Chapter 113: Gray Film Spreads, Sanctuary Barrier

Uncle Suolin's body convulsed violently like a fish out of water, curling up in agony on the ground. From the wound on his back, purple-black rotting energy erupted like a volcano, madly spreading upward! The torn leather armor sizzled as it was corroded, and dark purple vein-like patterns crawled up along his withered gray hair, swiftly covering half his face! The silver-gray right eye had a dilated pupil, veiled over with a cold, deathly gray film! From his mouth came an incoherent howl, a mix of agony and destructive desire!

"Pin him down!" Copper Beard reacted in a flash, roaring as his massive body lunged forward, using his only remaining right arm to clamp down hard on Uncle Suolin's wildly thrashing upper body! The terrifying strength of the dwarf exploded, pressing Uncle Suolin firmly against the cold ground.

"Xiang Lingna! Glowmoss! Life energy!" Copper Beard bellowed. The life energy contained in the glowmoss could temporarily soothe the corruption—he had just seen that.

Xiang Lingna's little face went deathly pale, but her movements were quick. She snatched up a large handful of the thickest, greenest glowmoss, rushed to Uncle Suolin's side, and pressed it hard against the half of his face covered by the gray film and the edges of his wildly pulsing wound!

Hiss—!

Like cold water splashed into boiling oil! The emerald life energy radiating from the glowmoss clashed violently with the wildly spreading rot! Uncle Suolin let out an even more piercing scream, his body thrashing even harder! From the skin and wound covered by the glowmoss, large amounts of purple-black smoke billowed out; the spread of the gray film seemed slightly curbed, but the glowmoss leaves themselves were also rapidly withering and turning black!

"Wrench! The sharp tube! Stab his wound! Drain out the black blood!" Copper Beard's forehead veins bulged, his single eye bloodshot. He recalled the experience of dealing with the corruption inside Lin Mo—the accumulated rot energy had to be released!

Wrench was stunned for a moment by this sudden turn of events, only snapping back when he heard the order. He let out a strange cry, raised his "Survival Arm," and drove the sharpened thorn-steel tip of the conduit viciously into the spot on Uncle Suolin's back wound where the purple-black energy was thickest!

Puchi!

Dark purple, viscous pus and blood spurted out like a fountain! A nauseating stench of decay instantly filled the air!

"Ugh—ah—!" Uncle Suolin's body arched up like a shrimp, letting out an inhuman shriek of agony. But as the filthy pus and blood drained out, the deathly gray film in his eyes seemed to fade a fraction, and the strength of his thrashing weakened somewhat.

"The altar! Quick! Drag him to the altar!" Taking advantage of the gap when Uncle Suolin's strength gave out, Copper Beard and Wrench together, dragging and hauling, pulled the blood-soaked, continuously convulsing elven ranger toward the Life Altar.

Xiang Lingna followed the whole way, constantly pressing fresh glowmoss onto Uncle Suolin's wound and the spreading gray film, her little face turning pale from the drain on her strength.

Working together, the three finally dragged Uncle Suolin to the edge bathed in the altar's light.

Hum—!

The emerald light orb of the Life Altar seemed to sense the approaching, powerful rot corruption, and suddenly blazed with intense radiance! A gentle breath of life surged toward Uncle Suolin like a tide, wrapping him within!

Sizzle sizzle sizzle—!

An even fiercer sound of dissolution rang out! The gray film spreading over Uncle Suolin's body and the purple-black energy welling from his wound, as if meeting its bane, rapidly evaporated and dispersed under the altar's light! The bulging vein-like patterns beneath his skin also quickly smoothed back down.

Uncle Suolin stopped convulsing, collapsing to the ground as if utterly drained, gasping for breath in great gulps. The deathly gray film in his eyes had completely faded, leaving only extreme agony and the blankness of a narrow escape. Though the wound on his back remained gruesome, at least that terrifying rot energy had been temporarily suppressed.

"Hah… hah…" Copper Beard was also thoroughly exhausted, a piercing agony shooting from his severed arm. He looked at Uncle Suolin, temporarily stabilized under the altar's light, but felt not the slightest ease in his heart.

Uncle Suolin's corruption ran too deep! The Rot Claw's power was like a bone-burrowing maggot, deeply rooted in his flesh and soul. The altar's light could only suppress, not eradicate. And the eruption just now was clearly because Uncle Suolin's emotional turmoil and weakened state had given the corruption an opening.

What alarmed him even more was that when Uncle Suolin erupted just now, that intense aura of decay seemed to have… pierced through the Thorn Wall's shielding?!

Just as alarm bells were ringing wildly in Copper Beard's mind—

Hum… hum… hum…

The entire stone chamber—no, the entire Sanctuary Haven—suddenly, without warning, began to tremble faintly but continuously! The flowing blue-gold runes on the walls flared blindingly bright in an instant, emitting urgent humming! The light orb of the Life Altar also flickered violently!

Copper Beard felt a surge of strong, warning-like energy fluctuations from the stump of his severed arm! Countless cold shards of elven意念 burst into his consciousness like exploding hail:

【…Warning…external energy impact…】

【…Thorn Wall…under erosion…】

【…Energy source…corruption resonance…】

【…Locating…attempting…locking on…】

It's the Doctor! It must be the Doctor! Uncle Suolin's eruption of corruption just now, like a flare in the dark night, had exposed the Sanctuary's location! The Doctor was using some method, using the rot corruption inside Uncle Suolin as a medium, to forcefully冲击 and locate the Thorn Sanctuary!

"Damn it!" Copper Beard roared, immediately focusing his entire will, channeling the energy of the Root Furnace, madly pouring it into the core node of the Thorn Wall! The rune light on the altar's base surged, and that hidden, thorn-patterned pale green halo reappeared, becoming much more solid, stubbornly resisting the invisible assault!

The trembling of the stone chamber and the humming of the runes weakened slightly, but did not stop! It was as if an invisible giant hand were outside, constantly tearing at the Sanctuary's protective barrier!

Uncle Suolin seemed to sense something too, his silver-gray eyes filled with terror and despair: "…They've… found us… It's…the Rot Claw Will… resonating…"

Wrench was so scared he shrank against Xiang Lingna, hugging his "Survival Arm" and trembling. Xiang Lingna pressed close to the altar, her little face deathly pale, at a loss.

Copper Beard's single eye was bloodshot, every muscle in his body bulging, like a giant holding back a collapsing mountain. He could feel the Thorn Wall's energy draining at terrifying speed! The Root Furnace's output was already nearing its limit! At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the barrier was breached!

He had to counterattack! He had to sever the connection the Doctor had established through the corruption inside Uncle Suolin!

His gaze, like a cold blade, fell upon the elven ranger collapsed on the ground, his breath faint and failing.