Chapter 243: The Soundless Bell Toll
Beyond the bend, the air in the tunnel was thick with the sickly-sweet scent of spores, heavy as waterlogged cotton. The cold light of the glow stone stretched forward. The rock walls were no longer merely coated in slick mucus; they were now covered with a dense layer of silver-gray fungal film. This film spread along the textures of the rock layers, trembling gently with the invisible psychic pulses. This was the carrier of the resonance node—a special spore fungal colony cultivated by the ancient beings. Every tremor radiated a ring of psychic waves outward, like a soundless bronze bell continuously tolling deep within the earth.
The waves were invisible and intangible, yet they struck directly at the Sea of Consciousness.
The moment the squad turned the bend, the scout at the very front suddenly halted. The hand holding the glow stone trembled slightly. His pupils dilated faintly, his gaze losing focus as a layer of bewilderment clouded his previously vigilant eyes.
"So noisy... so many people are calling me..." he murmured, his voice floating and ethereal. His grip on the short blade unconsciously loosened. "At the camp... my comrades are calling me back to the ranks. They are waiting for me to return for dinner."
The illusion had already ensnared him. It was the most stable fragment of his memory: the barracks during a frontline rest period, the campfire, the hot soup, the comrades standing shoulder to shoulder. Amplified by the resonance waves, it became incredibly real, tempting him to drop his guard and take a step toward the illusion. He turned his foot, about to walk into a patch of empty darkness against the side wall of the tunnel—the exact area where the resonance was strongest.
"Stop!"
Lin Yan let out a low shout, forcing down the dizzying vertigo churning in his own Sea of Consciousness as he rushed forward. The wound on his waist was violently pulled by his hurried steps. Tearing agony shot straight to the top of his skull. He let out a muffled groan but did not stop, reaching out to grab the scout's shoulder.
The instant his fingertips made contact, Lin Yan sent a sliver of his barely gathered Sea of Consciousness power outward. Like a fine needle, it pierced the illusory film enveloping the scout's mind.
The scout's entire body violently shuddered. His dilated pupils refocused, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back. He looked around in a daze. The vivid campfire and bustling life from a moment ago vanished in a flash, leaving only the dark tunnel, the trembling silver-gray fungal film, and Lin Yan's pale, blood-stained profile.
"Just now... I almost walked in there." The scout's Adam's apple bobbed, filled with lingering terror. "The illusion was too real. I almost thought I had returned to the barrier defense line."
"The resonance node's method is specifically designed to seize the memories a person desires most," Lin Yan said slowly as he withdrew his hand, his breathing erratic. Using his Sea of Consciousness power this time had exacted a heavy toll; the bell tolling in his mind grew even clearer. "Everyone sees something different. Some see relatives, some see a peaceful homeland. The deeper the obsession in one's heart, the easier it is to fall in. Do not stare at the fungal film on the rock walls, and do not synchronize your breathing with the rhythm of the waves."
The other three immediately adjusted their states. They instinctively held their breath, keeping their gazes fixed on the ground beneath their feet to avoid looking at the slowly undulating silver-gray film. Yet, the psychic resonance was inescapable. It did not rely on sight; it directly permeated the Sea of Consciousness.
The female support soldier's breathing gradually grew rapid. Her fingertips trembled slightly, and her short dagger nearly slipped from her grasp. Her eyes quickly reddened. She saw her long-dead sister standing among the fungal film, smiling and waving at her, calling her to come home together. Her lips moved, and her feet involuntarily took half a step forward.
"Don't go over there! It's fake!" Lin Yan called out to warn her, simultaneously splitting a thread of his consciousness to lock onto her Sea of Consciousness fluctuations. He couldn't frequently intervene to wake everyone up. Every time he guided them, it drained his already damaged Sea of Consciousness. Compounded with the pain from his wounds and the spore erosion, his vision blackened in intermittent flashes.
