Chapter 228: Hold Me Tight, or You’ll Fall

Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Hold Me Tight, or You’ll Fall

"What’s that smell? It’s awful..."

Cheng Nian covered her nose and muttered, her voice muffled.

A pungent, corrosive smell assaulted them from all directions, making their eyes sting and their throats tighten.

Yun Sheng’s brow furrowed as well.

’This smell is familiar. It’s like the one that filled the air in the open field, right before those pollutants went on a rampage.’

Her heart sank, and she subconsciously scanned her surroundings.

"Everyone on alert! Prepare for battle!" Guo Kai’s voice suddenly sharpened, laced with urgency. "They’re here!"

The moment he spoke, a huge swarm of pollutants burst out from the surrounding bushes, from behind the shadows of trees, and from the cracks in the rocks, charging toward them.

Although they were all low-Level, their numbers were overwhelming, a tide of them stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Engage! Watch your backs!"

Guo Kai shouted sharply, swinging his blade to send the first one that pounced flying.

Ma Yu stood on the team’s flank. With a flash of his blade, several pollutants fell.

He Yi and Zhou Ying had already formed a back-to-back pair with practiced chemistry. One guarded the left, the other the right, their blades crossing in a seamless dance. The pollutants charging at them were cut down before they could even get close.

Cheng Nian looked at Li Wen, then at Yun Sheng, a trace of hesitation on her face.

"Should the three of us team up?"

Yun Sheng, however, was decisive. "You two team up. I can handle myself."

The words had barely left her mouth when she swung her blade to meet a pouncing pollutant. With the sickening thud of a blade slicing through flesh, black blood splattered.

At the same time, she spread her spiritual power around her, forming an invisible barrier that blocked every pollutant trying to sneak-attack her from her blind spots.

After this period of intensive training, everyone’s strength had clearly improved.

Cheng Nian and Li Wen worked together seamlessly. One took the lead on offense while the other provided support, their blades and spiritual power weaving together to force the charging pollutants into a steady retreat.

Zhou Ying and He Yi’s coordination was even more masterful. It was as if they shared a single pair of eyes, each strike precisely covering the other’s openings.

Guo Kai and Ma Yu protected the front and rear of the formation. Everywhere their blades passed, pollutants fell in swathes.

Even though the pollutants were numerous, the team handled them with ease and was even beginning to gain the upper hand.

This was the scene that greeted Xing Che when he arrived.

He leaned against a thick tree trunk, arms crossed, his gaze piercing through the flurry of blades and black, bloody mist to land on Yun Sheng.

Her movements were clean and efficient. Every swing of her blade carried a ruthless edge, and the spiritual power flowing around her slaughtered any pollutant that tried to get near.

The corners of Xing Che’s lips curled up slightly, a hint of tenderness in his eyes that even he himself didn’t notice.

"Looks like I was worried for nothing," he said in a low voice, a hint of a smile in his tone. "It seems the intensive training has been quite effective."

He remained leaning against the tree trunk, his tense posture relaxing into a lazy one. For now, he had no intention of stepping in to help, content to quietly watch the figure weaving through the swarm of pollutants.

’This is a good chance to see just how much my dear apprentice has grown.’

’After all, true combat is the best stage to test one’s strength.’

Xing Che’s gaze followed Yun Sheng as she cut down one pollutant, sidestepped the pounce of another, and then thrust her blade backhandedly into its throat.

Her use of spiritual power was also just right—spread out enough to sense surrounding threats without wasting any excess energy.

As he watched, the curve of his lips widened, and his eyes filled with satisfaction.

Just as Xing Che thought the battle would continue on this stable course, the ground beneath his feet suddenly began to tremble violently.

The tremor was so sudden that everyone staggered. The pollutants, too, fell into disarray, letting out uneasy shrieks.

Immediately after, fissures began to split open across the ground. The cracks weren’t wide, but they were deep, and a black mist billowed out from them, carrying the pungent smell of sulfur.

The team was split into several groups by the fissures. The air became a chaotic mix of shrieks and the whistle of blades slicing through the air.

"Spread out! Get to higher ground!" Guo Kai yelled.

Everyone scattered in a panic, desperately scrambling for higher ground.

Yun Sheng was thrown to the right by a sudden force. By the time she steadied herself, she was surrounded by unfamiliar faces.

Cadets from other areas had also been forced to flee by the fissures. People collided in small groups, with no one able to spare a thought for anyone else.

Just then, a fissure suddenly split open at her feet. The ground beneath her sank abruptly, and she yelped in fright, losing her balance and tipping sideways.

A hand reached out from behind, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her steady.

"Careful!" Xing Che’s voice, laced with urgency, came from above her.

Yun Sheng looked up and met a pair of amber-gold eyes.

He had appeared by her side at some point and was now looking at her with concern. His fingers were clenched around her wrist, his grip firm as if he was afraid she would fall.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a low voice.

Xing Che looked down at Yun Sheng, his eyes filled with tension and concern, but his tone was as lazy as ever.

"Came looking for you, of course. I originally wanted to see how my dear apprentice’s training has been paying off, but who knew something like this would happen."

He paused, his fingers tightening slightly around her wrist. "Alright, let’s go! Now!"

The moment he finished speaking, Xing Che tightened his grip on Yun Sheng’s hand, practically yanking her into his arms. Half-carrying her, he shot forward.

Yun Sheng was held so tightly she could barely breathe. Her cheek was pressed against his chest, and she could feel his heartbeat—fast and heavy, pounding against her eardrum like a war drum.

The tips of her ears flushed hot. She placed a hand on his chest and pushed lightly, her voice muffled.

"Let go of me. I can walk on my own."

"Don’t move. The ground is still cracking. I don’t trust you to go on your own, and besides, you’re not as fast as me."

Yun Sheng froze for a moment, then stopped struggling.

She could feel Xing Che’s arms tighten in an instant, pulling her even closer into his embrace. His chin rested on the top of her head, his warm breath brushing against the stray hairs on her forehead.

The shadows of the trees flew past them on either side. The chaos behind them grew more distant and indistinct, until all that was left was the sound of the wind and the frantic beating of his heart against his chest, each thump as clear as if it were branded into her eardrums.

"I have to find Brother Guo and the others," Yun Sheng said, her voice a little tight. "I’m worried about them..."

Xing Che hummed in acknowledgment, his voice low, then added, "Hold on tight."

Yun Sheng hesitated for a moment before actively reaching out, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest.

Xing Che’s body stiffened for a fraction of a second, then relaxed again, though the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.

His arms tightened, and he suddenly accelerated, darting in the direction of Guo Kai and the others.

But the higher they went, the more numerous the fissures in the ground became, and the collapsed areas grew more concentrated, almost merging into one large chasm.

The people who had been running for higher ground were now almost all trapped halfway up the slope, unable to advance or retreat.

Xing Che’s brow furrowed. His eyes quickly swept over their surroundings, and after hesitating for only two seconds, he abruptly changed direction and darted off to the side.