Arrival at the Misty Reef: Strategic Deployment
The twilight's afterglow was swallowed by thick clouds, as five Shadow Wing Guards, like black lightning, sped from the Emerald Tree Sea, cutting through the sky, carrying Fa and his companions to the airspace above the Misty Reef. As the name suggests, this place is perpetually shrouded in a viscous, damp, grayish-white thick fog. This mist not only obscures vision but also emits a low-frequency mental interference that unsettles the mind, like countless cold needles attempting to pierce the brain. The air is filled with the smell of rotting seaweed mixed with a pungent odor of disinfectant and machine oil, forming a stark contrast to the fresh fragrance of the Emerald Tree Sea.
The Shadow Wing Guards hovered in the air about one nautical mile from the core reef, with ominous ink-green seawater churning below. Everyone quickly brainstormed and proposed infiltration plans based on the characteristics of the Misty Reef.
Salsa's Shadow Passage Proposal: The mechanical cat Amber's electronic eyes scanned deep into the thick fog, emitting a low electronic tone: "The barrier structure is complex, but not impregnable. I can construct a temporary passage with high-level shadow magic, directly tearing through space to teleport us into the internal core area, bypassing all peripheral defenses." Her claw tips flickered with eerie light, strands of condensed shadow energy coiling like living things.
"No!" Zhamisi's snake tongue flicked rapidly, her scarlet vertical pupils staring intently at the ever-changing mist. "The mental interference in this fog is too strong, like countless hands tearing at your magical threads! The shadow passage relies heavily on the caster's mental stability. If disrupted during construction, a channel collapse would be minor; we'd be randomly thrown into spatial turbulence or directly crushed in the barrier's interlayer!" Her venomous fang curved blade trembled uneasily, instinctively repelling the energy chaos.
Yuyuer's Underwater Stealth Plan: Yuyuer raised her dragon bone staff, the crystal orb flowing with blue light, pointing to the surging seawater below: "My domain is underwater! I can manipulate the currents to create a stable transparent water passage straight to the seabed. Bypass the aerial barrier from below, sneaking in along the seafloor! Lin Ya's natural forces can provide camouflage for us."
Arya's emerald eyes were full of concern: "Don't forget the lesson from Dark Tide Island! There's that energy-devouring metal fungal mat underwater! Yuyuer, your water-based magic energy fluctuations might be sucked dry as an appetizer upon contact! The passage would collapse instantly, crushing us under seawater pressure or exposing us to defensive fire!"
Rex's Tech Cracking Plan: Rex's armor's miniature reactor behind him increased power, emitting a steady hum. "Comprehensive analysis: The underwater fungal mat is a key weakness." His electronic eyes locked onto the sea area below. "My armor is equipped with high-frequency directional oscillation waves, which can target and destroy the fungal mat's microscopic structure and energy absorption mechanism, temporarily paralyzing it. At the same time, release a nano-probe cluster to infiltrate the barrier's energy weak points, perform precise decoding and local weakening, creating a controllable physical/energy breach. Estimated duration: 15 seconds."
Fa's right eye's star pupil flickered with eerie light, penetrating the mist, striving to analyze the "dead zone" deliberately hidden below. She could "see" a composite barrier woven from twisted magical runes and cold technological energy lines, with the underwater mat covered in sticky black, slightly wriggling metallic fungus emitting a repulsive "sucking" sensation.
"Feasible!" Fa decided decisively, her voice steady and forceful. "Adopt Rex's plan as the core! Lin Ya, Yuyuer, fully assist in stabilizing and concealing the underwater passage! Salsa, shadow magic as the last emergency measure! Everyone, prepare to dive!"
Infiltration Operation: Tearing the Web of the Dead Zone
The infiltration passage was cold, dark, and cramped, barely allowing one person to pass. Fa led the way, her right eye's star pupil seeing clearly in absolute darkness, guiding everyone to avoid damaged circuits sparking on the pipe walls and dripping ink-green slime with a pungent smell. Kayla's burly frame almost filled the passage, her thunder claws ready to shred any threat. TISK brought up the rear, the faint light and heat from his lava hammer dispelling the bone-chilling cold. Zhamisi moved like a spirit snake, exceptionally agile in the narrow space, her venomous fang curved blade flickering with eerie light. Yuyuer manipulated the water flow to propel everyone forward while purifying the surrounding polluted seawater. Lin Ya sensed the vibrations in the soil outside the passage walls through mycelium.
