203: Chapter 203 The Puppet Steps into the Trap, the Psionic Bomb Ready to Detonate

Sand and wind swirled at the mouth of Collapse Valley, kicking up a layer of gray mist that looked like a translucent veil.

Outside the one-way crystalline membrane of the underground bunker, three dark shadows were slowly advancing against the rock wall.

Their steps were extremely light, every stride avoiding the piles of rubble. Their metallic joints glinted with a cold light, and the runic chains on their backs vibrated slightly with their movements, like the breathing of a living creature.

Chen Wuwang stood before the observation port, his right Mechanical Prosthetic Eye already switched to Psionic Thermal Sensing Mode. Within his vision, the eerie flow of energy inside the Puppets was clearly visible—

Deep purple mixed with dark red, like some kind of forcibly injected source of pollution, it was stepping into the minefield one step at a time along a preset path.

He rested his left hand on the edge of a Tactical Tablet, his knuckles tensed, his fingertip only half an inch away from the activation key.

Not yet.

Can't move yet.

“Patriarch.” The adjutant lowered his voice, his gaze scanning the monitoring crystal plate. “Group B reports that the targets have passed the first pressure node, but... they've stopped.”

Chen Wuwang didn't look back, only slightly lifting his eyelid.

On the screen, the three Puppets had indeed stopped at the edge of a sinkhole. The Drill-type Puppet had its forelimbs inserted into the ground, extracting a sample.

Data analysis results popped up: Spiritual Qi concentration less than 0.3%, severely inconsistent with the intelligence.

It was suspicious.

The corner of Chen Wuwang's mouth twitched imperceptibly.

He had expected this.

He raised his right hand, tracing two talismans in the air before pressing a hidden button on the side of the tablet.

Buzz—

Deep underground, a pre-installed False Spiritual Vein Simulation Device quietly activated.

A forged pulse of high-purity Spiritual Qi rose from the bottom of the seventh branch vein; its frequency, amplitude, and rhythm perfectly replicated the characteristics of a real mineral core awakening.

Three seconds later, on the monitoring screen, the Puppets' heads simultaneously turned toward the source of the signal.

The Drill-type Puppet retracted its limbs, the High-frequency Vibrating Blade-type Puppet spread its arms slightly, and the Propulsion Wing-type Puppet's folded wings slowly unfurled, locking onto the deepest area of the collapse ahead—the place they identified as the 'resource point.'

They moved.

Their pace quickened, forming a triangular formation as they charged straight for the center.

“They're coming,” Chen Wuwang whispered, the voice squeezed out from between his teeth.

He no longer hesitated, fingers tapping rapidly on the encrypted frequency as instructions were issued one by one: “Group B, lock coordinates. Group C, charge the Spirit Array. Group D, cut off the retreat. Everyone, silent operation. No activation of power sources.”

A string of concise confirmation codes was sent back.

Just then, an extremely faint sound of metal friction came from a corner of the bunker.

Chen Xiaodao stepped out from the shadows, clad in Silver-gray Mecha. The Mechanical prosthetic limb on his left arm glowed with cold blue electric arcs as the cockpit door opened automatically.

He leaped into the cockpit, the System startup sound rang out, and the Laser Sword core began to store energy, the power bar slowly climbing.

“In position.” He pressed the communication key, his voice coming through the encrypted channel, calm in a way that didn't seem like a nineteen-year-old boy.

Chen Wuwang turned to look at the rock layer on the side wall, where there was a hidden passage disguised as a crack.

Chen Xiaodao's mecha was slowly sliding into the designated ambush position, hiding in the shadows of the cliff on the west side of Collapse Valley, muzzle aimed at the central area, waiting for the command.

“Charge energy,” Chen Wuwang ordered, his voice low and clear. “Wait for my signal.”

“Understood,” Chen Xiaodao replied, his finger resting on the fire button, eyes fixed on the Puppets on the screen. “Energy has risen to 85%. I can strike at any time.”

The bunker was deathly silent.

Several Shadow Guards held their breath, gripping their weapons tightly. Some had nails digging into their palms, others had fine beads of sweat on their foreheads.

The long period of lurking had pushed their bodies to the limit, but no one dared to move.

Chen Wuwang could feel it.

There was a tension in the air that was almost solid, like a bowstring pulled to its limit that would snap at the slightest mistake.

He inhaled slowly and exhaled gradually, forcing himself to stay calm.

Can't rush it.

One step off, and all previous efforts would be wasted.

He scanned the overall situation again: Group B had completed the encirclement on the flanks, Group C's Spirit Array charging progress reached 72%, and Group D had cut off all possible retreat routes.

The entire net had been tightened; it only lacked the final strike.

And those three Puppets were walking step by step into the heart of the trap.

As they crossed a belt of rubble, the Propulsion Wing-type Puppet suddenly stopped, its head turning to scan the surroundings.

It seemed to have sensed something; the runic chains on its back vibrated slightly, as if receiving some remote instruction.

Chen Wuwang's pupils contracted.

Here it comes.

A probe.

His right hand quickly typed a string of code on the tablet, activating a preset interference program.

Three seconds later, the ground vibrated slightly as a fake burst of Spiritual Qi erupted from a rock fissure ahead, lasting for two seconds before disappearing.

The Puppets stood still for a moment.

Then, the Propulsion Wing-type Puppet nodded slowly and issued the command to advance.

The three Puppets continued to advance, faster now, with a clear objective.

One hundred zhang... eighty zhang... sixty zhang...

Finally, they stepped into the main trap zone.

The rock layer beneath their feet looked ordinary, but it actually contained three hundred and twenty-seven miniature Spirit Array nodes connected to each other. Once the central control talisman was triggered, the entire area would instantly turn into a purgatory.

Chen Wuwang's finger hovered over the activation key, motionless.

Just a little bit more.

He needed them to go a few more steps forward, completely falling into an irreversible position.

At that moment, the Shadow Guard captain spoke in a low voice: “Patriarch, Group C reports that the Spirit Array charging progress is at 91%. We can detonate early to ensure coverage.”

Chen Wuwang shook his head. “No.”

“But... they could notice at any moment.”

“I want them to see hope clearly,” Chen Wuwang said in a low voice, “and then crush it with my own hands.”

His gaze was like iron, staring at the three approaching red dots on the screen.

Fifty zhang... forty zhang...

The Propulsion Wing-type Puppet suddenly accelerated, taking the lead in rushing toward the deepest part of the collapse, with the other two following closely behind.

Thirty zhang.

Their footsteps stepped onto the second pressure-sensing node.

Deep underground, electricity crackled faintly, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

The entire trap System entered its final ready state.

Chen Wuwang slowly raised his left hand, fingers spread wide, then suddenly clenched it into a fist.

All the Shadow Guards instantly tensed their bodies, weapons unlocked, and the Spirit Array charging bars approached full.

Inside Chen Xiaodao's mecha cockpit, the Laser Sword energy bar jumped to 98%, the humming sound growing stronger as if it would tear the air apart in the next second.

“In position,” Chen Wuwang said in a low voice, sounding as if it came from an abyss.

“Charge.”

The blue light in his right Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flared. In his vision, the outlines of the three Puppets were completely covered by red locking frames.

“Wait for my signal.”

His finger finally landed on the activation key.