260: Chapter 260 Drill Plunge, Iron Pillar's Courage

On the edge of the scorched earth, the ice layer was still vibrating slightly.

Cracks spread across the surface of the Profound Ice like a spiderweb, with the widest parts already as thick as a knuckle.

The eyes of the frozen Yao Beasts were still moving, and low whimpers came from their throats; though their limbs were sealed tight, their muscles twitched incessantly, as if they could burst through the thin ice at any moment.

Wind poured in from the collapsed mountain pass, sweeping across the battlefield with ashes and the stench of burning.

A heavy mecha stepped out of the wreckage with a "boom," the ground shaking as its feet landed, sending gravel bouncing half a foot high.

The shoulder stabilization wings deployed with a "click," and the hydraulic pipes sprayed two plumes of white mist; a red light flashed inside the cockpit as a calloused hand gripped the control stick tightly.

Chen Tiezhu squinted, the veins on his forehead throbbing.

He stared at the hundred-zhang ice field ahead and cursed under his breath, "Dammit, this is truly unsightly."

Data streams flickered before his eyes, and the images sent back by his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye showed that the underground heat source signals had not vanished; at least thirty-seven lifeforms were slowly moving upward.

Bai Ling's magic couldn't last much longer; the energy curve had already dropped into the red alert zone.

He didn't wait for orders, nor did anyone give any.

His left hand suddenly pushed the control stick forward, and his right hand twisted the drill preheat knob to the maximum setting with a "snap."

"Vroom—!"

The drill began to rotate at high speed, the alloy blades emitting a piercing shriek as they frictioned against the air; the temperature at the tip soared instantly, the edge of the ice layer began to melt, and steam billowed up, carving a white trail across the charred ground.

The "earth dragon" stepped forward and charged, its feet crushing the ice along the way, each step sounding like a drumbeat.

When he was twenty zhang from the fissure, Chen Tiezhu suddenly deactivated the automatic balancing System.

The mecha's frame sank, and the left hydraulic arm shot out with a "shhh," bracing hard against a nearby giant rock for leverage; the entire chassis lunged forward as the drill pierced toward the weakest point of the ice like a spear!

"Break for me!"

"Boom!!!"

The moment the drill cut into the ice, high heat and cold energy clashed violently; steam exploded, and ice shards flew in all directions.

The entire ice field shook violently, and the crisp sound of breaking bones echoed from within the frozen Yao Beast pack.

A Yao Beast that was half-exposed didn't even have time to react before it was pierced through the chest by the rotating drill and twisted into two pieces.

The moment its internal organs flew out, they were carbonized by the high temperature, and black smoke mixed with blood mist sprayed into the sky.

Chen Tiezhu grit his teeth, the muscles in his arms tightening as he controlled the drill to press down in a spiral.

"Creeeak—crack!"

The structure of the ice layer shattered, and the cracks expanded rapidly.

The drill pierced through all the way, skewering three Yao Beast bodies in succession, each strike accurately hitting the spinal junctions.

The High-temperature Fusion Core detonated the Spiritual Qi inside them, and the chain reaction turned the entire area into a sea of fire.

A giant beast hidden deep within had just broken free from its icy bonds and raised its head to roar, but in the next second, its lower jaw was pierced by the upward-spinning drill, and it was forcibly hoisted out of the ground, struggling wildly in mid-air.

"Waste recycling?" Chen Tiezhu sneered. "I'm sending you all to Hell!"

He yanked the control stick, the drill withdrew, and the Yao Beast's corpse slammed back onto the ice like a tattered sack.

Under the vibration of the aftershocks, more frozen Yao Beasts had their Seals shattered; some had just broken free from their restraints when they were overturned by the subsequent steam explosion and frozen once more into the newly formed ice layer.

The center of the ice field was already a mess.

Severed limbs and wreckage flowed along with the meltwater, as steam and the smell of blood rose and intertwined.

The tip of the drill glowed red, the cooling System's alarm beeped incessantly, and a thin layer of frost formed on the outer shell only to melt away rapidly.

