Swallowing the Stars: Starting with Panlong

Chapter 69: Interception

On the morning of the eighth day, Lin Yun and He Lingruo broke camp and set off towards the east coast.

In late winter on the Australian continent, dawn breaks late. At six in the morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and a thin layer of mist shrouded the wilderness. The two moved through the mist, their steps light and swift. Lin Yun walked ahead, his eyes scanning the surroundings, his ears catching every subtle sound. He didn't use his mental powers, but his intuition, honed over years in the wilderness, gave him an almost instinctive sense of danger.

He Lingruo followed behind him, her silver-white spear already in her hand, its tip gleaming coldly in the morning light. Her steps were more cautious than in the past few days—the east coast was one of the most monster-dense areas on the Australian continent, with lord-level monsters everywhere, and a slight misstep could lead to being surrounded.

"Senior sister, how much do you know about the East Coast?" Lin Yun asked as they walked.

"Not many," He Lingruo said. "The last two times I came, I stayed in the west. The east is too dangerous; ordinary teams don't approach it easily. It's said that several king-level monsters reside there, and even the inspectors don't want to provoke them."

Lin Yun nodded. A King-level monster—that's an existence surpassing the Lord-level, equivalent to a planetary-level human. With his current strength, encountering a King-level monster would mean he could only run. But if he only stayed on the outskirts and didn't venture into the core area, it shouldn't be a big problem.

The two quickened their pace. According to the ancient records, Kirishima might be located off the coast of a bay somewhere on the east coast. He needed to search along the coastline to find that bay before he could pinpoint Kirishima's location.

Around nine o'clock in the morning, they passed through the last sparse grove of trees, and the view suddenly opened up before them.

The azure sea came into view, waves crashing against the rocks with a rhythmic sound. The coastline meandered, with steep cliffs in some places and gentle beaches in others. Several seabirds circled in the sky, emitting sharp cries.

Lin Yun stood on a high reef, looking out at the sea.

The fog was very thick. A dense white fog shrouded the sea, reducing visibility to less than a kilometer. Distant islands were faintly visible, making it impossible to distinguish which ones were fog islands.

"Let's walk along the coastline and find a bay," Lin Yun said.

He Lingruo nodded. The two walked north along the coastline.

After walking for about an hour, Lin Yun suddenly stopped.

His intuition warned him—danger lay ahead. Not a monster, but a human.

"What's wrong?" He Lingruo noticed his unusual behavior and gripped the spear in her hand tighter.

"There are people ahead," Lin Yun said in a low voice. "More than one. They don't seem friendly."

He Lingruo frowned slightly. Encountering other students was common in the Australian outback. But Lin Yun's expression told her that things weren't so simple.

"Send a distress signal first," He Lingruo said decisively, taking out a communicator from her waist.

Her finger touched the communicator button, but her expression changed—the screen showed no signal, just a blank page.

"It's been blocked." He Lingruo's voice turned somber.

Lin Yun also took out his communicator, but it had no signal either. The other side was clearly prepared, having already set up signal jamming devices before making their move. They were trapped in this area, unable to call for help from the training camp.

"Looks like they came specifically for us." Lin Yun put away the communicator and gripped the hilt of the battle sword on his back with his right hand.

The two exchanged a glance and continued walking forward.

Five hundred meters is nothing more than a few breaths for a high-level war god.

When they saw the six people in front of them, Lin Yun's heart sank.

Six men, all dressed in black combat uniforms and wearing tactical masks that revealed only their eyes, stood in a row on the coastline, blocking the way.

The man in the very center was tall and imposing, arms crossed, radiating an invisible pressure. His eyes were gray, cold and cruel, like a hawk eyeing its prey. Instead of swords, he carried two rows of silver-white throwing knives—the mark of a psychic. Lin Yun recognized the material and luster of the knives at a glance—SS-grade, the world's finest throwing knives, each worth billions.

On either side of him stood two men. They were also unarmed, though they too carried throwing knives at their waists, though fewer in number than the man in the middle. The throwing knives were a mix of S-series and SS-series.

