96: The Last Guard

In the dark pipes, Lin Feng and Wang Dalong charged forward, stumbling through the gloom. The inner walls of the metal pipes were cold and slick, coated in a mixture of unknown liquids and dust that clung to their skin, itchy and greasy, making them desperate to escape. With every step, a muffled boom echoed from deep within the pipes, as if the entire world were being crushed by a giant palm. The air was thick with the pungent scent of ozone, but even more pervasive was an oppressive aura of death, pushed to the extreme and on the brink of collapse.

Wang Dalong panted heavily, sweat stinging his eyes as it trickled down his forehead. As he ran, he glanced back at Lin Feng, finding his companion's expression solemn but his pace steady, without a hint of panic. He felt a surge of admiration, but couldn't keep his mouth shut: "Brother Feng, what is this hellhole? If we keep running like this, we're going to suffocate for sure!"

Lin Feng didn't respond, but his ears twitched as if catching a sound. Right then, Wang Dalong's body suddenly stiffened. He pointed ahead, his voice trembling with a hint of excitement: "Brother Feng, ahead... there seems to be light ahead!"

Lin Feng's gaze followed his finger. At the end of the pitch-black pipe, a soft white light indeed appeared, like a lamp suddenly lit in the night. As the light emerged, the choking smell of ozone faded significantly, replaced by a fresh water vapor carrying the scent of earth and moisture, as if they were deep within a long-lost forest.

Lin Feng's heart leaped, a flame of hope igniting in his chest. He knew they had found the right place! This pipe was their way out!

The two of them were suddenly energized, their speed increasing abruptly. Their feet splashed against the wet floor, making a 'patter-patter' sound as they practically scrambled toward the light source. With every breath, they tried to expel all the foul air from their lungs.

"Creak—"

At the end of the pipe, an alloy door opened automatically as they approached, revealing a massive, semi-circular underground cavern.

Lin Feng and Wang Dalong practically lunged out of the pipe.

The sight before them left them momentarily stunned.

The cavern was grand in scale, its ceiling impossibly high. Glowing minerals embedded in the rock walls emitted a faint blue light, making the entire space look like a dreamscape. In the center of the cave lay a small underground lake, its water so clear the pebbles on the bottom were visible. It connected to the underground river outside the cave, and a small waterfall cascaded from above, splashing into fine droplets with a rushing sound that breathed life into the silent space.

By the lake, a pier paved with white jade had been built. The jade was smooth and warm, reflecting a cool luster.

Three uniquely shaped boats were quietly moored at the pier.

The boats weren't large, likely only able to hold three or four people. Their hulls were streamlined and spindle-shaped; the lower half was a dark gold metal shell with a deep luster, while the upper half was a completely transparent, glass-like cabin. It seemed to be made of some special crystal, reflecting the cavern's faint blue light and appearing both mysterious and sci-fi.

These vessels were less like boats and more like works of art. They looked like props straight out of a science fiction movie, refined to the extreme.

"Holy crap... are these... escape pods?" Wang Dalong stared blankly at it all, his mouth agape. He instinctively raised his hand, wanting to take a photo of this incredible scene with his camera.

"Stop filming! Get on the boat!" Lin Feng barked, his voice carrying an unprecedented urgency. He snapped his wrist up, and the countdown on his watch was alarming: less than thirty seconds left!

The moment he shouted, the cavern ceiling shook violently. With a thunderous roar, boulders the size of soccer balls and golden dust rained down from above, striking the lake's surface with a series of splashes and ripples. The entire cavern was trembling, appearing as though it might collapse at any second.

This wasn't just an escape; it was a race against time and death itself!

Ignoring their shock, the two scrambled onto the pier, heading straight for the nearest escape pod. Their shoes squeaked against the jade surface of the pier.

Lin Feng was in the lead, his right hand already reaching out. His fingertips were almost touching the smooth metal shell of the escape pod. At that critical moment, a sudden change occurred!

"Buzz—"

A low hum accompanied a flash of golden light. Just as Lin Feng's hand was about to touch the pod, a transparent barrier appeared out of thin air. Like an inverted golden bowl, it covered all three escape pods, sealing Lin Feng and Wang Dalong outside.

