As Lu Yuan was dragged along by the insect swarm, he looked back.
The Copper Pillar's oppressive force was still ongoing. Dark golden light radiated from the pillar in every direction, and every Inscription on its copper surface was lit up, several times brighter than usual.
Within the range of its pressure, the still-living Serpentine Chimera remains on the ground twitched and writhed, though much more slowly than before. The Copper Pillar's passive defense was suppressing every Mutated Creature.
But the Copper Pillar could not suppress what lay farther away.
Dozens of tunnel entrances near the cavern were completely filled with gray-white bodies. Great Ghouls poured out of every opening in such dense numbers that those behind directly stepped on the bodies ahead of them and crawled forward, piling into the cavern layer upon layer.
More Forest Seed-contaminated Infected were mixed among them, their blue-gray roots standing out sharply against their gray-white skin.
The Corpse Rot Fungus on the surrounding rock walls had also changed. The Fungal Carpet that Adrian's Holy Light had previously scorched clean was regrowing at a visible rate. Gray-white Fungal Hyphae burrowed out from the cracks in the rock, spread across the ground, and extended deeper into the tunnel, growing several times faster than before.
Lu Yuan noticed the anomaly. Something had activated the Fungal Carpet's vitality. He was not sure whether it was a side effect of the Copper Pillar's pressure or some change deeper within, but the hyphae were spreading quickly enough to catch up with their retreat.
"Everyone, retreat!"
Adrian's voice came from behind them. The old Bishop had not withdrawn with the insect swarm. He had remained where he was.
The Scripture above his head suddenly flew open, and the Holy Eye's radiance surged. Golden Holy Light poured from its pupil, covering