piratefiction Chapter 37 A Crimson Fork in the Road, A Desperate Counterattack
Chapter 37 A Crimson Fork in the Road, A Desperate Counterattack
Deep within the cavern, the muffled, thunderous impacts, the piercing clang of metal against metal, and the furious, violent roar of the Crimson Flame Centipede King, even through the layers of rock walls and the vast distance, resonated faintly like the beating of drums, causing dust to fall from the mine tunnels.
The villagers, driven to the edge of the "bait zone," felt the ground tremble beneath their feet and felt the invisible pressure spreading in the air. They were terrified and their cries could no longer be suppressed, and the crowd began to stir.
"Shut up! All of you, be quiet!" Han Li shouted sternly, his long, narrow sword unsheathed half an inch, its cold light flashing. He released his aura as a beginner in the Flesh Refining Realm without reservation, instantly making it difficult for the people nearby to breathe.
The other martial arts school disciples also drew their weapons, their murderous auras glaring at the crowd, forcefully suppressing the commotion.
Han Li listened intently for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, clearly indicating that he had received some kind of signal from the depths of the cave.
A cruel and triumphant smile crept across his face, and he abruptly waved his hand: "Quick! Drive these 'blood food' forward! Drive them to the main passage ahead! Hurry!"
He directed his disciples, like herding livestock, to force the terrified villagers to surge forward into a relatively wide but deep and mysterious mine tunnel.
That place is one of the main passages connecting the core battlefield of the underground cave!
Right next to this main passage, there is a relatively narrow branch mine tunnel that leads into the dark depths. The entrance is half-hidden by several protruding rocks and is not very noticeable.
Han Li and several disciples consciously guarded the entrance to this branch passage—this was both a place for them to observe the effect of the "bait" and a backup plan for themselves in case the centipede swarm got out of control!
Yang Jin mingled in the crowd, being pushed and shoved forward.
His gaze swept quickly across the surroundings, and he instantly understood Han Li's arrangements and intentions.
"Now!" Yang Jin roared inwardly, simultaneously issuing a command to Atu via mental link: "Atu! Prepare to detonate the pre-set points 3 and 5 (located in front of the main passage and to the side and rear of the branch passage, respectively)! Heed my signal!"
Atu immediately responded with tension and focus.
The crowd was driven closer and closer to the entrance of the main passage leading to the underground battlefield.
A faint, nauseating smell of fish and sulfur began to fill the air, and it grew stronger and stronger!
In the distance, a chilling rustling sound surged from the direction of the underground cave like a tide, growing clearer and closer!
The swarm of fire centipedes, responding to the king's call, is frantically returning to reinforce!
Han Li's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with almost manic excitement.
As long as these villagers block the main passage, they can buy his master a precious ten or even dozens of breaths of time!
However, just as the rustling sound of the centipede swarm almost filled their ears, and the villagers at the forefront could already vaguely see the crimson "tide" surging deep within the passage—
Yang Jin suddenly stopped in his tracks, no longer pretending!
His blood and energy suddenly erupted, and his rock skin was instantly activated to its maximum, giving his dark yellow-brown skin a rock-like luster!
He ripped off his coarse cloth coat, which was covered in dust, revealing the tanned badger skin protective gear underneath, and drew his machete from his waist with lightning speed!
"Those who don't want to die! Follow me! Take the side road!" He gathered his strength and let out a thunderous roar, his voice unusually clear amidst the cacophony of cries and rustling sounds!
At the same time, he suddenly threw the cold object he had been holding tightly in his left hand—the unknown little thing given to him by Chen Shan—into the direction in front of the main passage entrance, where the centipede swarm was about to surge in!
The object traced an arc in the air, and upon landing, it shattered with a soft "crack"!
"boom--!"
There was no earth-shattering explosion, but a thick, extremely pungent, and irritating colored smoke, with a strange, sweet and fishy smell, suddenly erupted from the crack like a volcanic eruption!
