135: Snake Island lurks to hunt down sentries, spiritual veins seal the throats of vanguards.

Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Eight: Hunting Sentries on Snake Island, Slitting Vanguards' Throats with Spirit Veins

Countdown: 38 days 12 hours.

The night on Snake Island was as thick as unspreadable ink. On the rocky beach outside the abandoned lighthouse, Ivan Lin and Lin Xiaoyu pressed against the cold rocks. Thirty Red Alert Shadow Squad members fanned out, tightly sealing the view around the lighthouse. In the miniature communicators, there was only the rustle of the sea breeze passing over the rocks, and even their breathing was suppressed to the extreme.

Lin Xiaoyu pressed his fingertips to the ground, and gold-purple intertwined energy threads spread like a spider web, clearly outlining the energy fluctuations of the entire Snake Island: "Ivan, there are only Zhou Tao and two close guards in the lighthouse. The main force of the Abyssal Vanguards is in the cave on the west side of the island, forty-six people in total. There are also six Abyssal energy detectors distributed on the surrounding rocks, with sentries rotating every ten minutes."

He raised his hand and condensed a faint golden light pattern in his palm, projecting a simple topographical map of Snake Island. The cave's location, detector coordinates, and sentry rotation routes were marked without error: "The hundred Abyssal Vanguards lurking in the South of the Ranges have their signals scattered across various coastal ports and haven't moved for now; they should be waiting for Karun's orders. Let's clear the detectors and sentries first, sneak into the cave to take out the main vanguard force, but leave Zhou Tao alive to force him to reveal the specific locations of the lurkers."

Ivan Lin gripped the dual-handled miniature purification daggers at his waist, their blades swirling with a faint golden Spirit Vein light—these were weapons specially forged by the Northwest Heavy Industry Zone for the Shadow Squad, capable of silently dissolving dark matter energy. He made a shushing gesture into the communicator and pointed toward the western cave. The thirty members immediately split into two groups: ten followed him to clear the detectors and sentries, while twenty followed Lin Xiaoyu to flank the cave, their movements crisp and efficient, without a single wasted motion.

On the western rocky beach, an Abyssal sentry leaned against a rock, the eerie purple light in his eye sockets scanning the sea, a dark matter rifle slung over his shoulder, completely unaware of the shadow approaching from behind. Ivan Lin sprang out like a cheetah, covering the sentry's mouth with his left hand while his right hand precisely slit the throat with a dagger. A flash of golden Spirit Vein light followed, and before the sentry could struggle, his body turned into a wisp of dark purple mist, completely consumed by the purification energy on the dagger without making a sound.

In ten minutes, all six Abyssal energy detectors were destroyed by Spirit Vein Energy, and all six sentries around the island were eliminated. Snake Island's Abyssal energy warning network instantly became blind. On the rocky beach, only a few wisps of dissipating dark purple mist remained, as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoyu had quietly led twenty Shadow Squad members to the outside of the cave on the west side of the island. The cave entrance was blocked by a huge rock, leaving only a gap wide enough for one person to pass. The heavy breathing of the Abyssal Vanguards and the intermittent sounds of Karun's communication with the Abyssal Fleet drifted out: "Lord of the Main Ship, everything on Snake Island is ready. Zhou Tao has prepared the breach as ordered. One hundred vanguards can infiltrate the Northern Territory at any time... Spirit Vein Energy is indeed troublesome, but we have dark matter corrosive shells that can break through their purification barriers..."

Lin Xiaoyu raised his hand to signal the members to stop, his fingertips condensing a dark purple energy thread as thin as a hair—this was the only dark matter energy he could control after his symbiosis with the Star Core, capable of simulating Abyssal energy fluctuations to deceive enemies. He flicked the energy thread into the cave gap, and the Abyssal Vanguards inside instantly fell silent. Karun's voice carried a hint of alertness: "Who is it?"

"It's me, Zhou Tao's guard, with urgent news." Lin Xiaoyu deliberately lowered his voice, mimicking the accent of a soldier from the South of the Ranges, while simultaneously channeling gold-purple energy to interfere with the energy detection inside the cave. "Lin Zhou's side seems to have noticed and sent troops toward the South of the Ranges. Director Zhou asked me to notify the General to prepare in advance."

Karun's suspicion lessened slightly, and he called out, "Come in!"

Lin Xiaoyu gave his team a look and was the first to bend over and crawl through the gap. Upon entering the cave, he saw over forty Abyssal Vanguards sitting in a circle. In the center, Karun stood before a dark purple energy stone communicating. The eerie purple flames in his eye sockets swept over Lin Xiaoyu with scrutiny: "Why didn't Zhou Tao come himself?"

"He needs to stabilize the soldiers at the base and doesn't dare to leave." Lin Xiaoyu stepped forward slowly, gold-purple energy quietly condensing in his palm. "He asked me to tell you the locations of the lurkers..."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hand, and a golden Spirit Vein Energy wave blasted toward the top of the cave! The massive rock instantly collapsed, sealing the only exit of the cave. Twenty Shadow Squad members immediately poured in through the gap, their Spirit Vein energy submachine guns firing in unison. Golden energy bullets poured down like a rainstorm, catching the Abyssal Vanguards inside off guard and mowing them down instantly.

