F-class thief? Sorry, I can steal anything.

Chapter 267 Destroying the Mother Body! Xia Nan's Scheme!

Xia Nan's humanoid mecha was far more powerful than Chen Yifan had imagined.

With each swing of its laser sword, it left a deep burn mark on the hard bone armor of those elite monsters.

The energy shield in his left hand steadily blocked all the attacks.

Most impressively, its mobility is simply unbelievable.

The thrusters on its back allow it to fly, hover, and dodge freely in the air, its movements fluid and graceful, full of violent aesthetics.

"boom!"

The mech sidestepped the fire spewed by the hellhound, and at the same time, the small missile launcher on its shoulder instantly locked onto the target.

Two miniature missiles, trailing long plumes of flame, struck the hellhound precisely on the head, blasting it to pieces and causing it to howl in agony.

In an instant, the entire cavern was filled with the cannon fire of the mechs and the roars of the monsters.

Xia Nan, all by herself, actually managed to hold off more than a dozen elite-level guardians with just one mecha!

"This guy is a pay-to-win player."

Chen Yifan, hiding in the shadows, watched the battle scene, which was comparable to a Hollywood blockbuster, and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

This mech, in terms of both materials and technology, is absolutely top-tier and unavailable on the market.

Its cost is probably several times higher than Wang Fugui's S-level equipment.

Fighting power is built by spending money.

However, now is not the time for sentimentality.

While all the guardians' attention was drawn to the mech, they took advantage of the situation.

Chen Yifan's figure moved silently, like a wisp of smoke, towards the huge tumor in the center of the mine.

The closer one gets to the mother body, the stronger the erosion by that "external force" becomes.

A chaotic, violent, and insane thought kept assaulting his mind, trying to corrupt his will.

"Hmph, trying to teach a fish to swim."

Chen Yifan snorted coldly. The purer and more domineering spiritual power from the "external path" instantly protected his mind, isolating him from all negative influences.

He appeared like a ghost, silently appearing beneath the tumor.

Upon closer inspection, this thing is a million times more disgusting than it appears from a distance.

Its purplish-black surface, covered with wrinkles and mucus, was pulsating rhythmically, like a living heart.

Countless tiny, maggot-like creatures crawled in and out of its surface, making a rustling sound that made your teeth ache.

Suppressing his discomfort, Chen Yifan took out a black dagger from his beginner's backpack.

[Shadow Strike]!

His figure vanished instantly, disappearing completely into the shadows beneath his feet.

The next second, he appeared directly above the tumor.

The dagger in his hand, imbued with the triple damage and shadow penetration effect that ignores defense from [Shadow Strike], transformed into a black lightning bolt and stabbed fiercely into the core of the tumor!

"Pfft!"

The dagger went in without any obstruction, down to the hilt.

A foul-smelling, dark green liquid, resembling concentrated sulfuric acid, gushed out instantly.

"grumble--!!!"

A piercing, extremely sharp screech, unlike anything any living creature could produce, instantly echoed throughout the entire cave.

The sound seemed to act directly on their souls, causing Xia Nan and the guardians, who were engaged in fierce battle, to pause for a moment.

The enormous tumor began to twist and spasm wildly.

The "blood vessels" that connect the mine to all sides also began to contract violently, as if they were enduring great pain.

Having landed a successful blow, Chen Yifan did not linger and immediately withdrew.

The moment he drew his knife, hundreds of bloodshot, scarlet eyes suddenly opened on the tumor!

All eyes were fixed on Chen Yifan in mid-air!

An overwhelming spiritual shock, mixed with the purest "heretical power," slammed into Chen Yifan's mind like an invisible hammer!

"not good!"

Chen Yifan's expression changed.

He never expected that this thing could unleash such a terrifying mental attack when it was on the verge of death.

This force has far exceeded the limit he can withstand!

It looked as if that mental shock was about to completely engulf him.

At this critical moment.

"Buzz—"

A soft buzzing sound came from Xia Nan's direction.

Xia Nan, without anyone noticing, had already put away the mecha that had been wreaking havoc all along.

In his hands, he held a compass-like instrument that emitted a soft white light.

At the center of the instrument, a deep blue gemstone is spinning at high speed.

A visible barrier, made of pure spiritual energy, instantly appeared in front of Chen Yifan, steadily blocking the terrifying spiritual impact.

"A mental stabilization device? You even managed to get your hands on something that's military-controlled?"

Chen Yifan landed back on the ground and looked at the instrument in Xia Nan's hand, feeling shocked once again.

"Just a small collection."

Xia Nan adjusted her glasses, a knowing smile spreading across her face.

"I knew it, this thing wouldn't die so easily."

At this moment, the huge tumor, after delivering its attack, also completely lost its vitality.

Its massive body began to rapidly wither and die, eventually turning into a pool of lifeless black ash.

With the death of the mother, those guardians who were originally fearless seemed to have all their strength drained away.

One by one, they wailed and fell to the ground, their bodies rapidly decaying and disintegrating.

The oppressive "heretical power" in the entire mine began to slowly dissipate.

The crisis has been averted.

Chen Yifan looked at the mess in front of him, and then at Xia Nan, who looked calm and collected, but he felt no sense of relief.

He always felt that things weren't that simple.

Xia Nan, you went to such great lengths, using a mecha and a mental energy stabilization device, just to pass the entrance exam for a club?

This is not logical.

He was certain that there was another purpose behind it.

really.

Xia Nan put away the instruments in her hand, and then walked straight to the pile of ashes of the mother body.

He crouched down and carefully pulled something out of the ashes.

It was an irregular crystal, only the size of a thumb, completely black, with strange patterns covering its surface.

As soon as the crystal appeared, an aura of "heretical power" that was even purer and more evil than the original mother crystal instantly spread out.

"This is... the 'Heart of the Abyss'?"

Xia Nan looked at the crystal in her hand, her eyes flashing with an almost fanatical excitement.

"As expected, it's just like what's recorded in the ancient books. There's a very small chance that a core corrupted by the 'Power of the Abyss' will condense into this kind of thing after death."

He stood up and carefully placed the "Heart of the Abyss" into a specially made lead box.

Then, he turned around, looked at Chen Yifan, and gave him a sincere smile.

"Chen Yifan, this time, I owe you so much. Without you, I definitely wouldn't have been able to get this thing by myself."

Chen Yifan looked at him without saying a word, but his eyes turned somewhat cold.

He finally understands.

All those recruitment assessments and the search for "valuable" things are just a smokescreen.

Xia Nan's true purpose, from the very beginning, was this "Heart of the Abyss"!

He saw himself as a free tool, used for scouting and monster-fighting!

"Xia Nan".

Chen Yifan's voice was very calm.

"Shouldn't you give me an explanation?"