Chapter 202: Strong Enemies Besiege

The tall man roared like thunder, his refined pressure almost solidifying; under his cover, the air in the cavern seemed instantly evacuated, every inch of bone bearing immense force, cracking.

Zhang Jun and Lin Xue's bodies suddenly sank, as if they had plunged into a bottomless mire, even lifting their hands became strenuous.

"Heh heh heh—" the poison mist person's shrill laugh grew louder, arms flung wide; the already thick green poison mist around him surged like a tide given orders, thickening severalfold, a nauseating stench blasted forth, quickly engulfing the two.

"Xue'er, behind me!" Zhang Jun gritted his teeth, neck veins bulging, he bore the mountain‑crushing weight, hauling Lin Xue behind him. His internal pure yang energy, held back nothing, surged to its peak; a thin but tightly condensed golden‑light shield flickered into existence around him, barely holding back the all‑penetrating pressure and the foul poison mist.

As the golden light met the green poison mist, a piercing 'hiss' sounded—like hot oil on snow—scorching and dissipating the mist, yet more poison kept pouring in. Zhang Jun's stance wavered uncontrollably; the pressure weighed like a mountain, the poison mist vicious, incessantly striking and eroding his protective qi, draining him greatly.

Lin Xue forced down the surging blood that threatened to make her vomit, braced against Zhang Jun's solid back, she gasped a few quick breaths, her eyes swiftly assessing the deadly situation. Thoughts raced through her mind; she lowered her voice, urgent and rapid: "His power is linked to that black‑red crystal on the altar! We can't meet force with force—use drugs, make them turn on each other first!"

Zhang Jun understood instantly. He let out a low roar, bearing the pressure that almost crushed him, he advanced instead of retreating, launching a fierce assault on the tall man whose aura was strongest; his fists howled, each move a desperate strike, firmly drawing the tall man's main attention.

At the moment the tall man was momentarily stalled by Zhang Jun's desperate attack, Lin Xue flicked her wrist rapidly. Seizing that fleeting opening, she poured out the few remaining packets of "Itch Powder" and "Weakness Powder" from her waist pouch, even secretly mixing in some leftover "Confusing God Incense" from earlier use, aiming at the surrounding black‑robed figures who had been agitated by their intrusion and were about to surround them, she flung the powders out.

These specially prepared powders were soundless and unseen, yet more vicious than any hidden weapon!

The ordinary black‑robed men never expected such a turn; caught off guard, they collapsed one after another. Some felt, after inhaling a pinch of powder, as if their bones were being drawn out, they went limp and collapsed, unable to move their limbs. Others felt as if tens of thousands of ants were gnawing them simultaneously, the piercing, bone‑deep itch unbearable; they screamed and madly scratched at themselves, tearing their robes to shreds and flinging their weapons everywhere.

Even more unfortunate souls inhaled the powder laced with the lingering effect of "Confusing God Incense"; their vision burst into kaleidoscopic colors, their minds turned to mush, they began to babble incoherently, waving their weapons and hacking indiscriminately at friend and foe alike, the scene instantly descending into chaotic stew.

"Ah! My hand! Who the hell ambushed me!"

"Itchy! I'm dying of itch! Quick! Give me water!"

"You bastard! Why are you hacking me? I'm your big brother Wang!"

Wails, cries, and the clashing of weapons rang out in succession.

The tall man and the poison mist person also hadn't expected this sudden turn; seeing their subordinates descend into chaos, even turning on each other, they fumed with rage, utterly incensed. They had to divert part of their attention to shout angrily, trying to suppress the disordered underlings; consequently, their fierce assault on Zhang Jun and Lin Xue inevitably weakened somewhat.

Zhang Jun instantly felt the pressure on his whole body ease; he silently praised Lin Xue for playing her hand beautifully.

Lin Xue seized the fleeting opportunity, her gaze locking once more onto the strange black‑red crystal at the altar's center. She keenly sensed that the light on the surface of the "Heart of the Earth Vein Stabilizer" was now flashing violently at an extremely unstable frequency, wavering between bright and dim—clearly affected by her earlier acupuncture strikes, though the vast aberrant energy within forced it back down.

Meanwhile, while Zhang Jun was fully blocking the tall man's increasingly violent and ferocious attacks, he also caught a faint, subtle anomaly: the tall man's punching power seemed not constant, but rose and fell with the strength of the black‑red crystal's glow, producing a barely perceptible ripple! When the crystal's light blazed, his punch grew a fraction heavier and more savage; when the light dimmed slightly, his force waned a little.

"Xue'er!" Zhang Jun shouted between blocks, lowering his voice, "That old coot's strength seems tied to that broken bead on the altar! When the bead shines, he gets as fierce as a bull!"

Lin Xue's thoughts flashed; she instantly grasped Zhang Jun's meaning. Her eyes narrowed, she whispered: "Find a way to strike when his power is most tightly linked to the crystal and at its peak, suddenly break his rhythm so his force has nowhere to go, then I'll use drugs to shatter it once more!"

This plan is undoubtedly like pulling chestnuts from the fire—extremely perilous; a slight mistake could doom both of them, but for now it seems the only chance.

Just as Zhang Jun drew a deep breath, ready to risk everything, he began searching with all his might for a flaw in the resonance between the tall man and the stabilizer's energy.

The poison mist person, who had been lurking nearby, watching the two like a venomous snake, suddenly let out a bone‑chilling, shrill laugh from his throat. His pair of withered, chicken‑claw‑like hands slowly emerged from his wide sleeves, producing a black flat bottle no larger than a palm.

The bottle's body was jet‑black, neither metal nor jade, its surface faintly showing twisted, coiling blood‑red runes that exuded an ancient, evil aura. Even more chilling, inside the tiny bottle something seemed to be a living creature wriggling faintly; though the mouth was tightly sealed, a hard‑to‑describe cold, evil qi seeped out in wisps—just a whiff made one's chest feel tight and nauseous, the spirit unsettled.

The poison mist person's withered finger, its nails still caked with filthy mud, lightly pulled out the stopper of the black flat bottle.

As soon as the bottle's mouth loosened, a thick, nauseating stench mixed with the foul air of rotting corpses burst forth—like a famished ghost breaking free—it exploded outward, instantly filling half the cavern, even the dim yellow firelight on the rock walls dimmed a little!

Immediately after, several beams of ink‑black light, darker than ink and accompanied by sharp tearing‑air sounds, shot out from the bottle!