Chapter 655: Entrapped Nest (Part I)

In the valley, dusk deepened.

That tall shade stood before the nest's entrance, its black robe stirring slightly in the gloomy wind.

The bird-beaked mask turned toward Chen Wen.

The hoarse voice sounded again:

"Master of the Iron Crow Army… greets you."

Chen Wen rode out in formation.

Shi Dun and Yue Fei followed closely on either side.

"Move aside."

Chen Wen's voice was calm.

"Or die."

The shade fell silent for a moment.

From beneath the mask came a sound like a cold snicker.

He raised his hand.

Dozens of shades behind him drew their blades at once.

The blades were pitch‑black, their edges gleaming with a dark red sheen.

At the same time,

From the tents surrounding the nest, thousands of Northern Yuan soldiers surged forth.

These soldiers had vacant stares, movements slightly stiff, yet each was stalwart and wielded heavy blades.

"Puppet soldiers catalyzed by the mother nest."

Shi Dun said quietly.

"They feel no pain, fear no death."

"How many?"

Yue Fei asked.

"At least five thousand."

Shi Dun narrowed his eyes to estimate.

"Adding the shades… our forces are not superior."

"Then we capture the leader first."

Chen Wen said.

He looked at Yue Fei and Lin Chong.

"According to the original plan."

"You take the elite strike team and thrust straight into the central main nest."

"Shi Dun will lead the main force here to pin them down."

"Understood."

Chen Wen dismounted.

He took out the five dark red crystals brought back by Zhao Lao Nian.

He gave two to Yue Fei, one to Lin Chong, and kept two for himself.

"Ignite the crystals when within one li of the main nest."

"That will disrupt the shade energy field for a moment."

"This is our only chance."

Yue Fei gripped the crystal tightly.

"Within that moment, we must break into the core."

Chen Wen nodded.

He turned.

"Shi Dun."

"All forces—"

"Attack!"

War drums thundered.

The fifty‑thousand‑strong Chen Dynasty army surged forward like a black tide.

The shade leader waved a hand.

Thousands of Northern Yuan puppet soldiers let out inhuman roars and charged head‑on.

The two torrents collided in the valley's center.

Chen Wen closed his eyes.

The system unfolded.

Target: the fifty thousand of the Chen Dynasty army.

Gradient: double for all.

Bestow!

Intangible waves spread.

All Chen Dynasty soldiers simultaneously felt a strength increase.

Though not astonishing, it was overall and uniform.

Shi Dun split two puppet soldiers with a single stroke.

Steady advance, maintain formation!

The army formation turned like a millstone, crushing enemy soldiers.

Battlefield flank.

Five hundred elite assault troops quietly detached from the main formation.

Yue Fei led the way.

Lin Chong, Yue Yun, Zhang Xian, Wang Gui, Guan Sheng, Hu Yanzhuo, Ruan Xiao Er, and Chao Gai were all present.

Wu Yong stayed behind due to a leg injury to provide support.

They moved quickly along the edge of the valley's shadows toward the main nest.

One li.

Five hundred meters.

Three hundred meters.

The main nest drew ever closer.

It was a massive structure made of dark red crystal, metal framework, and an unknown organic material.

Its surface had a pulsing faint light.

The entrance was an irregular gap; inside it was pitch dark and emitted a pungent odor.

When they were two hundred steps away.

The nest's surface light suddenly brightened.

Hum—

An invisible barrier unfolded.

The foremost members struck the barrier and were violently bounced back.

Yin Energy Field!

Lin Chong shouted low.

Yue Fei produced a dark red crystal.

Ignite!

The fire starter was passed up.

The crystal ignited.

Its surface glowed with dark red light, while its interior surged violently.

Yue Fei hurled it with all his strength at the barrier.

Hiss—

Like a red-hot iron lump plunged into icy water.

The barrier rippled violently.

The dark red light spread, making the barrier thin and transparent in its wake.

Charge!

Yue Fei drew his sword and charged forward.