Behind them stood three burly warriors, each holding a battle sword and wearing high-level combat uniforms.

Six people stood there quietly, like hunters waiting for their prey to walk into their trap.

"Lin Yun?" The middle man with gray eyes spoke, his voice low and hoarse. "Congressman Clement asked us to give you his regards."

Lin Yun did not answer. His right hand had already gripped the hilt of the battle sword on his back, while his left hand quietly reached for the throwing knife pouch at his waist.

The gray-eyed man pulled a photograph from his pocket, compared it to Lin Yun's face, and then nodded: "It seems that the councilor's judgment was correct."

There was no surprise in his tone, only a certain "I knew it" certainty.

"Let's do it."

Before the words were even finished, all six people moved at the same time.

The three mentalists made the first move.

Dozens of throwing knives flew from their waists, tracing dense silver trails in the air, raining down on Lin Yun and He Lingruo like a storm. The SS-grade throwing knives of the person in the middle were the fastest, their whistling sounds piercing the air, each one carrying the full force of a peak-level high-level war god's mental power. The throwing knives of the two beside them were slightly less powerful, but there were more of them, and their angles were more cunning.

He Lingruo reacted with lightning speed. She swung her spear sharply, the tip drawing a silver arc in the air, deflecting all the throwing knives aimed at her. The sounds of metal clashing were as dense as rain, sparks flying everywhere. But her expression instantly turned serious—the force of those knives far exceeded her expectations; each strike left her hands numb with shock.

Lin Yun moved even faster. He dodged to the side, simultaneously drawing his battle sword. With a flash of light, three SS-grade throwing knives were cleaved in two. But his expression also turned serious—the mental energy imbued in these throwing knives was comparable to Lin Yun's own.

A high-level War God peak mental master. And a high-level War God peak mental master wearing the Black God set.

The three mentalists' attacks didn't stop. The throwing knives constantly changed direction in the air, launching attacks from different angles with perfect coordination, as if they had practiced a thousand times. One throwing knife shot from the left, one from the right, one swooped down from above, and one ambushed from below—four throwing knives attacked simultaneously, blocking all of Lin Yun's escape routes.

Lin Yun's body suddenly spun, his battle blade drawing a circular light shield around him. The blade collided with the throwing knives, producing a piercing metallic scraping sound. Four throwing knives were deflected, but six more were added to replace them.

At the same time, three advanced War God peak warriors rushed up.

They moved with incredible speed, reaching Lin Yun almost the instant the throwing knives were launched. Three battle blades slashed down simultaneously, carrying a sharp, piercing aura that enveloped Lin Yun.

Lin Yun did not retreat. He pushed off with his feet, his body moving like lightning to meet the attack. The power of the fifth level of the Nine-Fold Thunder Blade erupted on the blade, the five forces superimposed, 4.2 times the power concentrated on a single point.

"clang!"

Blades clashed, sparks flying. Lin Yun blocked the frontal strike, but two more slashes came simultaneously from the side and behind. He swiftly turned to the side, dodging the attack, but the slash from behind grazed his back, leaving a shallow scratch on his SS-level combat suit.

He Lingruo's spear arrived just in time. The spear tip, like a silver snake, pierced out from Lin Yun's side, precisely striking the attacker's blade. The man was jolted back a few steps, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

However, He Lingruo herself was also shaken, her arms going numb. Although she was powerful, she could barely defend herself against the combined attack of three peak-level high-level War Gods. Moreover, she was constantly harassed by the throwing knives of three mentalists.

The battle reached its climax.

The three mentalists unleashed a barrage of throwing knives like a torrential downpour, giving Lin Yun and He Lingruo no chance to catch their breath. The three martial artists' swordsmanship was sharp and ruthless, each strike aimed at vital points. The six of them coordinated flawlessly, clearly the result of specialized training.

