Chapter 73: Lost Corridor: The Flickering Light and the Thorns

The chill of metal and the metallic tang of rust flooded his nostrils. Lin Mo struggled to open his eyes, dazed from the violent impact; his vision blurred, his ears filled with the shrill hum of residual spatial energy. He was buried in a tangle of twisted, deformed metal pipes, all coated in thick layers of decaying fungal mats. Around him, the forest was gone—replaced by the interior of a vast, dark, oppressive metallic structure. Above, a towering arched ceiling, riddled with rust and massive fissures, loomed overhead; beneath his feet, a slick alloy floor, coated in viscous black-green moss. The air was foul, a nauseating blend of decay and oxidized metal.

The spatial chaos trap had forcibly dragged them into the interior of this inverted ark’s wreckage!

“Ali! Wrench!” Lin Mo growled, his voice echoing through the empty, silent metal corridor before being swallowed by deeper darkness. No reply. Only faint, chilling sounds of sludge oozing and low, guttural roars drifted from afar. He struggled to his feet from the rubble, checking himself. The Blue Light of the Anchor of Order pulsed steadily within him, though its glow had dimmed slightly—the effort to resist spatial tearing had drained him. Dull pains throbbed in his arms and ribs, but no bones were broken. The Earthvein Arbiter still gripped in his hand, its hilt emblem flickering like a slow breath.

He tried to commune with the Thorns’ will, sensing Ali and the wrench’s positions. But the wreckage was saturated with intense spatial interference and a decaying field, like a thick curtain compressing his perception to within ten meters. His connection to the earth veins grew faint, intermittent.

No time to stop! Lin Mo suppressed his anxiety, forcing himself calm. He oriented himself, moving away from the faint sludge-oozing sounds, advancing cautiously along a relatively wider metal corridor marked by massive claw marks. Along both walls, outdated pipe interfaces and shattered displays lined the passage; patches of dark red, spray-like stains remained, silently testifying to past horrors.

The corridor ended at a crossroads. Left and right passages were completely blocked by collapsed metal structures. Only straight ahead, a massive tear—ripped open by some immense force—led into deeper darkness. Fresh purple-black sludge oozed from the edges of the tear; the overpowering stench of decay poured from within.

Lin Mo tightened his grip on the battle blade, stepped lightly, and slipped into the tear like a wraith.

The sight made his stomach churn. Before him stretched a vast, spherical chamber, like a biological stomach. At its center rose a colossal nest—built from countless writhing purple-black tumors, entangled decaying vines, and piles of bleached bone. The nest’s surface pulsed with vein-like networks, greedily absorbing the decay energy permeating the air. The ground and walls around it were coated in a thick, throbbing fungal mat, upon which stood dozens of “egg sacs” formed of sludge, each faintly revealing the withered silhouette of a monster taking shape within!

This was the nest where the Thornclaw bred its minions within the ark’s wreckage!

The instant Lin Mo stepped inside, the nest awoke! Tumors on its surface writhed violently; several thick, tooth-lined, corrupted tentacles shot through the air like venomous vipers! Simultaneously, over a dozen egg sacs on the fungal mat burst open, releasing twisted, lightning-fast withered hounds that lunged silently at the intruder!

“Hmph!” Lin Mo’s eyes hardened—he advanced, not retreated! “Thorn Heart—Root Domain!”

Hum!

Dark golden thorn roots erupted through the solid alloy floor, growing wildly! But this time, the rocky armor covering the roots was minimal; instead, countless sharp, needle-like wooden spines covered their surface. The roots lashed like furious thorn whips, screaming as they tore through the air, striking the incoming tentacles and hounds!

Plop! Plop!

The sharp spines easily ripped through the tentacles’ skin, spraying dark purple pus! The withered hounds were shattered by the blows, their bones broken, or impaled and pinned to the ground by the spines. Yet, the roots struck were rapidly corroded by the tentacles’ pus and the hounds’ bites, their glow fading swiftly.

The central tumor emitted a furious roar. More tentacles and hounds surged forth! Simultaneously, the entire throbbing fungal mat secreted a torrent of thick, purple-black mist, spreading rapidly! The mist carried potent spiritual erosion and energy decay!

Lin Mo felt overwhelming pressure! The Root Domain shrank drastically under the mist’s erosion, its defenses crumbling. The Blue Light of the Anchor of Order flared again, resisting the spiritual assault—but he felt the dark purple mark deep within his core stir once more, agitated by the mist!

