Chapter 341: Consolidate the Line!

BOOM!

A thunderous roar erupted from the direction of Heihu, causing Lin Xian and the others rapidly constructing the railway to turn back—beneath the dark curtain, a colossal shadow loomed upward, while the communication channel filled with frantic screams.

"The Great Serpent!!"

"Run!!"

"Definitely S-class!"

Hearing the countless cries over the comms, Lin Xian's heart tightened—everyone else had seen the monstrous silhouette too; an overwhelming pressure surged, making breaths catch.

If it truly was S-class, Lin Xian knew his gravitational lens alone couldn't kill it—in Xilang City, tens of thousands of people, fortress defenses, and the Seventh Investigative Battalion, plus Unit-01, had barely slain one S-class scout; now they had only a few hundred train cars and a few thousand people.

So their only option was to rapidly concentrate firepower and form a defensive line—and meanwhile, if Lin Xian scanned the survivors pulled into the rear cars for Dark Markings, he could confirm the creature's true tier.

In critical moments, chaos must never break out.

"That's a huge bastard—we might be dead meat this time."

Shi Di, standing high above, stared coldly, his voice low—unusually pessimistic.

"Hah!"

Xiang Ningjing punched a twisted monster climbing up from beneath the train, shattering it—her fist's shockwave surged downward, then she landed beside Shi Di, grimly saying: "The front line must shrink immediately, or we'll be devoured all along the way!"

Shi Di nodded and immediately led his men onto the canopy of a towering tree, directing troop withdrawals under cover from several others.

With command now established, the retreating train columns gained clear direction.

The temporary railway track grew deeper as Lin Xian built it; his drones auto-engaged enemies while scanning terrain—he adjusted the track's curve along the burned forest zone, his Mechanical Heart spinning at max, each hand laying down a rail simultaneously; beside him stood the Infinity's Assault Group 1 and 2 as a protective formation, Kiki and Huo Ge fighting in the sky, the train's 1130 had emptied its fourth round of ammo, and as soon as the rail landed, Old Mo—face still bruised—led a team of engineers to drive in stakes and secure foundations, then the Infinity's iron wheels rolled forward again.

In the dark forest, artillery raged, flames blazed in all directions; from within the fire and the darkness, bizarre creatures kept emerging; on the Infinity's deck, the Hell Black Chrysanthemum flickered, its suppression gradually weakening the Dark Markings—but as more creatures poured out, the markings surged back, the pressure of battle mounting steadily.

Finally, the Ocean and Parrot cars, once submerged, reached land; black water poured endlessly from the ruined cars, along with monsters that had crawled inside—large, small, alien insects, black leeches, grotesque centipedes, thick as a swarm; the few survivors left in these two columns retreated with Hong Qiangwei's group toward the rear cars.

"Use flamethrowers—burn these things to death!!"

"We're nearing the assistant defense ring—hold the line!!"

Hundreds surrounded the trains, firing backward as they retreated; several psychics who charged into the forest to fight the creatures died within a few rounds—these two columns' main combat strength was nearly wiped out, leaving only dozens alive—barely functional.

"Huo Ge, Kiki—the rear is taking heavy losses, the horde may concentrate there—push outward!"

"Understood!" Hearing Lin Xian, Kiki and Huo Ge began pushing back; the rear train columns kept collapsing—this trend risked a chain reaction; it had to be stopped before a defensive line formed.

Shi Di realized this too, immediately ordering Ningjing to bring Xiaoqing and others to reinforce the rear; Bai Bai remained atop Longshan No. , releasing laser beams under guard.

Each sweep of the crimson laser reduced pressure on that sector—it was Longshan No. 's ultimate weapon!

The rear train columns, now mostly dead and powerless, were covered in aquatic weeds and grotesque tentacles, a horrifying sight.

RUMBLE—suddenly, a crushing, boiling noise erupted from the swamp; all saw a colossal shadow crash forward like a mountain, flattening trees, its blue scales glinting coldly; its massive writhing body filled them with terror; under the night, their gunfire revealed only a gaping maw lined with countless sharp teeth.

"Watch out!!"

"It's that snake!"

"Full fire!"

"Rocket launchers—ready!"

