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Chapter 199 The Shi Family of the North: One Man Can Hold Off Ten Thousand! (Update 15 of 2 words)

"Huhu."

Heavy breathing filled the air.

The relief of surviving the ordeal didn't last long before it was replaced by a renewed sense of despair brought on by the terrifying sounds outside.

"Thank you so much, brother!"

A tall, thin, pale-faced young man broke the silence first, expressing his gratitude to the last young man who rushed in, wearing a Federation standard combat uniform.

"If you hadn't opened this hole in time, we would all be finished!"

"Brother, I'll remember this favor!"

"May I ask your honorable name, brother?"

Everyone realized what was happening and began to express their gratitude in a flurry of words, their eyes filled with sincerity.

In this desperate situation, the other party risked exposing their location and even being discovered by the horde of ghosts beforehand, by proactively opening the entrance to guide them in. This was absolutely a life-saving grace.

After all, we are all competitors.

In that situation, it's a matter of goodwill to help, and it's one's right not to help.

No one can morally blackmail him in this situation, unless he wants to experience what it's like to be beaten to death by a mob.

The young man waved his hand, his face showing a hint of fatigue, but his eyes remained calm: "My name is Ishigaki."

His voice was a little hoarse.

Clearly, the shouting and maintaining the opening had taken a toll.

"Ishigaki? You're from the Ishigaki family?!"

A martial artist in the crowd who seemed knowledgeable immediately exclaimed, "The Shi family of the North, the Shi family that inherited the Earth-based Divine Sect's lineage?!"

Ishigaki nodded, not denying it: "Yes. Earth-type abilities are somewhat useful in this kind of environment."

"So you're a friend of the Shi family! No wonder!"

Everyone suddenly realized what was going on, and their gazes toward Ishigaki became even more respectful.

The Shi family of the North is renowned for their earth-based abilities, especially their expertise in defense and terrain manipulation, making them an extremely valuable support force within this "Abyss".

Fang Qingyu also looked at Shi Yuan and nodded: "Thank you."

His tone was calm, but anyone who knew Fang Qingyu even slightly understood the weight behind it.
After saying thank you.

Fang Qingyu glanced at Wei Banmeng, Chu Kuanglan, and Lu Jiuyuan, and seeing that although the three of them had consumed a lot of energy, they were all fine, he breathed a sigh of relief.

As for Jiang Wei, she was held protectively in his arms, and apart from her face being a little tense, she was completely unharmed.

The cave fell silent again for a short while, with only the terrifying roar from outside.

"What the hell was that just now?" Finally, someone couldn't help but ask the question that was on everyone's mind. "I've never seen or heard of such a large group of ghosts in the 'Abyss' before."

Fang Qingyu leaned against the cold rock wall.

Recalling the fleeting glimpse he had just witnessed—the swarm of life-destroying ants, surging like a black tide, each with its own unique form yet united in purpose—he said in a deep voice, "They are Rock Nest Army Ants."

"Army ants with rock nests?!" Someone gasped. "Those kinds of 'life ghosts'—not much of a threat individually, but incredibly terrifying when they gather in numbers?! But... how could they have amassed such a terrifying number?! This is too abnormal! How many people enter the Abyss each time? This many of them..."

Fang Qingyu's words undoubtedly confirmed the worst-case scenario.

They encountered an extremely rare and deadly natural disaster within the "Abyss".

A colony of ants of this size isn't out hunting for these "snacks" at all; it's more like... a migration? Or perhaps, driven or commanded by something far more terrifying?
"It must be reported to the Federal Government!"

Immediately, someone pulled out a communicator, their fingers trembling as they began to edit a message, describing the terrifying, overwhelming scene and the unusually large-scale gathering of the "rock nest army ants."

This is absolutely a major anomaly!

However, just as everyone was beginning to feel relieved after finding the "culprit," and before the message was fully sent...
Boom! ! ! !
A much deeper and more violent impact than before suddenly came from behind and above their heads!

The entire lava cave shook violently once again.

Large chunks of gravel and dust fell with a thud, hitting the ground with a dull thud, eliciting gasps of surprise.

"not good!"

