165: Chapter 165 Tactical Horde

The heavy biochemical blast doors twisted and deformed to the sides under the immense strength of the No. 7 and No. 9 Iron Guard.

Gu Shen drew his blade and stepped into the passageway.

The spatial structure of the tenth floor was different from the data center above.

It presented a vast, circular arena-like structure with an extremely high dome, and the surrounding bulkheads were densely lined with massive cylindrical biochemical cultivation tanks.

The glass of most cultivation tanks had long since shattered, and the residual nutrient solution had dried into large patches of dark green gelatinous matter on the floor.

The air was filled with a pungent, cloying, fishy-sweet odor, mixed with high concentrations of biological pheromones.

Hundreds of scarlet optical eyeballs lit up simultaneously in the vast, gloomy space.

The group of creatures lurking in the darkness revealed their forms.

They were nearly twenty feet long, shaped like metallic leopards magnified several times over.

Their streamlined bodies were covered in exoskeleton armor forcibly created through the Fusion of biological muscle and titanium alloy, with razor-sharp polymer cutting blades extending from the ends of their limbs.

"Master, the target group's biological magnetic fields are highly convergent."

The mechanical spider "Crab"'s probe flashed rapidly, and the data analysis results were instantly synchronized to the bone-conduction headset, "They possess highly developed swarm intelligence. Their communication relies mainly on chemical pheromones in the air and high-frequency optical flashes. The System judges their threat level as equivalent to an organized Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Yao Beast swarm."

Accompanying Crab's report, the synthetic beast swarm ahead began to move.

They completely abandoned blind frontal charges. The swarm quickly dispersed into three echelons; the synthetic beasts on the flanks used the bulkheads and broken cultivation tanks as cover, silently maneuvering to the rear flanks of Gu Shen and the Iron Guard legion. The central echelon lowered their bodies, emitting low resonant sounds from their throats, ready to strike.

The tight pincer tactics displayed astonishing hunting intelligence.

Gu Shen stood at the passageway exit, the AI Crystal operating at high frequency between his brows.

In his field of vision, the pheromone trails flowing in the air and the interaction frequency of the optical signals from the synthetic beasts' eyes were rapidly dismantled into a visualized data network.

Facing such a highly coordinated tactical cluster, relying solely on the Iron Guards' physical charges would easily lead to a war of attrition, resulting in unnecessary wear on their micro-batteries and body armor.

The methods of a cultivator are best at delivering dimensional reduction strikes from the level of rules.

Gu Shen flipped his left hand, and four blank Talisman papers and a bottle of cinnabar spirit ink appeared in his palm.

He shattered the spirit ink into a fine blood-colored mist, and three extremely thin [Soul-Pulling Threads] sprang from between his finger bones. The dark threads wove through the spirit ink mist, becoming coated, and then moved at a speed invisible to the naked eye, tracing patterns across the four Talisman papers.

The basic psychedelic Formation patterns recorded in the "Thousand Mechanisms Spirit Pivot Array Diagram" were completed in just a few breaths.

"Go."

Gu Shen flicked his wrist, and the four Talismans infused with mana transformed into four dark cyan streaks of light, shooting precisely toward the four cardinal directions of the tenth-floor arena, firmly adhering to the metal beams of the dome.

"Lost Track Formation, activate."

His Dantian Qi and blood vibrated slightly, and Gu Shen formed a seal with one hand.

The four Talismans simultaneously erupted with blinding spiritual light, and a Four Symbols Lost Track Formation covering a radius of a hundred zhang roared into existence.

The Formation from the Great Yu Cultivation World surged violently within this Wasteland space filled with radiation and biochemical viruses. The Lost Track Formation forcibly disrupted the Five Elements magnetic fields and airflow velocity within its range.

The synthetic beast swarm's tight tactical network collapsed instantly.

The Formation's spiritual power cut off the chemical transmission pathways of the pheromones and distorted the optical refractive index in the air. The synthetic beast swarm, originally working in tacit cooperation, suddenly lost the signals of their companions, and the scenery before them became layered with double images.

The few synthetic beasts charging at the very front frantically pounced toward a twisted air phantom, while the swarms maneuvering on the flanks collided with each other in the chaos, their sharp cutting blades striking dazzling sparks against their companions' armor.

"No. 9, clear the field."

