Chapter 45: The First Blade's Cry — The Projected Fangs and the Rot-Claw's Wail

The sickly green glow from the bio-cannon muzzle of the "Path-Clearer" locked onto its prey like a venomous snake, fixing firmly on the embryonic war-blade hovering above the molten pool! That dark-gold war-blade, which had just fused the powers of earth-fire, life, and moonlight and driven out the Rot-Claw's corruption, had now become a heretical creation that the Doctor's eyes absolutely had to destroy!

"Destroy!" The electronic synthesized voice of the leading "Path-Clearer" carried an icy killing intent as the green light at its muzzle instantly condensed to its utmost!

"Not a chance!" Lin Mo's eyes nearly split with rage. Ignoring the searing pain of spiritual overdraft, he forcibly activated the Seed of Life! The embryonic war-blade, connected to his heart's blood, seemed to sense its master's will and let out a low, furious hum! The dark-gold sword body trembled violently; the emerald life-light threads and moonlight silver lines flowing at the crossguard flared up suddenly, and an invisible repulsive force field instantly expanded!

Hmm—!

The sickly-green bio-corrosive liquid shot out like a thick venomous arrow! Yet, a meter away from the embryonic war-blade, this torrent of venom seemed to slam into an invisible wall burning with faint emerald and silver radiance!

Sizzle sizzle sizzle—!

A heart-chilling sound of corrosion rang out! The deadly green liquid was dead-blocked by that peculiar force field, madly eating into the energy barrier and giving off a pungent white smoke! The barrier fluctuated violently, the emerald and silver radiance dimming rapidly—clearly unable to hold out for long!

"Hold it back!" Lin Mo roared, his body shooting forward like an arrow leaving the bowstring, lunging fiercely at the "Path-Clearer" that had opened fire! He had no weapon in hand—his only reliance was the sliver of strength just recovered and the fury boiling in his chest!

Wrench snapped back to his senses too, screeching as he snatched up a red-hot shard of metal from the ground and hurled it viciously at another "Path-Clearer" closing in!

"Zzzt!" The metal shard struck the rough armor of the "Path-Clearer," leaving only a shallow dent. The monster's electronic eye flashed red, and a thick mechanical leg swept out sideways like a steel whip, carrying vicious wind as it lashed toward Wrench!

Wrench let out a yelp, dodging with a frantic tumble and crawl. The steel leg skimmed past his scalp and smashed into the ground, blasting out a shallow crater! Debris flew!

The hollow instantly fell into a chaotic melee! Two "Path-Clearers" tangled with Wrench and Lin Mo. Their movements were swift, their strength tremendous, and their bio-armor highly resistant to physical attacks. Their four mechanical legs were like deadly scythes, every strike carrying a shriek that tore the air. Lin Mo and Wrench skirted disaster after disaster, able only to dodge in disarray among the ruins and craters.

And the leading "Path-Clearer" began condensing green light at its muzzle once more! What it locked onto was still the embryonic war-blade struggling to sustain its force field above the molten pool! Once the force field shattered, the deadly corrosive liquid would instantly contaminate—even destroy—this weapon of hope that had just been born!

"Damn it! Never ending!" Wrench was driven into a corner by a "Path-Clearer," his back slamming into a scorching rock wall with nowhere to retreat! He stared in despair at the sickly-green muzzle lighting up once again.

At this hair-raising critical moment!

Hmm—!

On the floating platform, the dark-gold embryonic war-blade hummed again! This time, the hum was clearer, carrying a newborn, unyielding sharpness! Upon the sword body, those mysterious runes woven from emerald life-light threads and moonlight silver lines—like ignited stars—suddenly erupted with dazzling brilliance!

A more condensed, more razor-sharp invisible force field instantly contracted and coalesced. No longer an all-around defensive barrier, it transformed into a visible spiral energy edge woven from emerald and silver radiance, spinning rapidly around the sword tip!

"Go!" Inspiration struck Lin Mo, and his will roared!

Whoosh—!

That spiral energy edge, like a runaway dragon, tore the air with a piercing shriek and instantly left the war-blade's body. At a speed beyond sight, it slashed viciously at the "Path-Clearer" about to fire!

Psssh!

There was no earth-shaking explosion. Only a soft sound, like a hot knife slicing through beef tallow.

Time seemed to freeze.

