Chapter 81: Escaping Death

The long‑absent sunlight suddenly shot in through the gap, blindingly bright; Zhang Jun rushed out first, covered in dust and killing intent, Lin Xue close behind, both of them filthy, they stumbled onto the rocky ground and gasped greedily for the outside air, though murky, it was free.

The glaring sunlight left them temporarily unable to see; after a while, their vision gradually adjusted.

They returned to the surface of Mangshan, the surrounding scene a shocking mess.

A huge blast crater replaced the original forest terrain, countless fallen trees lay haphazardly, the ground was covered in scorched marks and cracked fissures—clearly the Dragon Spring Cave had undergone an uncontrolled explosion.

Its power was enormous, its range vast, almost reshaping the local topography.

Before they could catch their breath, both of them stiffened almost simultaneously, as if struck by an invisible current; they jerked their heads up and, in unison, looked toward the southwest.

On the distant horizon, a heart‑pounding energy pulse throbbed like a giant heartbeat, its frequency similar to that of the Dragon Spring Cave beacon when activated, but faster and more violent.

Himalaya!

Damn it!

Zhang Jun wiped the grime from his face, spat out bloody saliva, and snarled, "No time to rest! Old Dog Lin Zhen surely knows we're still alive!"

Lin Xue's face fell; the earlier mutual suspicions seemed trivial compared to the greater trouble. "Is the communicator still usable?"

Zhang Jun pulled out the misshapen metal lump, pressed it hard a few times, but the screen remained pitch‑dead with no response. He clenched it in frustration, then flung it away disgustedly: "Just a piece of scrap iron."

"Old Wang..." Lin Xue's voice went dry.

Zhang Jun clenched his fists tight. The clone's last words lingered, haunting.

"The real Wang Jun… probably can't be reached either."

Lin Yan suddenly turned traitor, Wang Jun lost contact, and all communications went dead.

Now we're truly like headless flies.

All that remained in our thoughts was the scorching shard of crystal core in our pocket.

"This won't do, it's too exposed." Zhang Jun scanned the area, pointing to a distant mountain hollow where a dilapidated structure could barely be made out, "That looks like an abandoned lookout post—let's check it out!"

They leaned on each other, moving step by painful step through rubble and fallen logs, each stride making them grit their teeth.

The damned mental link persisted, sputtering on and off, occasionally spewing fragments of the other's chaotic thoughts—nothing but fatigue, pain, and a vague sense of unease.

The lookout post was blanketed in thick ash that made one cough; most equipment was rusted, yet in the corner lay an antiquated terminal that, surprisingly, still lit up.

"Looks burnt to a crisp…" Lin Xue pulled out the charred crystal core, her brows knotting. "Let me try—see if I can still read anything from it."

She found a few wires, her fingers trembling slightly, and attached the crystal core to the terminal. Tiny specks of silvery white cold air rose from her fingertips, wrapping the core in an attempt to stabilize its disintegrating heart, while her other hand tapped the dust‑covered keyboard.

"Your Ice Soul Power… still holding up?" Zhang Jun leaned against the broken doorframe, watching beads of sweat rise on her forehead, his voice hoarse.

"Hard to say," Lin Xue grit her molars, "Let's give it a shot."

The terminal screen flickered a few times, spitting out a jumble of unreadable characters. The crystal core's light waxed and waned; despite the cold suppressing it, its temperature swung wildly, ready to fail completely at any moment.

Zhang Jun's heart hammered, his ears pricked, attuned to any outside sound.

Suddenly!

A sharp tearing sound split the air, a high‑speed whirl slicing past overhead!

"Above! Drones!" Zhang Jun roared, grabbing Lin Xue and hauling her up. "They've found us!"

Hardly had his words faded when the distant woods emitted several inhuman howls, sharp and piercing, rapidly drawing near!

"Shit, even the modified beasts are here!" Zhang Jun cursed, "Run!"

Just as they burst through the lookout post's broken door, several camo‑painted drones hovered in midair, their lenses locked onto them.

Immediately, a barrage of energy bolts slammed down, exploding into a string of fireballs where they had just stood.

Without hesitation, they dove into the complex terrain of the forest, behind them the buzzing of drones and swiftly moving dark shadows on the ground.

"This way!" Zhang Jun spotted a massive boulder blocking the path and intended to blast it open with Primordial Power.

The result: the purple energy ran completely out of control, surging violently and smashing hard into the adjacent rock face!

Boom—

Shrapnel flew, smoke and dust rolled, the path wasn't cleared—instead, another possible route got blocked as well.

"Can't you aim before you fire?!" Lin Xue shrieked, scrambling away from a boulder hurtling toward her, furious beyond words.

"I can't control it either!" Zhang Jun shouted back, his inner power surging wildly, refusing to obey.

In the chaos, Lin Xue's mind flashed: a ditch to the left could offer cover!

Almost simultaneously, Zhang Jun's mental link received a garbled message: Danger! Left! Strike left!

He had no time to discern; a violent purple flame erupted toward the left!

The scorching flame grazed Lin Xue's arm as it flew by, igniting a nearby dead tree.

"I told you to find cover! Do you want to burn me to death?" Lin Xue snapped, equal parts angry and afraid, her voice altered.

In that instant of hesitation, a black shape lunged from the right‑hand thicket, reeking of foul stench, claws aimed straight at her back!

"Watch out!" Zhang Jun's eyes nearly popped, but the rigidity from his power loss slowed him a step.

Lin Xue barely managed to roll aside on sheer instinct!

Rip—

Her sleeve was torn, leaving several searing blood marks on her arm.

The attacker was a giant mutant cockroach, its glossy carapace reflecting light, compound eyes glowing red.

More modified creatures poured in from all directions, howling as they closed in. The drones overhead kept circling, raining down energy bolts that herded them into a small pile of rubble.

Monsters ahead, pursuers behind, firepower above.

No way out.

They stood back to back, chests heaving, their breaths loud and heavy.

Despair and fear swirled together in the chaotic mental link like a thick porridge.

Just then, a fleeting, vague thought flickered almost simultaneously in both of their minds.

They spoke no words, nor even glanced at each other.

Zhang Junmeng's hands slapped the ground!

The out-of-control purple flame no longer aimed, but instead sprayed wildly in all directions, blasting out large clouds of smoke and chaotic energy turbulence, temporarily interfering with the perception of the drones and those bio-weapons!

Almost at the same time, Lin Xue also exerted her last ice soul power, slamming a palm toward the ground!

"Crack!"

A thin layer of ice exploded outward from her, instantly covering the ground within several meters around her.

The few modified creatures at the front slipped underfoot, stumbled left and right, and their formation instantly fell into chaos!

"Go!"

The two seized the opportunity, broke out from the weakest point of the encirclement, and once again dove into the shadows of the dense forest.

Not knowing how long they had run, their legs felt as heavy as if filled with lead, their lungs near bursting, until the sounds behind them gradually faded; they then found a concealed crack in the mountain ravine, dove headfirst into it, collapsed against the cold, wet stone wall, and gasped for air.

The mountain ravine was eerily quiet, with only the sound of their two heartbeats and heavy breathing.