Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 230 Tan Ming Unleashes His Power, Encountering Gold Again!
It’s almost dawn.

A ray of dawn pierced the darkness, casting a warm white light on the horizon and dispelling some of the chill of early autumn.

Then, the darkness on the water faded away layer by layer, and the unease that had been lingering in my heart was also greatly suppressed by the morning light.

The second night after the outbreak of the Immortal Realm was finally passed safely.

Cheng Ye took off his helmet, rubbed his throbbing temples, and couldn't help but feel exhausted.

The night seemed peaceful on the surface, but in reality, my nerves were on edge the entire time, and I dared not relax for even a moment.

"Breakfast is here, how many bags would you like?"

Rokuk came from behind carrying a heavy box filled with specially made nutrient syrup packaged in black bags.

After drinking this stuff, it won't be easy to fall asleep.

The two exchanged a glance, said nothing, but both understood each other's meaning from their eyes:
When it gets dark, it's the domain of the source and the infected.

As dawn breaks, it's time for the prosecutor to expand their area and take the initiative.

Having waited patiently on the shore all night, and finally seeing the sun rise, they naturally couldn't miss the opportunity to go underwater and explore.

"Ten bags!"

Cheng Ye grinned, took the nutrient solution handed to him by Rokuk, tore open a bag and poured it into his mouth. The cool liquid slid down his throat, instantly bringing a sense of clarity.

Before it was fully light, the residents of the red and blue camps began to get up one after another. The sounds of washing up and talking gradually rose up, dispelling the silence of Dabo Town.

In just two days, the place was completely restored to its former vitality.

Only the riverbank remained somewhat desolate; further into the town, however, it was already bustling with activity.

“Prosecutor Luo,” Cheng Ye suddenly spoke.

"Ok?"

"Remember to obey my orders and do not deviate from my command."

"Don't worry." Rokuk pointed to his head and assured him with a smile, "I'm not very strong, but I'm clear-headed and won't cause any trouble."

"Now everyone go back to your respective districts to reassure the residents." Cheng Ye picked up his defense communication device and glanced at the time. "Half an hour later, at 6:30, we will gather at the dock to go into the water."

"understand!"

The two parted ways at the pier; one headed towards the red zone, and the other towards the blue zone.

If their cooperation yesterday was merely a "bond of interests" to complete the task of containing the divine artifact and to survive, then after this night's conversation, their relationship has become different.

Many people would attribute this change to one party's personal charisma, but as Cheng Ye walked back to the Blue Zone, he felt that it was more like a meeting of minds.

"Station Chief Ding has really arranged a great teammate for me this time."

Cheng Ye thought to himself with a sigh.

Back in the Blue Zone, he first gave a brief briefing on the day's tasks for the residential area, and then handed over the specific management authority to Wang Kang.

After being infected last night, Wang Kang can now see the source of infection and has the physical strength boosted by the 10,000-step iron exercise, which is enough to deal with any emergencies.

It's worth mentioning that, as expected of wasteland inhabitants, the residents who were dehydrated yesterday have already returned to normal this morning.

Although they were still a little pale, seeing everyone else working hard, they all stood up and offered to help with whatever they could.

Cheng Ye naturally wouldn't let this opportunity to boost morale slip by. He turned and walked to the truck, opened the first compartment, and, with several patrol members, unloaded hundreds of kilograms of beef bones with meat on them, along with a considerable amount of fresh vegetables.

Thanks to the dry ice freezing in the carriage, these ingredients are still fresh and have a slight chill in them.

"This is an extra reward for everyone who completed the task yesterday!"

Cheng Ye picked up a beef bone and loudly told the residents of the Blue Zone, "Shen Yan, you take some people to cook soup. Everyone will get some, and I guarantee they'll have meat and hot soup!"

Wow.

The hundreds of people in the blue zone instantly erupted in cheers, their excited shouts carrying far and wide.

Residents in the red zone who had just gotten up heard the commotion and came over to see what was going on. Their eyes widened when they saw the beef bones with meat still attached and the fresh vegetables.

Are the food options in the Blue Zone really that good?

Did they lose again?
Just then, Rokuk emerged from the Red Zone, cleared his throat, and announced loudly, "This is the Blue Zone's first-day reward, after all, our Red Zone suffered some casualties. But don't worry, everyone, I had a minor victory over Inspector Cheng yesterday, and a new batch of ingredients will be delivered this afternoon. Everyone in our Red Zone will receive a share!"