"It's a trap!" Karun roared, the dark purple energy around him surging and transforming into a massive energy axe that swung toward Lin Xiaoyu. "A mere human brat dares to play me!"

Lin Xiaoyu dodged to the side, condensing a shield of dark purple energy in front of him to block the subsequent attacks, his gold-purple pupils constricting: "Ivan, quick! Seal the cave's energy exit!"

Ivan Lin, who had already been waiting atop the cave, responded immediately. Ten members smashed Spirit Vein energy canisters against the cave walls simultaneously. Golden Spirit Vein Energy surged out like a tide, spreading through the cracks in the walls and forming an airtight purification energy shield inside the cave, trapping all the Abyssal Vanguards within. The dark purple Abyssal energy hit the golden shield and instantly hissed, melting like snow meeting fire.

"Impossible! How can your purification energy be this strong!" Karun watched the dark matter energy around him constantly dissolving, his eyes filled with disbelief. He swung his energy axe, smashing it against the golden shield repeatedly, but it only made the shield tremble slightly, unable to break through.

Lin Xiaoyu walked slowly to the center of the golden shield, facing Karun through the barrier, gold-purple energy flowing around him: "Abyssal dog, do you think you could take the Star Core Crystal by relying on Zhou Tao's betrayal? Today, you will be buried here!"

He pressed his hand against the golden shield, channeling the Star Core and ancient will within him. The energy of the golden shield surged instantly, and golden light patterns extended from the shield walls like chains, wrapping around every Abyssal Vanguard. The Abyssal Vanguards caught by the chains dissolved at a visible rate, their screams echoing through the cave, yet they were unable to break free.

Karun watched his subordinates turn into ashes one by one and fell into complete madness. He condensed all his dark matter energy into his energy axe, which was covered in hideous dark purple veins, and swung it fiercely toward Lin Xiaoyu: "I'll take you down with me!"

The dark purple axe wind, carrying world-destroying power, slammed into the golden shield, causing the wall to dent instantly. Lin Xiaoyu coughed up a mouthful of blood, his gold-purple energy becoming turbulent. Seeing this, Ivan Lin immediately charged forward with his team, both daggers piercing into Karun's back, the golden Spirit Vein light penetrating his dark matter battle armor.

Ah—!

Karun let out a shrill roar as the armor on his back was pierced by the daggers. Spirit Vein Energy surged into his body through the wounds, frantically dissolving his dark matter energy. He spun around violently, the energy axe sweeping toward Ivan Lin. Ivan Lin couldn't dodge in time, and his left arm was grazed by the axe wind. Dark purple corrosive energy instantly crawled up his arm, turning the flesh black.

"Ivan!" Lin Xiaoyu's eyes nearly burst with rage. Ignoring his internal energy turbulence, he injected all his Spirit Vein Energy into the golden shield. The golden chains tightened instantly, firmly binding Karun's limbs and pinning him to the cave wall.

Karun's body struggled incessantly, the eerie purple flames in his eye sockets flickering. He looked at Lin Xiaoyu and let out a final roar: "You won't win! The main ship will arrive at Earth in ten days! The dark matter corrosive shells will blast your defense barriers into dust! All of you... will die!"

Lin Xiaoyu walked up to him, condensing a golden Spirit Vein Energy bullet in his palm, and said coldly: "Then let you go to hell first and wait for your main ship."

The energy bullet slammed into Karun's brow. His body was instantly enveloped in golden light, and without even a scream, he turned into a wisp of dark purple mist, completely consumed by the golden shield. The forty-plus Abyssal Vanguards in the cave were also entirely dissolved by the Spirit Vein Energy, leaving not even a trace of dark matter.

Lin Xiaoyu immediately went to Ivan Lin's side, tore a piece from his own protective suit, dipped it in Spirit Vein Energy, and applied it to the wound on Ivan's left arm. The golden energy slowly seeped in, and the blackened flesh gradually returned to normal, leaving only a faint purple scar.

"Are you okay?" Lin Xiaoyu asked softly.

Ivan Lin shook his head and grinned, revealing a row of white teeth: "This little injury is nothing. What about you? You coughed up blood just now, is it serious?"

"Just over-exhaustion of energy, I'll be fine after a rest." Lin Xiaoyu waved his hand and turned toward the outside of the cave. "Now, it's time to meet Zhou Tao."

Inside the abandoned lighthouse, Zhou Tao was pacing anxiously, clutching the dark purple communicator tightly. He had heard the commotion from the cave clearly but didn't dare go out to check. He only shouted frantically into the communicator: "General Karun! General Karun! Please respond if you hear me!"

Only the crackle of static came from the communicator, without any response.

Just then, the lighthouse door was kicked open. Lin Xiaoyu and Ivan Lin walked in, followed by two Shadow Squad members. Golden Spirit Vein light flowed over them as they stared coldly at Zhou Tao.

