358: Chapter 359 The Hive's Resistance

Lin Muyang didn't answer immediately, instead turning his gaze to Shen Muyao beside him: "Mu Yao, use large-scale frost control to temporarily freeze the ring of insects around the Egg Sac. You don't need to freeze them to death, just delay their movements as much as possible to clear a path to the Egg Sac for us, and interfere with their ranged attacks and energy transmission. How long can you maintain it?"

Shen Muyao bit her lip, her eyes quickly scanning the dense swarm as she rapidly calculated mana consumption and control range in her mind. A few seconds later, she nodded solemnly:

"With the Egg Sac as the center, I can try to perform deep stagnation freezing on the surface swarm within a fifty-meter radius. It should buy us about thirty seconds of a relatively safe passage. However, those in the air and special units hidden deeper might not be fully covered."

"Enough." Lin Muyang felt reassured and immediately looked at Feng Ling. "Feng Ling, your task is twofold. First, while Shen Muyao is freezing the passage, use your flames to clear any insects on both sides that try to break through the ice or swarm from other directions. Ensure the path remains clear to reduce the pressure on Shen Muyao."

"Second, after thirty seconds, when Shen Muyao's control weakens, I need you to release a large-scale, high-intensity burst of World Purifying Flame. The goal isn't to kill the insects but to strike the energy shield of the Egg Sac itself and its energy links with the surrounding swarm, creating an opportunity for my subsequent attack and purifying as much of that disgusting mental pollution as possible."

Feng Ling's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. "Understood, Master. I'll make sure it's burned nice and toasty."

"Xiao Wan, Tashalin." Lin Muyang looked at the girls. "The two of you, immediately find suitable high ground within the cave. Ideally, somewhere near the cave wall with a wide field of vision that avoids the primary direction of the swarm's charge. Xiao Wan, your task is to monitor the entire battlefield, especially paying attention to any insects attempting to reinforce from other tunnels or any signs of abnormal energy convergence or transfer from that Egg Sac."

"Once you discover anything, alert us immediately. Tashalin, use your ice beasts to set up defenses around the high ground, and simultaneously try to use ice spells to interfere with the energy transmission in those conduits on the cave walls."

"Understood," Gui Wanwan replied crisply. With a flicker of her form, she moved like a weightless ghost, clinging to the shadows of the cave wall as she drifted toward a protruding fleshy platform on the upper side. Tashalin remained silent, summoning several small, silent Ice Crystal Scout Beasts with a wave of her hand, letting them scatter into the shadows while she followed closely behind Gui Wanwan to begin constructing a frost position.

"What about me?" Seraphina couldn't help but ask.

"You, Elabess, and Jialiya," Lin Muyang looked at them, "your task is to clear the path. While I break through the swarm and approach the Egg Sac, any elite individuals that rush in from outside Shen Muyao's control range to intercept or attack me—whether they are airborne Psionic Bats, Hive Lords, or special terrestrial variants—will be intercepted and killed by the three of you."

"Remember, don't stray far from the main path; focus on protecting my flanks and rear. Lilia, you'll stay in the middle to provide support, offering healing, purification, and status buffs to everyone."

"Understood!" The girls accepted their orders in unison, quickly adjusting their positions and entering combat states.

Lin Muyang finally looked at the eerie green Egg Sac and said slowly, "As for me, I will enter the core area directly and destroy that thing."

"You're going in alone?" Feng Ling immediately frowned. "Master, even with the Aura, facing the potential defenses and counterattacks of the egg itself, plus whatever might hatch from it... it's too risky!"

"It's been a while since I acted personally; I want to warm up a bit." Lin Muyang gave her a slight smile, one filled with absolute confidence and control. "Besides, only I can break through its likely final defenses in the shortest time and deal fatal damage to an energy core of that level."

Everyone looked at his calm yet resolute eyes and knew he had made his decision, and it was not to be changed. From her high vantage point, Gui Wanwan sighed softly and sent a telepathic message: "Fine, you're the master, you call the shots. But if some incredible monster really pops out of there, we might not be able to save you in time."