BOOM BOOM BOOM—the rear train columns unleashed all firepower at the charging black giant; explosions lit the air; in the flickering light, they saw the abyssal serpent's mouth—its head bore hundreds of crimson eyes, arranged from large to small, each gleaming coldly; all who met their gaze felt their spines chill, some went momentarily blank, minds fracturing.

"Don't look into its eyes!!!"

"Fire Fist!"

Kiki and Huo Ge's voices rang out from the sky—suddenly, a torrent of crimson fire rained down; simultaneously, invisible psychic force wrapped Lu Xingchen's superheated flames into a spiraling vortex, instantly forming a colossal hurricane; the burning fireball merged into the cyclone, becoming a crimson fire tornado over a hundred meters wide and hundreds of meters tall!

This combo wasn't new—they'd done it before; it amplified Huo Ge's fire range and temperature to terrifying levels; now, above the dark forest, a colossal fire tornado nearly lit the entire sky, incinerating every tree within hundreds of meters, while countless bizarre creatures screamed and twisted inside.

The onrushing blue serpent's head was swallowed by the tornado; the searing heat threatened it—it suddenly whipped its body, covered in blue scales and grotesque coral spines, unleashing a shockwave of dark, invasive mist that slammed backward, forcing the fire tornado toward the trains.

Seeing this, Kiki immediately dropped all silver blades, pushing her psychic force forward to hold the tornado.

At that moment, Ningjing and Xiaoqing arrived at full speed from either side, both in powered armor, leg thrusters cycling, leaping over trees, charging straight to the serpent's front, attacking its head from below.

"Hah!"

Ningjing unleashed full power, raising her right fist and smashing it into the blue serpent's jaw scales—her powered armor's hand guards shattered instantly; the blow cratered a two-meter-wide dark red wound into the serpent's flesh, scales exploding outward.

On the other side, Xiaoqing's jet-hook latched onto a twisted coral spine on the serpent's head; she swung rapidly, reversed her gun-blade, and slashed downward from head to body, sparks and lightning trailing—her alloy blade vibrated violently, carving through scales and flesh.

But the serpent was too massive—their steel-shattering attacks seemed to barely trouble it; instead, its constant black mist, thick with invasive force, forced the Longshan squad reinforcements to retreat.

SSSHHH!

At that moment, Lu Xingchen shot out of the fire tornado like a fiery meteor, staring down at the blue serpent—only one segment of its body already stretched over a kilometer—his gaze sharpened.

"Demon, face my Heavenfire!"

ZZZZZ—Infinity Ring spun rapidly, blue flame spiraling into his hands; Lu Xingchen gripped his right hand with his left, condensing a superheated fireball in his right palm.

"Divine·Flame Sword!"

Lu Xingchen extended his right hand as a sword finger, accelerating the jetting flame into a spiral; in half a breath, he launched a sixty-meter-long superheated fire blade, its core blue-white, ejecting countless Mach rings.

Then—BOOM!

A massive sonic boom exploded.

The fire blade struck the serpent's head instantly, piercing its lower jaw, leaving a charred hole; he tried to steer it—but the recoil hurled him skyward; Kiki caught him with her psychic power; Lu Xingchen steadied his wrist, flicked his sword-finger, and the jetting blade sliced violently toward the serpent's head!

But the instant the serpent was wounded, dozens of its side eyes erupted crimson light; coral spines on its body spewed thick red dust, which twisted into a thin shell enveloping its entire body—Lu Xingchen's fire blade met no resistance; the heat vanished instantly.

"What the hell is that? A shield?" Kiki stared, stunned; everyone was baffled—it wasn't blocked, wasn't hit, yet the heat simply disappeared.

At that moment, all saw a terrifying sight: the blue serpent was now wrapped in thick crimson mist, its massive body coiling through the dark forest, appearing like a grotesque evil spirit—chilling to the bone.

"Fall back!"

Seeing their attack failed, Ningjing immediately ordered Xiaoqing to retreat; Kiki pulled Huo Ge back rapidly.

SWISH SWISH SWISH~

The crimson giant serpent began slithering forward, circling around the railway the united trains had laid, drifting into the distant forest—its intent clear: it viewed the entire united train as a doomed prey, circling, waiting for the killing strike.

Seeing this, Kiki knew it was bad—she immediately told Lin Xian:

"That giant serpent wants to encircle us."

