Copper Stone Gulch lived up to its name. It was a long, narrow canyon covered in strange rocks and the color of copper rust.
Vegetation here was extremely sparse. Mottled verdigris was mixed into the reddish-brown rocks, and the air was filled with a faint metallic fishy scent.
More troublesome was the special geomagnetic environment here. It interfered with most scouting Gu that relied on magnetic field induction, making them work intermittently.
The squad threaded through the chaotic rocks.
Lin Tong took the lead. To prove his value to Lin Feng, he kept his Eagle Eye Gu activated.
His eyes, infused with Primeval Essence, shone with sharp yellow light as he constantly scanned the surrounding shadows.
In his view, this place was quiet—not even a bird could be seen—so it must be safe.
He even looked back impatiently several times, urging the team behind him to keep up.
Lin Feng walked in the middle. Although his expression seemed relaxed, Lin Mu keenly noticed that the Young Master's hand rested hoveringly on his sword hilt.
He deliberately slowed his pace, maintaining a "safe distance" of about thirty steps from the rash Lin Tong ahead.
And that taciturn middle-aged slave, Ah Zhong, stuck close to Lin Feng like a shadow. His muscles were tight, like a strong bow ready to be drawn at any moment.
"A pack of old foxes, watching a fool go to his death."
Lin Mu brought up the rear, sneering inwardly. He could feel a faint oppressiveness in the air—the omen of imminent danger.
Just as the squad penetrated deep into Copper Stone Gulch's interior.
Lin Tong, walking at the very front, suddenly paused. A light of ecstasy exploded in his eyes.
In a crevice of a shaded chaotic rock pile, he keenly caught a glint of reflection—the unique ghastly white luster of White Bone Stockade's standard bone armor.
This luster came from a human figure curling up in the shadow of the rock crevice.
The person seemed injured, head lowered dealing with a wound, back facing this way. Their vigilance was extremely poor; they hadn't noticed the arrival behind them at all.
"A White Bone Stockade scout! And isolated!"
Lin Tong was overjoyed.
He looked back at Lin Feng, who hadn't caught up yet. Greed rose instantly in his heart. If he waited for the main force, the credit would be shared. Better to swallow it alone!
"Die!"
Lin Tong gave no warning. He even held his breath. Gripping a sharp iron leaf in his hand, he burst out using the cover of the rocks, turning into a stream of light pouncing straight at that defenseless back.
Close!
The person still didn't turn around.
Squelch!
The sound of a sharp blade entering flesh was clearly audible. The iron leaf in Lin Tong's hand sliced precisely through the opponent's nape. The figure fell softly to the ground without even a hum.
"Haha! Got him!"
Lin Tong laughed loudly and rushed up, planting a foot on the corpse.
He turned his head to shout his achievement to Lin Feng, who was hurrying over from behind:
"Young Master Feng! Mission accomplished! It was a straggling White Bone Stockade scout, already dealt with by—"
Before he could finish, the smile on his face suddenly froze.
Just as he reached out to grab the Gu pouch at the corpse's waist, the skin his fingers touched was hard as stone, and... completely without warmth.
Wrong!
This wasn't a living person at all!
"Watch out!"
From the rear, Lin Feng seemed to sense something. His expression changed drastically as he bellowed a warning.
But it was too late.
BOOM—!
The "corpse" beneath Lin Tong's foot suddenly detonated.
No flames—only a thick cloud of ghastly green smoke that refused to dissipate, accompanied by a nauseating stench of rot.
Like a demon unleashed, it instantly swallowed Lin Tong, who stood mere inches away, then spread outward at terrifying speed.
That was no scout at all. It was a "corpse trap"—a body stuffed with toxic powder and self-detonating Gu worms!
"AHHH!!! My eyes! My face!"
From within the ghastly green toxic mist came Lin Tong's heart-rending screams.
He rolled out of the fog clutching his eyes. His once shrewd face was now covered with swollen, reddish blisters. His eyelids were festering and oozing pus—clearly blinded by virulent poison.
"Hold your breath! Circle formation! The toxic mist is corrosive—reconnaissance Gu are disabled!"
Lin Feng reacted with extreme speed.
He grabbed Lin Wan'er, who was about to rush forward to help, and shouted orders for everyone to contract their defensive line.
The toxic mist rapidly engulfed the entire canyon.
In this ghastly green miasma, visibility dropped to less than three feet. What had been the clear terrain of Copper Stone Gulch instantly transformed into a ghostly netherworld.
