Chapter 210

Inside the crystal cavern, time seemed to have lost its flow, marked only by the slow-moving luminescence within the massive, colorful crystal clusters, silently signaling the passage of moments. The air, thick with inert energy, brought a tranquil stillness, yet also a profound isolation. Though temporarily freed from the scavengers’ pursuit, the shadow of the Devouring Maw’s corruption clung like a malignant tumor beneath the pure crystal tree, silently reminding them that danger had not departed.

Ellie carefully placed Liyana beside a warm, crimson crystal that emitted gentle heat, its energy slightly alleviating the icy erosion within her body, yet the wounds on her ribs and shoulder remained grotesque, black veins slowly writhing beneath her skin, each breath drawn with suppressed agony. She leaned against the crystal, eyes closed, meditating like a crouched leopard—even in rest, she maintained maximum alertness, ears tuned to every unusual sound within the cavern.

Lingna sat exhausted on the ground, carefully inspecting the cracks in her right arm. The emerald veins seemed slightly more active under the cavern’s energy, sending faint coolness through her flesh, mending the damage from overexertion—but full recovery remained distant. She glanced anxiously between the corrupted crystal tree and the unconscious Liyana, her brow tightly furrowed.

Lin Mo, alongside Zero, attempted to extract more information about the crystal cavern and the geopulse energy well from the Gardener, using Zero’s severely disrupted connection—but with minimal success; the cavern’s natural energy shielding was too strong.

The guiding crystal clusters returned to their kin, their auras calming, blending with the others as they quietly absorbed crystal energy, seemingly completely at ease. The entire cavern now exuded an eerie, pre-storm silence.

Minutes passed, second by second.

Suddenly, Zero’s environmental monitoring console flickered—its deep blue glow dimmed for an instant, so faint it was nearly imperceptible.

“Anomalous spatial disturbance detected,” Zero’s electronic voice compressed into an almost inaudible wave, directly entering Lin Mo’s ear, “Source: direction of our entry passage. Disturbance signature… not physical displacement, more akin to… short-range shadow leap.”

Lin Mo’s heart clenched! Shadow leap? Another type of killing unit from the Doctor?!

He instantly signaled silently. Ellie’s eyes snapped open, her ice-blue irises flashing with cold light. Without hesitation, her body slid soundlessly into the visual blind spot beside the entrance fissure, alloy shortblade reversed in grip, her breath nearly vanishing. Lingna tensed immediately, holding her breath, instinctively drawing closer to Lin Mo.

The crystal clusters within the cavern seemed to sense something too—their auras flickered erratically, emitting faint, uneasy clicking sounds, instinctively retreating deeper into the cavern, toward the crystal tree.

Minutes passed. The entrance remained motionless, a silence so absolute it sent chills down the spine.

Had Zero’s sensors malfunctioned?

Just as Lin Mo’s doubt surfaced—

Sudden change!

Beside the entrance fissure, the shadow rippled like water! A twisted figure, entirely composed of pitch-black energy with blurred edges, appeared without warning! Like an incorporeal phantom, it moved with shocking speed, lunging straight at the nearest crystal cluster, which was retreating in unease! A black, claw-like energy tendril shot out like lightning, piercing straight for the cluster’s core aura!

The strike was silent—but vicious!

Yet one figure moved faster!

At the very instant the black claw was about to strike, Ellie moved! As if she had foreseen the attack’s trajectory, she erupted from the blind spot—not hiding anymore, but executing a flawless interception! Her alloy shortblade, wrapped in her full explosive force and will, carved a frigid streak of light, arriving after but striking first, slashing hard at the tendril’s root!

Ssshhhh—!

A sound like tearing cloth! The energy tendril was cleanly severed by Ellie’s blade, infused with unyielding resolve! Black energy shards sprayed in all directions!

The shadow figure emitted a piercing, inhuman shriek, recoiling sharply, its blurred form twisting as black smoke surged from the severed end!

Missed the strike—vanished a thousand miles! Classic assassin tactics!

