Tang Zhao's figure vanished into the spatial rift, leaving behind only the slowly closing void ripple and a dead silent battlefield.
Ling Chen floated in mid-air, the violent Thunder Wings behind him slowly retracting their dazzling electrical arcs, the dark purple light flickering like a breath.
His crimson pupils stared intently in the direction Tang Zhao had disappeared, the icy killing intent like a tangible ice pick, piercing through the void.
This guy, who was just a minor character in his memories of his previous life, was actually… more troublesome… than he had anticipated!
That absolute control over space, that terrifying power that effortlessly heavily injured Zhuang Han… all indicated that this was a terrifying existence far beyond the Bone Eater Realm!
Space-type ability, noble space-type ability.
Logically speaking, he should have left a significant mark in history in his previous life.
So why was it that in his previous life, after he broke through the Tang Family and passed everyone, when he opened the Tang Family's genealogy, he only found such a short description, merely stating that he had found Tang Buyu?
“Master…” A faint, painful whimper came from below.
Ling Chen's gaze shifted downwards.
In the ruins, the huge, front-to-back charred blood hole in Zhuang Han's chest was shocking! Blood gushed out, mixed with fragments of internal organs, staining the ground beneath him a viscous dark red.
His crimson beast pupils were dim, as if they could extinguish at any moment.
But… the tenacious vitality of a mutated beast, especially the physique of a Bone Eater Stage Peak, allowed him to barely cling to life.
His body, covered in ink-jade bone armor, twitched slightly, each breath accompanied by a wheezing sound like a broken bellows, painful and difficult.
“Useless.”
Ling Chen's voice was cold, without a trace of pity, but also without much blame. He slowly descended, the Thunder Wings retracting, and walked to Zhuang Han's side, looking down at the dying giant beast.
His crimson pupils swept over the terrifying wound, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Tang Zhao's dark golden beam… contained extremely overbearing energy!
Not only did it cause a physical penetrating wound, but a scorching corrosive energy also remained deep within the wound, frantically destroying Zhuang Han's vitality and hindering self-healing!
Relying solely on Zhuang Han's own devouring of flesh and blood to recover… he probably… wouldn't make it in time!
“Hmph.”
Ling Chen let out a cold snort. He slowly raised his right hand, palm facing down, aiming at the huge blood hole in Zhuang Han's chest.
Buzz—!!!
An invisible, cold and overbearing wave of will instantly spread out!
Innate Spirit Skill—【Blood Ripple】!
This time, it was no longer an attack! But… control!
Chichichi—!!!
On the surrounding ground! Those viscous bloods that had formed streams and soaked into the soil! Whether it was from the The Boulder soldiers, the ghouls, or the mutated beasts… at this moment! They seemed to be summoned by an invisible force!
The dark red viscous blood detached from the ground like living creatures! Transforming into countless tiny bloodlines! Frantically… rushing towards Ling Chen's palm!
Above his palm! A dark red, constantly rotating, blood-reeking… blood sphere! Rapidly condensed! Expanded!
In just a few breaths!
A huge blood sphere, over half a meter in diameter and exuding immense vital essence, had formed!
This was… a battlefield blood pool! The essence of flesh and blood… condensed from countless vital essences!
Ling Chen's eyes were cold, without the slightest hesitation! He controlled the huge blood sphere! And fiercely… pressed it onto Zhuang Han's terrifying wound!
Pfft—!!!
The viscous essence of flesh and blood seemed to have found an outlet!
It frantically poured into Zhuang Han's chest cavity! Filling the huge void! Washing away the remaining corrosive energy!
“Er ah—!!!”
Zhuang Han let out an even more agonizing scream! His huge body twitched violently!
The charred flesh around his wound frantically creeping! New granulation tissue grew wildly like living creatures.
Visibly! The huge blood hole in Zhuang Han's chest… was healing… at an astonishing speed!
Although it was still far from complete recovery, the fatal corrosive energy had been cleared, and with the continuous influx of flesh and blood essence, he finally stabilized! And… began to slowly revive!
Ling Chen watched expressionlessly.
To him, Zhuang Han was just a… useful tool, and repairing a tool… was necessary. As for the battlefield blood consumed? It was just… making use of waste.
