The shadow of Death, like an icy tide, instantly submerged Lu Pan.
Before that dark silver devouring wave could even touch him, the terrifying Force Field had already stiffened his Soul Body, hindering its movement! He had no doubt that once caught in this wave, he would instantly be assimilated and decomposed, becoming part of this monster!
Flee! Must flee immediately!
But the passage behind him was narrow, leaving no time! Moreover, this monster seemed capable of distorting Space to some extent; conventional Evasion Techniques would likely be useless!
At the critical moment, Lu Pan’s gaze suddenly fell upon the Bronze Mirror Fragment he had been tightly clutching! Could this fragment, which could resist Spacetime Turbulence, withstand this monster’s devouring?
There was no time left to think!
Just as the silver wave was about to swallow him, Lu Pan poured all his remaining Soul Power into the Bronze Mirror Fragment without reservation! Simultaneously, holding the Judge's Brush in his other hand, he struck desperately at the metal drawer protected by an Energy Field! Since he couldn't evade, he had to grab the most important thing before being consumed!
“Buzz—!”
The Bronze Mirror Fragment, sensing the danger and the massive influx of Soul Power, suddenly erupted with an unprecedented, brilliant Clear Light! The Clear Light formed a solid cocoon, firmly protecting Lu Pan!
Almost simultaneously, the silver wave formed by "Zero Seven Nine" violently struck the light cocoon!
“Hiss—!!!”
There was no deafening explosion, only a grating, eerie sound as if billions of ants were gnawing on Energy! Where the Clear Light met the silver wave, dazzling light and violent Energy ripples erupted!
Lu Pan felt his Soul Body hit by a heavy hammer, spitting out a mouthful of Soul Blood, his vision darkening. Although the shield formed by the Bronze Mirror Fragment was struggling to hold on, the silver wave seemed endless, carrying a strange "decomposition" characteristic, constantly eroding and wearing down the Clear Light! The shield's light dimmed at a visible rate!
This monster could even devour a spacetime shield?!
Meanwhile, the Judge's Brush he had struck out with in desperation finally pierced the residual Energy Field on the drawer!
With a crisp "crack," the drawer sprang open! Inside lay a rhombic crystal of special material, emitting a faint Blue Light—it was the core data backup!
A flash of ecstasy crossed Lu Pan's mind, and he reached out to grab it!
However, in that split second of distraction, "Zero Seven Nine" seemed further enraged by his resistance and the faint energy fluctuations emanating from the Data Crystal! The silver wave suddenly contracted and then erupted again. This time, instead of a sweeping impact, it condensed into countless silver streams resembling Tentacles, wrapping around and stabbing the Clear Light shield from all directions like venomous snakes!
“Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!”
The shield let out a groan of unbearable strain, its light rapidly dimming, and fine Fissures even began to appear on its surface! It would shatter in three breaths at most!
No time left! No time to grab the data and rush out of this room!
In despair, Lu Pan’s gaze swept to a Spatial Fissure on the side wall, torn open when the monster lost control, leading to an unknown destination! The Fissure was small, its edges flickering with unstable Energy Turbulence, revealing deep darkness beyond.
That was the only path to survival! Even if he didn't know where it led, it was better than being instantly devoured!
He was taking the gamble!
A trace of madness flashed in Lu Pan's eyes. He stopped trying to grab the Data Crystal so close at hand, instead violently throwing the Judge's Brush. Its tip precisely flicked the rhombic crystal, sending it flying toward him! Simultaneously, he pushed his remaining strength into the shattering Clear Light shield, rushing toward the Spatial Fissure like a cannonball!
This series of actions occurred in an instant!
Just as his figure shot out, countless silver Tentacles completely shredded the Clear Light shield and fiercely lashed the spot where he had been, melting a large pit into the metal floor!
“Whoosh!”
Lu Pan’s figure, carrying the Data Crystal that had been flicked by the Judge's Brush and landed perfectly in his arms, narrowly rushed into the unstable Spatial Fissure!
The moment he entered the Fissure, he looked back. He saw that the dark silver fluid monster, "Zero Seven Nine," seemed wary of the Spatial Fissure and did not immediately pursue. It merely writhed and roared frantically outside the Fissure, countless illusory eyes staring fixedly at the opening, filled with unwillingness and increasingly intense hunger.
The next moment, the world spun!
The familiar sensation of Spacetime Turbulence tearing at him returned, more violent and chaotic than what he experienced in the Abyss of Oblivion! If the Bronze Mirror Fragment had not spontaneously protected its master the moment he rushed into the Fissure （although the Clear Light was extremely dim）, he would have been torn apart immediately!
He tightly hugged the Data Crystal in his arms, like a small boat in a raging sea, drifting aimlessly through the bizarre Spacetime Channel filled with distorted sights and dangerous Energy.
After an unknown amount of time—perhaps an instant, perhaps eternity—just as his Soul Power was about to be depleted and the Clear Light of the Bronze Mirror Fragment was about to extinguish completely, a relatively stable "exit" suddenly appeared ahead, emitting the familiar fluctuations of a normal Underworld Earth space!
He used his last bit of strength to control his direction and slammed toward that exit!
“Plop!”
As if passing through a water membrane, he heavily fell onto solid （relatively speaking） ground. The violent impact caused him to spit out another mouthful of Soul Blood, and his Consciousness fell into a semi-comatose state.
Before completely losing consciousness, he managed to lift his head and look at his surroundings.
This seemed to be a Desolate valley. The sky had the familiar gloomy gray tone of Fengdu. Although the Yin Qi was sparse, it felt "normal," lacking the chaotic feeling of the Abyss of Oblivion.
He had escaped! Escaped that terrifying laboratory, escaped that out-of-control monster!
He tightly clutched the hard-won rhombic crystal in his arms, a sense of relief flashing through his mind, before boundless darkness washed over him, and he completely lost consciousness.