Chapter 112

"Holy Light Descend!"

The Holy Son shouted, and a dazzling white light shot from his hands, striking the Insect King hard.

The Insect King let out a shrill, miserable screech. A huge hole appeared in its carapace, and green fluid gushed out.

"It's effective!" Tang Yun felt a surge of joy.

However, before he could be happy for long, the Insect King stood up again. It roared in anger, and the aura around it became even more violent.

"Damn it! This creature's vitality is actually this tenacious!" The Holy Son's expression changed.

The Insect King lunged at Tang Yun and the others again, moving faster and with greater force than before.

"Tang Yun, get out of the way!" Lin Xiyue cried out.

Tang Yun hurriedly dodged, but the Insect King was simply too fast. He was still struck by one of its antennae, sent flying again, and crashed heavily to the ground.

"Pfft!"

Tang Yun spat out another mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale.

"Tang Yun!" Lin Xiyue shouted anxiously.

Tang Yun struggled to stand up, but his body was severely overdrawn, and he couldn't muster any strength at all.

"Damn this beast!" Tang Tian roared, pulling out the dagger at his waist and charging at the Insect King regardless of his own life.

The Holy Son grabbed him. "Are you crazy? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Tang Tian's eyes were red. "Are we just supposed to watch Tang Yun get killed by it?"

The Holy Son took a deep breath. "I'll hold it off; you take Tang Yun and Lin Xiyue and go first!"

After saying this, the Holy Son gathered his strength again, firing beams of holy light at the Insect King to temporarily force it back.

Tang Tian helped Tang Yun up and shouted to Lin Xiyue, "Quick, let's go!"

Lin Xiyue cast a worried glance at Tang Yun, gritted her teeth, and followed Tang Tian as they retreated.

Tang Yun's consciousness was blurred. He felt like a ragdoll being dragged along by Tang Tian, his ears filled with the whistling wind and the roars of the Insect King.

He struggled to open his eyes and saw the Holy Son fighting the Insect King alone, his figure swaying and on the verge of collapse, yet still resisting stubbornly.

"Holy Son..." Tang Yun called out weakly.

"Don't talk, save your strength!" Tang Tian interrupted him roughly. "The Holy Son can hold on; we have to get out of here quickly!"

Tang Yun felt a sense of powerlessness. He never expected that he would become a burden.

After running for who knows how long, the three finally arrived at a relatively safe cave.

Tang Tian gently laid Tang Yun down, and Lin Xiyue immediately took out medicine to bandage his wounds.

Tang Yun's injuries were severe; he had multiple fractures throughout his body, and his internal organs had also suffered from the shock.

"Tang Yun, how are you?" Lin Xiyue's voice was choked with sobs.

Tang Yun smiled weakly. "I won't die... *cough, cough*..."

Tang Tian punched the stone wall. "It's all my fault for being so useless! I couldn't protect you guys!"

Lin Xiyue shook her head. "It's not your fault; that Insect King was just too powerful."

Tang Yun caught his breath. "The Holy Son... how is he?"

Tang Tian and Lin Xiyue fell silent. They both knew that the Holy Son, having stayed behind to cover their retreat, was in grave danger.

Tang Yun struggled to sit up. "No, I have to go back and save him!"

"Are you crazy?" Tang Tian pressed him down. "In your current state, going back is just suicide!"

"But..."

"There are no 'buts'!" Lin Xiyue also said. "The Holy Son stayed behind to save us; we cannot let him down!"

Tang Yun gritted his teeth, his chest feeling as if a giant boulder were pressing down on it, making it hard to breathe. He struggled, wanting to push Tang Tian's hand away, but he couldn't muster any strength; his body was as weak as a pile of mud.

"Let go of me... I have to go back..." He squeezed the words out through his teeth, his voice as hoarse as a broken bellows.

Lin Xiyue's eyes were red, and tears welled up, but she held them back. She reached out and took Tang Yun's hand; the cold touch made her heart tremble.

"Tang Yun, I know you're worried about the Holy Son; we all are. But in your current condition, going back won't help; it will only distract the Holy Son, understand?" Lin Xiyue persuaded him softly, her tone filled with a hint of pleading.

Tang Tian also sighed, his tone softening slightly. "The Holy Son... he wouldn't want to see you like this. The best thing we can do now is recover as quickly as possible, and then find a way to avenge him!"

Tang Yun fell silent. He knew Tang Tian and Lin Xiyue were right, but he just couldn't get past that hurdle in his heart.

The Holy Son had faced that terrifying Insect King alone to save them, and his fate was unknown. How could he stay here and heal in peace?

The cave was silent, save for Tang Yun's heavy breathing and Lin Xiyue's sobbing.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the cave entrance, and the three of them immediately became alert.

"What's that sound?" Tang Tian gripped his dagger, his eyes fixed vigilantly on the entrance.

Lin Xiyue also leaned nervously against Tang Yun, clutching a short sword tightly in her hand.

The light at the entrance gradually dimmed, and a massive figure slowly appeared before the three of them.

"Holy Son?!" Tang Tian and Lin Xiyue exclaimed in unison.

The Holy Son was covered in blood, his clothes were in tatters, and his face was frighteningly pale, yet he walked into the cave step by step.

"You... you're still alive?" Tang Yun widened his eyes, unable to believe what was before him.

The Holy Son smiled weakly. "I'm tough; I won't die."

He stumbled and nearly fell, and Tang Tian hurriedly stepped forward to support him.

"What happened? What about the Insect King?" Tang Tian asked urgently.

The Holy Son took a deep breath and said slowly, "I... I lured it into a trap, and then... then I used all my strength to unleash a forbidden art, and only then did I manage to escape."

"Forbidden art?" Tang Tian and Lin Xiyue exchanged a look, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

They had heard a little about the forbidden art the Holy Son used; it was a taboo technique that required burning one's life force in exchange for immense power.

"You..." Lin Xiyue looked at the Holy Son's weak state, her heart aching. "You really don't care about your life!"

The Holy Son gave a bitter laugh. "In that situation, I had no choice. Rather than sit and wait for death, it was better to fight to the end."

Tang Yun's heart was filled with mixed emotions; he felt fortunate for the Holy Son's survival, yet guilty for his sacrifice.

"Holy Son, thank you." Tang Yun's voice was somewhat choked.

The Holy Son waved his hand. "Don't say that. We are a team; we should help each other."

He paused, then added, "However, although the Insect King was severely injured, it is not dead. I'm afraid... it will soon make a comeback."

"What?!" Tang Tian and Lin Xiyue's expressions changed drastically.

Tang Yun's heart also sank. He knew that an even more brutal battle was about to come...

Just then, the mysterious crystal in Tang Yun's hand suddenly emitted a dazzling light that illuminated the entire cave, and a powerful energy fluctuation radiated from the crystal.

This sudden turn of events left all three of them stunned.

The Holy Son's hand, which was supporting him against the stone wall, tightened, and a flash of confusion crossed his eyes.