EFB Chapter 61 Repairing the Array Patterns
Chapter 61 Repairing the Array Patterns
Time ticked by. Three hours later, the first main array rune was finally repaired. Su Muyue breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from her brow, and was about to repair the second main array rune when a sudden change occurred!
"Boom—!" With a deafening roar, the entrance to the Demon-Suppressing Tower was blasted open. Countless black evil crows flew in from outside, blotting out the sky. Liu Kun, wielding a black scythe, led hundreds of elite members of the Black Crow Legion, appearing before the crowd. His aura was even more terrifying than before, having broken through to the late stage of the Meridian Opening Realm. Dense black mist swirled around him, and his eyes glowed with a scarlet light.
"Lin Chen, Su Zhennan, long time no see." Liu Kun sneered, his voice hoarse and grating, like fingernails scraping against glass. "You think repairing the array patterns will hold the seal? How naive! The main force of the Black Crow Legion has arrived outside the city. In three hours, they will breach the city gates. Today, Qingyang City will fall, and you will all die!"
"Liu Kun! You traitor!" Su Zhennan roared, thrusting his longsword at Liu Kun. "Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven and kill you, this disgrace to the nation!"
"Old man, you think you can take me on?" Liu Kun sneered, brandishing his sickle as he charged forward. "Clang—!" The clash of blades produced a deafening roar. Su Zhennan was jolted back, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. He was, after all, old, and had just endured a fierce battle; his strength was already exhausted, and he was no match for Liu Kun in his prime.
"Grandpa!" Su Qingyue cried out in alarm, rushing to support Su Zhennan. "Kill!" The elite of the Black Crow Legion also charged towards the group. The soldiers who had been guarding the entrance immediately met them, and a fierce battle erupted once again. The cave was instantly thrown into chaos, filled with shouts of battle, the clash of weapons, and the roars of the evil race. Liu Kun, fighting two against one, remained at ease. His scythe swung relentlessly, each strike deadly, and Su Zhennan and Su Qingyue gradually found themselves at a disadvantage.
Su Muyue was extremely anxious. The second main array rune was only half repaired; if they stopped now, all their previous efforts would be in vain. Lin Chen also sensed the urgency of the situation. He wanted to get up and help, but he was tightly bound by the evil energy of the abyss. Once he removed the starlight barrier, the evil energy would erupt instantly, and the seal would immediately break.
"Lin Chen, don't worry about us! Keep suppressing the evil energy!" Su Zhennan roared while fending off Liu Kun's attacks. "You must repair the great formation! The lives of millions of people in Qingyang City are in your hands!"
Upon hearing this, a sinister glint flashed in Liu Kun's eyes. He suddenly exerted his strength, forcing Su Zhennan and Su Qingyue back, then leaped into the air, wielding his scythe and slashing at Lin Chen. "Lin Chen, prepare to die! As long as I kill you, the Star Martial Core will be mine! Then, I can personally shatter the seal and welcome the arrival of the evil army!"
The scythe, carrying earth-shattering power, slashed down towards Lin Chen's head. Unable to rise, Lin Chen could only channel his star power to form a shield in front of him. "Clang—!" The scythe struck the shield heavily, shattering it instantly. Lin Chen groaned, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his face growing even paler. But he still didn't get up, desperately guarding the starlight barrier to prevent the evil energy from leaking out.
"Lin Chen!" Su Muyue exclaimed in alarm, trying to rush over to save Lin Chen, but she was entangled by two elite members of the Black Crow Legion and could not break free. Zhao Lei also wanted to rush over, but he was blocked by a minor leader of the evil race and was forced to retreat.
Looking at the injured Lin Chen, Liu Kun grinned triumphantly. "Lin Chen, you're finished! No one can save you!" He swung his scythe again, aiming for Lin Chen's heart. At that critical moment, a golden light shot from the passageway, striking Liu Kun's scythe. "Clang—!" The scythe was deflected, grazing Lin Chen's shoulder and carving a deep trench in the ground.
Liu Kun's expression changed, and he whirled around: "Who?" At the entrance of the passage, an elderly man in a white robe slowly walked in. His hair and beard were completely white, and he possessed an air of otherworldly grace, radiating a faint golden light. He was none other than Master Xuan Chen, the captain of the advance team sent by the Martial Arts Alliance. "Liu Kun, you colluded with the evil race and betrayed humanity; your crimes deserve death. Today, this old Daoist will act on behalf of Heaven and punish this monster!"
As Master Xuanchen finished speaking, he brandished his whisk and swung it towards Liu Kun. Countless golden threads flew out from the whisk, forming a net that enveloped Liu Kun. Liu Kun's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly swung his scythe to defend himself. However, Master Xuanchen was a powerful expert at the early stage of the Transformation Realm, far surpassing Liu Kun in strength. Within a few rounds, Liu Kun was entangled by the golden threads and unable to move. "No! I'm not reconciled!" Liu Kun struggled frantically, roaring, "The Black Crow Legion won't let you go! The seal will definitely break! Humanity will perish!"
