The Broken Key

A buzzing sound exploded within the bones.

The rock that Lu Yuan pressed down with his left hand instantly became covered with Blue Silver cracks, and light burst forth. Immediately afterwards, all the specially treated low-level soul crystals in the entire core area exploded at the same time.

It wasn't an explosion, but a massive, chaotic surge of Soul Power erupting wildly, creating a Soul Power storm in the narrow mine tunnel.

At the eye of the storm, the Scavengers leader groaned and staggered backward. Blood seeped from the edge of his mask, followed by blood from his eyes, nostrils, ears... all seven orifices. The oppressive aura emanating from him rapidly dissipated, and his aura weakened.

But he didn't fall.

His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Lu Yuan, his killing intent burning a terrifying crimson. His right hand, trembling, raised a black spike, aiming at Lu Yuan.

He was going to fight to the death.

Lu Yuan is in a worse situation.

The backlash from the explosion nearly drained his remaining Soul Power. His meridians were scraped by excruciating pain, his face was deathly pale, and he swayed, only managing to stay upright by supporting himself with his right hand. His vision blurred, and his ears were ringing.

He saw his father still standing in front of him, gripping the iron hoe tightly, his arm trembling. To his side and in front, Mo Chen and Lin Xiao were thrown back by the aftershocks and crashed heavily into the rock wall. The Soul Tool parts in Mo Chen's hand exploded into sparks, and Lin Xiao knelt on one knee, coughing up blood.

A desperate situation.

Just as the Scavengers leader's eyes flashed crimson, and the spikes were about to leave his grasp—

Strange sounds came from deep within the mine tunnels.

Like the rubbing of rusty metal, or like a whispered recitation, the sound pierced through the roar of the storm and reached everyone's ears.

The Scavengers leader froze. He turned his head sharply, and for the first time, astonishment appeared in his bloodshot eyes.

Several blurry figures "emerged" from the darkness. They were like shadows coalescing into human form, without any physical presence or Soul Power fluctuations, their existence eerily faint. They were dressed in black, wearing pure black masks, and even their eyes were just deep holes.

The tall figure at the head of the group stopped at the edge of the battlefield.

The man in the pure black mask turned to the heavily wounded Scavengers leader, paused for two seconds, and then spoke in a flat, emotionless voice.

"Scavengers 3. Mission aborted."

The Scavengers leader made a hoarse sound in his throat, unable to utter a word.

The shadowy figure continued, "'The lock' is fluctuating abnormally; priority changed. Target ' Key '..." The mask tilted slightly towards Lu Yuan, "Suspension of removal; switch to 'observation and isolation'."

Before anyone could react, several shadowy figures moved simultaneously.

They moved faster than the eye could see. Like flowing ink gliding across the ground, they instantly engulfed the heavily wounded Scavengers leader and the Shadow Jump lying in a pool of blood. Then, they silently disappeared into the darkness deep within the mine tunnel.

It disappeared.

Along with that strange whisper, it vanished completely.

Only the still-unsettled turbulent flow of Soul Power, the mess on the ground, and the stench of blood proved that what had just happened was not an illusion.

Dead silence.

Lu Yuan trembled as he braced himself against the ground. He gritted his teeth, moved his body, and sat up straight against the rock wall. His gaze swept around the surroundings.

Mo Chen slumped against the wall, his chest heaving violently, his face covered in ash and blood, his eyes fixed on the direction where the Shadow Guards had disappeared. Lin Xiao knelt on one knee, a dagger stuck in the ground to support his body, his vertical pupils shrinking to pinpoints. His father was still blocking in front of him, his shoulders slumped, his breathing heavy, the bloodstains on the burlap bandage on his chest widening.

Hurried footsteps could be heard coming from the entrance of the passageway in the distance.

Shen Moxin and Li Wangye rushed in, supporting each other. Shen Moxin's glasses were askew, and her face was deathly pale. Li Wangye's arm hung limply at his sides.

They were stunned by what they saw.

The battle... is over?

It ended so abruptly.

"Lu Yuan!" Shen Moxin rushed to his side, her fingers trembling.

Lu Yuan wanted to shake his head, but a metallic taste rose in his throat. He forced it down and said in a hoarse voice, "Let's see Mo Chen and Lin Xiao first. And my father too."

His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

Shen Moxin's eyes reddened, and she nodded and ran towards Mo Chen. Li Wangye gritted his teeth and walked towards Lin Xiao.

Lu Yuan leaned against the rock wall, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

With each breath, it felt like a dull knife was cutting into his chest. The emptiness of depleted Soul Power intertwined with the stinging pain in his meridians, and his mind was filled with dizziness. But he couldn't afford to faint.

The scene from just now is replaying in my mind.

Another group of Shadow Guards. They didn't come to kill, they came to stop the killing.

"Task aborted." "Lock fluctuation anomaly." "Priority change." "Observe and isolate."

Every word was being typed.

What is the lock? What is the Key? The abnormal fluctuations... could they be a resonance triggered by the Soul Power Explosion Network? The change in priority... does this mean the Shadow Guards's attitude towards the "Key" isn't unified?

Observation and isolation.

A cold smile curled at the corners of Lu Yuan's lips.

It's not that they let it go. It's that they felt it still had value, or... something happened that made it more important to them.

He recalled that when he pressed his left hand against the rock core, the mutated Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul within his body, which had been dormant for a long time, seemed to tremble slightly. It was extremely faint, fleeting, and unlike any reaction he had ever experienced before.

Like dormant roots, gently stirred by tremors originating from the depths of the earth.

Is it related to "abnormal lock fluctuations"?

have no idea.

There's not much information. But at least, we've gotten through this hurdle for now.

What's the cost?

Lu Yuan opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the unrecognizable core area. The rock walls were riddled with cracks, collapsed in many places, and the air was thick with murky dust. Mo Chen lay on the ground, Shen Moxin tending to his wounds, with fragments of Soul Tool scattered around him—now just scrap metal. Lin Xiao was helped to his feet by Li Wangye, his steps unsteady, his face deathly pale. His father, leaning against a hoe, slumped to the ground, his chest heaving weakly.

Shen Moxin's hands were trembling, and his glasses were covered in dust. Li Wangye's arm was twisted, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

The base's core was severely damaged, and its defense system was destroyed. Mo Chen's Soul Tool was exhausted and he was injured, Lin Xiao was exhausted, his own Soul Power was overdrawn and his meridians were damaged, and his father was further injured. Su Yan was still unconscious outside, still suffering from poisoning.

A Pyrrhic victory? No, it wasn't even that.

He was just lucky to survive.

Lu Yuan coughed violently, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with his sleeve, then, bracing himself against the rock wall, tried to stand up little by little.

My legs felt so weak they didn't belong to me.

Shen Moxin turned around in surprise and tried to help him up.

Lu Yuan raised his hand to stop him. He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and leaned against the rock wall for support, finally managing to stand up unsteadily.

He looked into the depths of the dark mine tunnel where the Shadow Guards had disappeared, his eyes showing no relief, only a calm and solemn expression.

"They..." he began, his voice hoarse but clear, "... are not letting us go."

Shen Moxin stopped what she was doing, Mo Chen looked up, and Lin Xiao and Li Wangye looked over.

Lu Yuan paused for a moment, then continued, "Do they think we're still worth 'observing'? Or... is there something about us that they're more concerned about?"

He didn't say the second half of the sentence.

The mine tunnel was silent, save for the mournful howl of the turbulent, still-flowing Soul Power.

In the distance, in the deeper darkness, something seemed to stir slightly.