"Dammit!" Wang Dalong cursed, punching the invisible barrier. He felt a supple rebound that numbed his fist. The barrier didn't budge.

Immediately after, in the center of the pier not far ahead of them, the low sound of mechanical gears turning came from the ground. A square jade platform rose slowly. Upon the platform, a figure gradually manifested.

It was a Golden Warrior.

It was well-proportioned, about the height of an average human. But its appearance was like the brightest star in the night sky, impossible to ignore.

Its design was more elegant and refined than any Golden Warrior they had encountered before. Extremely intricate patterns were carved into its golden armor, resembling ancient incantations or exquisite works of art, shimmering faintly in the blue light. Instead of traditional energy blades, its hands held two translucent, crystal-like blades that emitted a hazy blue glow.

Most importantly, there was the diamond-shaped energy core on its chest. Every warrior they had met before had a piercing red core, carrying a cold and violent aura of slaughter. But this warrior's core was a soft, deep blue, nearly the color of the ocean. The light from that blue core lacked any aggression; instead, it carried a sense of solemnity and protection.

"We're screwed... wolves in front and tigers behind!" Seeing this sudden Golden Warrior, Wang Dalong's face instantly fell, and he looked ready to cry.

What kind of escape route was this? This was clearly a trap! This blue-cored Golden Warrior was obviously the 'gatekeeper' of this emergency pier, the final barrier.

Lin Feng's heart was in his throat, pounding heavily. He knew this was the final test and the greatest variable.

The countdown on his watch had jumped to fifteen seconds!

Fifteen seconds! This meant if they couldn't pass this barrier, they would be buried forever beneath this collapsing city.

The Golden Warrior's blue core flickered slowly, each pulse carrying a deep rhythm. Its metal visor slowly turned toward Lin Feng and Wang Dalong without making a sound.

However, this time, the voice that echoed in their minds was no longer the cold, murderous purge command of the previous Golden Warriors. Instead, it was a question filled with majesty and a hint of gravity.

[...Identity verification...]

[...State... the true essence of the legacy...]

The true essence of the legacy?

Wang Dalong was completely baffled. He shook his head hard, wondering if he was hallucinating. What kind of question was that? A riddle? And at a time like this? He racked his brain but couldn't understand why this golden hunk of metal wasn't attacking but was instead testing them on philosophy.

In that instant, however, Lin Feng's mind was struck by a bolt of lightning.

He suddenly recalled the visions he had seen within the "eye of omniscience." In those visions, before the civilization of the Zhuojin Star reached its end, their leader—an elder of extraordinary wisdom and endless worry—had spoken a sentence while sealing the spark of their civilization, the "eye of omniscience," deep underground.

That sentence was both an expectation for successors and a profound reflection on the entire civilization, and even all things in the universe.

It revealed the rise and fall of the Zhuojin Star civilization, carrying their hopes and warnings for the future.

Perhaps... that was the answer!

"10..."

The cold voice from the watch's countdown announced again that time was almost up.

"9..."

Above them, a boulder the size of a truck suddenly broke loose, plummeting straight down toward the pier with a piercing whistle. The rock was rough and jagged, carrying an aura of total destruction.

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion!

Just meters from the pier, the boulder was blocked by a suddenly appearing invisible barrier. The barrier emitted a brilliant golden light, instantly disintegrating the boulder into a cloud of fine powder, like a shower of golden snow. However, the powerful shockwave still rippled out; the entire cave shook violently, the mountain cracked, and more debris and golden dust rained down. The lake water surged into turbulent waves, and the jade on the pier groaned under the strain.

"Brother Feng! Think of something, fast!" Wang Dalong jumped up in terror, pointing at the Golden Warrior and then at Lin Feng's watch, frantic with anxiety. This was no time for jokes!

Lin Feng ignored Wang Dalong's urging. He took a step forward and stood before the Golden Warrior. Facing the mirror-like metal visor, Lin Feng took a deep breath and spoke a sentence in a slow, clear language with a strange intonation.

It was the Ancient Zhuojin Language he had learned from the visions.

Every syllable was filled with an ancient and mysterious aura, like a song that had been silent for billions of years, now being reawakened.

As Lin Feng's voice rang out, the Golden Warrior's blue core began to flash violently at an unprecedented frequency...