But Ellie would not let it escape! She clung to it like a parasite, her shortblade a whirlwind of silver light, relentlessly pinning the shadow figure, each strike aimed precisely at its energy core! Her movements were spectral, leaving afterimages—she had pushed speed and technique to their absolute limits! The shadow figure, clearly excelling in ambush and assassination, was ill-suited for direct combat; it was driven back relentlessly by Ellie’s storm of attacks, twisting its body to evade, occasionally forming black energy blades to block, producing grating collisions of energy!

Lin Mo and Lingna finally saw its form—it stood about a human’s height, shapeless, a constantly shifting black humanoid shadow, with only two crimson points of light glowing where its head should be, radiating icy malice.

“Shadow Stalker! Doctor’s special infiltration unit!” Zero’s identification flashed instantly, “Specializes in stealth, assassination, energy attacks—weak physical defense!”

Must end this swiftly! Who knew if it had companions?

Lin Mo acted immediately—but did not rush into close combat. Instead, he cupped his hands, and refined star-dust energy rapidly coalesced into several luminous, milky-white energy chains, glowing with order, like serpents emerging from their lair, striking precisely at the space around the Shadow Stalker—not to attack directly, but weaving into a net, sealing off its escape routes!

Lingna reacted too. Forcing through the discomfort in her right arm, she focused her will, activating the emerald veins—a faint yet vital green beam shot toward the Shadow Stalker! This life energy naturally counteracted its corrupt essence!

Sssshhh! The green beam struck the Shadow Stalker, instantly causing thick black smoke to rise, making its shrieks more agonized and shrill!

Restricted in movement and continuously burned by life energy, the Shadow Stalker’s actions instantly slowed—fatal hesitation!

Ellie would not miss this opening! Her eyes blazed with cold light; her body spun like a whirlwind, the alloy shortblade riding the rotational force, becoming a silver-white lightning bolt that tore through darkness, striking with unstoppable force into the brightest point of crimson light on the Shadow Stalker’s chest—its energy core!

Puff—!

Like a balloon punctured! The Shadow Stalker froze rigid, emitting an ear-splitting wail, its entire body exploding outward with blinding black-red light, then shattering into countless drifting black smokes and shattered energy fragments, rapidly dissolving into the air, leaving behind only a nauseating stench of char and abyssal aura.

The battle, from start to finish, lasted only seconds—fast, precise, brutal! For the first time, the three worked together—and displayed astonishing synergy.

Ellie knelt on one knee, gasping heavily, sweat beading on her brow. The overexertion had aggravated her wounds; the black veins on her ribs had spread slightly, sending piercing pain through her. Yet a flicker of satisfaction passed through her cold eyes—as if tearing apart this lurking serpent had eased some of the repression from recent days.

“Well done, Ellie,” Lin Mo stepped forward, offering a gentle stream of star-dust energy to stabilize her injuries.

Lingna exhaled in relief, collapsing wearily to the ground.

But Zero’s console sounded another alarm—this one, more urgent:

“Multiple similar spatial disturbance signals detected! Emerging at various points around the cavern’s perimeter! They are attempting to breach the cavern’s energy shielding!”

Not just one—but a group!

These Shadow Stalkers clearly possessed a short-range group teleportation ability—they were probing entry points from all directions! The one just defeated was likely only a scout!

The cavern’s natural shielding could block orbital scans—but seemed unable to fully block this strange shadow leap!

“Prepare defense! They’re coming in!” Lin Mo growled, star-dust energy surging again, his gaze sharp as he scanned every shadowed corner of the cavern.

Ellie pushed herself up, shortblade held across her chest, eyes as cold as before. Lingna forced herself upright, emerald light flaring once more along her right arm.

Beneath the corrupted crystal tree, the black substance coiled there seemed to sense the chaos and killing aura from outside—it stirred slightly, growing more active.

At that moment, Liyana, who had remained unconscious, let out an extremely faint, dreamlike moan.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, her brow furrowed, and the dormant amethyst crystal on her forehead flickered—faintly… once.

The emerald World Tree seed, which had been guarding her side, seemed to sense it too—its life-glow rippled gently, as if in response.