295: Chapter 295 Chen Wuwang's Emergency Activation

The morning mist wrapped around the foot of the East Desolate Mountain like a layer of thin gauze, and the metal supports of the Technology Workshop glinted coldly under the greyish-white dawn.

The red light on the seventh assembly line was still spinning, the countdown jumping to "7:40," while the ear-piercing alarm blared repeatedly, sounding like someone banging a metal basin right next to one's ear.

Chen Xiaodao stood before three men in black, his sword tip pointing at the ground. The bloodline on his face had already dried halfway, while the rest continued to trickle down his chin.

He didn't wipe it, nor did he dare to move.

The sword in his hand felt incredibly heavy, and the mechanical joints of his left arm emitted a faint hum, as if they were about to give out.

"Last five breaths," his voice was hoarse. "Crouch down, or I'll help you."

The three men remained stiff; no one moved.

Right at that moment—

"Buzz!"

A low, vibrating rumble came from deep underground, like some giant beast turning over.

The air overhead suddenly distorted, and hexagonal pale-gold light patterns rose from the ground, piecing together one by one to form a honeycomb-shaped dome. In the blink of an eye, it covered the entire Technology Workshop.

The alarm stopped abruptly, and even the red lights dimmed, as if someone had pressed the mute button.

Chen Xiaodao's pupils constricted as his peripheral vision swept toward the dome.

"It worked?" He grinned, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. "I knew you wouldn't let me carry this alone."

As soon as he finished speaking, his sword momentum surged violently, and Sword Qi swept out like a frost-laden wind.

"Now—get down!"

The man in black closest to the vent had intended to rush out the moment the shield activated. However, as soon as he took a step, he was forced back repeatedly by the Sword Qi. His shoulder slammed into a guide rail with a muffled "thud."

"Damn!" The man clutched his shoulder and roared with wide eyes, "How can this shield be so fast? Where did they get the Formation Foundation?!"

The one in the middle was still deathly gripping the control panel, his fingers frantically clicking the rune keys, but the countdown on the screen didn't budge an inch.

"It's no use," he gritted his teeth. "The System has been locked by an external force. Now we can only wait for the explosion."

"Then let it explode!" The younger one on the right suddenly gave a sinister laugh, his palm gripping a pitch-black Talisman Nail. "Since the mission failed, we might as well take them down with us!"

Before he could finish, he exerted force with his wrist, intending to crush it.

Chen Xiaodao's gaze turned cold, and his sword tip struck out rapidly.

Ssh!

A streak of Sword Qi sliced through with precision. The man screamed as his hand flew half a foot away. The Talisman Nail fell to the ground and was crushed under Chen Xiaodao's foot.

"I said," he coldly scanned the three of them, "not a single one of you is to move."

In the distance, at the top of the East Ridge Observation Tower.

Chen Wuwang was on one knee, his right hand supporting himself on the ground, his forehead drenched in sweat.

The red light of his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flashed rapidly, and the edge of the lens had begun to grow hot, as if it were about to catch fire.

He panted heavily, his left hand still in the posture of drawing a rune, the bloodstains on his fingertips not yet dry.

"Initiate 'Vaulting Light' contingency plan! Authorization—Chen Wuwang, Family Head's secret order, Level 3 Alert!"

After he whispered the incantation, a gap cracked open in his chest armor. A Psionic Chip embedded in his sternum hummed loudly, resonating with the Leyline Array of the distant Technology Workshop.

He had personally buried that chip three years ago. It was originally an emergency Formation eye prepared against Zerg raids; he hadn't expected to use it here today.

"The third guide rail... who the hell touched the third guide rail!" He gritted his teeth, his voice kept extremely low. "These bastards actually dared to touch the Core Energy-Conducting Rail."

He looked up toward the Technology Workshop. The dome had already formed, its pale-gold ripples flowing slowly like a living barrier.

"Xiao Dao, hold on," he murmured. "My life is entirely bet on you."

He tried to stand up, but his knees went weak, and he almost collapsed. A sharp pain came from his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye, and the edges of his vision began to blur.

"Overloaded?" He wiped his face and gave a cold laugh. "It's just started, and it's already this fragile?"

He reached out and tapped the side of his armor, and a string of data flashed across the interface of his prosthetic eye:

[Shield stability at 87%, energy supply normal, leyline resonance frequency matching...]

"Not bad," he took a breath. "Enough to last ten minutes."

