Chapter Thirty-Eight: Buried Alive

Boom... Suddenly, the sky was filled with countless streaks of radiant light shooting across the heavens. All those who looked up could not help but cry out in agony; the brilliance that burst forth in an instant was blinding. Their eyes were assaulted by an unbearable pain; some believed themselves to be blinded, wishing to raise their hands to shield their eyes, yet the vast, boundless pressure that enveloped them rendered them immobile, no different from prisoners undergoing torment.

Though Ye Xin dared not channel his vital energy, his constitution was far stronger than that of others. He managed to squint, forcing his eyes into narrow slits, and faintly saw that the orb of light had been shattered to pieces, and the figure that had hovered within it had vanished. The sky was now bathed in a kaleidoscope of colors as countless meteor-like objects shot outward in all directions, each radiating colorful light.

The scarlet figure waved his robe, and the sleeve expanded rapidly. Ye Xin was struck by an illusion, as if the very heavens and earth were to be swept up into that sleeve. The rainbow-hued lights all fell into the robe's billow, and then the scarlet figure swayed and disappeared into thin air. The omnipresent pressure dissipated, and those present regained their freedom.

"My eyes... ah, ah, ah..."

"It hurts so much! Help me!"

"What happened?!"

The students of the First and Fifth Battalions struggled to their feet, their appearances wretched and pitiful, staggering about and reaching out blindly as if they were sightless. In the Kingdom of David, these students were the young elite: endowed with wit and strength beyond the ordinary, destined for bright futures. Yet now, most had been broken by this sudden catastrophe, at least in spirit.

After a few moments, many students regained their sight. They slowly looked to the sky, seeking answers. The elder fared little better than the students, his face covered in dust. When his gaze turned toward the flag altar, his expression suddenly shifted to one of terror. "What is that...?"

A lotus, faint and ethereal, was drifting down, nearing the flag altar. The lotus that had appeared moments before had spanned over a thousand meters, but after shattering the orb, it seemed its strength was exhausted. Now it was only several dozen meters across, its color fading from brilliant gold to transparency, barely visible unless one looked closely.

In the next instant, the lotus sank beneath the flag altar. The entire mountaintop inexplicably began to swell outward, expanding like a steamed bun.

"Get down!" Ye Xin’s eyes nearly burst with urgency as he shouted and lunged toward Ye Ling.

Caught off guard, Ye Ling fell with Ye Xin's momentum, and Ye Xin clung tightly to her, pressing her beneath him.

Everyone was bewildered, unsure of what to do. Ye Xin's shout became a command; the students instantly imitated him, throwing themselves to the ground.

Boom... boom boom boom boom... The whole mountaintop exploded. The students had barely recovered from their panic before facing yet another calamity.

Deafening explosions rocked the world; the students felt as if their heads were being torn apart. Compared to this, the pain in their ears was negligible. The ground shook violently, their blood and energy roiling, as though their internal organs had shifted.

Fortunately, their location was high on the mountainside, far from the peak. Had they been caught in the blast’s shockwave, none would have survived.

The air was thick with dust, followed by countless impacts like torrential rain.

Rocks of all sizes crashed down upon the earth; now, luck was all that mattered. Some stones weighed several tons, even more than ten tons. To be struck by such a boulder meant certain pulverization.

Everyone desperately channeled their vital energy, trying to protect themselves. Ye Xin was no exception; he would rather risk exposing himself than die here in vain!

He activated his energy while tearing the cloth pouch from his waist, stuffing it beneath Ye Ling’s shoulder. The little violet mink poked its head out, its round eyes filled with terror.

Luckily, with sand and stones flying everywhere and everyone focused on channeling their energy, Ye Xin’s fluctuations were masked. Almost no one noticed him; nor could they afford the distraction.

Only one person was aware—Ye Ling. Their bodies pressed tightly together, she could feel the powerful surge.

Ye Ling’s eyes widened, her mind a chaotic whirl. Wasn’t Ye Xin unable to gather vital energy? How could this be...

Thump, thump, thump... rocks continued to crash down. Ye Xin felt the darkness deepening around him, knowing that the falling dirt and stones were close to burying him and Ye Ling.

Suddenly, Ye Xin’s head sank, colliding with the back of Ye Ling’s skull. Ye Ling cried out in pain.

A stone the size of a basketball struck Ye Xin’s head, splitting his scalp.

