Chapter 103: Echoes in the Ruins, Post-Battle Review
The smoke slowly dissipated over the wasteland, but the pungent stench, mingled with the smells of gunpowder and soil, lingered in the air for a long time.
The collapsed mouth of the massive rift was piled high with mountains of boulders. Faint, cold underground air was still seeping out from the gaps between the rocks. The Ancient Progenitor had fled deep into the rock strata, and the passage was completely sealed by massive stones; it was impossible to excavate and pursue in the short term. Zhou Lin stood in front of the pile of rubble, silently gazing at the devastated battlefield. His combat uniform was torn with rips, and the wound on his chest was still seeping blood.
"Do not send anyone to drill recklessly," Zhou Lin instructed in a deep voice to the communications officer who had rushed to his side. "Although the Ancient Progenitor is severely wounded, there are still remnants of its race and pre-set traps underground. Forcing our way in will only result in senseless deaths. Cordon off the rift area first, deploy detection equipment, and continuously monitor the psychic fluctuations underground."
"Understood!" The communications officer immediately turned to relay the orders.
On the wasteland, the roars of the surviving scaled beasts gradually thinned out. Without the coordination of the psychic network, the scattered beast herds fled in all directions. Some were wiped out by the artillery fire from the city walls, while others escaped into the distant wilderness. The bastion's defending troops went out of the city in batches, forming small squads to hunt down the stragglers, while simultaneously rescuing the wounded and collecting the bodies of their fallen comrades.
Stretchers arrived one after another, continuously transporting the wounded from the wasteland to the field hospital inside Panshi City. The scattered corpses of the scaled beasts were centrally marked for subsequent harmless incineration to prevent their corrosive blood from contaminating the soil and water sources.
Jiang Tao leaned against the shoulder of an Imperial Guard warrior, his face still pale. The trauma to his Sea of Consciousness would require long-term rest. He looked toward Lin Yan, his voice laced with exhaustion, "I really can't believe it... We actually managed to disrupt the Ancient Progenitor's twenty-five-year plan."
Old Chen leaned on his long knife, the bandages wrapped around his chest already soaked through with blood. Looking at Lin Yan, he let out a heavy sigh, "Kid, if it weren't for you today, Panshi City would have fallen."
Lin Yan gently shook his head and looked down at his own wound-covered hands. The torn wound on his palm had been simply bandaged, and his arms and shoulders were covered with scratches of varying depths. His muscles ached all over, and after completely exhausting his fourth-tier Sea of Consciousness, his brain felt heavy and dizzy.
"It's not my achievement alone." Lin Yan's gaze swept across the fallen soldiers and Imperial Guards on the wasteland. "The defense line was fought for by everyone. The Ancient Progenitor only escaped with severe injuries; the foundation of its race is still underground. The crisis is far from over."
Zhou Lin walked over, his expression grave.
"You're right," Zhou Lin nodded. "This heavy blow only disrupted its current general offensive plan. There are still a large number of lizardfolk, lesser priests, and countless fully cultivated scaled beast eggs underground. Having fled back to the deep rock strata, the Ancient Progenitor will definitely lie low to recuperate, accumulate strength, and wait for the next opportunity. The six major bastions must not lower their guard."
As they spoke, the group made their way back to Panshi City. The atmosphere beneath the city gates was oppressive and complex. The surviving soldiers were covered in blood and grime; some slumped against the base of the city wall, silently gasping for air, while others mourned their fallen comrades in low voices. There was no triumphant celebration, only the heavy weight of having narrowly escaped death. In this great battle, Panshi City had paid an extremely heavy price in casualties.
The temporary war zone command center soon convened an emergency post-battle review meeting. Lin Yan, Zhou Lin, Jiang Tao, and Old Chen attended together. A massive sand table was spread out in the center of the long table, clearly marked with the wasteland rift, the distribution of the six bastions, and the estimated model of the underground tunnels.
The operations staff officer pulled up the monitoring data for the entire beast tide and began the briefing:
"During this general offensive, the Ancient Progenitor deployed over 170,000 scaled beasts, including a total of 42 high-tier scaled beasts. The statistics for our frontline killed and severely wounded are still being updated, but the estimated loss exceeds 30% of our frontline combat personnel. Psychic monitoring records confirm that the Ancient Progenitor built a domain-wide network relying on its psychic tentacles, treating all scaled beasts as its own limbs. This is the fundamental reason for the beast tide's extremely high level of coordination."
Another intelligence officer added supplementary information:
"We extracted tissue samples from the dead scaled beasts and also compiled archives left over from early rift explorations. The Ancient Progenitor lizardfolk race has an extremely long lifespan and slow reproduction rate, but their individual combat power and Sea of Consciousness talent far surpass those of humans. When the rift erupted twenty-five years ago, they did not appear out of thin air; they are an ancient race that has long inhabited the depths of the earth's crust. In their perception, humans are intruders who broke into this land."
