The silence was even worse than before.
The icy, deadly "nothingness" emanating from the depths of the ruins was like a cold breath from the universe, fleeting and vanishing, yet leaving a frostbite deep within the minds of all the survivors. The air seemed to solidify into lead, weighing heavily on the chest, and every breath felt like ice scraping against the lungs.
Xu Shuangyao collapsed behind the cold metal plate, his teeth chattering uncontrollably, his body trembling violently from the bone-deep chill and mental shock. The plant network's final warning echoed through his mind like a wake-up call: [Deep space... Whispers... Awakening... Fragments... Covenant... Must... Find... Before... He... Completely... Loses... Control...]
Deep space whispers! A greater shadow has descended! And Pei Du... She struggled to raise her head, peering through the gap into the center of the devastated battlefield.
Pei Du's massive form embedded itself deeply in the spiderweb-cracked wall, sending rubble cascading down. He gasped violently, each inhale a rumbling sound like a bellows, and exhaled a scorching breath reeking of sulfur. His dark golden pupils shone dimly, seething with pain, violence, and a hint of a deeper, instinctive fear and uncertainty, touched by the vibrations of "nothingness." Beneath his dark gray skin, the glow of the lava veins and pale mycelium dimmed considerably. The conflict seemed to have subsided temporarily, despite the heavy damage, but it felt more like the silence before the storm. Around the edge of the deep wound on his left arm, where the bone was visible, pale mycelium frantically squirmed and intertwined at a visible speed, attempting to repair the lava-crystallized wound. The process, accompanied by subtle sparks of energy and the sizzling sound of flesh being forcibly pulled, was painful and contorted.
He struggled, his massive bony claws digging into the cracks in the wall, trying to pull himself free. Every effort was accompanied by a painful groan and uncontrolled twitching of his body, as if this forcibly cobbled-together shell would fall apart at any moment. The wound left by the sentry's fatal blow, grazed his temple. Dark red blood mixed with broken thorn fragments and slowly flowed along the twisted half of his face, adding to his hideous appearance.
He was like a severely injured beast trapped in a trap. His strength was still terrifying, but the madness of destroying everything seemed to be temporarily suppressed by the recent incident and his own injuries, leaving only the instinct to gasp in pain.
Xu Shuangyao's heart clenched. This was her chance! Her only chance! The plant network was using its last remaining strength to keep her alive, guiding her to the fragments of the Ancient Covenant. This might be the only hope to prevent Pei Du from losing control, or even to fight against the awakened Whisper of Deep Space! She had to leave before he regained his mobility! She had to reach the core annihilation point!
The will to survive, the longing for a faint hope, overwhelmed her body. She took a deep breath, ignoring the ripping pain in her lungs. With all her remaining strength, she dug her hands into the coarse ash and metal debris on the ground. She dragged her legs, which felt like they were filled with lead, away from Peidu, deeper into the ruins. Each movement was accompanied by a groan of bone scraping against each other and a sharp pain from the wounds. Sweat mixed with blood, leaving intermittent dark red trails on the cold ashes.
Her movements were extremely slow, like a dying snail. She crawled out of the metal plate's cover, exposed to the relatively empty ruins. The cold air, mixed with the strong smell of burnt and blood, filled her nostrils. She didn't dare look back, but she could clearly sense the painful gasping figure behind her, embedded in the wall. Its heavy breathing seemed... to pause for a moment?
A cold, scrutinizing mental scan, like an invisible probe, swept across her back again!
Xu Shuangyao froze, her blood practically freezing! She'd been discovered!
She turned around abruptly, only to be met with Pei Du's dark golden pupils! His head had risen slightly from the recess in the wall, his pupils fixed fixedly on her struggling figure! Violence and pain still dominated his gaze, but the fleeting moment of bewilderment had vanished, replaced by a... cold, primal possessive gaze... like a dragon gazing at a thief attempting to escape its treasure trove!
"Ugh..." A deep, threatening roar escaped his throat. He struggled even more violently, his massive bone claws exerting immense force, forcing a massive, glassy condensate-covered fragment of the wall off him!
Run! You must run!
Fear turned into his last strength, and Xu Shuangyao rushed forward desperately!
Boom!
Behind her, there was a loud bang as the wall completely collapsed! Then, there was the sound of heavy, slimy footsteps, stepping on ashes and rubble, chasing her...
Every step was like a hammer hitting Xu Shuangyao's nerves, which were on the verge of collapse! Despair surged up again like an icy tide! In her current state, how could she possibly escape?!
At this critical moment——
"Buzz—buzz—buzz—"
A low, rhythmic vibration, like some giant engine warming up, suddenly erupted from above the ruins, beyond the hole in the dome! Then, like a sharp sword, a blinding white light pierced through the dense dust cloud, instantly illuminating the dim ruins!
Several massive, icy beams of light descended from the sky, sweeping across the battlefield below with the precision of searchlights! Countless tiny particles of dust danced wildly within the beams. At their edges, the faint outline of a massive, streamlined form covered in heavy armor could be seen—the underside of some massive aircraft!
"Warning! High-energy reaction and unknown deformers below! Implement regional suppression protocol!" A loud, emotionless electronic broadcast voice came from above, echoing throughout the ruins!
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