61. Sacrifice

The maintenance passage was even narrower and more difficult to navigate than indicated on the map. The rusted metal steps groaned underfoot, and cold condensation dripped continuously from overhead, echoing monotonously yet distinctly in the claustrophobic space. The air was filled with the heavy smell of rust, the fishy odor of wet earth, and an indescribable, stale scent from deep underground.

Ling Ye carried Su Lin on his back, walking in the center of the group. Each step he took was remarkably steady, minimizing any bumps. Su Lin lay hunched over his back, mostly dozing, only occasionally stirring restlessly and uttering soft mutterings when there was a noise from above or when the group suddenly stopped. Ling Ye could feel his gentle breath brushing against the back of his neck, a touch of warmth the only comfort in the cold darkness. He adjusted the straps to make Su Lin more comfortable, his movements so gentle that they seemed a stark contrast to his usual decisive and murderous image.

Lei Qing walked in front, his powerful flashlight piercing the darkness as he carefully examined the map and the path ahead. His figure was tall and resolute, like the prow of a ship splitting the darkness. Mu Lin followed closely behind, a soft, faintly chilling ball of light condensed in his hand, providing illumination while also vigilantly sensing changes in the environment.

"Watch your step," Lei Qing's deep voice echoed through the passage. "The third step on the left is badly rusted, avoid it."

"Got it." Mu Lin responded, and at the same time raised the ball of light to illuminate the dangerous area, and turned back to signal Xingchen and A Yan behind him.

Xingchen walked behind Ling Ye, his face pale but his mind focused. His invisible mental energy spread out like the finest spider web, sensing the structure of the passage, potential threats, and most importantly—finding the exit to the underground river.

"About fifty meters ahead, there's a hollow echo behind the right wall," Xingchen closed his eyes, using his mental feedback to construct an image. "The sound of flowing water is much clearer... This should be the place. But..." He frowned slightly, "The energy field near the exit is disturbed, as if there's been some activity."

A Yan walked at the end of the group, silent as a rock, his golden pupils constantly scanning the rear. Bai Yan walked behind Xingchen, his handsome face radiating his usual calmness, his medicine box strapped tightly to his back. He observed his surroundings sharply, paying particular attention to the unconscious Su Lin carried by Ling Ye.

"Speed ​​up and stay alert." Lei Qing ordered, quickening his pace slightly.

Finally, at the end of the passage, a cave entrance, half-hidden by collapsed masonry and twisted pipes, appeared. Cold steam and the faint sound of flowing water could be heard from deep within the cave entrance.

Lei Qing took the lead in clearing the obstacles and ducked in to investigate. A moment later, a voice rang out, "It's safe, you can come in. Be careful of the drop."

Everyone filed in one after another. After passing through the cave entrance, the view suddenly opened up, but was shrouded in immense darkness.

They were in a vast underground cavern, its ceiling soaring into darkness. A broad, dark green underground river rushed through, its rapid waters roaring against the rocks. The riverbanks were lined with uneven, rocky beaches covered with slippery moss and luminescent fungi, providing a faint illumination. The air was cold and damp.

"This is the underground river on the map..." Mu Lin looked at the rushing water, the light ball in his hand dispelling the small patch of darkness, "The water flows very fast."

"Go downstream along the riverbank," Lei Qing unfolded the map. "The abandoned hydroelectric power station is about five kilometers downstream." He looked at Xingchen, "Focus on sensing the river surface and the riverbank."

Xingchen walked to the river, closed his eyes, and probed his spiritual power into the water. After a moment, he suddenly opened his eyes, his expression slightly changed. "There are things in the river... There are quite a few of them, and their energy reactions are chaotic and aggressive... They've been alarmed and are gathering!"

Before he finished speaking, the dark green river surface suddenly surged, and dozens of slender, pale white tentacles with suction cups broke out of the water and shot towards him like poisonous snakes!

"Swarm of mutant leeches! Retreat!" Lei Qing shouted, swinging his saber to sever the first tentacle that attacked. The severed tentacle twisted on the ground, oozing dark green mucus with a pungent, fishy stench.

Mu Lin reacted extremely quickly, pushing his hands forward and releasing a burst of freezing air, forming an arc-shaped ice wall in front of everyone to block the attack. However, the ice wall quickly cracked under the impact of more tentacles.

"There are too many of them! The ice wall won't last long!" Mu Lin gritted his teeth, his face turning pale.

Ling Ye shielded Su Lin behind the boulder behind him, his bayonet flashing, severing any tentacles that tried to circumvent the ice wall. Su Lin, startled awake, leaned against the rock, gasping for breath, a trace of fear on his pale face. Seeing Ling Ye's back, he forced himself to calm down.

A Yan roared, gathering a fiery flame in his hand and throwing it towards the river. The flames exploded, steam rising from the air. Several nearby leeches were burned and curled up and screamed, but more leeches followed.