The female support soldier bit down hard on her lower lip. The sharp pain allowed her to barely hold onto a shred of clarity. She fiercely turned her head, squeezing her eyes shut, and leaned against the rock wall to pant heavily, no longer daring to listen to her sister's calls in her mind.
The miner's resistance was actually stronger than expected. Hailing from a mining area, he had worked for years in the dark underground environment. His temperament was steady. The resonance waves falling into his Sea of Consciousness merely manifested as bouts of muffled tinnitus, with no formed illusions. He gripped his rock hammer tightly, his gaze calmly sweeping over the dark rock caves around him: "The fungal film covers a massive area. The source of the resonance should be in the sunken rock cave ahead in the tunnel. Could there be scaled beasts hiding nearby?"
"Yes," Lin Yan nodded slowly. His Sea of Consciousness perceived two suppressed, concealed beastly psychic auras hidden in the shadows of the staggered rock niches on both sides. They had deliberately lowered their own fluctuations, merging perfectly with the bell toll of the spores. "Two secondary scaled beasts. They are waiting for us to be trapped by the illusions before making their move. They don't attack early because they are relying on the resonance to disable our minds first."
Hearing this, the military police officer at the rear immediately turned his short blade horizontally, pressing his back against the rock wall while guarding both flanks and the rear. The narrow tunnel had no room for maneuvering. If the two secondary scaled beasts pounced simultaneously, combined with the continuous psychic interference, the squad could easily collapse in an instant.
Lin Yan quickly weighed his options in his mind. Charging straight through the resonance core carried too high a risk; at least two of the five couldn't withstand prolonged illusions and would lose control one after another. Retreating on the spot was impossible, as the crevice behind them was already blocked by worms, cutting off their escape. To break the deadlock, they could only destroy the core fungal cluster of the resonance and sever the source of the psychic waves.
"Miner, follow me. The two of us will push forward to find the core fungal cluster," Lin Yan arranged in a hushed voice. "Scout, watch the left rock niche. Military police officer, hold the right side. Warn us the moment the scaled beasts show signs of pouncing. Female support soldier, suppress your own illusions and act as mobile support. Save whoever loses control first. Everyone remember, if you are entangled by an illusion, the first method to wake yourself up is pain. Bite your tongue, or grip your blade and cut your palm. Do not rely on me. My Sea of Consciousness cannot sustain waking up multiple people in succession."
Everyone silently acknowledged the orders and took their respective positions.
Lin Yan and the miner walked side by side, slowing their pace as they advanced against the waves of psychic bell tolls spreading outward. With every step closer, the heavy pressure on the Sea of Consciousness grew thicker. Lin Yan's own illusions also began to take shape. He saw his master standing among the fungal film ahead, waving at him, telling him his injuries were too severe, urging him not to force it, to let go of everything and stay in this underground abyss, so he could forever be free from the pain of slaughter. Having practiced ancient martial arts for many years, his obsession with his master ran deep. This illusion was far more realistic than those of the others.
It's fake, he repeatedly warned himself in his heart. His tongue was already bitten open, the faint taste of blood filling his mouth, continuously maintaining his clarity.
Walking beside him, the miner held his rock hammer steady, his gaze sweeping over the overlapping layers of silver-gray fungal film, discerning the density of the fungal clusters. The ordinary fungal film merely conducted the waves. The true resonance core was a thick fungal mass gathered in the deepest part of the rock cave, bulging into a hemispherical shape. Its color was deeper, a dark purple tinge within the gray. With every tremor, the bell toll throughout the entire section of the tunnel grew stronger.
"Found it. Right there in the sunken area ahead!" The miner pointed with the tip of his rock hammer from a distance.
The moment he finished speaking, a low hiss suddenly erupted from the left rock niche. Unable to hold back any longer, a secondary scaled beast used the resonance as cover. Its body streaked out at high speed along the rock wall, its fangs aiming straight for the scout, who was closest!
