Chapter 97: Desperate Solo Battle
Upon the scorched earth, the wind swept past, carrying a heavy, pungent stench.
Lin Yan stood alone in the center of the encirclement. Around him, the four high-tier scaled beasts slowly closed in their formation. The wounded fifth-tier scaled beast took the lead at the front. Dark green, viscous blood continuously gushed from the wound beneath its neck, dripping onto the ground with a faint hissing sound, corroding small pits. The short blade was still embedded in the soft membrane of its neck. Every time it shook its head, the wound was pulled, bringing excruciating pain and making its murderous intent even more frenzied.
The three fourth-tier scaled beasts sealed off his escape routes from the left, right, and rear. Low, guttural sounds rose and fell among them, and the friction of their carapaces emitted a piercing, rustling noise. Obeying the Ancient Progenitor's psychic commands, they were not in a rush to swarm him all at once. Instead, they slowly compressed the space, gradually draining Lin Yan's stamina, waiting for him to reveal a flaw.
Zhou Lin was still a certain distance away. He had to look after the unconscious Jiang Tao, help the severely injured Old Chen, and simultaneously hold off the scattered low-tier scaled beasts pouncing over. There was no way he could come to his aid immediately. He could only shout from afar, "Lin Yan! Stall them! I'll bring people over right away!"
Lin Yan nodded slightly, his gaze never leaving the behemoth before him. He slowly adjusted his breathing, letting his inner qi circulate through his meridians to stabilize the muscle strain caused by his previous leaping exertions. The wounds on his palms had torn open again, and blood dripped down through his fingers. Both of his hands were already coated in beast blood and mud.
The Ancient Progenitor's will once again burrowed into his mind, cold and mocking. "All alone, surrounded by enemies on all sides. With your meager wilderness fighting skills, how long can you possibly hold out? Give up struggling. I can grant you a quick death."
"Save your empty words," Lin Yan replied in his heart. The fine threads of his Sea of Consciousness spread out, capturing the minute changes in the muscles and psychic fluctuations of the four behemoths. Ancient martial arts cultivation was not just about fists, kicks, and blades; it was also about observing the enemy to anticipate their moves and acting according to the flow of battle.
The fifth-tier scaled beast made the first move.
It lowered its massive body and fiercely kicked off the ground with its hind legs, charging straight at him wrapped in a gale. The short blade on its neck swayed with the movement, continuously tearing at the wound and splattering dark green blood droplets. It did not unleash a large-scale psychic shockwave. The Ancient Progenitor chose to allocate its computing power to the other three fourth-tier scaled beasts, commanding them to launch a pincer attack simultaneously.
The fourth-tier scaled beast on the left suddenly leaped into the air, its sharp claws hacking down from above. The one on the right sprinted close to the ground, aiming for his lower body. The one in the rear quietly flanked around, preparing to ambush his back. Attacks from four directions arrived almost in the exact same instant.
Lin Yan stepped out with a mysterious footwork. His figure suddenly dropped, sliding forward half a zhang (about 1.6 meters) close to the ground. The claws from the left grazed his shoulder, tearing his combat suit and leaving a stinging, shallow wound on his flesh. Taking advantage of the brief moment when the four behemoths' attacks intersected and obscured each other's line of sight, he flashed sideways, breaking out directly through the narrow gap between the fifth-tier scaled beast and the right-side fourth-tier beast.
With this single move, he had completely broken out of the encirclement.
But the crisis was far from over.
The Ancient Progenitor immediately adjusted its commands. The four behemoths quickly turned around and resumed their pursuit. Due to its massive size, the fifth-tier scaled beast was slow to turn, but the three fourth-tier scaled beasts were much faster, catching up behind Lin Yan in the blink of an eye.
The fourth-tier scaled beast behind him lashed out with its tail, covered in bone spurs, aiming fiercely at his lower back. Lin Yan rolled forward as the scale whip smashed into the ground, sending rubble flying. Taking advantage of the momentum, he sprang up, reached back, and grabbed the bone spur at the end of the scale whip. Borrowing the beast's forward-charging force, he yanked backward with all his might.
The fourth-tier scaled beast lost its center of gravity, and its massive body stumbled forward, falling heavily. Lin Yan stepped onto the soft underbelly of the beast, pressing down with all his might, and simultaneously raised his hand, delivering a heavy punch directly into its eye socket.
Bang!
The scaled beast's eyeball burst. It let out a painful, agonizing shriek. The excruciating pain made it struggle madly, and the scale whip twisted violently. Lin Yan had no choice but to let go and quickly retreat. Having lost an eye, this fourth-tier scaled beast's combat power was greatly diminished, but it had not lost its combat instincts and still struggled to its feet to continue the pursuit.
