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Chapter 242 "Entropy of Time", A Strange Woman!! (Updated 45 times out of 2 words)

boom--! ! !
The dark red pillar of light, like a living torrent of lava, burst forth from Jiang Wei's small body and instantly swept outwards in all directions.

That wasn't a flame.

It is at least not a flame in the conventional sense.

It is viscous and deep, like a mixture of molten obsidian and the core of a star, carrying an extreme heat that makes the air distort and wail.

Wherever the dark red light passed, the air hissed and shrieked, instantly igniting.
The thick, slippery, and cold humus layer beneath our feet, like thin ice exposed to the scorching sun, silently vaporized and disappeared, revealing the rocks and twisted tree roots beneath, which were also instantly charred and cracked.

Those dark green vines, coiled and intertwined like giant pythons, didn't even have time to struggle before they were thrown into a furnace like wax figures the moment they came into contact with the dark red light.

Starting from the point of contact, it rapidly softens and collapses, eventually turning into wisps of foul-smelling blue smoke.
Further away, those twisted, writhing, ominous trees, their trunks covered in rotting bark, emitted truly mournful howls, like billions of living beings being cast into purgatory, as the dark red light spread towards them.
"Woo——!!!"

"Hiss hiss hiss—!!!"

Sharp pain and despair.

That was the lament of the entire twisted jungle's will.

The eerie green "tree eye" that had been slowly opening on the tree trunk burst open instantly, oozing dark green pus.

The thick branches twisted and convulsed wildly, like insects gripped by an invisible giant hand, trying to escape the excruciating pain.

But to no avail.

The crimson light, like a wildfire of destruction, ruthlessly and swiftly devoured everything.

Wherever it passed, the dark green faded, life ceased, leaving only scorched and cracked earth, like a desolate land washed by lava after being struck by a meteorite.

Grandmaster Yue Zhen stood beside Fang Qingyu, feeling the terrifying heat that rushed towards him, almost igniting his protective aura as a second-level grandmaster. His face was filled with indescribable shock.

The heavy, earthen-yellow sword in his hand trembled and hummed, as if in fear of the power that could incinerate everything.

Who exactly is this little girl?!

Fang Qingyu's eyes, as clear as molten gold, calmly surveyed the scene of destruction, his face showing no surprise whatsoever.

Jiang Wei floated in the air, her small body seemingly becoming the core of this dark red hell. Her hair fluttered like burning flames, and her red eyes coldly looked down at the wailing, burning jungle below.

Her method was simple, direct, and brutal.

Since this twisted jungle is the lair of the demons, their barrier, their labyrinth.

Then let's use the purest, most extreme fire of destruction to completely erase it from the map.

When the lair itself no longer exists, the evil spirits hiding underground will naturally have nowhere to hide.

……

The crimson flames spread faster than anyone could have imagined.

Within minutes, a huge, charred "dead zone" with a diameter of more than one kilometer had taken shape, centered on the position where Jiang Wei was suspended!
And it is still expanding wildly to the outer edges.

Thick smoke billowed, obscuring the already dim sky, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of burning and sulfur.

Right at the edge of this desolate scorched earth, at the confluence of the three dark green forests that were originally the densest and most gloomy, where three second-tier tree demons resided!
A sudden change occurred!

Rumble——! ! !
The earth shook violently!

The cracked and scorched earth, burned by the dark red flames, suddenly arched upwards.

Like a sleeping earthworm awakened by raging fire, it writhed in agony.

A massive hole, over ten meters in diameter, with jagged edges and constantly dripping thick, dark green liquid, burst open from the center of the scorched earth like the gaping maw of hell.

A stench, a mixture of rotting plants and a certain sweet, fishy smell, erupted from the deep cave entrance like a tangible hurricane.

The depths of the cave entrance were pitch black, as if even light could be swallowed up, with only a chilling cold and deathly silence permeating the air.

It's like a silent invitation.

Invite these terrible destroyers outside into the depths of their true lair.

Fang Qingyu's golden eyes instantly locked onto the cave entrance, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"It seems they can't wait any longer."

Grandmaster Yue Zhen's expression was grave, his heavy sword held horizontally in front of him: "Actively exposing the entrance must mean there's a trap!"

"We have to step into the trap." Fang Qingyu's voice was resolute, without the slightest hesitation. "The battle lines outside are tense. The sooner we resolve this situation, the more secure Qingjian will be. They want to lure us into a trap, so let's do as they please and trap them like turtles in a jar!"