Chen Tiezhu panted heavily, the sweat dripping from his temple into his eye, stinging sharply.

He raised a hand to wipe it away, only to find his palm covered in oil and blood stains—leftovers from an earlier repair that he hadn't had time to wash off.

He had no time to worry about that.

His right hand still gripped the control stick tightly, his knuckles white.

He knew he couldn't stop.

As long as there was still a hint of a pulse below, this battle wasn't over.

In the distance, several young clansmen were busy connecting Shield Generators, the Spirit-conducting Pipes being linked one by one as green lights flickered.

Someone looked up and saw the mecha standing in the center of the fissure, their voice cracking:

"Is... is that the Refining Elder?!"

"He charged in all by himself?!"

"Good heavens, the ice layer is about to explode, and he still dares to drill down?!"

No one could believe that the scene just now was real.

They only saw the ice field trembling and flames soaring into the sky as Yao Beasts were skewered on the drill and tossed away like cured meat on a string during the New Year.

A youth's hands were shaking as he carried a battery, nearly falling to his knees.

"My father said... the old men in the Artifact Refining Workshop are the craziest; they can go seven days without sleep to fix a furnace and lock themselves away for three days to modify blueprints. But I've never seen... him fight like this?"

"This isn't fighting," an old man nearby leaning on a cane said hoarsely. "This is risking his life."

Before his voice had even faded, the ice layer shook violently again.

The central area collapsed half a foot with a crash, revealing wet, purple-gray slime beneath.

Several Yao Beasts that were not yet completely frozen twisted their bodies, seemingly about to burst out of the ground.

Chen Tiezhu's gaze sharpened as he pushed the control stick once more.

The "earth dragon" kicked off with both feet and leaped forward, the drill plunging into the mud with a "thud," sweeping in a circle and leveling all the heads that had just popped up.

Blood gushed out, mixing with the slime and splashing onto the mecha's faceplate, leaving several dark red streaks.

He raised the broadcaster, his voice transmitting across the field through an Amplification Talisman Array, sounding as coarse as sandpaper rubbing against iron:

"What are you all standing around for?! You can still scavenge parts from the ruins! Even the burnt ones can have their cores removed! Do you hear me—get to work!!!"

That shout of "get to work" seemed to ignite something.

The crowd went silent for a moment, and then someone suddenly stood up.

"Refining Elder, well done!"

That shout was like opening a floodgate.

"The Refining Elder is mighty!"

"With an Elder like you in the Chen Family, what the Hell are we afraid of!"

"Quick! Drag that wrecked armor over here! The core can still be used!"

Cheers rose one after another, no longer filled with trembling fear, but with a sense of ruthlessness.

With bloodshot eyes, the young people began emergency repairs, their movements so fast it was as if they were racing against time.

Chen Tiezhu didn't look back.

He simply pointed the drill toward the sky, the mecha standing steadily in the center of the fissure like an iron stake driven into the earth.

The energy indicator lights began to flash red and yellow; internal alarms warned of insufficient cooling and low hydraulic pressure.

He glanced at them, but he didn't shut down or retreat.

His right hand still gripped the control stick, motionless.

The wind swept over the scorched earth, blowing the tattered cloth on his mecha—it was a corner of an apron left by his wife, which he had cut off and sewn inside the cockpit, saying it could block dust.

In truth, he knew everything.

He was old; his bones weren't as hard as they used to be, his reactions were half a beat slower, and continuous combat had long since overloaded him.

But there were some things young people could hesitate about, but he couldn't.

He was the Refining Elder, the man who had once lost everything due to a single failure.

He was also the man brought back by his nephew's words: "Don't you want your son to inherit the true Path of Artifact Refining?"

Now, he stood here, not to prove whether technology or tradition was stronger.

He was simply telling everyone—

The Chen Family's land is no place for beasts to run wild.

The drill slowly retracted half an inch, a string of blood dripping from the tip and seeping into the ground along with the melting ice.

Deep underground, the pulsations had not stopped.

His breathing was heavy, and sweat kept sliding down his forehead, but the light in his eyes had not faded one bit.