Sensing that one of its guards was injured, the Ancient Progenitor's will grew even colder. It no longer pursued perfect coordination. Instead, it directly ordered the remaining three high-tier scaled beasts to attack at all costs. Even if they accidentally injured each other, they had to kill Lin Yan.
The fifth-tier scaled beast approached again. Lowering its head, it charged forward like an out-of-control battering ram.
Lin Yan no longer took the attacks head-on, constantly maneuvering and flanking. On the wasteland, a desperate chase and battle unfolded between one man and three beasts (plus the wounded, one-eyed fourth-tier). Every dodge and counterattack drained a massive amount of his stamina. His wounds continued to bleed, his body gradually grew cold, and his breathing became heavy. Maintaining his Sea of Consciousness perception constantly drained his mind as well. From time to time, faint auditory hallucinations created by the Ancient Progenitor echoed in his ears, interfering with his judgment.
Several times, the claws and fangs were only inches away from him. He survived by mere margins, relying entirely on the instincts tempered through years of life-and-death combat.
Far away on the city wall, all the defending troops noticed this breathtaking solo battle on the wasteland. Many soldiers, while fending off the scaled beasts climbing the walls, stole glances toward this direction, their hearts suspended in anxiety. Zhou Lin had already handed Jiang Tao over to the Imperial Guards. Supporting Old Chen, he led several cultivators who were still in decent condition to rush to his aid at full speed, the distance continuously shortening.
"Hold on a little longer!" Zhou Lin's roar was carried by the wind to Lin Yan's ears.
Catching sight of the approaching support team from the corner of his eye, Lin Yan felt a sense of relief, but he dared not relax in the slightest.
Just then, the fifth-tier scaled beast suddenly halted its charge, raising its head high. The Ancient Progenitor mobilized a massive amount of psychic power, using the fifth-tier scaled beast as a medium to condense a highly refined psychic spike. Locking onto Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness, it fired instantly!
This strike was no longer a widespread oppressive pressure, but a precise, single-point assassination specifically targeting the mind.
Lin Yan felt his mind violently explode. Darkness instantly swallowed his vision, and a severe wave of dizziness washed over him. He stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.
Right now!
Seizing the opportunity, the one-eyed fourth-tier scaled beast pounced at full speed, its sharp maw aiming directly for Lin Yan's neck!
End of Chapter.
Lin Yan stood alone in the center of the encirclement. Around him, the four high-tier scaled beasts slowly closed in their formation. The wounded fifth-tier scaled beast took the lead at the front. Dark green, viscous blood continuously gushed from the wound beneath its neck, dripping onto the ground with a faint hissing sound, corroding small pits. The short blade was still embedded in the soft membrane of its neck. Every time it shook its head, the wound was pulled, bringing excruciating pain and making its murderous intent even more frenzied.
The three fourth-tier scaled beasts sealed off his escape routes from the left, right, and rear. Low, guttural sounds rose and fell among them, and the friction of their carapaces emitted a piercing, rustling noise. Obeying the Ancient Progenitor's psychic commands, they were not in a rush to swarm him all at once. Instead, they slowly compressed the space, gradually draining Lin Yan's stamina, waiting for him to reveal a flaw.
Zhou Lin was still a certain distance away. He had to look after the unconscious Jiang Tao, help the severely injured Old Chen, and simultaneously hold off the scattered low-tier scaled beasts pouncing over. There was no way he could come to his aid immediately. He could only shout from afar, "Lin Yan! Stall them! I'll bring people over right away!"
Lin Yan nodded slightly, his gaze never leaving the behemoth before him. He slowly adjusted his breathing, letting his inner qi circulate through his meridians to stabilize the muscle strain caused by his previous leaping exertions. The wounds on his palms had torn open again, and blood dripped down through his fingers. Both of his hands were already coated in beast blood and mud.
The Ancient Progenitor's will once again burrowed into his mind, cold and mocking. "All alone, surrounded by enemies on all sides. With your meager wilderness fighting skills, how long can you possibly hold out? Give up struggling. I can grant you a quick death."
"Save your empty words," Lin Yan replied in his heart. The fine threads of his Sea of Consciousness spread out, capturing the minute changes in the muscles and psychic fluctuations of the four behemoths. Ancient martial arts cultivation was not just about fists, kicks, and blades; it was also about observing the enemy to anticipate their moves and acting according to the flow of battle.
The fifth-tier scaled beast made the first move.
