208: Chapter 208 The Fifth Floor Above Ground

Shelter No. 7, deep within the corridor on the fourth floor above ground.

Heavy footsteps echoed continuously through the corridor forged from refined iron. The nine tall Demon Bone Iron Guard were covered in dark black titanium-tungsten alloy armor, and the earth-yellow anti-vibration and sound-insulating coating on their surfaces shimmered under the dim emergency lights.

Gu Shen, dressed in a grey robe, walked with steady steps in the center of the Iron Guard formation.

"My Lord, ahead is the fifth floor area above ground."

From within the black iron clasp at Gu Shen's collar, the mechanical spider Crab's steady electronic voice transmitted, reporting real-time analyzed data: "This location is the exhaust hub for the entire Shelter and the surface defense fire control center. According to the architectural blueprints of the lower levels, passing through this hall leads directly to the No. 1 anti-nuclear explosion gate that connects to the outside world."

Gu Shen nodded slightly, his gaze crossing the metal corridor ahead and fixing on the heavy, half-hidden grille gate at the end of the passage.

Compared to the deathly silence of the lower floors, the air along this essential path to the outside world was filled with a thick, pungent, and foul stench. Thick black grime had congealed on the walls of the exhaust pipes, and every so often, a few drops of murky mucus would fall to the ground.

"Activate passive scanning, alert me to unknown living creatures," Gu Shen whispered.

"Understood. Microwave radar is online."

The Crab's sensor lit up with a faint blue light, and in an instant, it provided feedback: "High-energy warning. A large number of high-frequency heart-rate heat sources are hanging from the hall's dome, with a total count of approximately three hundred to four hundred. Biological wave characteristics indicate that the targets possess extremely well-developed vocal organs and auditory centers."

Gu Shen stopped, his thunder pattern gold-slaying blade hanging securely at his waist, with no intention of drawing it.

He had led the Iron Guards here this time with the intention of seizing control of the surface access, and even more so to test this batch of re-tempered cybernetic Demon Bone Iron Guard.

"Flatten them."

Gu Shen's lips parted slightly as he issued the command.

The ghostly blue light in the eye sockets of the nine Iron Guards suddenly flared intensely. The miniature Fusion batteries deep within their chests steadily outputted surging kinetic energy, and the Iron Guards, in a fan-shaped tactical formation, smashed open the half-hidden grille gate without any hesitation.

The space inside the hall was extremely vast, with several giant exhaust fans, each over ten zhang in diameter, standing still on the surrounding walls.

Above the dome, hundreds of massive Aberrations hung upside down, packed densely together. They were shaped like giant bats, with a wingspan of a zhang, and their bodies were covered in dark red, hairless fleshy tumors, while corrosive saliva dripped from their sharp fangs.

Mutated Radiated Blood-Sucking Bats.

Tier 2 gregarious Aberrations that year-round occupied the Wasteland's ventilation ducts, living by hunting passing mutated beasts.

The Iron Guards' intrusion into their territory instantly disturbed this group of dormant, ferocious creatures.

"Squeak—!"

An extremely ear-piercing screech exploded from all directions.

Hundreds of Blood-Sucking Bats opened their giant maws simultaneously, relying entirely on instinct to launch their most proficient cluster attack.

Circles of visible transparent ripples surged rapidly through the air, interweaving into a giant, inescapable ultrasonic net. This level of high-frequency vibration was enough to shatter ordinary rock into powder, and if it landed on a carbon-based organism, it would instantly cause their internal organs to rupture into pulp.

Standing at the corridor entrance, Gu Shen activated the Absolute Collapse Force Field. The black flood dragon black gold armor shimmered with a faint dark gold halo; the high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations could not penetrate this force field at all, and Gu Shen remained completely unharmed.

His eyes were like torches, fixed intently on the nine Iron Guards in the center of the hall.

The massive waves of sound blasted solidly against the Iron Guards' titanium-tungsten armor.

The scenes of mechanical short-circuits and broken formation patterns from last time did not appear at all.

That layer of earth-yellow coating, fused with Kui Ox sound marrow, high-polymer energy-absorbing gel, and mica spirit sand, displayed resistance that could be called a miracle at this moment. As soon as the high-frequency ultrasonic waves touched the coating's surface, they disappeared like a clay ox entering the sea; the mechanical vibrations, capable of destroying machinery, were instantly absorbed and dispersed by the porous honeycomb structure, ultimately converting into wisps of weak heat energy that dissipated into the air.

As solid as a rock, immune to all sounds.

"Execute command: eliminate."

The Iron Guards received the final determination from their local physical circuits, ignoring the roaring sonic storm that filled the air.