The smoke spread rapidly, instantly enveloping a large area. Not only did it obscure visibility, but the strong, pungent odor also caused several martial arts students and villagers nearby to cough violently, with tears and snot streaming down their faces!
This smoke is clearly more stimulating and attractive to the sensitive fire centipede!
"What?!" "You're asking for it!"
Han Li and the others were both shocked and furious. They never expected that such an anomaly was hidden among the crowd, let alone that the other party had such bizarre methods!
Just as the smoke exploded and everyone's vision and senses were disrupted, Yang Jin, who had been waiting in the wings, issued his command via the link: "A-Tu! Detonate!"
"Boom! Boom—!"
Almost simultaneously, two muffled loud thuds came from different directions!
Not far ahead of the main passage (point 3), a rocky roof collapsed with a roar thanks to Atu's precise rock-controlling detonation. A large amount of rubble and soil poured down. Although it did not completely block the passage, it successfully created obstacles and dust, further obstructing the view and slightly slowing down the speed of the centipede swarm's front line!
More importantly, a small-scale landslide also occurred on the side and rear of the branch passage (point 5). A large number of falling rocks cleverly changed the terrain near the entrance of the branch passage, creating a situation that is relatively easier to enter and where the rock structure at the entrance has temporarily become extremely fragile!
"Now! Uncle Zhang! Wang Chuan! Lead the men and charge in!" Yang Jin roared as he pounced on Han Li, who was guarding the front and was caught off guard by the smoke and landslide, like a tiger released from its cage.
He wanted to rush into the side passage for the villagers to buy them the most crucial time!
Carpenter Zhang, Wang Chuan, Zhao Tiezhu, and the others had already been warned by Yang Jin. Seeing the opportunity, although they were shocked by the sudden change, their survival instinct and the instructions they had received beforehand gave them tremendous courage!
"Charge! If you want to live, go into the side passage!" With red eyes, Zhang the carpenter hoisted his wife, whose legs were weak, and rushed towards the side passage that had become "wider" due to the landslide!
Wang Chuan, Zhao Tiezhu, and others also grabbed the women, children, and elderly around them and rushed in with all their might!
"Stop them! Kill!" Han Li was both shocked and furious. He realized that Yang Jin was the key, and that the branch passage was the enemy's escape route. How could he let them have their way? He shouted, ignoring the acrid smoke, and his long, narrow blade flashed with a bright light, carrying the powerful blood and energy of the early stage of the Flesh Refining Realm, and cleaved straight down on Yang Jin's head!
At the same time, he ordered the other disciples to intercept the villagers who were rushing towards them.
However, Yang Jin was prepared!
Faced with Han Li's powerful and tricky strike, he did not take it head-on. Instead, he changed his stance, combining the composure and agility brought about by his recent intensive training in "Furnace Breathing" and "Mountain Stance". His body shifted sideways like a rock, narrowly avoiding the sharpest point of the blade. With the help of his waist, he swung the woodcutter's knife at Han Li's wrist!
The angles are equally tricky and ruthless!
"clang!"
The machete and the straight knife clashed sideways, sparks flying everywhere!
Yang Jin's arm went slightly numb, but the rock skin and badger arm guards absorbed most of the recoil, and he only swayed slightly.
Han Li was startled; the opponent's strength and defense far exceeded his expectations!
This is already far beyond the level of a Skin Refining Realm martial artist?
Because of this delay, dozens of villagers, led by Zhang the carpenter and others, poured into the branch passage like water bursting its banks!
At this moment, the leading part of the tidal wave of fire centipedes, stimulated by the colored smoke and slightly blocked by the collapse in front, broke through the smoke and dust barrier like a red torrent and appeared at the entrance of the main passage!
The dense, dark red carapaces, eerie green compound eyes, and sharp mouthparts instantly terrified the villagers who had not yet entered the branch passage and the martial arts school disciples who were trying to intercept them!