Ishigaki's expression changed drastically in an instant. He looked up sharply in the direction from which the tremor came, and his hands instinctively pressed against the rock wall, as if sensing something.

The next second, his eyes were filled with horror: "Something is attacking the rock wall frantically, from more than one direction. They are trying to dig through here, and the force is much stronger than the stomping force from before!"

"what?!"

"Dig through?! Wouldn't that put us like fish in a barrel?!"

"What do we do?! Brother Shi, can you hold on?"

Panic spread through the crowd like a plague in an instant.

The relief of finding refuge in the shelter vanished, replaced by a deeper despair.

Even though they were all the chosen ones of Project Hidden Dragon
But when one is completely powerless, one will revert to the nature that an ordinary person should possess.

Ishigaki's forehead veins bulged, and his hands were pressed tightly against the rock wall.

A yellowish-brown light surged from his palm as he struggled to stabilize the rock layers being violently battered. His voice was urgent: "I can't hold on much longer. There are too many of them, and their attacks are too concentrated! I... my strength isn't enough to support the entire cave structure!"

Everyone's hearts sank to the bottom.

Once the rock wall is breached, given the terrifying numbers and fearless nature of the rock-nesting army ants, their small number of people will be no match for them!
In this narrow cave, there's not even room to move around; it's definitely a dead end!
Amidst the chaos and despair, a cold voice cut through the noise like a sharp blade:
"Ishigaki!"

Fang Qingyu suddenly stood up straight, his gaze sharp as a knife, fixed on the direction where the tremor was most intense and where Ishigaki's face looked the worst.

That was a relatively weak sidewall deep inside the cave.

"Open a hole!"

Fang Qingyu's voice was firm and unwavering.

"what?!"

Ishigaki thought he had misheard and looked at Fang Qingyu in disbelief.

Everyone else was stunned, wondering if they were hallucinating.

Open a door? Wouldn't that be like letting a wolf into the house?

"I said, make an opening!" Fang Qingyu repeated, his tone even colder, carrying an undeniable decisiveness. "Make it at the point where you sensed the most intense attack and where the rock wall is weakest! Not too big, just enough for them to squeeze through!"

Ishigaki instantly understood Fang Qingyu's intention!
He intends to deliberately let some of the ghosts in, creating a "one-man-holds-the-pass" situation at the narrow entrance of the cave, and then strangle them!

This greatly reduces the pressure on other parts of the rock wall, preventing the entire cave from being completely collapsed by multiple points of excavation.

But the risk is too great!

If the number of ghosts rushing in exceeds expectations, or if the entrance cannot be defended and they are allowed to enter the cave, everyone will instantly collapse.

Ishigaki's gaze swept over Fang Qingyu, then turned to Wei Banmeng, who had silently stood beside Fang Qingyu, her Xuanchi twin blades unsheathed half an inch, as well as Chu Kuanglan, whose fists were clenched and whose eyes were fierce, and Lu Jiuyuan, whose blades were flashing with cold light.

Perhaps these people really can do it?

"Damn it! I'll risk it! It's better than being buried alive!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Ishigaki's eyes; he chose to believe this man who had killed a Chosen One with a hammer.

"Everyone back off, hold the inner circle, prepare for battle!" he roared at the others, then slammed his hands down on the violently shaking rock wall!
"open--!"

hum!
A sudden burst of earthy yellow light erupted!

The hard, dark red lava wall, under the control of the stone wall, writhed, softened, and collapsed inward like a living thing.

An irregular hole with a diameter of about 1.5 meters was instantly formed!

roar--!!!!

Almost the instant the cave entrance appeared, several ferocious, enormous ant-like heads, covered in dark red carapaces and dripping corrosive saliva from their mouthparts, suddenly squeezed in.

His compound eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty ferocity.

Next, we see their bodies waving their sharp, scythe-like forelimbs!

The Rock Nest Ripper and the Lava Giant Jaw Ant are the elite offensive forces within the Rock Nest Army Ant colony!

"kill!!!"

Fang Qingyu's roar was like a thunderclap.

The moment the cave entrance opened, his figure transformed into a streak of purple-white lightning that tore through the darkness, charging headlong into the surging torrent of life-destroying ghosts!

