Chapter 377: Chapter 377: A Desperate Struggle

Lu Chen’s pupils shrank. He stared at the approaching man, deep dread surging in his eyes.

"S-Class!" he gritted out, his voice heavy. "Dark Nest really spared no expense this time."

He knew all too well just how desperate their current situation was. He was only a Peak B-level Sentinel, and Zhou Yi had just crossed the threshold into B-level. As for the remaining four team members, two were C-level and two were D-level. Pitting this lineup against an S-Class Sentinel was like throwing eggs against a rock—it was a pure suicide mission.

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Lu Chen’s mind. His peripheral vision swept over Yun Sheng beside him, and he made his decision. It was highly unlikely the whole team could retreat in one piece today. If that was the case, they might as well risk everything to protect Yun Sheng, a rare guide. This was perhaps the only remaining—and most important—value their team had left in this moment.

"Zhou Yi!" Lu Chen roared in a low, decisive voice that left no room for argument. "Escort Yun Sheng out of the fire immediately! The rest of you, stay with me and cover their retreat!"

Meeting Lu Chen’s death-defying gaze, Zhou Yi’s heart sank, a chill instantly shooting up his spine. He didn’t hesitate for a second. Striding forward, he grabbed Yun Sheng’s arm and forcibly pulled her behind him.

"Yun Sheng, come with me!"

Her wrist gripped tightly, Yun Sheng immediately realized what Lu Chen was planning. He intended to lead the rest of the team in a desperate struggle to stall the enemy, sacrificing everyone to save her alone.

"No! We leave together!" Yun Sheng forcefully wrenched her hand free from Zhou Yi’s grasp, her voice firm and urgent.

Others might fear this S-Class Sentinel, but she was not afraid in the slightest. She knew Si Jin and Xing Che were hiding in the shadows, protecting her. Two SSS-level Sentinels crushing an ordinary S-Class was practically a foregone conclusion. This seemingly fatal deadlock had the backing for a complete turnaround all along!

But Lu Chen, Zhou Yi, and the others knew nothing of this. In their eyes, she was just a B-level Guide who needed the entire team to risk their lives to protect, completely lacking the ability to defend herself or turn the tide.

Seeing Yun Sheng stubbornly refusing to evacuate and even trying to step forward, Lu Chen’s face instantly turned cold. His tone was razor-sharp, carrying an undeniable authority. "Zhou Yi! Take her away! Now!"

At that moment, the S-Class Sentinel opposite them curled his lips into a cold, mocking smile, seemingly dismissing the squad before him entirely.

"Reluctant to part?" he said, his voice cold and raspy. His eyes locked onto Yun Sheng with undisguised greed. "Perfect, I came for you anyway. Come with me obediently, and I’ll spare your entire team."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s hearts skipped a heavy beat, filled with disbelief. None of them had imagined that this devastating surprise attack and fire, which had swept through multiple suburban outposts and caused heavy casualties, wasn’t a random act of chaos by Dark Nest, but a trap specifically set for Yun Sheng. To capture a B-level Guide, Dark Nest had actually been willing to pay such a massive price, throwing the entire suburban defense line into turmoil and even dispatching an S-Class Sentinel to lie in ambush. The scale of this operation was simply terrifying. Could it be that Yun Sheng was more than just a B-level Guide?!

Shocked and terrified, waves of chill surged from the depths of their hearts.

The S-Class Sentinel across from them wore a brazen, icy smile, not taking Lu Chen and his men seriously at all. In his eyes, this group of Sentinels with such a vast Level disparity posed no threat whatsoever. Locking his gaze on Yun Sheng, he suddenly pushed off the ground. He shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, his goal clear—to snatch Yun Sheng right then and there.

"Stop him!"

Lu Chen’s pupils shrank. He dashed forward almost instantly, desperately throwing himself in the man’s path.