He stood straight again, leaning against the metal railing of the tower, staring toward the Technology Workshop. His fingers unconsciously tapped the railing, once, then again.

"Mo Yuan... you sent a few pieces of trash to their deaths, did you really think I didn't know you were watching from behind?" he whispered. "Fine then, let's see—whether your people die first, or my shield collapses first."

Inside the Technology Workshop.

After the shield rose, the factory became eerily quiet.

The alarms were gone, the red lights were out, and even the sound of machinery operating was blocked out, leaving only the heavy breathing of several people.

The oldest man in black stared at the shield overhead, which was vibrating slightly. He gritted his teeth and growled, "This is impossible! When did they set up a Formation of this level?! Our intelligence didn't mention this at all!"

The one in the middle was still pressing the control panel, but his hands were already shaking: "Forget the intelligence! The mission failed, and the beacon has been sent. The extraction team will know we're trapped soon!"

"So what?" the one on the right with the severed hand sneered. "Wait for them to save us? Or take them down with us right now?"

"Are you crazy?" The man in the middle turned to glare at him. "It doesn't matter if you die, but what about the organization's mission? The Master wants evidence, not a pile of corpses!"

"Evidence?" The man scoffed. "Now that the shield is up, nothing can be seen from the outside. How can we transmit data? How can we gather evidence? The mission was scrapped long ago!"

"Then follow the evacuation protocol!" the man in the middle roared. "At least ensure one person gets back to report!"

"Evacuate?" The oldest one suddenly laughed. "You actually believe there's an evacuation? The Master said—failures need not return."

The three of them fell silent simultaneously.

Chen Xiaodao stood in place, his sword tip slightly raised, his gaze sweeping over them.

"Oh?" He sneered. "Your master is quite ruthless."

"Shut up!" the man in the middle roared. "What do you know!"

"I don't know?" Chen Xiaodao licked the blood from the corner of his mouth. "I only know that none of you three can leave now."

He took a step forward.

"Crouch down," he said. "Last chance."

"Don't get cocky!" The one on the right with the severed hand suddenly lunged, picking up a short blade from the ground and rushing over. "Even if I die—I'll take you with me!"

Chen Xiaodao did not retreat; instead, he advanced.

A flash of sword light.

"Clang!"

The short blade snapped in two. The man was struck in the chest by the sword hilt and sent flying, crashing into a guide rail base and coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"First one," Chen Xiaodao withdrew his sword. "Two left."

The remaining two turned pale. They looked at each other and did not move again.

Chen Xiaodao took a breath. The mechanical joints of his left arm made a slight clicking sound, as if gears were slipping.

"How long can the shield last?" he whispered to himself. "I hope not before I collapse..."

He looked up at the dome. The pale-gold ripples were still flowing, steady as if they would never break.

"Alright," he grinned. "I can still fight."

His sword tip pointed at the fellow in the middle who was still leaning against the control panel.

"You," he said. "Last chance—crouch down, or should I do it for you?"

The man gritted his teeth, his fingers still on the control panel, seemingly wanting to make one last stand.

"Don't push me," Chen Xiaodao's voice turned cold. "I've already cut off one hand, I don't mind cutting off a head."

The man stared at him, his eyes struggling.

Right then—

"Buzz!"

A violent tremor suddenly came from the top of the shield. A crack-like ripple spread from the edge, as if glass had been struck by a heavy hammer.

Chen Xiaodao's eyes narrowed.

"What's going on?"

On the East Ridge Observation Tower.

Chen Wuwang looked up abruptly. A line of warning popped up on his prosthetic eye interface: [External high-frequency vibration interference, shield structure damaged!]

"Damn!" He slammed his fist onto the railing. "They're moving this quickly?"

He immediately pulled up the data stream and found three abnormal spiritual waves approaching from the perimeter. Their frequencies were perfectly identical, clearly a coordinated remote resonance attack.

"Mo Yuan... you really are insidious," he sneered. "Did you think that by having three people tie down Xiao Dao, you could dismantle my shield from the outside?"

He gritted his teeth, his hands quickly tracing new rune trajectories in the air.

"Increase power supply! Raise leyline resonance frequency by fifteen percent! Hold on for me!"

The Psionic Chip in the gap of his armor hummed more intensely, nearly turning red-hot.

"One more time," he whispered. "Just hold on for five more minutes..."

He stared toward the Technology Workshop, his fist clenched tight.

"Xiao Dao, don't die," he said. "My shield isn't that fragile yet."