Chapter 20: Wooden bar sweeps foes aside, crow's nest rescue displays divine might

The heavy wooden bar felt weightless in Chen Wen's hands.

Eight times strength gave it terrifying lethality, eight times speed made it dance like a whirlwind!

"Those who block me die!"

Chen Wen let out a low roar and charged forward at the oncoming soldiers!

He had no fancy moves, only the simplest, most direct, most effective horizontal sweep, smash, and thrust!

Each strike contained explosive power!

Boom!

One soldier was swept away, person and sword, his armor dented, blood spraying from his mouth.

【Defeated Iron Crow Army soldier, Diligence Points (WP)+20!】

Crack!

Another soldier raised his shield to block, but the wooden bar smashed the shield to pieces and, undiminished, knocked him to the ground.

【Defeated Iron Crow Army soldier, Diligence Points (WP)+20!】

Pfft!

The tip of the wooden bar, like a spear, instantly pierced a soldier's leather armor, pinning him back several steps!

【Defeated Iron Crow Army soldier, Diligence Points (WP)+20!】

He was like a tiger among sheep, unstoppable in all directions!

Ordinary Iron Crow Army soldiers stood no chance against his eight times strength and speed!

Often they were felled at the first encounter!

【Combat skill (staff/long weapon) proficiency soaring (x Bonus)!】

【Diligence Points (WP)+20…+20…+20…】

The system's alerts blended into a constant stream, and WP surged wildly at an unprecedented speed!

The entire prisoner camp descended into utter chaos!

The prisoners screamed in terror and fled in all directions, only further disrupting the soldiers' formation.

More and more soldiers poured in from the entrances and passages, trying to encircle and annihilate this terrifying intruder.

Chen Wen fought while retreating, his goal clear—moving toward the 'Crow's Nest' direction indicated by the old woman!

He needed to know where his mother and little sister had been taken!

The wooden bar whistled, and each swing inevitably felled a soldier.

But he was only one man, and his stamina was draining rapidly.

Under the eight-times ability boost, stamina consumption was also staggering.

【High-intensity combat, stamina draining rapidly! Current stamina: 78%... 72%... 65%...】

More importantly, soldiers in the distance began to nock arrows!

Although they dared not fire lightly due to the chaotic crowd, the threat remained.

We must settle this quickly!

Chen Wen spotted a slightly higher ore pile ahead, summoned his strength, and lunged toward it!

He needed to seize the high ground to see the exact route to the 'Crow's Nest' and escape the mire of the ground melee.

A few soldiers tried to block him, but he swept them aside with the wooden bar like swinging a baseball bat!

He leapt onto the ore pile and scanned rapidly.

Sure enough, at the farthest side of the camp, there was an upward side path lit by torches.

Two soldiers guarded the entrance, nervously watching the chaos over here.

That's the place!

Just then, hiss—!

Several crossbow bolts finally found a gap and shot precisely at his position!

Eight-times dynamic vision let him clearly see the bolts' trajectories! He swung the wooden bar violently!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

He actually knocked most of the crossbow bolts out of the air or shattered them!

But the tremendous impact also made his arm go numb, and cracks appeared on the wooden bar.

【Blocking ranged attack, reaction speed proficiency up (x Bonus)! Diligence Points (WP)+30!】

But some slipped through!

One crossbow bolt grazed his thigh, drawing a line of blood!

Another struck the stone beneath his feet, sending up a spray of sparks!

【Sustained minor abrasion, stamina -5%. Current stamina: 58%】

Can't stay on high ground as a target!

Chen Wen hesitated not, leapt down from the other side of the ore pile, rolled to dissipate momentum on landing, then charged again into the crowd, rushing fiercely toward that side-path entrance!

"Stop him!"

An officer let out a hoarse roar.

More soldiers flung themselves forward, heedless of death!

Chen Wen wielded the cracked wooden bar in an impenetrable blur, like a high-speed spinning death wheel.

Any soldier who drew near was either killed or wounded!

He carved a bloody path through the crowd!

He drew ever closer to that side-path entrance!

Only ten or so meters left!

The two soldiers guarding the intersection showed fear on their faces, but still raised their knives!

