374: Chapter 309: Dungeon Opens, Insect Swarm Appears on the Ancient Battlefield

The residual ripples of teleportation dispersed like waves as the five teams fully descended into this simulated historical fragment named [Ancient · Final Defense Line].

What they saw before them was completely different from the simple, golden-glow-filled Assembly Plain they had just left, yet it was even more breathtaking.

They were currently standing on the edge of a city ruin that was unimaginably vast. The former glory of this city was still faintly visible—crystal spires that reached into the clouds and remained majestic even when broken, wide boulevards once large enough for giant beasts to walk side-by-side, and reliefs and runes remaining on the walls that seemed to explain profound Laws of energy and space... everything indicated that this was once a highly developed top-tier civilization that might have even touched upon the essence of the Universe.

However, it was now a scene of utter devastation.

Over two-thirds of the urban area had been completely destroyed, turned into dust or twisted metal wreckage. Most of the remaining buildings were covered in cracks, and many were being eroded by a dark purple, viscous substance that seemed alive, emitting a tooth-gritting 'sizzling' sound as it constantly dissolved them. The air was filled with a pungent burnt smell, an indescribable scent of decay, and a thick, inescapable atmosphere of blood and despair.

Above the city, the sky was not pure darkness or golden light, but a churning, ever-changing 'canopy' of interwoven dark purple and deep-space black. Within the dark purple 'clouds,' thick, writhing shadows like biological tentacles occasionally swept past, casting suffocating shadows. That was the power of the Void Zerg eroding the rules and spatial structure of this world!

In the very center of the ruined city—the only area that remained relatively intact and even radiated a stubborn, unyielding light—stood an extremely ancient stepped pyramid temple that seemed to be built from countless massive pieces of white jade. At the top of the temple, a ball of milky white flame the size of a fist, which seemed to condense the last hope and civilization of the entire world, burned quietly. The flame's light was not dazzling, but it was exceptionally stable and pure, like the last lighthouse in the dark night, illuminating a 'pure land' with a radius of about five kilometers. Within this pure land, the dark purple corrosive substances were kept out, and the air was relatively fresh.

That was the core of the mission—the [Temple of the Eternal Flame] and the [seed of civilization]!

A vast and sorrowful, yet incredibly resolute and protective 'collective residual will' lingered over the entire ruins like a sigh of history, impacting the minds of every descender. It was the condensation of the unyielding will of all living beings in the final moments before this ancient civilization's collapse!

“City of Holy Radiance... Temple of the Eternal Flame...” Elios's cold voice rang out in the temporary communication channel, breaking the oppressive silence. His tone remained indifferent, but it seemed to have gained a hint of gravity. “Residual energy scans show that the spark's status is stable, but the protective range is continuously shrinking. It is estimated that the current intensity can only be maintained for at most 153 hours (approximately 6.4 days). We must ensure the spark is not extinguished within this time limit and clear as many threats approaching the temple as possible.”

He pulled up a more detailed holographic map marked with several key points: “According to the last fragments of information received from the ancient civilization, the temple itself possesses powerful self-defense rules, but it requires support from external energy nodes. There are currently three main external energy nodes remaining: the 'Psionic Hub' on the left wing, the 'Ley Line Eye' on the right wing, and... directly in front of us, about fifteen kilometers away, the base of that broken 'Starry Observation Tower.' The Zerg's primary objective will surely be to destroy or contaminate these nodes to weaken the temple's protection and then devour the spark.”

On the map, deep purple light points representing Zerg energy fluctuations were surging toward the central area from the east, south, and west of the city ruins like a boiling tide! Among them, the purple light points surging from the east (the direction of the front line managed by Xinghai University) were the densest and had the strongest energy reactions!