Zhou Tao's face turned deathly pale instantly. His legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the floor, the communicator falling with a crisp sound. He looked at the two youths before him, his voice trembling with pleading: "Don't... don't kill me! I was wrong! I was forced by the Abyss! They threatened me with the lives of the people in the South of the Ranges... I didn't mean to betray you!"

"Forced?" Ivan Lin took a step forward, pinning Zhou Tao's wrist with his foot and pressing a dagger against his throat. "Then why didn't you say you were forced when you accepted the Abyss's promises and wanted to become the Lord of the South Sea?"

Zhou Tao's wrist hurt from being stepped on, his face was covered in cold sweat, and his eyes darted around, not daring to meet Ivan Lin's gaze: "I... I was momentarily confused... I know I was wrong, and I'm willing to redeem myself through service! I know the specific locations of those hundred Abyssal Vanguards and where the dark matter corrosive shells they hid in the Lingnan Military Depot are! I can even pretend to stay in contact with the Abyss to help you lure them into a trap! Please, give me a chance!"

Lin Xiaoyu bent down to pick up the dark purple communicator, his fingertip sliding across its surface. Gold-purple energy instantly invaded and cracked the Abyssal communication code. He looked at Zhou Tao, his eyes devoid of any pity, only cold scrutiny: "Redeeming yourself is fine, but remember, your life is now in our hands. If you dare play any tricks, the Abyssal Vanguards in the cave will be your fate."

Zhou Tao nodded like a chick pecking grain, a fawning smile appearing on his face: "I wouldn't dare! I absolutely wouldn't dare! I will fully cooperate with you!"

Lin Xiaoyu raised the communicator and transmitted Zhou Tao's confession, the locations of the hundred Abyssal Vanguards, and the hiding spot of the dark matter corrosive shells to the Northern Territory Command Center in real-time. At the same time, using the cracked code, he sent a fake message to the Abyssal Fleet in the asteroid belt: "Everything is normal on Snake Island. The main vanguard force is in place, awaiting the arrival of the main ship. The breach will be opened on schedule."

The Abyssal main ship in the asteroid belt quickly returned a dark purple signal: "Received. The main ship will arrive in the airspace at 40°N latitude on Earth in ten days. Act according to plan then. If you dare play tricks, the entire clan of the South of the Ranges will be annihilated."

Lin Xiaoyu looked at the message on the communicator, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Ten days.

The Abyssal Fleet was even faster than expected. The original 38-day countdown was actually down to the last 28 days.

But they weren't without gains—they had wiped out the main force of the Abyssal Vanguards on Snake Island, pinpointed the lurkers' locations, controlled Zhou Tao as a pawn, intercepted the Abyssal communication code, and even learned about their trump card—the dark matter corrosive shells.

Northern Territory Underground Palace, Command Center.

Lin Zhou looked at Zhou Tao's confession on the screen and the communication records of the Abyssal main ship. The dark purple veins on his left arm throbbed slightly but were suppressed firmly by the Spirit Vein Energy shield. He raised his hand and drew a red line on the holographic sand table, marking the location of the Lingnan Military Depot: "Chen Hao, lead the Red Alert Armored Squad immediately to the South of the Ranges overnight. Coordinate with Xiaoyu and Ivan to eliminate those hundred Abyssal Vanguards and seize all dark matter corrosive shells. Make sure to wipe them out completely and leave no future troubles!"

"Yes!" Chen Hao responded deeply and turned to deploy the troops immediately.

Dr. Mary pulled up the data related to the dark matter corrosive shells and, combining it with the characteristics of Spirit Vein Energy, quickly analyzed a way to counter it: "Commander, the core of the dark matter corrosive shell is high-concentration dark matter raw liquid. Spirit Vein Energy can directly dissolve it, but it must be intercepted before explosion. I will immediately have the Northwest Heavy Industry Zone develop Spirit Vein energy interceptor missiles and deploy them at the anti-aircraft gun positions on all defense lines to ensure the corrosive shells are destroyed before they hit the ground."

Lin Zhou nodded, his gaze fixed on the dark purple light point hurtling toward Earth on the holographic sand table, a look of determination flashing in his eyes.

A 38-day countdown, which was actually a 28-day race against death.

The traitor in the South of the Ranges had been controlled, the main force of the Abyssal Vanguards had been wiped out, the lurkers were about to be eliminated, and the dark matter corrosive shells were about to be seized. The Northern Territory's trap was constantly being refined, and the Star Core Magnetic Storm Cannons in the Northwest were still being deployed continuously.

Humanity's preparations were becoming more and more thorough.

And the footsteps of the Abyss were drawing closer and closer.

Countdown: 38 days 0 hours (Actual remaining: 28 days).

Inside the Snake Island lighthouse, Zhou Tao was being guarded by Shadow Squad members, tremblingly continuing to play the role of an Abyssal puppet into the communicator. Lin Xiaoyu and Ivan Lin stood by the window, looking at the churning sea in the distance, gold-purple and golden light intertwining in their eyes.

The sea breeze blew with a salty and fishy scent, carrying the chill of the apocalypse, yet it could not disperse the determination in their eyes.

In ten days, the Abyssal main ship arrives.