Chapter 70: The Survivor Base

When Gu Chen opened his eyes, he found himself in an entirely unfamiliar place. Above him was a ceiling made of withered wood, and he was lying on a bed constructed from the same material.

Struggling to sit up, Gu Chen called out, "Na'er, Na'er!"

As he sat up, he noticed that Gu Yue Na was lying beside him. Jin Zi, Ling Xiaojiu, and the other six were also in the same withered-wood room. Besides the newly awakened Gu Chen and Luo Chen, there was also a strange woman in the room.

The woman had waist-length flowing hair and cyan-colored eyes. Her face was smeared with some mud—probably splashed onto her during battles with abyssal creatures.

"Hello, I'm Zhang Yixuan. Martial Soul: Blue Lotus. I'm 24 years old and a Level 53 support-type Tool Soul Master," the woman introduced herself.

"Where is this place?" Gu Chen asked, puzzled but composed.

Zhang Yixuan replied, "This is our survivor base. We got here after losing a few comrades while being chased by a swarm of Abyssal Bomb Bees. This base was actually built by a previous batch of people who came here fifty years ago. We've been using it to defend against abyssal creatures."

Gu Chen nodded and glanced around the room. Although Gu Yue Na and the others still had some visible wounds, their complexions had clearly improved.

"Brother Chen, you've been unconscious for a whole day. The internal injuries you suffered were treated by Sister Zhang. Only some surface wounds remain," Luo Chen explained.

Gu Chen got out of bed, picked up the scorpion-style handgun next to Luo Chen, loaded it with twenty bullets, and handed it back to him.

After that, he looked at Zhang Yixuan and sincerely said, "Thank you for everything this past day."

"It's nothing. Since you're awake, let me show you around our survivor base," Zhang Yixuan said warmly.

Gu Chen nodded and took Luo Chen along with him.

Zhang Yixuan pushed open the withered-wood door and led the two outside.

They were on the first floor of a three-story withered-wood building. Directly opposite stood a two-story building made of the same material. In the open space between the two buildings, various weapons lay scattered—presumably brought in by the survivors.

The survivor base was small. Besides the two buildings, it only had a wall made from withered wood and a row of chevaux-de-frise (spiked defensive barriers).

Just outside the building stood two young men in their twenties and a boy a little over ten years old.

"Hey, Yixuan, are these the folks you picked up from outside?" the brawnier of the two young men said with a tone that carried a hint of bad intention. "Name's Yuan Ye. Martial Soul: Iron Pillar. Level 54 Soul King."

"I'm Su Bai. Martial Soul: Lone Heart Sword. Level 52 Soul King," said the other, who looked leaner. Pointing to the boy beside him, he added, "He's Mo Yun. Martial Soul: Green Scorpion King. Level 34 Soul Elder. His sister went out hunting abyssal creatures three days ago and, unfortunately, didn't make it back."

"I'm Gu Chen, Level 48 Soul Ancestor. By the way, is this survivor base made up of just you guys?" Gu Chen asked.

Yuan Ye replied, "Of course not. Dongfang Po and his group are still out hunting abyssal creatures. They haven't returned yet."

"Boss Yuan, they should've been back by now, right? But there's no sign of them at all… Could something have happened?" Zhang Yixuan asked, worried.

Yuan Ye's expression shifted. "It's possible. Let's go check it out."

"Follow me closely," Zhang Yixuan told Gu Chen and Luo Chen.

The group quickly rushed out of the base, following Dongfang Po and his team's earlier tracks. After a few hundred meters, they spotted Dongfang Po and his companions.

Dongfang Po was accompanied by two men and a woman—four people in total. Their situation looked dire.

A dozen or so Ba'an creatures had completely surrounded them. Several of the ones in the front were already swinging their dark green claws.

Dongfang Po's Martial Soul was a cyan-winged spear. He had four spirit rings behind him, with the second and third ones now glowing. The tip of his spear shimmered with cyan light.

He darted among the Ba'an with incredible speed, agile and fierce, leaving cuts and gashes across the creatures' bodies.

The woman was named Lu Yan, a control-type Soul Master. She also had four spirit rings. A chessboard appeared in her hands, and she rapidly tapped on it. Black and white pieces materialized.

As her first spirit ring lit up, pieces matching the number on her board rained down from the sky. The larger ones slammed down onto the Ba'an's heads and exploded violently.

"Gu Chen, you protect Zhang Yixuan. Su Bai, we're going in," Yuan Ye shouted. Summoning a giant iron pillar, he charged at the Ba'an.

Activating his first spirit skill, Yuan Ye's already massive iron pillar transformed into a colossal "Pillar of Heaven," smashing down on a Ba'an's head and killing it instantly.

The other two men with Dongfang Po also joined in. One of them was named Wan Tianyu, with a Martial Soul of Command Banner. When he activated his fourth spirit skill, red light enveloped everyone, granting buffs to their speed and strength.

With this boost, Dongfang Po, Yuan Ye, and Su Bai rapidly slaughtered several Ba'an.

Another young man named Sima Da wielded a Martial Soul called Soul-Cleaving Blade, which could directly attack spirits and souls.

Meanwhile, a few Ba'an, thinking Gu Chen's group would be easier prey, charged toward them—only to be instantly skewered by Gu Chen's Golden Dragon Spear, their souls annihilated for good.

Gu Chen tightened his grip on the spear. Due to his heavy internal injuries and depleted spirit power, he had been unable to undo his seal. Even with the body of the Golden Dragon King, he could only exert the strength of a Soul King for now.

After clearing the Ba'an, Yuan Ye led everyone back to the survivor base.

"Let me introduce someone. This is Gu Chen—he just joined us. And you are?" Yuan Ye turned to Luo Chen.

"Luo Chen, Level 41 Food-type Soul Master. My Martial Soul is Fried Rice. The others inside that room are my companions. They're all four-ring Soul Ancestors," Luo Chen explained.

At that moment, the door to the withered-wood house creaked open. Out stepped Gu Yue Na, looking a little pale.

Seeing her like that, Gu Chen's heart ached. He stepped forward and, blaming himself, said, "I'm sorry, Na'er. I didn't protect you well."

Gu Yue Na simply gave him a soft smile. In that moment, all was silent. She said, "It's not your fault. There were over a thousand Abyssal Bomb Bees—it was terrifying. No one could've stopped them."

(End of Chapter)