The cold plant shells echoed dully beneath my feet, and each step felt an unsettling springiness, as if treading upon the hide of some immense living creature. In the gloomy green, only a single path, emanating a steady green light from the wood grain of a massive "Ironwood Guardian," served as a single beacon of light, guiding the way. All around me lay a silent, ever-squirming maze of walls composed of countless giant, animated plant roots, vines, and leaves. A silent "watch" permeated every corner and vein of every leaf like a tangible tide. The air was filled with the cool scent of ash and the faint tang of ozone, insulating me from the stench and clamor of the fungal ruins outside but bringing with it a different kind of oppression that penetrated deep into my bones.
Pei Du, carrying Xu Shuangyao on his back, followed a path guided by green light, silently advancing through a corridor of giant plants. His body felt like an overloaded machine on the verge of collapse. Every breath tugged at the dark red "asphalt" tissue covering the fractured right shoulder, bringing a constant tingling, itching, and burning pain like millions of red-hot steel needles churning through his marrow. Dark red lines of change coiled across his chest and neck, pulsing with ever-clearer force, each pulse accompanied by the hollowness of a life force being sapped away. Xu Shuangyao's weight on his back was feather-light, her breathing weak and rapid. Her crown of thorns tilted, dim and luminous, as if it would extinguish completely at any moment. The tenuously restored symbiotic connection was like a candle in the wind, intermittent, each connection bringing a pricking pain and a flurry of chaotic information: the cold touch of plant roots, the vague signals transmitted by spores, and the tainted and twisted fragments of memories deep within Xu Shuangyao's mind that did not belong to her.
The plant network adhered to the fragile agreement and refrained from attacking. The path of green light avoided areas spewing poisonous spore mists, dark corners harbouring deadly carnivorous plants, and traps studded with sharp silicon spikes. However, this temporary "safety" offered no respite. Pei Du's nerves, like a bowstring stretched to the limit, were strained, alert to any movement deep within the Green Realm, and also wary of the ferocious roar of the Wild Fang leader and the humming of the Fungal Skeleton Army's weapons charging from the Green Realm's edge, muffled by the plant barrier but still clear. The pursuit never ceased, merely temporarily blocked from this icy plant kingdom.
“Rustle…rustle…rustle…”
A subtle sound came from behind the archway formed by the giant leaves ahead. Pei Du stopped abruptly, his remaining left hand clenched into a fist, his muscles instantly tense. The path of the green light became blurred here, as if it needed to bypass the natural barrier ahead, formed by countless thick vines, like a waterfall.
Just then!
"Puff! Puff! Puff!"
Several teeth-grinding tearing sounds suddenly erupted from the relatively weak plant barrier they had just passed through! Immediately following, several shrill, inhuman howls followed!
Pei Du's pupils suddenly contracted! He turned around abruptly!
The vine barrier, covered in thick moss and siliceous scales, was forcibly torn open with several huge holes! A sticky, blood-like green liquid gushed out from the torn vines! Several figures tumbled in from the gaps!
They were the desperate outlaws of the Fangs of the Wild! But their condition was even more terrifying than before! They had clearly paid a heavy price to break through the plant network's barrier! Two of them fell to the ground, their bodies immediately pierced by the "thorn ferns" that suddenly pierced the ground, flashing with a cold green light. They let out a short, miserable howl before falling silent! Within seconds, their bodies were quickly covered and devoured by the dark green mycelium, becoming nutrients that activated the plant roots! The plant network's revenge was cold and efficient!
But the remaining few, especially the one who broke through the biggest gap and rushed in like a battering ram, temporarily avoided the plant trap!
The bald, scarred leader of the Wild Fang!
His current form could only be described as a "monster"! Nearly four meters tall, his entire body was covered in thick, dark green fungal armor that had completely merged with his skin, giving it a texture reminiscent of an old tree root, riddled with deep grooves! His single, crimson eye was bloodshot, revealing only pure, hysterical madness and a lust for power! One of his arms had completely transformed into a massive, twisted, hideous "bone hammer" entwined with sticky mycelium and sharp bone spurs! The other arm had grown to the size of a battering ram, ending in several sharp claws that gleamed with a cold metallic light! The moment he charged in, his immense weight caused the plant shells beneath his feet to groan under the weight!
"Crown—!!!" The leader let out a deafening roar, like the grinding of metal. His crimson eye instantly locked onto the dim fusion crown atop Pei Du's head! A consuming desire, emanating from the Master's will, mixed with his own remaining mad obsession, instantly ignited his consciousness! He completely ignored the cold gazes of the surrounding plants, and the tragic deaths of his companions. His eyes remained fixed on the crown, a symbol of power and throne!
“Roar!!!!!” He rushed towards Pei Du like a war beast out of control, brandishing his massive mycelium-bone warhammer. With a sharp sound that tore through the air and a strong, fishy wind, he rushed! His speed and terrifying power far surpassed his previous speed! His few remaining subordinates, who had also been deeply mycelialized, also let out bestial howls, brandishing their mutated limbs and crude weapons, fearlessly flanking him from both sides! This was a final, desperate, suicidal assault! There was only one goal: to seize the Twin Crowns!
There is no escape! There is no retreat!
"Get down!" Pei Du roared at Xu Shuangyao like a beast while connected to his consciousness! At the same time, he suddenly threw Xu Shuangyao from his back to a relatively concave area nearby, surrounded by huge roots! His movements were rough, but with a hint of protective instinct!
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