The scout had been on guard. The instant the scaled beast lunged, he dodged sideways, swinging his short blade horizontally to slice open the flesh on the beast's shoulder and neck. But the resonance was still ongoing. His Sea of Consciousness wavered in a daze, and his movement was half a beat too slow. The scaled beast whipped its head, and its small side claw tore a bloody gash on his upper arm.
"Careful!" Suppressing the phantom of her sister in her Sea of Consciousness, the female support soldier rushed forward to support him, thrusting her short dagger from the side toward the soft area around the scaled beast's eye.
On the other side, the second secondary scaled beast charged out simultaneously, its target aimed squarely at Lin Yan. It knew this human was the core of the squad's Sea of Consciousness power. Killing Lin Yan first would leave the rest at the mercy of the resonance. A foul-smelling gust of wind hit his face as the scaled beast thrust its bone spikes forward, aiming directly at Lin Yan's already severely wounded waist.
Lin Yan's pupils constricted. He had no time to mobilize much Sea of Consciousness power. Relying solely on the lingering physical reflexes of his ancient martial arts, he rolled sideways. Gravel dug into his back, and his wound slammed hard against the ground. The intense pain nearly made him faint. The bone spikes grazed his waist and abdomen, slicing open the outer bandage. Fresh blood instantly soaked through the cloth.
"Cough!" He coughed heavily, a mouthful of blood surging to his throat, which he forcibly swallowed back down.
Seeing this, the miner abandoned the fungal cluster. He raised his rock hammer and smashed it fiercely into the spine of the secondary scaled beast. A dull thud echoed. The beast cried out in pain, roaring as it turned its body to pounce at the miner.
In an instant, the entrance of the small rock cave turned into a battlefield. The psychic bell toll continued to batter everyone's Sea of Consciousness. Fighting against the sharp claws and fangs of the scaled beasts on one side, and battling the constantly emerging illusions in their minds on the other, this dual torment drained everyone's mental fortitude. The scout's wound bled, allowing the spores to invade faster. He frequently lost focus, having to repeatedly grip his short blade and cut his own palm, using the pain to pull himself back to reality. The female support soldier heard her sister's calls multiple times, causing her movements to lag. She relied entirely on her comrades' shouts to hold on.
Rolling to his feet, Lin Yan looked at the entangled group and knew they couldn't delay any longer. The resonance waves were relentless. The longer they dragged it out, the higher the probability of everyone collapsing. Gritting his teeth, he dodged the fighting scaled beasts and stumbled a few steps toward the dark purple core fungal cluster.
The surface of the fungal mass was slippery, constantly rising and falling with the bell toll. Countless fine spores drifted from it. Lin Yan gripped his short blade, gathering his remaining strength, and stabbed fiercely into the center of the bulging fungal mass.
Pfft—
Dark purple sap gushed out along the blade. A bizarre, piercing psychic shriek suddenly exploded, echoing throughout the entire tunnel.
The soundless bell toll abruptly ceased.
The psychic resonance enveloping everyone vanished instantly, like a popped bubble. The illusions, calls, and phantoms lingering in their Sea of Consciousness receded like the ebbing tide.
The fighters simultaneously froze. The heavy shackle pressing down on their minds had disappeared.
Deprived of the resonance's cover, the two secondary scaled beasts experienced a momentary chaos in their psychic link. Yet, their ferocity hadn't diminished; they continued to pounce and bite frantically. However, without the illusions to distract them, the humans no longer split their focus. Seizing the opportunity, the scout's short blade pierced through the base of the first scaled beast's skull. The miner dodged a bite to the side and brought his rock hammer down with full force, shattering the second scaled beast's skull.
The two secondary scaled beasts collapsed one after another amidst the fungal sap and rubble. They twitched a few times before going completely still.
The tunnel fell silent, filled only with the ragged, heavy panting of the squad.
