Chapter 57: On the Eve of Collapse: Desperate Counterattack

The earth shook violently, and rocks continually plummeted from overhead, crashing into the ground with deafening roars.

Cracks raced across the stone walls of the hall like a spider's web, filling the air with a suffocating, oppressive weight.

"What is happening?" Wu Xia cried out in terror, her body trembling uncontrollably. She had never experienced anything so horrifying.

Professor Yan's clouded eyes were filled with shock. Seeming to have anticipated something, he opened his mouth to speak.

Suddenly, he let out a startled exclamation: "The ruins are collapsing!"

Before Professor Yan could even finish, a massive roar echoed from deep underground, and the entire ruin shuddered even more violently.

Through a massive fissure in the stone wall, the flickering glow of fire could be faintly seen.

"Chu Feng, look!" Pan Yue's voice held a trace of tremor as she pointed toward the crack.

Griping his Shadow Blade tightly in his hand, Chu Feng felt the intense vibrations surging up from the floor, and a deep sense of unease welled up inside him.

He muttered under his breath, "This place... I'm afraid it's going to collapse..."

Right at that moment, the unruly and untamed man known as Scorpion, refusing to leave empty-handed, quickly ordered his subordinates to block the adventure team's path with all their might.

Wielding various weapons, they barred every possible exit.

"None of you are leaving this place!" Scorpion shouted loudly, his tone dripping with threats.

Chu Feng's gaze swept swiftly across his teammates, and he made a quick decision in his heart.

He bellowed, "Everyone scatter, find the treasure, and evacuate immediately!"

Hearing this, the team members sprang into action.

Pan Yue and Wu Xia swiftly searched for potential hiding spots for the treasure, while Liu Yong activated his mechanical device in an attempt to carve out a safe passage.

Chen Qiang and Sun Yue took charge of confronting Scorpion's subordinates and protecting their teammates.

Professor Yan followed closely behind, his gaze lingering for a moment on the fire flickering within the fissure, as if searching for some crucial clue.

Chu Feng charged toward Scorpion, his Shadow Blade tracing dazzling arcs of light through the air.

Scorpion refused to yield either, his weapon producing a harsh, grating screech against Chu Feng's blade.

Neither gave an inch, and battle was imminent.

"You can't escape!" Scorpion sneered.

"I won't let you succeed!" Chu Feng replied through gritted teeth, his Shadow Blade dancing like the wind in his hands as he relentlessly beat back Scorpion's onslaught.

Just then, the ground's tremors grew even more violent. A massive fissure split open right down the middle of the hall, and the earth began to cave in.

Pan Yue suddenly cried out at the top of her lungs, "Chu Feng, the treasure is found! Come quickly!"

Chu Feng stepped back rapidly, casting a resolute gaze toward Pan Yue as he shouted, "Quickly, follow me!" With that, he leaped fiercely toward the steadily widening chasm.

Debris poured down like rain, and the widening fissure on the ground yawned like a subterranean abyss, devouring everything in its vicinity.

The crevice in the center of the hall grew wider by the second, and searing magma churned deep within the gap, radiating a suffocating wave of heat.

The collapse of the ruins suddenly accelerated, as if a colossal beast was about to awaken to swallow everything whole.

"Jump!" Chu Feng roared, leaping across a chasm first and landing securely on another wobbling slab of stone.

Pan Yue, Liu Yong, and the others followed closely behind, leaping forward through the collapsing ruins; the slightest misstep would plunge them into an unfathomable abyss.

The oppressive atmosphere made it difficult for the team members to breathe, and the fear of death enveloped each of them.

Scorpion refused to be outdone, chasing relentlessly on their heels.

His face was twisted in a ferocious grimace, and a frantic gleam flashed in his eyes, much like a cornered beast driven to desperation.

"Chu Feng, don't dream of escaping!" he roared, his weapon carrying a fierce momentum as it aimed directly at Chu Feng's back.

Sensing the murderous intent behind him, Chu Feng spun around abruptly, his Shadow Blade carving a black arc that collided with Scorpion's weapon.

Sparks flew in all directions, and the deafening crash of metal echoed through the crumbling ruins.

"You think you can stop me with just that?" Chu Feng sneered. At that exact moment, a powerful surge of energy stirred within him, and the shadow runes on his skin flared with dazzling radiance.

This is...

The power of an intermediate rune wielder!

Chu Feng felt both his strength and speed increase dramatically. The Shadow Blade in his hand grew even sharper, as though capable of cleaving anything asunder.

With a ferocious slash, a black blade-aura pierced the air like lightning, striking Scorpion squarely in the chest.

"Aah!" Scorpion let out a miserable scream as his body flew backward, crashing heavily onto the ground and spewing a torrent of blood.

The surrounding people gasped at the sight of Scorpion's wretched state, feeling a quiet sense of satisfaction.

Scorpion's expedition members panicked even more upon seeing this, entirely at a loss for what to do.

