"Get out of the way!" Li Bing struggled to his feet, a look of determination flashing in his eyes! He slammed his hands onto the ground! Shadow Space activated!
Tang Buyu's pupils contracted sharply! The shadow of death instantly enveloped his entire body! He frantically pushed his ability, trying to reinforce his shield! But... it was too slow! The massive claw, accompanied by a tearing shriek through the air, was already upon him!
In the nick of time!
Just as the claw was about to smash the shield and tear Tang Buyu to shreds!
A thick, ink-like darkness erupted from Li Bing's hands as he pressed them to the ground! The darkness, like a living entity, instantly spread out, enveloping Tang Buyu, Bai Lingdong, and himself!
Whoosh—!
Zhuang Han's enormous claw, capable of splitting mountains and cracking stones, slammed fiercely onto... empty ground!
Boom—!!!
The hard concrete ground was pulverized like tofu! Shards of rock scattered like bullets! Smoke and dust billowed!
And the three of them... had vanished!
Zhuang Han's colossal body stood still, his beast eyes scanning the shattered ground, then slowly lifting to survey the surrounding ruins.
His nostrils twitched slightly, as if he was catching residual scents in the air. His eyes, like burning flames, alternately flickered with an eerie light.
A low, guttural roar, filled with ferocity and... a hint of anger from being toyed with... erupted from his throat!
The prey... escaped into the shadows?
Interesting.
He slowly turned, his crimson beast eyes sweeping over every corner of the library ruins. An even colder, stickier killing intent, like an invisible spiderweb, slowly spread, enveloping the entire area.
The hunt... had just begun.
Zhuang Han's massive body stood tall amidst the pallid moonlight of the ruins.
A bone-deep, terrifying pressure emanating from a Bone Eater Realm existence spread with his gaze.
That pressure was like an invisible millstone, grinding every inch of space, making the three hidden in the shadow dimension feel their souls tremble.
Inside the Shadow Space.
It wasn't absolute darkness, but rather a viscous, cold sensation, as if immersed in ink.
Around them were flowing, oil-like shadow barriers, blocking out external light and most sounds, but that terrifying pressure, like maggots clinging to bone, penetrated the spatial barrier, seeping in thread by thread.
"Cough, cough..."
Li Bing was curled up at the edge of the shadow barrier, his face deathly pale, dark red blood foam constantly overflowing from the corner of his mouth. His hands pressed tightly against the flowing shadow wall, his body trembling violently as he maintained this fragile sanctuary.
He was only a second-level Spirit Awakening Realm, and every time Zhuang Han's heavy footsteps transmitted through the spatial barrier, it was like a heavy hammer slamming into his spiritual core!
He felt as if his soul was about to be crushed by this terrifying pressure!
Shadow Space was his innate spiritual ability, but under such powerful pressure, continuing to maintain it consumed not just spiritual energy... but his very life essence!
"Bingzi! Hold on!" Tang Buyu knelt beside him, his voice hoarse, his eyes bloodshot and anxious. He tore off a relatively clean corner of his clothes, fumbling to try and stem the blood constantly spilling from Li Bing's mouth, but the blood quickly seeped through again.
Li Bing's injuries were more severe than they appeared! The terrifying killing intent and pressure contained in Zhuang Han's roar had directly wounded his spiritual core! Maintaining the Shadow Space was akin to rubbing salt in the wound!
"He... he's looking for us..." Li Bing's voice was intermittent, filled with extreme pain and weakness, "Shadow Space... can't hide us from him for too long... his perception... is too strong..."
Bai Lingdong huddled in the corner, clutching her knees tightly, her body trembling like a leaf in the wind.
Her face was pale, her eyes unfocused, and immense fear almost choked her. She looked at Li Bing's suffering, at Tang Buyu's anxious eyes. A wave of despair washed over her.
She instinctively touched a small, inconspicuous metal pendant hanging around her neck—that was her last resort, the medium to trigger 【Passive - Spatial Teleportation】.