The barrier no longer obstructed.

Five hundred men pierced into the nest.

The light suddenly dimmed.

The air was filled with a strange odor of rotting flesh mixed with metal.

The ground was wet, slippery, and sticky.

The walls on both sides were woven from dark red crystal and some elastic organic material, with thick tubular structures pulsing faintly on the surface.

Find the way down!

Yue Fei consulted the map.

Turn left!

The unit turned into a downward-sloping passage.

A dense crawling sound came from ahead.

Dozens of scarlet eyes glowed in the darkness.

Modified beasts.

They were larger, with crystals embedded in their carapaces, and dripped corrosive saliva from their mouths.

Form ranks!

Yue Fei bellowed sternly.

The assault unit formed a conical formation.

The modified beasts lunged.

Claws clashed with weapons, sending sparks flying.

These strengthened modified beasts had greater strength.

Yue Yun struck down with a hammer, only cracking the carapace.

He dodged the counterstrike sideways, then struck again to shatter its skull.

The battle reached a stalemate.

Instructor Lin, you take half the men and hold them off!

Yue Fei gritted his teeth.

I'll take the other half and continue downward!

Good!

Lin Chong thrusts repeatedly with his spear.

Leave this to me!

Yue Fei selected Zhang Xian, Wang Gui, Guan Sheng, Hu Yanzhuo, Ruan Xiao Er, Chao Gai, and two hundred elite troops.

Follow me!

They bypassed the battle and rushed deeper.

The deeper they went, the hotter it got.

Dark red mucus seeped from the wall surface, dripping and corroding the ground into green smoke.

Cover your mouth and nose!

Yue Fei tore a cloth, soaked it in water, and covered his face.

Everyone followed suit.

They turned another bend.

Ahead, the view suddenly opened up.

A huge underground cavern.

In the center of the cavern stood a pillar-like structure ten zhang in diameter.

It was made of crystal, metal, and tightly wound organic matter.

Its surface pulsed with faint light, flickering rhythmically.

Around the pillar—

Over twenty shades stood there.

The leading shade turned around.

From beneath its bird-beak mask came a hoarse voice:

As expected, you've come.

The master said you would surely take this path.

Yue Fei gripped his blade tightly.

Move aside.

Impossible.

The shade leader drew his blade.

This way is blocked.

Over twenty shades moved in unison.

They were faster.

Blade light fell like a net.

Circle formation!

Yue Fei bellowed.

Two hundred people stood back-to-back, forming a circular defense.

Blades struck the formation.

Ding-dong sounds were dense.

Each of the shades' strikes was heavy and powerful, their coordination seamless.

Chen Dynasty soldiers were brave, but in one-on-one combat they still fell behind.

In just a few breaths, over ten people fell.

No good.

Yue Fei produced a second crystal.

He lit it.

He hurled it with all his strength toward the central pillar.

The crystal struck the pillar's surface.

Hiss—

Dark red light burst forth.

The entire cavern shuddered violently.

The pillar's pulsation became erratic, its light flickering on and off.

The shades' movements stalled simultaneously.

Their power was linked to the mother nest's ether field.

Kill!

Yue Fei brandished his blade and charged forward.

He went straight for the shade leader.

His blade light flashed like lightning.

The shade leader raised his blade to block.

Clang!

This time, the blade was not easily shaken off.

The shade leader's arm trembled.

Their strength was waning.

Yue Fei's assault grew fiercer.

Blade light continuously slashed at the vital point.

The Yin Shadow leader retreated step by step.

On the other side.

Guan Sheng's great blade swept horizontally, cutting a Yin Shadow in half at the waist.

Huoyan Zhuo's double whips smashed another skull.

The situation reversed.

But time is limited.

One quarter of an hour.

Yue Fei forced the Yin Shadow leader back and looked toward the pillar.

"Zhang Xian, Wang Gui!"

"Cover me!"

"Blow it up!"

"Yes!"