Iron Guard No. 7 (Golden-Horned Rhinoceros Beast) stomped its feet heavily, its massive metal body rising from the ground and leaping straight into the air several zhang high. It swung its iron fist, carrying tons of pure physical kinetic energy, and smashed it fiercely into the torso of a Blood-Sucking Bat.

Flesh and blood exploded, and dark red poisonous blood splattered everywhere.

No. 9 Iron Guard (Flame Poison Crocodile King) opened all its armor exhaust vents, and billowing poisonous fire erupted like a fan, igniting over a dozen Blood-Sucking Bats that were attempting to dive-bomb into screeching, tumbling fireballs.

No. 3 Iron Guard (Thunder Cloud Snow Leopard) pushed its mobility to the Peak, extending alloy blades from its arms and turning into a streak of black lightning weaving through the bat swarm; wherever it passed, severed wings and broken heads fell like rain.

A one-sided slaughter with no suspense played out coldly in the exhaust hall.

These mutated Blood-Sucking Bats, accustomed to paralyzing prey with sound waves before feasting on them, were as fragile as lambs waiting to be slaughtered when encountering this group of cybernetic iron armors that were completely immune to sound waves and possessed physical armor harder than refined steel.

The shrill screeching gradually subsided, and the heavy metal floor was covered in viscous, dark red blood mud and remains.

Gu Shen stepped into the hall, treading over the filth covering the ground, and walked to a pile of relatively intact Blood-Sucking Bat remains.

He reached out one palm, his mind connecting to his Sea of Consciousness.

The archaic [Heaven and Earth Furnace] let out a long chime, and pale white flames of Law poured out from his palm, completely enveloping the mutated remains within a radius of several dozen zhang.

Under the calcination of the virtual fire of Law, the foul-smelling radioactive flesh and Impurities were all incinerated. The remaining life Origin and mutated remains were continuously compressed and purified within the firelight.

In an instant, the flames receded.

Floating in mid-air were twenty-five lustrous, milky-white droplets, along with dozens of long, slender fangs flickering with a chilling cold light.

[Refining complete. Obtained: essence white dew (inferior) 20 drops. essence white dew (medium) 5 drops. A batch of Blood-Sucking Bat mutated fangs.]

"This group of Blood-Sucking Bats has been infected by the surface radiation from above all year round; although their physiques are weak, their quantity can make up for the deficit in quality."

Gu Shen flicked his large sleeve, collecting all the refined items into his Storage Ring, his assets and foundation once again enriched.

Deep in the hall, the nine Iron Guards had already stopped in front of a massive metal control console.

Above the console, outside a giant, dust-covered pressure-resistant glass window, faint, extremely weak red light spots were visible. The No. 1 explosion-proof gate leading to the Wasteland surface stood quietly behind the control console.

"Crab, take over this floor's defense hub. I want you to open that gate," Gu Shen ordered in a deep voice.

"Understood, My Lord! Omega-level authority is ready."

The mechanical spider leaped from Gu Shen's shoulder, its eight articulated limbs moving rapidly across the blood-stained operation panel, and its probe accurately inserted into the main control data interface.

Holographic screens lit up one after another in the dimness with ghostly blue light.

"Physical firewall bypassed, currently rewriting hydraulic valve control protocols. Power circuits are normal, backup power is connecting to the grid," Crab's electronic voice revealed irrepressible excitement.

Gu Shen stood before the gate, his posture upright, the [Nirvana Star Core] rotating steadily within his Dantian Qi Sea.

For this moment, he had laid dormant in this pitch-black underground palace for too long. The relentless pursuit from the Great Yu Cultivation World and the suppression of the Heavenly Dao Laws were all temporarily cast to the back of his mind.

Outside the gate was a mysterious world, full of unknowns, where no cultivator had ever set foot.

"Click—Boom!"

The heavy-duty hydraulic bearings buried deep in the foundation emitted a heavy grinding sound. The mechanical locks, which had not been opened for who knows how many years, were forced open inch by inch under the powerful drive of the Wasteland's nuclear energy, breaking the shackles of time.

The refined steel composite gate, weighing hundreds of tons, slid slowly to both sides, bringing with it rolling dust and smoke.

A sliver of blinding, scarlet light shone into the dim hall without obstruction, following the widening crack of the door.

The wind and sand from outside carried a dry, cold, and murderous aura, blowing against Gu Shen's grey-black robe.

He faced that streak of otherworldly red light and slowly took a step forward.

The nine Demon Bone Iron Guard, appearing like demonic gods, lined up behind him, following in his footsteps.

The Wasteland surface was already before his eyes.