He turned to Yue Zhen: "Grandmaster Yue, where are the other two Grandmasters who are providing reinforcements? Signal them that the entrance has appeared and they should come to join us immediately!"

Yue Zhen immediately took out a diamond-shaped communicator that was flashing a faint red light and quickly operated it a few times: "Signal sent! They're not far from here, they should be here soon!"

Sure enough, it took less than two minutes.

Whoosh!Whoosh!
Two figures, each exuding a powerful aura, hurtled towards Fang Qingyu and Yue Zhen from different directions like sharp arrows tearing through thick smoke, landing steadily beside them.

The man on the left is tall and thin, dressed in a gray-blue outfit, with a cold and stern face. He carries a uniquely shaped, long, narrow sword on his back, the blade gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light. His aura is sharp and unparalleled. He is Shen Yi, one of the Grandmasters who came to reinforce us, known as "Water-Severing Blade".

The person on the right is of medium build, wearing ordinary camouflage combat uniform, with an ordinary face, but extremely calm and sharp eyes, and wearing black gauntlets with a metallic sheen on both hands.

His aura was condensed and profound; he was another grandmaster, "Iron Wall" Shi Meng.

Both men bore the marks and filth of battle, but their auras remained strong, indicating they had not suffered serious injuries.

As soon as they landed, their eyes were immediately drawn to Jiang Wei, who was suspended in the air, radiating an aura of world destruction, and the dark red sea of ​​fire that was still spreading and burning beneath her feet. Their pupils contracted instantly, and their faces were filled with extreme shock!

"What is this?!" Shen Yi's voice was slightly hoarse.

"Brother Yue, this fire..." Shi Meng looked at Yue Zhen, his eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.

"No time to explain!" Yue Zhen spoke rapidly, pointing to the deep, foul-smelling cave entrance. "The entrance has appeared! This is Fang Qingyu, the captain of the special team for Project Hidden Dragon, and this is Comrade Jiang Wei! The situation is urgent, let's deal with those three down there first! We'll talk on the way!"

Shen Yi and Shi Meng's gazes instantly focused on Fang Qingyu.

Captain of Project Hidden Dragon.

This identity itself represents the Federation's top combat strength and trust among its younger generation.

Combined with the horrific scene of forests being burned and seas being boiled before our eyes.
The shock in their eyes quickly turned into solemnity and a hint of awe. Without saying a word, they clasped their hands in a fist and said, "Shen Yi (Shi Meng), thank you for your trouble, Captain Fang!"

"Let's get going!"

Without any hesitation, Fang Qingyu waved to Jiang Wei in the air.

The terrifying dark red light surrounding Jiang Wei instantly subsided, and her small figure gracefully landed, standing steadily beside Fang Qingyu, as if the flames that had just destroyed everything were merely an illusion.

Fang Qingyu took the lead, activating Thunder Shadow Escape, transforming into a streak of purple-blue lightning, and shot without hesitation toward the deep, ominous cave entrance!
Jiang Wei followed closely behind, her small figure moving as fast as a ghost.

The three grandmasters, Yue Zhen, Shen Yi, and Shi Meng, exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with determination. Their qi and blood, or true intent, erupted, transforming into three streams of light that rushed into the dark entrance that resembled the gaping maw of hell.

Just as the last person disappeared into the cave entrance.

Boom——! ! !
The scorched, raised earth suddenly collapsed and contracted inward.

The jagged rocks, with their jagged edges, squeezed and closed together as if they were alive.

The huge hole that had just been torn open was completely sealed off by the writhing, charred earth and rocks less than three seconds after the group entered, as if it had never existed.

All that remained was billowing smoke above and a desolate, scorched wasteland.

Temporary campsite on the outskirts.

Lin Kang stood at the edge of the flattened tree stump, as upright as a javelin.

Their gazes were fixed on the terrifying sea of ​​fire that shot into the sky from the depths of the nest, turning half of the dim "sky" into a dark red!
Even from several kilometers away, the searing pressure was still transmitted with perfect clarity.

Inside the camp, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared in disbelief at the devastating firestorm.

"My God." Duan Ling covered her mouth, her big eyes filled with disbelief and shock. "This...this was done by Jiang Wei?"

"Who else could it be but her?" Qin Hui muttered to himself.

Lin Kang's fist clenched silently at his side, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force, making a slight "crackling" sound.