Zhang Xian and Wang Gui led dozens of men to carve a bloody path, protecting Yue Fei as he rushed toward the pillar.

The base of the pillar had a recessed opening.

Inside, dark red light surged, as if liquid flowed.

Core entrance.

Yue Fei rushed to the opening.

He untied the gunpowder pouch at his waist—Tian Gong Institute's specially reinforced type.

He lit the fuse.

He threw it in with all his strength.

He turned and ran wildly.

"Retreat!"

Everyone retreated desperately.

Three.

Two.

One.

Boom—

A muffled explosion came from inside the pillar.

The entire cavity shook violently.

The pillar's surface burst open with several cracks, dark red liquid gushed out.

The Yin Shadows emitted piercing shrieks, their bodies disintegrating into black smoke.

Success?

Yue Fei steadied his stance and looked at the pillar.

The cracks were spreading.

But the pillar did not fall.

The throbbing slowed, but it continued.

"Not enough explosives……"

Yue Fei gritted his teeth.

"We must completely destroy it."

He looked at the crack spewing liquid.

There is only one way.

Go in again.

Place more explosives.

But the situation inside is unknown.

"I'll go."

Yue Fei said.

"Marshal Yue!"

Zhang Xian urged.

"Too dangerous!"

"No time left."

Yue Fei looked at the diagram.

Zhao Lao Nian marked that deep in the core there is an "energy node".

Only by destroying the node can we completely destroy it.

"Cover me."

He untied all the gunpowder pouches, three in total.

"Half a quarter of an hour."

Having said that, he leapt into the crack.

Inside.

The dark red light was blinding.

The space is larger than imagined.

All around, the walls are a mix of crystal and organic matter, and the ground is a viscous liquid.

Yue Fei rushed toward the depths.

The diagram marked that the energy node lay a hundred steps straight ahead.

He ran fifty steps.

A barrier appeared ahead.

It was not a dark energy field.

It was a dense biomass isolation layer.

Semi-transparent, inside could be faintly seen a huge, pulsing dark red crystal.

The energy node.

But before the isolation layer stood the last shade.

This shade was stooped, wearing a tattered black robe, its mask half gone.

In its hand was no blade, but a metal staff inlaid with crystals.

"Halt."

The shade spoke, its voice hoarse and aged.

"This place is the master's painstaking work."

"No desecration allowed."

Yue Fei wasted no words.

He brandished his sword and charged forward.

The shade raised its staff.

The walls suddenly writhed, and several elastic fiber bundles shot out, winding toward Yue Fei.

Yue Fei swung his blade, cutting two of them, but the third wrapped around his left leg.

The fiber bundles tightened, sending sharp pain.

He backhandedly cut it off and continued charging.

The shade tapped the tip of its staff.

The ground's viscous liquid boiled, launching columns of liquid toward him.

Yue Fei sidestepped and rolled to dodge.

The liquid columns splashed against the walls, corroding deep pits.

He could not delay.

Time ticked away second by second.

Yue Fei gritted his teeth and charged again.

This time, he did not dodge or evade.

He bore the brunt of two liquid columns.

The liquid columns struck his breastplate; the Dark Bird Armor's surface corroded, revealing the inner layer.

His skin burned with pain.

But he reached the shade's front.

He swung down with a single strike.

The shade raised its staff to block.

Clang!

The metal staff snapped in response.

The blade's edge cleaved into the shade's shoulder.

The shade let out a piercing shriek as its body began to disintegrate.

But finally, it thrust its broken staff toward Yue Fei's chest.

Yue Fei sidestepped, and the broken staff pierced his left shoulder.

Intense pain shot through him.

He kicked the shade's remnants away.

He turned and rushed toward the isolation layer.

The energy node was right before his eyes.

He ignited three gunpowder packs and hurled them with all his might at the pulsing dark red crystal.

He turned and sprinted away.

Behind him.

The dark red crystal flared to blinding brilliance.

Then——

Boom——!!!

An earth-shattering roar.