Chen Wen took a deep breath, channeling his remaining strength into his arms, preparing for a final strike!

At this critical moment——

Woo—hum——!!!

That low, ancient, soul‑piercing horn blast once again boomed from the deepest part of the mine!

This time, the sound was more urgent and louder than before!

It seemed to carry some urgency… and anger?

All the Iron Crow Army soldiers attacking Chen Wen froze in unison!

Their iron masks all turned in unison toward the direction the horn came from.

——exactly deep in the side passage leading to the "Crow's Nest"!

Even the two soldiers at the intersection, who were ready to fight to the death to block, instinctively stepped back half a step and listened intently.

Their movements froze for a moment, filled with confusion.

A heaven‑sent opportunity!

How could Chen Wen miss it!

He abandoned the attack, exploding his speed to eight times its limit.

Like an arrow released from a bow, he shot through the gap between the two guards!

Even kicking up a gust of wind!

"Er!"

The two guards only felt a flash before their eyes as a black shadow swept past.

By the time they looked back, Chen Wen had already charged up the upward side passage, his figure quickly disappearing into the dark corner.

"Chase!!"

The angry roars and chaotic footsteps behind him rang out again.

But Chen Wen had already gained a precious advantage!

He sprinted up the steep passage, ignoring the stabbing pain from the wound on his leg.

The horn continued to blare, as if pointing the way.

Finally, the passage ended, and before him appeared a larger, dimly lit cave entrance.

The overpowering stench of birds and the familiar bitter medicinal smell almost condensed into a tangible substance.

Is this the "Crow's Nest"?

And the horn sound is coming from inside!

Chen Wen stopped abruptly at the entrance, adjusted his breathing, and suppressed the surging blood and qi in his body.

His eightfold hearing let him hear more than just the horn from inside the cave.

…plus the frantic, dense fluttering of wings, sharp bird cries, and… human shouts and roars?

Has chaos broken out inside?

Is it because of the horn just now?

Or something else?

He cautiously poked his head out and looked into the cave.

The sight before him made him suck in a breath of cold air!

The cave was vast, with countless huge iron cages hanging from the ceiling.

Many cages had been opened, and what poured out was not the imagined monsters.

But rather a large number of creatures far larger than ordinary crows, with feathers showing extreme unnaturalness.

Shimmering with a metallic sheen, deep‑blue, with fierce, terrifying gazes—monstrous crows!

【Warning! Detected a large number of biological entities in a "frenzied" state, physiological indicators abnormally spiking, suspected drug poisoning.】

【Their feathers were found to contain high concentrations of nether‑energy dye and unknown drug residues.】

The system immediately gave a calm analysis.

Chen Wen instantly understood!

This is how the "Iron Crow Army" got its name!

They are merely raptors dyed with a special pigment and long‑trained and stimulated with drugs related to that nether‑energy crystal!

Their present frenzy clearly stems from a drug run amok or a major problem in the training program!

On the ground, a dozen or so Iron Crow Army soldiers were frantically waving weapons and lassos.

Trying to drive off and control these mad, indiscriminately attacking monstrous crows, the scene was utter chaos!

In the very center of the cave stood a stone altar.

On the altar, a person in priestly robes was forcefully blowing a huge, ancient horn.

The sound seemed to slightly calm those monstrous crows, but the effect was limited and could not fully control the situation.

And Chen Wen's gaze was instantly caught by a sight beside the altar, his pupils constricting!

Beside the altar stood several wooden stakes, two of which had people tied to them!

One was a middle‑aged woman with a pallid face, weak body, but determined eyes.

——none other than his mother, Lady Liu!

The other was a little girl, her face full of fear, tears welling, yet she bit her lip to keep from crying out.

——none other than his sister, Chen Wan!

They're still alive! Right before our eyes!

But they are in danger!

Several completely frenzied blue monstrous crows screeched, repeatedly trying to swoop at them!

The wooden posts they were tied to already bore several deep claw marks!

【Detected target individuals: Liu Shi, Chen Wan!】

【Current situation: Extremely dangerous!】

No hesitation at all!

Chen Wen's eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins, eightfold power erupted again, heedlessly charging toward the altar!

Mother! Wan'er! I'm here!