Chapter 118: Completely Out of Control
Si Jin.
No, an out-of-control Si Jin.
The terrifying pressure of an SSS-level Dark Sentinel, like a bursting dam, instantly flooded the entire cavern.
The rock walls trembled, loose stones pattered down, and the very air seemed to freeze.
Bai Ye stood his ground. The gale stirred up by that power made the hem of his clothes whip about, yet he didn’t retreat a single step.
He just stared quietly at those crimson eyes, his voice low and calm.
"Si Jin."
Bai Ye’s voice wasn’t loud, but it echoed clearly through the cavern, which was saturated with frenzied energy.
The crimson eyes trembled violently.
But only for a moment.
The next second, Si Jin moved.
His body became a black blur, hurtling toward Bai Ye wrapped in world-ending Dark Spiritual Power!
In his wake, the loose stones on the ground were pulverized, and deep scorch marks were seared into the rock walls.
’So fast.’
Bai Ye’s gaze sharpened. He took a half-step sideways, barely dodging a blow powerful enough to pierce alloy.
Si Jin’s fist grazed past his ear. The spiritual power carried in the punch blasted a deep crater several meters in diameter into the cavern wall behind him!
Bai Ye didn’t retreat.
Instead, he grabbed back, his fingers locking onto Si Jin’s wrist as his own spiritual power surged out like chains, trying to suppress the berserk energy.
But the out-of-control Si Jin gave him no such chance.
With a low roar, the power around Si Jin erupted. The Dark Spiritual Power, like an exploding flame, violently threw off Bai Ye’s suppression.
At the same time, he swept his leg around, kicking at Bai Ye’s side with the force of a thousand tons.
Bai Ye twisted away, releasing his grip on Si Jin’s wrist and darting back several meters.
The two faced off, a dozen meters apart.
Si Jin’s crimson eyes were locked on him, devoid of reason, filled only with primal bloodlust and the desire to destroy.
The power around him was still climbing, the black spiritual power coalescing behind him into the spectral image of a massive Abyssal Giant Wolf.
The wolf’s eyes were also crimson, and it let out a low growl at Bai Ye.
’He’s completely lost control.’ Bai Ye’s brow furrowed slightly.
The next instant, Si Jin attacked again.
This time, it wasn’t a purely physical attack.
He raised a hand and made a grasping motion. The rampant Dark Spiritual Power instantly condensed into dozens of black blades that shot toward Bai Ye like a tidal wave.
Bai Ye didn’t retreat this time.
He lifted a hand, and a silver spiritual power barrier materialized before him, as thick as a city wall.
The black blades slammed into the barrier with a piercing shriek but failed to penetrate it in the slightest.
But the out-of-control Si Jin didn’t care.
He had already charged forward right behind them, smashing a fist viciously into the silver barrier.
BOOM—
The head-on collision of two SSS-level powers made the entire cavern tremble violently.
Stones rained down from the ceiling, and alarming fissures spiderwebbed across the walls.
A crack appeared on Bai Ye’s barrier.
Si Jin’s second punch was already on its way.
Bai Ye’s gaze darkened.
He dropped the barrier and darted behind Si Jin, a hand-chop carrying a maximally compressed silver light aimed viciously at the back of Si Jin’s neck.
But Si Jin suddenly spun around and met the attack with a punch of his own.
BANG!
The moment fist met palm, both powers exploded simultaneously.
A shockwave swept through the cavern. The already crumbling walls finally gave way, and huge chunks of rock came crashing down!
Through the billowing dust, two figures slid backward several meters at the same time.
Bai Ye steadied himself, looking at the still-crimson eyes across from him.
In a direct clash, they were evenly matched.
Meanwhile, Si Jin’s condition was clearly worsening.
The Dark Spiritual Power was on the verge of becoming tangible, burning wildly around him and even searing blackened pits into the rock beneath his feet.
’I can’t let this go on.’