"There won't be an 'if'." Lin Muyang pulled back his smile, his gaze becoming sharp as a blade once more. He said no more, taking a deep breath as the vast power within him began to surge along specific paths. One by one, God-Tier Auras were activated, adjusted, and stacked with maximum efficiency... and most importantly, the life-saving bond that was ready to be triggered at any moment—Absolute Stillness!

Pale gold light radiated from within him, rendering his entire body like a descending deity. This light wasn't dazzling, but it carried a majestic Aura that made the surrounding insects feel instinctively uneasy.

"Operation, begin!"

With Lin Muyang's command, the battle erupted!

"Extreme Cold Domain: All Things Stagnate!" Shen Muyao shouted, releasing her long-accumulated mana without reservation! With her as the center, the terrifying cold wave no longer just spread but seemed to come alive, accurately intertwining and penetrating the dense swarm surrounding the Egg Sac! In an instant, the temperature within a fifty-meter radius plummeted to the edge of absolute zero!

Thick ice crystals instantly condensed on the heavy shells of the Guardian Giant Cockroaches, freezing their joints; Killing Zerglings were frozen in mid-air in their pouncing poses; the acid sacs of Spitter Bugs were frozen and cracked... The outermost defense ring of the entire Egg Sac fell into a deathly silent icy blue, as if a pause button had been pressed! Only a few Psionic Bats and Hive Lords with extremely strong energy signatures were still struggling, their movements becoming incredibly sluggish.

"Now! Feng Ling!" Lin Muyang barked, his body transforming into a streak of golden light as he charged toward the Egg Sac along the frozen corridor Shen Muyao had created!

"World Purifying Fire Rain!" Feng Ling opened her hands, and endless Nirvana Fire poured from her body. However, instead of a scattered attack, it transformed into two scorching torrents of flame, one on the left and one on the right, sweeping forward and burning along both sides of Lin Muyang's charge path!

Those insects that swarmed from outside the frozen range or were lucky enough not to be completely frozen turned to ash amidst silent, piercing shrieks the moment they touched this sacred fire! The torrents of flame carved out a relatively clean assault path for Lin Muyang.

Seraphina, Elabess, and Jialiya also moved simultaneously. Blood-colored claw shadows, dark tentacles, and bone barriers appeared in turn, intercepting and slaughtering the elite insects that sporadically broke through the flame defense or dove from the air, keeping them away from Lin Muyang's path.

"Holy Light Blessing! Heart of Protection!" Lilia's holy light washed over everyone like a warm tide, dispelling the pervasive mental whispers and negative energy within the cave while rapidly healing the minor injuries and energy backlash caused by the high-intensity combat.

Lin Muyang's speed reached its peak. Aided by time acceleration and his own terrifying attributes, he almost became a blurred golden line. He didn't even need to strike the frozen insects along the way; the energy vibrations from his passing were enough to cause their ice-sculpted bodies to shatter into countless cracks.

The pale gold divine radiance flowing over Lin Muyang's body was like the dawn light tearing through the darkness in this cave illuminated by eerie green energy. The closer he got to the massive, pulsating green Egg Sac in the center of the cave, the more intense the suffocating, contradictory Aura of life and destruction became.

The Egg Sac was right before him, its massive size bringing a strong sense of oppression. At close range, the details of its surface became clearer: it wasn't a smooth shell, but was covered in a layer of fine, fleshy folds that rose and fell like breathing. A viscous, shimmering green liquid seeped from the crevices of the folds, emitting a strange scent that mixed sweetness with decay.

With its slow pulsations, the entire surface of the Egg Sac rippled with visible energy waves like a water surface. When these ripples touched the nearby frozen insect sculptures, they seemed to trigger minute, unwilling tremors within the insect bodies beneath the ice.

"This thing isn't just a command center; it's a living entity itself, a massive Living Hive Mother." Lin Muyang realized, his brow furrowing slightly. He could feel an extremely vast and growing life force within the Egg Sac, but this life force was shot through with a pure, cold will for predation and destruction, like a gestating, hungry cosmic tumor.

"Master!" Gui Wanwan's voice came, cold with a hint of urgency. "In the depths of the tunnels to the southeast and northwest, large-scale biological energy signatures are approaching at high speed! The numbers are several times what we faced before! Moreover, the energy levels are higher; it might be the insect Praetorian Legion or matured forms that have finished incubating! Many insects on the edges are already starting to break free!"

