The energy fluctuations emanating from the depths of the passage were like a violent heartbeat, each surge causing the surrounding rock walls to tremble violently, dislodging debris and dust. The air was filled with the heavy scent of earth and the burnt smell of ionized ozone, suffocating.
"Stay close!" Xǔ Bīn roared, no longer holding back, pushing the Wind Riding Formula to its limit. His figure blurred into an afterimage as he hurtled down the sloping passage. Gorr gritted his teeth, unleashing the full physical capacity of an Orc, barely keeping up, his heavy footsteps echoing in the passage.
The passage was not straight but spiraled downwards, the rock walls gradually changing from rough granite to a material resembling jade, shimmering with a faint yellowish-brown luster. The deeper they went, the more oppressive the violent energy pressure became, like tangible mercury pressing down on their chests, making even breathing difficult.
"Teacher! There's light ahead!" Gorr gasped.
At the end of the passage lay an incredibly vast, cavernous space. The cavern's ceiling soared dozens of meters high, covered in naturally formed, stalactite-like clusters of yellowish-brown crystal, which were now flashing uncontrollably, emitting heart-pounding energy light. In the center of the cavern, there was no solid ground, but a colossal pit over fifty meters in diameter, bottomless! Within the pit, it was not darkness, but swirling streams of golden-yellow energy, viscous like lava, yet emitting a dazzling arcane radiance!
This was a Ley Node! A minuscule extremity of Azeroth's planetary veins!
And suspended above this chaotic energy pool was a creation that made Xǔ Bīn's pupils contract sharply!
It was a device about the size of a house, composed of countless intricate metal components, flowing rune bands, and a massive core crystal. It was roughly spherical and irregular, surrounded by three layers of metal rings rotating slowly in different directions and at different speeds. The bands were etched with dense runes far more complex than anything Xǔ Bīn had seen in the Rune Hall. At the device's core was a giant yellow crystal, the size of a millstone, within which liquid gold seemed to flow – this must be the core of the prototype 'Heart of the Ley Line'!
However, this device, which should have been operating stably and regulating Ley Energy, was now in complete disarray! The outer rune bands spun erratically, sometimes accelerating wildly, sometimes stopping abruptly with ear-splitting metallic screeches! The yellow crystal at the core was covered in a spiderweb of cracks, from which an uncontrollable surge of Ley Energy erupted, transforming into violent golden lightning bolts that lashed the surrounding rock walls, leaving deep scorch marks! The entire device resembled an overloaded reactor on the verge of exploding, exuding an aura of destruction!
【Warning! Target "Miniature Heart of the Ley Line (Out of Control)" energy level continuously rising! Estimated time until full detonation: 7 minutes 32 seconds!】
【Estimated explosive yield: Sufficient to completely destroy everything within a one-kilometer radius and trigger massive ground collapse!】
【Host is requested to take measures immediately!】
The System's countdown echoed coldly in Xǔ Bīn's mind like the tolling of a death knell.
"Seven minutes..." Xǔ Bīn's face turned ashen, sweat instantly soaking his back. He looked at the device suspended above the energy pool, enveloped by the chaotic energy, and felt a wave of powerlessness. There was no way he could handle this thing in his current state!
"Teacher! Wh-what is that?!" Gorr was stunned by the sight, the world-ending energy pressure making his legs weak, almost buckling him to the ground.
"A mess left behind by the Dwarves messing up!" Xǔ Bīn gritted his teeth. "We have to deal with it before it explodes, or... grab the core and run before it blows!"
The mission objective was to "pacify the Ley Line" and acquire the "Heart of the Ley Line," but given the situation, pacification seemed virtually impossible. Thus, as a fallback, snatching the core remnants was the only option! At least that core crystal looked valuable!
But how to get close? Those rampant energy lightning bolts were no joke! A single strike could turn him and Gorr into charcoal!
He forced himself to calm down, his mind racing. Muradin's notes! They must contain information about this device! He immediately focused his mind, frantically sifting through the knowledge he had just acquired.
"Heart of the Ley Line... energy guidance... safety valve... emergency shutdown procedure..." Countless pieces of information flowed through him as he struggled in the sea of knowledge, searching for a lifesaver.
Found it! The notes mentioned that to cope with potential loss of control, Muradin had included a physical "emergency energy pressure relief valve" and a "forced dormancy" rune key! The relief valve was located in a hidden spot at the device's base, while the rune key required activating three specific main rune nodes on the device's outer rings in a specific sequence and with Spiritual Energy (or arcane energy for Dwarves)!
"There's a way!" A glimmer of hope flashed in Xǔ Bīn's eyes, but it was immediately overshadowed by a greater challenge. The relief valve was at the bottom of the device, meaning he had to traverse the death zone above the energy pool! And activating the rune nodes also required getting close to the device!
Time was ticking away, the System's countdown had already dropped below six minutes.
"Let's risk it!" A fierce glint appeared in Xǔ Bīn's eyes. He quickly took out a few pieces of High Explosive (Dwarven Standard) from his storage space.
"Gorr! Listen!" he said extremely rapidly to the still somewhat dazed young Orc, "I don't have time to explain! Do you see those giant stone pillars at the edge of the cavern supporting the ceiling?"
Gorr followed Xǔ Bīn's gaze. At the edge of the cavern, there were indeed several massive pillars, requiring several people to embrace, connecting the ceiling to the ground.
"Go over there, as far from the center as possible! If I fail, or if you hear me shout 'Run,' you immediately run outwards with all your might! Don't look back!" Xǔ Bīn shoved two explosive charges into Gorr's hands. "If necessary, use these to blow away any blocking rocks! Understand?!"