Lin Yan still gripped the short blade lodged in the fungal cluster. Completely drained of strength, he slid down the rock wall until he sat on the ground. The bandage on his waist had completely torn open. Fresh blood flowed down his thigh, and his face was as pale as paper. The backlash from destroying the resonance node struck his already damaged Sea of Consciousness. Countless tiny black dots floated in his vision.
"The node... is destroyed," he said in a low voice, then slightly tilted his head, panting heavily.
The miner hurried over to check his injuries. Seeing the wound bleeding incessantly, his brow furrowed deeply. "The wound has torn open badly. We can't continue moving at high speed. We must rest here briefly and re-bandage it."
Deep within the cavern, the Spiderweb Ancient Being perceived the annihilation of the resonance node. Several consciousnesses rippled with fluctuations. It saw the two secondary scaled beasts die in battle, and the spore fungal cluster, cultivated with great effort, destroyed by a single blade.
It did not fly into a rage. There was only a faint, scrutinizing emotion.
He survived again, the psychic fluctuations of the Spiderweb Ancient Being slowly spread. Despite carrying old injuries in his Sea of Consciousness and his physical body being on the verge of collapse, he still seized the opportunity to break the resonance. This human's resilience exceeds all my estimates.
The supreme ruler silently looked down upon the rift, perceiving Lin Yan's life signal, which was continuously declining yet had never been extinguished.
There was only one final stretch of tunnel left before reaching the old mining supply cellar. The Spiderweb Ancient Being no longer set up elaborate psychic traps. It mobilized a batch of adult scaled beasts lurking deep within the tunnel, setting up a frontal ambush around the perimeter of the supply cellar.
No more layered probing or illusionary seduction.
What came next was a genuine, straightforward siege and slaughter.
Leaning against the cold rock wall, Lin Yan allowed the female support soldier to take out the remaining bandages. She carefully unwrapped the old, blood-soaked dressings and treated the ruptured wound anew. Waves of pain swept through his entire body. With his eyes closed, he stabilized his internal breath while listening to the faint, increasingly dense, low hisses of scaled beasts echoing from the depths of the tunnel.
He knew the traps had not yet ended. The cellar was just a short distance ahead, and in the darkness, the hunters had already assembled.
End of Chapter.
The waves were invisible and intangible, yet they struck directly at the Sea of Consciousness.
The moment the squad turned the bend, the scout at the very front suddenly halted. The hand holding the glow stone trembled slightly. His pupils dilated faintly, his gaze losing focus as a layer of bewilderment clouded his previously vigilant eyes.
"So noisy... so many people are calling me..." he murmured, his voice floating and ethereal. His grip on the short blade unconsciously loosened. "At the camp... my comrades are calling me back to the ranks. They are waiting for me to return for dinner."
The illusion had already ensnared him. It was the most stable fragment of his memory: the barracks during a frontline rest period, the campfire, the hot soup, the comrades standing shoulder to shoulder. Amplified by the resonance waves, it became incredibly real, tempting him to drop his guard and take a step toward the illusion. He turned his foot, about to walk into a patch of empty darkness against the side wall of the tunnel—the exact area where the resonance was strongest.
"Stop!"
Lin Yan let out a low shout, forcing down the dizzying vertigo churning in his own Sea of Consciousness as he rushed forward. The wound on his waist was violently pulled by his hurried steps. Tearing agony shot straight to the top of his skull. He let out a muffled groan but did not stop, reaching out to grab the scout's shoulder.
The instant his fingertips made contact, Lin Yan sent a sliver of his barely gathered Sea of Consciousness power outward. Like a fine needle, it pierced the illusory film enveloping the scout's mind.
The scout's entire body violently shuddered. His dilated pupils refocused, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back. He looked around in a daze. The vivid campfire and bustling life from a moment ago vanished in a flash, leaving only the dark tunnel, the trembling silver-gray fungal film, and Lin Yan's pale, blood-stained profile.