That dark red flame, that power to incinerate everything.
He murmured to himself.

This is what a master is.
……

The cave entrance closed, extinguishing the last ray of light from the outside world.

Absolute darkness descended in an instant.

A strong, nauseating stench of decay and sweetness, mixed with the strange smell of soil and some kind of root juice, enveloped the intruders like a viscous liquid.

The path beneath our feet was slippery, sloping downwards through a rocky passage covered in slick moss and a thick, dark green sap.

"Watch your step!"

Yue Zhen let out a low shout, and a yellowish-brown halo appeared around him, illuminating a small area around him.

Shen Yi's long, narrow sword was drawn half an inch from its sheath, its dark blue light like a cold moon, bringing a sense of chill and sharpness.

The metal gauntlets on Shi Meng's fists glowed slightly, and a calm aura spread out.

Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei, on the other hand, appeared much calmer.

Jiang Wei's red eyes shone like two faint lanterns in the darkness, scanning her surroundings.

Fang Qingyu completely ignored the darkness; his clear pupils could still pierce through all illusions even in the absolute depths.

"Xiao Jiang," Fang Qingyu called softly.

"Ah."

Jiang Wei responded with a soft "yes," and casually pointed her small finger forward.

laugh!
A fist-sized ball of pure flame, emitting a soft yet steady white light, appeared out of thin air as if it were alive, hovering a few meters in front of everyone.

The white flame had no scorching heat whatsoever, yet it illuminated the passageway within a radius of several meters with crystal clarity, dispelling the heavy darkness and unsettling chill.

The rock walls of the passage are not natural, but covered with a thick layer of dark brown root networks that pulsate like blood vessels, and the slippery path underfoot extends all the way down into the bottomless abyss.

Strangely, it went all the way down.

Apart from the throbbing of roots on the rock face and the "drip-drip" sound of sap dripping, they did not encounter any attacks from the ghosts.

It was eerily silent.

"It's too quiet." Shen Yi's voice was icy, his long sword fully drawn, the dark blue blade pointing warily into the darkness below. "What are those things up to?"

“They are leading us to where they want us to go,” Shi Meng said in a deep voice, his fists clenched. “This path was arranged by them.”

Yue Zhen's expression turned grave: "This won't do! The situations of Grandmaster Su and Grandmaster Chen are unclear. If we follow their lead, we'll only find ourselves on the defensive!"

Fang Qingyu stopped and glanced at the three grandmasters. His golden eyes appeared exceptionally deep in the soft white light: "Split up."

"Split up?" Yue Zhen and the other two were taken aback at the same time.

“This godforsaken place is like a maze. If you keep going down one path, who knows how long it will take?” Fang Qingyu’s tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable determination. “We’re not going to follow the path they’ve given us. We’ll forge our own way and find the core as quickly as possible.”

He pointed to the side wall of the passage, a rock face covered with pulsating roots that looked incredibly thick. "I'll go this way."

Fang Qingyu pointed to a direction to the left front.

That was based on the approximate location where Su Wanqing's last signal disappeared on the locator.

"The three of you, go to the other side and search for Master Chen and the other person's location." He pointed to the right front.

“This…” Shen Yi frowned, “Forcefully breaking through the barrier? Not only is it extremely energy-consuming, but it also creates too much noise and makes it easier to expose our whereabouts, attracting an attack.”

“It’s alright.” Fang Qingyu interrupted him, his voice filled with absolute confidence. “What we need is speed. As for the noise?”

A cold smile curled at the corner of Fang Qingyu's lips.

"I wish they would all come over."

The words have not yet been spoken!

boom--! ! !
A violent burst of purple and blue lightning erupted from Fang Qingyu's body without warning.

The blinding flash of light instantly illuminated the entire passageway as if it were daytime.

Under the horrified gazes of Yue Zhen, Shen Yi, and Shi Meng.

Fang Qingyu took Jiang Wei's hand with one hand, and his whole body transformed into a humanoid lightning bolt wrapped in destructive thunder.

There was no hesitation.

Facing the rock face to the left front, covered with thick, pulsating roots, it looked indestructible.

It crashed into us recklessly!

Rumble, rumble—! ! !
Like a giant drill blasting into a mountain.

A deafening explosion rang out instantly.

The solid rock wall was as fragile as tofu in the face of the raging lightning.

It was torn apart instantly.

A huge hole, with charred edges and a diameter of over two meters, was blasted open.

