CHAPTER 68: CHAPTER 25 BREAKTHROUGH_1

After a brief response to Sun Ruixing, Li Quan’an continued with his work. Wen Yu simply gave Sun Ruixing a cursory glance and said nothing more.

Sun Ruixing’s intention was simply to protect these ordinary people. Such matters were entirely up to an individual’s will, and no one else had any grounds to criticize.

Therefore, Li Quan’an naturally had no reason to refuse.

Five minutes passed quickly. Once everything was arranged, Li Quan’an strode up to Wen Yu.

"Let’s get started."

Wen Yu looked at the team, all prepared to depart, then at Li Quan’an’s resolute expression, and nodded firmly.

Taking up his steel saber, Wen Yu stood at the very front of the entire contingent. Beside him was his soul pet—Cyclops. Behind them was a long line of vehicles. Further back, Sun Ruixing led over a hundred ordinary people who weren’t professionists. At the very rear were Li Quan’an, his subordinates, and their families.

The order was distinct.

"Let’s move out!"

As a Level 2 professionist, Wen Yu’s booming voice carried his command clearly to the entire team.

The vehicles’ engines roared to life, and the convoy began to move slowly.

Wen Yu started at a slow pace, then gradually picked up speed, and the team accelerated with him. Before long, they reached the blockade formed by the mutant vines.

Wen Yu glanced at the people behind him. This time, without saying anything more, he had Cyclops charge forward. Wen Yu immediately entered his combat state and followed closely.

"Charge! Keep up with Brother Wen Yu! Hurry up!" Li Quan’an roared from the rear.

As Li Quan’an roared, Cyclops stepped onto the blockade line of mutant plants.

There was no movement at all.

Not the slightest sound came from the farmlands, the nearby mountainside, or even from underground.

A chill ran down Wen Yu’s spine.

These mutant vines have developed rudimentary intelligence, and they intend to capture all the survivors in one fell swoop.

But for Wen Yu, this was the best possible news.

It meant he could safely traverse several hundred meters, significantly reducing the pressure on him.

"Those at the rear, pick up the pace!" Wen Yu bellowed.

At Wen Yu’s loud roar, Cyclops quickened its pace. The team behind also sped up; the ordinary people were supported by the professionists behind them, and the vehicles pushed to their maximum speed.

When Li Quan’an, at the very end of the column, stepped onto the blockade line of mutant plants, it was still utterly silent, like the calm before a storm.

"Something’s not right..." Wen Yu muttered, the unsettling atmosphere making his heart pound.

Cyclops, as if sensing the danger, suddenly burst forward at its top speed.

RUMBLE, RUMBLE.

A faint, muffled rumbling started from the nearby mountainside, growing progressively louder.

When the noise reached its peak, the adjacent mountainside abruptly ruptured.

Countless vines erupted from the mountainside like a cascading waterfall, mixed with a large amount of debris, hurtling directly toward the team of survivors.

"Ah!"

"Help me!"

"Brother Wang, help me! I’m entangled!"

Ear-piercing shrieks, mingled with the sound of falling debris and the sickening crunch of vines snapping human bodies, echoed through the narrow path.

Wen Yu ignored the situation behind him. His steel saber flashed, shattering the incoming vines, while Cyclops forged ahead, clearing the path as they both pushed rapidly forward.

Man and beast, with unstoppable momentum, directly broke through this defensive line of mutant vines.

As for the people behind them, Wen Yu had no intention of looking out for them.

In fact, when discussing the plan with Li Quan’an, there was one thing Wen Yu hadn’t told him:

In my eyes, you’re nothing more than cannon fodder.

...

The path ahead was no smooth journey.

The vines just now were merely a prelude.

As Wen Yu dashed past the mountainous stretch of road, the terrain ahead flattened. However, the ground was covered with thrashing mutant vines.

Cyclops showed no hesitation. Its right claw lashed out as it ran, tearing the vines ahead to shreds. Ignoring the rest, it lowered its head and charged relentlessly forward.

Countless vines wrapped around Cyclops’s body. Wen Yu, following behind, hacked them apart, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming. The speed of man and beast inevitably decreased, and then more vines caught up, ensnaring them further.

It was a vicious cycle.

Seeing Cyclops bundled up like a giant rice dumpling and his own legs tightly bound by vines, Wen Yu immediately deactivated his combat state. He recalled Cyclops into the 2nd Soul Realm, then instantly released it again.

This was Wen Yu’s best method for dealing with these vines.

These mutant vines simply couldn’t trap Cyclops, who could freely enter and exit the Soul Realm.

The moment Cyclops emerged from the Soul Realm, it immediately attacked the vines binding Wen Yu.

Its sharp claws tore through the vines on Wen Yu. Once Wen Yu regained his mobility, he immediately bolted.

Although he had just been entangled by the mutant vines, their lethality was negligible. Apart from a few new scratches on his face, Wen Yu was otherwise unscathed. The mutant vines couldn’t penetrate his E-Class protective suit.

Cyclops took long strides, easily outpacing Wen Yu. When not in his combat state, Wen Yu’s speed was no match for Cyclops.

Thus, the situation devolved into an awkward cycle.

Cyclops paid no heed to how many vines covered its body. It just charged forward with all its might, occasionally clearing the mutant vines from their path.

Wen Yu stuck close behind Cyclops, taking advantage of the path it cleared, while his steel saber deflected the vines entangling him.

Whenever Cyclops became immobilized, Wen Yu would instantly recall it to the Soul Realm and release it again. Cyclops would then first deal with the vines on Wen Yu before repeating the process.

Vines assaulted them from all directions, making Wen Yu feel as if he were facing an inexhaustible tide of enemies that could neither be fully slain nor completely severed.

Just as Wen Yu’s arms began to ache with fatigue, the situation finally changed.

He watched as the surrounding vines grew fewer and fewer, until they vanished completely.

Wen Yu let out a heavy breath. They had covered at least several kilometers on this stretch.

Although the journey had been perilous, they had so far emerged unscathed. However, the constant exertion had taken a heavy toll on his stamina. The ceaseless attacks from all directions had put Wen Yu under enormous pressure.

It was thanks to the professionists from Hualin Town behind them, who had shouldered the burden of most of the vine attacks. Otherwise, he and Cyclops likely wouldn’t have had the stamina to break through.

Wen Yu took out a basic healing potion and drank it. The few scratches on his face from the vines slowly healed.

The effects of the basic healing potion were no longer very significant for Wen Yu.

"I wonder...how are Li Quan’an and his people?"