Chapter 35
The darkness was like sticky ink, enveloping the D City team as they struggled forward.
The air was filled with a strong smell of blood and ozone from an energy overload, as well as a fatigue and despair that penetrated deep into the bones.
The team that originally had nearly twenty people now has less than ten people left, all of whom are injured. The light of the energy shield is like a candle in the wind, swaying in the thick darkness.
The captain, the stern woman with a scar at the corner of her eye, was as pale as paper, her left arm hanging limply, obviously having suffered a serious injury.
"Captain...I'm running out of energy..."
A young team member's voice trembled, and his hand holding the energy gun shook violently.
"Shut up! Save your energy! Stay alert!"
The woman shouted sharply, her voice barely concealed, hoarse and weak. She glanced warily at the bottomless passage ahead, as deep as a giant beast's throat. Every unknown rustling made everyone's heart leap into their throats.
They were lost, trapped deep in the corridors, their supplies exhausted, and they were heavily wounded. It seemed as if they would be swallowed up by the endless darkness at any moment.
At this suffocating moment of despair, two figures supporting each other suddenly staggered out from the darkness ahead.
"team leader……"
Lu Cheng's hoarse voice was like the sound of nature, instantly igniting the almost extinguished fire of hope in everyone's eyes.
"Mr. Lu!"
"It's Master Lu! He's still alive!"
"Next to him is... Lin Yao?!"
Exclamations rang out one after another, and when the team members saw the silver-haired, blue-eyed, pale-faced but intact young man next to Lu Cheng, they were shocked beyond words.
Lin Yao, who disappeared in City D and was reportedly swept up in the E-427 energy turbulence, is actually here? And he looks... unharmed?!
"Lu Cheng! Lin Yao! You..."
The captain's eyes also flashed with disbelief, and then he was overwhelmed by huge surprise, and even his voice trembled.
"Captain, I was ambushed. It was a joint attack by people from City B and City A."
Lu Cheng quickly protected Lin Yao behind him and told the truth at a very fast speed, emphasizing the targeted ambush set against him by City B and City A, and how Lin Yao accidentally encountered him when he was dying and saved him in his heartbreak.
"This bunch of bastards!"
After hearing this, the captain's eyes burned with rage. He punched the cavity wall next to him hard, causing the wound to hurt and making her groan, but his rage only intensified.
"When resources are scarce, they resort to such despicable means. Don't worry, Lu Cheng, as long as I'm alive, I will definitely get you out. Lin Yao..." She looked at Lin Yao, her eyes full of gratitude, "Thank you for saving Lu Cheng."
Lin Yao just hid timidly behind Lu Cheng and nodded slightly. His face was still pale and he looked frightened, which perfectly fits the character of an F-level weakling who survived an A-level copy by chance.
At this moment, Lin Yao's body trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly, like a small animal disturbed by something.
He subconsciously grasped the corner of Lu Cheng's clothes, his voice trembling with uncertainty: "Ah... Ah Cheng, there seems to be... something very warm... but very dangerous... in the front... deep in the passage on the right... and the mood... is very violent..."
Warm? Dangerous? Right?
The captain and his team members were stunned. In this maze filled with chaos and tyranny, the feeling of warmth itself was extremely strange.
Lu Cheng believed Lin Yao's words without a doubt.
"Yaoyao's intuition is very accurate. What he said is very warm. Maybe it is some kind of precious material. It is very aggressive. It may be a polluting beast guarding the material. Instead of running around here and waiting to die, it is better to go over and try your luck."
"Captain, what do you think?"
There was a gleam of determination in his eyes, and several bandaged wounds on his body were still bleeding faintly, but his aura was re-gathered.
The captain hesitated for a mere second. In this desperate situation, no opportunity could be missed.
"Alright, stay alert, Lu Cheng, you're not in good condition, protect Lin Yao. Everyone else, follow me and explore the way ahead."
She held on to her injured body and led the way cautiously towards the right passage pointed out by Lin Yao.
The passageway widened, and the air became hotter and thicker. Soon, a vast, natural cave-like space appeared before everyone.
In the center of the space flowed a river of lava, emitting a blazing red glow. In the center of the river, on a massive, isolated black rock, atop a single island, grew a strange, crimson vine that resembled a burning flame.
At the top of the vine, there are three fist-sized fruits, as clear as rubies, exuding a majestic breath of life.
