6. A Massive Crisis

"Quick, grab the items and run out of the cave!" Old Yang said in a low, stern voice. He seemed to have anticipated this outcome; there was no helping it, as the sarira held an irresistible attraction for these mutated creatures.

"Run!"

Realizing that staying in the cave meant being crushed into meat paste, the group scrambled toward the exit. The terrain of the research institute was not complex. Two guards were the first to rush out, but before they could even feel a sense of relief, a deafening, thunderous roar erupted. Out of the darkness lunged the Purple Spirit King, massive as a steel tower.

It had been waiting at the cave entrance for them to emerge. As the moment arrived, it pounced, grabbing one person in each hand. Wang Zhisheng and Cui Shen, paralyzed by shock, were bitten to death on the spot before they could even offer resistance.

Just like that, the guard team had lost two more men.

After killing them, the Purple Spirit King turned its gaze back toward the cave, and for a fleeting moment, the group thought they saw a flicker of triumph in its expression.

The sight of fresh blood assaulted their senses. The average age of the guard team was around twenty-seven; they had never even killed a chicken, let alone witnessed the death of two living men. The ferocity of the Purple Spirit King was no less than that of a demon. Two pools of blood stained the snow like blooming plum blossoms—so vivid, so blinding.

"Bang! Bang!"

"Break through!"

Huang Qiushan fired two shots at the Purple Spirit King. With the rear of the research institute already collapsing inward, everyone realized they had to break out!

"Charge!"

The sight of blood ignited a fearless spirit. Chen Cunyuan, Lin Fan, and Ma Kaihong led the charge. The three were the bravest among the guards, especially Lin Fan, who swung his Pure Yang Sword toward the left.

"Boom!"

Perhaps fueled by the rage over the deaths of Wang Zhisheng and Cui Shen, Lin Fan’s single strike actually forced the Purple Spirit King back. Daring not to hesitate, the others filed out one after another.

"Screech!"

The mutated Heluo fish let out a piercing, shrill cry, seemingly a stress response. The sound felt like a direct strike to the soul; Lin Fan felt as if he had been hit by lightning, his body shuddering as his head spun in a dizzying haze. If souls truly existed, Lin Fan was certain the fish's attack was a spiritual assault.

"So huge!"

"Is this a mutated monster?!"

The group froze at the sight of the creature. They could not believe the scale of the beast before them; if not for the world they had seen inside the sarira, they would have thought this entire day was nothing but a dream.

"Danger!"

"Lin Fan, watch your back!"

The group was gripped by terror. A subconscious signal of danger flashed in Lin Fan’s mind. He reacted with lightning speed, tilting his body slightly, but the Purple Spirit King’s sneak attack still found its mark.

*Rip!*

The creature’s target had been Lin Fan’s head. Had it landed, the outcome would have been clear. Fortunately, because Lin Fan had shifted, the razor-sharp steel claws were diverted. They raked across his left shoulder, sending him flying.

Pain! An overwhelming, agonizing pain washed over him. Lin Fan looked down and gasped. A deep, pitch-black wound ran from his left shoulder across his chest to his lower abdomen. The edges were turning a purplish-black—it was highly toxic!

The Purple Spirit King’s claws were venomous. It was fortunate the strike hadn't hit a vital organ, or he would have been sent to meet Wuxuzi on the spot. The beast was incredibly cunning, launching the attack while Lin Fan was distracted. The group could almost see the word "pity" written on the creature's face.

"Cunning! Too cunning! This Purple Spirit King has developed human-like intelligence."

"Boom!"

At that moment, Huang Qiushan hurled a pitch-black object toward the Purple Spirit King. A massive explosion followed, its shockwaves shattering ancient trees and sending fragments of stone flying. A giant mushroom cloud rose into the air, and the scent of acrid gunpowder filled the atmosphere.

"Huang Qiushan! You bastard!"

"You piece of trash!"

Chen Cunyuan roared in fury. Lin Fan and the Purple Spirit King had been so close; this scoundrel had thrown a bomb at the beast, intending to kill Lin Fan along with it! Chen Cunyuan could have eaten Huang Qiushan alive—if they hadn't broken out, would Huang Qiushan even be alive right now? None of the guards had expected him to do such a thing.

"Returning kindness with enmity!" The thought echoed in everyone’s minds.

"Roar!" The Purple Spirit King was covered in blood, one of its eyes seemingly injured as it spun in circles in agony.

"Guard team, provide covering fire! For the greater good, losing one or two lives doesn't matter!"

Huang Qiushan was elated. He congratulated himself on his wit; with the beast’s combat power significantly reduced by the blast, he ignored Chen Cunyuan’s insults. If he could kill the Purple Spirit King, what did the lives of one or two people matter? Old Yang would only praise his bravery—he might even give him a medal. History, after all, is written by the victors.

"Asshole, you really are a piece of filth!" Chen Cunyuan’s eyes were bloodshot with uncontrollable rage. Being pushed around in normal times was one thing, but to throw explosives at Lin Fan in a moment of crisis was truly malicious. His actions were lower than those of a beast!

Covering fire? Not a single person followed Huang’s order; they simply stared at him with cold, detached eyes.

"You... do you dare to disobey orders?" Huang Qiushan glared, looking around, but saw only icy gazes.

"Old Yang, we must run!" Huang Dongshan and Qi Lingshan helped the elder move, when suddenly, the group shivered.

"Grrr..."

Hundreds of growls echoed through the night. The group looked out to see pairs of glowing green eyes. Wolves, black bears, leopards... one mutated creature after another appeared, just like the Purple Spirit King. These were not creatures of the human realm; they seemed to be acting on some command, encircling the entire area.

There was no escape!

"Waaah..."

Despair washed over them. They could never have imagined such a scene. What on earth was happening? This did not seem like the world they knew.

"We’re finished! There are so many mutated Purple Spirit Kings!"

"I don't want to die!"

Surrounded by so many creatures, their survival rate was zero unless they could fly. Many began to sob.

Old Yang let out a bitter laugh. "It’s over! Surrounded by so many mutated creatures, the chance of survival is zero. Sigh! I was so close to unlocking the secrets of the sarira, so close! Fate always loves to torture the heart—it gives me hope only to fill me with despair!"

Old Yang took out the sarira and caressed it, his eyes filled with regret. At this point, he had no desire to struggle or beg for his life; no one was getting out of this alive.

"The Heluo fish, the Purple Spirit King—they were all drawn here by the sarira. I should have realized long ago that this object held an irresistible attraction for these exotic beasts."

It was a pity he would never be able to publish the results of his three months of work.

Just as Old Yang held the sarira, a commotion stirred in the perimeter as the mutated beasts tightened their circle.

"If I had known, I would have let it rot at home rather than come here!"

"God, save us!"

The group wailed in despair, already envisioning themselves being torn apart by the beasts, paralyzed by extreme fear.

"Cough, cough! Perhaps... there is a way to survive."

Lin Fan’s weak voice broke through the air. Blood flowed from his various wounds, dripping onto the snow like rows of beautiful plum blossoms. Most of the blast had been blocked by the Purple Spirit King, but the wound from the creature’s claw was severe, the toxin seeping deep into his bones.

Leaning against an ancient tree, Lin Fan began to walk toward them.