Chapter 28: The Lizard Horde

As twilight deepened into true night over the barren landscape, the scratching sounds intensified, echoing from the rocks surrounding the Sunstone Quarry Outpost. Pinpricks of greedy, reptilian eyes glowed in the gathering darkness. Lin Fan stood poised atop the crude stone wall, his spiritual sense extending outwards, mapping the approaching threats.

The first wave came quickly. Dozens of Rock Biter Lizards surged from the shadows. They were stout, powerfully built creatures, about a meter long, with disproportionately large heads housing jaws clearly designed for crushing stone. Their hides were thick, resembling grey, cracked rock, providing natural camouflage in this terrain. Sharp claws dug into the earth as they scurried forward, some heading straight for the low wall, others immediately beginning to dig at its base with surprising speed. Most radiated a fourth layer aura, but Lin Fan immediately spotted two significantly larger ones, closer to two meters long, whose presence felt solidly fifth layer.

Lin Fan acted without hesitation. His Flowing Shadow Sword remained sheathed for now; ranged attacks were more efficient against a swarm. He channeled Qi, and shimmering Wind Blades formed rapidly in the air before him. With precise flicks of his wrist, he sent them slicing downwards.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The Wind Blades decapitated lizards attempting to scale the wall, pierced the tough hides of others charging across the open ground, and disrupted the frantic digging near the base. His fifth layer Qi, dense and refined by the Nine Cycles Refining Art, imbued the blades with enough power to easily cut through the fourth layer lizards' rocky skin. The larger fifth layer variants shrugged off single hits with gouges and snarls but were forced to be more cautious.

The initial assault was repelled with contemptuous ease, leaving a scattering of lizard carcasses outside the wall. But it was clear this was just a probe. More glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, and the scratching sounds intensified, particularly near sections of the wall the mining chief had pointed out as previously damaged.

The lizards adapted. Instead of a dispersed rush, they came in coordinated waves. A group would charge the wall at one point, drawing Lin Fan's attention and Wind Blades, while simultaneously, several others would start burrowing furiously at a different section. Their powerful claws tore through the loose soil and softer rock near the wall's foundation at an alarming rate.

Lin Fan activated enhanced Wind Step, blurring along the top of the perimeter wall. He rained down Wind Blades on the climbers, then quickly moved to intercept the burrowers. He couldn't always see them directly, but his Qi sense detected the disturbances underground. He stomped hard, channeling Qi through his boot, collapsing one burrow entrance. He fired a Wind Blade directly into the ground at another spot, eliciting a muffled screech from below.

He drew his sword now, dealing with lizards that scrambled over the wall in the chaos. The Flowing Shadow Sword became a dark blur, each strike precise and deadly. He activated Iron Skin Art fully, shrugging off the occasional desperate snap or claw swipe from dying lizards.

Hours passed in a cycle of relentless assault and efficient defense. The lizards were persistent, driven by hunger or territorial imperative, perhaps drawn to the faint Yang energy of the Sunstones being mined. They attacked from overland, they attacked from underground, their numbers seemingly endless. The larger fifth layer lizards directed the swarms, sometimes charging in themselves, their tougher hides requiring more focused Wind Blades or direct sword strikes to pierce. Lin Fan repelled them all, his movements economical, his Qi usage managed carefully thanks to his superior cultivation technique and the enhanced efficiency of his Wind Step. He occasionally popped a standard Qi Gathering Pill (one of the lower-quality ones from his lottery winnings, no need to waste the Pure Qi Pills) to keep his reserves topped off during the constant exertion.

While defending, he kept part of his attention focused outwards, searching for the source. The attacks seemed concentrated from the north-eastern side of the outpost. Following the trails of retreating lizards (the few that survived encounters) and the densest concentration of burrow attempts with his spiritual sense, his eyes eventually landed on a shadowed cleft in a low mesa about two hundred meters away from the outpost wall. It looked like a natural cave entrance, larger than the typical lizard burrows, and seemed to pulse faintly with the collective energy of the hidden horde.

That must be the main nest, he concluded. Identifying it fulfilled the bonus objective, though dealing with it was outside the scope of this defense task. He made a mental note of its location and features for his report.

The night wore on. The moon climbed high, bathing the barren landscape in silvery light, illuminating the growing piles of lizard carcasses outside the wall. Lin Fan remained vigilant, a solitary figure pacing the ramparts, repelling wave after wave. His endurance, bolstered by his cultivation level and high-quality Qi, was proving more than sufficient. The lizards' swarm tactics, which would have overwhelmed the mining crew or even a standard sixth layer disciple relying on brute force alone, were effectively countered by his superior speed, ranged attacks, and targeted defense.

Finally, as the first hints of grey began to lighten the eastern horizon, the frequency and intensity of the attacks began to decrease. The screeches and scratching sounds grew more distant. The remaining Rock Biter Lizards, perhaps sensing the approaching dawn or having suffered too many losses, started retreating towards their nest.

By the time the sun's edge crested the horizon, casting long shadows and painting the dusty rocks in shades of gold, the assault had ceased entirely. The area outside the wall was a grim testament to the night's battle, littered with dozens upon dozens of slain lizards. The outpost perimeter, thanks to Lin Fan's tireless defense, remained secure.

He stood on the wall, watching the last of the lizards vanish into the rocks. The 24-hour cycle wasn't complete – he still had the daylight hours to maintain watch – but the primary threat, the nocturnal siege, had been weathered successfully. He remained alert, knowing beasts could still attack during the day, but the immediate pressure was off. He glanced towards the mesa hiding the nest, filing away the information. Phase one, complete.