Chapter 179: The Trap in the Valley

Shen Yan stared at the figure in the white lab coat on the rooftop, his fingers swiftly sliding across his phone screen. The scent of rust in the wind grew increasingly thick, and the navigation red dot was right at the entrance to the valley ahead. He tucked the phone into his chest and whispered, “Ignore the recorder. Stick to the original plan.”

Ye Zhao walked at the forefront, her sword hilt firmly gripped in hand. Pei Yue followed closely behind, her medicine pouch pressed against her waist. Luo Li’s ears twitched slightly, her tail drooping low. Yu Xiaotang nibbled on her candied hawthorn while muttering, “Why isn’t there even a single bird in this place?”

Cracks spread across the ground like spiderwebs under their feet. Shen Yan switched to offline mode, and his terminal flashed a warning: 【Gravity anomaly detected. Recommend detour.】 He sneered, “The more they try to keep us out, the more it proves we’re in the right place.”

Yu Xiaotang hopped two steps and landed on a gray stone slab, which let out a crisp crack. She froze. “I… I didn’t even use much force.”

“Get back!” Shen Yan shouted.

Too late.

The entire ground collapsed with a thunderous roar, and all five of them instantly plummeted downward. Ye Zhao drew her sword and swept it horizontally, but the sword qi collided with the rock wall, unable to form a protective barrier. At the critical moment, a green light flashed at Shen Yan’s fingertip as he muttered, “Low-altitude slow descent v0.3, loading—run!”

An invisible current of air lifted their bodies, drastically slowing their descent. Luo Li seized the moment to unfurl the phantom wings of her demon power, grabbing Yu Xiaotang and gliding half a circle before landing. Ye Zhao tapped the wall three times with the tip of her sword, landing steadily. Pei Yue flung three silver needles into crevices in the rock, using the momentum to roll and disperse the impact. Finally, Shen Yan crashed to the ground, tumbling twice and nearly losing his grip on his phone.

“All landed, no serious injuries,” Yu Xiaotang announced as she stood up, dusting herself off. “Who saved us just now? It wasn’t my brother, was it?”

“Shut up,” Shen Yan gasped, sitting up with sweat beading on his forehead. “That bit of mental power was enough for me to cast three fireball spells.”

Only then did they take in their surroundings. The trap was bottomless, with steep rock walls on all sides covered in barbs that glowed with a faint blue poisonous light. The walls were carved with densely packed runes, writhing like a nest of snakes. Shen Yan stared at the patterns and suddenly frowned. “Something’s off… This isn’t an ordinary formation.”

“What is it?” Ye Zhao asked.

“These runes… they’re code written with resentment,” Shen Yan’s voice grew heavy. “Living souls were refined and compiled into a program. Touching them will trigger a chain reaction.”

Luo Li narrowed her eyes at the patterns on the wall. “The rhythm… it’s a bit like our ancient demon clan language.”

“Don’t touch it!” Shen Yan shouted.

But she had already reached out. The moment her fingertip brushed the edge of a rune, a crimson light flared, and a stream of black energy shot straight toward her forehead. Shen Yan lunged forward, shoving her aside, but the residual shockwave struck his shoulder, sending a wave of intense pain through him.

His phone screen flashed a warning: 【High-dimensional consciousness intrusion detected. Isolating.】 Gritting his teeth, he shut down the background process, cold sweat dripping down his face.

Pei Yue immediately stepped forward, inserting silver needles into several of Luo Li’s acupuncture points. “Her demon power is in chaos. We need to suppress it.” She turned to Shen Yan. “You’re injured too.”

“Just a flesh wound,” Shen Yan waved it off, forcing himself to open the virtual keyboard. “Now’s not the time for healing.”

He began writing a scanning script, lines of code scrolling through his mind. Ye Zhao stood guard above, her sword ready to be drawn at any moment. Yu Xiaotang pulled out talisman paper and stuck it to herself, sketching a simple shield. Luo Li leaned against the wall, panting. “Those aren’t runes… they’re a seal. Something’s trapped inside.”

“I know,” Shen Yan replied without looking up. “But the bigger problem now is—where’s the exit?”

Before the words had fully left his mouth, the surrounding rock walls suddenly trembled. Dozens of hidden openings slowly slid open, iron doors scraping with a piercing screech.

One puppet after another emerged, their bodies covered in rust, eyes glowing with a uniform blue light, their steps perfectly synchronized. The weapons in their hands varied—blades, spears, staffs—but their movements were completely identical, as if controlled by the same program.

“A Data Puppet cluster,” Shen Yan’s pupils contracted. “Not individual combat units, but a networked battle system.”

“How many?” Yu Xiaotang swallowed hard.

“Over two hundred by sight,” Shen Yan analyzed quickly. “They share a data pool; disabling one triggers real-time repairs. We have to cut the main control signal first.”

Ye Zhao swung her sword at the nearest puppet. A flash of blade light, and its head flew off. Yet the headless body continued moving, blue electrical arcs crackling from its severed neck as it began to reassemble.

“They really can’t be killed!” Yu Xiaotang leaped back, flinging out Talisman Paper. “Halt!”

The puppet froze for an instant, then broke free. More puppets poured from the openings, advancing in a semicircle to surround them.

Shen Yan sat back against the stone wall, fingers flying across his device: “Scan complete. The main control Node is seventeen meters above the northern opening, protected by a shield.”