“The Zerg vanguard will make contact with the outermost defense line in 40 minutes (dungeon time). The time for the general offensive is unknown, but based on the erosion speed and the scale of the insect tide, it will not exceed 24 hours,” the captain of the Mechanical Divine Domain Academy added in a flat, synthetic voice. “Preliminary identification of Zerg unit signals: basic combat units (Drone-type) account for about 87%, assault units (Piercer-type) about 9%, heavy units (Devourer-type) about 3%. Special units and commander unit signals are rare but dangerous, among which high-threat target signals with suspected 'Rule Devouring' characteristics—Void Devourers—have been detected. Their numbers are unknown, but at least three high-intensity signal sources have been locked and are rapidly approaching.”

Void Devourers! Special Zerg units capable of devouring Law!

This was undoubtedly one of the enemy types that all gods feared most!

Within the temporary communication channel, the atmosphere suddenly tightened. The female captain of Phantom Sound Academy couldn't help but take a sharp breath. The scarred brawny man from Star Hunter Academy also cursed. Even the members of the Eternal Divine Court had a hint of gravity in their cold gazes.

Elios immediately issued Orders: “Time is pressing. Each team, follow the predetermined plan and head to your designated defense sectors immediately to construct defense lines!”

“Eternal Divine Court, enter the Temple of the Eternal Flame core area, establish a command center, and activate part of the temple's backup defense arrays.”

“Mechanical Divine Domain, left wing Psionic Hub, repair and strengthen the existing automated defense systems and build a logical fire net.”

“Phantom Sound Academy, right wing Ley Line Eye, assist in stabilizing the Spiritual Vein and build mental protection and interference barriers.”

“Star Hunter Academy, free action, responsible for outer reconnaissance, early warning, and hunting special Zerg units that penetrate deep into the defense lines.”

“Xinghai University,” his gaze seemed to fall on Lin Zhou from across the distance, “front line, with the Starry Observation Tower base as the core, establish the first line of interception. You must construct at least three layers of effective defense before the insect tide arrives. At the same time, pay attention to purifying any Zerg contamination that may appear and provide engineering repair support for any allied defense lines that may be damaged later. Now, move!”

As the Orders were given, the other four teams immediately sprang into action. The Eternal Divine Court turned into a brilliant streak of Holy Light and headed straight for the central temple; the members of Mechanical Divine Domain glowed with a metallic luster, racing toward the left wing like precise machines; the Phantom Sound Academy members drifted toward the right wing with ethereal musical notes flowing around them; and the Star Hunter Academy disappeared into the shadows of the ruins like agile leopards in a few leaps.

Before the people of Xinghai University was a relatively wide but wreckage-strewn boulevard leading to the base of that broken tower, with jagged ruined buildings flanking the road. To complete the survey, layout, and construction of fortifications over a distance of fifteen kilometers within forty minutes, the time was extremely tight.

“Let’s go!” Lin Zhou rushed forward without hesitation. Su Yueyao, Qin Qing, Li Mo, Zhao Hao, and the others followed closely behind, along with thirty elite clansmen (acting as the vanguard and command core) who also followed at full speed.

What they saw along the way was shocking. Coagulated dark purple bloodstains were everywhere in the ruins, along with some grotesquely shaped, semi-Zerg-ified remains of ancient civilization creatures. The energy floating in the air was extremely chaotic, mixed with the 'Devouring' and 'Chaos' attributes unique to the Zerg, exerting a continuous but weak corrosive effect on non-Zerg units.

“Li Mo, scan the terrain simultaneously and find the best defense nodes and material sources!” Lin Zhou ordered while sprinting.

“Qin Qing, deploy the Law Domain prototype, purify the path, and mark safe zones and high-risk contamination zones!”

“Zhao Hao, take to the air to scout the condition of the observation tower base ahead and the movements of the insect tide further away!”

“Yue Yao, prepare purification Spells to deal with any sudden local outbreaks of contamination!”