"We can't linger in this fight!" Lei Qing observed as he brandished his sword. "Move upstream along the riverbank! Find a narrow passage!"

"The rock structure upstream is complex and may be easier to defend!" Stardust said hurriedly.

"Let's go!" Lei Qing made a prompt decision.

The team fought and retreated, moving upstream along the rugged riverbank. Mu Lin maintained the ice wall while fighting and retreating, while A Yan and Ling Ye cleared the tentacles from the rear on both sides. Lei Qing provided support, Xingchen sensed the path, and Bai Yan followed closely behind the team, occasionally firing silver needles precisely at the weak joints of the tentacles. While not fatal, they effectively hindered their movement.

However, the mutated leeches were endless, using the current as cover to attack. To make matters worse, a huge, python-like black shadow began to emerge from beneath the water, emitting a dangerous aura.

"If this goes on, I'll be exhausted to death!" A Yan gasped, and the flames consumed a huge amount.

Stardust suddenly pointed to the sunken rock wall near the riverbank in the front left. "Over there! There's a cave behind the rock wall! The entrance is small, easy to defend but difficult to attack!"

Lei Qing looked over and saw a black hole hidden beneath the vines and moss. "Move to the cave! Mu Lin, cover!"

Mu Lin concentrated his energy and pushed the ice wall forward several meters, forcing back the leeches in front. The team took the opportunity to rush towards the cave.

The cave entrance was narrow. Lei Qing rushed in first to confirm it was safe, signaling everyone to enter. Ling Ye followed closely behind, carrying Su Lin on his back. Mu Lin, Xingchen, and Bai Yan quickly retreated.

A Yan entered last, turning around and releasing a wall of fire to block the pursuers. Everyone worked together to block most of the cave entrance with rocks from inside, leaving only a gap for observation.

Safe for now.

The cave was dark, with only the sounds of breathing and crashing outside. Mu Lin condensed a ball of light to illuminate the cave. The cave wasn't large, but it was large enough for him to live in, and the ground was relatively dry.

Ling Ye carefully set Su Lin down, letting him sit against the cave wall. Su Lin, frightened by the frantic battle, was breathing rapidly, sweat on his forehead, and his body was shaking slightly. Ling Ye squatted down and touched his forehead, which was ice-cold to the touch.

"It's okay. You're safe for now," Ling Ye said in a low, soothing voice. He offered him water and wiped his sweat. Su Lin nodded, trying to calm his breathing. His pale face and trembling lips betrayed his shock. He instinctively grasped Ling Ye's arm for a sense of security. Ling Ye let him hold onto it, patting his back gently.

Lei Qing checked the sealed cave entrance, his brow furrowed. "No one from outside can get in right now, but we're trapped too." He looked at Xingchen. "When will they retreat?"

Stardust leaned against the cave wall, shaking his head wearily. "I'm moving erratically, driven by instinct... I won't give up easily. A larger energy body has been attracted downstream..."

Everyone's heart sank. They were trapped in a desperate situation, blocked in front and chased from behind.

Mu Lin walked to Su Lin and squatted down beside him, asking with concern: "Su Lin, how are you? Are you feeling unwell?" Looking at his pale face, his eyes were full of worry.

Su Lin shook his head weakly: "It's okay... I'm just tired." He leaned on Ling Ye, as if he didn't even have the strength to sit up straight.

Ling Ye helped him sit comfortably and looked at Lei Qing: "We must leave as soon as possible. Su Lin can't hold on any longer."

Lei Qing nodded, his gaze returning to the map, pointing to the upper reaches of the river. "The terrain upstream is complex, but perhaps we can find a way out or a better defensive point." He looked at Xingchen, "Recover your mental strength and focus on exploring the upper reaches to find a path or a turning point."

Xingchen followed his instructions, sat down, and closed his eyes, concentrating. Mulin took high-energy food and water from Su Lin's space and distributed them to replenish his energy. Ayan stood guard at the cave entrance. Bai Yan walked over to Su Lin and whispered, "Su Lin, let me check you again to make sure you have no internal injuries." He placed his finger on Su Lin's wrist, his expression focused.

At this moment, the crashing noises outside the cave suddenly intensified! The rocks blocking the entrance loosened under the violent impact, and a huge rock rolled down, revealing a larger gap! Several thick tentacles instantly penetrated, attacking A Yan, who was closest to the entrance, and Bai Yan, who was examining Su Lin!

"Be careful!" Lei Qing shouted and slashed at the tentacles with his saber.

A Yan roared and flames erupted, forcing some of the tentacles back. But an especially thick tentacle lashed out like a whip towards Bai Yan, who was facing away from the cave entrance and concentrating on examining Su Lin!

"Bai Yan!" Mu Lin exclaimed, but the ice cone shot out a moment later.

Seeing that the tentacle was about to hit Bai Yan's back, in a flash, Bai Yan suddenly pushed Su Lin in front of him into Ling Ye's arms, but he staggered backwards due to the reaction force and was completely exposed to the tentacle's attack range!