The next second, the S-Class Sentinel’s formidable spiritual power erupted. An icy, tyrannical aura swept across the area, suppressing the surrounding thick smoke until it suddenly stagnated. Accompanied by a low beastly roar, the light and shadows behind the man suddenly condensed. A pitch-black panther spiritual body with bared fangs abruptly materialized. It kicked off the ground with all four limbs, pouncing at Lu Chen with a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air, its speed astonishing.

At this critical juncture, Lu Chen did not retreat in the slightest. He channeled all of his Peak B-level spiritual power, causing a faint golden halo of spiritual energy to ripple around him. As light and shadow swirled, an agile Green Wolf spiritual body stepped forward. Its fur stood on end, its fangs clenched tightly as it charged head-on to meet the panther.

In the next instant, the two spiritual bodies—despite the massive disparity in their size and aura—clashed violently.

The black panther’s attacks were fierce and relentless. The wind from its claws carried bone-chilling Spirit Shocks, every strike lethal and overwhelmingly oppressive. Although Lu Chen’s Green Wolf was lower in Level and slightly slighter in build, it was exceptionally valiant. It tenaciously bit and tangled with the panther, desperately blocking its onslaught without yielding a single inch.

Violent Spirit Shockwaves exploded indiscriminately, sending rubble and ash flying wildly into the air. The scorching air instantly became even more blistering and tense. However, a gap in Level could not be bridged by willpower alone. After only a few seconds of stalemate, the Green Wolf was covered in countless wounds. Its golden light grew increasingly dim, and its body trembled incessantly, on the verge of collapsing under the S-Class spiritual body’s crushing offensive.

Lu Chen let out a muffled groan. A metallic sweetness welled up in his throat, and his face instantly turned deathly pale. Forcibly withstanding the S-Class Sentinel’s Spirit Shocks had caused significant backlash to his physical body.

"Captain Lu!"

Seeing this, Zhou Yi grew incredibly anxious. He immediately channeled his spiritual power, wanting to rush forward to support him.

But the S-Class Sentinel didn’t give them a chance. After diverting a portion of his spiritual power to pin down Lu Chen, he accelerated again, bypassing the fighting spiritual bodies and darting straight toward Yun Sheng in the rear. The greed in his eyes burned even more intensely. To him, these meddlesome ants were not worth mentioning. His sole objective today was to take Yun Sheng away.

Watching the S-Class Sentinel close the distance in the blink of an eye, Yun Sheng’s gaze suddenly sharpened without a hint of panic or retreat. She immediately engaged her own spiritual power, instantly deploying a gentle yet resilient Spirit Barrier to meet his furious Spirit Shock head-on.

The oppressive, formidable aura crashing toward her abruptly stalled, and the S-Class Sentinel’s figure froze for two or three seconds. His swift assault was forcibly blocked for a moment. A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by a mocking sneer and a look of complete disdain. The spiritual power of a mere B-level Guide was nothing in his eyes!

The next second, the S-Class spiritual power surrounding him flared up once more. Layers of tyrannical pressure stacked together, crushing down mercilessly.

At the moment the two forces collided, Yun Sheng’s body swayed violently, her legs going slightly weak. A dull ache emanated from her spiritual landscape, and she nearly failed to withstand the overwhelming impact. Gritting her teeth, she desperately drew upon the profound depths of her spiritual landscape, summoning the formidable and pure High-level Spiritual Power that belonged to Xing Che.

Her originally gentle barrier instantly underwent a qualitative change. A majestic, overbearing surge of spiritual power suddenly erupted, violently crashing outward in a counterattack!

Caught entirely off guard, the charging S-Class Sentinel’s body jolted violently. His forward momentum was completely halted, forcing him to a dead stop. His pupils constricted. The contempt on his face vanished completely, replaced by utter disbelief.

"You... how can you possess this Level of spiritual power?!"

He had never heard of a mere B-level Guide capable of unleashing a Spirit Shock comparable to that of a High-level Sentinel.

Before his words had completely faded, Lu Chen, having broken free from the suppression not far away, seized this fleeting opening. Gathering all his strength, he lunged ferociously toward the man for the kill!

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