on his back amidst the sea of blood and filth, staring up at the dim rock walls above, his chest rising and falling faintly. He was covered in countless wounds, and his blood loss had reached its absolute limit. His consciousness felt light and weightless, ready to sink into darkness at any moment.
The beast tide in the rear fell into dead silence.
The psychic tendrils of the Beast Commander shook violently. Three third-tier scaled beasts had all perished—a crushing defeat it had never anticipated. Countless low-tier scaled beasts fidgeted restlessly in the shadows, but having received no new orders to attack, they were trapped in a dilemma, neither advancing nor retreating.
Deep within the cavern, the consciousness of the supreme ruler remained in prolonged silence. It stared at this human who had nearly stepped across the threshold of death. After a long while, a faint psychic fluctuation rippled outward, transmitting a message to the Beast Commander.
Retreat.
Receiving the order, the Beast Commander issued a reluctant psychic command. The dense masses of ordinary scaled beasts slowly backed away, retreating step by step along the tunnel, exiting the shelter pod and vanishing into the underground shadows beyond the gate. The sounds of battle faded into the distance. In the tunnel, only the heavy stench of blood and the faint breathing of the survivors remained.
Scholar Su turned his head, looking at the sea of scaled beast corpses, and then at Lin Yan, who lay dying in the pool of blood. Tears mixed with bloody foam and slid down from the corners of his eyes.
This desperate defense... they had held it.
End of Chapter.