Zhou Lin lightly tapped the edge of the sand table with his fingertip, "This time, we found a critical weakness—its psychic network is extremely dependent on the main trunk tentacle. Once the main trunk is damaged, the domain-wide control is instantly paralyzed. But the drawback is equally obvious: as long as the main trunk remains intact, it can simultaneously mobilize hundreds of thousands of scaled beasts for coordinated combat. Next time, it will definitely improve this system and stop exposing its core link externally."
Everyone's gaze fell upon Lin Yan simultaneously.
"Lin Yan," Zhou Lin spoke up, "You just broke through to the fourth tier of the Sea of Consciousness and played a decisive role in this final battle. The war zone has two paths for you to choose from. First, enter the war zone's core cultivation research institute to undergo systematic, in-depth Sea of Consciousness training, and work with top cultivators to study tactics against the underground alien race. Second, remain in the frontline combat squad, leading a team to execute rift reconnaissance and field eradication missions."
Lin Yan fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking:
"I choose the frontline. The research at the institute is important, but the threat underground is real. I need to continue honing myself in actual combat and learn more about the lizardfolk's fighting methods. Only by being on the front lines can I find more ways to counter them."
Zhou Lin was not surprised and nodded slightly, "Alright. I will make arrangements to reorganize your squad and add new members. Jiang Tao's Sea of Consciousness is injured and requires at least several months of rest; Old Chen's wounds are also severe, and he will need to be hospitalized for treatment. In the short term, they will be unable to accompany you on high-risk missions."
Lin Yan understood completely. His partners who had fought side by side to the death needed to recover; for the time being, he would be welcoming new teammates.
The meeting ended as night had already fallen over Panshi City. Lights flickered to life one by one throughout the city, and busy medical staff and engineering crews repairing fortifications could be seen everywhere on the streets. In the distance, sporadic gunfire still echoed from the wasteland, as the work of wiping out the remaining beasts continued.
Lin Yan climbed to the top of the city wall alone. The evening breeze carried the lingering scent of gunpowder as he gazed deep into the wasteland, toward the massive rift sealed by rubble.
The Ancient Progenitor's hateful will still lingered in his mind, impossible to shake.
My race will not perish, and the rift will not close.
This battle had saved Panshi City and repelled the Ancient Progenitor's general offensive. But in the darkness underground, hatred was settling, and the alien race would rebuild its strength. Humanity's war was far from reaching its end.
Lin Yan raised his hand, gently tracing the blade of his short knife.
He had come from the deep mountains, originally only seeking a place to stand. But now, he was already at the forefront of humanity's war against the underground alien race.
The next storm was merely a matter of time.
End of Chapter.
The collapsed mouth of the massive rift was piled high with mountains of boulders. Faint, cold underground air was still seeping out from the gaps between the rocks. The Ancient Progenitor had fled deep into the rock strata, and the passage was completely sealed by massive stones; it was impossible to excavate and pursue in the short term. Zhou Lin stood in front of the pile of rubble, silently gazing at the devastated battlefield. His combat uniform was torn with rips, and the wound on his chest was still seeping blood.
"Do not send anyone to drill recklessly," Zhou Lin instructed in a deep voice to the communications officer who had rushed to his side. "Although the Ancient Progenitor is severely wounded, there are still remnants of its race and pre-set traps underground. Forcing our way in will only result in senseless deaths. Cordon off the rift area first, deploy detection equipment, and continuously monitor the psychic fluctuations underground."
"Understood!" The communications officer immediately turned to relay the orders.
On the wasteland, the roars of the surviving scaled beasts gradually thinned out. Without the coordination of the psychic network, the scattered beast herds fled in all directions. Some were wiped out by the artillery fire from the city walls, while others escaped into the distant wilderness. The bastion's defending troops went out of the city in batches, forming small squads to hunt down the stragglers, while simultaneously rescuing the wounded and collecting the bodies of their fallen comrades.
Stretchers arrived one after another, continuously transporting the wounded from the wasteland to the field hospital inside Panshi City. The scattered corpses of the scaled beasts were centrally marked for subsequent harmless incineration to prevent their corrosive blood from contaminating the soil and water sources.
Jiang Tao leaned against the shoulder of an Imperial Guard warrior, his face still pale. The trauma to his Sea of Consciousness would require long-term rest. He looked toward Lin Yan, his voice laced with exhaustion, "I really can't believe it... We actually managed to disrupt the Ancient Progenitor's twenty-five-year plan."
Old Chen leaned on his long knife, the bandages wrapped around his chest already soaked through with blood. Looking at Lin Yan, he let out a heavy sigh, "Kid, if it weren't for you today, Panshi City would have fallen."
Lin Yan gently shook his head and looked down at his own wound-covered hands. The torn wound on his palm had been simply bandaged, and his arms and shoulders were covered with scratches of varying depths. His muscles ached all over, and after completely exhausting his fourth-tier Sea of Consciousness, his brain felt heavy and dizzy.
