Tomb raider: You're going to extract my alien bloodline?

Chapter 8 Killing the Blood Corpse, Seeing the Serpent Cypress

Carrying Panzi on their backs, the group of five struggled forward through the narrow and dark tomb passage. Zhang Qiling walked at the front, the torch held by the fat man being the only source of light. The flickering flames cast long, distorted shadows of the group onto the mottled walls. Accompanied by heavy breathing and footsteps, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Wu Xie supported the weakened Pan Zi, trying to lighten Qin Yuan's burden, and occasionally looked back with worry. Although the roar of the blood corpse had become faint due to the distance, it was still like a leech, reminding them that the danger was not over.

"Damn it, how long is this tomb passage? I feel like my legs are about to fall off." The fat man complained, panting heavily, sweat streaming down his fat cheeks.

"Save your energy and talk less." Zhang Qiling said without turning his head, his voice cold.

Qin Yuan could feel Pan Zi's body temperature gradually rising on his back. He needed to find a safe place to treat the injuries as soon as possible, or reunite with Wu Sanxing. He adjusted his carrying position and was about to urge him to hurry up.

Suddenly, Zhang Qiling, who was walking at the front, stopped abruptly, raised one hand, and made a shushing gesture.

Everyone held their breath instantly, even the fat man covered his mouth tightly.

Deep within the tomb passage, a heavy, dragging sound of footsteps, accompanied by low, labored breathing that sounded like a broken bellows, was clearly approaching from afar!

It's a blood zombie! It actually caught up with us! Cold sweat instantly soaked everyone's backs.

Zhang Qiling's eyes were sharp as a hawk's as he quickly scanned his surroundings. His gaze finally settled on a recessed shadowy spot on one side of the tomb passage. The space there was small, but just big enough for the few of them to squeeze in.

He pointed there silently.

The group understood and immediately moved over silently and quickly, squeezing tightly into the narrow recess. Qin Yuan gently set Pan Zi down, letting him sit against the innermost wall. Wu Xie and Fatty pressed themselves against the rock wall, while Zhang Qiling and Qin Yuan stood on the outermost side. Fatty hurriedly stuck the torch into the ground, using his body to block most of the light.

In the darkness, only their frantic heartbeats and suppressed breaths could be heard. The heavy footsteps and panting grew closer, carrying a strong stench of decay, as if right next to their ears.

One step, two steps...

The sound seemed to pause for a moment as it approached the hollow where they were hiding.

Everyone's hearts were in their throats. Qin Yuan could even feel the restlessness of the alien bloodline within him, an instinctive reaction to a threat. A clear burning sensation came from the heat-sensitive lines under his left shoulder blade. He clenched his fists, his nails almost digging into his flesh, ready to explode at any moment.

Zhang Qiling, like a lurking cheetah, had his muscles tense, his aura completely suppressed, and his eyes coldly fixed on the darkness outside. His right hand had already quietly rested on the hilt of the Black Gold Ancient Blade.

Time seemed to stand still.

Just as the footsteps seemed to be moving forward and gradually fading into the distance—

"Pfft—"

A very faint fart, yet unusually clear, long, and even slightly melodious, came from the direction of the fat man.

It was Fatty Wang! Due to extreme nervousness and the gastrointestinal upset caused by running, he finally couldn't hold back and let it slip!

In an instant, the air inside the depression seemed to freeze.

Qin Yuan suddenly turned his head and, in the extremely dim light, looked at the fat man's face, which had turned deathly pale and was filled with the thought that "we're doomed."

He practically gritted his teeth, growling in a low voice, "You fat bastard! This is what you called... being able to hold it in for five days?! A thermos stopper! I'll buy you the biggest one when we get back!"

The fat man was on the verge of tears, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

However, it was too late!

The heavy footsteps that were about to fade into the distance in the tomb passage suddenly stopped, and then the eerie panting of the broken bellows abruptly turned rapid and furious! Immediately afterward, a roar filled with mockery and rage exploded out!

"roar--!!!"

A tall, dark red figure, accompanied by a foul stench, lunged like a runaway train towards the hollow where they were hiding! Sharp claws tore through the air, aiming straight for Zhang Qiling, who was on the outermost side!

"Run!" Zhang Qiling shouted coldly, and suddenly exerted force with the hand that had been on the hilt of the knife!

"Clang!"

The Black Gold Ancient Blade was drawn once more, with unwavering resolve, tracing a cold arc and precisely parrying the blood corpse's vicious claws! Sparks flew, accompanied by a piercing scraping sound!

The immense force caused Zhang Qiling's body to tremble slightly, but his feet remained firmly planted on the ground, unmoving!

"Fatty! Take Wuxie and Panzi and get out of here! Run forward!" Qin Yuan knew there was no turning back now. He roared at the terrified Fatty and Wuxie, and took a step forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Zhang Qiling. He had no weapon, only his bare hands, but the cold and violent power within him had completely boiled over!

