Chapter 1238: Chapter 1238 Memory Restored (4)

Once again, the two groups brushed past each other, powerless to kill one another despite their intentions.

The second challenge was still in a spacious stone chamber, only slightly larger than the first one.

The stone chamber was eerily silent—no sound of rats gnawing on bones, nor the flow of mercury.

Time ticked by second by second, and the empty stone room remained completely noiseless. An Yiqing and her group stood tightly in a circle at the center of the chamber, warily observing every movement within their surroundings.

Suddenly, a faint “click” sound broke the silence, and An Yiqing’s heart leapt.

Before she could react, Gu Yelin swiftly scooped her up, scattering the rest of the group in the process.

Everyone stumbled and fell to the ground.

At that very moment, where they had just been standing, a crack suddenly split open. A massive metal board bristling with enormous steel spikes shot up from the ground like a monstrous beast with bared fangs and claws.

Everyone was startled, their faces filled with lingering fear as they stared at the spiked board that had emerged. If not for Gu Yelin pushing them aside, they would’ve been skewered into sieves by that contraption!

However, just as everyone thought the danger had passed, an unexpected change erupted in the stone chamber!

The smooth floor suddenly sprouted crisscrossing metallic tracks, and at the same moment, gaps appeared across the floor, walls, and ceiling. Enormous metal boards studded with giant steel spikes hurtled along these tracks with alarming speed!

The group clumsily dodged the incoming spike boards, rolling and crawling away to evade being impaled. Witnessing dozens of erratically moving spike boards within the stone chamber made cold sweat run down An Yiqing and the others’ backs.

They now resembled chunks of meat, while those spike boards were slices of bread—once caught in between them, there would be no escape, only death.

Seizing a brief pause in the spike boards’ movements, An Zhifeng quickly counted.

“Damn it! There are eighteen spike boards! How big is this room that it crams in eighteen of these damned things? Was the Situ family’s ancestor trying to kill their descendants?!”

The stone chamber was approximately a hundred square meters. With eighteen spike boards zipping through the tracks, it left little room for anyone to evade. A single misstep would turn them into a pincushion.

“Everyone, be careful. Try not to cluster together and leave enough space for each other to move. Ah Mi, Lingling, you two go find the mechanism!”

From Gu Yelin’s description, An Yiqing deduced that the area near the wall leading to the third challenge had no spike boards passing through, and the space could barely accommodate two adults. It was just enough time for the non-combatants, Ah Mi and Yin Xilin.

Understanding they would only be burdens here, Ah Mi and Yin Xilin obediently allowed An Zhifeng and the others to escort them to the safe zone. Kneeling on the ground, they began urgently searching for the mechanism to open the stone door.

Shortly after Ah Mi and Yin Xilin were secured, the eighteen spike boards began moving again along their tracks, their speed steadily increasing, accompanied by deafening grinding noises and dazzling sparks.

Gu Yelin tightly held onto An Yiqing, forbidding her from acting on her own. Each time a spike board drew near, he would evade it perfectly and with apparent ease.

An Zhifeng and An Zhiying, the brotherly duo, took their places in the northeast and southeast corners of the stone chamber. Their piercing gazes locked on the surrounding spike boards, poised to react to any sudden danger.

Known for his speed, Tan Yulin moved so fast he seemed like a flickering shadow. As for Cao Xiaosha and Dashan, they were managing to hold their own as well.

However, just as the group felt a sliver of relief, the spike boards’ movements abruptly sped up again.

Sparks sprayed across the tracks, the cold gleam of the steel spikes sending chills down their spines. Each individual strained their reflexes to the limit, their movements growing increasingly frantic!

*Rip.*

The sound of fabric tearing was jarringly loud. Dashan, who Tan Yulin had just pulled out of danger, had sweat soaking through the back of his shirt.

A moment ago, two spike boards had closed in on him from the left and right. If not for Tan Yulin’s lightning-fast reflexes, he might have already been sandwiched into a bloody pulp!

Yin Xilin and Ah Mi’s faces were pale, drenched in sweat that plastered their hair to their foreheads. They tirelessly searched the walls and floor for the mechanism to unlock the stone door, their hands rubbed raw and bleeding from the constant friction.

The eighteen spike boards were now hurtling at breakneck speed. An Yiqing and the others were visibly struggling. Even Tan Yulin, with his speed, and An Zhifeng, with his stamina, were starting to falter—all except for Gu Yelin, who remained unfazed.

At that moment, Ah Mi’s delighted voice suddenly rang out—

“Found it!”

As the words fell, a thunderous rumble erupted from within the stone wall. A crack appeared before Ah Mi and Yin Xilin, revealing a stone door set into the wall.

An Yiqing and the others felt a surge of joy and immediately dashed toward the opening.

However, just then, a wall on the opposite side of the chamber slowly slid open as well. Standing in the doorway were Da Huzi and his group of men!

They stood at the opening, holding submachine guns, their faces twisted into vicious and cunning grins.

The sound of the stone doors sliding was soon drowned out by the deafening roar of gunfire. An Yiqing and her group were now caught between dodging the spike boards and evading bullets. Chaos erupted as they struggled to cope. Dashan, whose reflexes were slightly slower, was shot in the right shoulder!

Cao Xiaosha’s expression darkened as he yanked Dashan aside. Without hesitation, he retrieved a submachine gun from his back and unleashed a burst of return fire toward the stone chamber’s entrance.

“Go! Don’t get stuck fighting!”

Gu Yelin’s icy command cut through the noise. He hurled An Yiqing off the tracks and then dragged both Cao Xiaosha and Dashan, tossing them out of harm’s way.

Cao Xiaosha and Dashan felt a dizzying spin. By the time they hit the ground, Gu Yelin had already turned back and reentered the fray.

“Ah Lin!” An Yiqing’s blurry vision couldn’t make out anything clearly. All she saw was a dark figure moving farther and farther away. Her heart clenched, and she lifted her leg, preparing to chase after him!

“Miss! It’s too dangerous inside!”

An Zhifeng and An Zhiying grabbed her by the arms, dragging her back with force.

“General Gu is the best among us. He knows what he’s doing. If you go, you’ll only hold him back!”

An Yiqing froze mid-step, gradually ceasing her struggle.

Meanwhile, Gu Yelin wielded a submachine gun as he darted nimbly between the moving spike boards, firing relentlessly at Da Huzi’s group.

To him, the eighteen enormous spike boards were nothing more than empty air. In mere moments, he reached Da Huzi and his men.

Before Da Huzi’s group could react, they suddenly felt their bodies lift, spinning as if caught in a whirlwind. By the time they regained their senses, Gu Yelin had thrown them into the center of the stone chamber!