After drawing cards, the evil god became my source of吐槽 (tu cao, a form of humorous commentary/criti

Chapter 121 Large-scale Mysterious Shopping Mall (25)

When An Jing arrived at Area A, the scene before her almost made her heart tighten suddenly.

Section A of the shopping mall is so dilapidated that it is almost unrecognizable.

The once orderly floors and shelves were now in ruins, the floor riddled with cracks, as if it might collapse at any moment. The air was thick with the stench of blood and acridity; every breath felt like being choked by rust and smoke, suffocating one.

The walls and floor were covered in broken marks, and the splattered blood had congealed into a dark color. Eerie growls and scraping sounds rose and fell, as if a pack of beasts from the depths of hell were groaning, carrying a chill that made one's soul tremble.

The first person she saw was He Lin.

He Lin was now surrounded by countless strange creatures, with cold claws and fangs on all sides.

Those eerie eyes glowed with a ghostly green light, gleaming with cruel desire in the darkness. They approached like a tide, their breath carrying a stench that assaulted the senses.

He Lin gritted her teeth and desperately condensed layers of ice crystals in an attempt to block the waves of attacks.

The ice crystals shimmered with a cold light in the air, but her physical strength and mental state were already on the verge of collapse. Every time the defensive ice wall was raised, it was accompanied by a violent roar, and it quickly crumbled inch by inch under the claws and sharp teeth.

Her movements grew increasingly sluggish, her chest heaved rapidly, her breathing became labored, and her face was deathly pale. Each breath felt like it was tearing at her lungs; she was sustained only by the last vestige of her will to live.

Those eerie claws were already close at hand, their cold light suddenly magnifying, as if they were about to tear her throat apart in the next instant.

He Lin's heart sank. She knew she didn't have time to build up a new defense; her energy was exhausted, and every muscle in her body was screaming in agony.

“Is that the end…?”

A bitter feeling welled up in her heart.

Just as she was about to give up resisting, suddenly…

boom!
An extremely powerful force, like a raging torrent tearing the heavens and earth apart, suddenly erupted.

With a deafening roar, the monsters that were about to pounce were all violently blasted away in an instant, their bodies crashing into the walls and the ground at extremely high speed, emitting a series of piercing and muffled screams.

The hard cement and metal structures were smashed to pieces, and dust and blood mist instantly filled the air, blurring the view so much that it was almost impossible to see what was ahead.

The entire area seemed to be swept by an invisible shockwave. The air was torn apart, the surrounding stench of blood was dispersed, the ground shook as if it were about to collapse, and the eardrums were throbbing with pain.

He Lin was stunned, frozen in place.

She looked up in surprise.

It's An Jing.

Is she... alright?
An Jing's chest heaved violently, clearly showing signs of intense exhaustion, yet her expression remained incredibly calm, as undisturbed as the deep sea.

He Lin could hardly believe her eyes.

She had already accepted her inevitable death, but at the last moment, An Jing rushed over and not only saved her, but also used an almost unbelievable power to drive away all the strange creatures.

When... did she become so strong?

He Lin stared blankly at An Jing, memories of the past flashing through her mind.

She remembered when she first met An Jing, how wary and flustered he looked, like a cat with its fur standing on end, always cautious.

But now, without my noticing, this girl has grown to the point where she can turn the tide in life-or-death situations.

An Jing herself was stunned for a moment.

The power came too suddenly, as if it had violently erupted from the deepest part of the body. Its appearance was without warning, yet it carried an overwhelming force. But what followed was an utterly debilitating weakness.

She felt as if her whole body had been hollowed out, her limbs were as heavy as lead, and even standing became difficult.

But she still forced herself to keep going, dragging her almost exhausted body toward where the others were.

"Your energy is almost depleted, isn't it?"

Her voice was deep and hoarse, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying an undeniable firmness.

Xin, Youlong, Dongqing, and Helin were all looking at her.

The emotions that surfaced in their eyes were all different.

There was shock, disbelief, and deep heartache.

An Jing didn't say anything more, she just reached out her hand to each person.

She took their hands and continuously transferred the energy within her body to them.

Energy surged from their fingertips, like a warm stream, slowly flowing into their bodies.

That power wasn't intense, but it was incredibly firm, carrying a certain warmth, as if telling them, "You are not alone."

Xin's lips, which had been pale, gradually regained some color, and her breathing became more even. Youlong's tense body finally relaxed, and the cold sweat on his forehead was washed away by the newly surging power. Dongqing let out a low breath, feeling his power slowly returning, as if he had regained the possibility of fighting.

He Lin stared blankly at An Jing's profile, her heart filled with indescribable emotions.

Meanwhile, An Jing's face grew paler and paler.

Actually, she was also in dire need of help.

Because she knew very well that if they didn't even have the strength to stand up, then only destruction awaited them.

After An Jing transferred energy and eliminated most of the mysterious entities, the group finally got a brief respite.

The oppressive atmosphere around them eased slightly, and the lingering growls were no longer so jarring, but the tension and danger had not dissipated.

An Jing leaned against the wall, her forehead beaded with cold sweat, panting heavily.

Suddenly, a sentence that Chi Chen had said before came to mind.

"I might have to do something that will make me feel bad for you."

An Jing was taken aback.

A vague unease welled up in my heart, lingering like a shadow in my chest.

What exactly does "sincere devotion" refer to?
This ominous premonition grew stronger, yet she couldn't find an answer.

Just now.

boom!
An extremely terrifying pressure suddenly enveloped the entire area.

The oppressive force was so heavy it felt as if the heavens and earth were about to collapse. The air froze, breathing became difficult, and everyone felt as if they were being pressed to the ground by an invisible giant hand, with a tearing pain shooting through their chests.

"Uh--"

Yunji was the first to be unable to withstand the pressure.

His face suddenly turned deathly pale, his eyes rolled back, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. He lost his balance, fell heavily to the ground, and fell into a coma.

This scene made everyone's hearts sink.

“Yunji!” You Xin exclaimed, his voice hoarse, but he was too weak to help.

He Lin couldn't help but look up in the direction from which the oppressive aura came from.

In the depths of the distant darkness, a colossal entity was faintly emerging. Even before it fully materialized, it had already brought them to the brink of collapse.

He Lin murmured softly, her voice trembling, "What... what's this now..."

Before that thing could fully reveal itself, the remaining eerie creatures around it suddenly knelt down.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized, without the slightest hesitation.

That scene was extremely eerie, as if they had encountered a single sovereign, so oppressive that it sent chills down one's spine.

Everyone was stunned, their breath caught in their throats.

An Jing suddenly looked up, her eyes narrowing sharply.

She saw,
The ceiling above seemed to be completely shrouded in some enormous shadow.

The light was completely swallowed up in that instant, and the entire space was plunged into a distorted darkness.

The shadow slowly emerged, like a thin layer of mist, or an endless curtain.

It has no clear outline, yet its mere existence sends chills down one's spine.

An Jing felt a sudden chill run down her back, and her blood seemed to freeze completely at that moment.

Because she understood.

That thing is here.

And it is not just ordinary mystery.

It is the being that governs everything.

The entire area was completely shrouded in its shadow.

　The Dragon Slayer Sword is ready.

　　(End of this chapter)