Ye Xin’s luck had always been poor, but his judgment was unerring. Had he not channeled his energy, this blow would have cracked his skull.

Blood streamed from the back of Ye Xin’s head, his nose broken and bleeding as well, the blood trickling onto Ye Ling’s ear. She sensed something was wrong, reached out, and found her hand covered in blood. She called out anxiously, "Brother? Brother, say something..."

Ye Xin’s head was in a haze, as if thousands of orchestras played in his mind. He could not hear Ye Ling at all.

Ye Ling moved, only to find the soil wrapping her arm. She dared not move further; the more they struggled, the less space remained, risking suffocation.

Time passed—who knew how long? The chaos outside finally quieted. The cramped space grew hotter. Ye Ling, ignoring the soil that kept pouring into her mouth, gasped desperately, yet could not find the air she needed.

At that moment, the little violet mink wriggled free from beneath Ye Ling, digging furiously with its front paws to carve a hole in the earth.

Ye Ling’s consciousness grew fuzzy. The mink retreated, then dug another hole in the opposite direction.

Just as Ye Ling was about to faint, a cool breeze revived her; the air carried a breath that made every cell in her body rejoice.

The mink chirped outside, and then Ye Ling heard Xie En’s voice: "Ye Xin? Ye Xin, where are you? Ye Xin?!"

"Teacher Xie, save my brother! Save my brother!" Ye Ling screamed, "We’re here! Brother! Brother, say something! Wuu..." At last, Ye Ling broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

No matter how others viewed Ye Xin, in Ye Ling’s heart, he would always be the brother who cheered her up, played with her, fought for her, and brought her endless joy—nothing could change that.

Ye Xin had come home, making her happy and determined to protect him this time. Yet, when real disaster struck, she remained as weak and helpless as ever, still needing her brother’s shield.

Outside, there was the sound of stones being moved. Who knew how long it took, but suddenly Ye Ling felt lighter. She turned to see Ye Xin being lifted out by Xie En.

"Ye Xin, are you alright?!" Xie En gently placed Ye Xin on the ground, anxiously calling his name. In truth, his heart was as tense as Ye Ling’s; to the warriors of the Heaven’s Wrath Battalion, Ye Xin was not only their commander but their guide and hope.

"Brother!" Ye Ling used all her strength to jump up and rush to Ye Xin’s side, inspecting his injuries.

Ye Xin’s mouth and nose were smeared with blood, half his face dyed red, his body covered in dirt and debris. He looked utterly miserable.

"Brother? Brother..." Ye Ling shook Ye Xin’s body with all her might.

"Stop shaking me... If you keep shaking I’ll get even dizzier..." Ye Xin murmured weakly.

"Brother!" Ye Ling laughed through tears, hugging Ye Xin tightly.

Ye Xin painfully reached out to touch the back of his head, now numb. He felt wetness, and when he withdrew his hand, it was stained crimson.

"My head was nearly smashed to pieces..." Ye Xin forced a bitter smile. "Help me up..."

Xie En and Ye Ling carefully supported Ye Xin as he rose. Ye Xin surveyed the surroundings. The world had changed completely: the dense forest was gone, replaced by barren hills. Rocks of every size lay scattered. The First and Fifth Battalions had over fifty students combined, yet he saw fewer than ten figures—most must be buried beneath the stones.

The elder seemed unharmed, busy rescuing students. Instructor Wu Man leaned against a boulder, gasping for breath, her leg likely broken, though her expression remained calm. Ye Xin spotted Wen Rong and Shao Xue kneeling on the ground, with Shen Miao beneath them, only her head and neck visible. Her beauty was striking, yet now she looked utterly pitiful, her breath barely lingering.

Wen Rong and Shao Xue were unharmed—a stroke of great luck.

The little violet mink called out to Ye Xin, then dashed down the mountain.

"Go and rescue others—save as many as you can," Ye Xin pushed Ye Ling and Xie En aside.

"Brother, what about you..." Ye Ling hesitated.

"Go," Ye Xin said quietly.

Ye Ling rushed toward Shen Miao. She had a thousand questions for Ye Xin, but now was not the time. Xie En whispered, "Take care of yourself."

"I’ll be fine." Ye Xin staggered toward where the mink had vanished.

The pain had faded, replaced by a burning sensation. Every step he took sent a jolt through his head, as if he were being struck by a hammer.

After a long while, Ye Xin finally heard the mink’s persistent cries. Following the sound, he found an opening behind a boulder and sat down weakly.