Lin Ya took a deep breath, emerald green light bursting from his body, his palms pressing toward the surging sea surface. Massive life magic poured in, awakening the dormant coral reefs and seaweeds on the seabed like soldiers, beginning to grow and intertwine madly yet orderly! Hard corals quickly built support skeletons, while flexible seaweeds wove into thick, constantly changing colored camouflage layers. A winding, concealed living passage to the deep sea miraculously formed in minutes! The inner walls emitted a natural aura, perfectly blending into the environment.
"Water Flow Shaping." Yuyuer followed closely, her dragon bone staff erupting with deep blue glow. The raging seawater tamed under her will, parted by invisible hands, forming a transparent cylindrical waterway several meters in diameter with smooth mirror-like inner walls, precisely connecting to the entrance of the seabed passage. The internal water flow was steady, providing breathing bubbles and propulsion.
"Oscillation wave ready! Nano-probe cluster, release!" Rex's armor shoulders and back panels slid open, millions of ice-blue flickering nano-machines surging out like a swarm, silently diving into the waterway, pouncing toward the perceived densest energy weak points in the underwater barrier area. At the same time, he extended his arms forward, palms emitting two invisible high-frequency shock waves, like invisible scalpels, precisely cutting toward the black metallic fungal mat covering the seabed!
Buzz——!
A low, abyss-like hum transmitted through the seawater. The fungal mat swept by the shock waves trembled violently, its metallic sheen instantly dimming, as if drained of vitality, wriggling stopped, and the greedy energy absorption field noticeably weakened! Simultaneously, the nano-probe cluster acted like tiny keys, frantically infiltrating, analyzing, and rewriting the barrier's underlying protocols. On the barrier's invisible "wall," a circular breach just wide enough for two people side by side, with edges sparking unstable electric arcs, was forcibly torn open like a wound!
"Breach stable! Countdown 14 seconds!" Rex's electronic voice rang urgently.
"Go!" Fa commanded, leaping first into Yuyuer's maintained waterway. The cold seawater was isolated by the water force field, and everyone followed closely, shooting like arrows toward the entrance of the seabed passage, through Lin Ya's constructed living camouflage, plunging into Rex's torn barrier breach!
Just as the last person passed, the breach flickered violently, emitting an overwhelmed wail, and suddenly closed! Several scorching energy beams and twisted magical rays swept from the mist above, hitting the closed barrier, stirring violent ripples, but unable to capture Fa and their traces anymore.
Emerald Heart: Miniature Furnace of Sin
Passing through the barrier, the interior revealed another heart-wrenching scene.
At the end of the passage was a rusted airtight hatch. Fa's star pupil scanned it, spotting a manual emergency valve wheel beside the door. "Kayla!"
"Leave it to me!" Kayla squeezed forward, her thunder claws gripping the cold valve wheel, muscles bulging, accompanied by a teeth-gritting metal twisting sound, forcibly turning the jammed wheel! The hatch slowly opened a crack.
A thick mixture of potion smell, sweet nutrient fluid, and rotting flesh surged out like substance, suffocating. The scene behind the door made everyone's pupils contract—this was a "life factory" much smaller in scale than Dark Tide Island, yet more refined and futuristic. The main structure seemed carved from massive, semi-transparent sky-blue energy crystals, with fluorescent blue liquid energy flowing inside like a monster's vascular network. The air was filled with an even thicker mixture of disinfectant, sweet nutrient fluid, and a cold metallic rust smell. Gone were Dark Tide Island's rugged pipes and rust; in their place were streamlined silver-white alloy walls, floating holographic operation screens, and silently gliding cleaning robotic arms.
About three thousand oval cultivation pods were neatly arranged in the circular hall, made of some nearly transparent silver-gray metal, with pale blue nutrient fluid inside emitting a soft cold light. The "specimens" inside were more uniform in form, mostly humanoid creatures with deliberately enhanced muscle lines, covered in fine biological scales or chitinous shells, eyes closed, expressions numb. A few pods contained more twisted forms, "weapon prototypes" combining multiple biological features. Without the berserk aura of complete bodies, they were more like "finely sculpted" semi-finished products. The central control core was a suspended, constantly rotating and changing geometric patterns huge rhombic purple crystal, emitting powerful energy fluctuations and a cold monitoring sensation.
