The faint glimmer of green in her chest, like a drowning man's final straw, forcibly dragged Xu Shuangyao back from the brink of collapse. The life energy transmitted by the plant network (Gaia's spirit) was as thin as mist, but it precisely sustained the final beat of her heart, dispelling some of the coldness of death. The excruciating pain still gnawed at her, but at least her mind was no longer a chaotic darkness.

"He... has not lost... the core... the conflict... the key..."

The final fragments of the plant network's information echoed in his mind. Pei Du! The monster who had unleashed a bloody storm on the upper levels of the ruins, locked in a desperate struggle with the mysterious "Sentinel"... Deep within his consciousness, was there still a flicker of struggle? This faint hope, like a needle, pierced Xu Shuangyao's heavy despair.

She leaned against the cold, glassy wall, panting heavily, each breath carrying a piercing pain and a thick cloud of burnt dust. The roar of battle above her was like muffled thunder, and every violent explosion or energy collision sent dust and rubble raining down from the ruins above, as if this massive tomb would collapse completely at any moment, burying everything.

The Sentinel's cold electronic synthesizer voice was still ringing in his ears: "High-threat aberration... Codename: 'Ashe Lord'... Execute liquidation protocol: Highest priority."

Lord of Ashes... a cold and appropriate code name, which shows Pei Du's image in the eyes of others at this moment - the walking lord of disaster born from the ashes of destruction.

She had to do something! She couldn't just curl up in the depths of the ruins and wait for death, nor could she watch Pei Du completely sink into his uncontrolled rage, or be hunted down by that terrifying "Sentinel"!

What was the "key" mentioned by the plant network? Where were the fragments of the "ancient covenant"? This information was like a beacon in the fog, far and away. The most urgent task was to approach the battlefield, at least to confirm Pei Du's condition with our own eyes!

Xu Shuangyao clenched her teeth, her mouth thick with the taste of blood. She tried to move, but the excruciating pain blinded her vision, and cold sweat instantly soaked her tattered combat uniform. The vitality sustained by the plant network was barely enough to keep her alive, far from enough to sustain free movement. She raised a trembling hand, wiping away the blood and dirt that coated her eyes, her gaze scanning the ruins strewn with ash, twisted metal, and a strange, cooled substance.

A relatively narrow gap, squeezed by a massive fractured structure, snaked upward, seemingly avoiding the most dangerous collapse area and leading to the source of the battle. This was the only path.

Climb! Climb like a dying worm!

The will to live and the lingering connection to Pei Du overwhelmed her body. Xu Shuangyao took a deep breath, her lungs scraping like a scalding knife. She no longer hesitated, propping up her broken body on her elbows and knees. Slowly, bit by bit, dragging herself through the pain, she crawled towards the crevice. Ashes and sharp debris rubbed against her wounds, and each movement left a dark red trail, like a desperate bloody path stretching through the dead silence. Her pace was heartbreakingly slow, and every explosion above seemed to mock her insignificant struggle.

On the upper level of the ruins, there is a battlefield with a broken corridor bridge.

This is no longer a battlefield, but the embodiment of purgatory.

The bridge structure, once barely holding together, completely disintegrated under the violent energy shock, transforming into countless burning and cooling metal fragments that poured onto the deeper ruins below like a massive garbage dump. Smoke and dust mixed with the fluorescent pus sprayed by the exploding fungus beasts and the stench of steaming human blood, forming a choking, toxic mist.

Pei Du—the Lord of Ashes—stood atop the ruins like an enraged ancient titan. His dark golden pupils burned with pure tyranny, and every breath exhaled a scorching breath of sulfur and blood. Beneath his dark gray skin, lava-like crimson veins and pale mycelial veins clashed and tore at each other like two uncontrolled dragons. Every clash unleashed arcs of unstable energy from his body, leaving charred marks on the surrounding metal debris.

"call out--!"

A condensed blue beam of light shot out from the shadow of a giant slanted pipe like a poisonous snake, with an extremely tricky angle, pointing directly at the connection of Pei Du's spine, which was slightly stiff due to alienation!

Pei Du didn't even look back! He swung his massive bony claws, covered in a thick layer of black cuticle, backwards! A violent burst of dark red energy erupted like a physical shockwave!

boom!

The blue beam was shattered and annihilated by this torrent of pure power just meters away from his body! The scattered energy particles flew around like blue fireflies. The shockwave's force was still undiminished, and it crashed fiercely into the giant pipe!

Boom!!!!

A dull, heart-pounding roar! The pipes dented, twisted, and torn apart like a tin can struck by a giant hammer! Chunks of rusted metal and the condensed fungal mat within blasted away like cannonballs!

In the shadows of the pipes, the sentry's figure flashed out like a ghost, a fraction of a second ahead of time, narrowly avoiding the devastating blow. His (or her) streamlined matte black armor was etched with traces of energy aftershocks, shimmering with tiny sparks. The compound eye helmet turned toward Pei Du, its calm blue light unwavering.

"The target's energy response continues to rise abnormally. Physical defense field strength is A+, energy resistance is S-, and mental pollution index... cannot be analyzed, exceeding the database threshold. Threat level reassessed: 'City Destruction Level'." A cold electronic voice quickly announced from behind the mask. "Elimination protocol upgraded: Activate the 'Net' tactical unit to restrict its range of action and concentrate firepower on the energy conflict node."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!