Bai Ye took a deep breath. His spiritual power gathered once more, and the spectral image of the Holy Light White Tiger behind him began to solidify.
Just then, Si Jin suddenly let out a pained roar. He clutched his head with both hands and staggered back a few steps.
His frenzied power fluctuated bizarrely, as if something inside him was tearing itself apart.
Bai Ye’s eyes narrowed.
’Is that... a struggle?’
’Si Jin’s consciousness hasn’t completely vanished.’
At that moment, the aftershocks from the clash of two SSS-level powers completely destabilized the mine’s already fragile rock strata.
RUMBLE...
The fissures overhead abruptly widened. Countless boulders crashed down as the entire mine began to tremble violently and rapidly collapse.
Outside the mine, the swarms of contaminants that had just been stunned by Bai Ye were now in a full-blown panic.
Split Sound Beasts shrieked piercingly, running for their lives deeper into the wilderness. Bone-piercing Vines hidden in rock crevices twisted frantically, bursting from the ground to scatter in all directions. Even the low-intelligence corrosive worms were desperately clawing their way out.
All the contaminants in the mine area were fleeing.
Back at the camp, the cadets had just recovered from the earlier wave of spiritual attacks and were resting outside their tents in small groups.
Suddenly, the ground trembled slightly.
"Huh?" Cheng Nian looked up, glancing around in confusion. "Was that an earthquake just now?"
Li Wen also frowned. "I think so..."
Before she could finish, a much more violent tremor hit.
Everyone felt it this time. A few cadets scrambled to their feet in alarm.
"What’s going on?"
"What’s happening now?"
People began to poke their heads out of tents one by one, their faces a mixture of alarm and uncertainty.
Just then, a cacophony of shrieks echoed from the distance.
It wasn’t just one or two cries, but a massive, overlapping wave of them—a mixture of wails and roars from countless contaminants.
"Listen!" someone exclaimed. "It’s the sound of contaminants!"
"So many... so many of them!"
"Are they running this way?"
Fear spread through the group like a plague.
A few of the more timid cadets were already backing away, ready to hide in their tents at a moment’s notice.
At that moment, Yun Sheng also stepped out of her tent. She stood beside Cheng Nian and Li Wen, her gaze fixed in the direction of the sounds.
At the far end of that wilderness was the mine.
’The contaminants are suddenly stampeding. Could it... have something to do with Si Jin?’
The moment the thought crossed her mind, Yun Sheng’s heart leaped into her throat.
Just then, her terminal suddenly chimed.
No, it wasn’t just hers.
The terminals of nearly every cadet in the vicinity chimed at the same time. It was an emergency broadcast.
Yun Sheng looked down as a message popped up on her screen.
Attention all cadets: An unidentified energy fluctuation in the mine area at the edge of Buffer Zone 10 has triggered a mass stampede of surrounding contaminants. Observations indicate that some contaminants are spreading toward the camp’s perimeter. The camp may be attacked at any time.
Combat training schedule has been adjusted as follows: The planned group training is suspended. All cadets are to enter a state of combat readiness. Guard duty will be carried out on rotation by tent, with each group on watch for two hours, focusing on monitoring movement around the camp. Personnel on duty must remain in combat suits, keep weapons on hand, and ensure terminals are active. Report any anomalies immediately. Off-duty personnel are to rest and conserve stamina.
The Sentinel teams have been assigned to patrol units to reinforce the outer perimeter. Each tent must maintain contact with their designated Sentinel. In the event of a sudden attack, follow the Sentinel’s command. Defend and counterattack as a squad using your tent fortifications. Leaving the camp without authorization is strictly prohibited.
Your performance in response to this situation will be included in your final assessment. Please remain calm and look out for one another.
Just as everyone was staring at their terminals with varied expressions, Yun Sheng’s screen lit up again.
This time, it wasn’t a mass broadcast. It was from White Tiger.