The Orders were executed with high efficiency. Data streams flashed wildly in Li Mo's eyes as 3D terrain maps and resource markers were rapidly generated. Behind Qin Qing, a phantom of the Temple of Law faintly appeared, and pale golden ripples of Order spread out. Wherever they passed, the chaotic energy was briefly organized, and the dark purple traces of erosion slightly faded. Zhao Hao let out a low roar, transformed into his half-dragon form, and soared into the sky, his sharp dragon pupils scanning the front. Moonlight flowed around Su Yueyao, ready to release the Light of Purification at any moment.

Ten minutes later, they reached their target—the Starry Observation Tower base.

This was a circular plaza over five hundred meters in diameter, paved with a strange stone material containing starlight, most of which was now broken. In the center of the plaza, the base of the original tower was like a leveled small mountain about thirty meters high, made of even stronger silver metal and covered with complex energy circuits (most of which had dimmed). Around the base were scattered many massive metal components and energy crystal fragments left over from the tower's collapse, which served as natural defensive Materials and energy sources.

“The location is excellent!” Li Mo quickly evaluated. “The base itself is sturdy and can be modified into a core fortress and command post. The plaza has a relatively open view, which is good for fire coverage. The surrounding ruins can be used to build outer support points. However, the front defense width exceeds two kilometers, so we need to construct a defense system with sufficient depth.”

“There’s no time to build a complex maze,” Lin Zhou decided immediately. “Relying on the base and existing ruins, we will construct three simple but practical defense lines!”

“First line: Outer ruin delay zone. Zhao Hao's dragon flight, coordinated with some mobile clansmen, will use the ruin terrain to set up a large number of simple traps (collapses, tripwires, explosive runes). We don't seek to kill the enemy, only to delay and disperse the first wave of the insect tide's spearhead to the maximum extent and guide them into the preset fire coverage zone.”

“Second line: Plaza main fire net. With the base as the core and using existing Materials, the Tiangong Dwarf Engineering Corps (summoned quickly through Lin Zhou's God Kingdom projection) will urgently construct at least fifty Mohist Instant Defense Turrets (simplified versions, focusing on area damage and armor penetration), coordinated with the joint Spell bombardment zone and purification barrier built by the Wenxin Elf Mage Corps. Qin Qing's Law Domain will cover this area to maintain Order and suppress Zerg mental interference.”

“Third line: Base core fortress. The base itself will be converted into a multi-layered defensive fortress, with a command post, treatment station, energy nodes (temporarily built using collected crystal fragments), and the final line of retreat inside. Su Yueyao will be stationed here to coordinate healing and purification and provide moonlight support for the entire field.”

“All units, move immediately! Summon the main clansmen!” Lin Zhou finally shouted.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

As Lin Zhou's thoughts moved, the power of the God Kingdom projection was output at full strength! Temporary summoning arrays lit up at key nodes in the plaza and surrounding ruins!

Over fifty thousand Tiangong Dwarf engineers surged out amidst the roars of the hero [King of the Hill · Bronzebeard Stonehammer (LV59)]. Carrying their tools, they pounced everywhere like precise machines, beginning to frantically dig foundations, carry metal wreckage, assemble turret components, and engrave reinforcement and attack runes! The dwarves were born with divine strength, and under the enhancement of the [Texture of Force], their efficiency was staggering, with the sound of metal clashing and work chants being deafening.

Thirty thousand Wenxin Elf mages and Sword Cultivators appeared under the leadership of the Great Scholar [Wen Yuan (LV58)] and the Sword Master [Elder Qing Ye (LV57)]. The mages quickly occupied advantageous casting positions and began joint chanting to construct large-scale area Spell models like [Thorn Fire Rain] and [Chain Lightning], while setting up [Slowness Fields] and [Mental Interference Mists] in key passages. The Sword Cultivators acted as a mobile reserve, ready to clear any elite units that broke through the defense lines.

Twenty thousand Lawful Merman Enforcers and support units also quickly took their positions. Under Qin Qing's command, they began to set up Law rune nodes, weaving a Net of Law covering the main defense area and assisting the dwarves with some delicate energy circuit connections.