"Smaller scale, but technology... more advanced, and more concealed." Rex's electronic eyes scanned rapidly. "Energy utilization efficiency increased by 37%, monitoring network density increased by 85%. Estimated construction time: 8 to 10 months."
"Split up and act!" Fa quickly ordered, her star pupil sweeping over everyone. "First team: Me, Celestia, Kayla, TISK, Zhamisi, head straight to the central core area, find Wyrselon and the control hub! Second team: Arya, Yuyuer, Lin Ya, Rex, Salsa, handle the periphery, cut off energy and alarm lines, seize the database! Begin operation!"
The two teams separated like surgical knives, merging into the shadows of this miniature furnace of sin.
Blood Moon Feast: Conflict Erupts
One hour later, Celestia's heart pounded wildly in her chest, each beat accompanied by a tearing anxiety for Wyrselon's safety. The first team's members, using the shadows after infiltration and dynamic visual advantages, shuttled at high speed through the intricate metal passages and suspended walkways of the Misty Reef's main facility. Arya in the second team, her wind perception like radar, avoided patrols and shared information instantly with Fa. Salsa used dark tentacles to scan the energy reactions in every room. Rex's drone swarm served as the second team's vanguard, like a miniature silver storm, silently paralyzing surveillance probes and automatic defense turrets along the way.
Time ticked by, despair wrapping around Celestia's heart like cold vines. Just as anxiety nearly consumed her, Salsa sensed a strange signal through her dark tentacles: "Detected abnormally high-intensity life signal and... wing clan energy signature! Direction: Central core area! Signal extremely unstable, rapidly... decaying!"
Hope and fear instantly overwhelmed Celestia! She could no longer suppress it, her four wings erupting with blinding thunder light, speed soaring to the extreme, like a thunderbolt tearing through the darkness, recklessly charging toward the direction Salsa indicated!
"Celestia! Wait! It might be a trap!" Fa warned, but at this moment, Celestia's eyes saw only Wyrselon's dying form; any dissuasion turned into invisible wind. The rest of the first team—Kayla, TISK, Zhamisi—followed closely, keeping up with Celestia's pace.
Passing through the last heavy isolation hatch, before them was a massive, empty, cold tech-filled circular hall. In the center of the hall, there was only a solitary, several times larger than other cultivation pods, fully transparent cylindrical container, emitting eerie blue cold light. Inside the container, ink-blue nutrient fluid like viscous blood soaked a figure familiar enough to shatter her heart.
Wyrselon!
He floated in the nutrient fluid, eyes tightly closed, face twisted in pain. His originally slender body was reduced to a skeleton, skin a lifeless gray-white, like aged plaster. Countless tubes of varying thickness pierced his limbs and body like malicious parasites, especially the spine and back heart, connected to a complex instrument outside the container that constantly emitted low humming and flickered with eerie red light. That instrument was greedily extracting from his body a shimmering faint star-mangled silver-blue substance—that was the core essence of wing clan life and wind origin! His four wings hung limply behind him, luster dim, feathers falling, like broken banners.
"Wyrselon——!!!" Celestia's wail like an injured beast's roar instantly shattered the facility's dead silence. Her ice-blue eyes were dyed crimson by endless rage and heartache! The string of reason completely snapped! Wind and thunder forces gathered uncontrollably around her in violent fury, four wings flaring, black feathers standing on end, wrapped in destructive arcs! She transformed into a vengeful black thunder, charging desperately toward the glass cage imprisoning her beloved! The wind thunder spear condensed at her fingertips flickered with piercing sharpness!
Just as Celestia's wind thunder spear was about to touch the cultivation pod!
"Heh... Finally caught you rats."
A voice with absolute control, cold calculation, and elegant appreciation, like a winter chill, instantly swept the entire hall. The voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly overpowered the machine's hum and Celestia's wail.
The hall's dome floodlights suddenly extinguished, leaving only the cultivation pod's eerie blue cold light and the instrument's flickering red glow. A figure slowly descended from the shadows above, like a queen of the dark night arriving.
Virginia!