"It's not my achievement alone." Lin Yan's gaze swept across the fallen soldiers and Imperial Guards on the wasteland. "The defense line was fought for by everyone. The Ancient Progenitor only escaped with severe injuries; the foundation of its race is still underground. The crisis is far from over."
Zhou Lin walked over, his expression grave.
"You're right," Zhou Lin nodded. "This heavy blow only disrupted its current general offensive plan. There are still a large number of lizardfolk, lesser priests, and countless fully cultivated scaled beast eggs underground. Having fled back to the deep rock strata, the Ancient Progenitor will definitely lie low to recuperate, accumulate strength, and wait for the next opportunity. The six major bastions must not lower their guard."
As they spoke, the group made their way back to Panshi City. The atmosphere beneath the city gates was oppressive and complex. The surviving soldiers were covered in blood and grime; some slumped against the base of the city wall, silently gasping for air, while others mourned their fallen comrades in low voices. There was no triumphant celebration, only the heavy weight of having narrowly escaped death. In this great battle, Panshi City had paid an extremely heavy price in casualties.
The temporary war zone command center soon convened an emergency post-battle review meeting. Lin Yan, Zhou Lin, Jiang Tao, and Old Chen attended together. A massive sand table was spread out in the center of the long table, clearly marked with the wasteland rift, the distribution of the six bastions, and the estimated model of the underground tunnels.
The operations staff officer pulled up the monitoring data for the entire beast tide and began the briefing:
"During this general offensive, the Ancient Progenitor deployed over 170,000 scaled beasts, including a total of 42 high-tier scaled beasts. The statistics for our frontline killed and severely wounded are still being updated, but the estimated loss exceeds 30% of our frontline combat personnel. Psychic monitoring records confirm that the Ancient Progenitor built a domain-wide network relying on its psychic tentacles, treating all scaled beasts as its own limbs. This is the fundamental reason for the beast tide's extremely high level of coordination."
Another intelligence officer added supplementary information:
"We extracted tissue samples from the dead scaled beasts and also compiled archives left over from early rift explorations. The Ancient Progenitor lizardfolk race has an extremely long lifespan and slow reproduction rate, but their individual combat power and Sea of Consciousness talent far surpass those of humans. When the rift erupted twenty-five years ago, they did not appear out of thin air; they are an ancient race that has long inhabited the depths of the earth's crust. In their perception, humans are intruders who broke into this land."
Zhou Lin lightly tapped the edge of the sand table with his fingertip, "This time, we found a critical weakness—its psychic network is extremely dependent on the main trunk tentacle. Once the main trunk is damaged, the domain-wide control is instantly paralyzed. But the drawback is equally obvious: as long as the main trunk remains intact, it can simultaneously mobilize hundreds of thousands of scaled beasts for coordinated combat. Next time, it will definitely improve this system and stop exposing its core link externally."
Everyone's gaze fell upon Lin Yan simultaneously.
"Lin Yan," Zhou Lin spoke up, "You just broke through to the fourth tier of the Sea of Consciousness and played a decisive role in this final battle. The war zone has two paths for you to choose from. First, enter the war zone's core cultivation research institute to undergo systematic, in-depth Sea of Consciousness training, and work with top cultivators to study tactics against the underground alien race. Second, remain in the frontline combat squad, leading a team to execute rift reconnaissance and field eradication missions."
Lin Yan fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking:
"I choose the frontline. The research at the institute is important, but the threat underground is real. I need to continue honing myself in actual combat and learn more about the lizardfolk's fighting methods. Only by being on the front lines can I find more ways to counter them."
Zhou Lin was not surprised and nodded slightly, "Alright. I will make arrangements to reorganize your squad and add new members. Jiang Tao's Sea of Consciousness is injured and requires at least several months of rest; Old Chen's wounds are also severe, and he will need to be hospitalized for treatment. In the short term, they will be unable to accompany you on high-risk missions."
Lin Yan understood completely. His partners who had fought side by side to the death needed to recover; for the time being, he would be welcoming new teammates.
The meeting ended as night had already fallen over Panshi City. Lights flickered to life one by one throughout the city, and busy medical staff and engineering crews repairing fortifications could be seen everywhere on the streets. In the distance, sporadic gunfire still echoed from the wasteland, as the work of wiping out the remaining beasts continued.
Lin Yan climbed to the top of the city wall alone. The evening breeze carried the lingering scent of gunpowder as he gazed deep into the wasteland, toward the massive rift sealed by rubble.
The Ancient Progenitor's hateful will still lingered in his mind, impossible to shake.
My race will not perish, and the rift will not close.
This battle had saved Panshi City and repelled the Ancient Progenitor's general offensive. But in the darkness underground, hatred was settling, and the alien race would rebuild its strength. Humanity's war was far from reaching its end.
Lin Yan raised his hand, gently tracing the blade of his short knife.
He had come from the deep mountains, originally only seeking a place to stand. But now, he was already at the forefront of humanity's war against the underground alien race.
The next storm was merely a matter of time.
End of Chapter.