Su Yueyao stood at the top of the base, her moonlight fully deployed, forming a [Moonlight Purification Domain] hundreds of meters in diameter, dispersing the increasingly thick Zerg pollution in the air and providing continuous mental soothing and stamina recovery for all the clansmen working hard on construction.

Lin Zhou himself stood at the edge of the base, overseeing the entire situation through his Divine Thought, coordinating and directing while outputting Divine Power at full strength to maintain the consumption of the large-scale clansmen projection and God Kingdom rule enhancement (his Divine Power began to decline slowly). His gaze turned toward the eastern horizon.

There, the dark purple 'clouds' grew even lower, as if they were about to crush the earth. A heart-palpitating low hum, like billions of insects rubbing their carapaces and sucking juices simultaneously, sounded like the background music of death, growing clearer as it approached! On the horizon, a writhing, deep purple 'tide line' could already be seen spreading at a visible speed! It was a terrifying torrent composed of countless Zerg units!

Zhao Hao descended from the sky, a hint of alarm in his dragon pupils: “Boss! The insect tide... there are too many! You can't see the end of it! The ground is packed with all kinds of insects, and the sky is full of them too! To the east, it's at least... at least dozens of kilometers wide! The number... is definitely in the hundreds of millions! Also, I saw several particularly large 'black dots' deep within the tide. They give me a feeling... that is very dangerous! Even more terrifying than the previous Titans!” The direction he pointed was exactly where the “Void Devourer” signal sources monitored by Li Mo were located.

“Understood,” Lin Zhou's voice was steady. “Prepare according to plan. Tell everyone, this is not a drill; this is real War. Behind us is the last seed of civilization. In this battle, there is no retreat.”

He took a deep breath and communicated with the God Kingdom core. The river of civilization surged within him, and the glow of the Hundred Schools of Thought flowed in his godhead. The newly acquired [First Appearance of Ziwei] divine fire core, with its faint purple aura and Taiji phantom, also seemed to sense the terrifying threat from the outside world, burning quietly and emitting even more solid power.

“First defense line trap placement 70% complete!”

“Second line turret array 40% complete! Estimated to reach 65% before contact!”

“Net of Law covers the core area! Mental protection activated!”

“Moonlight Purification Domain stable!”

The countdown ticked away rapidly in the tension.

Finally, with less than five minutes left before the estimated contact with the insect tide, Xinghai University's front line was like a steel hedgehog urgently awakened; though crude, it had already spread its sharp spines.

To the east, that deep purple 'tide line' was already close at hand! The buzzing was deafening, and the ground began to tremble slightly! The cold, bloodthirsty light flickering in countless compound eyes merged into a suffocating sea of light!

Lin Zhou slowly drew the Sword of Civilization from his waist (a symbol condensed from Divine Power), the tip of the sword pointing toward that surging tide of death.

“Xinghai University, Civilization Defense Line—”

“Engage!”

His voice, through the temporary communication channel, was also clearly transmitted to Elios stationed in the temple behind them, as well as the other teams that were tensely setting up their defenses.

Almost at the same moment, the Zerg vanguard—millions of hideously shaped Drones and Piercers—slammed into Xinghai University's carefully arranged 'ruin delay zone' like a burst dam!

“Boom!” “Crack!” “Hiss—!”

Traps triggered! The ground collapsed! Explosions rang out! The hissing of the Zerg, the roars of the dwarves, the chanting of the elves, the clear glow of the moonlight, and the golden light of the Law... instantly intertwined!

The [Watch over the Cinder] dungeon, the front line managed by Xinghai University, the bloodbath—had begun!

And deep within the insect tide, those few 'black dots' that had made even Zhao Hao feel heart-palpitating moved unhurriedly. Their cold compound eyes seemed to have already pierced through the chaotic battlefield, locking onto the temple in the distance that emitted a pure light they both loathed and craved, as well as... the tall yet small figure standing before the temple.