He Lingruo's marksmanship displayed astonishing power at this moment. Her spear, like a silver dragon, swirled and danced around her body, deflecting each incoming throwing knife. However, facing the combined attack of three martial artists, she could only barely hold her ground, with no strength left to retaliate. Several wounds had appeared on her body, and her combat uniform was covered in scratches.

A mid-level War God peak mentalist's throwing knife caught her off guard, shooting from the side. He Lingruo had no time to parry and could only dodge to the side. The throwing knife grazed her shoulder, leaving a gash in her combat uniform, from which blood seeped out.

"Senior Sister!" Lin Yun called out.

"Leave me alone!" He Lingruo gritted her teeth, sweeping her spear horizontally and forcing back two martial artists.

Lin Yun's situation became even more perilous. He not only had to face the siege of three martial artists, but also had to be constantly wary of the throwing knives from the three mentalists. Especially the gray-eyed man in the middle, whose SS-level throwing knives were extremely fast and had very tricky angles, each attack aimed at Lin Yun's vital points.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The sounds of clashing blades were as dense as rain. Lin Yun's blade flashed between the three, each strike precisely blocking the opponent's attack while simultaneously seeking an opportunity to counterattack. But the three coordinated too well; when one attacked, the other two would block his retreat; just as he was about to retaliate, another's blade was already in front of him.

Moreover, the three mentalists continued to harass Lin Yun with their throwing knives. The knives came from all directions, forcing Lin Yun to distract himself and deal with them.

"laugh--"

An SS-grade throwing knife broke through Lin Yun's defenses and pierced his left arm. The Black God Set played a crucial role at the critical moment—the knife was blocked less than half an inch in, without damaging the bone. However, the intense pain slowed Lin Yun's movements by half a beat.

Another martial artist seized the opportunity and slashed at his neck. Lin Yun ducked sharply, the blade grazing his scalp.

Cold sweat beaded on Lin Yun's forehead. If this continued, he and He Lingruo would eventually be worn down and die.

He can no longer hide his strength.

"Senior sister, step back!" Lin Yun suddenly forced the martial artist in front of him back with a slash, and shouted to He Lingruo at the same time.

Without hesitation, He Lingruo retracted her spear and leaped back several meters.

Lin Yun took a deep breath and released his mental energy.

Twelve SS-grade throwing knives flew from the scabbard at his waist, tracing twelve silver trails in the air like twelve silver snakes, shooting towards the three mentalists. The throwing knives were incredibly fast, arriving at their opponents almost instantly upon release.

The three mentalists were prepared. Their throwing knives immediately changed direction, meeting Lin Yun's knives head-on. The sound of metal clashing was as dense as rain, and sparks flew everywhere.

The gray-eyed man sneered, "As expected, you're a psychic. The councilor's judgment was correct; you're the one who stole the treasure."

There was no surprise in his tone, only a certainty of "finally caught you." His SS-class throwing knives hovered in the air, entangled with Lin Yun's. Both were peak-level advanced war god mentalists, and the number and quality of their throwing knives were almost equal, so for a time neither could gain the upper hand.

However, Lin Yun was also facing an attack from three martial artists at the same time. He had to devote most of his mental energy to fighting against the three mental masters, and the remaining energy was only enough to barely deal with the sword techniques of the three martial artists. His situation not only did not improve, but became even more difficult.

He Lingruo's situation was even worse. She had exhausted most of her strength, and her wounds were still bleeding. She barely managed to block an attack from one martial artist, but another slashed her back with a knife. A long gash appeared in her combat uniform, and blood gushed out.

"Senior Sister!" Lin Yun called out.

"I'm fine!" He Lingruo gritted her teeth, using the spear to support her body and preventing her from falling.

But Lin Yun could tell she had reached her limit. Her combat uniform was covered in blood, her face was as pale as paper, and her breathing was rapid and erratic. If she continued fighting, she really would die.

The gray-eyed man also realized this. He said coldly, "Lin Yun, your strength is indeed impressive. But you're carrying a burden; you can't escape today. Hand over the treasure, and I might consider sparing your lives."

