Xiao Bai

"Phew."

Having just gone through the most intense battle since his transmigration, Lin Feng let out a long breath. After destroying the Withering Branch here, he continued onward. While traveling, Lin Feng opened the panels of the three monsters:

Individual Information: Autonomous Mechanism—Ruin Grader (Ley Line Projection)

Level: 38+10 (An autonomous mechanism projection strengthened by the Withering. Extremely powerful, far beyond ordinary humans. Relying on the Forbidden Power entwined around its body, it dared challenge even the most ferocious monsters.)

Attribute: Physical/@#$%

Traits: Forbidden Power, Chaos Core, Construct Technology 5, Solid Physique 4, Burrow 3, Laser 3

Emotion: @￥#%

Favorability: @#￥%

Looking at the level 48 Ruin Graders strengthened by the Withering, along with their string of enhancement traits, Lin Feng gained a new understanding of Khaenri'ah's combat capabilities.

Even mass-produced machines are this strong. Aside from their top combat power being unable to contend with the Heavenly Principles' faction, they would absolutely crush other nations in mid- and low-level battles.

Lin Feng still had not found any trace of the uncle's daughter, but he decided to clear this Withering anyway. Not only was its intensity too high, and leaving it alone would cause enormous trouble, but there was another important reason—once the Withering disappeared, the people inside would naturally be safe.

Lin Feng hurried toward the remaining two Withering Branches. As expected, new Ruin-series monsters appeared when he drew close: the triangular Ruin Cruiser, capable of deploying floating cannons and laser fields, and the jellyfish-like Ruin Scout, capable of generating energy fields.

"Alright, this should be the last branch."

Although the Ruin Graders were tough, their attacks were rigid and their weak points obvious. These seemingly powerful monsters were all paralyzed by Lin Feng's long-range energy arrows before being killed.

Having seen no sign of humans so far, Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief. Most likely, the uncle's daughter had run somewhere else—she could not possibly have rushed all the way to the core without encountering any obstacles, right?

Lin Feng felt that an ordinary packhorse simply could not accomplish that.

Looking toward the Withering Core, Lin Feng's expression turned grave. In general, the core bosses of Ruin-series Witherings were often Ruin Drakes or Ruin Guards.

As industrial treasures of Khaenri'ah, both possessed sturdy armor and destructive power capable of altering the terrain. Their cannons could pierce mountains, and their near-immunity to physical attacks meant that even solitary individuals found in the wild often required the Adventurers' Guild to issue its highest-level subjugation commissions.

And this thing inside the Withering... Lin Feng really did not want to see it.

But since he had already come this far, Lin Feng still decided to investigate from a distance and gather some information.

Even if he only brought back a little information about the boss, the members participating in the next joint subjugation would be far safer than if they knew nothing.

Having made up his mind, Lin Feng stroked Xiao Bai on his shoulder, lowered his center of gravity, and slowly approached the Withering Core as quietly as possible.

Carefully pushing aside the final branch before him, Lin Feng gazed toward the center of the Withering from afar.

Then, in that withered, deathly silent forest, a gigantic mechanical dragon soaring through the sky abruptly appeared before Lin Feng.

It had a rusty reddish-brown exterior, its overall shape resembling the legendary dragons of myth. Four legs, two wings, a body covered in gears and bolts without the slightest sense of disorder. Beneath the oppressive aura it exuded was a mechanical body that gave one a sense of the beauty of power at a single glance.

But what truly stopped Lin Feng in his tracks was a small green barrier before the massive machine—a black-haired girl and a horse were protected within it.

Lin Feng: "..."

Watching the very scene he least wanted to see unfold before his eyes, Lin Feng no longer had the strength to complain about this legendary horse that had crossed the Withering.

Good thing there were Aranara in the forest. Otherwise, even without the Withering, the Ruin Drake currently in standby mode would have long since killed the uncle's daughter along with that stupid horse.

He opened the Ruin Drake's panel:

Individual Information: Autonomous Mechanism—Ruin Drake: Sky Patrol (Ley Line Projection)

Level: 61+10 (A top-tier autonomous mechanism projection strengthened by the Withering. Extremely powerful, far beyond ordinary humans. Relying on the Forbidden Power entwined around its body, it dared fight even the messengers of gods.)

Attribute: Physical/@#$%

Traits: Forbidden Power, Chaos Core, Construct Technology 7, Solid Physique 6, Elemental Absorption 5, Energy Torrent 4

Emotion: @￥#%

Favorability: @￥#%

Facing this unprecedentedly powerful enemy, that level 71 practically spelled out just how dangerous it was. Lin Feng very much wanted to run away. After all, the uncle's daughter was currently protected by the Aranara and was not in mortal danger. There was no need to rush.

But Lin Feng also remembered a certain quest trigger from Vimara Village in the game. Because she had remained in the Withering for too long, even the powerful Aranana could only temporarily stabilize her condition.

In the end, the Traveler had gone through countless hardships before curing her by having her consume the Vijnana Fruit, an item that was at least gold-tier.

Not much time had passed yet, but Tighnari happened to be away, and no one nearby possessed a Vision. If Lin Feng left again, he had no idea when he would return—he had no way of obtaining the Vijnana Fruit.

Leaving meant abandoning his promise to the uncle and watching a Liyue girl about his own age die. Yet if he stayed, he could not even guarantee his own safety.

Struggling inwardly, Lin Feng was in immense agony. He looked at the black-haired girl inside the barrier, then at Xiao Bai on his shoulder. Lin Feng let out a long sigh and made his decision.

Green Dendro Elemental Power gathered in his hand. After compressing it, he fiercely hurled it in the direction opposite the girl.

"Boom!"

The Ruin Drake in standby mode was instantly activated. Its eyes lit up, its wings spread, and it was drawn toward the green light of the distant explosion.

Seizing that instant of opportunity, Lin Feng charged toward the green barrier protecting the girl.

He directly scooped up the trembling green mushroom beside her, stuffed it into his arms, rushed into the barrier that was about to vanish, and tightly embraced the petite girl before him, covering her with his body as much as possible.

Having made every preparation, Lin Feng watched the Ruin Drake's rapidly approaching missile, shut his eyes, and used the Forbidden Power he had never intended to use.

"Xiao—Bai—!" Lin Feng let out a shrill cry.

Xiao Bai had remained in standby because of Lin Feng's command and had never displayed his own power.

The instant he sensed that Lin Feng's life was in danger, he silently vanished from Lin Feng's shoulder.

Ignoring the struggles of the green mushroom in his arms, Lin Feng shielded both the Aranara and the girl within his embrace.

At the very instant before the missile struck him—time seemed to stop.

Cyan, yellow, purple, green. Countless colors blended together, finally becoming the purest white—white capable of dissolving everything.

A terrifying pressure appeared in the air, spreading from one corner of the rainforest through all of Apam Woods, the entire rainforest, all of Sumeru, and finally the whole continent.

The earth, the Withering, the forest, the sky. Everything visible and invisible was destroyed, annihilated, and broken apart by an immeasurable force.

A spherical crater appeared in the earth. Within it, the only thing left was a small patch of land beneath Lin Feng's protection.

The Ruin Drake, which had originally radiated terrifying pressure, was annihilated into the purest particles in the instant Xiao Bai vanished—along with the Chaos Core within its body and even the Ley Line power that had formed it.