Master Xuanchen snorted coldly, flicked his finger, and a beam of golden light shot into Liu Kun's brow. Liu Kun's body instantly stiffened, his eyes became vacant, and he collapsed to the ground, completely lifeless. Seeing their commander dead, the elite soldiers of the Black Crow Legion were thrown into chaos. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Zhennan led his men in a counterattack, quickly wiping out all the elite Black Crow Legion soldiers.
With the crisis averted, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. Su Muyue immediately returned to the array pattern and continued repairing the second main array pattern. Daoist Xuanchen walked to Lin Chen's side, took out a golden pill, and handed it to him: "Young friend, you've worked hard. This is a Mind-Concentrating Pill, which can quickly restore your physical and mental strength." "Thank you, Daoist." Lin Chen took the pill and swallowed it. A warm power rose from his dantian and quickly spread throughout his body, instantly dispelling much of his fatigue.
Master Xuan Chen gazed at the malevolent aura beneath the abyss, his expression grave. "I've brought fifty elite warriors from the Martial Arts Alliance, along with a batch of materials to reinforce the great formation. However, the Black Crow Legion's main force numbers over ten thousand and has already surrounded Qingyang City. The main force of the Martial Arts Alliance won't arrive for another three days. We must reinforce the great formation within three days and simultaneously defend Qingyang City."
Lin Chen nodded, his eyes resolute: "Don't worry, Daoist Master. We will definitely protect Qingyang City." At this moment, Su Muyue had already repaired the second main array rune and was repairing the final one. Once this rune was repaired, the Demon-Suppressing Array would temporarily stabilize and withstand the attack of the evil race. But just then, a deafening roar suddenly echoed from the bottom of the abyss. A terrifying aura erupted from the abyss, causing the entire cavern to tremble violently, and rubble to fall continuously from above. Everyone's expression changed drastically as they looked towards the abyss.
A gigantic claw emerged from the abyss, its surface covered in black scales that gleamed with a chilling light. It was a fourth-tier evil beast, the Black Rock Demon Dragon! It was the mount of the Black Raven Legion and one of the most powerful fighting forces of the evil race. The impact just now had actually caused it to break through part of its seal!
Master Xuan Chen's expression was extremely grave: "Not good! The Black Rock Demon Dragon is coming out! Everyone be careful!" The Black Rock Demon Dragon roared again, and with a sudden burst of strength, its entire body emerged from the abyss. It was a hundred meters long, its wingspan blotting out the sky. A pair of scarlet eyes swept over the crowd, filled with bloodthirsty killing intent. "Roar—!" The Black Rock Demon Dragon opened its mouth and spewed out a stream of black flames, burning towards the crowd. Wherever the black flames passed, the rocks instantly melted, and the air itself was distorted by the heat.
"Get out of the way!" Lin Chen roared, pulling Su Muyue up and leaping to the side. The others also dodged, the black flames crashing to the ground, forming a huge crater. Su Zhennan, Daoist Xuan Chen, and Su Qingyue attacked simultaneously, heading straight for the Black Rock Demon Dragon. Golden sword energy, white whisks, and icy blue ice spikes struck the Black Rock Demon Dragon's body at the same time. However, the Black Rock Demon Dragon's scales were incredibly hard; these attacks could only leave shallow marks on its body, unable to cause any real damage.
Enraged, the Black Rock Dragon flapped its wings violently, creating a gust of wind that sent everyone staggering. Then, it lashed out with its tail at Su Muyue. Su Muyue was busy repairing the final main array rune and had no time to dodge. "Muyue, watch out!" Lin Chen's pupils constricted, and he rushed forward without hesitation, shielding Su Muyue tightly beneath him. "Bang!" The dragon's tail struck Lin Chen's back heavily. Lin Chen coughed up a mouthful of blood, the sound of bones shattering clearly audible. But he still held Su Muyue tightly, refusing to let go.
"Lin Chen!" Su Muyue cried out, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at Lin Chen's pale face and the bloodstains on his back. "Don't...don't stop...keep repairing the array..." Lin Chen said weakly, his voice broken, "You must...guard the seal..."
After speaking, Lin Chen's vision went black, and he fainted. But at that moment, the Star Martial Core within his dantian erupted with unprecedented light. The mark of the First Martial Emperor fully awakened, and silver star power erupted like a volcano, enveloping the entire cavern. The unconscious Lin Chen slowly levitated. In his hand, a massive Star Sword materialized. The Star Sword radiated world-destroying power, pointing directly at the Black Rock Demon Dragon. An even more brutal battle was about to erupt. Meanwhile, the main force of the Black Crow Legion outside the city had already begun their assault. The survival of Qingyang City hinged on this.