“I can disrupt the local Spiritual Flow,” Pei Yue said quietly. “But only once.”

“Let me burn a path open,” Luo Li stood up, purple light flickering in her eyes.

“Brother, is three seconds enough?” Yu Xiaotang was already drawing a talisman.

“Enough,” Shen Yan looked up at the four of them. “When I shout ‘execute,’ everyone moves immediately.”

Ye Zhao nodded, her sword tip trembling slightly. Pei Yue tightened her grip on a Silver Needle. Luo Li’s tail stood erect. Yu Xiaotang’s Talisman Paper ignited with a yellow glow.

Shen Yan took a deep breath and initiated the access program: 【Hidden channel connecting… Countdown three, two—】

Just then, the shield above the northern opening flickered, a red light sweeping across the entire area.

【Warning: Reverse Trace activated】

【Trap self-destruct Countdown: one hundred eighty seconds】

“Damn it!” Shen Yan slammed his hand against the ground. “They knew we were coming all along!”

“How long do we have?” Ye Zhao asked.

“Less than three minutes,” Shen Yan gritted his teeth. “If we don’t cut the main control, this entire valley will collapse.”

“Then let’s not wait,” Luo Li suddenly charged forward, Demon Power erupting, a ball of Purple Flame gathering in her palm. “I’ll clear the way for you!”

“Come back!” Shen Yan shouted.

But she had already leaped, kicking off the rock wall and rushing straight toward the main control Node. Puppets along the way raised their weapons to intercept; she flung out Demonic Fire with a wave of her hand, blasting open a gap.

“Pei Yue, cover her!” Shen Yan yelled.

Silver Needles shot through the air, precisely piercing the joints of several puppets, clearing a passage. Yu Xiaotang slapped Talisman Paper onto the ground, forming a temporary Barrier to block ranged attacks. Ye Zhao’s sword light fell like rain, clearing the final stretch for Luo Li.

Luo Li soared into the air, her palm carrying Demonic Fire as she slammed it fiercely against the shield.

Boom!

Energy exploded, sparks flying everywhere. Cracks appeared in the shield, but it didn’t shatter completely.

“Still a bit short!” Yu Xiaotang cried urgently.

“I’ll do it,” Shen Yan suddenly stood up, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as he charged forward. “Hold off those puppets!”

While running, he pulled up the program Interface: 【Local Cache injection Initiate】. His phone popped up a Notice: 【Permission insufficient, manual authentication required】.

Without hesitation, he bit the tip of his finger, letting blood drip onto the screen.

【Authentication Passed】

【Code Injection Countdown: Three, Two, One—】

At that very moment, Luo Li leaped up again, putting all her strength into smashing the crack. The barrier shield finally collapsed.

Shen Yan seized the opportunity, pushing the program into the master control node.

【Connection Successful】

【Reverse Invasion Initiated】

He had just breathed a sigh of relief when a mechanical voice suddenly sounded in his ear:

“Welcome back, Test Subject A-7.”

Everyone’s expressions changed.

Shen Yan stared fixedly at the screen: 【Hidden Command Detected: Eliminate All Intruders】.

“Not good, they’re going to self-destruct!” he shouted, turning back, “Get down!”

Before his words finished, the first puppet’s eyes exploded, blue light erupting into a fireball. Immediately after, the second, the third… the chain reaction spread rapidly.

Ye Zhao rushed to Shen Yan’s side, her Sword Qi propping up a thin barrier. Pei Yue threw out medicinal powder, forming a protective layer. Yu Xiaotang stacked Talisman Paper into a triple shield. Luo Li coiled her Demon Power back, protecting everyone’s rear.

Explosions rang out one after another, rubble flying. Shen Yan desperately shielded his phone; the Code was still running.

【Master Control Server Preparing to Take Over】

【Countdown: Ten, Nine, Eight…】

The puppets were still advancing, crawling forward even when maimed. Illuminated by the firelight, their shadows cast onto the rock wall resembled a group of struggling ghosts.

Blood seeped from the corner of Shen Yan’s mouth, his Mental Power nearing exhaustion. He knew that if he could just hold on for five more seconds, he could completely take control of the System.

“Brother!” Yu Xiaotang’s voice trembled, “The shield is about to fail!”

“Hold on a little longer,” his teeth chattered, “Almost there.”

【Five, Four, Three…】

Ye Zhao knelt on one knee, her sword plunged into the ground, her Sword Qi flickering and about to dissipate. Pei Yue’s face paled, her Silver Needles snapping one by one. Luo Li’s Demonic Fire dimmed, her tail drooping weakly. Yu Xiaotang’s last piece of Talisman Paper burned to ash.

【Two…】

Shen Yan raised his phone, its screen cracked, but the Code still scrolled.

【One.】

System handover successful.

All puppets in the area simultaneously froze, their blue light extinguished, collapsing to the ground in unison.

Silence descended.

Shen Yan slumped to the ground, his phone slipping from his hand. He gasped for breath, his vision blurry.

“Did we win?” Yu Xiaotang asked in a shaky voice.

No one answered.

The runes on the stone wall suddenly all lit up, a blood-red light spreading along the cracks like pulsing blood vessels.

The ground shook once more.

A low voice came from all directions:

“You thought… this was the end?”

(End of Chapter)