"Life Fire Vine Fruit!"
The captain gasped, his eyes gleaming with ecstasy. This kind of top-tier healing item, capable of almost bringing the dead back to life, was incredibly rare.
However, the ecstasy was instantly replaced by a biting chill.
"roar--!!!"
A deafening roar erupted from the lava river. Along with the surging lava like a raging wave, a massive creature suddenly raised its head from the boiling magma.
It resembles a giant lizard, its body covered with dark red, thick scales with flowing lava lines. It is over ten meters long, and on its huge head, two wheel-like eyes burn with golden flames, locking onto the intruder.
The terrifying pressure of the peak S-level was like a real mountain, pressing heavily on everyone's heart.
"Lava Earth Dragon, it's a top-level S-class lava earth dragon." A team member screamed in horror, his voice changing in pitch.
"Prepare for battle!!"
The captain roared and forced himself to gather up his last bit of energy. The light blue shield glowed brightly, but it seemed so small under the pressure of the lava monster.
The lava dragon was obviously enraged. It opened its huge mouth big enough to swallow a truck. Golden-red light gathered wildly in the depths of its throat, and a terrifying breath that was enough to burn steel was about to burst out.
At this critical moment——
"Yaoyao, where is the weakness?"
Lu Cheng suddenly pushed Lin Yao to a relatively safe position at the back, and then he stepped forward, standing in front of the entire team. A dazzling purple electric light instantly burst out from his body.
Crackling lightning snakes wrapped around his arms, and the violent energy fluctuations even temporarily diluted the pressure of the lava dragon.
Lin Yao panicked and hid behind a rock. His voice was tearful, but his words were remarkably clear: "It... that dark red scale under its throat, and... it seemed to be very concerned about the largest crystal on its head. It was... very nervous."
Under the throat? Dark red scales? Crystal on the head?
Lu Cheng's eyes flashed with brilliance.
"Cover me!"
He roared, and his whole body turned into a purple lightning that tore through the darkness. Instead of retreating, he rushed forward and rushed towards the lava beast that was ready to attack.
"Lu Cheng!" The captain's eyes were bloodshot, but he directed his team members without hesitation: "Focus fire, disrupt it! Create an opportunity for Lu Cheng."
Various energy beams, ice cones, and wind blades rained down on the lava dragon's massive head and eyes. Although they couldn't cause fatal damage, they did manage to distract it, causing it to pause slightly in its attempt to concentrate its breath.
Right now—
Lu Cheng had already rushed to the lava dragon's front, the scorching heat waves from its massive body nearly burning him to a crisp. He ignored the giant claws that could crush him into a pulp, focusing only on the two weaknesses Lin Yao had pointed out.
"Thunder Strike: Armor Break!"
He fused his right fingers together like a sword, gathering a beam of intensely concentrated, deep purple lightning at his fingertips. The lightning was only as thick as his arm, yet it radiated a destructive aura. Like the sharpest drill, it pierced the slightly sunken, dark red scale just below the lava dragon's throat with a piercing scream.
Swish——
Like a red-hot iron thrust into butter, the deep purple lightning pierced through the seemingly indestructible scales without hindrance. The violent force of the thunder instantly poured into the lava dragon's relatively fragile body.
“Ahhhh!!!”
The lava dragon let out a terrifying howl, its concentrated breath dissipating in an instant. Its massive body writhed madly in agony, unleashing a massive wave of lava that nearly drowned the team.
But this is not enough, the vitality of the peak S-level is extremely tenacious.
A fierce look flashed in Lu Cheng's eyes, and he took advantage of the recoil force to soar into the air, heading straight for the huge crystal stone on the top of the lava dragon's head, which was embedded like a crown and emitted a scorching red light.
"Thunderstorm·Tianyin!"
He raised his hands, palms toward the sky. A violent thunder energy erupted without reservation. The darkness above the entire cave seemed to be stirred by an invisible force. Countless thick purple lightning bolts appeared out of thin air, like dancing lightning snakes, frantically converging between his palms as if drawn.
It instantly condensed into a huge lightning spear that was more than five meters long and composed entirely of violent thunder.
The lightning spear shone with dazzling white light all over, and destructive purple lightning jumped from the tip of the spear. The energy fluctuations emitted caused the space to distort.