Ok?
When Rocco won, the residents of the red zone didn't react much.

Upon hearing that there would be an afternoon turn, the crowd was initially taken aback, then scattered applause broke out, which quickly turned into enthusiastic cheers, with some people even shouting loudly.

It's not difficult to use a few tricks to motivate people.

After settling the residents in, the two of them composed themselves and went to the water's edge before 6:30.

The sun has fully risen.

After the light rain, the sky cleared up exceptionally well, without a single cloud, and the sunlight shone on the river, creating shimmering waves.

The two warmed up for a while, then put on their obsidian armor and cotton clothes, and jumped into the water with practiced movements, swimming towards the cotton room.

"Huh, why is the purple light underwater so much weaker today?"

As soon as he crossed the 25-meter boundary, Cheng Ye frowned.

The intensity of the purple light underwater was far less than yesterday, feeling only about a third of what it was when we first saw it, and even the coverage area had shrunk considerably.

"Could it be that the purple barrier from yesterday caused a lot of damage to the Demon Eye Sponge?"

Cheng Ye looked around and found that the purple barrier that had previously enveloped the cave had dissipated, but his gaze stopped when it fell on the sponge covering the cavern.

A nearly solidified barrier, resembling a purple gemstone, evenly covers the entrance to the cave.

Did yesterday's explosion have an effect?
Tan Ming discovered that the snails below were secretly farming?

Cheng Ye was startled and didn't dare to touch the barrier with his hands covered by the cotton-padded clothes. Instead, he and Rokuk went through the gap in the wall of the cotton-padded room and planned to go to the second floor to check the situation.

Stepping onto the bio-elevator, a familiar sense of transport washes over you.

But when the purple light barrier leading to the second floor appeared before him, Cheng Ye's eyes widened in surprise.

Damn it.

What the hell is this?
The barrier, which was radiant with purple light yesterday, is now enveloped in wisps of blood-red aura, looking like a chilling "blood gate".

A force came from behind, but instead of being sent to the second floor as usual, the two crashed into the barrier with a "thud" and were bounced back.

"Why can't we get in?" Rococo asked, rubbing his head, feeling a little dizzy.

Could it be that the Magic Eye Sponge has already discovered that the two are actually "sponge lovers"?
Cheng Ye was also thrown to the ground. When he got up, he didn't say anything, but instead placed his palm on the barrier to carefully sense it.

A few seconds later, his expression suddenly changed, his eyes filled with disbelief: "Lord Tan Ming... is he really that powerful?"

The light gate was actually repelling the aura of the cotton-like patterns on their bodies!
Could it be that no crabmen came ashore last night because Tan Ming sealed off this barrier to trap and kill all the crabmen and even the immortals inside?

Cheng Ye was shocked. Just how deep was Tan Ming's obsession in life that he would act so crazyly after death?

He composed himself and looked at Rococo: "You wait here for me, I'll go in and check the situation."

"Is it dangerous?"

"It might be possible for you, but for me..."

As he spoke, Cheng Ye shook his head and simply took off his cotton-padded coat.

Almost the instant he took it off, he could feel several peculiar presences "staring" at him from inside the cotton room.

But the next second, those auras were drawn away by an even stronger commotion, and they were no longer paid attention to it, proving that there had indeed been a major change in the second floor of the cave.

"Okay, I'll wait for you here!" Upon discovering that Cheng Ye had taken off his cotton-padded coat and could already put his hand inside, Rokuk immediately reacted.

The cotton-padded clothes couldn't be brought in, so one of the two had to stay at the door to guard the clothes. Only after the exploration was over could they use the cotton-padded clothes to return to the outside world.

If both of them go inside, and their padded clothes get destroyed, they'll be completely trapped inside!
"Be careful in everything. If you encounter danger, just evacuate. Don't worry about me."

"clear."

After saying that, Cheng Ye stepped inside.

A familiar dizziness instantly struck, as if his senses were being forcibly dismantled and then reassembled. The next second, he was standing steadily on the ground of the second level of the cave.

Almost instinctively, he retreated sharply to the side and back.

"Crack! Click!"

Six or seven gleaming crab claws slammed down on the spot where he had just stood, instantly creating several small craters of varying depths in the hard rock ground, sending fragments of rock flying everywhere.

Crab-men were guarding the entrance to the gate of light?
Who are they trying to frame here?