It lowered its massive body and fiercely kicked off the ground with its hind legs, charging straight at him wrapped in a gale. The short blade on its neck swayed with the movement, continuously tearing at the wound and splattering dark green blood droplets. It did not unleash a large-scale psychic shockwave. The Ancient Progenitor chose to allocate its computing power to the other three fourth-tier scaled beasts, commanding them to launch a pincer attack simultaneously.
The fourth-tier scaled beast on the left suddenly leaped into the air, its sharp claws hacking down from above. The one on the right sprinted close to the ground, aiming for his lower body. The one in the rear quietly flanked around, preparing to ambush his back. Attacks from four directions arrived almost in the exact same instant.
Lin Yan stepped out with a mysterious footwork. His figure suddenly dropped, sliding forward half a zhang (about 1.6 meters) close to the ground. The claws from the left grazed his shoulder, tearing his combat suit and leaving a stinging, shallow wound on his flesh. Taking advantage of the brief moment when the four behemoths' attacks intersected and obscured each other's line of sight, he flashed sideways, breaking out directly through the narrow gap between the fifth-tier scaled beast and the right-side fourth-tier beast.
With this single move, he had completely broken out of the encirclement.
But the crisis was far from over.
The Ancient Progenitor immediately adjusted its commands. The four behemoths quickly turned around and resumed their pursuit. Due to its massive size, the fifth-tier scaled beast was slow to turn, but the three fourth-tier scaled beasts were much faster, catching up behind Lin Yan in the blink of an eye.
The fourth-tier scaled beast behind him lashed out with its tail, covered in bone spurs, aiming fiercely at his lower back. Lin Yan rolled forward as the scale whip smashed into the ground, sending rubble flying. Taking advantage of the momentum, he sprang up, reached back, and grabbed the bone spur at the end of the scale whip. Borrowing the beast's forward-charging force, he yanked backward with all his might.
The fourth-tier scaled beast lost its center of gravity, and its massive body stumbled forward, falling heavily. Lin Yan stepped onto the soft underbelly of the beast, pressing down with all his might, and simultaneously raised his hand, delivering a heavy punch directly into its eye socket.
Bang!
The scaled beast's eyeball burst. It let out a painful, agonizing shriek. The excruciating pain made it struggle madly, and the scale whip twisted violently. Lin Yan had no choice but to let go and quickly retreat. Having lost an eye, this fourth-tier scaled beast's combat power was greatly diminished, but it had not lost its combat instincts and still struggled to its feet to continue the pursuit.
Sensing that one of its guards was injured, the Ancient Progenitor's will grew even colder. It no longer pursued perfect coordination. Instead, it directly ordered the remaining three high-tier scaled beasts to attack at all costs. Even if they accidentally injured each other, they had to kill Lin Yan.
The fifth-tier scaled beast approached again. Lowering its head, it charged forward like an out-of-control battering ram.
Lin Yan no longer took the attacks head-on, constantly maneuvering and flanking. On the wasteland, a desperate chase and battle unfolded between one man and three beasts (plus the wounded, one-eyed fourth-tier). Every dodge and counterattack drained a massive amount of his stamina. His wounds continued to bleed, his body gradually grew cold, and his breathing became heavy. Maintaining his Sea of Consciousness perception constantly drained his mind as well. From time to time, faint auditory hallucinations created by the Ancient Progenitor echoed in his ears, interfering with his judgment.
Several times, the claws and fangs were only inches away from him. He survived by mere margins, relying entirely on the instincts tempered through years of life-and-death combat.
Far away on the city wall, all the defending troops noticed this breathtaking solo battle on the wasteland. Many soldiers, while fending off the scaled beasts climbing the walls, stole glances toward this direction, their hearts suspended in anxiety. Zhou Lin had already handed Jiang Tao over to the Imperial Guards. Supporting Old Chen, he led several cultivators who were still in decent condition to rush to his aid at full speed, the distance continuously shortening.
"Hold on a little longer!" Zhou Lin's roar was carried by the wind to Lin Yan's ears.
Catching sight of the approaching support team from the corner of his eye, Lin Yan felt a sense of relief, but he dared not relax in the slightest.
Just then, the fifth-tier scaled beast suddenly halted its charge, raising its head high. The Ancient Progenitor mobilized a massive amount of psychic power, using the fifth-tier scaled beast as a medium to condense a highly refined psychic spike. Locking onto Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness, it fired instantly!
This strike was no longer a widespread oppressive pressure, but a precise, single-point assassination specifically targeting the mind.
Lin Yan felt his mind violently explode. Darkness instantly swallowed his vision, and a severe wave of dizziness washed over him. He stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.
Right now!
Seizing the opportunity, the one-eyed fourth-tier scaled beast pounced at full speed, its sharp maw aiming directly for Lin Yan's neck!
End of Chapter.
