PDLP Chapter 17: A flash of light repels the snake swarm, the stone platform rotates.
Chapter 17: A flash of light repels the snake swarm, the stone platform rotates.
"Hiss—hiss—"
A sharp screech came from all directions like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing the entire temple.
Hundreds of jet-black, black-eyed serpents, like a black rainstorm, poured down from the dome tens of meters high, crashing heavily to the ground and splashing up rings of nauseating black slime.
Instead of attacking immediately, they quickly dispersed, forming an impenetrable encirclement that trapped Lin Mu and the other twelve people in the center of the temple.
Hundreds of pure black vertical pupils, illuminated by the flashlight beam, gleamed with a cold and cruel light, locking onto every living creature within the encirclement.
The air seemed to freeze at that moment.
"So many snakes!"
"It's over...it's completely over..."
Ye Zhi Qiu was so frightened by the dense swarm of snakes that kept flicking their tongues that he went limp and couldn't even scream.
"Fire! Free fire!"
With bloodshot eyes, security captain Wang Meng picked up his rifle and began firing wildly at the strange snake closest to him.
"Da da da da!"
The bullet instantly shattered the monstrous snake into several pieces, splattering black blood and bits of flesh everywhere.
However, such an attack is like a drop in the ocean compared to the overall snake population.
The smell of blood only enraged the tomb guardians!
"hiss--!!!"
All the strange snakes raised their heads at the same time, letting out a sharp, unified hiss, as if sounding the horn of attack, and began to slowly shrink towards the encirclement.
"Captain, there are too many snakes!"
"At this rate, we won't even finish killing the snakes before we get grazed by stray bullets from our own side!"
The security guards' voices were filled with despair.
Professor Zhou and Fang Ting were so frightened that they turned pale and instinctively moved closer to the center of the group.
At the center of the group stood the man who had remained absolutely calm throughout—Lin Mu.
"Lin Mu...do we...is there any other way?"
Su Nianwei clung tightly to Lin Mu, her voice trembling.
Lin Mu did not answer; his gaze, like that of a hawk, was fixed on the approaching swarm of snakes.
His brain was working at lightning speed.
Although he was skilled enough to easily kill the black snake, he was outnumbered and faced with such a large swarm of snakes, it would be difficult to completely eliminate them while ensuring the safety of his team members.
Although an entrenching tool is sharp, it can only take out one or two snakes at most. When faced with an attack from hundreds of snakes, it is simply like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
We must find their weaknesses!
Just then, Zhang Qiling's template knowledge base and fragments of memories from his past life flashed rapidly through Lin Mu's mind.
The Black-Eyed Serpent, also known as the Fire Serpent.
Having lived deep underground for many years, their vision has severely deteriorated, but they are extremely sensitive to light...
I'm afraid of strong light!
Lin Mu's eyes narrowed instantly!
He abruptly turned his head to look at Wang Meng, the security captain beside him who was almost in despair, and his cold voice boomed like thunder:
"Captain Wang! Do you have any flashbangs in your equipment?"
Wang Meng paused for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "Yes! Everyone was given two! But these things aren't lethal!"
"I don't want any lethal force!"
Lin Mu's voice was firm and decisive: "Listen to my command! Everyone, take out your flashbangs and pull the pins! I'll count to three, two, one, then throw them all at the densest part of the snake swarm!"
Although Wang Meng did not understand Lin Mu's intentions, after experiencing a series of miracles, he had developed an almost blind trust in Lin Mu.
"Everyone! Listen to Lin Mu! Prepare flashbangs!"
Wang Meng roared.
The four security guards immediately pulled out flashbangs from their tactical vests in unison.
"three!"
Lin Mu began to count down, his voice standing out clearly in the deathly silent temple.
The snakes had closed in to within five meters of the group, and they could even smell the strong, fishy stench emanating from them.
"two!"
Su Nianwei, Ye Zhiqi, and the others were so frightened that they closed their eyes.
"one!"
"Throw!"
At Lin Mu's command, four flashbangs were thrown out simultaneously, tracing four arcs in the air before landing precisely in the densest part of the snake swarm.
next second.
"boom--!!!"
Four flashbangs detonated simultaneously!
A beam of light, brighter and more dazzling than the sun, instantly engulfed the entire temple!
It was a pure white light that defied description!
Everyone instinctively closed their eyes, feeling as if their retinas were being burned, and everything in front of them went completely white.
Immediately following was the heart-wrenching, piercing hiss of the snakes, a sound born of extreme pain and fear!
"Hiss—Ah—!!!"
Those black-eyed serpents that live in darkness year-round simply cannot withstand such intense, instantaneous exposure!
The intense light, like the sharpest knife, instantly pierced their retinas and burned their optic nerves.
The entire swarm of snakes descended into complete chaos and madness!
They rolled, convulsed, and tore at each other on the ground, completely disoriented.
"Now! Let's go!"
Lin Mu shouted and was the first to open his eyes.
The strong light had little effect on him.
He grabbed Su Nianwei beside him and lifted Ye Zhi Qiu, who was slumped on the ground, with his other hand, and rushed towards the side of the white jade platform in the center of the temple.
The others, enduring the white patches on their faces, scrambled to follow behind Lin Mu.
The whole process took less than ten seconds.
By the time everyone reached the stone platform, the effects of the flashbangs had worn off.
Driven by excruciating pain and fear, the temporarily blinded serpents ceased their attacks and instead surged frantically toward one place—
The base of the white jade stone platform!
They disappeared without a trace, like a black tide, quickly disappearing into the crevices beneath the stone platform.
In less than half a minute, the temple floor, which had been covered with snake corpses and slime, became empty again, as if the thrilling siege just now was just an illusion.
"Phew...phew...I'm saved..."
Ye Zhi Qiu slumped to the ground, panting heavily.
Everyone wore expressions of relief, as if they had just survived a disaster.
After a brief period of blank screen, the live stream chat erupted once again in an epic burst.
[Holy crap! A flashbang! How come I didn't think of that!]
[Lin Shen is amazing! How does his brain work? How could he think of snakes being afraid of light in that situation?]
[Captain Wang and the security team are absolutely awesome! Their execution is truly elite!]
[This was a victory of teamwork! Lin Shen took the lead, and the security team carried out the execution! Perfect!]
Just as everyone was celebrating their narrow escape...
"Boom!"
A dull creak of machinery suddenly came from the white jade platform beneath their feet.
Everyone was startled and instinctively took a few steps back.
The stone platform, which had been lifeless since losing the Jade Eye's suppression, slowly rose about half a meter after the snakes burrowed into its bottom!
Immediately afterwards, the base of the stone platform and the platform above it began to separate, revealing a delicate structure that could rotate.
"The mechanism...the mechanism has been activated!"
Professor Zhou's voice trembled with excitement.
"Could it be those snakes... that they triggered some kind of pressure device after they crawled inside?"
Chen Wentao adjusted his glasses, trying to explain the scene before him with science.
"Now is not the time to study this!"
Security captain Wang Meng warily peered into the gap beneath the stone platform: "Those snakes could come out again at any moment! We must open the passage as soon as possible!"
All eyes were once again focused on Lin Mu.
Now, the stone platform can be rotated.
But the question is, how do we transfer it?
Is it clockwise or counterclockwise?
Should it spin once or several times?
After the series of events that just happened, no one dared to tamper with this deadly mechanism anymore.
Everyone knows perfectly well that if the wrong decision is made, the consequences will be unimaginable.