Cheng Ye glanced around quickly and saw that around the light gate that led between the first and second floors, there was a dense circle of crab-men. Their shells were a dark bluish-black, and their pincers were covered with dried red slime. They stared at him with ferocious expressions, clearly having been on guard.

Even more unusually, despite him wearing obsidian armor, these crab-men stared intently in his direction as if they had locked onto a target, without the slightest hesitation.

In a flash, he hesitated for a moment, then decided not to stay and fight the crab people.

Instead, he exerted force with his feet, unleashing his full power in an instant, and rushed towards the lakeside he had seen yesterday like a blur.

However, less than 500 meters from the light gate, Cheng Ye suddenly stopped, his eyes flashing with deep shock.

Within a 500-meter radius of the light gate, the vegetation still retains its appearance from yesterday.

But once this boundary is crossed, the scene changes drastically. The surrounding vegetation looks as if it has been doused with strong pesticides. The leaves wither and curl at a visible speed, the vines droop dryly on the rocks, and even the moss on the ground loses its moisture and turns into grayish-brown debris.

It's the same cave, but it feels like it's been divided into two seasons.

The first half depicted the vitality of spring, while the second half conveyed the desolation of late autumn. A sense of oppressive stillness and death swept over him, startling Cheng Ye.

"Has Tan Ming's curse infiltrated us?"

Cheng Ye muttered to himself, somewhat incredulous. But just as he was stunned, a fierce fighting sound mixed with the roars of the crab-men came from around the corner in the distance.

Is someone still dealing with the crab people?
Cheng Ye quickly composed himself, memorized the names of several unusual trees in the vicinity, and headed towards the direction from which the fighting sounds were coming from.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Whatever is dealing with the crab people, as long as it can deplete the power of the divine artifact, it's a good thing.

As the distance drew closer, Cheng Ye held his breath, hid his body behind the shadow of the withered tree, and quietly peeked out.

This glance startled him once again.

Seven crab-men were frantically attacking three blood-red figures. These figures had no clear faces, were only a little over 1.7 meters tall, and were fighting the crab-men with their bare hands.

A figure was accidentally struck by a crab claw and instantly turned into a pool of blood that splashed on the ground.

But the next second, centered on the pool of blood, the surrounding vegetation seemed to have all its life force drained away, quickly turning yellow and withering, while the blood, nourished by life force, re-coagulated, transforming back into human figures, and continued to fight the crab-men.

"Petrification curse. It's taken human form? And it can still maintain its immortality through plant life force?"

Cheng Ye was utterly astonished, never expecting Tan Ming to possess such a unique skill.

What exactly did he want to do to transform the land so that Shi Province could grow extraordinary plants?
Could it be that they wanted to extract the life force of other plants and concentrate it onto one plant for catalysis? This was a completely unexpected surprise. When Cheng Ye blasted open the passage, he only wanted to try to introduce a curse to restrain the immortal creature and reduce the pressure at night. He never expected it to have such a great effect.

You know, even if you put 100,000 crabmen there for him to kill, he still wouldn't finish killing them in three days and three nights.

But now that the petrification curse is helping to clean things up, maybe we can really get rid of this troublesome army of crabmen.

As Cheng Ye was pondering, he suddenly turned to the side, and more than a dozen crab-men rushed over upon hearing the news, surrounding the three blood-red figures and smashing down with their giant pincers.

The blood and human form repeatedly changed, and the surrounding plants withered one by one.

Only after there was no more life within fifty meters of the figures, and they were smashed into blood by the crab claws, did the three figures let out a mournful wail, turning into wisps of red energy and completely evaporating into the air.

"So it's not true immortality, but rather the ability to regenerate infinitely as long as there's a supply of life force?"

Cheng Ye reacted instantly, then took another step and continued walking towards the lake.

Along the way, he sometimes passed through barren, desolate areas, and sometimes through vibrant green regions, and occasionally he could hear the sounds of fighting coming from afar.

With that, the clues became clear: the purple light gate must be the entrance to the cave. The crack he had previously created allowed Tan Ming's curse aura to seep in, transforming into a blood-red figure that wreaked havoc throughout the cave.

The fact that the Magic Eye Sponge had the Crabman guard the portal was probably to prevent these blood-red figures from entering.

However, Tan Ming's curse also corrupted the light gate, preventing the crab people with cotton patterns from entering or leaving.

These two moves completely shut down the other side's path, and the two sides were at a complete stalemate!

"Okay!"

Cheng Ye couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Lord Tan, you've helped me this time; I will surely fulfill your last wish one day!"