But... the 24-hour cooldown wasn't over yet! And... even if she could teleport, she could only teleport herself! Leaving them behind... she couldn't do it!
"We can't... we can't keep hiding..."
Tang Buyu forced himself to calm down, his mind racing.
He suddenly looked up, staring outside the Shadow Space—although his vision was blocked by the flowing shadows, he could "feel" that terrifying, almost tangible presence outside!
"His target is us! As long as we're here, he'll stay here! Shadow Space won't last long! We have to... lure him away!"
"Lure him away?" Bai Lingdong's voice was tearful, "How? If we go out, it's suicide!"
"Use this!" A fierce glint flashed in Tang Buyu's eyes! He suddenly pulled a metal can from his backpack! It was a can of luncheon meat they had just found in the small storeroom! He gripped the can tightly with both hands, activating his Metal Storm ability with full power!
Buzz—!!!
The can's exterior instantly twisted and deformed!
The luncheon meat inside was frantically squeezed and churned by an unseen force! Finally, the entire can was forcibly compressed and molded in his hands into a... fist-sized metal spiky ball covered with sharp edges!
The surface of the spiky ball gleamed with a cold, metallic light!
"Bingzi! Listen to me!"
Tang Buyu shoved the metal spiky ball into Li Bing's hand, speaking rapidly.
"I'll rush out and attract his attention! You seize the opportunity, use all your strength, and throw this thing... towards the Experiment Building! As far as possible! Create a disturbance! Then... immediately dismiss the Shadow Space! Take Lingdong and run in the opposite direction! The Sports Hall! There are abandoned ventilation ducts there! Get inside!"
"No!"
Li Bing suddenly grabbed Tang Buyu's wrist with astonishing force, his eyes bloodshot and resolute.
"You go attract him? That's suicide! I'll go! I'm faster!"
"Nonsense!" Tang Buyu flung his hand away, his voice filled with unquestionable resolve.
"Your ability is for survival! It's to get Lingdong away! My metal manipulation can still block him for a bit! Stop talking nonsense! Listen to me!" He stared intently into Li Bing's eyes, "Remember! Throw it! Then run! Don't look back!"
Li Bing looked at the almost insane determination in Tang Buyu's eyes, his lips moved, and finally... he nodded heavily!
He gripped the cold metal spiky ball in his hand tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
Tang Buyu took a deep breath, took one last look at the pale-faced, terrified Bai Lingdong, and forced a very strained, comforting smile: "Don't be afraid, Lingdong, stick with Bingzi." With that, he suddenly turned, facing the flowing shadow barrier!
"Are you ready?" Tang Buyu's voice was low and hoarse.
Li Bing gritted his teeth and nodded, pouring all his remaining strength into maintaining the Shadow Space ability, preparing to open a gap for Tang Buyu the moment he charged out!
"Go!" Tang Buyu roared lowly! His body shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring!
Just as his body was about to collide with the shadow barrier!
Li Bing suddenly tore with both hands!
Whoosh—!
The flowing shadow barrier was torn open like a curtain, creating a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through! Dazzling moonlight and that suffocating, terrifying pressure instantly poured in!
Tang Buyu's figure shot out like a cannonball! At the same time! He suddenly swung both hands to his sides!
Boom! Boom!
On both sides of the library ruins, mountains of rusty metal bookshelf remnants and broken rebar were snatched up as if by an invisible giant hand! With a piercing sound of tearing air! Like two torrents of metal! One left, one right! They slammed fiercely towards... Zhuang Han!
"Roar—!!!"
Zhuang Han's crimson beast eyes instantly locked onto the tiny figure that had burst out of the shadows! A furious roar exploded like thunder! Facing the two howling torrents of metal, his massive body didn't even move an inch! He casually swung his left claw!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Like swatting flies!
The metal bookshelves and rebar, powerful enough to crush ordinary Corpse Ghouls into meat paste, exploded, twisted, and scattered upon contact with Zhuang Han's arm, like fragile building blocks!
