Chapter 122: Mournful Song Echoes, Thorny Path Lost

The mournful drumbeats originating from the depths of Wang Ting were like the dying heartbeat of an ancient leviathan; every throb shook the rotting earth and struck fiercely against every soul. Emerald-gold light flickered stubbornly within Wang Ting's distorted outline, like an unyielding star struggling to burn beneath the shadows of annihilation.

The massive eyeball, condensed with the Doctor's will, was thoroughly enraged by this sudden turn of events! The black hole swirling deep within the pupil suddenly accelerated, its terrifying suction seeming ready to tear the entire sky asunder! More violent, more condensed dark-purple annihilation energy gathered wildly around the rift, forming countless twisted torrents of energy like giant pythons; no longer targeting Lin Mo alone, they rained down upon the emerald-gold light deep within Wang Ting!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The dark-purple annihilation torrents slammed fiercely into the writhing, entangled rotting giant vines and withered giant tree remains on Wang Ting's periphery! A deafening roar erupted! The purple-black energy and the emerald-gold protective light collided and dissolved violently! Vast swathes of the rotting structures were blown to smithereens, turning into burning ash filling the sky! The drumbeats from Wang Ting's depths instantly became frantic and painful, like a heart struck by a heavy hammer! That point of emerald-gold light flickered wildly, as if ready to extinguish at any moment!

"It's helping us! It's drawing the Doctor's fire!" Copperbeard reacted instantly, his single eye blazing with the light of survival in desperation. The Doctor's attention was completely drawn to the resistance force deep within Wang Ting; this was their only chance to infiltrate Wang Ting and find a sliver of hope!

"Xiang Lingna! Wrench! Help Lin Mo up! Stick close to me!" Copperbeard roared, his massive body unleashing its last strength. Ignoring the world-shattering energy clash overhead, he pointed his Rune Carving Knife toward the area temporarily cleared by the explosion near them within Wang Ting's direction—there, formed by countless massive rotting vines entangled like a gateway to hell, lay the "Root Gate"!

With Xiang Lingna and Wrench supporting him, Lin Mo struggled to his feet. The light from the Stardust Crystal on his chest had dimmed to the faintest degree, yet his eyes were exceptionally sharp, staring fixedly at that stubbornly flickering emerald-gold light deep within Wang Ting. He could feel that the will contained within that light was ancient and mournful, resonating strangely with the power of the stardust.

"Move!" Copperbeard led the charge, his massive figure rushing toward that chaotic area like a cannonball. Xiang Lingna and Wrench, supporting Lin Mo, followed closely behind.

Overhead, annihilation energy and protective light clashed wildly; the shockwaves of explosions kept surging, sweeping up burning ash and corrosive fragments. Underfoot, the rotting earth trembled violently, writhing like a living thing; every step felt like treading on rotting innards, with the ground ready to collapse or be swallowed by suddenly emerging corrupted roots.

Relying on the Dwarves' tough physique and instinctive intuition for terrain, Copperbeard struggled through the gaps between explosions and surging rotting vines. His Rune Carving Knife occasionally slashed out, severing small corrosive vines that suddenly attacked. Wrench used his creaking "Survival Arm" metal wrench to forcefully push aside burning debris blocking the path. Xiang Lingna gritted her teeth, supporting Lin Mo while trying to maintain the faint remnant of natural affinity within her body, attempting to soothe the restless earth beneath them, though the effect was negligible.

Finally, after perilously crossing an open area plowed open by explosions, they surged to the front of the "Root Gate" formed by countless massive rotting vines!

Up close, this gateway was even more horrifying. Every vine was as thick as an ancient tree, its surface covered with tumor-like growths oozing dark-purple pus and sharp bone spurs; they twisted and squeezed against each other wildly, forming a deep, winding passage entrance reeking of intense foulness and death. Deep within the passage lay absolute darkness and heart-stopping hissing.

"Go... go inside?" Wrench looked at the entrance, which resembled a giant beast's esophagus, his calves trembling.

"No choice!" Copperbeard gritted his teeth, his massive right hand gripping the Rune Carving Knife, and stepped first into that suffocating darkness! Xiang Lingna and Wrench exchanged a glance, supported Lin Mo, and forced themselves to follow inside.

Inside the passage was even more terrifying than outside. The "walls" formed by rotting vines seemed to slowly writhe and contract, emitting dizzying rotting spores. Underfoot lay slippery, sticky rotting moss, with steps deep and shallow. The air was thick with a strong stench of corpses and blood. Even more terrifying was the omnipresent sense of being watched in the darkness and the low, malicious hissing!

Copperbeard held the Rune Carving Knife before him; the faint emerald-green light flowing from its tip became the only guide in the darkness. Where the light reached, one could see the oozing pus on the vine walls and the occasional flash of scarlet eyes.

"Stay close! Don't touch anything!" Copperbeard warned in a low roar.

However, the mournful drumbeats and the anger of the protective will deep within the passage also seemed to anger the corrupted entities lurking there!

Ssshhhh—!

Several rotting tentacles, covered in suckers and splitting open at the ends like flowers to reveal countless tiny fangs, suddenly thrust out silently from the vines on the ceiling and sides! Moving as fast as lightning, they aimed straight for Xiang Lingna and Lin Mo in the middle of the group! Clearly, they had sensed these two targets with relatively pure life auras!

"Watch out!" Copperbeard roared, turning back, but it was too late!

Terrified, Xiang Lingna's small face turned deathly pale, and she instinctively closed her eyes!

Just at this critical moment—

Vmm!

The Stardust Crystal on Lin Mo's chest flared brightly! It was not an attack, but a faint yet extremely resilient field of order instantly expanded, like a translucent milky-white bubble, barely covering Xiang Lingna, Wrench, and himself!

Plop! Plop! Plop!

The rotting tentacles slammed fiercely against the stardust field! Although they failed to penetrate, the powerful impact caused the field to ripple violently, and Lin Mo spat out another mouthful of fresh blood! The surface of the field, stained by the corrosive slime on the tentacles, hissed!

"Get lost!" Copperbeard's eyes bulged with rage; the Rune Carving Knife, carrying emerald-green light, slashed down fiercely! The blade passed through, and several tentacles snapped off instantly! Foul-smelling pus splattered!

But more tentacles surged out from the darkness! At the same time, heavy, dense footsteps echoed from deep within the passage! In the darkness, pairs of scarlet eyes, filled with a violent aura, lit up!

"It's Corrupted Tree Spirits! Corrupted guards of Wang Ting!" Uncle Suolin's voice carried despair (he had followed in at some point, his condition extremely poor), "They've been awakened! There are many of them!"

Blocked ahead, pursued from behind, with writhing walls of corruption on both sides! They had fallen into a true desperate situation!

Overhead, the deafening clash between annihilation energy and protective light continued to echo, shaking loose rotting debris from the passage. Underfoot, amidst the shrieks of the Corrupted Tree Spirits, the mournful drumbeats sounded so faint, so distant...