The gravel mixed with the charred remains of roots shot backward like a torrential rain.

Smoke and dust filled the air.

Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei disappeared instantly into the billowing smoke and darkness behind the hole without the slightest pause.

All that remained were the terrifying roars echoing through the passage and the three grandmasters, their robes fluttering wildly as they were struck by the violent shockwave, staring in disbelief.

“Madman!” Shen Yi stared at the huge hole, feeling the lingering violent thunder in the air, and finally managed to utter two words after a long while.

"That's impressive!" Shi Meng's eyes gleamed. He licked his slightly chapped lips and looked at Yue Zhen and Shen Yi. "Gentlemen, let's not just stand there! We can't let the younger generation outdo us!"

"go!"

Yue Zhen brandished his heavy sword, unleashing a burst of profound, earthy-yellow true intent, which slammed fiercely into the rock wall to his right!
"open!"

Shen Yi's dark blue blade flashed, tearing a crack in the rock wall as if slicing through cloth.

boom! boom!
The two masters also chose the most brute force method, following closely behind and crashing into the hard rock layer.

Where it was, only three huge holes and a messy passage remained.

……

boom! boom! boom!
The dull thuds of impact and the cracking of rocks echoed continuously through the thick strata of the earth.

Fang Qingyu was like a human-shaped drilling machine, his body wrapped in violent lightning. He ignored whether the rocks in front of him were solid rock layers or thick tree roots, crushing them all with the most ruthless and violent force.

The speed of Thunderclap Shadow is greatly limited underground, but its explosive power is maximized.

He held Jiang Wei tightly, her small body as steady as a rock amidst the violent impact and rubble. Her red eyes calmly scanned the front and sides, and occasionally, with a light tap of her fingertip, a condensed dark red beam of light shot out silently, annihilating some nascent life ghosts that were trying to sneak up from the side wall and were rapidly condensing from roots.

Like two destructive meteors from the dark depths of the earth, the two of them descended straight down, further and further down, in the direction Fang Qingyu had chosen!

"drop!"

The screen of the military locator on Fang Qingyu's wrist, which he had obtained from Lin Kang, suddenly flickered.

A very faint red dot flickered almost imperceptibly deep beneath the green cursor that indicated Fang Qingyu's location, before fading into obscurity.

The signal was extremely unstable, but the general location matched!
"Found it!" Fang Qingyu's golden eyes flashed with a sharp light.

boom--! ! !
The lightning around him surged again, and his speed suddenly increased dramatically.

Ahead, it was no longer just a simple rock formation.

Countless massive roots, as thick as pythons, covered with dark brown bark and flowing with viscous dark green sap, intertwine and densely intertwine to form a "wall of roots" tens of meters thick, slowly writhing like living things.

Clearly, this is the defensive layer of those three second-tier tree demons!
Their true core nest is behind this "wall".

"break!"

Fang Qingyu gave a low shout without slowing down in the slightest!
On his right fist, dark golden dragon scale patterns instantly lit up, and crimson tribulation fire and bone-corroding lightning frantically intertwined and compressed.

Breaking through the Nine Hells.

boom--! ! !
A dark gold fist aura, condensed to its extreme and wrapped in boiling lightning and fire, slammed into the writhing root wall in front of it like the angry breath of an ancient dragon god!

CRACK——!!!
A series of teeth-grinding tearing sounds rang out.

The tough root wall, tens of meters thick, felt like a red-hot iron being plunged into butter the moment it came into contact with the fist's energy.

Wherever the fist's energy passed, the thick roots crumbled inch by inch.

A charred tunnel several meters in diameter was blasted open.

At the end of the passage, a faint light shone through.

Fang Qingyu, carrying Jiang Wei, transformed into lightning and instantly passed through the passage.

Suddenly, everything becomes clear!
This is an underground space that is too vast to be imagined.

The dome hangs high, hidden in the darkness.

At the heart of the space stand three terrifying tree trunks, each over ten meters in diameter, resembling giant pillars supporting the heavens and the earth!
The trunks of these three giant trees do not grow straight upwards, but rather twist and coil, deeply rooted in the bottomless darkness below. At the same time, their tops pierce deep into the rock dome above, penetrating the earth and extending to who knows where.

The tree trunk itself has an eerie dark gold color, as if it were made of some kind of metal and rotten wood, and its surface is covered with huge veins that pulsate like blood vessels and flow with dark green light.

In the middle section of the trunks of the three giant trees, a huge and distorted human face "grows".