Gu Shen's voice was calm as he issued the order for a one-sided slaughter.

From the Ranks, the No. 9 Iron Guard, which had the skeleton of a Tier 3 Great Yao "Flame Poison Crocodile King" implanted within it, stepped out with heavy strides.

Deep within the No. 9 Iron Guard's chest cavity, the output power of the micro-Fusion battery instantly surged to its peak. The violent nuclear Fusion thermal energy flowed along the red copper Formation patterns, pouring entirely into that crimson Crocodile King skeleton.

The Fire Poison Law that the Flame Poison Crocodile King had condensed for a hundred years during its lifetime was completely awakened under the stimulation of the Wasteland's massive energy.

The exhaust vents on the surface of the No. 9 Iron Guard's titanium-tungsten armor opened one after another.

A stream of extremely condensed, dark red, highly corrosive poison fire erupted from the Iron Guard's torso, transforming into a fan-shaped sea of fire dozens of zhang long, sweeping over the synthetic beast swarm that had fallen into chaos ahead.

The dual strangulation of high temperature and intense poison.

The synthetic beasts' bio-alloy armor, which they were so proud of, emitted a harsh hissing sound of dissolution the moment it touched this poison fire, turning into pools of boiling molten metal. The biochemical flesh and blood inside was directly carbonized to ash under the extreme high temperature.

Miserable roars rose and fell throughout the tenth-floor space.

The No. 9 Iron Guard was like a killing god who was the Dominator of death; wherever the poison fire passed, the synthetic beasts fell and dissolved in droves.

The remaining eleven Iron Guards followed closely behind, stepping with heavy strides into the sea of fire. They swung their heavy titanium-tungsten alloy fists, smashing the skulls of those survivors struggling in the poison fire one by one, completing the final finishing blows.

After the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

The tenth-floor arena returned to dead silence. The ground was covered with charred remains and melted metal residue left behind after the synthetic beasts burned.

Gu Shen walked slowly into the center of the battlefield; the air still retained a startlingly high temperature, but it could not penetrate the dark gold Qi and blood lingering around his body surface.

He placed his palms over a pile of relatively well-preserved synthetic beast remains.

The ancient [Heaven and Earth Furnace] emitted a vast, desolate roar within his Sea of Consciousness. Pale white flames of Law poured out, completely enveloping the remains in this area.

Impurities, biochemical viruses, and metal waste were completely annihilated under the calcination of the furnace fire. The core biological energy and top-grade armor fragments were continuously compressed and reorganized within the firelight.

A moment later, the phantom fire rolled back.

Before Gu Shen floated a dense cluster of milky white droplets and a few alloy armor plates emitting a cold light.

[Refining complete. Obtained: essence white dew (Middle) 15 drops. High-tier bio-alloy armor plates 5 pieces. High-tier rare alloy modules 5 pieces.]

Gu Shen waved his large sleeve, collecting all the spoils into his Storage Ring.

These bio-synthetic beasts, comparable to Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, contained an immensely vast Origin of vitality, greatly supplementing Gu Shen's strategic reserves.

Stepping over the chaotic ruins of the cultivation tanks, Gu Shen led the Iron Guard legion to the passageway entrance at the end of the tenth floor.

The door leading to the eleventh floor was different from all the isolation blast doors above.

It was a door cast from pure lead-steel with an astonishing thickness of three feet. There were no electronic keyholes on the surface of the door; it was completely welded shut from the inside using the most primitive mechanical gears. On the door panel, a huge skull symbol was painted in scarlet paint, and a shocking line of Wasteland common language was carved:

"Heavily polluted zone. No entry for the living. May the departed souls rest in peace."

Gu Shen stood before this lead-steel door, and the Dark Gold Thunder Bone within his body spontaneously emitted a slight tremor. Even separated by three feet of lead-steel, he could still clearly perceive the heaven-shaking Death Qi accumulated in the space behind the door, along with the resentment of all living beings, vast enough to distort reality.

That was an abyssal graveyard piled up with the flesh and despair of thousands upon thousands of civilians who died miserably in nuclear radiation.

"Break the door."

Gu Shen gripped the hilt of his blade with one hand, dim blue lightning flowing quietly in the depths of his eyes, as he issued the order to the twelve Iron Guards to forcibly open the passageway.