"Just now... I almost walked in there." The scout's Adam's apple bobbed, filled with lingering terror. "The illusion was too real. I almost thought I had returned to the barrier defense line."
"The resonance node's method is specifically designed to seize the memories a person desires most," Lin Yan said slowly as he withdrew his hand, his breathing erratic. Using his Sea of Consciousness power this time had exacted a heavy toll; the bell tolling in his mind grew even clearer. "Everyone sees something different. Some see relatives, some see a peaceful homeland. The deeper the obsession in one's heart, the easier it is to fall in. Do not stare at the fungal film on the rock walls, and do not synchronize your breathing with the rhythm of the waves."
The other three immediately adjusted their states. They instinctively held their breath, keeping their gazes fixed on the ground beneath their feet to avoid looking at the slowly undulating silver-gray film. Yet, the psychic resonance was inescapable. It did not rely on sight; it directly permeated the Sea of Consciousness.
The female support soldier's breathing gradually grew rapid. Her fingertips trembled slightly, and her short dagger nearly slipped from her grasp. Her eyes quickly reddened. She saw her long-dead sister standing among the fungal film, smiling and waving at her, calling her to come home together. Her lips moved, and her feet involuntarily took half a step forward.
"Don't go over there! It's fake!" Lin Yan called out to warn her, simultaneously splitting a thread of his consciousness to lock onto her Sea of Consciousness fluctuations. He couldn't frequently intervene to wake everyone up. Every time he guided them, it drained his already damaged Sea of Consciousness. Compounded with the pain from his wounds and the spore erosion, his vision blackened in intermittent flashes.
The female support soldier bit down hard on her lower lip. The sharp pain allowed her to barely hold onto a shred of clarity. She fiercely turned her head, squeezing her eyes shut, and leaned against the rock wall to pant heavily, no longer daring to listen to her sister's calls in her mind.
The miner's resistance was actually stronger than expected. Hailing from a mining area, he had worked for years in the dark underground environment. His temperament was steady. The resonance waves falling into his Sea of Consciousness merely manifested as bouts of muffled tinnitus, with no formed illusions. He gripped his rock hammer tightly, his gaze calmly sweeping over the dark rock caves around him: "The fungal film covers a massive area. The source of the resonance should be in the sunken rock cave ahead in the tunnel. Could there be scaled beasts hiding nearby?"
"Yes," Lin Yan nodded slowly. His Sea of Consciousness perceived two suppressed, concealed beastly psychic auras hidden in the shadows of the staggered rock niches on both sides. They had deliberately lowered their own fluctuations, merging perfectly with the bell toll of the spores. "Two secondary scaled beasts. They are waiting for us to be trapped by the illusions before making their move. They don't attack early because they are relying on the resonance to disable our minds first."
Hearing this, the military police officer at the rear immediately turned his short blade horizontally, pressing his back against the rock wall while guarding both flanks and the rear. The narrow tunnel had no room for maneuvering. If the two secondary scaled beasts pounced simultaneously, combined with the continuous psychic interference, the squad could easily collapse in an instant.
Lin Yan quickly weighed his options in his mind. Charging straight through the resonance core carried too high a risk; at least two of the five couldn't withstand prolonged illusions and would lose control one after another. Retreating on the spot was impossible, as the crevice behind them was already blocked by worms, cutting off their escape. To break the deadlock, they could only destroy the core fungal cluster of the resonance and sever the source of the psychic waves.
"Miner, follow me. The two of us will push forward to find the core fungal cluster," Lin Yan arranged in a hushed voice. "Scout, watch the left rock niche. Military police officer, hold the right side. Warn us the moment the scaled beasts show signs of pouncing. Female support soldier, suppress your own illusions and act as mobile support. Save whoever loses control first. Everyone remember, if you are entangled by an illusion, the first method to wake yourself up is pain. Bite your tongue, or grip your blade and cut your palm. Do not rely on me. My Sea of Consciousness cannot sustain waking up multiple people in succession."