Lin Mu shrank into a corner of the formation, immediately activating his Red Mud Gu to seal his mouth and nose.
At the same time, he fully opened his Blood Scent Gu, attempting to locate enemies through the fog.
Yet all around was deathly silent.
Apart from Lin Tong's wailing as he writhed on the ground, no enemy footsteps could be heard.
But this silence was more terrifying than any clamor.
"There!"
The ordinary Rank 1 household slave standing guard at the perimeter suddenly cried out in alarm. He felt the soil beneath his feet go soft.
The attack didn't come from the fog—it came from below!
A withered, pallid hand with nails like blades burst through the earth like a demon from hell, instantly seizing the slave's ankle.
"Young—"
The slave managed only half a syllable before a terrifying force wrenched him violently toward the ground.
Squelch!
From deep underground, bone spikes that had long lain in ambush pierced through his chest in an instant.
Blood gushed forth, staining the ground crimson.
Half his body remained above ground while the other half was dragged below. His eyes bulged wide—dead on the spot.
Panic spread instantly.
This happened in the blink of an eye. Watching their comrade's mutilated corpse, the remaining Lin Tong completely collapsed, capable only of meaningless screaming.
Even Lin Wan'er was terrified pale, the light from her healing Gu flickering erratically.
The enemy was not only invisible—they could move through the earth!
"Damn it! These are veterans!"
Cold sweat beaded Lin Feng's forehead. One-hit kills, leaving no survivors—these were definitely ace assassins specifically deployed by White Bone Stockade to hunt elite squads.
If they didn't bring out some real ability now, everyone would die here today.
"Ah Zhong! Stop hiding! Get up front!"
At Lin Feng's command, the taciturn, low-profile middle-aged household slave suddenly stepped forward, blocking the very front of the defensive line.
"Roar!"
Ah Zhong released a low roar, and his aura instantly surged.
His somewhat stooped frame straightened like a ramrod. His gray cloth garments split apart, torn by swelling muscles that revealed skin the color of refined bronze beneath.
Rank 2 Jade Skin Gu!
He slammed his fists together with a tremendous clang of metal on metal. A powerful shockwave exploded outward from his body, forcibly pushing back the toxic mist within a three-foot radius.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
At that moment, several more sinister bone spikes shot up from underground, aimed straight at Lin Feng at the formation's core.
Ah Zhong neither dodged nor evaded. He used his broad back to take these killing blows head-on.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
The bone spikes struck bronze skin, sparking on impact. They left only shallow white scratches—they hadn't even broken the skin.
"Skulking rats! Your Grandpa Zhong is here—come out and meet your death!"
Ah Zhong's eyes blazed with fury, his voice thundering like a war drum, making the surrounding rubble tremble.
This was the deterrent power of a Rank 2 expert!
The defensive line that had been on the verge of collapse finally stabilized, thanks to this wall of bronze.
However, the enemy did not retreat.
From deep within the toxic mist came drifting, sinister laughter that seemed to echo from all directions simultaneously, making it impossible to pinpoint the source:
"Jie jie jie... Rank 2 defense? Quite the tough nut to crack."
"Too bad... inside this 'Rotting Bone Poison Array,' you're all blind. Let's see how many you can protect."
Lin Mu hid behind Ah Zhong, his expression grave.
The situation remained dire.
Their side had Ah Zhong as a Rank 2 defensive anchor, but he was slow and effectively blind. Unable to locate the enemy, he could only take hits passively while his Primeval Essence continuously depleted.
Lin Feng had strong offensive power, but he was also blind. He didn't dare unleash sword qi recklessly for fear of hitting his own teammates.
As for Lin Tong—he was finished, even more useless now than Lin Wan'er.
And Lin Wan'er, though her body still trembled, showed a trace of resolve on her face after their previous battle. Her hands were unsteady, but she maintained her Wood Essence Gu's operation, providing support for the squad.
Meanwhile, the enemy lurked in darkness, using the toxic mist and Earth Path Gu to conduct guerrilla warfare. Their tactics were crystal clear: encircle but don't engage—wear them down to death.
In the thick green toxic fog, Lin Feng and the others were like beasts trapped in a cage.
Though Ah Zhong was powerful, cold sweat had already formed on his brow. They possessed formidable combat ability, yet couldn't even tell which direction the enemy was in.
Death was only a matter of time.