Dragon Sparrow Slashes Calamity, unsheathed!

Dark golden lightning and fire erupted suddenly at the narrow cave entrance!
Sizzle! Boom!

Lightning flashed and flames engulfed the sky!
The two [Rock Nest Rippers] charging at the forefront didn't even have time to scream before their hard, alloy-like carapaces were like paper in the face of the blazing lightning and fire, instantly torn apart and burned by the violent blade energy!

Severed limbs and broken pieces, along with the smell of burning flesh, scattered and flew everywhere.

Fang Qingyu, alone with his sword, stood firmly at the only entrance, like a rock!

The newly initiated Yin Tingyuan was compressed to the extreme in this narrow space.

Each strike was accompanied by destructive dark golden lightning, instantly annihilating the elite ghosts who tried to surge in.

The blade flashed like a constantly spinning, life-devouring vortex of death, firmly blocking the one-and-a-half-meter-wide gap!

The darkness behind Fang Qingyu was illuminated by the lightning and fire, flickering in and out.

On that profile, covered in charred soot and sweat, the eyes were as cold as ice, with only the afterimages left by the rapid swinging of the arm.

"Hold the inner circle! Help clean up any fish that slipped through the net!"

Wei Banmeng's cool voice rang out, carrying absolute calmness.

She didn't go directly to block the door for Fang Qingyu, because that spot could only accommodate one person at a time.

She led Chu Kuanglan, Lu Jiuyuan, and the other members of the Hidden Dragon Project who had reacted quickly to form a second line of defense. They instantly finished off any stray ghosts who occasionally broke through Fang Qingyu's sword light blockade and were severely injured but not dead!

The cave instantly transformed into a bloody slaughterhouse.

The roars, the sound of blades tearing through carapace, the booming of thunder and fire, and the dying wails of the ghosts were all mixed together!
"Ishigaki! The breach can be widened a bit more! But the rest of the area must be secured! It absolutely cannot be breached!"

Fang Qingyu's voice still reached Ishigaki's ears clearly amidst the fierce battle.

He needs more pressure to distribute the impact on other parts of the rock face, but he must not lose control!

"I know!!" Ishigaki's eyes were bloodshot, sweat poured down his forehead, and his hands were pressed tightly against the rock walls on both sides, the yellowish-brown light flashing wildly. He was trying his best to maintain the stability of the main structure of the cave while struggling to control the only "flood outlet".

With a thought, the 1.5-meter opening slowly expanded to 3 meters.

Instantly, the number of the ghosts that flooded in surged!
The pressure suddenly increased dramatically! "Good timing!"

Fang Qingyu's eyes blazed with even more lightning and fire. Instead of retreating, he let out a deep roar.

His blood and qi surged like boiling water in a furnace, and the five elements' rotational force was pushed to its limit.

Dragon Sparrow's slashing speed increased, and the death vortex formed by the blade light became even more violent!

Dark golden lightning intertwined to form a destructive domain, forcefully blocking the surging tide of life-destroying ghosts once again.

Kill!
Endless killing!
Time lost its meaning in the bloody battle.

I don’t know how long it took.

One hour? Two hours?

The cave floor was covered with a thick layer of the remains of the dead, charred remains, and thick, dark green blood, emitting a nauseating stench.

At Fang Qingyu's feet, the piled-up corpses of the dead ghosts were almost level with the cave entrance.

He had to swing his knife while kicking away the obstructing debris.

His training clothes were already soaked and torn by the corrosive liquid and the blood of the dead, and there were several bloody marks on his exposed skin from being cut by sharp limbs, but they were instantly burned off by his powerful body and the Crimson Blaze to stop the bleeding.

Sweat mixed with blood slid down Fang Qingyu's forehead, and his breathing became heavy and rapid.

Even for him, maintaining such a high-intensity burst for a long time would consume terrifying amounts of his blood and energy.

But those eyes remained as sharp as knives.

The way he swung his arm to wield the dragon sparrow remained steady, precise, and deadly!

Wei Banmeng and the others were already covered in blood, their breathing fluctuating, but their eyes remained firm as they guarded the second line of defense, swiftly eliminating any who managed to break through.