The bio-cannon barrel raised by the leading "Path-Clearer," along with nearly half its steel body, was sliced cleanly in two at a slant by that spiral edge—utterly silent! The cut was smooth as a mirror, shimmering with the faint glow of interwoven emerald and silver radiance! At the severed armor cross-section, the residual bio-slime and mechanical circuitry were as if instantly melted and purified by high heat—not a trace of filth spilled out!

The "Path-Clearer" froze mid-motion. The red light in its electronic eye flickered wildly a few times, then went out completely. Its massive steel body lost balance and crashed down with a thunderous roar, blue smoke hissing from the cut, yet no explosion.

One strike! Instant kill!

This sudden turn of events caused the other two "Path-Clearers" besieging Lin Mo and Wrench to hesitate for an instant, a flicker of… confusion beyond the program's comprehension seeming to flash through their electronic eyes?

"G-goodness… that's amazing!" Wrench gaped, dumbstruck.

Lin Mo's heart surged with wild joy! Though this embryonic war-blade had not truly been sharpened, the purifying and razor-sharp power it contained had such a miraculous effect against Black Scorpion's bio-tech creations!

Yet, the joy was once again broken by cold reality.

"Magnificent… truly magnificent…" A voice, icy and utterly emotionless yet tinged with a barely suppressed greed, abruptly rang out above the hollow.

Lin Mo's head snapped up! Above the wreckage of that destroyed "Path-Clearer," the air twisted eerily, light rippling like water. A translucent humanoid outline, composed of countless tiny blue data streams, rapidly coalesced and sharpened into focus!

Gold-rimmed glasses, meticulously combed hair, white research robe… it was none other than the Doctor's virtual projection! He floated in mid-air, looking down at Lin Mo and that hovering war-blade below, his gaze as if appraising a rare treasure.

"Spatial node… otherworldly energy… Life Furnace… and this… weapon fused with unknown laws…" The Doctor's projection spoke slowly, every word dripping with extreme longing. "Your value… far exceeds my estimate. Lin Mo."

His gaze shifted to the war-blade, the corner of his mouth curving into an icy arc: "This weapon… contains a very peculiar power… it seems able to counter corruption? Interesting… far too interesting…" He seemed to have perceived, through some means, the war-blade's purifying effect on the bio-corrosive liquid.

"Hand it… over to me." The Doctor's projection extended a hand, pointing at the embryonic war-blade, his tone carrying an unquestionable command. "In exchange… I can let you… and your companions… become Black Scorpion's 'Senior Advisors.' Share… my knowledge… and power." He offered conditions that seemed tempting but were in truth saturated with a desire for control.

"In your dreams!" Lin Mo clenched his fists, the power of the Seed of Life surging within him as he warily stared at the Doctor's projection. He knew this projection had no physical attack capability, but the will it represented and the technology it commanded were far more terrifying than ten "Scavengers"!

"Refuse?" The Doctor's projection seemed unsurprised, his voice turning colder. "A foolish choice. Do you think… this unfinished weapon can protect you for long? Do you think… that elven world can hold out much longer?"

His words were like venomous thorns, piercing precisely into Lin Mo's deepest worry!

As if to confirm the Doctor's words, from deep within Lin Mo's consciousness, that stable thorn-passage node suddenly transmitted a piercing spiritual shriek from Priestess Liyana—one utterly shrill, brimming with agony and despair! Along with it came a fragmented image:

The heart of the Withered Forest! The Rot-Claw's massive claw, covered in purple crystal clusters, struck with the terrifying force of tearing space, slamming viciously onto the lonely silver light of the World Tree's remains! Priestess Liyana held her ground with the Withered Wood Technique, the moonlight pearl shard at the staff's head erupting with a final radiance! Yet the silver thorn barrier shattered inch by inch like fragile glass! The silver pure-land beneath her feet was instantly swallowed by thick withering fog! Priestess Liyana's body was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, silver hair whipping wildly in the air, and what sprayed from her mouth was no longer silver blood but a dark-purple blood-mist carrying the stench of decay! The Withered Wood Technique she gripped tightly in her hand… the last moonlight shard at its tip… shattered completely!

"Priestess Liyana—!!!" Lin Mo's heart clenched as if seized by an icy hand, letting out a soundless cry!

The Rot-Claw's massive claw tore apart the final guardian, reaching with endless greed and brutality toward the gravely wounded, falling Priestess Liyana! Through the gaps in that "helmet" covered in tree galls, a turbid yellow giant eye flickered with cruel excitement!

The elven world's final hope was on the verge of being swallowed by darkness!