His gaze slowly turned towards the direction of the Zoo's gate.
There, the remnants of Panshi Fortress's forces were… frantically retreating!
Li Mingyu held Sun Qiang's cold corpse, his eyes bloodshot, and was dragged away by two soldiers like a walking corpse.
Chen Xue collapsed on the ground, forcibly carried on the back by a medic. Her empty eyes looked in Ling Chen's direction, tears streaming silently, her lips moving, but unable to make any sound.
Chu Hang was carried on a stretcher by several soldiers, the huge blood hole in his chest temporarily bandaged, but dark red blood continued to seep out. His face was ashen, his breath weak, and he had fallen into a deep coma.
Xiong Yan's ashes were hastily collected. The ruins where Li Fan had crashed were quickly excavated, he was covered in blood, his dark golden scales shattered beyond recognition, barely clinging to life, and was lifted onto a stretcher. The soldiers supported each other, abandoning their armor and weapons, their faces filled with fear, despair, and… the bewilderment of surviving a catastrophe.
They didn't even dare to look back at that hellish battlefield, much less at the figure standing in the pool of blood like a demon god!
They… lost! Lost… so completely! So… tragically!
Qin Weiguo stood beside a half-destroyed armored vehicle, his face ashen.
He looked at the almost crippled army before him, at the severely wounded top combatants, and an unspeakable humiliation and anger almost swallowed him!
But he forcefully suppressed it! He knew… what was most important now was… to get back alive! To preserve… the last spark!
“Retreat! Retreat quickly!” Qin Weiguo roared hoarsely, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly, “Abandon all heavy equipment! The lightly wounded carry the severely wounded! Immediately retreat back to the fortress! Hurry!”
The remnants of Panshi Fortress fled desperately, in a sorry state! As if afraid that if they were a step too slow… they would be swallowed by the blood-soaked hell behind them!
Ling Chen watched them leave quietly.
In his crimson pupils, there was no desire to pursue, no joy of victory, only a kind of… cold… indifference.
His gaze once again turned towards the depths of Linghui Academy Ruins… towards the library. That was… Tang Zhao's true target! And… the place… he… must stop!
“Zhuang Han.” Ling Chen's cold voice rang out.
“Ma… Master…” Zhuang Han responded weakly, struggling to get up, but the huge wound still caused him immense pain.
“Stay here. Devour flesh and blood. Recover.” Ling Chen commanded, “Clear the battlefield. Leave… no… survivors.”
“Yes…” A hint of bloodthirsty light flashed in Zhuang Han's crimson beast pupils.
Ling Chen no longer looked at him. The Thunder Wings behind him suddenly flapped!
Zzzzt—!!!
Violent lightning exploded! His figure transformed into a dark purple lightning bolt tearing through the night sky! Instantly… he vanished from the spot! Soaring towards the library…!
Linghui Academy Ruins · Library.
The air was cold and damp, permeated with a faint… scent of blood.
Tang Buyu, Bai Lingdong, and Li Bing leaned against the cold concrete wall, panting heavily. Their faces and bodies were covered in dust, sweat, and dried blood.
Tang Buyu's left arm hung limply, a deep, bone-visible wound hastily bandaged with strips of cloth, blood still slowly seeping out.
Bai Lingdong's face was ashen, her hands tightly clutching the silver spatial fragment pendant around her neck, her amber eyes filled with lingering fear.
Li Bing's figure flickered in and out of the shadows, his aura somewhat chaotic, clearly indicating the immense consumption from the previous battle and escape.
That great battle had also affected them, and Zhuang Han couldn't completely control so many ghouls; a few stragglers had rushed towards them.
To make matters worse, they were once again looking for food…
“It seems… quiet… outside?” Bai Lingdong's voice trembled, breaking the dead silence.
“Quiet?” Tang Buyu forced a bitter smile, his voice hoarse, “It’s… dead silence! The Boulder’s people… are probably… in grave danger.”
He remembered what he had seen through the ventilation shaft earlier… that demon-like figure in the distance! Those violent Thunder Wings!
That world-destroying power! And… that overwhelming, tide-like horde of ghouls!