"I see it!"

Lin Xian's drones scanned every angle; his brain and Mechanical Heart spun at full speed; as the defensive perimeter shrank, the black mist's visibility now let him see every detail of the battlefield.

"Keep watching it—the line is closing!"

Meanwhile, Chen Sixuan and Sun Yuzhen arrived at the rear train line with the Hell Black Chrysanthemum.

"Lin Xian, they've all been marked Level 4—so it's not S-class!" Chen Sixuan shouted over comms.

At that moment, Chen Sixuan's words gave Lin Xian and Shi Di and the others a sliver of relief—human judgment might fail, but Dark Marking density never lied; regardless of how tiers were defined, this blue lake serpent clearly didn't reach the level of the Cloud Black Thorns—this battle, they might actually survive!

At this point, Lin Xian, who'd been laying track nonstop, finally formed a circular rail position—but he didn't complete a full circle; from the start, he'd ordered Longshan No. 's rail-laying machine to lay an inner ring in the opposite direction; now, by disconnecting the united train mid-section and having Longshan No. pull the inner section inward, the double-layered train position formed rapidly, saving half the time and preventing the ring from becoming too large.

As predicted, the two sections, weaving in intersecting arcs, quickly formed a spiral train position; weaker and heavily damaged rear columns were pulled into the inner ring; the main force and heaviest firepower remained on the outer ring; once crowds retreated into the central area, the two train lines became iron barriers, giving over a thousand survivors a profound sense of safety; after closing, the fire-scorched interior became a temporary refuge in this terrifying night, while all threats and hordes encircled the kilometer-wide circular train position.

Since the Ocean and Parrot cars were completely shattered, filled with bizarre creatures, for safety, Lin Xian detached and abandoned all thirty-plus cars of both trains, then began consuming their living compartments for materials.

When the waterlogged cars were consumed, countless soaked supplies and hidden creatures burst out—immediately slaughtered by survivors standing ready around them; the supplies were then gathered and distributed by the remaining crew of both columns, then hastily loaded onto other trains.

Under these conditions, the train crews no longer saw divisions—they all staked their lives on the same line; Lin Xian gained material replenishment.

With the temporary double-spiral train position formed, hundreds of train cars locked together like a mechanical dragon; the advantage of human clustering began to emerge!

"All train columns, defend by sector—powered armor users and psychics hold the front, other fighters stay behind, watch for aerial targets!" Lin Xian shouted orders.

"Internal staff rescue supplies, retreat to camp; each column move ammo forward, cross-load firearms!"

"Luo Yang, lead a team to set up high-voltage arc walls!"

"Understood!"

Luo Yang immediately led his team into action.

"We'll help too!" Other train columns' defense-trap technicians also sprang into motion.

SHHH—Mo Nika's howling sword carved a deep trench across the frontline, then ordered: "Ignite the flame trenches!"

"Yes!" Her team was highly experienced.

Golden flashes streaked along the perimeter; Qian Dele's face smeared with unknown creature fragments, coldly said: "Xiao Meng, thermite grenades!"

BOOM!

Napalm and thermite cascades ignited into white-hot hells, blazing blinding light along the frontline; the burning trenches drastically weakened the monsters' assault from the dark forest.

All rooftop cannons, machine guns, and missiles turned their fire outward; within an hour, these survivors had rapidly consolidated their line; when hundreds of train cars formed a circular defense roughly seven kilometers in diameter and two kilometers wide, the survivors finally had a back to rely on.

Elite fighters battled at the front under heavy vehicle fire; support teams climbed atop trains to operate machine guns and autocannons, suppressing bizarre creatures from the dark forest; anti-aircraft guns and aerial machine guns rained fire into the sky; the circular defense held firm, crushing every approaching creature with a metal storm, holding them back hundreds of meters!

"Fuck you, whatever you are—if you're carbon-based, nothing my 12. can't shatter!" A burly man atop a train screamed, wielding a Gatling gun.

"Hold steady, brothers—they won't break through!"

"Bring the wounded inside!"

"Burn the entire slope with incendiaries—stop them from climbing!"

On the Infinity's frontline, Sha Sha piloted the Fire God at the very front; while Liang Lei led the core assault team, tightly guarding all twenty-seven cars of the Infinity.