The human face had blurred and grotesque features, as if it had been naturally formed from tree burls and rotten wood, yet it exuded an aura of resentment and greed.

Beneath each face, a huge, circular mouth covered with spiraling, sharp teeth had split open.

Thick, dark green saliva dripped continuously from the edges of its mouthparts, emitting a strong, fishy, ​​and foul stench.

What's truly chilling is the mountain of corpses piled up around those three enormous mouths!

Human corpses!
Layer upon layer, like waste discarded in a slaughterhouse.

There were soldiers in combat uniforms, civilians in ordinary clothes, and even many members of the Sanctuary Bureau in uniform. Most of the bodies were mutilated and showed signs of being gnawed.

Countless slender branches, like pale arms, grew from the surrounding rock walls, just like the most efficient assembly line robotic arms, constantly grabbing corpses from the mountain of corpses and accurately throwing them into the three giant mouths that kept opening and closing, chewing.

Click click
The chilling sounds of chewing, mixed with the crunching of bones being crushed, echoed hollowly in the vast underground space.

On a relatively open rocky platform not far from the three devouring giant trees.

The two figures stood there frozen like sculptures.

The person on the left, tall and slender, wearing a moon-white combat uniform, whose cool and aloof temperament could not be concealed even when stained with dirt, was none other than Su Wanqing.

His whole body seemed to be sealed in invisible amber, and he couldn't even move his eyes.

The man on the right is tall and robust, wearing a dark black high-level combat uniform from the Bureau of Justice, with a resolute face; he is none other than Master Chen.

He maintained a posture with his fists clenched, ready to unleash a powerful punch. His muscles were bulging, and his vital energy formed a stagnant halo on his body, completely immobilized.

Both men's eyes were filled with extreme anger, anxiety, and a hint of barely perceptible despair.

They could only watch helplessly as the mountain of their compatriots' corpses was continuously thrown into the giant maw, and as the three giant tree-like ghost faces devoured them, their aura grew stronger and more terrifying.

But he couldn't even move a single finger!

Not far in front of Su Wanqing and Master Chen.

A figure stood there quietly, his back to the horrific scene of devouring corpses, as if admiring the "frozen" state of the two grandmasters.

That's a woman.

She wore a well-tailored, but unusually old-fashioned, deep purple dress, the hem of which was embroidered with intricate and dim star and hourglass patterns.

With her back to Su Wanqing and Master Chen, she faced the direction from which Fang Qingyu and the others broke through the wall, as if she had already anticipated their arrival.

In the woman's hands, she held a thick, ancient book with a cover made of some kind of dark gold metal.

At the center of the ancient book's cover is an extremely complex emblem composed of countless gears, hourglasses, and broken chains, emanating an eerie fluctuation that seems to solidify space.

On the book's cover, its name is inscribed in ancient, seemingly weathered language.
Entropy of Time!
The woman slowly turned around.

Her face wasn't stunningly beautiful, but it possessed a strange charm that transcended time, as if it simultaneously embodied the innocence of a young girl and the vicissitudes of an old woman.

What's most striking about her are her eyes.

Those eyes, one pupil was a clear amber color, like the rising sun.

The other pupil, however, was a deep, dark purple, like a swirling vortex in the night sky, as if it contained endless twilight.

A faint, strange smile, tinged with a mixture of pity and mockery, played at the corners of her mouth.

She looked at the huge hole that Fang Qingyu had blasted open, still emitting blue smoke and crackling electric arcs, at the figure at the edge of the hole who descended like a god, surrounded by destructive lightning, and at the little girl beside him whose aura was restrained yet unfathomable.

The woman didn't seem surprised.

She simply stroked the book "Entropy of Time" in her hand, and spoke in a voice with a strange rhythm, as if chanting:
"The river of time flows on and on, and the destiny of increasing entropy is unstoppable. Welcome to the final table, uninvited guests."

at this time.

On the trunks of the three giant trees, the largest and most hideous ghost face in the center opened and closed its rotting lips, emitting a dull rumble like the grinding of boulders:
"Mother, new food has arrived."

Its voice was filled with greedy joy.

The woman's smile deepened, her amber eyes looking at Su Wanqing and Master Chen with a hint of pity, while her dark purple eyes gazed at Fang Qingyu through the hole, filled with cold scrutiny.

"Yes, the best main course has finally arrived."

"Start enjoying yourselves, kids!~"

(End of this chapter)