The elites of Panshi Fortress… were like ants… before such power!
A chill ran up his spine.
“What… do we do?”
Bai Lingdong's voice was tearful.
“Will that monster… find this place?”
“Shut up!”
Tang Buyu growled, forcefully suppressing the fear and irritation in his heart.
“With Shadow Space shielding our aura! As long as no one else uses their abilities! He… won't find this place… for now!”
No sooner had he spoken!
Buzz—!!!
An indescribable, cold and majestic spatial fluctuation, as if from the depths of the soul! Like an invisible tide… instantly… swept through the entire underground air-raid shelter!
The air… instantly… solidified!
The dim yellow lights… flickered violently! Then… extinguished.
“Uh…” Bai Lingdong let out a muffled gasp of fright!
She felt the spatial fragment pendant around her neck… suddenly… become scorching hot!
As if it were about to melt!
A powerful, irresistible… spatial confinement force… instantly… locked onto her! Making her unable to move!
Tang Buyu and Li Bing also instantly froze! As if frozen by invisible frost! Unable to move even a single finger!
“Tap… tap… tap…”
Clear footsteps, like the drumbeats of death, in the dead silence of the darkness… from far to near… slowly sounded!
Dark green silk Tang suit, dark golden dragon patterns on the collar, pale face, long and narrow phoenix eyes.
And at the same time, carrying a kind of… lazy and… high and mighty… scrutiny!
Tang Zhao!
He… had arrived!
“Tsk…”
A very light, playful chuckle echoed in the darkness.
“Hide-and-seek… is over, little mice.”
His gaze, like a tangible probe, instantly locked onto the trembling Bai Lingdong in the darkness… and the faintly silver-glowing, violently trembling… spatial fragment pendant around her neck!
“Time-rift Silver Foil…”
Tang Zhao's voice carried a hint of… unspeakable… greed and… admiration.
“Indeed… it's here.”
His gaze slowly shifted to Tang Buyu, and a very complex… emotion flashed in his narrow phoenix eyes?
There was scrutiny, indifference, and… a hint of… imperceptible… disappointment?
“Tang Buyu?”
Tang Zhao's voice was clear and cold, carrying a kind of elder's… aloofness and… unquestionable authority towards a junior.
“A direct descendant of the Tang Family… reduced to… associating with commoners? Truly… a disgrace to the Tang Family.”
Tang Buyu's body trembled violently! Not from fear! But from a sense of… humiliation… at being insulted!
“Tang Family?” Tang Buyu gritted his teeth, forcing out a hoarse voice from his throat, filled with undisguised hatred.
“I don't know any Tang Family! I am just Tang Buyu!”
“Oh?”
Tang Zhao's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly, seemingly surprised by Tang Buyu's stubbornness, “You don't know them?
Then whose blood flows in your veins?
And where did your awakened Metal Storm ability come from?”
He slowly raised his hand, the mutton-fat white jade pendant on his fingertip emitting a soft white light, illuminating his pale and indifferent face.
“Come back with me. Hand over the Time-rift Silver Foil. Accept the family's baptism and guidance. You still have a chance to regain the glory of the Tang Family.”
Tang Zhao's voice carried a seductive, almost condescending tone.
“Otherwise… you and these two ants beside you will all die here today.”
“Go back?”
Tang Buyu suddenly let out a sarcastic sneer. He struggled to raise his head, and despite his body being confined, his eyes were like burning flames, staring intently at Tang Zhao.
“Go back to do what? Continue to be the bastard son you discarded like trash? Or go back to have my blood drained and be made into a human weapon?!”
“Presumptuous!”
Tang Zhao's voice suddenly turned cold! An icy killing intent spread out like a tangible entity! The spatial confinement force instantly intensified!
Tang Buyu groaned! A trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth!
“The bloodline of the Tang Family… cannot be defiled! And even less… betrayed!” Tang Zhao's voice was like ice, “I'm giving you one last chance. Hand over the Silver Foil. Come with me. Otherwise…”
The white jade light on his fingertip flared brightly! A terrifying… energy fluctuation, enough to tear space… began to condense!
“Otherwise… I will… personally… cleanse the family!”