Ishigaki's face was ashen, and his body was trembling slightly. Maintaining the cave and controlling the "floodgate" had almost drained him of his last bit of strength, and he was only holding on by sheer willpower.

at last
When the opening, which had been painstakingly maintained by the stone wall and had expanded to nearly ten meters wide, ceased its frenzied influx of new life-devouring spirits after Fang Qingyu cleaved two more [Lava Giant Jaw Ants] in two more with a single strike.
The shouts of battle and the howls of the demons inside the cave suddenly ceased!

The only sounds were the heavy, bellows-like breathing of the crowd and the stomping sounds outside the rock wall, which seemed to have become much sparser.

"Finished killing?"

A warrior covered in blood, leaning on a broken sword, stared blankly at the cave entrance, which was mostly blocked by wreckage and remained silent, and murmured in a hoarse voice.

"We...held it?!"

Another young man, leaning against the rock wall, almost exhausted, burst into unbelievable ecstasy.

"We won! We survived!!"

The immense joy of surviving the ordeal erupted like a volcano among the crowd.

Many people excitedly helped each other up, their eyes filled with complex emotions, as they looked at the figure who still stood tall before the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, knife in hand.

That silhouette
In that hellish battle just now, at least half, or even more, of the elite ghosts were killed by him alone at that narrow cave entrance.

It was his godlike figure and his destructive lightning and fire blade light that created an unbreakable flesh and blood defense for everyone.

Many people looked at Fang Qingyu with gratitude, awe, and resentment.

This included some martial arts school members who had previous grudges against Fang Qingyu, and their eyes were filled with complex emotions at this moment.

Fang Qingyu paid no attention to the gazes and cheers behind him.

He took a slight breath, suppressed his surging blood and qi, and looked up at the cave entrance maintained by the stone wall.

Above the cave entrance, the once thick rock layer had been frantically dug open by the group of ghosts, creating a huge gap.

Sunlight, carrying the scent of sulfur, streamed in through the gap.

It illuminated the mountain of remains of the dead below.

With a light touch of his toes, Fang Qingyu's figure darted out of the cave entrance like a wisp of smoke, and with a few leaps, he landed on the ground through the excavated passage.

Standing atop the lava hills, one can look around.

Before me lay a desolate, dark red plain.

The terrifying ant swarm that had previously stretched like a black tide had vanished, leaving only a mess of trampling marks, overturned rocks, and a few scattered, seemingly stray or injured ant spirits crawling aimlessly in the distance.

On the distant horizon, the remnants of that massive "earth wave" can still be seen, slowly moving toward the Wailing Wall.

It's safe now.
Fang Qingyu's tense nerves finally relaxed a little, and he took a deep breath of the air, which was filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood.

He then turned around and jumped down into the cave.

Looking at the crowd who were eagerly waiting, their faces still showing surprise and anticipation, he calmly said:
"It's safe."

Fang Qingyu's calm voice was like a stone thrown into a stagnant pool, instantly breaking the extremely tense atmosphere in the cave.

"call--!!!"

"They survived. They really survived."

"Damn it, my legs are shaking."

Cheers and groans of complete relaxation erupted simultaneously.

The tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and almost everyone slumped to the ground as if their bones had been removed. Some even lay directly on the cold rocks and the viscous mixture of blood and filth, panting heavily, their chests heaving violently, their faces a mixture of ecstasy, lingering fear, and extreme exhaustion.

Chu Kuanglan plopped down on the ground, leaning against the rock wall. His bronze chest heaved like a bellows as he cursed in a deep voice, "Damn, I feel like my bones are melting."

Lu Jiuyuan, leaning on his knife, knelt on one knee, head bowed, breathing heavily, sweat mixed with blood dripping down his face.

Wei Banmeng leaned slightly against the rock wall, her usually cold face unusually pale, and her breathing somewhat disordered.

Fang Qingyu ignored the noise and relaxation around him.

He silently walked through the collapsed crowd and approached Jiang Wei, who had been quietly sitting in the shadows in the corner.

The little girl's face was a bit pale, but her eyes remained clear and calm.

Fang Qingyu reached out and gently ruffled her soft hair, then sat down cross-legged beside her.