Everyone silently acknowledged the orders and took their respective positions.
Lin Yan and the miner walked side by side, slowing their pace as they advanced against the waves of psychic bell tolls spreading outward. With every step closer, the heavy pressure on the Sea of Consciousness grew thicker. Lin Yan's own illusions also began to take shape. He saw his master standing among the fungal film ahead, waving at him, telling him his injuries were too severe, urging him not to force it, to let go of everything and stay in this underground abyss, so he could forever be free from the pain of slaughter. Having practiced ancient martial arts for many years, his obsession with his master ran deep. This illusion was far more realistic than those of the others.
It's fake, he repeatedly warned himself in his heart. His tongue was already bitten open, the faint taste of blood filling his mouth, continuously maintaining his clarity.
Walking beside him, the miner held his rock hammer steady, his gaze sweeping over the overlapping layers of silver-gray fungal film, discerning the density of the fungal clusters. The ordinary fungal film merely conducted the waves. The true resonance core was a thick fungal mass gathered in the deepest part of the rock cave, bulging into a hemispherical shape. Its color was deeper, a dark purple tinge within the gray. With every tremor, the bell toll throughout the entire section of the tunnel grew stronger.
"Found it. Right there in the sunken area ahead!" The miner pointed with the tip of his rock hammer from a distance.
The moment he finished speaking, a low hiss suddenly erupted from the left rock niche. Unable to hold back any longer, a secondary scaled beast used the resonance as cover. Its body streaked out at high speed along the rock wall, its fangs aiming straight for the scout, who was closest!
The scout had been on guard. The instant the scaled beast lunged, he dodged sideways, swinging his short blade horizontally to slice open the flesh on the beast's shoulder and neck. But the resonance was still ongoing. His Sea of Consciousness wavered in a daze, and his movement was half a beat too slow. The scaled beast whipped its head, and its small side claw tore a bloody gash on his upper arm.
"Careful!" Suppressing the phantom of her sister in her Sea of Consciousness, the female support soldier rushed forward to support him, thrusting her short dagger from the side toward the soft area around the scaled beast's eye.
On the other side, the second secondary scaled beast charged out simultaneously, its target aimed squarely at Lin Yan. It knew this human was the core of the squad's Sea of Consciousness power. Killing Lin Yan first would leave the rest at the mercy of the resonance. A foul-smelling gust of wind hit his face as the scaled beast thrust its bone spikes forward, aiming directly at Lin Yan's already severely wounded waist.
Lin Yan's pupils constricted. He had no time to mobilize much Sea of Consciousness power. Relying solely on the lingering physical reflexes of his ancient martial arts, he rolled sideways. Gravel dug into his back, and his wound slammed hard against the ground. The intense pain nearly made him faint. The bone spikes grazed his waist and abdomen, slicing open the outer bandage. Fresh blood instantly soaked through the cloth.
"Cough!" He coughed heavily, a mouthful of blood surging to his throat, which he forcibly swallowed back down.
Seeing this, the miner abandoned the fungal cluster. He raised his rock hammer and smashed it fiercely into the spine of the secondary scaled beast. A dull thud echoed. The beast cried out in pain, roaring as it turned its body to pounce at the miner.
In an instant, the entrance of the small rock cave turned into a battlefield. The psychic bell toll continued to batter everyone's Sea of Consciousness. Fighting against the sharp claws and fangs of the scaled beasts on one side, and battling the constantly emerging illusions in their minds on the other, this dual torment drained everyone's mental fortitude. The scout's wound bled, allowing the spores to invade faster. He frequently lost focus, having to repeatedly grip his short blade and cut his own palm, using the pain to pull himself back to reality. The female support soldier heard her sister's calls multiple times, causing her movements to lag. She relied entirely on her comrades' shouts to hold on.