The blood-corpse, its attack thwarted, grew even more frenzied, sweeping its other claw towards Qin Yuan! It seemed to remember this human whose blood was corrosive, and its offensive became even more ferocious.

Qin Yuan's eyes flashed with a fierce light. Without flinching or dodging, driven by his fighting instincts, he crouched down and lunged forward, narrowly avoiding the claw attack. He crashed into the blood corpse's embrace, his right hand forming a knife-like shape. Gathering all his strength and the corrosive power of his bloodline, he fiercely stabbed into the blood corpse's abdominal wound, which Zhang Qiling had previously inflicted!

"Pfft!"

This time, it wasn't a shallow piercing! His fingers, like red-hot irons, tore through the already damaged and tough flesh around the wound, pushing it even deeper!

not enough!

The trace amount of blood that seeps out of the body surface and can only be controlled by one's own bloodline ability can only injure the blood corpse!

Seeing this, Qin Yuan gritted his teeth and rubbed his other hand hard against the rock wall, instantly tearing his skin and causing blood to gush out.

"Sizzle—sizzle—!"

A violent corrosive sound rang out, accompanied by the blood corpse's shrill screams! Dark red blood and rotting tissue gushed out of the wound, quickly dissolved and carbonized by Qin Yuan's blood, emitting large amounts of foul-smelling white smoke!

The blood corpse struggled frantically, its immense strength throwing Qin Yuan away, but a terrifying hole the size of a bowl had already appeared in its abdomen, the edges of which were still being corroded and expanded! Its movements became noticeably slower and more chaotic.

How could Zhang Qiling let such a good opportunity slip by? He moved like a ghost to the side and behind the blood corpse, his black and gold ancient sword carrying the momentum to tear everything apart, and he launched an extremely fierce upward slash!

"Whoosh!"

A flash of light!

The blood corpse's hideous head, covered in a spray of dark red blood, shot skyward! The headless body swayed a few times before finally crashing to the ground with a "thud," twitching a few times before falling still.

The battle began in the blink of an eye and ended in the same instant.

Only heavy breathing and the hissing sound of the blood corpse being eroded by the remaining corrosive blood could be heard in the tomb passage.

Looking at his hands, which were covered in blood but quickly healed, and then at the headless, blood-soaked corpse on the ground that was rapidly decaying and dissolving, Qin Yuan gained a more direct understanding of the power of the alien bloodline.

Its corrosiveness is truly terrifying!

Zhang Qiling sheathed his sword with the same swift and decisive movements. He glanced at Qin Yuan's hand, his gaze lingering briefly on Qin Yuan's shoulder blade, where the heat-sensitive patterns were slightly warm and visible due to the surge of power, peeking out from under his collar. But he asked nothing, simply saying, "Go find Wu Xie."

Qin Yuan glanced at him. Zhang Qiling's face remained expressionless, but there seemed to be a hint of trust in his eyes. He knew that Zhang Qiling must have noticed his abnormality, but since the other party did not ask, he would not take the initiative to explain.

"Okay, be careful." Qin Yuan nodded without saying anything more, then turned and chased after the direction the fat man and the others had fled. He trusted Zhang Qiling's abilities; his top priority was ensuring the safety of Wu Xie and the injured Pan Zi.

They hurried along the tomb passage, and before they had gone far, they heard the fat man's exclamation and Wu Xie's shouts from ahead, mixed with a strange rustling sound like countless snakes crawling.

Qin Yuan's heart tightened, and he sped around a corner. The sight before him made him gasp!

The tomb passage ends here, connecting to a huge, naturally formed cave. In the center of the cave grows a strange tree that is beyond imagination!

The tree trunk was an eerie bronze color, so thick that it would take ten people to encircle it, twisting and coiling like giant pythons intertwined. But what was most chilling were its branches—not ordinary branches, but ghastly white vines writhing like living snakes, covered with suckers! Thousands upon thousands of these vines, some hanging to the ground, others waving in the air, almost filled the entire cave.

At this moment, Fatty and Wuxie were desperately dodging several vines trying to entangle them, with Panzi shielded behind them, his situation precarious. Scattered on the ground were several shriveled animal and even human skeletons, tightly bound and sucked in by the vines!

Nine-headed Cypress!

They actually ran into the territory of this demonic tree!

An exceptionally thick vine, like a giant python, silently descended from above and suddenly coiled around Wu Xie, who was helping Pan Zi!

"Wu Xie, watch out!" The fat man's eyes widened in horror, but it was too late to save him.

Qin Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he charged forward like a cheetah, pushing Wu Xie away just as the vines were about to entangle him!

He himself was instantly entangled in the waist and arms by the flexible vines! A tremendous force, strong enough to break bones, suddenly came!