She wore a perfectly tailored dark purple long robe, outlining breathtaking curves. Under the wide hood, only her cold-lined chin and a touch of dark purple lips were exposed, the corners curled in a cruel smile of total control. Her gaze like invisible hands instantly locked onto Celestia mid-charge, and Fa and the others who had just entered the hall.
"Stop her." Virginia's voice was soft, yet carried an unquestionable command.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three powerful auras accompanied by energy eruptions roared like three high walls, instantly appearing on Celestia's charging path!
On the left, a tall, curvaceous woman in scarlet tight leather armor, with wine-red wavy long hair, codename "Bloody Mary." She held no weapon, just lazily licked her fingertip painted with bright red nail polish, eyes flashing with bloodthirsty light. In an instant, the air in front of Celestia's charge trajectory twisted and boiled violently! Invisible shock waves like billions of high-frequency oscillating blades formed a visible, space-tearing oscillation field! Celestia's charging form suddenly stalled, her protective wind thunder force colliding fiercely with the shock waves, erupting in ear-piercing metal friction and scattering sparks! She grunted, a trace of blood spilling from her lips, her assault forcibly halted.
On the right, a petite and delicate figure in ink-green scale-like soft armor, with emerald short hair, codename "Gin." Her face wore an innocent yet cruel smile, hands waving. Countless metallic chilling small mechanical flying insects, only nail-sized, surged like tides from her sleeves and waist jars! These "mechanical locusts" emitted scalp-numbing high-frequency buzzes, speed fast as lightning, instantly forming dense insect clouds; some fearlessly pounced on Celestia's wind thunder shield, using sharp mandibles and self-explosions to block her; others like diverting tsunamis, overwhelming toward the incoming Fa, Kayla, and others!
Directly ahead, a burly tower-like figure with a shiny bald head, wearing only black metal shoulder armor and battle pants, exposing rock-like muscles, a female giant, codename "Tequila." She roared low, fists colliding! Visible frost shock waves accompanied by bone-chilling cold erupted! Moisture in the air instantly condensed into countless sharp ice crystals, like a raging ice storm, sweeping the front half of the hall! The extreme cold domain instantly unfolded, the ground covered in thick white frost, Celestia's wind thunder force noticeably sluggish in the low temperature, speed plummeting!
At the same time, piercing alarm sounds echoed through the clouds! The hall's surrounding hatches boomed open! Tide-like mutants and mechanical guards surged in! These mutants each had extremely twisted, berserk forms, eyes flickering with ominous red light, emitting inhuman roars. The mechanical guards formed neat formations, energy gun muzzles flashing deadly red, cold scanning beams locking onto every intruder in the field!
Virginia, as if appreciating an opera, elegantly sat on a luxurious high-backed chair conjured from shadow energy, crossing her long legs. She watched with interest the surrounded Celestia and Fa's group by her three capable lieutenants and countless soldiers, her dark purple lips parting lightly, voice laced with mocking coldness:
"What a touching reunion scene, isn't it? Unfortunately, the climax of the drama always needs some... battle to sublimate." She lazily raised her hand toward the central cultivation pod soaking Wyrselon, a point of dark purple energy shooting out like a venomous snake from her fingertip, precisely hitting the thickest extraction tube connected to Wyrselon's spine!
"Ugh——!!" In the cultivation pod, the comatose Wyrselon's body suddenly convulsed violently! His ashen face showed extreme pain, throat emitting broken, voiceless screams! The instrument's red light flickered madly, the extraction speed of his life essence suddenly doubling! That faint silver-blue glow dimmed at a visible rate!
"No——!! Stop!!" Celestia's eyes bulged in rage, her heart like shredded by thousands of blades! Watching her beloved endure inhuman torment before her eyes, reason burned to ashes! Her ice-blue eyes instantly flooded with mad blood color!
"Rage, despair, you rats." Virginia's voice like a demon's whisper, carrying cruel pleasure. "Let your pain become the most wonderful energy, nourishing my masterpiece! Attack that container! That's their heart! Tear these pitiful worms apart!" The last sentence was her kill order to all subordinates!
In an instant, Bloody Mary's oscillation blade waves, Gin's mechanical insect sea, Tequila's extreme cold storm, and countless mutants' claws, along with mechanical guards' dense energy beam fire, like a destructive tide, poured mercilessly from all directions onto Fa's team surrounded, especially the near-mad Celestia and that fragile cultivation pod!