Lin Yun did not answer. His mind raced, searching for any possible way out.

But his mental energy was rapidly depleting, the attacks from the three martial artists were becoming increasingly fierce, and He Lingruo's injuries were worsening. He alone could not defeat all six of them.

If he were alone, he might be able to escape by using his mental powers. But He Lingruo was here, and he couldn't abandon her.

"Senior sister, can you still hold on?" Lin Yun asked in a low voice.

"Five minutes," He Lingruo said, panting. "Five minutes at most."

Five minutes. Lin Yun gritted his teeth.

He needs to find a breakthrough within these five minutes.

But where is the breakthrough?

The three mentalists are equipped with the Black God Set, which has extremely high defensive capabilities and cannot be killed in a short time.

Although the three warriors didn't possess the Black God Set, they were quite strong and worked together seamlessly. He Lingruo was already struggling to defeat all three of them alone.

Lin Yun's gaze swept quickly over the six people, searching for their weaknesses.

Although the Black God Sets worn by the two intermediate-level mentalists could protect their vitals, their mental strength was inferior to Lin Yun's, and their ability to control the number and speed of throwing knives was also a level below. Moreover, they had already consumed a considerable amount of mental energy in the previous entanglement, and the speed of their throwing knives had noticeably slowed down.

If we could injure them or exhaust their mental energy, we might be able to break the deadlock.

"Senior sister, please hold off those three martial artists for me," Lin Yun whispered. "Give me thirty seconds."

He Lingruo didn't hesitate: "Okay."

With a flick of her spear, she charged at the three martial artists. The spear tip traced three silver arcs in the air, attacking all three simultaneously. Her spear technique was sharp and precise, each strike carrying an unstoppable momentum. The three martial artists were forced back a few steps by her attacks, temporarily unable to attend to Lin Yun.

Lin Yun seized the opportunity of those thirty seconds and concentrated all his mental energy on the twelve throwing knives.

Twelve throwing knives lined up in a straight line in the air, like a silver spear, shooting towards one of the intermediate-level mentalists. The knives were incredibly fast, their whistling sound as they tore through the air was sharp and piercing, as if they were about to rip it apart.

The intermediate-level mentalist's expression changed drastically. He desperately tried to control his throwing knives to block, but Lin Yun's knives were too numerous and too fast. The first knife broke through his defense, the second followed closely, the third, the fourth...

"puff!"

The fifth throwing knife pierced his shoulder. The Black God Set blocked most of the damage, but the knife still penetrated half an inch. The intermediate-level psychic let out a muffled groan, and the throwing knives he was controlling instantly went out of control, falling to the ground one after another.

Lin Yun didn't stop. The sixth, seventh, and eighth throwing knives pierced his body one after another. Although there were no fatal wounds, the intense pain completely disrupted his mental energy, causing him to collapse to the ground, incapacitated.

"Beautiful!" He Lingruo exclaimed.

But Lin Yun had no time to rejoice. His mental energy was severely depleted; controlling twelve throwing knives to attack a single target with all his might had almost exhausted most of his mental energy. Moreover, the other two mental masters had already launched a counterattack while he was attacking.

A dozen SS-grade throwing knives shot towards the gray-eyed man with incredible speed and extremely tricky angles. Lin Yun didn't have time to recall all the knives and could only barely parry them with his battle sword.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

He blocked most of the blows, but a throwing knife pierced his right leg. The Black God suit blocked the fatal strike, but the intense pain slowed his movements.

Another intermediate-level mentalist also launched an attack, with several throwing knives flying from the side, heading straight for He Lingruo.

He Lingruo was entangled in a fight with three martial artists and had no time to dodge. A throwing knife pierced her back, and another grazed her arm. Blood gushed out, and she swayed, almost falling over.

"Senior Sister!" Lin Yun called out.

"I'm fine!" He Lingruo gritted her teeth, using the spear to support her body and preventing her from falling.

But Lin Yun could tell that she had reached her limit.