Rolling to his feet, Lin Yan looked at the entangled group and knew they couldn't delay any longer. The resonance waves were relentless. The longer they dragged it out, the higher the probability of everyone collapsing. Gritting his teeth, he dodged the fighting scaled beasts and stumbled a few steps toward the dark purple core fungal cluster.
The surface of the fungal mass was slippery, constantly rising and falling with the bell toll. Countless fine spores drifted from it. Lin Yan gripped his short blade, gathering his remaining strength, and stabbed fiercely into the center of the bulging fungal mass.
Pfft—
Dark purple sap gushed out along the blade. A bizarre, piercing psychic shriek suddenly exploded, echoing throughout the entire tunnel.
The soundless bell toll abruptly ceased.
The psychic resonance enveloping everyone vanished instantly, like a popped bubble. The illusions, calls, and phantoms lingering in their Sea of Consciousness receded like the ebbing tide.
The fighters simultaneously froze. The heavy shackle pressing down on their minds had disappeared.
Deprived of the resonance's cover, the two secondary scaled beasts experienced a momentary chaos in their psychic link. Yet, their ferocity hadn't diminished; they continued to pounce and bite frantically. However, without the illusions to distract them, the humans no longer split their focus. Seizing the opportunity, the scout's short blade pierced through the base of the first scaled beast's skull. The miner dodged a bite to the side and brought his rock hammer down with full force, shattering the second scaled beast's skull.
The two secondary scaled beasts collapsed one after another amidst the fungal sap and rubble. They twitched a few times before going completely still.
The tunnel fell silent, filled only with the ragged, heavy panting of the squad.
Lin Yan still gripped the short blade lodged in the fungal cluster. Completely drained of strength, he slid down the rock wall until he sat on the ground. The bandage on his waist had completely torn open. Fresh blood flowed down his thigh, and his face was as pale as paper. The backlash from destroying the resonance node struck his already damaged Sea of Consciousness. Countless tiny black dots floated in his vision.
"The node... is destroyed," he said in a low voice, then slightly tilted his head, panting heavily.
The miner hurried over to check his injuries. Seeing the wound bleeding incessantly, his brow furrowed deeply. "The wound has torn open badly. We can't continue moving at high speed. We must rest here briefly and re-bandage it."
Deep within the cavern, the Spiderweb Ancient Being perceived the annihilation of the resonance node. Several consciousnesses rippled with fluctuations. It saw the two secondary scaled beasts die in battle, and the spore fungal cluster, cultivated with great effort, destroyed by a single blade.
It did not fly into a rage. There was only a faint, scrutinizing emotion.
He survived again, the psychic fluctuations of the Spiderweb Ancient Being slowly spread. Despite carrying old injuries in his Sea of Consciousness and his physical body being on the verge of collapse, he still seized the opportunity to break the resonance. This human's resilience exceeds all my estimates.
The supreme ruler silently looked down upon the rift, perceiving Lin Yan's life signal, which was continuously declining yet had never been extinguished.
There was only one final stretch of tunnel left before reaching the old mining supply cellar. The Spiderweb Ancient Being no longer set up elaborate psychic traps. It mobilized a batch of adult scaled beasts lurking deep within the tunnel, setting up a frontal ambush around the perimeter of the supply cellar.
No more layered probing or illusionary seduction.
What came next was a genuine, straightforward siege and slaughter.
Leaning against the cold rock wall, Lin Yan allowed the female support soldier to take out the remaining bandages. She carefully unwrapped the old, blood-soaked dressings and treated the ruptured wound anew. Waves of pain swept through his entire body. With his eyes closed, he stabilized his internal breath while listening to the faint, increasingly dense, low hisses of scaled beasts echoing from the depths of the tunnel.
He knew the traps had not yet ended. The cellar was just a short distance ahead, and in the darkness, the hunters had already assembled.
End of Chapter.