95: Chapter 95 Escape from the Crystal Throne

The Roar of the Crystal Giant echoed repeatedly within the enclosed cave, causing ear drums to ache, and even the surrounding crystal walls emitted an unbearable humming sound. Its eyes, burning with golden light, locked tightly onto the four "bugs" that had intruded into its treasury. Its massive body, carrying an Aura that could crush everything, took its first step.

"Scatter! Don't let it focus its attacks on you!" Guan Xing roared hoarsely. The multi-layered crystal compass on his shoulder spun crazily, its needle swinging violently, attempting to find that slim chance of survival amidst the giant's overwhelming offensive.

The battle erupted instantly!

Iron Wall let out a Roar, pushing his [Steel Skin C-Rank] to the limit. His diamond-shaped arm shield spirit erupted with a thick, earthy-yellow radiance. Like a true fortress, he fearlessly met the first heavy crystal fist the giant smashed down!

"Boom!!"

Amidst the loud crash, Iron Wall's feet sank deep into the ground. A pain like bone cracking shot through his arm, but he held firm! He had bought precious reaction time for his teammates.

Zhufeng moved like lightning, weaving flexibly between the craggy crystal clusters. With [Gale Arrows C-Rank] fully activated, her goshawk spirit's sharp gaze locked onto the giant's relatively vulnerable joint connections and eyes. Arrows wreathed in currents of Qi were like the whispers of death, fired precisely and swiftly. They exploded into fine cracks on the giant's crystal body; though not fatal, they successfully drew some of its attention, causing it to emit an irritable Roar.

Qing Xin, meanwhile, was fully maintaining the [Tranquility Barrier C-Rank]. The prayer bead spirit emitted an increasingly rich and soft white halo, enveloping the team members. The giant's Roar, filled with a will of rage and destruction, contained a powerful Mental Energy shock. Had it not been for the barrier's protection, this sound wave alone would have been enough to cause them to lose their composure. At the same time, she was closely monitoring her teammates' status, ready to deal with any injuries that might arise.

As for Guan Xing, his brain was racing. His [Danger Prediction C-Rank] Talent was pushed to the limit; every deflection of the compass needle represented a trajectory of a lethal attack. He constantly issued short, sharp commands:

"Three steps left, avoid the sweep!"

"Above, crystal rain!"

"Iron Wall, take the impact on your right flank!"

His gaze was like the most precise scanner, not only focusing on avoiding danger but also frantically searching for any possible exit in this dead end. The walls, the dome, the ground... even the piles of treasure scattered everywhere were included in his assessment. However, the cave was seamless; apart from the crack they had entered through, which was now sealed, there seemed to be no other path.

The battle was exceptionally brutal. Iron Wall's defense had teetered on the brink of collapse multiple times, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth; Zhufeng's quiver was depleting rapidly, her arms trembling slightly from the high-speed firing; the light of Qing Xin's barrier had also begun to flicker, clearly indicating a massive expenditure of energy. Although the Crystal Giant had accumulated quite a few wounds, its movements were becoming increasingly violent. It swung its arms, the resulting strong winds acting like sharp blades, whipping up the crystal fragments on the ground to form an indiscriminate storm attack!

Once, the giant smashed both fists into the ground, and a terrifying shockwave spread out in a ring! Although Guan Xing had warned them in advance, his dodge was still a split second too slow. He was violently thrown back by the aftermath and slammed heavily into a massive crystal pillar. A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he nearly fainted.

However, at the very moment he was sent flying and his perspective shifted, his gaze pierced through the narrow gap between the giant's massive body—which resembled a throne—and the crystal wall behind it. Right behind that throne, shrouded in shadows, there seemed to be an inconspicuous, deep opening! It had been completely impossible to spot before due to the angle and the obstruction of the throne!

Hope!

Guan Xing endured the intense pain and immediately shared this discovery with his teammates via Mental Energy.

"There's a chance! There's an opening behind the throne!" "Iron Wall, prepare for the final defense! Zhufeng, aim for its eyes, maximum firepower! Qing Xin, give me a speed boost!" Guan Xing quickly formulated an extremely risky plan.

"Understood!" Iron Wall spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and crossed his arms. The light of his arm shield spirit was more intense than ever before. Like a warrior heading to his death, he actively charged toward the giant, drawing all of its frontal attention.

"Screech—!" Zhufeng's goshawk spirit let out a sharp cry. She nocked three arrows at once, her Mental Energy highly concentrated. The power of [Gale Arrows] was pushed to the limit. Three beams of cyan light that tore through the air formed a triangular formation, shooting straight at the giant's burning golden eyes!

Qing Xin pointed her staff, and a soft white halo settled onto Guan Xing, briefly boosting his speed and agility.

The Crystal Giant was thoroughly enraged by Zhufeng's attack and instinctively raised its massive crystal arm to protect its eyes.

Now!

"Go!" Guan Xing whispered sharply.

Iron Wall immediately relaxed his defense and retreated. Zhufeng and Qing Xin did not hesitate, turning into two streams of light. They brushed past the giant's legs by the narrowest of margins, rushing toward the opening behind the throne and vanishing into the darkness in an instant.

Guan Xing was the last one. He did not flee immediately; his gaze was locked onto the top of the throne. There, embedded in it, was a strange crystal about the size of a fist, with what looked like liquid golden light flowing inside. The energy fluctuations it emitted far exceeded any other treasure in the cave, and it even faintly resonated with the crystal that he had previously felt a connection with.

Fortune favors the bold!

He stomped hard on the ground and, under the acceleration effect from Qing Xin, darted onto the throne like a phantom, reaching out to grab that golden crystal!

The moment his fingertips touched the crystal, the Crystal Giant had already lowered its arm and discovered this audacious little bug that dared to desecrate its throne! A deafening Roar threatened to tear the space apart, and a massive crystal palm with an Aura capable of crushing everything came crashing down!

In the nick of time!

Guan Xing yanked the golden crystal off, stuffed it into his bosom without even looking, and used the momentum of the pull to backflip, falling toward the deep opening like a shooting star.

The massive palm slammed fiercely onto the throne, shattering the crystal in that area into pieces! The flying crystal shards whizzed past Guan Xing's body like bullets, leaving several bloody scratches on him.

"Thump!"

He landed heavily on the ground inside the opening and rolled several times before coming to a stop. Behind him came the Crystal Giant's even more violent angry Roar, though it seemed to be blocked outside the opening by some invisible boundary.

The cave was pitch black, with only the sound of his teammates' rapid breathing. They were safe, for now.

Guan Xing struggled to sit up, feeling the massive and warm energy—like a heartbeat—emanating from the golden crystal in his bosom, as well as the strong craving for this energy coming from his own compass spirit. He knew that this adventure might just have been worth it.