Lin Muyang's gaze sharpened as he scanned the sides of the passage. Sure enough, the ice on the insect sculptures at the edges of the Extreme Cold Domain was beginning to show spiderweb-like cracks. Faint, grating creaks came from some of their joints as ice crystals fell away.

Further away, in the unfrozen shadows of the cave, came the sound of dense, heavy chitinous rubbing and hissing, as if a tide were surging in from all directions.

"Everyone, hold your positions!" Shen Muyao's voice followed immediately.

"Understood!" Feng Ling, Seraphina, Elabess, and Jialiya responded in unison, each raising their vigilance to the maximum. Nirvana Fire blazed around Feng Ling, illuminating a large area and deterring the figures lurking in the darkness.

Lin Muyang decided to finish this quickly. His gaze was like lightning, locking onto the massive, pulsating Egg Sac before him. Where was its core? Was it the area in the center where the pulsations were most violent? Or was it hidden deep beneath the protection of countless fleshy folds?

He gripped the air with his right hand, and a Destruction Greatsword, generated by several destruction Aura bonds, appeared out of thin air. The moment the greatsword appeared, the surrounding air seemed to be sliced by invisible blades, emitting a faint hiss.

Just as Lin Muyang slowly raised the greatsword, its tip pointed at the most violently pulsating spot in the center of the Egg Sac, preparing to pour all his strength into the next strike—

A sudden change occurred!

"Buzz—!!!"

The massive green Egg Sac, as if sensing the lethal threat inches away, suddenly trembled violently! Its pulsation frequency abruptly accelerated, and the amplitude increased several times over. The entire Egg Sac was like the heart of a startled giant, frantically contracting and expanding!

The fleshy folds on the surface writhed madly, secreting more mucus. A mental shriek ten times stronger than before, filled with rage, fear, and a desire for destruction, erupted from within the Egg Sac like a physical sound wave, accompanied by a ring of green energy that swept out in all directions!

"Screech—!!!"

This shriek was like a signal. Inside the cave, those insects that were originally frozen by Shen Muyao's Extreme Cold Domain or were in the process of breaking free all let out piercing, responding shrieks as if injected with a berserk potion!

The ice on their bodies shattered rapidly under the impact of the sound waves and energy. Some insects on the edges completely broke free from their restraints. Though their movements were stiff and ice shards still hung from their shells, they turned and launched a frantic charge toward Lin Muyang's position, completely unafraid of death! The green light in their eyes surged, filled with suicidal madness.

"Not good! The insects are rioting!" Gui Wanwan shouted a warning from above.

"Wall of Fire! Rise!" Feng Ling shouted, pushing her hands forward. A flame barrier over ten meters high and several meters thick, burning with golden-red Nirvana Fire, rose abruptly between Lin Muyang and the charging swarm!

The intense heat and purification power instantly turned the front row of insects to ash, temporarily blocking the swarm's frontal assault. However, the Wall of Fire also flickered violently under the impact of countless insects and the bombardment of ranged acid and bone spikes.

"Master, hurry up! This wall of fire won't hold for long!" Feng Ling shouted to Lin Muyang. She could feel the swarm's impact growing stronger with every wave, including some exceptionally large Siege Bugs with shells shimmering with energy that were clearly more resistant to fire.

Lin Muyang focused on the giant Egg Sac before him, which was trembling violently in fear. He could feel the massive life force inside it converging rapidly toward a single point, as if gestating a final defense or counterattack.

"Resistance? Or death throes?" Lin Muyang's eyes were cold, and the dark gold energy greatsword in his hand suddenly lit up with a blinding light. He no longer charged power but instead, in the simplest, most direct, and most domineering way, hacked down fiercely toward the point where the energy was most densely concentrated at the center of the Egg Sac!

"Cleave!"

Where the blade pointed, space seemed to be silently cut by a thin line. The tough, metallic-sheened chitinous shell of the Egg Sac emitted a scalp-numbing, ear-piercing screech as it met the blade, like cutting through the strongest alloy! Green mucus splashed wildly but was instantly evaporated by the energy field attached to the blade. The shell was forced open, but the resistance was far greater than Lin Muyang had anticipated.

Just as the blade cut nearly half a meter deep into the Egg Sac, another change occurred!