Not even a single mark was left on his fur!
But Tang Buyu's goal was achieved! He successfully attracted Zhuang Han's attention! Just as Zhuang Han swung his arm to block the metal torrent!
Inside the Shadow Space! Li Bing's eyes gleamed brightly! With all his might! He fiercely hurled the cold metal spiky ball in his hand... towards the Experiment Building!
Whoosh—!!!
The metal spiky ball, with a piercing sound of tearing air, streaked across the night sky like a meteor! It slammed fiercely into a broken window on the third floor of the Experiment Building!
Boom—!!!
A violent explosion erupted! Flames shot skyward! Thick smoke billowed! Shattered glass and metal fragments scattered like a downpour! The enormous sound exploded like thunder in the dead silence of the ruins!
This sudden massive explosion and flash of fire! Caused Zhuang Han's colossal body... to pause... ever so slightly! His crimson beast eyes instinctively turned towards the direction of the explosion! Though only for a brief moment! But... it was enough!
"Run!"
Li Bing roared hoarsely! He slammed his hands together! Shadow Space instantly dissolved!
He grabbed the still-stunned Bai Lingdong beside him! His figure, as if merging with the darkness, dashed frantically towards the Sports Hall, opposite the direction of the explosion! His speed... was extreme! Almost turning into a blurry afterimage!
"Roar—!!!"
Zhuang Han suddenly turned his head! His crimson beast eyes locked onto the two figures frantically fleeing towards the Sports Hall!
A furious roar shook the entire ruin! The rage of being toyed with by ants erupted like a volcano!
His massive body suddenly moved! His colossal feet, covered in dark jade scales, slammed into the ground!
Boom—!!!
The ground exploded into a deep crater as if struck by heavy artillery!
Shards of rock shot out like bullets! Zhuang Han's figure transformed into a black lightning bolt tearing through the night sky!
With a terrifying momentum that crushed everything in its path! He charged directly at Li Bing and Bai Lingdong! His speed... exceeded the limits of human visual perception! A distance of hundreds of meters... was covered in an instant!
The shadow of death... like a cold giant hand... instantly gripped their throats!
"Bingzi!"
Bai Lingdong let out a desperate shriek! She could feel the terrifying, almost tangible killing intent behind her and... the tearing shriek through the air! Zhuang Han's massive claw... was already upon them!
A flicker of despair crossed Li Bing's eyes! But he didn't stop! Instead, he fiercely pushed Bai Lingdong forward! At the same time... he suddenly turned around! Crossing his arms in front of him! His eyes erupted with a final madness! 【Shadow is My Body】 was pushed to its extreme!
His body instantly became as blurry as the deepest shadow! He tried to use his body... to buy Bai Lingdong one last moment to escape!
"No—!" Tang Buyu's eyes were about to split! He had just rushed out of the Shadow Space when he saw this scene that made his liver and guts tremble! He frantically activated his ability! Trying to manipulate the surrounding metal to block! But... it was too far! Too slow!
Just as Zhuang Han's massive claw, covered in dark blue talons, was about to tear Li Bing and Bai Lingdong behind him... into shreds!
At this critical moment!
An unforeseen change occurred!
"Buzz—!!!"
An indescribable, cold and majestic wave of will, as if from the depths of the soul! Like an invisible ripple! Instantly swept across the entire ruin!
This will... wasn't directed at anyone! It was more like an... unconscious release of pressure... from a higher-level existence!
But... it was this sudden wave of will!
That caused Zhuang Han, who was originally charging in a furious, unstoppable manner... his massive body suddenly stiffened! As if struck by an invisible giant hammer!
In his crimson beast eyes, the rampant killing intent instantly froze! Replaced by an... indescribable... alarm and... a hint of... fear from the depths of his soul! The blood patterns on his face constantly flickered, as if he was resisting something!
PS: I have something tomorrow, so I'm writing an extra chapter today and one less tomorrow.