When he finally arrived at the lake, his joy was beyond words.

Too small!

It's finally gotten smaller!

The enormous conch shell, as big as the sun, shrank by a third overnight.

Although it is still too large to be contained by conventional means compared to the size seen in the intelligence space, this huge change has pointed him to an excellent approach.

"The manual wasn't lying. To contain an infected source, strength is one aspect, but even more important is intelligence."

"This tactic of using one enemy to devour another could be used by an ordinary person to bring in a bomb, as long as they find the right spot!"

Thinking this, Cheng Ye couldn't help but feel a little regretful. If he hadn't wasted the bombs on the crabmen, would there have been even more curse energy seeping in now?

However, there is still a chance. Now that we have found the right approach, we can continue to implement it.

Looking at the lakeside again, most of the crab people who had been worshipping there had dispersed, with only a small number still kneeling under the light of the Wanling Earth Conch.

A faint white halo flashed across the surface of the conch shell from time to time, as if it was still trying to repair this space that had been corrupted by the curse.

Each time the halo intensified, dozens of the crab-men who were worshipping would turn into white light spots and explode. These light spots would then float into the conch shell's body, as if replenishing its energy.

"This thing is definitely an evil object; it's too bizarre."

Cheng Ye frowned, suddenly remembering what the elder had said: using immortal artifacts would come at an unimaginable price.

At this moment, he finally understood something. If the price was to sacrifice countless lives to maintain it, then if this divine object fell into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, it would definitely cause a huge disaster.

After observing for a while, Cheng Ye turned and left.

Instead of rushing back to the portal to investigate the destruction of the entrance, he moved to a battlefield.

Unlike the three blood-red figures we saw before who fought individually and were eventually defeated one by one by the crab people, the five figures in this battle were also being besieged. However, after two of them were smashed into bloody water, they did not reform into human form. Instead, they quickly clung to their companions like living creatures.

The blood-red light suddenly surged, and the two blood-red figures that had been possessed instantly grew to two meters tall, almost the same height as the crab man. The power of their punches and kicks also increased significantly, and they could crack the crab man's shell with a single punch.

just.

Trying to search for the enlarged, blood-red figure. No response!
It seems that these blood-red figures have no intelligence; they are simply cursed power manifested in human form.

If we could "kill" them, could we include them in the encyclopedia and extract their characteristics?
Cheng Ye pondered and tried using his ability to change size at will.

Disappointingly, although the ability provided by the Shrinking Giant Lice is at level 5, the rune slots that affect its size in the room are higher than those of the extraordinary, making it impossible to break through its suppression.

He is only about 30 centimeters tall now. Although his physical fitness has not declined, his size makes it difficult for him to use his fists and feet, and his fighting ability is greatly reduced.

"If rune suppression is used, what if I used my ability to enlarge my body before I even entered?"

Cheng Ye clarified his thoughts.

Whether you're right or wrong, go out and try it once and you'll know.

Moreover, without weapons, the crab claws in the hands of ordinary crabmen are quite inconvenient to use.

Without further hesitation, he turned and ran swiftly toward the portal.

When you get close to the entrance, make a commotion on the outside to attract the crab people's attention. Once they surround you, use your "small" size to nimbly slip through the encirclement and burst out of the light gate.

The crab-men roared from behind. They tried to chase after them, but a flash of blood-red light appeared on the portal, and all the crab-men were violently thrown back, no longer daring to approach.

"How is it?" Rokuk, who had been vigilantly guarding the shadowy corner, hurriedly dragged his padded coat to greet Cheng Ye when he came out.

"Good thing! What a great thing!"

As Cheng Ye put on his cotton-padded coat, he walked and said, "Yesterday I blew up the entrance to the cave, and Tan Ming's curse seeped in. Now it's fiercely fighting with the immortal artifacts!"

"Tan Ming?" Rokuk was stunned and couldn't react.

"It's the petrifying curse beneath our feet!"

"Ah! It's a curse!" Rococo's mind suddenly clicked, and he instantly understood what this meant. His face lit up with wild joy. "Then what do we do now?"

"Don't rush to destroy the entrance."

Cheng Ye interrupted him, "Let's go, let's get the weapons first, then go in! While things are chaotic, let's kill as many crab people as possible, and while we're at it, let's see if we can contain the source of infection inside, and weaken the power of the immortal artifact first!"

Once ashore, Cheng Ye picked up the crimson and purple twin swords, while Rokuk also took two sharp short swords from his equipment box.

