Zhang Wan bit her lip and said nothing more.
"Alright, rest for ten minutes, then we continue." Qian Renxue put away the map, sat down on a rock, closed her eyes, and began to regulate her breathing.
Su Chen walked over to Chen Hao and lowered his voice: "When the time comes, stick close to me and don't try to play the hero. Your Solar Will may be the bane of those void powers, but you've only just awakened it, and your soul power is limited. You can't use it for extended periods."
"I know." Chen Hao nodded. "I won't be impulsive this time."
"Better not." Su Chen patted his shoulder, then walked over to Lin Xue. "Lin Xue, your task is crucial. Once we enter the base, you'll need to use your martial soul to sense the auras around us and help us avoid the patrolling guards. If you sense anyone approaching, warn us in advance."
"Understood." Lin Xue's reply was brief, but her gaze was earnest.
"Li Yang, your defense is the strongest. When the time comes, you're responsible for protecting Zhang Wan. She'll need time to set up the sealing formation. No one can disturb her."
"Leave it to me." Li Yang grinned and patted his sturdy chest.
"Zhang Wan, is your formation ready?"
Zhang Wan took out a palm-sized jade disc from her bosom, covered with densely packed runes: "It's ready. This is a self-destruction formation. Once it's installed at the core of the base and activated, it will trigger a violent energy explosion that will destroy the entire underground second level. But it needs ten minutes to set up and activate. During those ten minutes, I cannot be interrupted."
"Ten minutes." Su Chen nodded. "We'll buy you those ten minutes."
The ten-minute rest passed quickly, and the six-person squad set off again. This time they quickened their pace, because the path ahead grew more difficult to traverse. The dense forest made visibility poor, and the thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground was soft and spongy. One careless step and you could sink through.
After entering the outer reaches of the forest, they began encountering soul beasts. However, they were all low-level beasts—ten-year and hundred-year ones. Sensing the pressure of a Titled Douluo, they scattered and fled, not daring to approach.
By the second day, they had entered the middle region of the forest. The soul beasts here were clearly of a higher level, and thousand-year beasts began to appear. A thousand-year Wind Wolf charged at them recklessly and was casually frozen into an ice sculpture by a wave of Qian Renxue's hand. It didn't even have time to let out a cry.
"Move quickly. The scent of blood will draw more beasts," Qian Renxue said.
The team picked up speed, weaving through the dense forest. The deeper they went, the taller the trees grew, blotting out the sky and sun. Sunlight barely filtered through, and the forest was suffused with a rotten, decaying odor.
By the evening of the second day, they finally reached the location marked on the map. It was a small valley, surrounded by mountains on three sides and open on one. A stream flowed through the valley, and at its end formed a waterfall over a dozen meters high. Below the waterfall was a clear pool, with a few fallen leaves floating on its surface. It looked peaceful and tranquil.
"The base entrance is behind the waterfall." Qian Renxue pointed with her chin at the waterfall. "We can't approach rashly for now. First, observe the surroundings."
Su Chen had Lin Xue scout ahead. Lin Xue activated her soul power, her body gradually becoming transparent until she vanished completely into the air. Her Shadow Cat martial soul allowed her to merge with her surroundings. Even a Titled Douluo would have difficulty detecting her presence.
About twenty minutes later, Lin Xue reappeared before the group, her face somewhat pale: "I circled around behind the waterfall. There really is a cave entrance, and it has artificial markings. There are two guards at the entrance, both at the Soul Saint level. But..."
"But what?"
"But there's another person above the waterfall. He's sitting on a rock at the top of the waterfall, motionless. I almost didn't notice him. His aura is very strong. I didn't dare get too close, but I feel... he's at least at the Titled Douluo level."
Qian Renxue narrowed her eyes. "It seems the intelligence was wrong. The guards aren't three Titled Douluos, but four. There's an extra one guarding above the entrance, probably specifically to defend against attacks from above the waterfall."
"What do we do now?" Li Yang asked.
"Proceed as planned." Qian Renxue said, "I'll handle the four Titled Douluos. You all take advantage of the chaos to infiltrate underground. But the timeframe will be shorter. I can only hold them off for ten minutes at most. Ten minutes later, whether or not you've completed your mission, you must evacuate."
"Ten minutes." Su Chen took a deep breath. "That's enough."
The sky gradually darkened, and the light in the valley grew dimmer. Qian Renxue chose to launch the assault as night fell. The cover of darkness would work in their favor.
When the last ray of sunlight disappeared behind the mountain ridge, Qian Renxue moved. Her figure transformed into a beam of white light, shooting straight toward the top of the waterfall. Almost simultaneously, four powerful soul power fluctuations erupted from different directions. Violent collisions echoed through the valley, shaking the leaves from the trees in a rustling cascade.
"Now!" Su Chen shouted in a low voice, leading Chen Hao, Lin Xue, Li Yang, and Zhang Wan in a dash toward the waterfall.
The waterfall's current was swift, pounding against them with cold, stinging force, but the five gritted their teeth and pushed through. Sure enough, they discovered a half-person-height cave entrance behind the waterfall. The two Soul Saint guards at the entrance had already been shaken by Qian Renxue's aura. They were staring in terror toward the battle above the waterfall, completely failing to notice the people slipping in from below.
The five filed into the cave one by one. Inside was a man-made tunnel, with luminescent crystals embedded in the walls illuminating the path ahead. The tunnel sloped downward. After walking about fifty meters, a metal door appeared before them.
"Lin Xue," Su Chen said.
Lin Xue understood immediately. She pressed against the metal door, listened intently for a moment, then gently touched the door crack, feeling the air currents on the other side: "Behind the door is a corridor. No one there, but there's a soul power fluctuation at the end of the corridor. Should be patrolling guards."
"Wait for them to pass," Su Chen said.
The five pressed against the wall, holding their breath. About two minutes later, Lin Xue nodded: "They're gone. Move quickly."
They pushed open the metal door and entered the corridor. The corridor was long, with sealed stone chambers on both sides. The chamber doors were all heavy iron plates, welded with thick bolts. Su Chen peered through a few door cracks. Every chamber held people—or rather, people who had once been human.
Their bodies had been modified beyond recognition. Some had grown an extra pair of arms. Some had massive tumors bulging from their backs. Some had skin turned into a translucent, gelatinous substance, through which black liquid could be seen flowing inside. They huddled in the corners of their stone chambers, their eyes hollow, motionless like broken dolls.
Zhang Wan's hands were trembling. She covered her mouth, forcing herself not to make a sound. Li Yang's face was grim as well. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles white from the strain.
"Move," Su Chen's voice was soft but firm. "We can't save them. At least not now."
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