Chapter 74: It’s Fine, Just Blocking It
Wang Qiang had not been exaggerating in the slightest.
His Earth Ability was modest to begin with, and sustaining such an expansive barricade against the relentless onslaught had long since drained every last ounce of his stamina and mental energy.
His face was ashen, his legs shook violently, and the hands he pressed flat against the pavement trembled out of control.
Finally, darkness crept over his vision. With a muffled groan, he tipped sideways and collapsed onto the ground.
The moment his elemental power snapped, the fractured, groaning earthen walls reached their absolute breaking point. Under the frenzied shoving of the horde behind them, the entire barrier gave way with a deafening BOOM!
“The wall’s down!”
“Look out! Fall back!”
Chunks of dirt rained down in all directions, throwing up a blinding cloud of dust.
With the barrier destroyed, the horde surged through the opening like floodwaters bursting through a broken dam, shrieking as they charged.
Jiang Jue had already thrust himself to the absolute front.
Coating his blade in crackling lightning, every slash sent arcs of electricity coursing through the rotting nerves of the undead, locking up their limbs. His swordsmanship was brutal, efficient, and direct, aiming exclusively for vulnerable points like exposed throats and eye sockets. Killing with a single strike each time, he carved through the vanguard of the charging monsters.
Chu Yang was right on his heels, throwing himself straight into the fray.
Though his spatial energy was completely tapped out, his close-quarters combat skills and blade technique remained sharp.
The straight blade in his grip blurred into a deadly silver ribbon, every cut precise, lightning-fast, and decisive. Wherever the edge pointed, it struck at the creatures’ weakest angles—cleaving necks, gouging eye sockets, and shattering skulls.
Flanking each other on the left and right, their coordination was seamless. Jiang Jue spearheaded the frontal assault with thunderous power to draw the brunt of the attention, while Chu Yang operated like a lethal shadow, eliminating stragglers and flankers.
Despite both men carrying injuries, their combined combat prowess was staggering. Together, they forcibly tore a wide breach through the front of the surging tide, relieving the overwhelming pressure on Lin Xiao’s position.
“Qiang, are you alright?!”
Seeing Wang Qiang collapse, Li Yu rushed over instantly, catching his slipping frame before he hit the dirt.
Wang Qiang struggled to open his eyes, the world spinning in wild circles around him. He was completely spent, unable to lift a finger—let alone speak—and could only manage a faint, weak shake of his head.
“Li Yu, pull Qiang back first! Everyone else, fall back toward the stairwell! Don’t split up!” Lin Xiao roared over the din.
Gritting her teeth, Li Yu dragged and hoisted Wang Qiang along with her as she retreated. Just as she pivoted, a zombie crawling out from beneath a pile of corpses lunged straight for her calf!
“Watch out!” a raspy voice shouted.
Jiang Lin appeared out of nowhere. Without a second thought, she thrust the bloodstained steel rod in her hands straight into the zombie’s skull with everything she had!
With a sickening squelch, the pointed metal pierced the bone, and the monster went instantly rigid.
A cold sweat broke out across Li Yu’s back. Turning to see Jiang Lin, she gasped, “Thank you!”
Yanking the steel rod free and shaking off the grime, Jiang Lin said urgently, “Don’t mention it! Go, hurry! I’ll cover your flank!” Keeping a sharp eye on the perimeter, she shielded Li Yu and Wang Qiang as they backed toward the stairwell step by step.
Chu Yang and Jiang Jue cut down another seven or eight charging zombies in tandem, blade light and lightning arcs flashing amid flying gore. Yet the situation showed no signs of improving.
There were simply too many of them; the moment one batch fell, more swarmed in to take their place.
The narrow entryway was blanketed in a gruesome carpet of severed limbs and mangled corpses, yet the zombies behind trampled over their fallen brethren, pressing forward in an endless, shrieking wave.
“We can’t hold them in the open! Fight your way up the stairs!” Jiang Jue ordered decisively after decapitating two more beasts.
The purple electricity dancing along his blade had dimmed considerably, and his chest heaved with heavy, ragged breaths. The prolonged exertion and his internal injuries were clearly catching up to him.
“You heard the Boss! Alternate your cover and fall back!” Lin Xiao and Su Mubai echoed immediately, systematically tightening their perimeter to shield the rear as they fought their way toward the steps.
Drawing a deep breath, Chu Yang ignored the blinding migraine and nauseating vertigo tearing through his skull. Forcibly wringing out the final shred of his mental power, he aimed at the densest pocket of the horde and unleashed a concentrated, high-intensity Spatial Strangulation!
An invisible shockwave rippled outward with him at the center, momentarily warping the air.
Over a dozen zombies charging in the front line froze simultaneously, as though crushed by the grip of a colossal unseen fist. A heartbeat later, their skulls detonated one after another like overripe melons!
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Black blood and pulverized brains showered the floor.
The devastating strike instantly obliterated the forward wave, buying the squad precious breathing room and space to fall back.
“Move! Up the stairs!”
Chu Yang barked the order, but before the final word had left his lips, all the strength drained from his limbs at once.
His vision went pitch black, the room tilted violently, and his knees gave out as he pitched backward.
The cold, unforgiving floor never met him.
Instead, a pair of strong, familiar arms caught him firmly.
Jiang Jue had moved the split second Chu Yang began to fall. Sweeping his blade horizontally to force back an incoming zombie from the side, he extended his other arm and pulled Chu Yang securely against his chest.
Chu Yang’s mind was swimming in a heavy fog, his eyelids far too heavy to lift. Yet resting against that firm embrace, the familiar scent in the air allowed his frayed nerves to finally settle.
Forcing himself to maintain a tenuous thread of consciousness, he peered over Jiang Jue’s shoulder toward the stairwell. Though temporarily choked with corpses and rubble, zombies were already scrambling over the mound to pursue them.
We can’t just run up like this…
We have to barricade the stairs…
Resting his head on Jiang Jue’s shoulder, Chu Yang used the very last ounce of his willpower to reach into his spatial storage.
A fraction of a second later, a massive, solid steel shipping container materialized out of thin air. With a rushing gust of wind, it slammed into the landing with a deafening BOOM!
The heavy steel container completely sealed off the narrow stairwell, crushing several climbing zombies flat beneath its immense weight.
The sudden, thunderous crash startled Lin Xiao and the others, who had already retreated halfway up the flight.
Peering down at the impenetrable steel wall below, Lin Xiao yelled down in shock and confusion: “Third Brother! Are you two alright?!”
From within Jiang Jue’s embrace, Chu Yang offered a faint, barely audible murmur: “…It’s fine, just blocking it…”
Jiang Jue looked down at the pale, exhausted youth in his arms, his chest tightening as if squeezed by an iron band.
Tightening his grip to hold Chu Yang closer against him, he spoke in a low, tense murmur: “Stop using your power. Just rest.”