Paying no mind to Scorpion's miserable condition, Chu Feng grabbed Pan Yue's hand and continued leaping forward through the crumbling ruins.

"Hold onto me!" he said in a deep voice, his tone laced with unyielding determination.

Pan Yue gripped Chu Feng's arm tightly, her fingertips nearly sinking into his flesh.

She could feel the strength and warmth radiating from him—a power that brought her a shred of comfort amidst the threat of death.

Sensing Pan Yue's reliance on him, a fierce surge of protectiveness welled up in Chu Feng's heart.

He turned his hand over to clasp hers, fingers intertwining. In this life-or-death moment, the emotions between them sublimated in silence, and an indescribable tacit understanding flowed between them.

Right at that moment, the previously silent Professor Yan suddenly let out an exclamation: "Wait! There is a path here!" He pointed to an inconspicuous crevice in the stone wall, excitement gleaming in his clouded eyes.

"This passage... it might lead to the treasure, and what's more, it's safer!"

Professor Yan's words pierced the darkness like a bolt of lightning, bringing a glimmer of hope to everyone.

Sun Yue's eyes rolled, and he instantly grasped Professor Yan's meaning.

With a flash of movement, he darted forward like an agile cat, sprinting toward the hidden passage first.

"I'll go scout ahead!" he smiled craftily, his figure vanishing into the narrow gap.

Sun Yue's movements were so swift that Scorpion's remaining subordinates had no time to react at all.

By the time they came to their senses, Sun Yue had already penetrated deep into the passage and disappeared from sight.

Inside the passage, relying on his years of "professional experience," Sun Yue skillfully evaded various mechanisms and traps, quickly locating the exit.

Poking his head out, he discovered that the exit actually led to the other side of the ruins, situated extremely close to where the treasure was located.

"Come quickly! It's safe over here!" Sun Yue waved enthusiastically toward his teammates, his voice filled with joy.

Seeing this, Chu Feng and the others immediately advanced along the path cleared by Sun Yue. Scorpion's subordinates tried to block them, but they were no match for Chen Qiang and Liu Yong.

Chen Qiang stood like an unshakeable wall at the front, while Liu Yong deployed his mechanical devices to create various obstacles, neutralizing the enemy's offensive into nothingness.

The adventure team members filed out one by one, and a vast view suddenly opened up before them.

A massive subterranean cavern appeared before their eyes. At the center of the cavern, an object emitting a dazzling radiance floated quietly in mid-air...

"That is..." Pan Yue began.

"Wait!" Chu Feng grabbed Pan Yue's hand, a flicker of vigilance crossing his eyes. "Watch out for tricks!"

Cautiously, Chu Feng approached the glowing object, his Shadow Blade vibrating slightly as he prepared to deal with any sudden danger.

He circled the object, carefully inspecting the surrounding environment, but found no anomalies whatsoever.

Professor Yan walked forward excitedly, his trembling hands caressing the glowing object. "This is... this is the crystallization of a lost civilization!" he muttered to himself, his tone filled with awe.

Just then, the entire cavern began to violently vibrate, and rocks overhead plummeted continuously, producing deafening sounds.

"Oh no! The ruins are going to completely collapse!" Liu Yong cried out, his face turning exceptionally pale.

Decisive and resolute, Chu Feng shouted, "Quick! Take the treasure and retreat through the passage!" Not daring to hesitate, the team members grabbed the treasure and charged into the passage Sun Yue had scouted earlier, following closely behind Chu Feng.

The passage was narrow and winding. The team members sprinted through it with the collapsing ruins behind them, the deafening roars acting like a death curse.

Debris and dust fell incessantly, clogging the passageway. The team members had to fight hard to clear a path, racing against time to escape.

Pan Yue followed closely behind Chu Feng, feeling his broad shoulders and strong heartbeat, and her heart was filled with a sense of security.

She knew that as long as Chu Feng was around, she had nothing to fear.

Chu Feng glanced back at Pan Yue from time to time.

Finally, they burst out of the passage, and the scenery before them suddenly opened up.

Warm sunlight fell upon them, and fresh air rushed into their lungs. The joy of surviving a catastrophe filled the heart of every team member.

They had succeeded!

They had overcome the crisis of the ruins, escaping alive with both the treasure and the knowledge!

However, before they could even catch their breath, a cold voice suddenly rang out: "It seems you have harvested quite a bounty." Following the sound, everyone looked up to see a group of mysterious figures clad in black cloaks who had appeared before them out of nowhere, surrounding them tightly.

An oppressive and suffocating aura emanated from these mysterious figures, and their gazes were cold and sharp, as if capable of piercing through a person's soul.

"Who are you people?" Chu Feng asked in a deep voice, the Shadow Blade materializing quietly in his hand.

One of the mysterious figures slowly pulled back his hood, revealing a pale, grim face with a bizarre smile curving the corners of his mouth.

"We are..." He paused, his tone bone-chilling. "The Reapers."