"Kill kill kill!!" The Fire God roared, explosions erupting constantly; Sha Sha now operated her mech with growing mastery; the gruff assault team members stared in shock at this girl piloting a mech at the front.

"This girl's amazing!"

On the open ground inside the line, dozens of train columns' internal staff hastily set up supply lines; wounded and rescued supplies were carried into train cars for treatment; every column moved ammo forward; no matter which direction, if someone shouted "out of ammo," someone from behind rushed to deliver more; many young boys and girls ran tirelessly, helping carry supplies, collecting every bullet casing from the battlefield.

BOOM BOOM BOOM.

Above the circular iron line, anti-aircraft guns, vehicle-mounted howitzers, anti-air cannons, railguns, 1130s, rocket launchers, and missiles formed a dense crossfire net, tearing the night sky into a tattered tapestry of crimson and deep blue; outside the line, all were clad in Yijincheng powered armor or powerful psychics—some wielding heavy machine guns and plasma flamethrowers, others wielding high-energy cutting weapons, using psychic power to directly resist charging bizarre creatures.

DING!

On the Infinity, the 1130's roar shredded a swarm of bat-like bizarre creatures into a rain of flesh.

Lin Xian continuously decomposed and consumed the Ocean and Parrot cars; his current goal was purely material—ammo production; fully automatic bullet-pressing machines spun wildly; recovered shell casings piled up and were immediately recycled; all around him, the deafening roar of guns and screams filled his ears.

Along the several-kilometer stretch from the lake to the line, the united train's dead numbered at least five hundred—this occurred in under two hours; the brutality of this ambush was undeniable.

However, after the train line was established, casualty numbers stabilized, as overwhelming firepower suppressed the mysterious entities within a hundred meters of the train line.

At this point, the survivors gradually adapted to the terror of the violent dark assault; the mysterious entities in this dark forest were not numerous, but profoundly unpredictable—vast numbers of unknown large mysterious entities and hard-to-defend tiny monsters caught the combined train survivors off guard. Their bizarre toxins and gases, unpredictable attack patterns—all of these mysterious entities were things Lin Xian and the others had never encountered before. This was not a matter of rank.

Even a C-class mysterious entity, with its unknown attack methods, remained a massive threat.

Another reason casualties did not escalate was the thousand sets of Lone Wolf S tactical power armor—its advanced battlefield situational awareness systems, radar systems, and defensive capabilities gave each convoy a core group of fighters capable of holding back the first wave of assaults, preventing deaths from collapsing like a landslide.

On Lin Xian's end, he had become the core of the entire defensive line—the 【production base】—acting like a mobile spring, endlessly supplying firepower for thousands.

Countless bullets, materials, explosives, and electric nets were manufactured in batches; Li Yi and Old Mo led a group of support staff and children inside the cars, constantly ferrying supplies to the front lines. Little Tian and Little Le worked tirelessly, as if completely unfazed by this world teeming with dark monsters.

Even five-year-old Duoduo now crawled on the ground with other children, picking up scorching-hot shell casings sliding off the car roofs and expertly stuffing them into small buckets in their hands.

Lin Xian watched this scene with a complex expression. These children were too young—he truly hesitated to let them leave the carriages and do such work. Just as he was about to call Li Yi to bring them back, he suddenly frowned.

The dark assault here was so severe, yet none of the children had undergone transformation—the worst cases were only fainting and vomiting.

Could children's spiritual strength be stronger than adults'?

The thought flashed through Lin Xian's mind and vanished. At that moment, Chen Sixuan's voice came through his headset: "Lin Xian, the giant snake is approaching!"

Lin Xian shot to his feet. He had held back from direct combat precisely to manufacture ammunition while waiting for this thing to appear. He immediately called out the strongest psychics from the convoys: "Kiki, Fire Brother, Qian Dele, Mo Nika, Shi Di, Xiang Ningjing—bring Bai Bai. Let's move together to stop that giant snake!"

Everything hinged on this moment. Lin Xian didn't know if he could eradicate all the mysterious entities in this endless dark forest—but as long as that giant serpent, cloaked in crimson mist, circled nearby, none of them could escape the fate of being marked Level 4 and annihilated.

(End of Chapter)