Just then—

Shh! Shh! Shh!

Several concentrated silver beams, like ice spikes piercing darkness, shot from shadows behind Lin Mo! They pierced the skulls of several withered hounds lunging at his back, freezing and shattering them instantly!

Ali!

She slid down from a twisted ventilation duct like a moonlit spirit, landing lightly. Her face was pale; a deep claw mark marred her left arm armor, oozing blood tinged with faint purple vapor—she had clearly fought hard. Yet her gaze remained cold and sharp, the moonlight threads dancing around her fingertips more agile and refined than before.

“You alright?” Ali’s voice carried a hint of barely concealed concern as she moved close, back-to-back with Lin Mo. The Thorn-Moon Shield instantly coalesced beside them, momentarily blocking the spreading corrosive mist.

“Not dead yet.” Lin Mo’s spirits lifted; the Root Domain’s pressure eased under Ali’s support. “Where’s the wrench?”

“Lost in the spatial current. It flung him the other way.” Ali spoke rapidly, her fingers tapping—moonlight beams like death’s summons pinpointed and eliminated hounds emerging from the mist. “This place is a maze. I followed the sound of your fight to find you.”

“The nest is the core—destroy it!” Lin Mo stared at the writhing tumor nest, eyes glinting with cold light. He poured more power into the roots—more erupted from the ground, ignoring corrosion, wildly entangling and piercing the nest’s core! The wooden spines, infused with the Thorns’ fury, drove deep into the tumors!

The tumor nest shrieked in agony! Where pierced, pus gushed violently; it convulsed uncontrollably! The entire space’s decay mist grew even more violent!

“Cover me!” Ali hissed, her body becoming a silver streak. She charged straight for the nest’s core, moonlight shield raised. Dozens of corrupted tentacles lashed at her like furious serpents!

Under Lin Mo’s control, the thorn roots surged forward like loyal guardians, fearless, intercepting the tentacles, entangling and crushing them—clearing a narrow path for Ali!

Ali accelerated, darting through gaps between the tentacles! Just as she neared the nest’s core, the tumor’s surface split open—a massive, murky eye, entirely formed of viscous purple-black energy, snapped open! From its pupil shot a concentrated, chaotic, insane burst of spiritual decay—striking Ali directly!

This strike bypassed all physical defense—striking straight at the soul!

Ali gasped, her body jolted violently! The Thorn-Moon Shield flickered wildly, nearly dissolving! The silver scar on her chest blazed with purple vapor; her eyes flashed with a momentary surge of chaotic fury!

“Ali!” Lin Mo roared, reaching to help—but too late!

At the critical moment, Ali bit down hard on her tongue—the sharp pain jolted her mind back into control! Her eyes blazed with silver light, no longer holding back! She slammed her hands together before her chest!

“Moonlight—Thorn Suffocation!”

Countless silver threads exploded from her body—not weaving into nets or shields, but becoming living silver thorn vines, radiating piercing purification cold and unwavering protective will, instantly wrapping around the giant decay eye! The threads tightened, suffocating with relentless force!

Sssssss—!!!

A screeching sound of dissolution rose! The giant decay eye writhed and twisted under the moonlight thorns’ suffocation, emitting a silent scream as its viscous energy was rapidly purified and evaporated! Simultaneously, the tumor nest convulsed violently, as if struck a mortal blow—its oozing pus now carried the stench of decay!

Lin Mo seized the moment, pouring all his power into the Earthvein Arbiter! The emblem on the hilt blazed with four colors—the blue light of the Anchor of Order merged with the earth-yellow aura of the Thorn will! A concentrated dark golden sword qi, embodying both protection and destruction, tore through the decay mist and slashed deep into the fissure Ali had opened in the nest’s core!

BOOM—!!!

In a deafening explosion, the massive corrupted tumor nest erupted like a detonated bomb—from within outward! Purple-black pus, shattered vines, and the remains of withered monsters rained down like a storm! The entire chamber shook violently! The fungal mat covering the ground withered instantly, losing all vitality!

The violent shockwave hurled Lin Mo and Ali backward, slamming them into the metal walls. Dust filled the air, reeking of rot.

As the dust began to clear, the colossal nest had become a smoking, twitching ruin. Yet at its center, a single, faint yet unnaturally pure emerald-green light flickered—like a firefly in darkness—resolutely glowing amid the filth: the very signal the probe had once detected, then abruptly cut off.