In addition, each of them carried two destruction-level containment boxes, so that they could take action in time if they encountered an infected source that could be contained.

But before entering the cotton room this time, Cheng Ye deliberately stopped and used his ability to enlarge his body to its limit.

Sure enough, the room seemed to sense his change in size. The small opening that was originally just big enough for two people to pass through instantly expanded into a huge passage that could accommodate the crab fusion from yesterday, just big enough for him to squeeze in now.

As I entered the cotton chamber and stepped onto the bio-elevator, the familiar power of the runes quietly erupted.

But just as Cheng Ye had predicted, the runes only shrunk his current size by six times, and did not completely dispel the basic effect of the size-as-you-go rule.

Ultimately, his height remained at 86 centimeters. Although he was still a "dwarf," compared to his previous appearance when he was compressed to just over 30 centimeters, this height was enough for him to wield the dual swords normally and barely exert his fighting power.

To his even greater surprise, his physical abilities, which relied on the superposition of different sizes, had not completely disappeared.

Part of it was neutralized by the power of the runes, but the rest was still effective, making his strength and speed more than double what they usually are!
"Cool!"

Cheng Ye casually placed the cotton-padded clothes next to the light gate, not worrying at all that they would be damaged.

Anyway, he still has 100% energy. If he loses it, he can easily rebuild one for use.

"I'll go in first to clear the area. You keep track of the time and come in three minutes later. Don't show your face beforehand."

"it is good!"

Rokuk nodded nervously, gripping the short sword on his back with both hands, his eyes fixed on the portal.

Fortunately, with its size reduced, the weapons and containment boxes also shrunk proportionally, making them just the right size to hold.

When the three minutes were up, he first threw the four containment boxes into the portal, and then stepped inside.

call.

As soon as I stood firm, the pungent smell of blood hit me. Dozens of crab-men surrounding the portal lay sprawled on the ground, their shells shattered into pieces, and dark green fluids flowing everywhere.

Cheng Ye held a purple knife in his left hand and a red knife in his right, standing among the corpses like a demon god.

If it were any bigger, it would certainly be majestic.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and move, or we'll get surrounded!"

Cheng Ye let out a low shout, and Rokuk came to his senses. He quickly sheathed the short knife back in his back, grabbed two containment boxes in each hand, and hurried after him.

Once he was out of the light gate's range, Cheng Ye immediately used his senses to locate himself and rushed to a battlefield.

Twelve crab-men are ganging up on two blood-red figures.

The blood-red figure struggled to hold on, but each time it revived, it was immediately killed by the crab-men guarding its corpse.

As the vegetation within a 50-meter radius was rapidly being drained of its energy, the figure's resurrection rate slowed down considerably.

"You all die!"

Cheng Ye let out a low shout and rushed forward.

His smaller size made him more agile, and with his doubled physical abilities, he moved as fast as a blur, darting freely among the crabs.

The crimson and purple swords flew up and down, and the crab claws and legs fell to the ground one after another. In less than thirty seconds, all twelve crabmen were chopped to pieces on the ground, and the dark green fluid stained a patch of ground green.

The remaining two blood-red figures were stunned for a moment. They stared blankly at Cheng Ye, and then they lay down on the ground and began to "suck" like sponges absorbing water.

A wisp of red aura seeped from their bodies into the earth, and the already withered grass and trees around them instantly lost their last bit of life, turning into dust.

Meanwhile, wisps of pale green life force returned to the human figures, causing their shriveled bodies to gradually swell and their colors to brighten.

"So this thing can actively pollute the soil and absorb life force?"

Cheng Ye stared blankly for a moment, but his hand didn't stop wielding the knife. "I'm sorry, Lord Tan, but I need to borrow your aura for a moment!"

With flashes of light, two figures were instantly killed, reduced to blood.

After recovering, he was killed again.

After this happened three times, all life within fifty meters vanished, turning into wisps of red aura.

Meanwhile, the collector did not disappoint, with a series of notifications popping up on the panel.

The collector has detected escaping biological information and is automatically absorbing it.

[Absorption complete. New creature illustration added: Tan Ming]

"Tan Ming?"

Cheng Ye was startled as he watched the encyclopedia page automatically redirect.

The twenty records on the first page had already been collected during these days of containment and killing.

Turning to the second page, Cheng Ye took a deep breath and looked at the latest record with some trepidation.

next second.

A fiery yet familiar golden hue suddenly flashed before my eyes!

(End of this chapter)