At the moment Song Heping dived down, he only felt as if an invisible giant hammer struck his back fiercely. The blast wave lifted him several meters away, crashing heavily onto the hard gravel bank. It seemed as though his internal organs had shifted, golden stars danced in front of his eyes, and only a sharp ringing filled his ears.
Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring his vision. The choking smell of gunpowder and rock dust filled his nostrils.
A burning pain came from his right arm and back, clearly struck by high-speed flying debris.
He struggled to get up but found a sharp stabbing pain in his left leg. Looking down, he saw a sharp piece of stone deeply embedded in his calf muscle, with blood rapidly dyeing the pant leg red.
"Damn it…"
He cursed under his breath, the intense pain snapping his dizzy brain into clarity.
Clenching his teeth, he mustered all his strength and yanked out the stone shard.
Blood gushed out instantly.