Without saying a word, he took out a Profound-level Qi and Blood Crystal from his tactical bag and threw it into his mouth without even looking at it.

A warm and surging current of energy instantly spread through his body, replenishing his nearly depleted blood and qi.

At the same time, my mind sank into the [diagram].

The skill points gained from that fierce battle defending the cave, combined with the remaining 2 skill points, have successfully maxed out the Thunder Abyss skill!
【Yin Tingyuan Lv.3 (0/800)】

There were some gains to be made.

Inside the cave, everyone gradually recovered from their complete exhaustion.

The relief of surviving the ordeal was replaced by the instinct to plunder the spoils of war.

"Quick! Gather the materials! The carapaces, mandibles, and cores of these elite spirit beasts are all valuable!"

Some people struggled to their feet and began searching for the relatively intact remains of the ghost.

"Yes! We can't let our efforts go to waste!"

"Hurry up! This is no place to linger!"

Everyone sprang into action, enduring their exhaustion and nausea, searching for valuable materials among the mountains of wreckage.

Ishigaki finally collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his face as pale as paper, his hands still trembling slightly.

Several people who had received his kindness immediately gathered around, offering him water and food, their eyes filled with gratitude.

"Brother Shi, I am deeply grateful!"

"If it weren't for you and Fang Qingyu just now..."

Ishigaki waved his hand, barely having the strength to speak, and just gave a weak smile.

Just as everyone was busy cleaning up the mess, the cave was temporarily filled only with the sounds of searching and panting.

Jiang Wei, who had been sitting quietly next to Fang Qingyu, suddenly reached out her small hand and gently tugged at the corner of Fang Qingyu's clothes.

Fang Qingyu opened his eyes and looked down.

Jiang Wei tilted her head back, her clear eyes not showing the relief of surviving a disaster, but rather a hint of solemnity and inquiry.

She leaned close to Fang Qingyu's ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"I feel like something's not right."

Fang Qingyu's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't speak. He just gestured for her to continue.

Jiang Wei frowned slightly, pointed her little finger towards the huge gap that had been dug open above her head, and lowered her voice even further: "The direction the ant colony migrated and the scent that drove them away just now. Although it was mostly covered by the smell of sulfur and blood, I can still feel a little bit of that scent. It's very strange."

She paused, seemingly searching for the right words, a hint of confusion and wariness on her small face: "It doesn't seem like pure driving away or fear. It's more like a summoning? Or a command? And the direction of that lingering aura... it seems like someone is dying."

Summon? Command?
Fang Qingyu's heart sank.

What makes a swarm of rock-nest army ants so frantic, migrating with such a clear purpose, even at the cost of smashing through any obstacles along the way?
If it were driven away by some higher-level spirit, although terrifying, it would still be within our comprehension.

But if it's a "summon" or "command".
What does that mean?
Does this mean that in the direction of the Wailing Wall, there exists a terrifying being with extremely high intelligence, capable of commanding such a massive ant colony?!

This is far more terrifying than a simple beast tide migration!
And what Jiang Wei is saying now.

The enemy is about to die!?

"Should we...?" Jiang Wei looked at Fang Qingyu, a hint of adventure flashing in her clear eyes, "and follow them to see what's going on?"

Follow?
Fang Qingyu's gaze changed instantly.

I recalled looking through that huge gap at the distant horizon where the earthen wave was slowly subsiding.

The danger is self-evident.

but.
Jiang Wei said that the aura was about to die.
In other words, there's a possibility of encountering ruins that are about to form!
This poses no restrictions for those who are not even at the second level.

Jiang Wei previously mentioned that the few historical sites she knew of had all been eroded by time.

It is guarded by nature, or by some other terrifying force.

Those ruins were naturally beyond their ability to explore.

And these are the ruins that are about to be formed.
Fang Qingyu remained silent for a few seconds, his gaze sweeping over the exhausted Wei Banmeng and the other two.

Ultimately, the gaze fell upon Jiang Wei's eyes, which were filled with seriousness and inquiry.

He slowly stood up, patted the dust and blood off his clothes, and his voice, though soft, clearly reached Jiang Wei's ears:

"Walk."

(End of this chapter)