"ah--!"
A piercing scream rang out. A disciple of the Rock Martial Arts School was a step too slow and was pounced on by several Fire Centipedes. He was instantly overwhelmed, and the sound of his carapace scraping against his bones and gnawing at them was terrifying!
"Run!" Yang Jin saw this and knew that they could not continue fighting.
He suddenly threw another packet of pungent powder at Han Li's face, while simultaneously retreating rapidly and letting out a shriek!
Upon hearing the signal, Atu, who was already prepared, immediately detonated a pre-set, most critical weak point above the entrance to the branch passage!
"boom--!"
This landslide was much larger!
A large number of rocks crashed down, almost instantly burying most of the entrance to the branch passage, leaving only a narrow gap that could barely allow one person to squeeze through. Moreover, rocks were still falling from above, making the passage extremely unstable!
This landslide not only temporarily blocked the pursuers, including Han Li and the following centipedes, but also provided cover for the villagers who had already entered the passage. Furthermore, it completely "pushed" most of the frenzied horde of fire centipedes deep into the main passage—the direction of the underground battlefield where the three masters were engaged in a fierce battle with the Crimson Flame Centipede King!
"You bastard!!!"
Han Li swung his sword to disperse the medicinal powder, but was forced to retreat repeatedly by the smoke and falling rocks. He watched helplessly as Yang Jin, like an eel, slipped into the branch passage through the nearly sealed gap at the last moment, while he himself was completely blocked outside by the collapse and the surging tide of centipedes!
He looked around and saw that most of the other disciples had also died tragically in the centipede's mouth. Only two clever disciples from the Gale Martial Arts School managed to escape a little further thanks to their agility, but they were also in grave danger.
Most of the villagers who were originally intended as "bait" actually escaped into that damned side road!
The bait plan has completely failed!
Instead of delaying the centipede swarm, the strange smoke and landslide seemed to make the centipede swarm surge even more violently toward the battlefield where their master and the others were!
"You scoundrel! I will tear you to pieces!!!"
Han Li was furious, but what he had to face first was the horde of fire centipedes that had come to see him as an obstacle and were surging forward in a frenzy!
He had no choice but to wield his sword and fight back fiercely against the centipedes that pounced on him, retreating as he fought, searching for other possible ways to survive, his heart filled with overwhelming hatred for Yang Jin and intense unease.
Smoke and dust filled the branch passageway.
Yang Jin leaned against the cold, damp rock wall, breathing heavily.
The lightning-fast burst of energy, the charge, the evasion, and the breakout had almost exhausted his physical and mental strength.
Several shallow white marks were left on the rock surface, caused by Han Li's sword energy, but fortunately, they did not break through the defenses.
He turned his head and saw that Zhang the carpenter, Wang Chuan, and others were still in shock, calming the villagers who had poured in and counting their numbers.
About 80 or 90 people managed to escape, although some were left outside, but it was the result of doing everything possible.
The passage was shrouded in darkness, and its destination was unknown.
Just then, a heavy roar, filled with pain and rage, accompanied by even more violent tremors and faint cries of shock and anger belonging to humans, came from the other side of the rock wall—the direction of the main battlefield of the underground cave!
The Crimson Centipede King seems to have fallen into an even more frenzied state due to the "abnormal" return of the insect swarm? Or has it been a backlash against the three Gym Leaders because their plans have gone awry?
Yang Jin had no time to think. He picked up his wood-chopping knife and stared coldly at the last remaining gap at the entrance of the passage.
The landslide blocked the centipede horde and also trapped Han Li, who was at the Flesh Refining Realm, outside.
Now, we must organize the villagers and get them out of the mine tunnels as soon as possible.
But just then, a strange figure squeezed through the gap in the collapse!
He swung his sword down with a backhand motion, and the rubble and mud crashed down, completely sealing off the gap and keeping the fire centipede out.
Upon closer inspection, the person who arrived was none other than Han Li!