“Puff—”

A muffled sound.

The sharp bone spurs at the tip of the tentacle penetrated Bai Yan's chest unhindered, entering from the back and coming out from the front, bringing out a puff of warm blood.

Time seemed to stand still.

Bai Yan's body stiffened. He looked down at the bone spur protruding from his chest, dripping with mucus and blood. A flicker of astonishment crossed his handsome face, then faded into a strange calm. He turned with difficulty to look at Su Lin, whose eyes were wide with fear, held tightly in Ling Ye's arms. He tried to force a soothing smile, but only a stream of blood flowed out.

"Su...Lin..." His voice was so weak that it was almost inaudible, "...I'm...okay...I'm...okay..."

Before he could finish his words, the tentacles suddenly retracted, causing Bai Yan's body to fall forward.

"Bai Yan!!!" Su Lin cried heart-wrenchingly and struggled to rush over, but was held tightly by Ling Ye.

“No——!” Mu Lin’s eyes were bloodshot, and his ice-blue eyes were instantly filled with bloodshot.

A Yan roared wildly, and the flames swept towards the cave entrance like an angry dragon, burning the withdrawing tentacle and several leeches behind it to ashes! Lei Qing's face turned ashen, and he almost crushed the saber in his hand. He took a step forward to block the cave entrance and cut off any tentacles that tried to enter again.

Xingchen's mental power fluctuated violently. He sensed that Bai Yan's vitality was rapidly fading. The clear, warm, peaceful energy belonging to a doctor was rapidly dimming and dissipating... He closed his eyes in pain, his body trembling slightly.

Mu Lin rushed to Bai Yan's side and knelt on the ground, pressing his trembling hands against the massive wound on his chest. Icy blue energy surged frantically, attempting to freeze the wound and slow the blood loss. But the wound was too large, penetrating his internal organs, and the blood flowed unstoppable, quickly staining his hands and the ground beneath him red.

"Bai Yan! Hold on! Look at me!" Mu Lin's voice was filled with unprecedented panic and despair. He tried to input healing energy, but found that it was like a drop in the ocean.

Bai Yan was lying on the ground, dying, his eyes starting to blur. He tried to focus, looking at Mu Lin, then at Su Lin who was being held by Ling Ye and struggling with tears streaming down his face, and finally at Lei Qing and A Yan who were struggling to resist at the entrance of the cave, and Xingchen who had his eyes closed in pain.

"...take...good...care...of...them..." He used up his last bit of strength to utter broken syllables, especially the look he gave Su Lin, which was filled with lingering reluctance and deep attachment, "...especially...Su..."

His words stopped abruptly. He tilted his head, and the last glimmer in his eyes faded completely. Those eyes, always cold and focused, now stared blankly at the endless darkness at the top of the cave.

Mu Lin's hand, which was pressing on his wound, slipped away powerlessly. His whole body seemed to be drained of strength. He sat in a pool of blood, his ice-blue eyes losing all their luster, leaving only great sorrow and confusion.

The cave was dead silent, with only Su Lin's suppressed, desperate sobs, the tireless pounding of leeches outside the cave, and the roar of the river intertwined to play a tragic elegy.

Bai Yan is dead.

In order to push Su Lin away, he used his body to block the fatal blow.

This silent, cold and skilled medical companion remained forever in this dark and cold underground world.

Lei Qing slammed his fist into the cave wall, shattering the rock. The back of his hand bled, yet he seemed to feel no pain. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging grief and anger, his voice hoarse and heavy:

"Seal the entrance to the cave! We can't let Bai Yan... die in vain!"

A Yan growled like a wounded beast and sealed the gap with bigger stones. Flames burned in his eyes, showing both anger and unspeakable pain.

Xingchen opened his eyes, bloodshot and tearful. He walked over to Bai Yan's body, took off his coat, and gently covered the lifeless, handsome face with it. His mental power could sense the emptiness after death, a feeling that nearly suffocated him.

Ling Ye held Su Lin tightly in his arms as he collapsed and sobbed. The young man's frail body trembled violently with overwhelming grief and shock. A terrifying storm surged in Ling Ye's icy blue eyes: grief, anger, and bloodthirsty murderous intent. But in the end, all these emotions merged into a deeper, rock-hard will to protect him. He lowered his head and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, swore an oath in Su Lin's ear:

"I will live and protect you. And his share as well."

Su Lin's crying gradually became weaker, turning into silent tears and exhaustion-like trembling. He tightly grasped Ling Ye's clothes, as if it was the only driftwood.

The loss of a crucial companion weighed heavily on the air. However, the danger wasn't far away. The threat outside the cave persisted, and a larger energy body downstream was approaching. They had to find a way out quickly, otherwise Bai Yan's sacrifice would be meaningless.

Stardust endured the stinging pain in his mind and the grief in his heart, closed his eyes again, and extended all his mental power upstream to explore...