An Changqing: Please Enter Text

For the rest of the journey, they encountered several more waves of small groups of Rock Beetles, all of which were easily dispatched by the trio's tacit cooperation.

Chen Guan gradually adapted to this combat rhythm, becoming more adept at wielding the coffin. He even attempted some simple counterattack combos; though still rough, his efficiency had noticeably improved.

It was still hard on Old Me, but Chen Guan believed Old Me wouldn't blame him.

As they ventured deeper, the mine tunnel became increasingly winding and profound, with more branching paths.

The air grew more foul and stifling. Strange, faintly glowing fungi began to appear on the rock walls, providing a little illumination but also adding a touch of eeriness.

"The spiritual energy concentration here is rising, and... it feels somewhat chaotic." Su Yuehe frowned, playing her piccolo again to scout. "There are dense life signals ahead, and one... very large, unusual signal."

"It might be a bug nest and a boss." An Changqing's expression grew more solemn. "Prepare for a tough fight. Student Chen Guan, your coffin's defense is extremely strong; you might need to bear the main frontal pressure later. Yuehe, prioritize interfering with the boss and limiting the swarm's numbers."

"Understood." Chen Guan nodded, tightening his grip on the coffin's handles. Su Yuehe also took a deep breath, gripping her piccolo tightly.

The three of them advanced cautiously in the direction Su Yuehe indicated. After turning a sharp corner, the view suddenly opened up.

This was a massive, naturally formed karst cave space. Countless stalactites hung from the ceiling, while the ground was covered in potholes of various sizes and ore waste.

In the center of the cave stood a massive bug nest, towering four or five meters high, constructed from rocks, dirt, bug shells, and various debris.

Around the nest, hundreds of Rock Beetles crawled densely, seemingly worshipping something.

Perched at the top of the nest was a giant Rock Beetle, its size far exceeding its peers. Its carapace was dark red, with several sharp bone spikes growing on its back, and its compound eyes flashed with a fierce red light.

It was slowly chewing on something, exuding an aura significantly stronger than the ordinary Rock Beetles. This was the swarm boss.

Seemingly sensing the intruders, the swarm boss abruptly raised its head and let out a sharp, ear-piercing shriek.

In an instant, all the Rock Beetles in the cave turned their heads in unison. Hundreds of pairs of compound eyes locked onto the trio at the cave entrance, their shrieks merging into a scalp-tingling wave of sound.

[Holy crap, so ugly.]

[My trypophobia is acting up.]

[Mommy, save me.]

[To the guy above, you're lucky your parents haven't reported this stream yet.]

The dense barrage of live comments was nowhere near half as overwhelming as the insect tide before them. An Changqing shouted sternly, "We've been spotted! Prepare for battle!"

His longsword was drawn once again, and in an instant, a brilliant golden light burst forth.

The swarm surged forward like a black tide. Meanwhile, the swarm boss slowly stood up from the top of the nest. Its dark red carapace reflected an ominous gleam under the faint light of the fungi, and its massive mandibles opened and closed, dripping a highly corrosive, dark green acid.

The insect tide surged, their shrieks deafening.

Hundreds of Rock Beetles flooded toward the cave entrance where the trio stood, like a burst dam from all directions. The narrow entrance instantly became the most dangerous bottleneck, yet also a natural defensive chokepoint.

"Chen Guan, block the entrance! Yuehe, disrupt the swarm and create an opening for me!" An Changqing spoke rapidly, yet clearly and calmly.

Instead of retreating, he advanced against the tide. Pointing the tip of his sword at the ground, he muttered an incantation. Golden light gathered and rose around him like a physical substance, temporarily suppressing the foul wind blowing toward them.

Chen Guan didn't hesitate for a moment. He took two large strides forward, pressed his shoulder against the side of the Black Iron Coffin, and let out a low roar. With a burst of full body strength, he forcefully turned the coffin sideways like a battering ram, slamming it heavily against the rock walls on both sides of the entrance.

Boom!

Rubble fell as the heavy Black Iron Coffin wedged tightly into the somewhat narrow entrance, leaving only a gap less than half a meter high at the top and a palm-width space between the bottom of the coffin and the ground.

The size of the coffin itself perfectly sealed off seventy to eighty percent of the opening.

The surging insect tide was immediately halted by this sudden iron wall. The Rock Beetles at the very front were caught off guard and crashed hard into the cold surface of the coffin, emitting dull thuds as their carapaces shattered and their fluids sprayed everywhere.

Blocked, the swarm behind them began to madly rush toward the gaps above and below the coffin, attempting to squeeze their way in.

"Good block!" An Changqing praised, the golden light on his sword glowing even brighter. "Yuehe, it's up to you now."

Although Su Yuehe's face was pale, she had no intention of holding them back. She took a deep breath and brought the piccolo to her lips. This time, she played not a sharp sonic wave, but a long, soothing melody.

Invisible sound waves spread out like ripples, accurately enveloping the swarm trying to squeeze through the gaps above and below the coffin.

The movements of those Rock Beetles instantly became sluggish and chaotic. They crashed into each other, bit one another, and even spun in circles. Their attacking momentum slowed significantly as they began to slaughter each other.

At the same time, An Changqing finished charging his power. He raised his longsword high above his head, the golden light on the blade solidifying like a physical entity, as if a miniature sun had risen in his hands.

"Blazing heavenly might, blade cleaving demons and evils, break!"

His clear shout echoed through the cave. An Changqing took a step forward, his figure merging with the sword light, transforming into a dazzling golden meteor that brazenly crashed into the gap in the insect tide temporarily restricted by the coffin and Su Yuehe.

Boom!

The blinding golden light instantly swallowed the swarm within a radius of several meters ahead. Unparalleled, fierce sword energy crisscrossed and slashed. Wherever it passed, the hard carapaces of the Rock Beetles were easily torn apart like paper, sending severed limbs and broken bodies flying everywhere, mixed with viscous bodily fluids.

With just a single strike, a large swath of the dozens of Rock Beetles crowding the gap was cleared out. The residual waves of the sword energy even forced the incoming swarm at the back to retreat several meters.

[Holy shit, An Changqing used his ultimate.]

[I'm crying from fear, and this is the effect without even activating a mythic-type ability.]

[You're right, but this requires charging up and consumes a lot of... whatever, I'm not acting anymore, please enter text.]

[Coffin Bro made a huge contribution; blocking the door was so timely.]

The live comments wildly flooded the screen.

The swarm boss was clearly enraged by An Changqing's strike and let out a deafening roar.

It no longer guarded the nest. Its massive body suddenly leaped, jumping directly down from the top of the four or five-meter-high nest. Its six pairs of thick, sturdy legs plunged deeply into the ground, shaking the cave slightly.

On its dark red carapace, the bone spikes stood on end. Its compound eyes locked onto An Changqing, who had just landed and whose aura had slightly diminished. Opening its mandibles, it sprayed a column of acid—several times thicker than that of ordinary Rock Beetles and a dark green bordering on black—shooting straight at An Changqing like a high-pressure water cannon.