"Break it for me!"
Lu Cheng roared, pouring all his strength, rage, and protective will into this spear. Like a spear of judgment, the massive thunderbolt spear, with a might that pierced through heaven and earth, fiercely stabbed at the massive energy core atop the lava earth dragon.
Boom——!!!!
An indescribable roar erupted in the cave. Dazzling lightning instantly engulfed the lava dragon's massive head. The violent force of thunder and the terrifying earth-fire energy contained within the crystal core collided devastatingly.
Snap——
A teeth-grinding sound of breaking was heard.
The huge red crystal core on the top of the lava dragon's head exploded under the destructive penetration of the Thunder Spear.
“Ouch…”
The lava dragon's earth-shattering howl abruptly ceased. Its massive head, like a smashed watermelon, along with a small portion of its body, exploded completely in the raging energy of thunder and fire. Scorching flesh and molten lava rained down like a torrential rain. The massive headless remains slammed into the boiling lava river, stirring up a massive wave.
The entire cave fell into deathly silence, with only the remaining lightning crackling in the air and the gurgling sound of lava rolling.
Lu Cheng fell from mid-air, stumbling to one knee, panting heavily. The two blows had nearly drained all his strength. His face was as pale as paper, and the wounds on his body had opened again, staining the bandages with blood.
But his eyes burned with the light of victory and a strong self-confidence.
After the silence, there was ecstasy and incredible cheers of survival.
"Master Lu! Too strong!"
"S-class peak! One strike kills! Master Lu is mighty!"
"We are saved! And there are Life-Fire Vine Fruits!"
The team members were so excited that they were incoherent, and their eyes were full of awe and admiration when they looked at Lu Cheng.
The captain also breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at Lu Cheng with eyes full of relief and excitement.
Admiration for the strong is an instinct, and what Lu Cheng showed at this moment was the terrifying explosive power and precise attack on weaknesses that far exceeded the average S-level, which undoubtedly became the new spiritual pillar and hope of this team on the verge of collapse.
Everyone's attention was firmly drawn to the Life Fire Vine Fruit growing on the lava island, emitting an alluring glow, and the huge remains of the lava earth dragon containing precious crystal cores.
Ecstasy and greed temporarily overwhelmed fear and fatigue, and they began to excitedly discuss how to safely cross the lava river to pick the priceless fruits and crystal cores.
No one noticed in the chaotic moment when the battle broke out, lightning flashed, lava surged, and everyone's sight and perception were attracted by the earth-shaking collision and tempting resources.
The silver-haired boy who had been hiding in fear behind the rocks quietly gathered a faint light at his fingertips that was colder than the moonlight and deeper than the stars.
The faint light seemed to have life, silently penetrating the chaotic energy field and boiling lava, and accurately landed in the depths of the lava river, on the rhizome of the vine that grew the life-giving fire vine fruit.
A glimmer of light flashed by.
After the most essential part of the vine, which contained tremendous vitality, was cut off, it was as if pulled by an invisible silk thread and instantly separated from the solidified lava. It silently passed through the boiling magma and chaotic energy turbulence, and like a ghost returning to its nest, it merged into Lin Yao's wide cuffs.
After doing all this, the horrified expression on Lin Yao's face instantly faded away, leaving only pure indifference, like a precision instrument.
He brushed his sleeves lightly, as if brushing off a speck of dust. Then, that fragile, dependent expression, tinged with a hint of fear, returned to his face.
He trotted over to Lu Cheng, who was still panting and catching his breath, and said in a voice with just the right amount of concern and admiration: "Acheng, are you okay? You just... were amazing!"
Lu Cheng's pale face, yet full of strong confidence, was reflected in those blue eyes, clear and without any impurities.
Looking at the pure dependence and admiration in Lin Yao's eyes, Lu Cheng felt a huge sense of satisfaction and protective desire in his heart, and the pain in his body seemed to be alleviated a lot.
He forced a smile and reached out to rub Lin Yao's silver hair: "It's okay, Yaoyao. I said I would protect you."
Lin Yao lowered his head meekly and let him rub him, with a cold curve at the corner of his lips that no one noticed.
Materials are available.
The identity is flawless.
The tools were immersed in the ecstasy of victory and resources, and were even more grateful for the lucky guidance and timely reminders from this F-level lucky star.
The situation is under perfect control.
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