"Teacher! What are you doing? It's too dangerous!" Gorr grew anxious and grabbed Xǔ Bīn's arm.
"No time! Obey me!" Xǔ Bīn violently shook off his hand, his eyes sharp. "Remember, only the living have a future! Go now!"
Seeing Xǔ Bīn's resolute gaze, Gorr gritted his teeth. He knew he would only be a burden here. He nodded heavily, grabbed the explosives, turned, and sprinted towards the edge of the cavern.
After sending Gorr off, Xǔ Bīn took a deep breath, focusing his attention entirely on the runaway device. He needed to get close first! Those rampant energy lightning bolts seemed random, but with his enhanced spiritual sense and perception of energy flow, perhaps he could find a sliver of an opening!
He channeled most of his remaining Spiritual Energy into his legs, running the Wind Riding Formula to its limit. Simultaneously, he activated the Breath Concealment effect of the Turtle Breath Vitality Cultivation Technique to its maximum, minimizing his own energy signature to avoid attracting the indiscriminate energy lightning bolts.
Spotting a brief gap between two lightning bolts as they crossed, Xǔ Bīn moved! Like a hunting leopard, he burst from the passage entrance, not heading directly for the center, but hugging the cavern's edge, using protruding rocks and crystal clusters as cover, zigzagging rapidly towards the device's base!
"Fzzt!" A bolt of golden lightning grazed his back, striking the rock wall and leaving a deep black pit! The searing heat instantly scorched his clothes!
Xǔ Bīn's scalp tingled. He didn't dare pause, pushing his speed to its absolute limit. His brain rapidly calculated the lightning trajectories, his body twisting and turning in ways that defied logic, narrowly evading one death-dealing beam after another.
Five meters! Ten meters! Twenty meters!
He was getting closer to the device's base! He could already feel the terrifying heat radiating towards him, almost enough to bake him alive!
Just then, something unexpected happened!
As if sensing the approach of Xǔ Bīn, an "anomaly," the device's core crystal flared brightly. A torrent of energy, several times thicker than before, like a roaring golden serpent, detached from its chaotic scattering and struck directly at Xǔ Bīn! This attack's speed and power far surpassed the previous stray lightning bolts!
"Damn it!" Xǔ Bīn's blood ran cold. If he was hit, he'd be utterly annihilated!
No escape!
A look of desperation flashed in his eyes. He threw a piece of High Explosive he had been holding with all his might towards the base of a massive hanging crystal cluster to his front left! At the same time, he desperately threw himself in the opposite direction!
"Boom!!!"
A deafening explosion erupted! The Dwarven explosive was incredibly potent, shattering the base of the crystal pillar that required several people to embrace!
Deprived of its support, the massive crystal pillar, carrying immense force, plummeted down towards the energy torrent aimed at Xǔ Bīn!
"Crash!!!"
The crystal pillar collided fiercely with the energy torrent! This triggered an even more violent explosion! Countless shattered crystals shot out like projectiles in all directions, and a ferocious energy shockwave swept through the entire cavern!
Xǔ Bīn, despite having dived forward, was still thrown back by the shockwave, slamming heavily against the rock wall. A sweet taste rose in his throat as he coughed up blood. His entire body ached as if it had fallen apart, and his ears were ringing.
But he ignored his injuries, looking up sharply!
He saw that although the fractured crystal pillar was largely annihilated by the energy torrent, it had successfully deflected and weakened most of the energy! The residual energy grazed the spot where Xǔ Bīn had been, blasting a terrifyingly large hole in the rock wall!
What delighted Xǔ Bīn even more was that this violent collision and explosion seemed to have further interfered with the runaway device's stability! The rune rings rotating on the outside of the device momentarily stuttered, and the frequency of the core crystal's energy bursts became slightly disordered!
An opportunity!
Xǔ Bīn endured the intense pain, leaping to his feet. He seized this brief moment of chaos and shot towards the nearby device base like an arrow loosed from a bow!
He found it! On the side of the base, covered by a movable metal plate, was an inconspicuous relief valve! He yanked open the clasp, revealing a brass valve that required immense force to turn!
"Open, damn you!" Xǔ Bīn gripped the valve with both hands, his muscles bulging. The brute strength of an Orc, combined with the infusion of Spiritual Energy, unleashed astonishing power!
"Creeaak... screeeech..." The valve let out a teeth-grinding sound under immense resistance and was slowly turned!
As the valve opened, a massive stream of pure, yellowish-brown energy gushed out like from a high-pressure air gun, shooting straight towards the cavern ceiling! The chaotic energy from the device's core seemed to find a slight release, and its pulsing frequency slowed down ever so slightly!
But this was far from enough! The relief valve could only alleviate, not fundamentally solve, the problem! Energy was still accumulating!
Xǔ Bīn dared not delay. He immediately began searching for the three main rune nodes that needed activation, as recorded in the notes! His gaze swept like a hawk over the dazzlingly fast-rotating rune bands.
The first node was on the innermost ring, the triangular rune symbolizing "Stability"!
The second node was on the middle ring, the wave rune symbolizing "Guidance"!
The third node was on the outermost ring, the chain rune symbolizing "Binding"!
He had to inject his Spiritual Energy (simulating arcane energy characteristics) precisely into these three nodes, in sequence, within an extremely short time!
Meanwhile, the System's countdown had already dropped to the final two minutes!
The cracks on the device's core crystal multiplied, the light growing more blinding, the aura of destruction enveloping the entire cavern like a tangible entity!
Xǔ Bīn took a deep breath, concentrating all his remaining Spiritual Energy on his fingertips, his gaze sharp as a blade.
Life or death hung in the balance!